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Augsburg Now Summer 2001
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What a year this has been ¡..
tñt
lfll
iLh this summer issue, we
.orptete our first Iull volume
year as a magazine . . . and realize what
an exciting and rewarding year it's been.
The comments we've received from
you have encouraged and uplifted us.
You've...
Show more
Ê
_-ii
j
*
{
T
#
¡¡
¡a
What a year this has been ¡..
tñt
lfll
iLh this summer issue, we
.orptete our first Iull volume
year as a magazine . . . and realize what
an exciting and rewarding year it's been.
The comments we've received from
you have encouraged and uplifted us.
You've told us that you enjoy the longer,
more colorfully illustrated articles. You've
told us to keep up the good work. You've
told us that this new magazine makes
you feel proud to be an Auggie.
And, now, I'm proud to announce
that Augsburg Now has also received honor
and recognition beyond our own
communiqz The Now received aBrorue
Medal in the 2001 Circle of Excellence
awards sponsored by the Council for
Advancement and Support of Education
(CASE) for periodical publication
improvement. As one of eight awards from
97 entries, Augsburg joins company with
several of the top college and university
magazines in the country And that makes
us feel proud to be Auggies, too.
ln this issue, we present stories
about stretching beyond what is
necessary and expected. The first feature
highlights Augsburg's commitmenr ro
beì.ng a good neighbor and engaging
students in opportunities to learn from
and serve the communitv
The second story is a feature on
focus-two gutsy men who push the
envelope to achj.eve at levels greater than
expected of them. Aaron Cross and Jim
Mastro personify one of our key
messages to prospective students-that
at Augsburg, you are encouraged to
reach farther than you ever thoughl
possible.
For those ofyou online, please take
a moment to consider the questions in
the enclosed survey about services you
would find useful on an enhanced
alumni Web page. The questions can
also be completed online.
Letters to
the editor
Experiencing Cuba
I found the article "Experiencing Cuba" in
I th. ,ecenL issue of Augsb urg Nàw very
gratifying to read. vou. lto.yãbo.rr
Augsburg journallsm students spendÌng 10
days in Cuba interviewlng people is a
wonderful example of how Augsburg's
Center lor Global Education is promoting
understanding between people in the U.S.
and in Latin American countries. ln the
case of Cuba it is particularly lmportant
because governmental sanctions have
made the kind of contact which promotes
Please continue to write to us-about
your thoughts as you read through the
issue, about your comments and
concerns, and about your reactions to the
articles. We'd like to keep in closer touch.
We look forward to continuing this
conversation as rMe enter our second
magazine year, in the 133rd year ol
Augsburg College.
understanding very difficult.
As I live in Wisconsin, I found it
partlcularly interesting that one of the
students had done a comparative study of
farming and the cooperative movement Ìn
Cuba and Wisconsin.
Ww
Out of Africa
Betsey Norgard
-Larry
Glenn'70
reetings from Nairobi. i appreciate
always getting a copy of the
AugsburgNow
G
Editor
-Kanaidza
Abwao'75
We welcome your letters!
Please
write to:
Editor
AugsburgNou
2211 Riverside Ave., CB 145
Minneapolis, MN 55454
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Fax: 612-330-1780
Phone: 612-330-1 18I
Letters fo¡ publication must be signed and include your name, class year, and daytime telephone
number They may be edited for length, clarir¡ and style.
Correction: ln the w¡nter issue on p. 26, we
incorrectly identified the subject of our
alumni profile in the title and caption. lt
should read: Peter Steen-A Model Teacher.
ITTGSBLJRG
Vol. 63, No.4
'r 2OO1
DO YOU VISIT THE ALUMNI
WEB PAGE?
Woulu You LIKE To
Now
'es
sEE ADDTTToNAL
oNLINE SenVlCeS?
g to serve ...
to learn
Norgard
erve in the community is part of an
rcation, and students begin to worle
The Alumni and Parent Relations
'1ty partners Jrom their
Jirst day on
Office would like to hear what you
would find useful on the alumni page
3
Please take a moment to complete the
survey-either on the attached tear-off
<www. augsburg. edu/alumni> and
19
return it byJuly 20. lf you complete
will
by Don Stoner
Augies Aaron Cross and lint Mastro haye
orercome obstacles to excel in their sports,
gain international recognition, and achieve
success in their careers.
card or online at
the contact information, you
Targeting success:
No barriers allowed
tno,o contest for
International and
Off-Campus Studies
be
tments
entered in a drawing for a $50 gift
cértificate from the Augsburg College
20
co*-encement 2ool
Around. the Quad
Bookstore.
Sports
Alumni News
Class l\otes
Auggie Thoughts
administered pro gr am5 except
in
those instances where religion
is a bona Jíile occupational
qualificati on. Au gsb ur g C ollege
is committed to proviiling
r eas onable accomm o d ations to
íts employees and its students.
inside
back
cover
Calendar
On the cover:
Augsburg senior Dereh Schwartz
completed his student teaching at
C e d ar - Riv e r si
de
C ommunity
School. Here, he helps hindergarten
www.augsburg.edu
student Farult Ahmed with an
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste)
assígnment. See story on page
Photo by GregHelgeson.
B.
r
AucsBuRG Now
Vol. 63, No.4
Summer 2001
Features
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
22ll Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454.
Betsey Norgard
Learning to serve ...
serving to learn
Editor
by Betsey Norgard
Lynn Mena
Learning to serye in the community is part oJ an
Augsburg educatiott, and students begin to worh
with community partners from their Jirst day on
Assistant Editor
Kathy Rumpza
Graphic Designer
cdmpus.
William V. Frame
President
Dan Jorgensen
Director of Public Relations and
Communication
Nancy Toedt'94
3
Director of Alumni and Parent
Relations
Opinions expressed rn Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
1SSN 1058-1545
success
Postmaster: Send correspondence,
name changes, and address
corrections to : Augsburg N ow,
Office of Public Relations and
Communication, 22 I I Riverside
Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454.
Augsburg College, øs afflrmeil
in its miss¡on, does not
discriminate on the basis of røce,
color, creed, religion, national or
ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual
orientation, marital status, status
uith regaril to public assistance,
or disability in its education
p olicíes, a ilmi s sions p olicie s,
scholarship ønd loan progrøms,
athletic andlor school
ødministered pro gr am1 except
in those ínstances where religion
is a bona fide occupationøl
qu aliJi c øtio n. Au gsbur g C olle ge
is committed. to provüling
reasonable accommo dations to
its employees and íts stuilents.
by Don Stoner
Auggies Aaron Cross and Jim Mastro haye
overcome obstacles to excel in their sports,
gain internatiot-tal recognition, and achiev e
official College policy
E-maii: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-Ì I8ì
Fax: 612-330-I780
Targeting success:
No barriers allowed
in theLr careers.
f 9
prro,o contest for
International and
Off-Campus Studies
Departments
2
6
23
25
32
inside
back
cover
2O
co*roencement 2ool
Around the Quad
Sports
Alumni News
Class Notes
Auggie Thoughts
Calendar
On the cover:
Augsburg senior Dereh Schwartz
completed his student teaching at
C e dar-
Ny er si de
C ommuniQ
School. Here, he helps ltindergarten
www.augsburg.edu
student Faruh Ahmed with att
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-clnsumer waste)
assignment. See story on page 8.
Photo by GregHelgeson.
I
a
^
I
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o
Susan Klaseus is Augsburg's newest
vice presidgnt
byDan Jorsensen
s
usanJ. Klaseus, former associate dean
of external affairs for the Carlson
School of Management at the University of
2004' vislon and the strategies we are
pursuing in its behalf is palpable, and I
look forward to her work and her
Minnesota, has been named vice president
of institutional advancement and
community relations.
President William Frame noted that
Klaseus brings to her new role a strong
background in the institutional
advancement field combined with a firm
grasp of Augsburg's mission and "place" in
leadership," the president added.
Klaseus served at the Carlson School
from 1996-2000, where she was
responsible for all corporate and individual
donor relations, fundraising and
development, as well as media relations,
public and community relations, and
alumni relations. In 2000, she formed her
own consuiting business, partnering with
the communit;z
"We are fortunate to have found an
individual who not only is committed to
bridging the worlds of education,
[Augsburgsl strdtegy includes ø solid
academic exp enence coupled w ith
spintuøl growth and community
s ew ice opp ortunitie t
Å'*ron
l.
KIas eus
government, business, and the not-for-
profit sector, but who also has a keen
sense
of what is needed to form strategic
partnerships to help the College articulate
its vision," Frame said.
"Her enthusiasm for the 'Augsburg
community agencies to serve client needs.
Preyious to her position at Carlson,
she served various executive positions aL
four companies in the financial services'
industry, most recently as a senior rnce
president for Piper Jaffray Companies .
Klaseus said she looks upon
publidprivate partnerships as vital to the
future success of Augsburg's development
and community relations efforts and to
ensure that the College's students have the
best possible educational environment
available.
"l am pleased to see that in Augsburg's
case, this stmtegy includes a solid
academic experience coupled with spiritual
growth and community service
Susan J. Klaseus
opportunities woven into the curricula and
life of the Co1lege," she said.
Klaseus also said she is excited about
Augsburg's location in the city and the role
she believes the College can play in
assisting the Twin Cities in economic
growth and development and muchneeded attention to K-I2 education.
Klaseus holds a Bachelor ofArts degree
from Metropolitan State University, a
Master of Public Administration from the
John F Kennedy School of Government at
Harvard University, and a Master of Arts in
liberal studies from Hamline Universiqr
Currently working part time, she will
assume full-time duties in August.
Herald Johnson elected to head financial aid officers
I
lerald
II1oh,rro,.,
enrollment
MAFAA to head the organization twice.
The MAFAA is the professional
organization of nearly 400 financial aid
officers at postsecondary institutions in
Minnesota who work with students,
educators, policy makers, and others to
ensure that adequate programs of financial
assistance arc avallable to all students
attending Minnesota institutions of higher
services, has
education.
'68, director of
financial aid
and assistant to
the vice
president of
admissions and
Johnson,6g
been elected for
the second
time as president of the Minnesota
Association of Financial Aid
Adminj.strators (MAFAA). He is only the
second person in the history of the
Herald
2
,+UGSBURG NoW
Financial aid in higher education is
often misunderstood, Johnson says,
it is one of the most complex
functions in high education institutions.
"It's like a moving target," he said.
"The variety of funds available all comes
because
with their own
set of rules. And they are
always changing."
Among the blggest changes, he says, is
in the mixture of gifts, loans, and work,
with a shlft to a greater availability of loans
The MAFAA provides training,
workshops, and conferences for
professionals in financial aid, includlng a
Leadership Symposium that has been
recognized natì.onally and serves as a
model program.
Johnson graduated from Augsburg in
1968 and was hired as an admissions
counselor. ln 1969, he became the
College's first (and only one to the present)
director of financial aid.
Summer 2001
Three students are awarded Hognander
Scholarships for music excellence
Lake, Minn., is a
music performance
and composition
major. He has
Lindsay
f
Bonner
Brendan Anderson
composed pieces for
the Concert Band
and a piece for the
Chamber Orchestra
that premiered in
May Two of his
Dan Luedtke
compositions received their international
premiere during the Concert Band's recent
tour [o ]reland. Anderson is a saxophonist
in the Concert Band and an
instrumentallst with Gospel Praise He is
also a member of the Camp Cruisers, and
has arranged much of the Cruisers'
repertoire.
Dan Luedtke, from Warren, Minn., is
a piano performance major and studies
with music professorJill Dawe. He has
participated in the chamber music group
for the last three years and has also
hree Augsburg students were awarded
I
Hognander Scholarships for 2001-02,
the most prestigious award given to music
students.
Lindsay Bonner, from Virginia, Minn.,
is a vocal performance major studies with
Janet Gottschall Fried. Bonner is a member
of the Augsburg Choir, is a vocalist with
Augsburg's Gospel Praise, and performs
with the Camp Cruisers, the house band at
Mall of America's Camp Snoop;z She was
also instrumental in the production of
"Women in Opera," a group of five femaie
student performers who met weekly for
over a year to perfect their singing and
acting skills and their knowledge of opera
repertoire.
Brendan Anderson, from Madison
performed with the Concert and Jazz
Bands. He will participate in a spring
internshì.p with HECUA's (Higher
Education Consortium for Urban Affairs)
City Arts program, taking classes and
working at an arts organization. His
upcoming performances include a 20thcentury music recital in December and a
senior recital in spring 2002.
The Orville C. and Getrude O.
Hognander Family Fund established a
permanent source of scholarship funds to
recognize exceptional music performance
and achievement. The intention of this
award is to attract gifted students,
stimulate current students, and build a
cadre of alumni whose achievement
elevates the reputation of the College and
the music department. Requirements
include a résumé, essay, and an audition of
two music pieces.
Congratulations
to tenured and
newly-promoted
faculty:
Promotions effective September
1
Instructor to Assistant Professor:
Sonja Thompson, music
Assistant Professor to Associate
Professor:
William Green, history
Peter Hendrickson'76, music
Sandra Olmsted'69, chemistry
øc
Gil
Student tour guide
Connie Bishop (left)
answers questions
from the directors of
academic affairs of
15 Norwegian colleges
who visited campus to
learn about Augsburgb
initiatives in higher
education marketing
and international
pro9rams,
EA
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Z
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F
Bridget Robinson-Riegler, psychology
E
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T
Associate Professor to Professor:
Milo Schield, business administration
and MIS
Frankie Shackelford, modern languages
Tenure granted
Cass Da1g1ish, English
Rebekah Dupont, mathematics
Peter Hendrickson '76, music
Dawn Ludwig, physician assistant studies
Bridget Robinson-Riegler, psychology
Summer 2001
4ucs¡unc ruow
3
Around the Quad
Farewell to retiring faculty and staff
membgfS
by Lynn Mena
!hree laculty members, wilh a
I combined'64 yearsof service to
Augsburg, retired from active teaching at
the end ol this academic year. The Board
of Regents granted all three
emeritus/emerita status in May In
additlon, one staff member, with more
than a dozen years of service to the
College, will retlre thls fall.
Marjorie M. Magnuson
Marj Magnuson came to Augsburg in 1988
as a receptionist for the Center for Global
Education; she currently serves as the
center's admlnistrative assistant. She and her
husband had moved to the area ln 1987
after 12 years of directing a Christian
children's camp/retreat center.
"Neither of us knew exactly what we
wanted to do next," says Magnuson. "I took
some classes, and we both had paper routes
as well as being caretakers in an apartment
buildlng." Meanwhile, she says, her
youngest son registered for a Global Ed
semester program in Cuernavaca, Mexico,
and a newsletter from lhe center announced
a job opening for which she applied and
was hired.
A graduate of a bible college with a
major in Christian education, Magnuson
says she will miss her colleagues and the
leaming opportunities within the
department and the College community.
After her retirement in the fall, her plans are
to take a bike trip in Europe with her
husband, volunteer, and work.
"Ma4 has been the spiritual and moral
center of the Center for Global Education
for the past 13 and a halfyears," says Regina
McGoff, the center's director of marketing
and administration. "She leads by example,
setting the pace by working very hard and
always looklng out for the heart and soul of
our mission. Her presence will be greatly
missed by everyone on our staff."
Last year, the College thanked
Magnuson for her dedication by honoring
her as one of the Outstanding Employees of
Augsburg.
4
,+UGSBURG NoW
Marjorie M. Magnuson
Gordon L. Nelson
Beverly J, Nilsson
Clarice A. Staff'63
Gordon L. Nelson
political setting, hometown lore, or
Gordon L. Nelson, professor of sociologl
and facuity parliamentarian, was flrst hired
relative. He is sharp and dedicated to the
Coilege. We are grateful for his many years
at Augsburg
ín 1967
as assistant professor
of sociology He was granted tenure in
1971, and promoted to associate and full
professor in1977 and 1985, respectivel)¿
He also served as department chair for l0
years, and has
regulaf
taught in the
religion department. Nelson obtained B.A.
and M.A. degrees from the University of
Minnesota, a B.D. and M.Div from Luther
Theoiogical Seminary, and a second M.A.
and a Ph.D. from the University of
Chicago.
"Gordon has a marvelous sense of
humor and a remarkable sense of history,"
says Diane Pike, professor of sociology "He
rarely fails to connect a student to some
a
of commitment."
After retirement, Nelson hopes to
continue [o serve as a member of the
Minneapolis Board of Estimate and
Taxation, he is seeking re-election to the
position in the November municipal
election and was first elected to the
position in 1973.In addition, he expects
that he will continue to work part time in
the district office of Congressman Martin
Olav Sabo '59, as he has done since 1979.
Beverly J. Nilsson
BeverlyJ. Nilsson, professor of nursing,
began her career at the College in1977 as
associate professor. She was granted tenure
Summer 2OOf
in 1980, promoted to full professor in
1990, and has served as department chair
since 1978. She received her diploma in
nursing from the Mlnneapolis General
Hospital School of Nursing, and her B.S.,
M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of
Minnesota.
"Bev has been a colleague, mentor,
and friend," says Sue Nash, assistant
professor of nursing. "What an honor to
have worked side-by-side with her as we
launched the first graduating class of
nursing students here at Augsburg, back in
the '70s, and now to be involved in the
launching of the first graduating class of
the Rochester branch nursÍng students. Bev
has touched my life and helped shape my
career."
Nilsson looks forward to the
opportunity to "savor and enjoy the
choices" ofher future. She says that she
will miss the "good people of Augsburg,"
particularly the nursing students, past and
present, and her colleagues from the
nursing department.
"Over the years, I have experienced a
genuine and most generous spirit of
helpfulness among those of us who work
and study in this place," says Nilsson. "The
people here care about each other, and
demonstrate that caring in large ways and
in small, everyday ways."
Clarice A. Staff '63
'Clarice A. Staff, assistant professor of
social work, has taught at Augsburg since
1995 at her present rank. Although she
was in a tenure track position, she waived
tenure consideration since it fe1l during
the same yeat as her retirement. An
alumna of Augsburg, Staff received her
B.A. in 1963 and went on to earn M.S.
and D.S.W degrees from Columbia
University She served for a time
as
director of Augsburg's M.S.\M program. In
1984, she received a Distinguished
Alumna Award.
Staff has particularly enjoyed working
with the Weekend College and graduate
students. "As adult learners, they bring a
special commitment" she says. She plans
Summer 2001
to retire her alarm clock, and will continue
working on stories related to family
genealogy
"With uncompromising integrity,
Clarice has stood strong and fast for
social justice and for what she believes is
right," says Tony Blbus, associate professor
of social work. "The social work
department, our faculty, staff, and
especially our students, have benefited
greatly from her attention to detail, her
intelligence, and her experience in higher
education, her steady advising, and her
loyal friendship."
An Augsburg teacher celebrates 100
by Maggie Weller'O1
lor today's students, it is not
I uncommon to attend a class taught by
a woman. However, before Anna Manger
began teaching math, there were no
female teachers at Augsburg College.
Manger, who celebrated her 100th
birthday in February, graduated from the
University of Minnesota in 1923 and was
hired by Augsburg as its first female
instructor, teaching higher algebra and
geometryl lt was just a year earlieq in fall
1922, that Augsburg enrolled its first
lvomen students.
Manger recalls the friendly
atmosphere at that time and the fact that
"everyone was interested in everyone
else. "
Manger shared a story about how she
used to walk home after school with
several of her male colleagues. "They were
big and ta1l, so \Me must have looked
funny walking together," she says with a
laugh.
Even after marrying and leaving
Augsburg ín L925, Manger continued to
be involved with the College as part of a
group that worked to help raise money
for scholarships. The group painted and
built "decorative things," including plates,
napkin holders, and stools. While this
group no longer exists, Manger continues
her involvement as a member of the
Augsburg Associates.
Manger's dedication to Augsburg had
a lasting effect on her family Both of her
daughters are Augsburg alumnae who
enjoyed becoming part of the community
where thelr mother had taught.
Manger recently attended her 75th
college reunion and found herself to be
the only attendee. "There are not many of
us left," she says, and tells of how she was
invited to sit with the president of the
university and the dean.
When asked what Manger believes to
be the greatest change at Augsburg
between now and when she taught, she
responds, "There were not so many
students then, so it was not as busy as it is
today"
Her 100th birthday was a festive
affair. Two daughters, eight grandchildren,
and 13 great-grandchildren, as well as
over 300 people, attended the part¡
including a number of Auggies.
"I got loads of lovely cards," Manger
reports.
o
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Anna Manger, Augsburg's first
female professor; celebrated her
centennial year with family and
friends.
,4ucssunc
Now 5
Edor Nelson field to be named
Ã
coach
uesburg College wilI honor ìongtinrc
Edor Nelson by
re-dedicating the outdoor athletic field ln
his honor.
A ceremony to dedicate the lield as
Edor Nelson Field will be held during the
Augsburg football team's home-opener
against St. John's Universily on Saturday,
Sept. 22. Game time for the season-opener
has not been set.
In 1984, the College named the
It : , enct
ï,, urstruclor
:
,ncoacn
outdoor athletic field as Anderson-Nelson
Fleld, in honor of Nelson and longtime
athletic director and men's basketball coach
Ernie Anderson. In Februar¡ the College
dedicated the court in Melby Hal1 in
Anderson's honor.
Nelson earned Augsburg Hali of Fame
honors as both a student-athlete and coach
at Augsburg. As an athlete, he was a multisport star in football, basketball, and
baseball, graduating in 1939. After serving
his country in World War ll-including six
months of imprisonment in a German
prison camp-he retr¡rned to this country,
by Don Stoner
in
1947
, and also served tl-re College
hockey and wrestling coach at times in
the 1950s.
Nelson coached football [or 23 years
(1947-69), flnishing with a 58-118-10
coaching record, the most coaching wins in
school history. He was inducted lnto the
Minnesota Football Ha1l of Fame in 1973.
He coached baseball for 33 seasons (194679), earning MTAC titles seven l¡mes
as
(t947,'48.'59,'61,'63,'73 and'75) and
earning conference coach of the year
honors in I97 5
Nelson was an associate professor in
Ar-rgsburg's health and physical education
department for 32 years, retiring in 1978.
More information on the Sept. 22
event will be sent to A-Club members
during the summer, as well as being placed
on Augsburg's athletic Web site,
<www.augsburg.edu/athletics>. For more
inlormat ion on lhe dedication event,
contact Norm Okerstrom at 6L2-330-I6I6.
.
.,<l.
Edor Nelson '39 in a baseball coaching photo
from the 1950s. Nelson was best known for
leading the baseball and football teams
during his three decades as a teacher and
coach at Augsburg.
earning his master's degree from the
University of Minnesota ín 1947
.
He coached lor three years in
Lamberton, MÌnn., and returned to
Augsburg in 1946, when he was named
baseball coach. He was named football
Don Stoner is sports information coordtnator
Auggie sports wrap for 2000-01
Football
Named to the MIAC All-Conference first
team were defensive linemen Matt
Chappuis and Andy Howard, and offensive
lineman Andy Hansen. SevenLeen seniors
completed their Auggie careers in 2000
wirh. a 25-L7 career record, joining the
graduating classes of 1999 and 2000 as
holders of the best four-season career
record in school history
Volleyball
The team capped the l1-16 season by
winning seven of their last 10 matches,
including a three-game sweep of defending
MIAC champion Bethel. Angie Rieger
earned first team A1i-MIAC honors, and
closecl her Auggie career with a unique
double-double, 1,030 career kills and
1,052 career digs.
Men's and women's soccer
A stretch of six wins late in the year, wlth
Auggie \Momen were able to compete as
team for the first time slnce 1998.
14 freshmen on the roster, marked the
beginnings of what the men's squad hopes
will be a strong showing next fa1l. Joel
Stone, a defender, earned a spol on the AllMIAC first team.
On the women's side, a 7-10-1 markthe best record since I997-and consistent
scoring pr-rnch from both veterans and
newcomers spelled an outstanding
rebuilding season. Brenda Selander was
named to the All MIAC first team.
The men's and women's cross country
teams capped their year with one of their
best finishes in recent years at the MIAC
championship meet. Senior Eric
Bloemendal and junior Chrissy Baune
earned all-MIAC honors.
Men's and women's golf
The men's and women's goll teams
completed split seasons-fa1l and springwith solid efforts. The men's team was third
in the MIAC fall championships, 1ed by the
team's lone senior, Hans Anderson.
With increased nr-rmbers of players,
a
Men's and women's cross country
Men's and women's basketball
The men's basketball team earned a trip to
the MIAC playoffs for the fifth season in a
row, despite late season injunes. Seniors
Tomrny Chatman and Matt Davis earned
first-team AII-MIAC honors. The team was
11-9 in the MIAC.
The women's team's 1l-13 overall and
9-12 mark in the MIAC was Augsburg's
best since l9B4-85. SeniorJaime Kingsley
continued on next page
6
,+ucsBURG Now
Summer 2001
Lucky seven for Auggie wrestlers
Augsburg wins record seventh
national title
w ilLåi;:i::: iîi,*:ïäî:es,'n
g
history, the Augsburg College wrestiing
team won its second consecutive national
championship and seventh title in the past
ll years to highlight the 2000-01 sports
year for the Auggies.
The wrestlers had three individual
national championships and eight Al1Americans. Their 119.5 points was the
sixth-largest total in Division lll history
Defending national champion senior Ben
Bauer became the fifth Auggie in school
history to earn consecutive national titles.
Senior Nik Lewandowski, who became
the fourth Auggie ever to earn four Al1
American honors, claimed the first national
championship of his career with a dramatic
7-5 overtime victory in the 184-pound
final. And, two-time national runner-up
Darin Bertram earned his first national
championship.
Defending national
champion Nick Slack saw his
The wrestlers also excelled in the
classroom, earning a 3.372 GPA with its
distinction of being the fourth highest in
national Division III.
unbeaten streak end in the
I 74-pound championship
match and finished his season
at 29-1, notching a two-
season, consecutive-match
winning streak of 60-the
second-longest in school
history The team finished the
dual season at 16-l and won
the MIAC title for a record
15th consecutive year,
defeating perennial Division 1I
powers North Dakota State
and South Dakota State in the
dual season.
Augsburg's wrestling team shows off their national
championship hardware after claiming the school's seventh
NCAA Division lll national title in the last 11 years at the
2001 NCAA meet.
Sports wrap (continued)
s'
earned a spot on the
.s
AII-MIAC first team,
leading the Auggres
L
È
in scoring,
rj
Q
rebounding, and
blocked shots. A
biology major with a
3.844 GPA, she also
earned Verizon
Jaime Kingsley goes
up for a shot during
.Augsburg's victory
over St. Olaf.
Academic AllDistrict first-team
honors.
Men's and women's hockey
The Auggie men finished in a fourth-place
tie in the MIAC with a 9-6-I record, but
were eliminated from playoffs on a totalgoal tiebreaker. Four Auggies earned firstteam A11-MIAC recognition-freshman Tim
Olsen, sophomores Jaro Cesky and Brad
Holzinger, and senior goalie Ryan
Mclntosh, for the lourth season in a row.
The women's team had its third
consecutive winning season, lncluding a
sweep on the annual trip to the East Coast.
For the second year in a row, forward
Angie Rieger was named MIAC Women's
Hockey Co-Player of the Year and a finalist
Summer 2001
for Natlonal Player of the Year from the
American Hockey Coaches Association.
Rieger and teammate Kristi Brusletto
earned AII-MIAC honors. A three-time AllAmerican, Rieger ended her career holding
steeplechase), and Baune (1500 meter
virtually every school scoring record.
Augsburg's baseball team finished the
season with 20 wins for the first time since
1992. Mike Schwalen, a four-year starter,
was named to the Verizon Academic AllDistrict V College Division First Têam. He
ended his Augsburg career with a .349
Men's and women's track and field
The men's and women's track and field
teams showed dramatic improvement
during the indoor half of the season,
breaking schooi records l6 times. New
records \Mere set by senior Desman Oakley,
who also won the 55-meter hurdles title;
freshman Derik Thaden (55-meter dash);
Mathew Shannon (200-meter dash), Chris
Ohnstad and Teresa Lewandowski (both in
the 600-meter dash); and Chrissy Baune,
who claimed all-conference finishes in the
1,000- and 1,500-meter runs.
In outdoor action, Oakley won his
second straight MIAC 1l0-merer hurdles
title and qualified for the NCAA Division
iII national championships. The men's 400meter relay squad set a school record of
41.99 seconds.
Other all-MIAC honors went to
Chrlstian Dawson (3,000 meter
run). Three other Auggie relay squads set
school records.
Baseball
batting average.
Softball
For the 22nd time in the last 23 years, the
softball team finished the season wirh a
double digit win record, 17-19 overall and
10-12 in MIAC play Shortstop Kristin
Lideen earned second-team recognit-ion on
the Natj.onal Fastpitch Coaches Association
(NFCA) AIl Midwest Region team. She and
pitcher Rachael Ekholm earned first-team
AII-MIAC honors.
For additional information, statistlcs, and
records on Auggie athletics, visit
<www. au gsburg. edu/athletics>.
,4ucs¡unc
ruow
7
L(Àrhín? t o s(rV(...
#
$ffiwwffi ww
w
w
&
ffi
(lrh
by Betsey Norgard
"lt's hard to tell where Augsburg ends, and the community begins."
Laurel True, director of community service-learning
-Mary
¡ n 1872, Augsburg Seminary chose
I vinn.upolis as its new home and
' settled on donated land surrounding
what is now the city's oldest park. Toda¡
Augsburg College boldly proclaims its
urban nature and firmly embraces the
city as a classroom for educating its
students. Augsburg 2004: Extending the
Vision declares that "Augsburg, in fact,
has made its location part of its
curriculum."
In these 100 years, this city location
has helped the College structure an
education that seamlessly integrates
practical experience with a liberal arts
education. The city has become a
iaboratory of unlimited opportunities,
which students begin exploring from
their first days on campus.
Community service-learning is one
of the experiential components of an
Augsburg education. Students learn
from and about the community and
society in which they live by
participating in service experiences that
are integrated into Augsburg courses or
the 100 students at the Cedar-Riverside Community School who
interact with up to four Augsburg students each day who come to the school to teach classes,
These kindergartners are among
assist teachers, and
tutor students.
done as part of other campus activities.
It is an area in which Augsburg has
built an enviable national reputation.
"Service-learning is embedded in
the education, it's not an add on,"
explains Mary Laurel True, director of
community service-learning. "lt's part of
who we are." And, it's clearly a "winwin" situation-both siudents and the
community benefit. It actively engages
Augsburg's mission and motto-learning
that takes place "in the context of a vital
metropolitan setting," and learning that
provides "Education for Service."
chilclren ancl aclults in literacl,, teachlng
classes as llart ol tl-reir courses, ancl
researchir.rg communitl' problems ¡o offer
ana11,5is ancl soluliot-ts.
Tl're Ceclat'-Rive rside Cornrnr-tnity
School is orre of Ar.rgsburg's close
partners. This public charter school-the
onl;' school ln the countr), to be located
r.vithin a high-rlse apartment complexserYes mosil;, Ìmrr-rigrant chlldren in
grades K-8. The 100 children come from
l7 natìons and speak seven different
languages, says assistant clirector
Stephanie Byrdziak. In the past trvo
years, not one of the kinclergarten
chlldren has spoken English as a first
language.
Every da;', the Cedar-Riverside
school children average four contacts
r,r'ith the more than 40 Augsburg
Augsburg junior Kristy Bleichner spends time
each week at Wednesday Night Out taking
neighborhood kids to a gym so that their
parents can enjoy time together.
Highlightecl in this article is jLÌst a
sampling ol the activities and programs
in the community sen'ice-learning
progrâm. ln turn, the sen,ice-learning
program is just one o[ the experiential
components in Augsburg's
Center lor Sen'ice, Work, and
Learning, rvhlch also oversees
stuclents who spend one to three hours
per lveek at the school. Some are
Augsburg science majors teaching
science units, musrc students teaching
piano lessons, educatìorr majors lullilllng
teaching requìrernents, or others tlrtoring
inclividual students ìn math or English
as
a seconcl langr-rage (ESL).
Worl<ing one-on-one helps the CedarRiverside studen[s keep up in class.
"Without Augsburg students, lt u'ould be a
lot more dillicult," sa;'s Malcolm Currle,
one ol the nlne teachers at the school.
r.vouldnt be able to l.rìo\¡e as fast because
o[ clillerences in abìlitìes; some stuclents
u'oulcl fall behind."
The partnership clearly bene[its
both Augsburg and the Cedar-Riversicle
school. For example, the school's
teachers, u'ith assistance lrom Augsburg
facr-rlt¡', have secured a granl for tl-re
school from the Medtronic Fottndatiot-t
that provicles a mobile science
laboratory needed to teach science in
the classrooms, since the school has no
space lor a dedicated science lab. For
Augsburg students, lvorking r'vith
community children provicles rich
experiences and valuable learning
r,r,ithÌn their own str-rdies-and many
students continlle these relationships
alter the ploglam ends.
Also r,vi¡hin the Cedar-Rir,ersicle
neighborhood, Trinity Lutheran Church
(rvhìch rvorships in Hoversten Chapel)
pariners with Augsburg lor Wednesclay
Night Out, a program that brings
together neighborhood parents and their
children for supper donatecl by
community organÌzatÌons and ¡he
College. Augsburg students spend time
after supper taking children to the
People's Center g1'm. leai'ing palenls
free to talk about [arnil1' znd
neighborhood issues.
"1
\
I
'4
a!
interr.rships, career placement,
.nnt[ cooperatrvc cdtrcrt iorr.
CeJrr- RiversíJq
Prrtners
se rvice -learnù'rg prograr.n has
cleveÌopecl paltnershi¡rs rvitl-r
The
ove
r 25
ct'rr-nmunily'
organrzations, prir-l-larily in
Ar-rgsbur g's ou'n Ceclar -Riverside
neigl.rbcrrhoocl. On ar-r1, given da;',
Augsburg stuclents are ir-r nearby
clerrrenlar'y sehools. conimunit;cenle rs, and neighborl-roocl
sllclters. engnged in tutorìng
Summer 2001
Senior Derek Schwartz keeps the attention of his kindergarten class during his student teaching at CedarRiverside School.
,4ucsguRc
f{ow
9
;1
=
a
{
Ì
hall day in groups
I
E
1
i
()
Ë
çä
<
"There is son-rethlng Iabout service-
at nearly 20 sites,
learningì that changes students,"
giving ahnost Ì,500
computer science professor Larry
hours of service.
Raglancl
Primarily located
communlty partners at a recent
around the College,
the projects range
from palnting ivalls
to yard work to
playing kickball
gathering.
told facr-rlty colleagues and
Tl.c ncíll.boif'il, c0lne5
yLurl
u'ith school children.
Tiue highlights the
importance of this,
-
because students
learn that "this is
what Augsburg is;
this is one of the
ways you'll learn
here."
Augsburg junior Nick Leach helps Abshir Mohamud with an assignment
on magnetism and electricity for the science unit Leach taught in the
middle school class at Cedar-Riverside.
Lerrnínt to sqrvc
Augsburg's community sen'ice-learning
program
r,vas
formally organlzed
10
years ago. A goal of the program, says
True, lvho arrived in 1990, is to build
a
continuum of community involvement
for each Augsburg student. It begins
with the Augsburg Seminar (AugSem),
the required lreshman orientalron
course that includes servrce projects
as
part of its curriculum.
The first day of the Augsburg
Seminar is City Service Projects Day,
when more than 300 freshmen spend
a
After Augsburg
Seminar, students
begin to take
courses that embed
service projects in
the coursework, they then become more
confident and ready to work
independently in Lhe comrnunity on
internships or research projects.
Each year, 20-25 Augsburg courses
include a service-learning component.
For example, last year a math class
helped a Cedar-Riverside organization
measure the impact that varying levels
of federal census returns would have on
the amounts of formula grants to the
neighborhood.
One of the goals in Augsbtu'g 2004 is
to engage more of the faculty in servicelearning and to spread rt across as many
disciplines as possible. Faculty benefits
include fresh perspectives and energy that
students brìng back to the classrooms
lrom Lheir community experiences.
Benelits fron-r the sen'ice-learning
experiences are more far-reaching than
the hours committed to service or the
measurable gains in learning.
"A key component lin our program]'
ìs the connection to har,ing an adult
person who cares about you," says
Edison/Project for Pride in Living School
staff person Cathy Nissen. "We try to
make sure in all these partnerships that
our student comes to tour Augsburg
College. Most every student at
Edison/PPL has had at least one
experience in college life at Augsburg
and they know at least one student who
goes there. lt makes sense that they can
see themselves posslbly going to college
in the future."
A special treat lor the CedarRiverside School children is "Kids Come
to Campus Day," during Comrnunity
Sen'ice Week in April. All 100 children
at the school walk the three biocks to
campus, eat in the cafeteria, and meet
people on campus. This year, as part of
the "Share a Story" project, all of the
school's students, teachers, and staff
wrote stories about themselves or their
families and compiled them into a book
that was presented to Dean Chris
Kimball on their i'isit day.
Cours(s
Examples of courses
that include service-learning
Journalism students work in a community settìng and "report" on it.
fii Students in applied math n-rodeled the impact of census data on grâni money in the Cedar-Rive¡side neighborhood.
{f A compuier science class helped Sewarcl Montessori School evaluate and update its computer system.
ü1
l4 Nursing students treat neighborhood residents at the College's lree clinic located in Central Luiheran Church.
iþ Students studying criminology work in organizations dealing with crime and its irnpact, e.g. the West Bank Safety Center.
il History students work in environmental, peace and justice, and won-ren's organizations to study social movements in the past
10
,4ucsnunc ruow
Summer 2O01
to become
o
lp
H
ffi
n
ffi
P
o
ã
Ovcrví(u
teachers, the
ru
E
F
curriculum takes
them through three
phases of servicelearning: exposure
to service-learning
practices and
E
*
education in urban
areas, skill
building to
develop familiarity
H
learning theory
Auysbury lerJs tl.c wr¡
Augsburg has been a pioneer in
community service-learning dating back
to the 1970s, when sociology and
metro-urban studies professor Garry
Hesser directed the experiential
education program, sending students off
campus to learn first-hand about
community challenges and needs. ln
1998, Hesser was honored
nationally by Campus
Compact as a co-recipient
of the national Thomas
Ehrlich award for
internship or
lessons.
Augsburg's most recent grant for
service-learning, bringing a decade total
in grant monies to over a half million
dollars, is from the Council of
lndependent Colleges. Thirteen private
colleges, from the ll3 who applied,
were selecied to participate in "Engaging
Communities and Campuses," a
program that will help colleges
"establish partnerships with community
or ganízatíons [o enhance experiential
in this
Perhaps nowhere at
Augsburg has servicelearning been more
o
o
t
More than 30 courses eachyear
include a service-learning component.
I
All 300+ freshmen spend
I
Over 200 students each year tutor
children and adults in schools, literacy
centers, and neighborhood
organizations in Minneapolis.
3
Six Community Service
Scholarships are offered each year to
support student leaders in service.
t
$5,000 scholarships are available to
AmeriCorps volunteers for full-time
study. (Augsburg is the only college in
the nation to offer this.)
I
A full-time VISTA volunteer at
Augsburg coordinates 30 work-study
students who work after school on the
q
a half day
during orient-at-ion on service projects
while learning about the city.
AmericaReads/America Counts program
ffi A Get Ready program staff person
works with two schools to encourage
low income children, starting in fifth
integrated into the learning
curriculum than in the
Education Department. In
grade, to attend college.
1997, Augsburg was one of
six institutions selected by
the American Association
for Colleges of Teacher
Education (AACTE) to
participate in the Service-
Summer 2001
An overview of community
service-learning at Augsburg
student teaching to
carry out servicelearning enhanced
Community Service, the
Learning and Teacher
Education project
(SLATE). As students learn
coordinator.
and lessons, and
Augsburg alumna Roeshell Lewis'97 (right) is an English as a Second
Language (ESL) assistant at Cedar-Riverside School. She, along with
other staff members, have been instrumental in teaching English to
Suad Salad (left) and helping her adjust to the new experience of
attending school.
. highest recognition
fie1d.
Mary Laurel True (left) is director of
community service-learning. Merrie
Benasutti (right) is tutoring and literary
with service-
fr
Community Service Week each April
ceìebrates and recognizes community
service efforts of Augsburg faculty,
staff, students, and community partners.
H A student-run Link program of more
Tony Pham (middle) shows Augsburg students Allie
Gulbrandson (left) and Christian Shada (right) his story page
in a book presented by Cedar-Riverside School to the College
in the Share a Story project.
than 100 students organtzes events on
campus for neighborhood children and
service projects for students.
4ucs¡unc n¡ow
11
learning activities while addressing
community needs."
Six Augsburg faculty members are
paired with six community partners,
including Cedar-Riverside and
Edison/PPL schools, to extend the
activities of freshmen in city service
projects throughout the entire Augsburg
Seminar term.
The Engaging Communities and
Campuses program is designed "to
o
empower colleges and universities and
community organizations to collaborate
in ways that are new to academe."
o
Ê.
s'
r^
True describes Augsburg's
community collaboration over the years
as being a good neighbor and seeking
to build community "from the inside
out." Byrdziak has begun engaging the
Cedar-Riverside School children in
service-learning with neighborhood
organizations by teaching that "servicelearning is not just a project; it's a way
of thinking and a way of learning." I
Divcrsi t¡ out our froht Àhd
brrl Joors
by Garry Hesser
Those of us who attend Augsburg as students or work
I here have the unique and remarkable pleasure, dayI in und day-out, of living in vibrant anà vital
neighborhoods that reveal just how much of an asset a
multicultural community can be. Cedar Riverside and
Seward give diversity a meaning and reality that is rare to
find an;,.where in the U.S., maybe even in the world. What
a gift and bonus Ìt is!
Often, I get to take visiting candidates for faculty
positions on a walking or driving tour of this area I like to
call "my home town." When I do so, I like to 1et the
neighborhood do its own talking and enticing. Just off the
campus along Riverside Avenue, for example, we have a
virtual United Nations of restaurants reveallng the rich
tapestry of our "Mr. Roger's Neighborhood." From the
Addis Ababa Ethiopian restaurant to Livlngston's Organic,
to the Lucky Dragon Vietnamese and Chinese, dozens of
ethnic culinary
opportunitles
await those who
delight in
exploring the
foods of the
Cedar-Riverside assistant director
Stephanie Byrdziak (left) helps Mohamed
Abdulkadir tell his story to an Augsburg
journalism class.
world.
Over in the Seward neighborhood across I-94 that
abuts Augsburg campus's south side, an equally diverse
group of eating establishments abound, ranging from the
Biue Nile to Moon II, one of our newer coffee houses.
Recently at Moon lI I savored a conversation with one of
my former students who, after living and teaching in the
Ukraine, is now a homeowner in the neighborhood. It was
this same student who, nearly two decades ago, helped me
write a grant proposal that ultimately led to the survival of
the Seward Redesign Community Development
Corporation. Redesign has since played a vital role in
the revival of the central city neighborhoods
surrounding our campus, lncluding the design of the
new light rail station that will be built on the edge of
the campus.
Today, thanks [o the vision of active neighborhood
organizatì.ons, augmented by both Augsburg and
Tiinity Lutheran Congregation volunteers, lhese
communities are thriving. Augsburg's connection to
and involvement in its neighborhood continues to
provide an extraordinary opportunity both for its
students and for those of us fortunate to lÌve and raise
our famihes in this remarkable and unexcelled rainbow
of humanity
Garry Hesser is professor of sociology and metro-urban
studies. The above is excerpted t'rom an article written
Children from the Seward Montessori school visited Augsburg in 1998
when the College announced a scholarship program with the school.
12
4UCSSURCi¡OW
for lhe Lutheran
magazLne.
Summer
2OO1
Targeting success:
NO BARRIERS ALLOWED
by Don Stoner
-fhe D.H. Lawrence poem is
I pro.inently displayed on the case
I rhat holds Aaron Cross'archery
equipment.
You remember the poem as you watch
Cross practice the skills that have earned
him international honors in archery. You
watch Cross concentrate on his coffee can
lid-sized target, which looks so small 70
meters away You watch Cross'eyes,
intense and focused on the task at hand.
He puts the arrow in place and draws
back the bow. At that point, with all the
tension in the world seemingly on the tips
of his fingers, he pauses, relaxes his
breathing. The moment seems like forever.
Then he releases the arrow. ln a fraction of
a second, the arrow arrives at its Largel.
Nearly perfect.
And then you remember he's in a
wheelchair, able to utilize just a fraction of
the physical skills able-bodied individuals
can use, and it doesn't seem to matter.
SELF.PITY
H
I neyer saw a wild thing
sorry for itselJ.
A small bird will drop frozen
deadfrom abough
without ever haying felt sorty
for itself.
Ë
-D.
H. Lawrence
t
tr
1
)'tg
?
I
ï
t72
StalJ photo
Å
Left: Aaron Cross '97 concentrates on the target during a practice session at Mike's Archery shop in 5t. Cloud, Minn. Right: James Mastro '73 battles
his opponent during a match in the 1998 Blind World Judo Championships in Madrid, Spain.
Summer 2001
,4ucs¡uRc
ltow
f3
AUGGIES IN THE SYDNEY PARALYMPICS
ugsburg has
^
l\n:';;3J".'
earned international
acclaim in disabled
sports-Aaron
Cross,
a L997 graduate, and
James Mastro, who
graduated in 1973.
Cross is
consÌdered one of the
top wheelchair
archers 1n the world
and has earned
numerous honors
and records in his
sport.
Mastro, an
Augsburg Athletic
Hall of Fame
member who lost his
vision while 1n hÌgh
school, has competed
in seven Paraiympics,
in several sports,
"In the first match, a minute-anda-half in, a guy from Austria tried a
stupid throq and the first thing to hit
the ground was my elbow," Mastro
said. "1 tried to continue in my next
match, bul I couldn't raise my arm up
above my elbow. I was just ticked."
For Cross, it was the luck of the
draw, and a quarterfinal meeting with
the eventual gold medalist in head-tohead competition that did hlm in.
Cross was considered one of the
since 1976. The first Paralympic athlete
ever to medal in four different sports,
Mastro has earned 10 medals-five gold,
three silver, and two bronze.
"These games were specifically
developed for athletes with certain
challenges to compete at an Olympic
level," said Cross, who competed in his
second Paralympics last year in Sydne¡
Australia. "Our scores are comparing well
with able-bodied scores. I compete
against able-bodied archers all the time
"l contftete dgainst øble-bodied
archers all the time and beat them ...
Cross'97
but we don't get recognized as m7tch."
-Aaron
and beat them, guys who were on the
U.S. Olympic team and beat them. But
we don't get recognized as much."
In the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney,
both Cross and Mastro were eliminated
earlier than they anticipated. For Mastro,
it was an elbow injury in the first match
of his judo event that ended his
competition.
o
s.
h
!
o
U
favorites in the W1 competition, one
of three levels of wheelchair archery
based on the range of disability of an
athlete. His class consists of athletes
who are quadriplegic, have extremely
limited functÌon in their arms and
legs, or have amputation of three
limbs.
But in the "ranking round," where
archers' individuai scores determine
their spots in the final round of 12
athletes, Cross said he didn't shoot
wel1. As a result, he failed to finish in
the top four, where he would have
earned a first-round bye in the headto-head competition. ln his first headto-head match, Cross smashed the old
world record in l8-arrow competilion,
but lost to Zdenek Sebek of the Czech
Republic, the eventual gold medalist,
in the quarterfinaìs by ¡usL six points.
"lt was just the luck of the draw,"
Cross said. "It was crushing. I had
shot four world records last year, I
had gained back all my national tì.tles
last year, and I missed a fifth world
record by a point."
While falling short of their
Aaron Cross (center of front row) poses with the 2000 U.S. Paralympic archery team before
competition in Sydney. lt was Cross'second Paralympic appearance in his archery career,
14
4UCS¡URC n¡OW
goals
was disappointing, the experience of
being part of the largest competition
for disabled athletes in the world was
Summer 2001
{r
JIM MASTRO_A
certainly a thrill. A crowd of more
than 100,000 people attended the
PARALYM PIC FLAG.BEARE R
openÌng ceremonies, and sellout
crowds were the norm for most
events; a welcome change
considering that Ín compelitions in
the last decade, event organizers
T-o. Mastro, competing in athletics
þ t.,ut always been a natural thing,
I .u.n nlLe, becoming blind
"You walhed up and down
the street ønd people hnew
that you were there
for the Parølympics."
-JimMa,stro'73
between his junior and senior years of
hÌgh school.
He enrolied at Augsburg and
became a member of the wrestling
team, while studying for his education
degree. He earned A11-MIAC honors
twice and won the conference
championshlp at 177 pounds as a
senior. Along the way, he became a
solid amateur wrestler, in spite of hÌs
vision Ìmpalrment. He was a member
of the U.S. team in the World
University Games in 1973 , was a threetime bronze medalist at international
competitions, and became the first
blind athlete to be a member of an
Olympic team, when he was an
alternate on the U.S. Greco-Roman
Wrestling team at the Montreal
Olympics in 1976. He was named to
the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame in
1997.
had to literally give tickets away.
"Australia was great," Mastro
said. "The people were really
friendly. They were as friendly as
their reputation is. They knew
about the Paralympics, knew what
it was for and that it was after the
regular Olympics. You walked up
and down the street and people
knew that you were there for the
Paralympics. The publicity there
was really great, much better than
Atlanta [in 1996ì."
"Europe and Australia have
much more respect for Paralympic
events than we do lin the United
Statesl ," Cross said. "Every single
event in Australia was sold out. ...
The people were amazing.
Volunteers were everywhere. Every
single volunteer I talked to said that
they would rather volunteer for the
Paralympics than the Olympic
Games. The culture matches the
people, as beautiful as you'd
me to determine how hard I would
have to work to do weil. I found that
the guys I was working with didn't
grant me any quarter because I was
blind. They'd throw me into the wall
expect."
like anyone
FlrtiÌtÌittitnrirI
a
o
s,
à
o
L)
James Mâstro, posing for a photo at the 2000
Sydney Paralympics, is one of America's
Paralympics pioneers. He has earned 10
medals and was the first Paralympic athlete
to earn medals in four different sports.
"When I was at Augsburg, I didnt
have to worry about being accepted.
When i was trying out for the
Olympics, I didn't have to worry about
being accepted there, either."
When the Paralympics began to
admit blind athletes ín I976,1t was a
natural draw for Mastro. He competed
in four different sports-1udo,
wrestling, track and field, and goalball
(an on-court team sport designed for
blind athletes). ln addition to his 10
Paralympic medals, he has earned 17
Ìnternational medals in the various
sports.
And in 1996, Mastro was honored
"l found thøt the guys I wøs worhingwith didn't grant me dny quarter
becøuse I was blind. They'd throw me into the wall lihe
anyone else."
Møstro '73
-Jim
"I wasn't able to compete until I
came to Augsburg, when I decided to
go into wrestling," he said. "lt helped
else.
for his years of service by being named
flag-bearer for the United States team at
Lhe Paralympics opening ceremonies in
Atlanta, where he earned abronze
medal in his weight class in judo, and
also competed in track and field in the
shot put and discus.
Judo has become his primary sport
ÆldilÚitililt¡lrrrE
{'
\s
sÂa
S
.a
B
q
J
(left) maintains a hold
on his opponent during the 1998 Blind
James Mastro
\Â/orld Judo Championships in Madrid,
Spain. Judo is similar to wrestling, a
sport Mastro competed in while an
interesting marathon
events, including doing
3,076 pushups in an hour
and bench-pressing an
Olympic bar 1,300 times
in
15 minutes.
At
age 52, Mastro
could be consiclerecl one
of the "elder statesmen" of
the Paralympic
movement, though he
doesn't enjoy that tit1e.
"Our blind judo team, none of them
are young. Most of them are in their later
20s or 30s, and they've competed a 1ot.
They know what it's like to compete, it's
their goal," Mastro saicl. "lt [judo] rnust
keep you young. it's either going to keep
me yoLlng or kill me. The injr"rry I had in
Sydney was my lirst inlury since
Augsburg student, in terms of throws
and intense action.
after wrestling was
dropped from the
Paralympic program
before the 1996
Ë
games.
E
was in Long Beach,
Calif. The Braille
H
¡tc
"When I was
introduced to judo, it
Institute had a
prograln on the
sport," he said. "After
I graduated from
college, I had
wrestled primarily
Greco-Roman, and
that style and judo
are very similar. The
biggest difference is
that you are able to
use the collar in judo.
The throws were
basically the same,
though a bÌg
difference was in
chokes and arm-bars.
It's like wrestling with
your pajamas on."
In order to raise
money for himself
and his family to
travel to major
competltions like the
Paralympics, he has
performed some
,4ucssuRc f{ow
wrestiing in 1973.I've been lucky"
Mastro has also been e pioneer in
his primary profession, teaching. He
became the first blind student to earn
CROSS BECOMES A
TOP WHEELCHAIR
ARCHER
T-or Cross. rrcherv wasn't his irst
þ iou., growlng up rn tne
I Sr . CloLrd, Minn., arer. By age
f
16, he was an accomplishecl biker and
cross country skier, and was
preparing for a spot on a Junior
Olynrpic team. Competing in a
bicycle race in Biwabik, Minn., in
May 1991, he crashed into a support
van. The accident left him a
quadriplegic, with no sensation from
the armpits down.
While rehabilitating at the Sister
Kenny lnstitute, a therapist, who
happened to be a Paralymplc archer,
recommcnded thc sport îs în activity
ln which he could excel, but he
preferred wheelchair track ancl rugby
instead.
a
Ph.D. in physical education in the
United States, and later taught in the
physical education department at the
University of Minnesota. Now he teaches
at Bemidji State University in the health
and physical education department,
including all the adapted physical
education classes.
He is unsure whether he will take
on the Paral)¡mpic challenge again, when
the games go to Athens, Greece, in 2004.
He will compete in the sport's world
championships in 2002.
"I'11 be 56 fin 20041," he said. "At
the world championships in a couple of
years, I will see how my arm is. My arm
right now is about 90 percent back. One
of the things I really enjoy labout the
Paralympicsl is the camaraderie, going
out and busting your butt with people
who understand and enjoy what's goÌng
on. I've gone to a iot of places 1n the
world, met a lot of cool peoPle."
"She gave me three choices o[
sports. She told me I could do
archery, I could do archer¡ or I could
do archcry." Cross 1oked.
While he was in high school, a
close frlend decided to take up
archery, and Cross joined hÌm in
trying out the sport.
"l got into it and we went down
"[My therapist] gave me three
choices of sports. She told me
I could do archery, I could do
ørchery, or I could do
drcherY."
-[6Yçn
Cross'97
to a national shootout in Las Vegas. 1
absolutely fell in love with it," he said
"That summer, I got a letter to try out
for the world team, went overseas for
the first tlme for the world
championships, and came back with
Summer 2001
{
l
't
,¡
sure I was going in the right
my first gold medal. Needless to say,
I'm hooked."
Eventually, Cross was winning
national competitions and gaining
sponsorships, from bow companies,
Target stores, and Mike's Archery, a
store in St. Cloud where he trains.
At that time, he also began to
speak publÌcly about overcoming the
obstacles in his life, a hobby that
eventually led to his current career as
motivational speaker. He speaks for
numerous school groups and other
organizatÌons through his business,
direction."
He was able to keep up his
str¡dies in spite of a schedule that
a
Motivation on Wheels.
Cross graduated from Augsburg in
1997 with a mass communication
degree and credits the school, especially
the Center for Learning and Adaptive
Student Services (CLASS), wÌth much
of his success.
"The CTASS office and the
communication faculty and staff never
had him flying across the country
lor major archery compeliLions,
along wÌth working on internships
and projects with accomplished
motivational speakers.
"I'd leave on a Thursday, shoot
on Friday, Saturday, and Sunda¡ all
day long, come back on a red-eye
flight ai ]:00 on Monday morning.
I'd study on ihe planes and in the
hotel rooms, and be back in class by
eight on Monday morning," he said.
Archery has become a passion for
ln addition to his achievements as a world-class
arche¡i Aaron Cross speaks throughout the country
about overcoming obstacles and maintaining
positive attitude in everyday life.
Cross, who is also an accomplished
bowhunter. He is currently ranked among
the top five archers in the world in the
Wl
class, and
will compete at the world
championships ìater Lhis summer in
Prague, Czech Republic. He is currently
"The CLASS ffice dnd the communication faculty ønd staff ... were
ølwøys a phone call awøy. If I needed something, they were there,
Cross'97
every single step of the wø1t."
-[6vçn
once backed down lor me. They knew
what I wanted to do, they knew how I
was going to do it, and they always
stood behind me," Cross said. "l can't
tell you how many times they bailed
me out. ... They were always a phone
call awa;r lf I needed something, they
were there, every single step of the way.
"Augsburg never babied me. They
put me in my place and they just made
FnfiïtÌnãfDn¡r
the governor for his region on the
Minnesota State Archery Association, a
technicai delegate to the USA Archery
committee, and on the Paralympic Athlete
Advisory board for the United States
a
placed fourth in an individual
competition and fifth overall at the world
championships, leading up to his
experience at the Sydney Paralympics.
He said the level of respect that
Paralympic athletes receive Ìn the United
States has improved, but it's still not at
the leve1 of Olpnpic athletes. Coverage of
the Paralympics needs to improve in
order for the athletes to gain the respect
of the public, Cross said.
"lf we were to get the respect that the
able-bodied team gets, it would be
dÌfferent for me," he said. "Slowly but
surely, it's working. Archery is getting
advanced in this knowledge. For years,
we've been competing against the ablebodied people. They know we're out
there. They're working with us." I
Olympic Committee.
Don Stoner is sports information coordinator.
He competed in his first Paralympics
ìn 1996 in Atlanta, and though he set a
world record in the ranking round, he
finished fourth overall. In 1999, he
Jim Mastro canbe reached at
<lmastro@b emidlistate. edu> and Aaron Cross
at <adron. cro s s@ motiv ationonwhe
els.
c
om>.
TEltE{Érfftilf.rnrtl
ugsburg's First International and Off-Campus
Studies Photo Contest
Over 100 entries were submitted in the inangr-rral photo contest for rnternational and off-campr-rs studies
sponsored by the Office of International Programs and Office of Public Relations and CommunicaLion.
Wlnners were selected rn three categones: Scenic lanclscapes; locai people rn a cross-cultural setting;
and Augsburg students in a host setting. All winnrng photos lvere displayed in Christensen Center dr-rring
International Student Week.
lnchrded here are the first- and second-place winners. To see all the wlnners, visit
<www. augsbnrg. edu/internationaVphotocontest>.
¿z
V
I
I
t-
:L
,.1
i
t.
ffi
ffi
z
ffi
a
ã
tltr
r.A
Ë
þ
F
Scenic landscapes. First place. "Spirit Gifts," Ross Murray'00. Chaing Mai,
Thailand, January 2000. People offer many gifts to the spirit world, and shops
sell ready-made flowers to offer the spirits.
Augsburg students in a cross-cultural setting. First place.
"Café in Rome," Stacy Funk'03. Rome, ltaly, January 2001
Local People in a cross-cultural setting. First place. "La Musica di Firenze,"
Rustin Newburger'01. Florence, ltaly, fall 2000.
18
,4UCSSURC fr¡OW
Summer 20O1
,d.##
Augsburg students in a host setting. Tie for second place. "Tortilla,"
Jennifer Brogger'01. San Jorge, Guatemala, January 2000.
Augsburg students in a host setting. Tie for second place. "Bay
Watche4" Mike Murray'02, Antibes, France, January 2001.
Local people in a cross-cultural setting. Second place. "Young
Girl," Brandon Hofstedt'02. Nueva Vida, El Salvadon fall 2000.
Scenic landscapes. Second place. "Wandering," Nathaniel
Bunker'03. Nice, France, January 2001.
E
Winners of the 2001
lnternational Photo
Contest, from L to R:
Rustin Neuberger,
Stacy Funk,
Nathaniel Bunker,
Kendra Hines,
Trephaena Sylte,
Jennifer Brogger,
Ross Murray.
Not pictured:
Brandon Hofstedt,
Petra Velander, Nellie
Pearson, Amy Funk,
Maria Sieve, Mike
Murray, Tenelle Russ.
Summer 2O0f
,4ucsnunc ruow t9
n[\
nÊ
t-¿ á
The next step ¡n Nicole Warner's music career
is clear-off to New York for study at the
Master of Arts in Leadership graduate Den¡se
Gordon receives her hood from Professor Bev
Manhattan School of Music.
Nilsson.
Dean Chris Kimball congratulates senior Stacy
Sellers as she receives her honor cords.
After receiving his Master of Social Work
degree, Nick Metcalf poses with his proud
family.
Erica Bryan (L) and Allison Heimkes (center) pose during lineup with
admissions director Sally Daniels (R).
COMVTEI\CEVIEI\T
This year's graduating mus¡c majors take their turn
drum during the Commencement Concert finale.
20
,4ucssunc Now
to beat the
I
n/
Summer 2001
President Frame congratulates a new
graduate as he receives his diploma.
On their way to the ceremony, seniors file through the line of faculty, stopping for quick hugs,
their professors applaud their achievement.
as
President Frame addresses the 2001 graduates, their families, faculty, and staff at the
Baccalaureate service.
Music professor Bob Stacke'71 and flagbearer Abby Mildbrand lead the seniors to
the ceremony.
The family of international student Terence
Tam traveled to Minneapolis from Malaysia to
be with him on Commencement day.
Summer 2001
Nursing professor Bev Nilsson (fourth from left) and Rochester program director Rick Thoni
(fourth from right) share the success of Rochester nursing students completing their bachelor's
degrees-the first in the Rochester program.
,¡lucsguRc rr¡ow
21
..LIFT
OFF ON THIS U/ONDERFUL
JOIIRI,{EY WE CALL LIFE"
Excerpts from the Commencement Address
The Hon. Daniel Goldin, NASA Administrator
May 20, 2OO1
I
t is a great privilege
to be addressing you
today. To the
graduating seniors ...
let me start with two
simple words: well
done! Well done, but
not mission
accomplished.
Each and every one of
you is an explorer in
the journey we call life
And, yes, today's
milestone is an
important one. But,
commencement means
a beginning, not an
end. The bulk of this
journey is still ahead
of you.
IUR
NASA Administrator Dan¡el Goldin advised Augsburg's class of 2001
that their college achievement is only part of the journey toward a
"mission accomplished."
...My advice is this: always remember
that life's lessons will not come from the
guy delivering a speech in front of you.
But, they have been developed and
nurtured by the people around you.
Your friends. Your professors. Your
mentors. And, even though you may not
realize to what extent now, life's lessons
come mostly from what I like to call
Mission Control-your family. Especially
your family. And never forget it.
... So go for it. Never deterred by the
fear of failure. In life, having no failures
The Augsburg College Class
554
331
128
59
36
22
is rarely a sign ofperfection, but rather
that your goals aren't bold enough. Find
something you love. Have a dream.
Pursue it. Believe in yourself. Whether it
is in Minneapolis or on Mars-make
your mark.
...So to the Augsburg College Class of
2001 ... Go for launch. Lift off on this
wonderful journey we call life. And
Godspeed to all of you.
Goldin's speech was included in both the
New York Times and NBC Nightly News
in theír roundup of top college
Rozenia Fuller rece¡ves Marina
Christensen Just¡ce Award
ozenia Fuller, a senior youth and
R family ministry major and McNair
Scholar, was selected as the 2001 recipient
of the Marina ChristensenJustice Award.
This award is given each year to the
graduating senior whose communityservice work best illustrates Augsburg's
motto, "Education for Service"
-itself
brilliantly displayed in Marina Christensen
Justice's personal and professional
dedication to the vitalization of urban
communities.
Fuller represents the best blend of
excellence in scholarship and an untiring
commitment to the community. She has
been active at Spirit Church and the
Harvest Preparatory School in North
Minneapolis and serves on the boards of
the Glenwood Ly.ndale Community Center
and Minneapolis Community and
Têchnical College.
An Augsburg student recently said of
her, "I could not imagine an Augsburg
minus Rozenia Fuller. She has helped
make Augsburg the intentionally diverse
community that it strives to be, and she
alone has kept many students of color tied
into this community"
The mother of two
children-
Jeremiah and Rosetta-Fuller lives by the
words she loves to share with them: "Try
to take advantage of the opportunities that
God presents you with." She has helped
homeless mothers locate housing,
developed support groups for junior high
and high school students, and helped with
counsel and spiritual support forjuveniles
in the Hennepin County Detention
Center.
commencement speeches.
of 2O0f
Candidates for graduation
Day students
Weekend College students
Graduate students (Master of Arts in Leadership and Master of social work)
Nursing students in Rochester-the first students completing baccalaureate
degrees in the Rochester program
,4UGSBURC tllOW
Rozenia Fuller'01 is congratulated by
President Frame as she receives the Marina
Christensen Justice Award.
Summer 2O01
)
ll I
From the Alumni Board president's desk ..,
/l
I
^
T
he work of
our
Augsburg
Alumni
Association is
like
a
jigsaw
puzzle-it
has
many parts, and
\Mirh diligenr
work and a bit
of luck, will come together to portray a
memorable picture. Oftentimes, when
working a jigsaw puzzle, you will pick up a
piece and try it in several locations before
you find the right place. Also, you never
throw away apuzzle piece, as you will need
it to complete the puzzle. If you cant find
the exact spot where the piece fits, just set
it aside for a while and work òn another
piece.
So
it is with the efforts of our Alumni
Board. We are always working on the
puzzle. We've tried quite a few pieces this
past year, including:
Alumni gatherings outside of the
Twin Cities
The association organized and sponsored
numerous gatherings of Augsburg alums in
sites near and far: Florida, Anzona,
Califomia, Illinois, Wisconsin, and greater
Minnesota. The intent was to test the waters
for the development of actual alumni
chapters in those areas. Many colleges have
such chapters and it's a good time for
Augsburg to do likewise. Out of those
various efforts, key contacts have been
identified in six locations to continue work
on this concept. In addition, an employerbased alumni chapter is in the works at the
3M Company, thanks to the interest of
several alums who work for that company
This project will take several years to
nurture and develop, but we're convinced
that it holds an important place in the
puzzle.
Alumnijob fair
We sponsored a job fair on the Augsburg
campus this spring \Mith 25 companies
represented who have Augsburg alumni in
key positions for hiring new grads. Job fairs
are not new, but having alumni staff the
booths gave it an extra spark, and students
were most appreciative of the chance to talk
with those present. The alumni also
enjoyed meeting each other and being back
on campus.
Augsburg Day at Como Park
An alumni event geared toward families
took place on May 5 when we gathered at
Como Park in St. Paul with a hearty group
of Augsburg fans. Students were on hand to
provide musical entertainment and a oneact play Parents had a chance to bring their
small childrenfuture Auggies to a Collegesponsored event. Next year w€ plan to
expand upon this pafticular "piece".
All these pieces look like they fit into
our puzzle and are going to sta)¿ The
picture rMe are working to complete is one
of a strong and vibrant Augsburg College
that enjoys broad support from its Alumni
Association. This support can take many
forms; financial, interest, and connections.
The picture is not yet complete. How do
you fit into this puzzle? Think about it.
Thanks to our AlumniÆarent Relations
staff, Nancy (Carlson) Toedt '94, Jeff
K¡engel '93, and l-aura Cichocke for a great
year. Also, thanks to the Alumni Board that
served diligently and creatively this past
year. June starts a new board year. Jackie
I(niefel Lind C69, MAL'94) is slated to
become the next president of the
association, and Andy Morrison ('73) is
president-elect. Seven new board members
have been elected to join our "puzzle party."
Keeping you in touch, in the know,
and in the spirit of Augsburg Collegeyou'll be surprised at what we can do
together!
.
Paul Mikelson'70
President, Alumni Board
.Homecoming 2OO1 to include new events
and a visit from Maya Angelou
¡Fhis
I
I
A
fall
uo-".o--
ing will feature
a talk by Dr.
Maya Angelou,
who is hailed as
one of the great
r4
voices of
Maya Angelou w-ll
present a talk during
Homecoming 2001 in
October.
Summer
2OO1
contemporary
llterature. As
poet, educator,
historian, bestselling author,
playwright, civil rights activist,
producer, and director, Angelou travels the
world, spreading her wisdom and
captivating audiences through the vigor and
sheer beauty of her words and þcs.
Her program, "An Evening with Maya
Angelou," is described as a patchwork quilt
of her life and work. She will appear October
8 at 7:30 p.rn.; more derails will be available
later this summer in the Homecoming
brochure and on the Augsburg Web site.
This year's theme for Homecoming and
Family Week 2001 is 'Augsburg on parade,"
actress,
and several exciting changes are planned. In
addition to Angelou's visit, Homecoming will
now be a full week of activities for alumni,
students, families, faculty, and staff. Some of
the new events this year include a 5K
run/walk for fun or charity along the
Mississippi River; an alumni art show; a
parade around Murphy Park; faculty and
faculty emeriti collaborationlpresentations; a
student variety show and coronation; Umess
Hall floor reunions (hosted by current
student residents); and much more.
4ucsnunc
now
2B
Martin Hl¡nka '99 s¡gns second contract
with
NHHs Washington Capitals
F
lt
s
È
in
s
or the
r".ond y"^.
a row,
o
Augsburg
alumnus Martin
ô'
Hlinka was
L
A.
à
U
a
(J
Martin
Hlinka'99
signed to a oneyear National
Hockey League
contract by the
Hlinka played briefly with the United
Hockey League's Quad City (Moline, Ill.)
Mallards in November, but returned to
finish the season in Portland. He was the
club's top centerman down the stretch,
used often on crucial face-offs by Pirates'
head coach Glen Hanlon, and was the
club's top scorer in the postseason.
A native of Bratislava, Slovakia,
Hlinka played both football and men's
byDons,oner
hockey at Augsburg from 1995-'99. Hlinka
came to America from Slovakia in 1994,
staying with a host family in Farmington,
Minn., and graduating in 1995 from
Farmington High School. He stayed with
the host family all four summers while at
Augsburg, and graduated with a B.A. in
business administration.
Don Stoner is sports information coordinator.
washington
Capitals, the
team announced in Ma;r
The signing was another step on an
incredible progression in professional
B
Ê-
B
Ë
o
À
hockey for Hlinka.
This season, Hlinka started the
campaign as the lone training camp invitee
on the opening-day roster for the Capitals'
top minorleague team, the Portland
(Maine) Pirates of the American Hockey
League. He originally was signed by
Portland to a25-game professional try-out
agreement, but soon after inked a standard
AHL deal that lasted the duration of the
season. In November, Hlinka signed to a
one-year contract wlth the Capitals, and
he was assigned to the Pirates roster.
!
o
a
É
Martin Hlinka (#a1, left) fires a shot during a Portland Pirates home game
in January in Portland, Maine. Hlinka signed his second one-year contract with
the NHL's Washington Capitals organization in May.
Alumna named Aquatennial Senior Queen
o
a
si
A;,'"'åä'
à
Eunice (Kyllo)
Roberts '62 was
named this
ô
U
year's Senior
Queen for the
Minneapolis
Aquatennial, the
lO-day official
civic celebration
Eunice (Kyllo) Roberts
'62 was named this
of the City of
year's Senior Queen for Minneapolis
the Minneapolis
fiuly 13-22). As
Aquatennial.
Senior Queen,
she
will travel to festivals and functions
zà ,4ucs¡unc ruow
throughout the state and region
representing the Minneapolis Aquatennial.
Roberts was nominated by
representatives of Fairview-University
Medical Center in Minneapolis, in
recognition of the more than 1,300 hours of
time she has donated to Child and Family
Life Services as a Watchful Companion. She
also serves as a member of the center's
Volunteer Services Advisory Committee.
Lastyear, Roberts was nominated for
the Friends of Nursing Award by the
nursing staff on the children's unit at
Fairview-UniversitY.
Since retiring from Augsburg Fortress
Publishers, Roberts has dedicated her time
to volunteer work, and is committed to
providing friendship and understanding to
help improve health and welfare in the
communit;r
"We applaud Eunice for her loyahy
and dedication and, especially, her
stamina," says Alex Thwaites, FairviewUniversity volunteer coordinator. "Her
energy, enthusiasm, and dedication are
wonderful motivators for all of us."
Roberts stays connected to the College
by singing with the Masterworks Chorale.
She and her husband, Warren, a retired
University of Minnesota psychology
professor, live in Fridle¡ Minn. They have
lwo sons.
Summer
2OO1
)
l
It
1942
Everald H. Strom, Fergus Falls,
Minn., has been retired for 15
years; he served as president of
the Church of the Lutheran
Brethren for IB years. He has
found retirement to be a very
rewarding experience, and enjoys
giving Bible studies and teaching
part time.
-
o
The Rev. S. Jerome
1949
(Hamberg)'54
Donald Peterson, Burnsville,
Minn., lost his wife of nearly 53
in November;
Donald and their four sons survive
years, Mabel,
her.
Joyce (Gronseth) Limburg
recently moved to Apple Valley,
Minn.; she lived in lowa for 5I
years and taught English in
Parkersburg, lowa, for 25 years.
She is happy to be back home
with family and friends. Sadly, her
husband, Sherm, died in 1993.
Harold C. Roosen, Phoenix,
Ariz., has been doing well since
his 1997 accident, in which a car
hit him after he exited a bus. A
retired elementary school teacher,
he enjoys reading and attending
Shepherd of the Valley Church
Eleanor L. (Ewert)
Hutchinson, Indianola, Iowa, is a
breast cancer survivor and was in
charge of survivors for this April's
Relay for Life event, which was
held in Indianola and sponsored
by the American Cancer Society
and Simpson College.
wedding anniversary in
January. They are both
retired and live in
Duluth, Minn., where
The Alumni Association hosted its
retired in 1990 after serving more
than 38 years with Hennepin
County Welfare; he currently
sewes on the state Department of
Human Services Special Review
Board. Sadly, his wife passed away
1999.
firct
"Augsburg Day at Como Pârk" celebration
in May. Despite rainy weather, the event
Lutheran Church in
brought together alumni and their
Superior, Wis. Having
families, faculty, staff, and students.
served missions to
Augsburg students (pictured above)
Tâiwan and Hong Kong, provided musical enterta¡nment.
he is hosting his sixth
dystrophy. He and his wife, Pat
tour to China in June and will
(Larson) '57, live in Anacortes,
host his seventh the summer of
Wash.,
overlooking Puget Sound
2002. All interested parties can
and
the
Olympic Mountains.
e-mail him at <revelness@aol.com>.
1
Karl Puterbaugh, Eagan, Minn.,
in
celebrated their 45th
Redeemer's Free
1952
1948
Elness and Elaine
Jerome preaches at Our
1951
1944
1954
(where forme¡ Augsburg
instructor, the Rev. Brian Erickson,
is pastor).
956
Bob Lockwood, Minnetonka,
Minn., says he is "back to 99
percent and ready to play golf
again" after recovering from
successful open heart surgery.
Bob Moylan was recently
diagnosed with muscular
1
961
Richard Lund, Edmonds, Wash.,
retired from the daily practice of
diagnostic radiology in 1997. He
is currently a consulting
radiologist for a medical device
company.
a
a
Iìeaching and learning ¡n Vietnam
L
o
(J
by Lynn Mena
For three weeks earlier this year, the Rev Harris Lee '57 and his wrfe, Maryon, traveled from Mrnneapolis to
Vietnam to teach conversational English to Vietnamese students. They traveled with a group of about l5
people and stayed at a hotel in Cao Lanh, located in the southern half of Vietnam. The trip was arranged
through Global Volunteers, an organizatlon based ln Little Canada, Mlnn.
"My wife and I had long talked about taking part rn a
volunteer opportunity such as this," says Lee. "The
experience was very fulfilling; we received such a warm ancl
respeclful receplion from the students. It was a very relaxed
and healthy relationship."
o
a
s
à
!
o
U
The students, all advanced college students str-rdying to be
teachers, doctors, and computer professionals, already had a firm
grasp of the English language, but were eager to enhance their
skills.
The Rev. Harris Lee '57 (left)
traveled to Vietnam earlier this
year to teach English to
Vietnamese students.
"The experíence was very
Jult'illing; we receíved sucLr a
warm and respectful
reception
from the students."
"The students were excited to use English for several reasons,"
says Lee. "Of course, it's an international business language and knowing it helps to find a good job
Br-rt they were also excited to be able to read good books written in Eng1ish."
Lee's
wife, Maryon, stands in the
Vietnamese classroom where they
taught; the experience was arranged
through Minnesota-based Global
Volunteers.
Summer 2001
The sludents had not heard of Minnesota-until the Lees mentioned the Mississippi River. "They
remembered the river from Mark Twain's books," Lee says, chuckling.
A retrred ELCA pastor and stewardship specialist, Lee still does some stewardship work for the ELCA;
he also works as an independent consultant lor churches. Maryon is a retired elementary teacher.
,4ucs¡uncruow
25
Class Notes
968
1964
1
Deanne M. (Star) Greco,
Carol (Torstenson)
John Clawson relocated f¡om
Duane llstrup, Rochester,
Bloomington, Minn., was
appointed to the Board of Ordway
Circle of Stars. As a member of
the board, she will join other
volunteers committed to
supporting the Ordway Center for
Performing Arts.
McCausland, Warner, N.H.,
Minneapolis to California after he
was elected president and chief
executive officer of Lutheran
Social Services o[ Southern
California. He began his work
with LSS of Minnesota in I992 as
director of the public poiicy office.
Minn., was rhe Bntish lournal of
Surgery invited speaker at the
965
recently celebrated several happy
family occasions: a wedding, a
new granddaughter, and a son
starting law school. Carol is a
Title I coordinator for the
Hillsboro-Deering School District
1967
1
in Hillsboro, N.H.
ffi
Marlene (Chan) Hui '74=
Moved by the spirit
o
S.
à
so
Q
ln
1968, a Lutheran missionary approached Marlene (Chan) Hui, then a
studious high school student living in Hong Kong, with an opportunity
to attend college in the United States. The prospect of attendìng a U.S.
college, and specifically Augsburg College, appealed to Hui. Two of her
brothers were already livíng in the U.S., and the idea of belng able to
explore her faith while immersed in academia suited the l8-year-old,
who attended Tiinity Lutheran Church in Bata Lou. Moreover, if she
remained in Hong Kong, she would face limited opportunities to attend
college, due to a shortage in higher education institutions.
adapted to life 1n the U.S. and at Augsburg. She served as chair of the
Foreign Student Group, and was very involved in faith-related activities.
During her first year at Augsburg, she 1lved with biology professor Neal
Thorpe and his famrly She fondly remembers going on family trips and
participating in Bible studies with her host family. Although Hui lived in
the clormitory her second and third years of college, she formed her
iongest lasting friendships with the girls she met during her senior year
while livlng in the Lambda House. Last summer, the lormer residents
reunited in Brainerd, Minn., for four days of reminiscing and catch-r-rp.
1971
David Siedlar, CarlisÌe, Mass.,
accepted a position as a student
Ioan administrator for Brandeis
University in Waltham, Mass.
1973
Rebecca (Nystuen) Berger,
Green Bay, Wis., is director of the
Door County Library
Marlene (Chan) Hui, class
agent for the CIass oÍ 1974,
works as a special education
teacher and Iooks forward to
fulfilling her goal of doing
missionary work in Asia.
Joyce Catlin, Maple Grove,
Minn., married the Rev. Paul
Casey in April at Brookll'n Park
Evangelical Free Church. Joyce is
a second grade teacher at
AlbertviÌle Primary School and
Paul is a part-time worship/music
pastor at Waterbrooke Fellowship
ìn Victoria, Minn.
"Augsburg enriches d
person relig¡ousþ,
spiritualþ, and
academically."
Hui majored in English and elementary education and minored in French; however, her career path
became clear to her during an Augsburg internship. Her first professional experience entailed working
with low-income children. "We seemed to get along well, and it seemed like I could get through to them,"
says
Research Society and the
Association of Surgeons of Great
Britain and lreland in April in
Birmingham, England. He
presented a lecture titled "Should
You Always Believe in What You
Read?" He is associate professor of
biostatistics at the Mayo Clinic.
Õ
by Wendy Elofson
Though the challenge of adjusting to the highly variable weather of
Minnesota was difficult (Hong Kong has a tropical climate), Hui quickly
joint meeting of the SurgicaÌ
Hui. "it was God's plan."
She works with high school
students who are considered moderately to severely mentally lmpaired, ancl she is eager to say that
teaching the students is her favorite part of the job. She recently taught one of her students with Downs
syndrome how to e-mail his father who llves across the country.
Hui has been a special education teacher at Jefferson High School since 1976.
As for the future, Hur and her husband are contemplating an early retirement, which would allow them to
pursue missionary work in Asia. "Retirement doesn't mean that I don't do anything; retiremenl means thal
I can pursue different interests, and do something new and different," says Hul.
Hui was asked to consider being the Class of 1974 class agent. She accepted the
opportunity becanse she saw it as an enjoyable way to give back to the Co11ege. She enjoys relaying
information about Augsburg to people, and seeing former classmates and faculty members. She is very
grateful for her experience at the College. "Ar-rgsburg enriches a person religiousl¡ spirituaily, and
Two years ago,
1974
Sharon (Holt) Garland,
Minnetonka, Minn., completed
her training as spiritual director
from Sacred Ground Center for
Spirituality at the College of St.
Catherine. Her husband, Rick
'75, is a technical trainer for
Northwest Airlines.
1977
William Reyer, Tiffin, ohio,
was
nominated and selected by his
colleagues at Heidelberg Coìlege
to receive the college's
Distinguished Teaching Award for
Faculty for 2000. The award,
established in 1995, recognizes
excellence in classroom teaching,
academic accomplishments,
professional activities, and service
academically."
to the Heidelberg community. A
Wendy Elofson is an information specialist Jor Augsburg's institutional ødt,ancement ot'fice.
member of the Heidelberg faculty
since 1983, he is a professor of
English.
26
.AUCSnunC ruOW
Summer 20Of
)
Eye of the beholder
by Maggie Weller'01
hnagine how clifficult it would be to paint a prcture six feet wide and seven feet tall that would be considered
good enough to be displayed in national exhibits. Now rmagine accon.rplishing that feat with double vislon,
shaking in both eyes, and very httle depth perception.
These are exactly the conclitions that Jon Leverentz is forced to worl< under every day Leverentz has recelved
private instruction at Ar-rgsburg îrom I975-'79 and from 1990 to today
At the age of IB, Leverentz was ln an automobile accident that caused brain stem damage and led to the
dlsabilitìes described above. Surgery to the right thalamus, usua\ used to treat Parkinson's disease, reduced his
shaking but lefi him with double vision and little depth perception.
"I must make intr-ritive judgments regarcling what I perceive as close and what seems to be far away," sald
Leverentz. "For instance, it's hard to get the pen into the ink bottle, but I just think hard about where the middle
of my two r,rews are and then I make it."
Leverentz cuffently r'rsits Augsburg once a week to receive private instructron from art professor Norman Ho1en,
whom he credits for some ol his success. "Norman is a really great guy," he said. Holen has helped him find art
shows, and, "he helps suggest which
galleries I should put my art in."
Jon Leverentz (left) has received
pr¡vate instruction from art
professor Norm Holen (right) at
Augsburg since 1975.
"My worh is my main activity,
and Lts worhmanship is as
important to me now as it was
bet'ore the accídent."
While he admits to enjoying painting the mosl, Leverentz also draws and sculpts.
Despite his disabilities, he insists on doing most of the work himself. "I take pride 1n
tÐ4ng to work wrthout he1p," said Leverentz. "Though I work wrth friends, it is
important for me to have control over my own work. My work is my main activity,
and its workmanship is as important to me now as it was before the accident."
Though Leverentz never graduated, he "took all the studio courses and a couple
more classes," lnc1r-rding socÌologz Leverentz continues to work at Augsburg because
people like Holen are wilhng to heip him when necessâry and because it gives him
access to materials he could not use easily at home, "llke clay and toxrc inks."
Many of Leverentz's pieces, such as this vivid painting
of sunflowers, are exh¡b¡ted nationally.
f 980
The list of Leverentz's exhibits is extensive, and accordlng to Holen, Leverentz's work
is exhibited nationally and in exclusive galleries. Leverentz won the Sister Kenny
Shorv honorable mention in 1986 and 1996.
Catherine (Knudtson)
production goaÌs
for his effgts in
2000. In the
Andress, Rosemount, Minn., is a
senior technical writer at Lawson
Software in downtown St. Paul,
securities industry
he received the
"Cìrcle of
where she has worked for seven
years. "My children are growrng
fast and wll soon be of driving
age!" David is 15 and Carl is 14.
Kathryn Encalada, Isanti,
Minn., recently left her position o[
nearly seven years as director of
Allied Health Programs at Gogebìc
Community College in lronwood,
Mich., to return to the Twin Cities.
Jeffrey K. Jarnes, Bloomington,
Minn., a certified financial planner
with Fortune Financial in
Minneapolis, achieved two top
Summer 20O1
ExcelÌence"
honor; he also achieved "Top of the
Table" honors awarded by the
Million Dollar Round Tâble for his
work in risk management. He and
his wife, Jacqui, have three
daughters: Kristin, Justine, and
Erika.
Jim Rongstad, Woodbury Minn.,
an accountant with Ramsey
County, is on the school board ol
East St. Paul Lutheran School,
where his children, Lexi and
Matthew, attend. He was a delegate
to the Libertarian Natlonal
Convention this past June in
Anaheim, Calif.
1982
Brian J. Anderson was
appointed to a three-year terrn as
editor for the space physics section
of Geophysical Research Letters. He
is a former assistant professor o[
physics at Augsburg and is
currently a member o[ the
principal professional staff ar the
Johns Hopkins University Applied
Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md.
He and his wife, Leeann (Rock)
'81, live in Mount Airy Md.
Tammy Cowan, Minneapolis, is
now in her second year as a
physical education teacher at South
High School in Minneapolis; she
was previously an investment
banker for seven years.
Debra (Krueger) Knight,
Bloomington, Minn., was recently
featured in GtyBusiness joumaÌ for
her success as co-owner of Edinabased Career Professionals, a
specialized search firm that
matches recent college graduates
with companies seeking to fill
entrylevel positions.
1
983
The Rev. Valerie de
Cathelineau, Avon, N.Y.,
recently became pastor of St.
Timothy Lutheran Church in
Geneseo, N.Y. She previously
served as assistant pastor of Holy
Trinity in Buffalo, N.Y.
4ucsnunc
now
27
Class Notes
@
1984
As a member of the Augsburg
College Aiumni Association,
you are a very important part
of the College community and
are welcome to receive various
John Ennen, McKinney, Tèx.,
joined Exel corporation in Dallas
benefits including:
7achary.
.
AugsburgNow, the quarterly
College publication
. Bi-annual
letters from your
class agen[, who will keep
you updated on news
.
Tnvitations to Homecoming,
reunions, and other special
events on campus
.
Access to the computer 1ab,
librar¡ and fitness lacilities
.
Access
to Career Services'
alumni
. An alumni directory
containing complete
information on classmates
that is available for purchase
. Volunteer opportunities on
leadership boards and
committees
.
.
a director of customer
development. He and his wife,
Opportunities to participate
in alumni tours around the
This 12-day tour program features flve nights on the
world-famous Norwegian coastal voyage, sailing south
from the "top of Norway" to Bergen.
Thomas L. Terpening, Key West,
Fla., has settled into his new life
and job as advertising composition
and graphic services manager for
Key West Citizen,which is owned
by Cooke Communications LLC.
He is in charge of nine weekly and
one daiþ publication. He misses all
his family and friends in the
Midwest, but sure is glad for the
beautiful weather! You may have
in the March 13,
2001, edition of the Nøtional
Enquirer wirt' the Mercedes he won
in an AIDS Help raffle in Key West.
f986
Lisa Baumgartner, Amherst,
N.Y., received her doctorate in
adult education from the
University of Georgia last August.
She is assistant professor of adult
education at Buffalo State College
in Buffalo, N.Y.
Karl Howg, Hopkins, Minn., is
Legacy scholarships for family
members of students and
chief meteorologist on the new
Fox29News Nine local newscast;
his on-air name is Karl
a
Norway in the summer of 2002.
1985
world
alumni to sludy toward
degree at Augsburg
Join President and Mrs. William V Frame and
Professor Frankie Shackeìford on a journey through
Mary have a 4-year-old son,
caught Tom
TCSOUICCS
. A special tuition discount for
DISCOVER NORWEGIAN
TREASURES AND HERITAGE
as
This tour has limited spaces remaining; please call the
alumni office ar 612-330-1178 or l-800-260-6590 for
more information or to sign up for an upcoming
information session.
country before fulfilling his dream
o[ retuming home to Minnesota.
John Wahlberg,
,
Sr. Paul,
recentþ formed his own company,
Excel Promotions, which is a
distributor of corporate apparel
and promotional items.
her short story "Bent Tiee," was
accepted for publication in the
upcoming antholog¡r Spirit Songs.
1990
Karen Reed,
Atascadero, Calif.,
author of Music is
1989
Laura Netson, Minneapolis,
job in February
started a new
the Master Key,
sigred copies of
her book at a Twin
as a
support consultant at låwson
Software; she previousþ worked
at the University of Minnesota.
Cities-area Bames
and Noble in October. According to
Reed, a music therapist in
Califomia, music is the key to
Gail (Moran) Wawrzyniak,
unlocking the mind closed by
Raleigh, N.C., recentþ had a play
published online at Native
Realities (www.wordcraftcircle.org/
mental illness.
natreaVhome.htm). In addition,
Carla Beaurline, Hopkins,
Minn., is a monthly guest host on
Spring. He worked in
smaller markets across the
1
99r
the QVC shopping network as vice
president of product development
ETIIIÙII¡II:Í.,ÍIITÐ
2001-2002 Alumni Board
meeting schedule
June 19
August 2I
November 20
February 19
April16
Meetings are open to the public
and all alumni are invited rcr
attend. Each meetlng features
ln April, the Alumni Board, the Alumni/Parênt Relat¡ons Office, and the Center for Service, Worh and
Learning sponsored the firct alumn¡ job fair on Gamput which brought togeths morê than 25
companies, alumni, Augsburg seniors, and r€cent grads. The event was the brainchild of Colleen K.
Watson'91 MAt (picfured above with business partner Deb Krueger Knight'82), president of Carcer
Plpfessionals and chair of the Connections Committee of the Alumni Board.
2A
4uCSnUnCruOW
a
guest speaker such as the
president, dean, or other
Col lege adminisl rator. Th is
Ìnformation will be available
online at <www.augsburg. edu/
alumni>.
Summer
2OO1
for ZEVA's Natural Nail products.
Waconia; she was
She is also a dÍsplay adverrising
previously assistant to
the city manager lor
the City of New
Brighton.
represenrarive for the s¿. Paul
Pioneer Press.
Colleen Watson, Mendota
Heights, Minn., was recently
featured in GtyBusinøss journal for
her success as co-owner of Edinabased Career Professionals, a
speciaÌized search firm that
matches recent colìege graduates
with companies seeking to fill
entryìevel positions.
1992
Sharol
(Dascher)
Tyra, Hanover,
Minn., was
recently
interviewed on
KSTP-5 news
and in NurseW¿eh and, HealthWeeh
publications for her work as a
personal success coach.
1
Alumni Chapter key contacts
include:
Los Angeles
Amy Ellingrod'95
Bonnie Bina,
Minnetonka, Minn.,
compieted her master's
degree in health and
human services
administration at St.
Mary's University She
is the clinic
administrator at
ConsuÌtants Intemal
Medicine.
aellingrod@laphil.org
Chicago
Kaydee
Todd Steenson'89
tsteenson@hklaw. com
Sun
Cit¡ Ariz.
Borgie (Rholl) Gabrielson'47
623-972-7206
Washington D.C.
Kari Arfstrom '89
Erica Benson was
recently hlred by
Studio City, a leading
broadcast marketlng
company, as
KArfstrom@aasa.org
writerþroducer/editor.
She was previousþ
Rochester, Minn.
Norman'75 and Kathy (Anderson)
'76 Wahl
Wahl@bethellutheran. com
UPN affiliate in Chicago as
been doing
Maren Lea Carlson,
Pl).rynourh,
Minn., married Steve Combs in
March 2000. She is the business
manager for Dr. Gary L. Carlson in
Minnetonka, Minn.
1994
Susan (Horning) Arntz, Fridley,
Minn., accepted a new position as
city administrator for the City of
Frilrrilit]lrit
'Auggies at the Minnesota
freelance
producing at
Studio City
since October
2000, working
E
on such projects
as the launch of the NBC Saturday
Movie, sitcoms Spin City and
Change oJ Heart, and the
promotion of various Paramount
ffi
movies. As a staff member she will
continue to work on comedy series
and NBC movies and mini-series.
Erica has an extensive background
State Fair
in promotion, having worked at
WHHO-ry rhe WB affiliate in
Don't mrss the new ancl
improved Augsbr-rrg booth at
the Mrnnesota State Fair!
Columbus, Ohio; WTTW-T! the
PBS affiliate in Chicago; and the
UPN network, in addition to her
work at WPWR. She's earned two
Emmy Awards for editìng, and
received six Emmy nominations for
her work.
August 23-Septen-rber 3, 2001
Located in the education
burldrng, the booth will featr-rre
many special events this year,
ìncì ud ing Al Lrmni gat herings.
Stefanie (Murphy)
Guzikowski, Portsmouth, N.H.,
Check out the scheclule online
works at Beaupre
at www.
Relations, Inc., as a senior account
au gsburg.
edu/statefair
lnterested rn volunteering?
Contact the alumni office at
612-330-1I78 or
1-800-260-6590
Summer
2OO1
This past year marked the beginning
of the Alumni Chapter Program, which
was developed by the AIumni
Association to encourage alumni to
organize themselves (either around a
geographic basis or an employment
basis) to reestablish ties, promote the
interests of the €ollege, and to be of
service to its alumni. Above, two alums
enjoyed coffee and conversation at a
gathering in DeKalb, lll.
withWPWR-TV the
writerþroducer/editor. She had
993
Kirk'98
kaydeeklrk@yahoo.com
&
Co. PubÌic
executive. She moved to the East.
Coast five years ago and loves
living by the ocean. She married
Christopher Guzikorvski, a Bosron
native she met through her former
employer American Express
Financial Advisors in Minneapolis.
She is working toward
certification as an aerobics
instructor and enjoys running 5K
and l0K road races and playing
piano and acoustic guitar. She's
had two poems published and
hopes to some day publish a
horror novel. "No kids yet, but a
cat and some fish."
f 995
John Nielsen, Chicago, received
his master's degree in ancient Near
Eastern history from the University
of Chicago; he is currently working
on his doctorate.
1
998
Mark Goetz,
Eagan, Minn.,
married Christine Wilmer earlier
in June.
Eileen Kerr has been named
Champion of Health for her work
with Women's Inte¡narional Sel[reliance Enterprise and her
ongoing advocacy and supporr of
persons of all nationaÌities.
Champions of Heahh honors
individuals, organizations, and
businesses that have gone above
and beyond to improve the health
of their community It is sponsored
by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of
Minnesota, the Minnesota lnstitute
of Public Health, the Greater
Minneapolis Chamber of
Commerce, and CityBusiness.
r
999
Christopher James Rothe,
Britton, S.Dak., married Jamie
Lea Kyle '00 in May Christopher
is a deputy sheriff in Britton, and
Jamie is working with special
education students at Britton High
School.
2000
Ann Staton, New Hope, Minn.,
was awarded a Siehi Scholarship
from St. John's School of Theology
Seminary where she is pursuing a
master's degree
in theology This
award is in recognition of her
academic performance and
leadership abilities.
Jack Stover, Burnsville, Minn., is
a software engineer (modeling and
simulation and Web programming)
for Lockheed Martin Tactical
Systems in Eagan, Minn.
4ucs¡uRc lrrow 2s
Births/Adoptions
James Kuehl '92 and Sarah
Roy Carlton '83 and his wife,
Mary BumsvilÌe, Minn.-a son,
Christopher Leonard, in May
He joins older brother, Bryan
son, Samuel Walter, in
November. James is a mortgage
bond analyst for Wells Fargo
Mortgage and Sarah is an account
manager lor Portu-Sunberg
Russell, 5. Roy is an accountant at
Ban-Koe Companies in
Bloomington, Minn.
Roger Griffith '84 and Jean
Taylor'85,
Minn.-a
Eagan,
daughter, Emma, in December.
Jody (Anderson)'90 and Mike
Acers'90, Cloquet, Minn.-a son,
Andrew Michael, in August.
He
joins sister Emily.
M. Susan (Noleen) '90 and
Steve
Bianchi, Duluth, Minn.-a
daughrer, Lucienne Elisabeth, in
December. She joins siblings Mario
and Isabel.
(Evans)'95,
Ramsey,
ErcrcTrcTrcTlfi
Minn.-a
Visit Augsburg's online bookstore!
www. bkstore.com/a u gsbu rg
NeHi Christian Preschool and
Daycare.
Marketing.
Todd Cina '93 and his wife, Kari,
Steven Dow'95 and his wife,
New Berlin, Wis.-a daughter,
Lauren Jean in Novembe¡.
Sarah Schaffner, Dubuque,
Þ
Carrie (Skradski) '93 and Tom
Phillips, Big l-ake,
Stephanie N. (Johnson)'94 and
Robert E. Moreno'94, New
Brighton, Minn.-twin sons,
David Emanuel and Daniel
Eliah, inJanuary Roben continues
to work for US Bancorp as a
lowa-a
Mark, inJanuary.
Jennifer (Strickland) '96 and
{3
Minn.-a
daughter, Ashley Elizabeth, in
March. She joins brother Parker,2.
boy, lsaac
Jim Buehler, Lincoln, Neb.-a boy,
certified network administrator and
desktop technology services
engineer. Stephanie is pursuing her
master's degree in early childhood
education and development at
Jared Bartlett, in December.
Xanara Amand '00 and Marc
Stevenson, Bloomington,
daughter,
Minn.-a
Malaya Ãlexis, ln
December.
Concordia University; prior
to the twins'birth, she
worked as a teacher at
a
o
\
ñ
m
!
o
U
A room at the inn for all
by Lynn Mena
As a sociology major at Augsburg, MinamJacobson'69 had been intrigued by the problems of diverse
people lÌung together within the limited confines of a citlz later, as a nurse working in Chicago in a
variety of environments (including a rehabilitation unit, an emergency room, a hospice, and a mobile
unir), she became professionally aware of physÌcal accessibility issues, and how society can adapt to make
places universally accessible. And more recently, she found herself personaþ involved wtth universal
accessibllity when her mother became paralyzed from a stroke and lived with her for nearly five years.
ln lighr of these experiences, Jacobson and her partner, Marian Korth, left Chicago to open a bed and
breakfast in a century-old farmhouse on the outskirts of Cambridge, Wis., with the dream of making their
inn handÌcapped accessible.
The pair opened the Country Comforts Bed 6s Breakfast in May 1998, with plans lo build a 600-square foot
handicapped accessible guest suite. However, their plans were quickly halted when they ran into a snag in
the srare law By Wiscorsin law, bed and breakfasts can have up to eight bedrooms. But bed and breakfasts
were prohibited from adding on to their original house, unless they abided by commercial building codes.
Residential codes, which are far less restrictive and expensive than commercial codes, didnt apply
Miriam Jacobson'69 (right) and her
partner, Marian Korth, added a
handicapped accessible guest suite
to their bed and breakfast inn last
year, and in the process changed
Wisconsin state law.
"IJ we hadbeen intimidated
one bit, we wouldn1have
gotten thís done."
Their problem caughr rhe arrenrion of State Rep. Martin Rel'riolds, who had run into the same building code dilemma when he wanted lo make
changes to his own bed and breakfast. He contacted Jacobson and Korth and encouraged them to take their problem to the state leglslature. He also
conracted fe11ow Assembly Reps. Cloyd Porter and Joan Wade Spillner about sponsoring legisiation to change bed and breakfast bulldlng code
requirements.
Jacobson and Korth appealed to state regulators, but out of fiustration (and fear of losing several advance reservations that had been made for the new
suite) they went forth and completed the addition to state commercial codes. However, they still thought the commercial code requirements were too
restricrive for bed and breakfasts, and they testified at assembly and state hearings on the legislature put together by Reynolds, Porter, and Spillner.
The bill moved quickly through both houses, and in May 2000, Gov Tommy Thompson signed legislation that allows bed and breakfasts in buildings
50 years or older ro expand without having to follow commercial codes. BothJacobson and Korth were present for the bill slgning in Sauk City, Wis.
Shortly thereafter, the Wiscoilsin State lournal featured the pair on its fiont page, and reported that the change in legislation could be "a boon to the
growing bed and breakfast industry," making it easier to make modifications as well as to create inlerest tn converling older homes into inns. Both
"If we had been intimidated one blt, we wouldn'l have
Jacobson and Korth are happy that others won't have to endure the difficulties they faced.
gotien rhis done," Korth told the lournal "Fortunately, we aren't easily intimidated." Jacobson added that the new br11 will be very helpful. "Several
B&Bs rhanked us for helping to change the law"
30
,4ucs¡unc
rr¡ow
Summer 2001
I
)
c
The Rev. Lloyd V. Sand'29,
Lake N4ills, lor,va, clied in March; he
r,r,as 94. Alter completing his B.A.
at Augsburg, he taught high school
for three years; he ¡eturned to
attend Seminary and gracluated in
l9lj. He sened as a rnissionar'f in
Africa fol several years, dedicating
n-ruch of his time to help transcribe
LLrther.S Snrall Catechisnt and The
Biblc into the Gbaya language. ln
1950, he and his rvife, Beryl
(i,r,hom he met and married in
Africa), rvorked with another
couple to establish a Bible school
for the training ol church leaders.
After his retirement in 1974, he
sewed as a r.isitation pastor at
Salem Lutheran Church in lowa.
Alice (Simonson) Solberg'29,
Rolette, N.Dak., died in lr4arch; she
95. For 44 years she taught
music at Perth, Wolford, and
Rolette public schools and taught
piano lessons [or 77 ye:rrs, reliring
on\, last year. She sen'ed as a
longtime church organist, choir
director, and Sunday School
teacher. She also sen,ed as a Cub
Scout, Bo1'Scout, Girl Scout, and
4-H leacler' she received the Silver
r'vas
Fa*'n arvarcl for her ,10+ years of
sen'ice to the Boy Scouts. She also
enjoyecl li'riting a ner,i's colurnn for
the T¿rrtie Motuúahr Star.for rnore
than 40 years.
I
Roald Ovren '37. Elk lr4ound,
Wis., cliecl in May 2000; he l'as
87. A retirecl fanner, he loved
music and sang solos at church,
rveddings, ancl funerals. He rvas
past president ol both the Northern
Lights Barbershoppers ancl Big Elk
Crtek Lutheran Church.
Mentor R. Larsen '49,
Bucl'nrs,
Ohio, died inJanuarl'; he rvas 78.
A veteran of \\\Wl, he r.vorked at
the Ylt4CA for 28 years in Red
Wing, Minn., and in La Crosse and
Mrdison. Wis., bcfore sen ing as
executlve director in Bucyrus for
13 1,s¿¡r. After his retirement from
the Y\4CA, he r'vorked for lB years
at D. Pickling and Co. He
volunteered his time on many
projects and boards, including the
Unitecl Way and the Crawford
County Society for Crippled
Children and Aclults.
Rodney
E.
Anfenson '51,
St. Cloud, lr4inn., died in April; he
r'r'as 71. Prior to retiring in 1993,
he was associate professor at
St. Cloucl State Universitl', rvhere
he taLrght kinesiolog¡; athletic
admir-listration, and racquetball. He
wrote two books. one on
râcquetball techniques and another
on the histoD¡ o[ the Rum River
Athletic Conlerence. ln 1990, he
rvas recognized lor his athletic
inducted into the SCSU Hall of
Fame;
Sidney B. Johnson, Cumberland,
in
1992 he rvas also
inducted into the Bemidji State
Universitl' Hall of Fame.
Sharon (Raivo) Remmen'61,
Los Gatos, Calif., died in December
rlter a trvo-1'ear battle rvith ovarialr
cancer; she rvas 6I. She lvas an
adoptior-r social worker, ancl was
deeply involved with the Christian
Women's Club, the Daughters of
Norwa)', and various other
organizations. She rvas a talentecl
artist, photographer, rvriter,
speaker, and musician ancl suflered
a case o[ rvanderlust; before settling
into the California Bal, A*u, tn.
llved in Hawaii and [ir.e other
states as u'ell as abroad in Eg1pt.
Spain, the Philìppines, and
Malaysia. Even as her disease
aclvanced, she contÌnued her
practice of reaching out to people
in the midst o[ suffering, sending
out l0 carcls and letters a day
Fritz Hadeler'80, Maplervood,
Mlnn., died in March of cancer; he
42. After receiving a bachelor's
degree in pharmacy from the
University of lr4lnnesota, he rvent
on to eern a rnasler's degree in
pharrnacy ancl an lvlBA in
nrarketing. He rvas I marketing
manager in the pharmaceutical
r'r'as
Wis., died in N4arch; he rvas 76. He
rvorked at Augsburg for 22 years,
lirst as a custociian and then as a
buildings and grounds employee.
He retired
in
1989.
Other deaths:
Hazel Willand '39, Minneapolis,
clied in February. She lr'as a retÌreci
teacher and editor.
The Rev. Alfred Weltzin'41,
Viroqua, Wis., died inJanuary
Valdemar Xavier'46, Alberr
Minn., died in April; he rvas
86. He uas a ret¡red education
administrator.
Lea,
Stanley G. Puelston'51,
Minnetonka, Minn., died in March,
he u'as 77. He rvas retired llom
Alexander 6¡ Alexander lnsurance
Company
Lloyd Huesers'52, Minot,
N.Dak., died ìnJanuaryr
Laton "Jack" C. Schwartz'52,
Minneapolis, died in March; he
u,as 72.
Alan Redman '68, Prineville,
Ore,
Daniel Reuss '77, St. Paul, died
in February 2000.
Eclitors note:
At
presstínte, we weïe
saddened to receive notice oJ the death
division of 3M until his cleath.
oJ Chuch
accon-rplishn-rents by beir-rg
Gabñelson'77;
see tlrc JaIl
issrre/or a contplete notice.
i
Send us your news
photos!
and
i.
Please tell us about the news
in
your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Dor-r't forget
yonr
Full name
Maiden name
Class year
or last year attended
Street address
life ,
to sencl photosl
Cìty
ls
zip
State
this a new address? n Yes Ll No
E-mail
Home telephone
F*ol ner'vs ol a death, rvritten notice
n
Okay to publish your e-mail
address
notice , or progran-r
fiom
a
memorial seLvice.
Sencl
Employer
Position
ls spouse also a graduate ol Augsburg College?
Work telephone
n
Yes
n No
lf yes, class
your ner.vs iten-Ls, photos, or
change of acldress b1' ¡.,^i1 to,
Augsbu'g Nor,r, Class Notes,
Augsburg Co11ege, CB 146,
22l l Riverside Ave ., Mrnneapolis,
MN, 55454, or e-mail to
Spouse name
Maiden name
Your news:
<alumni@ar-r gsburg. eclu>.
Summer
2OO1
i
l
is rec¡ttired, e.g. an obìtuar¡ fi-rneral
,4ucsnuRc
luow
31
Each year the graduating class nømes four honored faculty members (one from eøch division) ønd one outstanding
staff person. The following are excerpts from the remarhs of these honorees during CommencementWeehend.
**"/6*
a%tt-,
SOCIOLOGY AND METRO-URBAN STUDIES
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION
"i consider myself to be very lucky to be surrounded by many neat
students. They give me the opportunity to do what I love. Without
all of you, I would not be standing here today .. . Honestly, I think
this is the coolest thing that's ever happened to me."
"At the heart of all forms of Buddhism ì.s the concept and practice .
of 'mindfulness.'Among other things, mindfulness reminds us to
stop endlessly looking for greener grass somewhere e1se. Being
mindful reminds us of the incredible gifts that surround us in the
people and places that we so often take for granted."
ç/Ø*
COMPUTER SCIENCE AND HONORS PROGRAM
(Referring to a story he recounted of a woman who felt the
presence of Jesus standing with her during a difficult time....)
"One way to think about our time together would be... as you go
through various tests and trials (and you surely will), to think
back upon your Augsburg experience, and perhaps in a smal1 way
my experience with you, and to think of the question, 'How
would it be if we stood with you'?"
COMI\/IEI\CEVIEl\trT
/
32
,.4UCSSURC i¡OW
RELIGION
"something that's very important about Augsburg is the role that
tradition can play Tiadition does not have to be constricting or
enslaving; but, in fact, it can free. This is a conviction shared by
many here, and it's what makes Augsburg a fun place to be and a
great place to teach."
DIRECTOR OF THE ROCHESTER PROGRAM
"Beyond a wish for success and happiness, my hope for Augsburg
graduates is that they will be able to lead lives that are filled with
meaning-iives enriched by moments that draw equally on the
mind, the heart, and the spirit. I believe an appreciation of how
these elements of human experience interact to create meaning is
at the core of an Augsburg education."
Summer 200f
)
fhe Alumni and Parent Relations Office would like to enhance the Alumni Web site
I lwww.augsburg.edu/alumni). We want ro know which online services would be most useful to you.
When you return this survey, you are automatically entered in a drawing for a $50 gift certificate from the
College Bookstore if you fill out the contact information at the end. Returl the survey byJuly 20. You may
fill out this same suwey online at the alumni site, but please complete only one survey Thank you!
PLEASE ANSWER EACH OF THE FOLLOWING:
Class yearI am an Augsburg Alumna/us: O yes E no
How often clo you visit the Alumni Relations Web site:
D never visited D once a month fl less than once a month
E
male E female
Below is a list of online services we are considering. Please indicate how often you would use the
following services by circling a number in the column at right:
O=would not use 1=would use occasionally 2=would use frequently
Searchable Alumni Directory
Registered alumni have password-protected
access to a secured database of Augsburg
alumni names and addresses. Would allow
users to update their information online.
Message Boards Organized
Class Year
by Topic or
Class Notes Online
Post your updates on marriages, births, and
promotions online. View notes from other
alums. Class notes would continue to
appear in printed publications.
0
0
t
1
Moderated Chats with Faculty and Staff
Share opinions, debate, orjust talk with a
E-mail Addresses
Lifetime Web-based e-mail addresses (e.g.
yourname@augsburgalumni.net) that let
you check your mail from anywhere you
have Internet access.
2
lan Alumni Reception
Gay Hawthorne Jazz & Poetry Bash
hing of Edvard Grieg: Diaries, Articles,
i, a collection of Grieg's writings in
ianslation, by Dr. Bill Halverson'51
rwegian scholar Finn Benestad)
0
l
2
tdar and is subject to change; please see your
echure-due ín maílboxes later t'ltis summer.
0
l
2
0
1
2
0
I
2
0
I
2
Give your suggestions for online services:
OPTIONAL INFORMATION (required for entering drawing!)
Name
E-mail
Phone number
ìK/1K Run/Walk (for fun or charity)
ning Parade
2
featured speaker.
Career Center
Post résumés for other alums and approved
employers to review. Approved employers
may also post job listings.
lay, October 13
[he park
hing Football Game vs. Macalester
hing AlumniAwards Social & Dinner
¡nions of '1951, 1961,'1976, and 1991
Online Giving
Give to the college with a secured credit
card transaction or make a pledge.
¡sburg on Parade
(J
À,,
Each year the graduøting class nømt
staff person. The following are excer
/@
/
ø/t¿o¿ Qt1/ce
HEALTH AND
PH
"I consider myself to be very lucky to be su
students. They give me the opportunity to r
all of you, I would not be standing here toc
this is the coolest thing that's ever happene<
Lô
¡
cô
a$.
o Hb'E
ú " g
H:
r¡Sq¡Ln
m
(t) Èr (.)
b
S
L^
P"à2.
g.l=
v.Y'ã g=Ø
ro ä.¿ È
-¡ ('Ër
ãø Ð
O
Þ OE+-p^-E
t
COMPUTER SCIENCE
/Nå
U <U<N¿
ANf
(Referring to a story he recounted of a won
presence of Jesus standing with her during
"One way to think about our time togethet
through various tests and trials (and you st
back upon your Augsburg experience, and
my experience with you, and to think of th
would it be if we stood with you'?"
CON/IVIEI\CE
200
32
4UCSBUnC ruOw
/
"Beyond a wish for success and happiness, my hope for Augsburg
graduates is that they will be able to lead lives that are filled with
meaning-lives enriched by moments that draw equally on the
mind, the heart, and the spirit. I believe an appreciation of how
these elements of human experience interact to create meaning is
at the core of an Augsburg educatì.on."
Summer 2001
a
¡¡
I
o
o
Homecoming and Family Week 2001: Augsburg on Parade
October 8-13, 2OO1
Monclay, October
.
.
S
a
Saturday, October 13
B
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
An Evening with Dr. Maya Angelou
Parents Reception
Thursclay, October 11
.
Variety Show and Coronation
o
Friday, October 12
.
.
.
.
Homecoming Chapel Service
Alumni Band & lazzBand Reunion Concert
Hall of Fame Banquet
Auggie 5K/1K Run/Walk (for fun or charity)
Homecoming Parade
Picnic in the Park
Homecoming Football Game vs. Macalester
Homecoming Alumni Awards Social & Dinner
Class Reunions of 1951, 1961,'1976, and 1991
Pan Afrikan Alumni Reception
M. Anita Gay Hawthorne Jazz & Poetry Bash
Book signing of Edvard Grieg: Diaries, Articles,
Speeches, a collection of Grieg's writings in
English translation, by Dr. Bill Halverson'51
(with Norwegian scholar Finn Benestad)
preliminary calendar andis subject to change; please see your
Homecoming
eventbrochure-due in mailboxes later thís sutnmer
JulI
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COLLEGE
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Minneapolis, MN
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Augsburg Now Fall 2001
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¡a
/¡
Those last few lazy, hazy, crazy days
reparing ths lall issue brings home
the realiLy that summer is nearly
gone. Poet Elinor Wylie described thls
time of year as "summer, so much too
beautiful to stay"; and we also must
come to grips with the ephemerality of
lhe season, as hot and ...
Show more
¡a
/¡
Those last few lazy, hazy, crazy days
reparing ths lall issue brings home
the realiLy that summer is nearly
gone. Poet Elinor Wylie described thls
time of year as "summer, so much too
beautiful to stay"; and we also must
come to grips with the ephemerality of
lhe season, as hot and dry as this one
has been in Minneapolis.
Life is differenl on campus during
the summer. As most students and many
faculty depart for travel, research, work,
or vacatÌon, completely different
populations arrive to keep our residence
halls and buildings full.
In this issue, we look at life at
Augsburg during the summer, for a
couple of reasons. One is to illustrate
Augsburg's outreach to populations other
than our college-age students-junior
high and high school students, church
groups, educators, and other
þ
f
organizations. Photos from their campus
activities tell their stories.
PIus, many ol our own communit-y
who are not here these three months
miss the chance to see the campus at its
most beautiful, when flowers surround
the benches and the canopy of trees in
the quad offers a welcomed respite from
the ci.ty's heat.
After hearing a number of comments
on how especially beautifui the campus
looks this summer, we invited the
Augsburg community to wander around
with cameras and capture on film the
places or settings that were especially
appealing to them. See our feature called
"Home Sweet ... Campus."
Lest we bestow too much attentlon
on place, we are reminded on our
Auggie Thoughts page thal the real
future of this College is not in a splendid
campus, but in the "nurture of
distinctive attitudes toward truth and
life, toward God's good creation, and His
beloved human famÌ1y"
This was written by President
Emeritus Oscar A. Anderson tn a I976
column in which he eloquently discusses
the impact on Augsburg made by his
predecessor, Bernhard M. Christensen.
We reprint thls column as we mark
the t00th anniversary of the birth of
Christensen in October.
Enjoy the few remaining days of this
"too beautiful" season.
Ww
Betsey Norgard
Letters to
the editor
¡F ongratulations on your great innerL.ity involvemenl program, especially
on the Cedar-Riverside School and the
Tiinity Lutheran Church Wednesday Night
Out program. These are "textbook
examples" of the kinds of things that make
for real social change and lasting peace
and understanding in the world.
It was for the same reason that as an
Augsburg undergraduate my reaction to
the assassination of President Kennedy was
to start the Children's Groups program at
Augsburg. We went door to door in the
neighborhood signing up the children and
then met with them weekly in small
groups for crafts and games and social
interaction. I don't know how long the
program lasted after I left but I've kept up
my involvement with kids having taught
for 35 years (15 of them with gifted kids).
I'm also very involved in ecological causes,
supporl the Museum of Tolerance, and
have worked against the death penalty But
after reading the summer AugsburgNow,
I've never been so proud to be an alumna
of Augsburgl Carry on-the world needs
you. By the wa¡ what are you doing about
ecological issues?
Editor
-Cathenne
tr
(Wehner)
O sman'
65
Editor's note:
,s
We'll respond to Ms. Osman abour ecology
in our curriculum, but would also enjoy
hearing from alumni who are working
with ecology and environmental issues for
a future stor;r
s
o.
We welcome your letters!
Please
write to:
Editor
AugsburgNow
2211 Riverside Ave., CB 145
Minneapolis, MN 55+54
Many members of the Augsburg community, such as this in-line skate¿
take time out to enjoy summer's colors on the College câmpus. Turn to the
stor¡es on pages 1O and 12 to explore life at Augsburg during the summer.
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Fax: 612-330-1780
Phone: 612-330-llBI
Letters for publication must be signed and include
your name, class year, and da¡ime telephone number
They may be edited for length, clarity, and style.
I
AvcsBuRG Now
Vol.64 No. 1
Fall 2001
Features
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
22ll Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454.
Summer in the City ...
at Augsburg
Betsey Norgard
Editor
Kids and teachers, wrestlers, and musicians
Lynn Mena
1
spent their time on campus this summer.
Assistant Editor
Kathy Rumpza
Graphic Designer
llllilliam V. Frâme
President
Dan Jorgensen
Director of Public Relations and
Communication
2
Nancy Toedt'94
Director of Alumni and Parenr
Relations
Opinions expressed h Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
I
rssN l058-1545
6
E
E
ü
official CoÌlege policy
Postmaster: Send correspondence,
name changes, and address
Augsburg
C olle ge, øs
ffirmed
in its mission, does not
iliscriminøte on the basis of race,
color, creed, religion, national or
ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual
orientation, mdrital status, status
with regard to public assistance,
or disability in its education
p olicie s, admissions p olicies,
scholarship ønil loan programs,
athletic andlor school
ailminis tere il pro gr ams, e xcep t
ín those instances where reli$on
is a bona fiile occupational
qualiJication. Augsburg Colle ge
is committed to providing
reøsonable accommo ilations to
its employees and íts stuilents.
www.augsburg.edu
the Augsburg campus.
The Apartment: Campus
Living for Today's Students
by Judy Petree
Campus liJe is changing as colleges seeh to heep
students on campus with new independent,
ap ar tment- style re sidenc e halls.
corrections ro: Augsburg N ow,
Office of Public Relations and
Communication, 221 I Riverside
Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454.
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
TÞlephone: 612-330-1 181
Fax: 612-330-I780
Home Sweet ... Campus
Aphoto essay descnbes the sumnterbeauty on
1
9 trr" Legacy of Mayo Savold
Departments
2
Around the Quad
I
Sports
21
Alumni News
23
26
32
Homecoming Preview
inside
back
cover
Class Notes
Auggie Thoughts
Calendar
On the cover:
Ph o to gr aph
e
r
Er Lh
tenb ahh en
of
conversation on the Augsburg
quad. @2000
Stenb ahhen/
str:nbahhen.com
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste)
S
caught a quiet moment
t
a
I o
t ¡¡ I
Augsburg receives $500,000
from UlLM. Keck Foundation
A
a
O
The 2001
Christensen
Symposium
Augshurg College News Service
A;å::ä,1ä:.
a half
million-
dollar grant by the
WM
Keck
Foundation of Los
Angeles to support
the development of
statistical literacy
Prof'Miloschield
as an
interdisciplinary
curriculum in the liberal arts. This
interdiscipiinary project will help bridge
the gap between formal mathematical
statistics and informal critical thinking,
beiween experimental studies and
observational studies in the physical
sciences, and between the sociai sciences
and the humanities.
The goal of this project is to reform
the teachÌng of statistics to include the use
of observationaliy based statistics. Milo
Schield, business administration professor,
is the project leader and organizer of the
proposal.
This is the first time the WM. Keck
Foundation, one of the top national
science funding foundations, has awarded
a grant to Augsburg College.
John Knight, director of corporate and
foundation relations, calls this "groundbreaking" for the College. Guided and
driven by Augsburg 2004, Augsburg has the
opportunity to forward its vision through
this project, create a new dlscipline that
informs and is informed by orher academic
disciplines, and extend the value of this
work to instructors across the U.S.
During the three-year project, Schield
will be responsible for writing a statistical
iiteracy text that is useful to students and
usable by faculty in various disciplines.
There will also be a phase for training
teachers and testing materials. Elght other
faculty members will be team-teaching
wirh schield.
This project will introduce new ways
of thinking about age-old problems in
statistical education and ultimately in al1
ol undergraduate education,
Augsburg Concert Band tours lreland
StalJ photo
fhe 65-member Augsburg
I Con..tt Band toured ]reland
for 12 days in May, perlorming
aL
schools, churches, and pubs. Led
by Professor Robert Stacke'71,
the tour also included
performances by the Augsburg
JazzEnsemble and Gospel Praise.
The tour wasn't all
performances. "We really tried to
build the students not just in
performance, but educationally as
well," Stacke said. Guided
The Augsburg Concert Band performs at Colaiste
informational tours in Derry
Muire School, a secondary school for girls in Ennis,
Dublin, and Calway were just a
Augsburg student band members Brendan
few of the stops along the way
Anderson and Ben Duane were also played
This tour, "Music of the Americas,"
For photos of the Augsburg Concert
featured works by composers throughout
Band in lreland, r,rsit <www.augsburg.edu/
the Americas (including ArgentÌna, Mexico,
music/lreland>.
Cuba, and the U.S.). Compositions by
September 23-24,2001
"Global and Local Neighbors:
Christian Faith across Cultures"
o
o
T:i,13,:i,."
à
Symposium features
a leading scholar of
!
;l
Õ
U
world Chrlstianit¡
Dr. Lamin Sanneh,
the D. WillisJames .
Dr. Lamin Sanneh
Professor of
Missions and World
Christianity at Yale University
A naturalized U.S. citizen, he was
educated on four continents. He has been
actively involved in Yale's Council on
African Studies and is an editor-at-large of
the ecumenical weekl¡ The Christian
Century. His work includes more than
100 articles on religious and historical
subjects, and several books.
This year's Christensen Symposium
features a musical worship celebration on
Sunday, Sept. 23, with choirs from global
cultural traditions. Dr. Sanneh will
present the homily FollowÌng this service,
conversations about global Christianity
will continue in smaller groups.
Sunda¡ September,
23-
"Celebrating Christianity in Global Cultures"
3:30 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
Musical worshlp celebration with
choirs stemming from Liberia, lndia,
Oromia, Latin America, the Hmong
tradition, and the Agora Ministries
Choir. Homily by Dr. Lamin Sanneh.
5 p.m.-Foss Center
Group conversations, "Getting to Know
Our Neighbors: A New World to
Explore." Join discussion with
Christians from different parts of the
world.
6 p.m.-East Commons, Christensen Center
Light supper-RS\? to
Monda¡ September
6
l2-330-1 160.
24-
"Race, Culture, and Chrìstian Mission"
10 a.m., Convocation-Hoversten Chapel,
Foss Center
2
,+UGSBURG NoW
Fall 2001
.1
I
The Maroon & Silver Society leads the way
Aîi*tï.ffiïTffiiî:;::T'
In appreciation for their
leadership opponunity for Augsburg
alumni and friends to help current
students. Maroon 6¡ Silver Society donors
pledge to sponsor an Augsburg
scholarship for four years, with gifts
ranging from $1,000 to more than
$10,000 per yeat.
Augsburg College has steadfastly
maintained its commitment to keeping an
Augsburg education affordable for the
broadest range of diverse and talented
students. Toda¡ 81 percent of Augsburg
students receive some form of financial
assistance, made possible in part by the
generosity,
generous financial commitment of
Maroon 6¡ Silver Society members.
"The Maroon 6¡ Silver Society is the
College's highest fundraising priority,
needed to create a solid foundation of
annual financial suppoft essential to
attracting and retaining outstandi.ng
meet students
benefiting from
students," explains Donna Mclean,
director of The Augsburg Fund, the
College's annual fund. "Charter members
of the Maroon & Silver Society encourage
others to join them Ìn building the 'living
endowment' provided by an annual
Augsburg continues to provide students
with an academic and spiritual
foundation that not oniy prepares them
for their life's work, but also to lead as
thoughtful citizens," say Maroon 6¡ Silver
Society members Philip '79 and Julia
(Davis) '79 Styrlund. "We are committed
fund."
Maroon 6¡ Silver
Society members
will be invited to
special Maroon 6q
Silver events and
receive special
updates from the
president on the
College's
progress.
Members will
also have the
opportunity to
their support at
an annual event.
"As alums,
we are proud to
watch
President and Mrs. Frame hosted the Maroon & Silver Society
inaugural event in June at Augsburg House. (L to R) Mert Johnson
'59, JoAn Johnson, President Frame, Anne Frame, Normâ Hall, and
John Paulson.
as
to doing our part to insure that today's
dynamic and talented students have the
same opportunity we had to obtain an
outstanding education at Augsburg."
For information, call Donna Mclean,
director of The Augsburg Fund, at 612330-1179 or I-800-273-0617; or send
e-mail to <mclean@augsburg.edu>.
YFI hosts church leaders
F\r. Martrn Martv
lJ*u, one of the
o
o
s.
Þ
r^
featured speakers at
the Youth and
Family Institute's
fourth annual
Augsburg and the StepUP program volunteer advisory board
will recognize Tad and Cindy Piper for their leadership gift
toward an endowed position in the StepUP program at a
special event on Oct. 26, at7 p.m. in Hoversten Chapel. Earl
Hightower, noted authority on addiction intervention and
international
ecumenical
conference this
summer, which
brought 155 people
treatment coordination, will be the keynote speaker.
Augsburg's StepUP program is one of only three such
programs in the country and unique in several aspects. lt
assists Augsburg students in recovery from alcohol and drug
addiction in achieving academic success.
For ticket information, call Kara Malmgren after Sept. 1
612-330-1405.
from nine major
denominations,
representing six
countries.
at
The Rev. Martin Marty
Fall 200f
,4ucssunc
ñrow
3
Around the Quad
The 2001 -O2 Augsburg Convocation Series
Race: Dividing and Uniting
f
he lace and shapc ol American society
I is radically ehanging. While racinl
issues have and still do drvrde us and
deserve serious attention, we look for
ways to embrace racial diversity in one
socì.ety and internationally that champion
freedom, justice, compasslon, and
Monday, October 22, 200'l
"Counting incidents or Telling Tiagedies?
Writing the History of Worklng Class Race
Relations"
10 a.m., ConvocatÌon-Hoversten Chapel,
Foss Center
equality of opportunity.
November 15*16,2001
THE 2OO1 CHRISTENSEN SYMPOSIUM
"The Influence of Afro-American Culture
on American Music"
September 23-24,2001
"Global and Local Neighbors: ChrÌstian
Faith across Cultures"
Sunday, September,23
3:30 p.m., Musical worship, Hoversten
Thursda¡ November 15
7 p.*., AugsburgJazz Ensemble Concert
Frida¡ November
16
10 a.m., Convocation-Hoversten Chapel,
Chapel, Foss Center-"Celebrating
Foss Center
Christianity in Global Cultures"
Dr. William C. Banfield, Endowed Chair in
Humanities and Fine Arls, associate
professor of music, and director of the
American Cultural Studies Program at the
UniversÍty of St. Thomas. He will use the
Jazz Ensemble to illustrate the role of
Black music in shaping American identity.
5 p.m., Group conversations, Foss
Center-"Getring to Know Our
Neighbors: A New World to Explore"
6 p.-., Light supper, East Commons,
Christensen Center
Monday, September 24
10 a.m., Convocation, Hoversten Chapel,
Foss Center-"Race, Culture, and
Christian Missìon"
Dr. Lamin Sanneh, D. WlllisJames
Professor of Missions and World
Christianity and professor of hÌstory, Yale
University, with choirs represenLing
cultural groups from around the world.
Monday, October 8, 2001
"An Evening with Maya Angelou"
7:30 p.m.-Melby Cymnasium
Dr. Maya Angelou, award-winning poet,
educator, historian, actress, p1a1'wright,
civil rights activist, producer, and
director.
General admission tickets are available
Sept. 15 from TicketWorks at
<wwwticketworks.com> or 6L2-3433390. Free admission for Augsburg
students, faculty, and staff.
4
1+UGSBURG NOW
Monday, January 21, 20Oz
"HealÌng the Violence of Racism"
Chapel, Foss Center
Nontombi Naomi Tutu is program
coordinator, Race Relations Institute at
Fisk Unlversit¡ and instrucior in the
School of Education, University of
Connecticut-Storrs, and is the third
daughter of Archbishop Desmond Tìrtu
Wednesday, February 27, 2002
"The Changing Face of Minnesota and the
Twin Cities: The Contribution and
Consequences of RaceÆthnicity from the
Census 2000"
l0
Cultural Quest"
1 1: 15 a.m., MinÌ-convocation-Hoversten
Chapel, Foss Center
Theater Mu, the premier Asian American
theatre company in the Miclwest, will
present taího, the ancient Japanese
expression ol communal unÌt¡ and a
theatre piece explorÌng issues of Asian and
Asian American identity.
THE 2OO2 BATALDEN SEMINAR IN
APPLIED ETHICS
April4-5,2002
"Affirmative Action: Rethinking the
Martin Luther King, Jr., Convocation:
I p.m.,-Hoversten
Tuesday, March 19, 2002
"Theater Mu: Drumming, Ritual, and
a.m., Convocation-Hoversten Chapel,
Foss Center
Claims olJustice"
Thursda¡ April4
"Affirmative Action: Solution or Problem?"
7
p.^., Public lecture-Hoversten
Chapel,
Foss Center
Friday,
April5
'Justice over Time: The Fathers Have
Eaten Sweet Grapes and Their Children's
Teeth Are Set on Edge"
10 a.m., Convocation-Hoversten Chapel,
Foss Center
ll
a.m., Panel discussion
Dr. Darryl Trimiew, dean of Black church
studies andJohn Price Crozer Professor of
Christian Social Ethics, Colgate Rochester
Divinity SchooV Crozer Theological
Seminary He will examine the changing
attitude toward affirmative action and why
justìce is best understood as an ongoing
process over
time.
I
Unless otherwise noted, all events are Jree
and open to the public.
F or
inf orntation, c all
6 1 2 -3 3 0 - 1 1
80.
l1
a.m., Panel discussion
Dr. Tom Giliaspy, Minnesota stâte
demographer
Fall 2OOf
I
Masterworks Chorale sings Martin Lutherthe opera
by Maria rhompson
and have worked with him. Plus, the opera
needs a good-size chorus."
Staglng the U.S. prerniere of Luther at
Central Lutheran Church is no accident.
The production was designed with Central
specifically in mind. "I have visited Central
many times while participating in past
Reformation Festivals," said Tikka. "The
congregational singing was tremendous. I
had never heard anything like it! From
1996 on I had visions of creating
something for Central. Lutlrcr ishighly
inspirecl by this wonderful church which is
at irs best when crowded with spirit-filled
1J*rongtlt to put the two together. But
spend a few minutes with Karì Tikka or
Gracia Grindal and you'll think differently.
Their passion for the Luther production lets
you know that this is something
extraordinary. lt highlights the remarkable
story of Martin Luther, his struggles, loves,
and all-out battles with Satan. The U.S.,
Englishlanguage premiere, wili be at
Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis,
Ocl25-27.
Kari Tikka, a conductor with the
Finnish National Opera, composed,
condr¡cts, and co-wrote the libretto for
Luther. Gracia Grindal '65, professor of
rhetoric at Luther Seminary, serves as the
.translator and artistic director for the U.S.
premiere. Composed originally in Finnish,
the production prerniered in Helsinki,
Finland, to sold-out performances and
excellent reviews in December 2000.
The six Finnish National Opera
prÌncipals lrom this production will
perform in Minneapolis, joined by
Augsburg's Masterworks Chorale and a
26-piece orchestra. For Masterworks,
Augsburg's choÌr of alumni, students, and
cclnrnrunrty lriends. Lhis is a rare
opportunity. "The connection with Gracia
and our Lutheran heritage makes this a
perfectly natural ht," says Peter
Hendrickson '76, director of Augsburg
choral activrties, "and I l<now Kari Tikka
Fall 2001
<www.luthersem. edu/Luther>.
Mana Thompson is director
oJ
I
cotnmunication
at Luther Seminary.
voices."
¡F\pera. Luther. You may have never
Luther Seminary's 2001 Reformation
Festival. It is presented by Luther
Seminary, Central Lutheran Church,
Augsburg College, the Finnish National
Opera, and Lutheran Brotherhood.
Tickets can be ordered through
TicketWorks-$ 12.50 for general
admission, and $10 for students and
seniors. Visit <www.tlcketworks.com> or
call 612-343 -3390. For additional
inlormation on Luf he r, visit
Tikka had been thinking about a
production on Martin Luther for quite
some time and is convinced that Luther
has a lot to say to those of us in the 2lst
century. "This theme-Luther-has been in
my mind for more than 20 years," he said.
"Luther's theology has been vitally
important to me. Salvation is 100 percent
God's gift. Faith, too, is a gift. After reading
much of Luther 7 realized I had gone
through similar tnals and tribulations. I
wrote thÌs opera so that many would hear,
see, and understand that God in his son
Jesus has gone through all of our battles
and won for us llberty."
Unlike most operas, the audience is
encouraged to sing along in Luther.
Between scenes the audiences sing
several of Luther's hymns.
Congregational choirs will be "planted"
throughout the sanctuary to lead the
singing.
Although Luther's theology and
life story have been in print for
nearly 400 hundred years, this is a
first in the form of an opera.
"Opera is a wonderlul way to tell
stories," said Tj.kka. "It's not only
music. It's also theater. It's visuallÌghts, costumes, sets-and it's llve.
Opera can touch the mind and
soul in ways that words alone
cannot. At its best, opera can be
psychoanalysis or pastoral care."
Luther is the centerpiece of
!
c
Martin and Katie Luther are portrayed by Finnish
National Opera singers in the production to be staged
at Central Lutheran Church in October,
,4ucsnunc
ruow
5
Women of action to speak at Augsburg
AUGSBURG COLLEGE WELCOMES
four dynamic women to camplls ¡his fall:
Sarah Weddington, the attorney who
snccessfully argued Roe y. Wade before the
U.S. Supreme Court; Dr. Maya Angelou,
accLaimed author, poet, actor, and activist;
Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a psychosexual
therapist; and Judy Shepard, mother of
hate crime victim Matthew Shepard.
Built around issues of diversity, the
"Women in Action" speaker series is
sponsored by the Augsburg Student
Activities Councrl (ASAC), with support
"WOMEN IN ACTION"
For times and location, see the calendar on the inside back cover
Tuesda¡ September
l8
Sarah Weddington
"Some Leaders are Born Women"
I
from other campus departments and
Monda¡ October
Anthony Shane Florìst. The four women
bring messages of strength and action to
their presentations-Maya Angelou's
Dr. Maya Angelou
"An Evening with Maya Angelou"
Ticket info: www.ticketworks.com or 612-343-339O
creative gifts and experience, Judy
Shepard's message of tolerance, Sarah
Weddington's articulation of leadership
roles for women, and Dr. Ruth's humorous
treatment ol contemporary issues.
The events are free and open to the
public, with the exception of Angelou's
presentation. Tickets for "An Evening with
Maya Angelou" are available through
TicketWorks, 612-343 -3390 or
<www. ticketworks.com>.
o
o
Tuesda¡ November 6
Dr. Ruth Westheimer
"Sexually Speaking with Dr. Ruth"
Thursday, December 6
Judy Shepard
"The Legacy of Matthew Shepard"
Social Work
ñ
students visit
Slovenia
I
,c
Six Augsburg graduate and
undergraduate social work students
spent two weeks in Slovenia with
Professor Laura Boisen studying family
and child welfare services as compared to
those in the U,S. Next summer Slovenian
students will come to Augsburg as part
of the ongoing partnership with the
University of tjubljana.
Pictured in the dining room of Prof. Gabi
Cacinovic Vogrincic are: (back row, L to R)
Prof. Lea Bohinc, University of Ljubljana;
Prof, Laura Boisen; Erika Rosted; Tanja
Medvesek; Charley Price; Nin Sadovsky,
Simona Hrvatin; (front row, L to R) Kristy
Bleichner; Lyra Peterson; Prof, Vogrincic;
Tina Mihic; Dragana Kojic; Robin Hesser,'
(kneeling) Rachel Olson; V¡oleta Potocnik.
6
,+UGSBURG NoW
Fall 2001
-
A conversation with Maya Angelou
by Thomas B, Howard, tr,,'O2
RECENTLY HAD A CHANCE
to speak with Dr. Maya Angelou
in anlicipation ol her visil Lo
Augsburg. Excerpts lrom that
conversation follow.
TH: My first question ... what do you
leel is one o[ the most important issues
facing today's college student?
MA: There is a full length of issues and it
is hard to say which is most important. I
think we are in a kind ol moral crisis in
our countr)¿ Young men and women have
had a scarcity ol people to pattern after;
that is, role rnodels are few and far
between when 1t comes to morality I will
probably speak at length about heroes and
sheroes because I think people live in
direct relation to whom they have access.
And, I'm sorry to say, a number of young
people have chosen as their rnentors and
role models mega stars-a lot of people
who are featured in the tablords and on
the silver screen and so for¡h. Quite often
those are people who wouldn't give a fig if
those young people lived or died.
So, my encouragement is to look in
the family, look in the church, look in the
synagogue, in the temple; look around the
school, Iook in history for people who had
enough courage to live lives that mean
something ... [a lifel that 1s uplifting and
encouraging and healing. I think that that
'is one of the crises.
TH: Many students go to school
thinking "I am going to school so I can
get a job," not "I'm going to school to
learn a vocation." What are your
thoughts on vocation versus just getting
a job, and how have you defined your
vocation?
The young
man or woman
a
who follows her
passion or follows
his heart is more
likely to succeed
than the person
who follows the
paycheck. If you
find something
you love to do
and you stay in
school and you get the training in how to
do it, then it is likely you will succeed,
and in every way That is following the
passion. Reall¡ it is likely you will do well
financially and in other tangible ways il
you follow your heart and your passion.
That is when vocation really is your
calling-it is more than a 1ob.
fauna. So arnong human beings there is
diversity among looks and personality
and attitudes. It is wonderful to have
those, we are enrichecl. We are made to
see ourselves and others, rnade to see
ne\M things. To hear new ways of
describing the sunrise makes you see
the sunrise with a dilferent value.
We should have it in our lives and
understand that the tapestry of iife is
made up of many colors and threads.
No color is rnore valuable than the
other or less. No thread more precious
or less than the other. They all make up
the tapestry of life.
TH: Diversity has become al¡uzz t-errn
lately and in some ways may become a
cliché. How do you define diversity and
MA: My encouragement would be to
give out a song-a spirirual, which is
There is a BaIm in Gilead. It's wonderful.
(Singinþ There is abalm tn Gilead, to heal
s
s
what role does it play in a human being
becoming more tolerant?
MA: Just the use of the word has reduced
what it originally meant, much like love,
I'm sorry to say Love is the most powerful
condition on the planet and maybe in the
universe. I love those socks. I love that
sitcom. It is sad that diversity has fallen
prey l-o that as wel1.
The truth is, it is in diverslty that we
enrich our lives. That is true in one family,
it's true in a house. Il we had a house that
had one color, the interior one color, and
no rellef 1n sight, it would just run us
rnad. If we ate the same meals at breakfast,
dinner, and supper-I knoq I seem to be
reducing the large meaning to something
that is meaning less, but i am afraid it is
TH: What guidance would you offer
college-age students who are fearful
of change and yet have the desire to
help others and to make a difference?
the sin sich soul. There is a balm tn Gtlead,
to make the wounded whole, to mahe the
wounded whole. If vou cannot preachlihe
Jesus, and cannot singlihe Paul, you can
tell the world of Jesus and say he díed t'or
all. There is abalm ín Gilead.
I did not thrnk of the verse as
much as I thought ol the refrain-there
is a balm, the idea is in their coming to
a place where they can find the ba1m,
which can heal not only their sÌtuation,
but prepare them to heal the world. I
-Thomas
Howard'02 is a senior in
social worh and is the major events chair
the Augsburg Stu(lent Activities
Council, co-commissioner o.f Queer and
Straight in Unity, and a McNair Scholar.
for
not meaningless.
MA: I have many I am happy to say I am
writer, that's how I deline myselI, br-lt on
the other hand I am a teacher. I used to
think I was a writer who could teach, but
over the last few years I think I am a
teacher who writes. I do love to teach.
Fall 2001
a
We physÌcally and intellectually and
spintually need diversity. God has
For the complete interview, visit the Now
Ortline at <www augsburg. edu/now>.
provided us with the diversity of the
seasons and the diversity of flora and
,4ucs¡uRc
rr¡ow
7
Swenson earns top coach
honors, named to new
athlgtic position
byDon stoner
ïen to earn
Athletic Hall of
Fame honors
by Don Stoner
Chafles
fl
ugsburg College wrestling
AÏ3':ïif,".'J.i:i.l'iläî::ff ;:,,
Ar
r coach
,,,r, r-rr. Swenson has
Flheacl
Jell
the annual Athletic Hall of Fame banquet.
Ten former Auggre student-athletes will be
inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame:
received both honors and a new
job this summer.
InJuly, Swenson, who has
coached the Auggie wrestling team
.
.
.
.
.
to seven NCAA Division III
national championships in the last
11 seasons, was named Lutheran
College Coach of the Year by the
Lutheran Brotherhood financial
services firm.
"While there are
a
lot of
Lutheran
rr
colleges' lew nave Deen aDle^to
matchJeff's team tradition of
winning champlonships while
Augsburg wrestling head coach Jeff Swenson (center)
watches the action, along with assistant coaches John
Pena, Dan Lewandowski (to swenson's left), and Scott
whiriey (to Swenson,s right) during the MtAc Team
Duals at Augsburg in February.
successful coaches at
maintaining academic success," said
Swenson was inducted into the Augsburg
David Angstadt, Lutheran Brotherhood's
cnrel marKetrng olïlcer, ln presentlng
-, --- - o tne
'
nonor to t*tttlt
^ ,, nameq
ln /î'ugust, tne LoLlege
5wenson to a newly-crealecl posrtron ol"
lnre'm asslsranr oean 1or arnle*cs ano
recreatron. In [nls posil"ron, >wenson will
.
super\nse tne mens ano womens atnletrc
departments, along with the athletic
.,1
.
,
lacrlrtres deparlmen[. He wlll retarn nrs
wresttlng nead-coacnrng responsrDrlrtres,
but wil give up responsibirities as assistan,
athletic direcLor and College
-o-strength
o and
conclltlonlng coacn
A,1979 Augsburg graduate, Swenson
was nameo wresllrng neact coacn rn 19öu,
and has coached at Augsburg lor 19
seasons (1980-84, l986-present). He
received his master's degree in health from
the university of Minnesota in 1982.
Collese AthLetic HalL ol Fame in 1999.
During his coaching tenure, Augsburg
has earned an NCAA-recorcl seven Division
national championships, and has
finished in the top lour in Lhe naLion 16
times. includins the last l3 seasons in a
row Aussburs has won the Minnesola
TII
Intercollegiate Athletic conference
wrestlinq title l8 times under Swenson, has
linished in the toD lour in the NCAA
Division iII national tournament in each of
the last I 3 seasons, and finished in the top
20 nationally every year since 1971. He
has earned National wrestiing coaches
.
.
.
.
.
Dick Bain'80 (men's hockey)
Jeff Blixt '77 (wrestling)
Greg Boone '81 (men's basketball)
John Fahlberg'68 (football, baseball)
Julie (Goldstein) Yeazle'83 (women's
basketball, softball)
Ronnie Henderson'Bl (men's basketball)
Wllliam Lundgren'73 (men's hockey,
footbali)
Phil Olson '76 (men's soccer)
Carolyn Ross '89 (women's track
and field)
Karen (Sterner) Engel'87 (women's
track and field)
The Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame
was established in 1973 to recognize male
athletes who made special contributions to
the Coliege's athletlc history In 1989,
female athletes were first inducted into the
hall. Recipients are chosen each year on the
basis of performance in Augsburg athletics,
service to the school, civic and professional
achievements, and leadership.
a
s.
Association (NWCA) Division lll National
coach of the Year honors five times (1983'
I
1991' 1995' 1998' and 2000)'
-Don
stoner is sports ínformation coordinator
Dedication of Edor Nelson Field o Sat., Sept. 22, at 1 p.m. r Augsburg v5. St. John's University
Pre-game brunch and program, 10 a.m., Christensen Center
For information, call Norm Okerctrom, 612-330-1616
8
4UGSBURG NoW
.
Dedication during game halftime
,',
Edor Nelson '39 in a baseball
coaching photo from the 1950s.
Fall 2001
Top student-athletes earn awards
I n May, live Auggies earned Honor Athlctc
I clcsignation, the highest honor the
pnrt ol three Division liI
national title tearns. A
College gives its senior student-athletes.
ln addition, Augsburg Leadership in
Women's Athletics awards were awarded to
seniors Brenda Selander and Cassi Van
Ausdall, and earning Augsburg Male
Athlete o[ the Year honors were Ben Bauer
management
ancl Ryan Mclntosh.
Athletic awards are voted on by
coaches in Augsburg's men's and women's
information systems
major with a 3.0 GPA,
Lewandowski earned
National Wrestling
Coaches Association
Scholar All-America honors twice, and was
team co-captain his junior and senior
seasons.
athletic departments.
2000-01 Augsburg Honor Athletes
Todd Boerboom-
vol1eybal1 and women's
hockey, Rieger earned
A11-MIAC honors twlce
A four-year starter
and Lutheran
1n
football, Boerboom was
a team co-captain his
senior year. A
marketing and
management double
major with a 3.652
grade-point-average, Boerboorn earned
MIAC Academic All-Conference honors
three times, and Verlzon Academic Al1District honors twice.
Jaime
Kingsley-
A team leader in
women's basketball and
cross country, KÌngsley
was a team co-captain
rn both sports her
senior year. In cross
country, she was the
team's consistent No. 4 runner, as well as a
rnember of the track and fieid team for two
years. ln basketball, Kingsley earned AllMIAC first-team honors. An Augsburg
President's Scholar and biology (pre-med)
major with a 3.8 GPA, Kingsley earned
MIAC Academic All-Conference Honor
Roll honors three times. She was a Verizon
Academlc All-District first-team selectÌon in
basketball this season.
Nik Lewandowski earned four AllAmerica honors and four MIAC individual
championshrps, a feat just three other
Auggies have ever accomplished. He was a
Fall 2001
Angie Rieger-An AllMIAC selection in both
Brotherhood Lutheran
College All-Amerlca
mention
honors her senior year.
honorable
hocke¡
Rieger holds every
In women's
single-season ancl career scoring record. She
earned All-Amerlca honors three times and
National Player ol the Year finalist honors
twÌce, in addition to being named MIAC
Player of the Year herjunior and senior
years. An international business major with
a 3.8 GPA, RÌeger earned MIAC Academic
All-Conference Honor Roll honors three
times in both volieyball and hockey, and
became the first Augsburg student-athlete to
earn Verizon Academic All-District firstteam honors in two sports in a single school
year, in volleyball and falVwinter at-large
(hockey) Ìn 1999-00.
byDonstoner
2000-01 Augsburg Leadership in
Women's Athlet¡cs Award Winners
Brenda Selander-Augsbtirg's only threesport âthlele (women's soccer, hocke¡ and
softball), Selander was the team's leading
scorer three seasons in women's soccer,
earning AII-MIAC first-team honors her
senior season. She was a lorward for
Augsburg's wornen's hockey team and a
two-year starting centerfielder for the
softball team. A health and physical
eclucatlon major with a 3.3 GPA, Selander
served as a student-athlete mentor.
Cassi Van Ausdall-A four-year starting
outside hitter for the vo11eyball team, Van
Ausdall earned All-MfAC second-team and
Lutheran Brotherhood Lutheran College AllArnerica second tearn honors her senior
season. A history major wrth a 3.8 GPA, Van
Ausdall earned Verizon Academic All-District
second-team honors in volleybail her senior
year, in addition to MIAC Academic AllConference Honor Roll honors three times.
She is active in Augsburg's FellowshÌp of
Christian Athletes chapter.
2000-01 Augsburg Male Athletes
of
the Year
Ben Bauer-Bauer excelled in both
wrestling and track and field at Augsburg. ln
wrestling, he won a second Division III
national title this year, finlshlng 36-3, and
MIAC individual tLtles at hear,yweight three
tlmes in his career. In track and field, Bauer
Mike Schwalen-
competed in three drfferent weight
A four-year starting
disciplines-shot put, drscus, ancl weight
throw He is an elementary education major.
infielder for Augsburg's
baseball team, Schwalen
earned AII-MIAC
honors in 1999. A
business administration
major with a3.7 grade-
point average, Schwalen has earned MIAC
Academic All-Conference Honor Roll
honors tl-iree times, as well as earning
Dean's List honors each semester. He has
earned Verizon Academic All-DistricL
honors his last two seasons, inclr-rding firstteam honors this year.
Ryan Mclntosh-A four-time AII-MIAC
first-team selection in men's hockey, he
earned All-America honors his fi"eshman
year; he was MIAC Player of the Week fÌve
times and U.S. College Hockey Onllne
National Player of the Week twice. He
made his prolessional debut in April wÌth
the Quad Clty Mallards of the Unired
Hockey League bclorc retulning to
Augsburg to finlsh his biology studies. I
,4ucssunc
Now
9
most stuclents and many
faculty are
^way
for the
surnmer, the Augsburg
campus is far frorn quiet. Many younger students
spend time here-learning how to build Lego
robots, how to wrestle, studying the life of
Monarch butterflies, and playing 1oß of music. A
number of conferences also take place that bring
GEMS (Girls
church groups, international church leaders, and
advanced placement teachers to campus. Here are
some snapshots from summer 2001:
SuUMER
in
Engineering, Mathematics,
and Science)-Augsburg's summer portion
of a Minneapolis Public Schools program
that brings 100 young girls, grades 4-12, to
campus to explore problem-solving projects,
opportunities to present their work, and
ongoing mentoring.
II\ THE CtrY...
AT AIJGSBI]RG
E'
.;t
WRESTLING CAMP-800 elementary through
high school wrestlers attended two week-long
clinics, taught by world and Olympic champion
wrestler John 5mith.
<::
:
ADVANCED PLACEMENT INSTITUTE-Over 100 high school,
middle school, and junior high teachers spent a week honing
their skills in teaching advanced placement courses.
=
'õ
I:-.,:
il
LUTHERAN SUMMER MUSIC CAMP-160 high
school students from across the U.S. spent four
weeks in a musical and spiritual community,
taught by more than 60 faculty and staff.
GET READY!-A week-long camp for 4th-6th graders
from families with little college background. to learn
computer-driven Lego robotics projects, hosted by
Augsburg's library and information technology
department.
SunnuER IN THE CITY...
=:iil:i:l
!
I
I
g
7
,
F
)'
ti
II
i i:::-=-:
j- ¡lú¡!a
ÞÉ!
¡fo
ugsburg College's 23-ocre compus is bordered by on interstote highwoy on one
fuA
ff
äside, ond o mojor city ovenue on the other. This enclosure, combined with the
presence of Murphy Squore, Minneopolis's oldest pork, gives the compus q smolhown
feel, despite ils urbon oddress. Collecied here ore imoges of Augsburg in the summer,
when the compus's beouty provides q colorful bockdrop for reflection qnd relqxotion.
Ë
o
o
h
s.
hs'
N
Mihe Habennantt
ew benches ond flowers provide o respite ond ploce for
reflection (quite literolly) on lhe new Poutz Plozo in front
of Melby Holl (below)
o
o
Fall 2001
6'
ts
o.
"1) O Elements," o sculpture by Henry Londe, wos o gift to the
LColl"g" from Honeywell, lnc. lt wos dedicoted in memory of
'-:+è;'>=--
Ronold K. Speed, vice president for public offoirs ot Honeywell
ond o regent ot Augsburg.
:
w)
Pcntl
Tallq
Êi
m
TTIR{G
D ll.t
H
o
N
kH
t
rom miles oround, the Augsburg logo is now visible on
F the top of Mortensen Holl, thonks to the generosity of
the Lelond Sundet fomily, the Closs of I 999, ond Chuck
Gobrielson'ZZ (deceosed).
l:ãltl¡rdr]
,4ucssunc
Now t5
THE APARTME
CAh4PLJS LTVI
FOR TODAY'S STI]DET\
S
by Judy
n
fl
o
s.
New Hall, which opened in 1999, establíshes
the western edge of Augsburg's campus and
is designed to complement the surrounding
neighborhood.
:
[-t emember what dorm room living was like 10, 20, 30 years
]</ ago-small, cramped rooms that you shared with a roommate
I\tJr two!), setting your alarm cloci< an hour earlier than everyone
eìse on the floor so you didn't have to wait in line to use the shower,
and eating every meal in the school cafeteria? While you still may see
the last remains of the old dorm room style of living, it is more likely
you will see a ne\M style of residence life on college campuses. Like the
legendary phoenix, student housing is risìng fresh and young from the
ashes of its former seif. Resident living on college campuses is evolving
to meet the changing life styles ol today's students, and Augsburg
College is at the cLrtting edge of this rebìrth.
The idea to build a new type ol housing at Augsburg in order to
:
:,
-
.ji
i:1il
drj'l'
r1l!i
iji
arrracr and retain students actually began back in I972-73 with the
construction of Mortensen Hall. Students were involved from the
planning stage on and said they did not want dormitory rooms. Rather,
they wanted apartment-style living, where they couÌd be more
independent. The building, a l5-story high rise, has 13 residential
floors, each with four one-bedroom and four two-bedroom
apartments-a total of 104 apartments housing 312 students.
Kari (Eklund) Logan, a 1982 graduate, said that one of ihe reasons
she chose to attend Augsburg was in part because of Mortensen.
"There were no other prìvâte colleges at that time with on-campus
apartments," Logan said.
In 1993, Augsburg went a step further i,vith the construction of
Anderson Hall, which contains one-person suites; four-person
apartments; eight-person, two-story townhouses, and l5-person
lloorhouses, which allow students in various interest groups or
academic majors to live together.
16
,4ucssuRcNow
Fall 2001
Norv, Augsbrtrg has gone )'er anorher
step i,vith the operring rwo )/ears ago of
Ner'r,Hall (not ¡'et nar.r.recl). This housrng
complex olfers studenrs state-of-the-art
heating and air conditionìng, plr-rs lull
secllnt)r It features
ba1' windor,vs, nìne-
foot ceillngs, kitchens, and nnclergrouncl
parking. The br,rilding is fr-rlly ri lred
throughor-rt lor present and anticipated
l
I
needs
in computel technology.
Sorne
apartments e\¡en come lurnished.
David Graham, prÌncipal partner of
Elness Slvenson Graharn Architects, Inc.,
and a national expert on trends in
student housing, is one ol the deslgners
ol this new hall. He said that neighbors
lir,ing nearby like the Ìdea ol a
residential building defining the edges of
campus.
Neli, Ha1l was placed at the campus
edge to gil'e a leeling of off-campus
living, yet stil1 be close enough so
students can participate in academic ar-rc1
extracurricular activities and part-time
jobs. They have the option to sign fullyear leases, rnaking them true residents
of the nelghborhood. The ph1'siç¿l le6L
for the neighborhood was kept in mincl
when choosing the building materials,
which include residentiall), scalecl
elements, such as brick, stucco, and
architectural nretal.
C(ìl¡
t(
Elness Sr,r'enson
Graharn (ESG)
Architects are also
responsible for the
renovation ol
Sverdrup Hall,
clesign of the ner,v
Paulson Atrium-
Link, and the
upclating of the
Augsburg Campus
It4aster Plan,
oi
lvhich housing Ìs a
key part.
ESG's goal is to
der,elop student
L
S
E'
Tim Elness'89 (right) and David Graham (left) were part of the
Elness Swenson Graham architectural team that designed New
Hall as an apartment-style residence hall to encourage juniors
and seniors to stay on campus.
housing that focuses
on creating an academic village and
url:an diversit;', ¡¡. strengths ol the
College. "We'r'e beer-r tracking Augsburg
College for slx to se\¡en years, and
Augsburg has consistently been
exploring how to get more iuniors and
seniors to sta)¡ on campus," Graharn
saicl. "The goal has been to increase this
number and continue creating a high
quality ol lile to make the campus a
Iiving/learning village.
"lti r unique experience to come to
school and at the same tìrne har,e access
to all the amenities the clties have to
offer," Graham continued. "Augsburg
uses the Ti,vin Cities as a classroom and
an extension of its academic programs."
He saìd the1, þ¿.'. been researching
national trends in student housing ar-rc1
Augsburg is at the leading edge.
Research proves that rvhen a student
lives on campus all four years, they
pârticipate more in extracurricular
activÌties, develop more lasting
iriendships with classmates,
consistently earn higher grades, and are
more llkely to complete their degrees
successfully. Older students become
mentors to underclassmen, whlch
ultirnately impror,es the over-all college
experience.
Obviousl;', this plan has worked at
Augsburg. Ann Klarner, director of
residence life, saÌd that about 50 to 60
percent of Augsburg's da1, popuiation
s\' ¡rl'ESG Ari hilr'r ts
Elness Swenson Graham Architects are working with
Augsburg to develop a long-range master plan for the
Augsburg campus. Here, the concept of a student residence
quad gives the atmosphere of a neighborhood square.
Fall 2001
.4ucsnunc uow
17
tIt
H
H
FTJTURE TRENDS åN
RNSTNEI\ CE LTFT:
According to Graham, a ke;' lactor in
higher eclucation cnrrently' shaping
calnpus planning is the need to replace
physicalll' ancl fr,rnctionally obsolete
resiclential strllctlrres. lr4uch of the
housing ri'as built in the 1950s ancl
1960s ancl sirnpll, no longer meets the
U
J
Some of the apartments in New Hall feature large corner windows and
spacious ceiling heights.
to a Ló percent higher
retention rate, partly due to the addition ol Ner,v Hall.
For Klamer, the value in residential lii,ing lies in the
opportunlties lo¡ students to siudy, plal', 11'e¡51-rip, and grou'
togelher. Augsburg Sen-rinar, the lreshman orientation
program, bases i¡s academic and extracurricular experiences
for lreshmen around the floor groups in Urness Hall.
nor,v ln'es on cal-rìpus, leading
Tim Elness, Elness Swenson Graham's director ol
development ancl a 1989 Augsburg graduate, r'vho was
invoh'ed in the planning oi New Hall, said that being an
alum has enabled him to brìng an rnsider's perspective into
the project.
"We wantecl to ìncrease a sense of place and encourage
junlor
the
and senior students to stay on campus," Elness
saicl. "Hower¡er, we don't wanl to do away with the
freshrnan experience ol dorm 1ife. That experience creates a
collegiate atmosphere."
Elness lived on camplls u'hen the "houses" lvere
still
a
part ol the living experience. For more than three clecades,
upperclass students could choose to live in a number of
residential houses on streets
surrounding the campus.
Manl' of the fondest alumni
memories and lifelong
lriendships developed as
students who livecl together
Happo
in the houses.
needs ol contelrporarl' sluclents.
Graham sees higher educatÌon
movir-rg tou'arcl increasÌr'rg the number
of resiclential students ancl a greater
\'.ìriet)' ol resitlential trppoltrrnities in
apartment-style living ollered to them
ftom lreshnlan through senior 1'earli,ithout the need [o commu[e. The
qualitl' oI r'esidential expcrience a
college or unir,ersity can offer r'i,ill be a
significant factor in student recruÌ[rng.
Features ol resiclential livrng that
Grahan-r envisions include stucly l-ralls
with a 24-hour "cyber café" r'vhere
laptops can be plugged in lrom any
location. The trend, he addecl, is lor
computer accessibility throughout
buildings, thus lessening the need lor
special computer 1abs. He also sees
more fitness centers, "grab and go" food
stores, and "lir,lng/learning" spaces. I
-Judy
Petree is n'tedie relatiotls nlanager.
G¡rls Drcam
Concerns for salety and
cost of maintenance were ihe
major factors that led to a
phasing out of house ìiving
as new residence halls u,ere
bui1t. N4an;' ol the l-rouses
have since been razecl to
make lvay for nerv College
buildings.
"The houses r,vorked r,vell
because they u'ere pliable,
ancl that is hou' the ner'r, hall
t:t"l
,:i.
works," sald Elness.
18
-,'IUCS¡URC ruOW
q
Homecoming was an opportunity for the various houses to compete for
decorating honors. Here, the Kappa House girls show off their Peanuts cartoon
motif at Homecoming festivities during the 1960s.
Fall
2O01
By Amy Funk'03
Testins
I
vocal abilitv is
'
stand"ard fn. ,.'.,
student interested ín
slnging in Augsburg's
choirs, but vocal skills
testing for a band
member? While his
students were often
surprised, it made sense
to Mayo Savold, who
first tested students'
vocal ability before
hearing their
instrumental skills in an
audition.
A. Mayo Savold,
director of the Augsburg
College Band from 1952
until 1973, believed
that singing helped
band performers
appreciate instrumental
tone and balance.
"It was part of his
music philosophy-if
you can't sing, you can't
play a musical
instrument,"
says
Stephen "Gabe"
Gabrielsen'63,
professor of music at
Augsburg who was a
student of Savold's and
also taught with him.
Audiences weten't surprised during
concerts when band members belted
out a song, using their vocal cords
rather than instruments. Mayo Savold's
group became widely known as "the
singing band."
Besides turning band members into
vocalists, Savold made numerous other
contributions in the field of music,
helping establish the instrumental
department at Augsburg. Teaching and
conducting led Savold to innovations in
training and placement of instruments
in concert setting-ideas that became
widely known for improving the clarity
and unity of sound.
Savoid was born in Maddock,
N.Dak., in 1915, and by 1937 he was
ready for college life at Luther College
in Decorah, Iowa. Savold majored in
history and music, he directed
numerous choir and bands while in
co11ege, a small preview of what was to
come.
Soon after graduating from Luther,
Savold married Melba Woyen and
served in the U.S. Army from 1942-46.
Even war \Masn't enough to stop Savold's
love for music. At one time, he was
assigned to General MacArthur's
headquarters and conducted the
Headquarters Chapel Choir. \n 1944,
Savold brought Christmas to those in
the war. Via radio, he presented a
concert that was broadcast to fighting
fronts across the world. Through a
bombing raid and combat conditions,
Savold directed the choir and continued
with the performance. MacArthur is
reported to have said that if all fighting
men had the courage of these singers,
there would be nothing to worry about
for the rest of the war.
After military service, Savold taught
and directed music in a safer work
environment at Glenwood High School.
His success with the band and choir
there led to hls recruitment by
Augsburg College ín 1952 to do the
same here.
During his first yeat at Augsburg,
Savold developed the band from 28
members to a 55-piece organization that
became recognized natì.onally as one of
the best. Especially noted by audiences
was the precise, professional quality of
playing-something quite unique for a
college band of that time. Savold also
served as associate professor of music
and director of the Augsburg Repertoire
Band.
at Augsburg, Mayo Savold built the
into a nationally-respected musical
Fall 200f
,4ucssuncNow
19
!
travel by bus ovcr the Alaskan Highway.
Anolher famons tollr was the Jol-rn
F Iiennedy memorial toLrr in 196'1, to
tl-re late presrclent who was a strong
slrpporter ol tl-re arts. Mayo Savolcl later
hacl the honor- ol prcsenting a recorcling
flon] thal tour lo altorncy general
Robcrt
F. I(ennccly.
Savolcl retlred
tn I977 alter
25
)'e¡rs ol servicc at Augsburg ancl
I983 after a lengthy illtress.
t )n ()l tohcl' I ì. dLrring
-,4 râ
Music students spoke about the ability of Mayo Savold to inspire musical
self-expression and encourage their leadership skills.
Robert Stacke '71, current
band director and c1-rair ol the
Augsburg music department, was a
stuclent of Savold's in the late '60s
and never envisioned that he
rvoulcl follow in his footsteps.
"I highly respected him,"
Stacke says. "He really did so
much for this coilege. He
motivated us and iet us come to
the foreground wher-r we had
something to offer."
Savold was careful not to 1et
his group prodr,rction be mass
production. His desire was that
playrng in the Augsburg College
Band should lnspire the greatest
ptrssible indivitlrral parl i( il)atiorì,
sel l-dìsciplinc. rnd sel l-ex¡ression.
Str"essing that individuals believe
1n iheir abilities and take
leadership roles allowed Stacke to
start lhe jazz program while still a
college sludent.
Colleagr"res of Savold say that
he could rnspire any student
displaying even the slightest abilÌty
to play. His charm and inlectious
sense of humor were enolÌgh io
captÌvate students lo jorn band. "He
always had a sparkle in his eye," says
Gabrielsen. "He was always telling
funny stories" and had a "marvelous
abrlity to lead students."
Savold was also
l<norvn for his
famous band tours
throughout the
Upper Midwest and
c1iccl
in
l{omecoming ancl Family Week 2001,
jazz ancl concert hand mcmbers from
the last 40 years are invitecl to gather at
a leunion and concert ln tribute to
Mayo Savold. Bring lnstruments for a
proglam ol continental breakfast,
rehearsal, ancl a concert to be presenled
et Ìl a.m. in Hoversten Chapel. For
adclitional information, see the
Homecomrng brochure clr call thc
alumni/parent relatlons office at
612-330-1178 or 1-800-260-6590
-Amy
Funh'03 is o jtu'tior majorLng
in
English.
a
l,
!
west. One "exotic"
trip came in 1960
when the Ar"rgsburg
College Band was
chosen as the official
bancl of the Alaskan
Music Festival.
After a sllmmer
tour throughout
Canada and Alaska,
the band presentecl
the opening concert
celebrating the first
year of Alaskan
statehood. This band
lvas also the first
college band to
After the band tour in memorial to John F. Kennedy, band director
Mayo Savold presented the tour recording to then-attorney general
Robert
F.
Kennedy.
Jazz and concert band al umni
Bring your ¡nstruments and play ¡n the tr¡bute concert to Mayo Savold at Homecoming on October 13;
see the Homecoming brochure for more detai¡s.
20
,4ucssunc f{ow
Fall 2001
tl I
From the Alumni Board president's desk ¡.,
I
I
recentlv
utr.,ld"d
o
memorial service
for a member of
our Alumni
Board, Chuck
(râbnelson '/ /
Among his many
accomplishments
were those that
supported and served Augsburg College. I
saw the impact one individual can have on
an institution and in people's lives.
However, I think Chuck would have been
the first to say that no one can do it alone.
This ìs the paradox for our Alumni
Association as we begin a new year: to
make a difference as individuals, yet
recognize we cannot do it alone.
Individually we can recruit ner.v students;
contribute resources to sustain the students,
faculty, staff, and facilities, and speak about
Augsbury to our neighbors across the
country so Augsburg's quality education is
no longer a well-kept secret.
The other side of the paradox prompts
us to join with others to nurture our alumni
community. Think about hosting a
gathering of Auggies in your town-we'll
help you with the event. Or plan now to
attend actir.ities on campus-such as
Homecoming-and bring along your
classmates from years ago.
As your new president, l'11 be working
Paul Mueller'84, Bill Vandenvall'93 WEC,
and Jan Marie Voelker '90.
I hold trvo degrees from Augsburg: a
bachelor's in education ('69) and a master's
in leadership ('94). The long-term value of
my degrees-and yours-is contingent on
Augsburç continued success and
reputation. Individually and together we
can support the College as iI continues to
ser\¡e us today through the degrees we
hold, and through alumni opportunities for
connecting with old and new friends.
with the board and staff to build
connections between aìumnì and the
Augsburg community, communicate with
new regional chapters, organize alumni
events, and recognize alumni
accomplishments. We have talented and
enthusiastic new members joining the
Ø+u-*
Jackie (Kniefel) Lind '69, '94 MAL
President, Alumni Board
board: Susan (Horning) Arntz '94, Paul
Fieldhammer'65, Lisa (Svac) Hawks '85,
Rob LaFleur'80, Terry Marquardt '98 WEC,
Strommen family honored w¡th new award
à uesburs announces the creation ol a
fl."* award, the Distinguished Service
Award, which will be given annually to the
College's "formative families"- families who
have made substantial and continuing
contributions to Augsburg.
This year, the ar'vard goes io the
$trommen family, and will be presentecl
during Homecoming festivities in October.
The Rev. Peter Andre'"v Sirommen
(a.k.a. PA.) was aûìong the first ol four
generations of Strommens to attencl
Augsburg. A graduate from Augsburg
Seminary in 1913, he rvas a parish minister
in a downtor,in-r Seattle church until 1934,
r,vhen his cleep love of the College brought
him and hìs wrfe, Nellie (Framstad), back to
Minnesota so ¡heir lour sons, Abner '38,
Lu¡her '39, Merlon '42, and Clair '46, couid
attend his alma mater. His clevotion to the
College didni end there. In the late 1930s he
took the only savings he had and gave it to
Augsburg.
To date, more than 30 rnernbers of the
extended Stromrnen famìly have attended.
This is a truly unique family Augsburgs
motto, "Education for Sen ice," defines the
grandchildren. The Strommen lamilies have
been major contributors to Augsburg in all
aspects, and what they have achieved
Strommen family-starting with PA.
Strommen and all the way down to his great-
through their vocations has affected
thousands of people.
U
\s
J
At Homecoming in October, Augsburg will present a new award, the Distinguished
Service Award, to the Strommen family, which has included more than 3O graduates.
Pictured, left to right: Gladys (Boxrud) '46 and Clair Strommen '46 (deceased, see page
3O); Merton '42 and A. trene (Huglen) '43 Strommen; and Helen and Luther'39
Strommen.
Fall 2001
,4ucssunc
Now
21
Alumni News
Seven alumni appointed to Alumni Board
by Lynn Mena
f
Paul Mueller'84
he Augsburg Alumni Board of
Dir..torr appointed seven new
members and elected Jackie (I(niefel) Lind
'69 ('94 MAL) as president and Andy
Morrison'73 as president-elect. The new
members are as follows:
I
Susan (Horning)
Paul Mueller
graduated from
Augsburg in 1984
with a B.A. in
chemistry. He is a
physician at the
Arntz'94
r
Mayo Clinic.
New ass¡stant
director joins
AIumni/Parent
Relations
Ia n lulv.t' Amanda
^' ...lornecl
I sumrnskl
Susan Arntz
graduated from
BillVanderwall'93 WEC
Augsburg in 1994
with
a B.A.
in
political science.
She is city manager
graduated from
Augsburg Weekend
for the City of
Waconia, Minn.
College in 1993
with a B.A. in
Lisa (Svac) Hawks'85
communication. He
is the social service
director at Lutheran
Lisa Hawks
graduated from
Augsburg in 1985
with a B.A. in
Social Services.
Jan Marie Voelker'90
Jan Marie Voelker
graduated from
Augsburg in 1990
with a B.A. in
Musicland/Best Buy.
communication.
She is a customer
Rob LaFleur'80
category manager at
Kraft Foods in
Eden Prairie, Minn.
Rob LaFleur
graduated from
Augsburg in 1980
with a B.A. in
business
specialist in
Augsburg's Office of Public Relations and
Communication, Suminski will oversee the
Class Agent Program, the Parents
Association, Homecoming planning and
other special event planning, and more.
Suminski received a B.A. in
communications from the University of
North Dakota in Grand Forks, where she
was a leader in student, alumni, and
parent programming. She has worked as
volunteer at several Augsburg alumni
a
events.
ñf.Tilr¡rtNZ
DISCOVER NORWEGIAN TREASURES AND HERITAGE
administration/
accounting. He is
an attorney at
Chestnut 6¡ Cambronne PA. in
Minneapolis.
Join President and Mrs. William V Frame and Professor Frankie Shackelford
on a journey through Norway in the summer of 2002. This l2-day tour
program features five nights on the world-famous Norwegian coastal voyage,
sailing south from the "top of Norway" to Bergen. The tour has very few spaces
remaining; call the alumnl office at 612-330-1178 or
t-800-260-6590 for more information.
Terry Marquardt'98 WEC
Terry Marquardt graduated from Augsburg
Weekend College in 1998 with a B.A. in
business administration/
management. She is manager of sales
and planning operations for 3M's
22,4UCSm¡nCruOW
assistant director.
Formerly a
communications
communication.
She is the
communications
director at
medical businesses.
the Office of
AlumniÆarent
Relations as its new
Bill Vanderwall
Upcoming Norway Tour Information Meeting "Are Norwegians Europeans?"
A look at the cultural and political situatlon of Norway in the context of the
European Union and the factors that unite and divide the citrzens of Norway
September 30, 2-4 p.m.
ù
.
Marshail Room, Christensen Center
RSVP required; please caII one of the numbers listed above.
Fall 2OOl
l-
AUGSBURG
""QPrå.dB.
Homecoming and Family Week 2001
Augsburg on Parade
I
Monday, Oct.8
Saturdav Oct. 13
.
.
.
.
An Evening with Maya Angelou
Wednesday, Oct. f 0
.
Augsburg Associates Annual Fall
Luncheon
Thursday, Oct. l1
.
.
Flamenco Dance Performance
International Student Alumni
-
Variety Show 6r Coronation
.
.
.
.
Gathering
.
.
Fridav, Oct. 12
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Class
of 1951 Registration 6r
Continental Breakfast
Homecoming Chapel 6l
Community Time, featuring the world
premiere ol The Word Became Flesh, a
new choral piece by Norwegian
composer Knut Nystedt
Class of 1951 Luncheon
The Living History of Augsburg (with
professors emeriti Carl Chrislock '37
and Philip Thompson)
Campus Tour
CLASS Program Homecoming Reunion
Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
Fall 20Of
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
5K Mississippi Run/Walk
Registration 6¡ Continental Breakfast
Concert Band &. Jazz Band Alumni
Reunion and Concert
Business Administration Department
Reunion
Open House at the Augsburg House
Campus Tour
The Living History of Augsburg
(with professors emeriti Carl Chrislock
'37 and Philip Thompson)
Nursing Alumni Brunch
SWAN (Social Work Alumni Network)
Brunch
Urness Hall Floor Reunions
Pan-Afrikan Alumni-Student Basketball
Game
Campus Tour
Picnic in the Park
Augsburg Parade
English Alumni Luncheon 6t Reading
Homecoming Football Game vs.
Macalester College
Lindell Library Tour
Campus Tour
Book Signing & Reading
(Bill Halverson'51, Edvard Gneg:
Diañes, Articles, and Speeches)
.
Homecoming Social
.
Dinner
Fifth Annual M. Anita Gay
6ø
Hawthorne Jazz 6z Poetry
.
.
.
.
Bash
Class of 1951 Reunion
Class of 1961 Reunion
ClasS
ol1976 Reunion
Class of 1991 Reunion
Sundav Oct. 14
.
.
Worship Service
Heritage Society
Recognition Brunch
Consult the Homecoming 200
1
for additional
information, or call
612-330-1178 or
1-800-260-6590.
brochure
,4ucsnunc
now
23
AUGSBURG
"" Q9TE.ETE
Four named as 20Ol Distinguished Alumni
by Lynn Mena
our alumni join 155 others as Distinguished Alumni of Augsburg College. Recipients are recognized for
significant achievement in their vocations and outstanding contributions to church and community,
through years of preparation, experience, dedication, exemplary character, and service.
!
f
George S. Dahlman'72
Burton R. Fosse'44
Kathleen D. Lake'76
Neal O. Thorpe'60
George Dahlman graduated
from Augsburg in 1972 with a
B.A. in mathematics.
He is a managing director
and a senior research anaþt at
U.S. Bancorp PiperJalfray in
Burton Fosse was educated at
Augsburg and the University
of Minnesota, where he
received his B.S. in
Neal Thorpe graduated from
Augsburg in 1960 with a B.A.
in chemistry and mathematics.
He earned his Ph.D. in
physiological chemistry from
the University of Wisconsin-
Minneapolis, specializing in
food and agribusiness.
Nationally recognized for his
perceptive anaþis, Dahlman
is a chartered financial analyst
and has been named a Wall
Street Journal All-Star Anaþt
in 1953 and served
Kathleen Lake graduated from
Augsburg in 1976 with a B.A.
in biology and chemistry. She
earned her B.S. and doctorate
degrees in pharmacy from the
University o[ Minnesota.
She is director of clinical
research and transplant
therapeutics at the University
of Michigan Medical Center;
senior associate research
scientist in the medicine and
surgery departments at the
University of Michlgan
Medical School; and clinical
professor at the University of
Michigan College of Pharmacy.
Actively involved in
numerous professional
organizations, Lake is an
extensively published author
who is sought to serve on
editorial boards and to act as
reviewer for professional
journals. She has received
been an active member of
several congregations and
professional organizations, and
has received many honors and
awards, including an Honorary
Doctor of Humane Letters
from Rocky Mountain College
four times.
At his congregation, Faith
Lutheran Church in Coon
Rapids, Minn., Dahlman is
dedicated to the work of its
Global Mission Committee,
and has served as president of
the congregation and on
numerous committees.
When the ELCA was
established, Dahlman was
elected to the first Augsburg
College Board of Governors
from the Minneapolis Area
Synod, sewing for four years.
He has also served as chair of
Augsburg's Heritage Society
Advisory Committee.
24,4UCSnUnCruOW
engineering.
He returned to Augsburg
as vice
president for business and
finance for more than 25
years. Driven by wide-rangrng
passion and vision, Fosse
played a major role in the
College's growth and
development. He supervised
the building of 13 projects and
was a significant contributor
and peacemaker in the
development of the CedarRiverside neighborhood.
Fosse served for several
years on the Burnsville School
Board, headed literacy
programs in Bonita Springs,
Fla., and has been an active
member in several
congregations. He is the owner
of Burton's Frame Shop and
president of Picture Framers of
America.
many awards and honors,
including the prestigious
Hallie Bruce Memorial Lecture
Award from the Minnesota
Society of Hospital
Pharmacists for her
contributions to the growth
and development of the
pharmacy practice.
Madison.
Following his
distinguished academic career,
which included22 years
as an
Augsburg biology professor,
Thorpe began a second career
in philanthropy at MJ.
Murdock Charitable Trust in
Vancouver, Wash. As executive
director and trustee, Thorpe
has advanced its reputation as
the leading private charitable
foundation in the Pacific
Northwest.
In addition to numerous
articles and papers, Thorpe is
the author of CellBiolog Qohn
Wiley and Sons, 1984). He has
in Billings, Mont.
Fall 2O01
Alumni and friends named as First Decade
and Spirit of Augsburg award recipients
bylynnMena
f, ugsburg is pleased to announce the 2001 recipients of the second annual First Decade and Spirit of Augsburg awards.
|ll fn. First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of the past l0 years who have made significant progress in their
professional achievements and contributions to the community, and in so doing exemplify the mission of the College: to prepare future
leaders in service to the world. Graduates from the day, weekend, and graduate programs are eligible.
The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni and friends of the College who have given exceptional service which contributes
substantially to the well being of Augsburg by furthering its purposes and programs.
DanielC. H¡ll'9f WEC
Lisa (Carlson) Sackreiter'95
As an IT
project leader
at GE Capital
Fleet Services
in Eden
After three
Prairie, Minn.,
service at the
Hill oversaw the company's
Y2K conversion for its systems
in North America and Mexico.
ln appreciation for his efforts,
he was awarded the company's
Circle of Excellence Award. He
has hosted four foreign
exchange students and donates
much of his time to hls church
and community.
Colleen K. Watson'91 MAL
involvement
Watson is cofounder and
CEO of Career
with
Professionals,
years of
community
Blake Upper School in
Minneapolis, Sackreiter was
selected as the school's first
PK-12 community service
coordinator. In addition to
expandrng the program, she
created and supervised service-
leaming activities with teachers
at all levels. She is co-class
agent for the Class of 1995.
an employment
placement service that has
established itself as the top
entry-level agency in the lvin
Cities area for recent college
graduates. She is a member of
the Alumni Board, past
president of the Alumni
Association, and a key player
behind both Augsburg's Career
Roundtable and the first
Kristin (Dragseth)
Wiersma'9f
Wiersma is
vice president
for marketing
and sales for
Seraphim
Communications, a media production
company Her passion to "pass
on the faith" is evident in her
extensive outreach endeavors,
aided by her remarkable talent
to connect with people of all
ages and backgrounds.
AlumniJob Fair.
Marolyn (Sortland)'51 and
William Halvorson'51
The
Halvorsons
have
developed
five
scholarships
in their
children's
The
Associates
The Augsburg Associates are made up of alumni, friends, faculty, and
staffwho generously donate their time and energlr to raise money for
the College. Contributions have included the organ in Hoversten
Chapel and renovation of Foss Center's Green Room and Christensen
Center's Marshall and Augsburg Rooms. They also raised money to
help build Lindell Library and established a scholarship for current
students. The photo above is from VelkommenJul, their popular
holiday event.
Fall 2001
names. In addition, it was
through their professional
contacts that the music
department was able to finally
is Scandinavian music
collection and acquire the
collected works of Grieg and
Kjerulf. MoreoveE they recently
commissioned a new work by
Iftrut Nystedt for the Augsburg
Choir to premiere at
Homecoming 2001.
evaluate
Marie McNeff
McNeff retired
last year after
completing 30
years of
service to the
College as a
professor of education,
ffi
director of faculty
development, dean of the
College, and academic master
planner. Her willingness to
think beyond traditional
boundaries and take calculated
risks serves well as a model for
the Augsburg community Her
commitment to the mission of
the College-even after
retirement-embodies the
spirit of Augsburg.
4ucsnuncnow
2s
-
a
o
1942
Merton
Volunteer
Service Award.
P.
Strommen,
Richfield,
Minn.,
published a new
book,
Th¿
Church €¡
H omo s exuality :
Se
ar ching
fo r a
Middle Ground (Kirk House
Publishers). The product of three
years' research, his book presents
a middle ground between
condemnatlon and rejection of
gays and lesbians in the church,
and adoption of what he terms the
The award
honors her
contributions to
Hennepin park
as a raptor
surveyor, deer watch interpreter,
blue bird monitor, and for her
service at a variety of nature center
programs and events.
1
968
The Rev. Mark
5. Hanson,
Minneapolìs,
was elected the
"militant gay agenda."
r
9s3
Rhoda Carlstedt, Kissimmee, Fla.,
retumed to the U.S. in December
1998, after living in Papua, New
Guinea, for 37 years. Before settling
in Kissimmee, she spent time
visiting fúends and family in
Australia and throughout the U.S.
third presiding
bishop of the
ELCA to
succeed retiring presiding bishop
George Anderson. Hanson will be
installed on Oct. 6.
Carolyn
(Hanson)
Schildgen,
Northbrook,
f 960
Ill., retired after
Judy (Johnson) Peterson,
32 years of
Bloomington, Minn., was one of
six recipients of the Hennepin Park
District's 2001 Distinguished
teachìng high
school Spanish at Highland Park
High School in suburban Chicago.
Her career included a Golden
A.pple Award nomination and
various district awards for
teaching excellence. Professional
development opportunities
allowed her to live and study in
Spain, Ecuador, Mexico, Costa
Rica, and Argentina.
1972
Calif., received his associate's
degree in computer and
informat ion sciences-network
administration from Solano
Community Junior College in
Fairfield. He also recently earned
certification as a Microsoft.
Certified Professional and a
Certified Novell Administrator. In
his spare time he is an avid
amateur bowler and within the
Iast year rolled his third
sanctioned 300 game and his first
800 three-game series. Both
accomplishments are listed in the
St. Louis Bowling Hall o[ Fame.
Awarded to Augsburg College alumni in recognitìon of slgnificant
achlevement in vocation, fo¡ outstanding contribution to church and
communit¡ and for a life that exemplifies the ideals and mission of
Augsburg College. Augsburg alumni (graduates and non-graduates)
are eligible.
eVau Ø **
Barbara (Shirley) Steinhauser,
Fine Arts in Writing for Children
degree from Vermont College in
Jul¡r She can be reached via e-mail
at <flamelin3T@aol.com>.
Jerome Rokke, Minneapolis,
received a master's degree in
management from the University
of St. Thomas in May; he works
for IBM Global Services.
1978
P.
Dawn (Heil) Taylor,
1979
Jeffrey
urLL
aú"rr,¿
Awarded to Augsburg College graduates of the past 10 years who have
made significant progress in their professional achievements and
contributions to the community, and in so dolng exemplify the
mission of the College: to nurture future leaders in service to
the world.
F.
Swenson,
Minneapolis,
Lutheran
East Lansdowne,
Brotherhood's
flight attendant
with Northwest Airlines since
1975. She and her husband,
2000-01
Lutheran College Coach of the
in identifying members of the Augsburg
t/aør/rt/.,,,f aø"'*r,¿
Honors Augsburg alumni and friends of the College who have given
exceptionaÌ service that contributes substantiaÌly to the well being of
the College by furthering its purposes and programs. Alumni, friends,
faculty, staff, and groups who have served the College are eligible.
Please take a few moments to consider
aøhn
Des
Moines, Iowa, received a doctorate
degree in education from Drake
University. She can be reached via
e-mail at <dawn@taylorball.com>.
was named
Pa., has been a
aryr¿.-r
-year-old
Parker, Colo., received a Master of
1975
Olando Smith,
7
1976
Dean C. Anderson, Fairfield,
The Augsburg College Alumni Association Awards and Recognition Committee seeks your assistance
community to be consìdered for recognition.
Ø^a^y"*Ll aøt/n¿r'o aøt".r,¿
Daniel Sweeney, have a
daughter, Narita.
from among your friends
those who might be honored for these awards. Your nominations and
build these important programs
to celebrate the accomplishments of the Augsburg community.
suggestions are critical in helping to
To make a
nomination online, go to:
www. augsburg. edu./alumni./nomfo¡m
To receive a nomination packet, contact:
Office of AlumniÆarent Relations . Phone: 612-330-1178 or 1-800-260-6590 . Fax: 612-330-1499
E-mail: alumni@augsburg.edu . Web site: www.augsburg.edu./alumni
The deadline Jor nominations Jor 2002 is March 15, 2002.
26
,4UCS¡URC ruOW
Fall 2001
)
m
Making history from history
bywendyErorson
o
e
ã'
Sisters Gracia Grindal '65 and LaRhae (Grindal) Knatterucl'70 have several sharecl interests: both
are Augsburg graduates rvho have ren-rained very connected to therr alma mater, both have a
tremendous faith as well as a great appreciatron for Lutheran traclition; and both love music.
s
û
with the prodr-tction of Luthtr, an
interactive musical that highlights the ex[raordinary life of Martin Lr-rther (see story on page 5 for
more rnformation).
These shared interests have resulted rn their clua1 involvement
In October, Luther wIlI make its North American, Engllsh-language premrere at Central Lutheran
Church in Minneapolis, ancl will leature Ar-rgsburg's Masterwor]<s Chorale and singers frorn the
Finnish National Opera. The musical is the centerpiece of Luther Seminary's Reformation Festival,
an annual event created by Gracia for the purpose of strengthenlng the connection between LuLheran Gracia Grindal '65 collaborated with
Kari Tikka, the director and composer
colleges and Lhe seminary.
o'f Luther, an interactive musical about
Gracia, a recipient of Augsburg's Disringuished Alumna Award, is a professor of rhetoric at Luther
Seminary She is also an accomplished poet and hymn translator. She had collaborated with Karl
Tikka, the clirector and composer onLuther, prior to hls compositron of this par[Ìcular opelâ.
the Iife of Martin Luthet which will
make its North American, Englishlanguage premiere at Central Lutheran
Church in Minneapolis in October,
The idea of doing the play emerged from one of Tikka's personal experiences. According to Gracia,
Tikka, like Lr-rther, "experienced the understanding of the unconditional love of God alter he had been troubled by his conscience." Interestingly,
Gracia encouraged Tikka to shape his idea of a play about Martin Luther's life into a reality She attended the premrere of Luther in Helsinki, and
eventr-rally helped Trkka translate the opera into an English vetsron.
LaRhae, a planning director for the Minnesota Departrnent of Human Services's aging inltiative, majored rn rnnsic at Augsburg ancl will showcase
her singing taler-rt in Luther as a member of the Augsburg Masterworks Chorale. The interactive aspect of the opera will consist of the
Mastenvorks Chorale and the Finnish National Opera prrncrpals leading the congregation in singing several Martin
Ltrther hyrnns, inclr-rdìng Out oJ thc Depths, Christ Lay in Death's StrongBands, and Dear Christians Onc and AIL
o
s.
à
with many other fanlily members, share a long history with Augsburg that clates back to
l868 rvhen their great-grandparents, Ole andJonettaJacobson, were married by the Rev Ole Paulson, an Augsburg
founder ancl early supporter. Both of Gracia and LaRhae's parents (now deceased), the Rev Harald Grindal'42 and
Jonette (Tinseth) Grinclal'41, and their brother, Ted Grlndal'76, are also Ar"rgsbr.rrg graduates. Ted is a current
Gracia ancl LaRhae, along
!
S
()o
ffi
member of the Augsburg Board of Regenis.
Both Gracia and LaRhae have loncl memories of thet years at Augsburg. For Gracia, one particularly memorable
aspect of her Ar.rgsburg experience was the extraordinary and talented leadership of such figureheads as Dr. Bernhard
Christensen and Dr. Warren Quanbeck.
LaRhae (Grindal)
Knatterud'70, sister
of Gracia Grindal '65,
will sing with the
Augsburg Masterworks
Chorale in the
production ol Luther.
"They knew how to give great speeches that rvere extremely funny and moving, and rvould make you die lar-rghing
and then rveep for ¡he sheer beauty of the language," says Gracia.
LaRhae says that "being ln the choir and beìng directed by Dr. Sateren rvas an experience that
duplicated. He was a greal rnan ancl lve made great music."
-Wcndy
Year. The Augsburg wrestling head
coach and interim assistant dean
for athletics and recreation led the
College to its seventh NCAA
Dir,ision III wrestling national
championship in the past I I
years, and its second national title
in a row (the most in Division 111
history).
See story, page B.
1984
Chris Dykstra, Minneapolis,
accepted a position as senior vice
Fall 2001
Elolson is an irrt'onnation specialist.for AtLgsbrrrg! ittstittttional advanccment of[ice
president with EPAM Systems,
custom soltrvare- and Webdevelopment [i¡m.
1
a
988
Connie (Wendland) Bouley,
Long l-ake, Minn., joined Len
Busch Roses in December as a stafl
accountant.
Todd Erickson, Maple Grove,
Minn., u'as named to Entrepreneur
magazine's top 100 for his
compan)', ì nternat ionel Logistics,
Inc., in Plymouth, Minn.
1
.
Scholars of English Associatìon
Faculty Teacher o[ the Year Ar,vard
989
Dawn Givans, Marina del
will never be
Arizona State Universit),. This
fall she joins the faculty of
Louisiana State University as
assistant professor of English; her
husband, GeorgeJustice, rvill be a
at.
Re1',
Calif., married Patrick Lander, a
British actor who has appeared in
the film Armagedclon and several
Shakespeare theatrical
productions, ìn December 1999.
The couple plans to remain in the
Los Angeles area and start a family.
Devoney Looser, Baton Rouge,
La., lvas ar.varded the Gracluate
visiting assistant professor oI
English at LSU during 2001-02.
Mary Saugestad, Brooklyn
Center, Minn., is a licensed in-
home childcare provider.
,4ucs¡uRc ruow
27
Class Notes
'IÍIITúI¡II¿II.IIf
|II
Eloisa Echávez:
Seizing La Oportunidad
c
à
:
!
U
o,
o-,
Funk,o3
"l hate it with all my guts," says Eloisa EcÌrávez with a chuckle, referring to Minnesota's co1c1 winter rveather. "Every
year I say it's my last year', but I fincl myself here again." Coming from Colombla, South America, this 1s no sttrptise.
But Echávez's involvement wrth the Latir-ro community ìn the Twin Cities ancl her passion for hel work keeps her
here, despite the rvinters.
Echâvez is executÌve director of La Oportunìdad, Inc., a local nonprofil organization seiwing more than 2,000 l¡tino
families each year that works to promote and strengthen peace rvithin the community Started in 1987, La Oportunidacl's
promoting transitronal sewices to ex-offenders. Under Echávez's leadership, the orgamzation has
lrrth a new vision for a stronget, more peacefu1 community Today, La Oportr-rnidad
focuses on peacemaking and many new programs inclucling violence prevention and Latino youth serwices.
n-rain focus was on
developecl a three-year strategic plan
Eloisa Echávez'94
('98 MEt) was recently
honored by INROADS for
her work with the Latino
community,
"I absolr-rtely love the peacemaklng aspect," says Ecl'rávez, who has been rvrth the organtzatton since 1998. "la
Oportunldad looks at making peace withrn the self, within the famlly, wrthin neighbors-even within a global
perspective. This work relates to my personal vahtes."
Echávez was an elementary school teacher lor three years rn Colornbia before coming ro the U.S. in l9BB. She hacl
wanted to study in the U.S. and heard about many co11eges, inclr,rdlng Augsburg's Weekend College program. Echâvez
attended one meetrng at Augsburg and left the r-neeting signed up for classes.
In1994, Echávez received a B.A in computer science and returned [o receive
a n-rasterb degree
in education and leadership ln 1998.
education-she also directed the College's Hispanic/Latino Student Services from 1993-98,
helping to develop ancl manage the program since its inception (she continnes to stay involved with the program). She also coordinated Augsburg's Têachers
of Color Program and served as the Collegeb muÌticultural coordinator from 1993-97.
Echávez's relatlonship with Augsburg doesnt end wrth her
In addition to her work, Echâvez somehow manages to frnd time to fLrlfill her love of motlvational/keJ'r-rote speaking at numerous conferences and special
events. Echávez's favorite audiences are high school and pre-college students.
"I like to lmpror,rse," says Echávez. "I never prepare a speech untìl I get on the stage." Talking to the audience beforehand gives Echávez an iclea of the
direction she'1l take during her speech.
For her work with the cornmunlty Echâvez has received several awards ancl certificates, incÌuding the Outstanding Community Sen'rce Award from the
State o[ Minnesora and the Educator of the Yeal Award from INROADS (a national organization that develops and places talented minority youth into
businesses to prepare them for corporate and community leadership). Echávez helped to develop Augsburg's partnership wrth INROADS through her'
various roles and actlr,.rties at the Co11ege.
"My best reward is seeing the students r.vho are taking advantage of INROADS' opportunities to be successful, and becoming those needed leaders in our
communities of coior," Echâvez said upon receivrng her award fiom INROADS.
-A^y
1
Funh'03 is a junior majorntg m English.
993
Steve
Kelly'94, Lisa Laehn'94,
Lonnie Laehn '94, Jennifer Olsen,
Jeff Krengel '93, Kurt Clark '94,
Marshall Johnson '95, and Erica
apprentice member of the Lakes
and Plains Carpenter's Union in
St. Paul, and works lor Pink
Business Interiors.
Bentley'95.
1
1994
Deb (Walstrom), Cottage Grove,
Minn., married Darren Riske in
Jeff Krengel,
St. Paul, Minn.,
married Jennifer Olsen in June at
Boe Chapel in Northfield, Minn,;
the couple hone)¡mooned in Banff
National Park. Krengel is an area
coordinator at the University of St.
Thomas. Pictured, left to right:
28,4UCS¡UnCruOW
June 1996. She has three children:
BriannaJoyce, 12; Helen Marie, 2;
and Zane
A¡thur,
I . She is a
government clai ms representative
at HealthEast's corporate offices in
St. Paul. She is also a member of
Minnesota Quilters and River
Valley Quilters. Her husband is an
995
Jon Olsen, Piedmont, S.Dak.,
and Leann (Freeberg)'96
celebrated their [ifth wedding
anniversary in August.
1
996
Susan (Conway) Jackson
moved to Aurora, Ill., in 1996 and
got married; she has a 3-year-oId
son. She has been a daycare
teacher for children aged 4 and 5;
fuil-time teacher of an autistic
third-grader; and a kindergarten
a
teacher.
Tracy (Mazion) Ose, Inver
Grove Heights, Minn., married
Drew Smith in August in Estes
Park, Colo.
1997
Liddy J. Howard, Golden
Valley,
Minn., received a Master of
Divinity degree from Luther
Seminary in May; she has accepted
a call to serve Ttinity Lutheran
Church in Bruning, Neb.
Fall 2001
)
l-
Jennifer Ringeisen, Inve¡ Grove
Heights, Minn., recently accepted
position as an employment
consuitant at Regions Hospital.
1
a
998
Dustin Froyum, New Brighton,
Minn., received his Juris Doctor
degree from Hamline University
School of Law in May.
Brent Grier, Walnur Creek,
Calif., was promoted to an
underwriting and sales position at
Aetna, an insurance compan¡ and
transferred to Walnut. Creek, near
San Francisco.
Mary Pennington,
Shakopee,
Minn., is a project manager for
Dakota Count¡ where her focus is
construction management and
facilities planning. In April, she
was appointed to the City of
Shakopee Envi¡onmental Advisory
Committee, which works to
presewe and protect natural
resources amid the area's
continuing growth and expansion.
She is a music therapy intern at
Northern Wisconsin Center for the
Deveìopmentally Disabled in
Chippewa Falls, Wis.
a son, Paul Charles, in March. He
joins older sister Kristi.
Births/Adoptions
lsaac Stephen, in May. He joins
oider sisters lGtie, 10, Megan, 6,
Diane (Reule) '84 and the Rev.
Steve Brandsrud'83, Huron,
S.Dak.-a daughter, Abigail
Kay, in March.
She
joins older
brothers Seth, 11, Sam, 9, and
Micah, 2. Diane received a
bachelor o[ science in nursing
degree from Huron University in
May; she has been a registered
nurse at Huron Regional Medical
Center for three years. The Rev.
Brandsrud is senior pastor at
American Lutheran in Huron.
Terry A. Claus'88 and his wife,
Lisa, Excelsior,
Minn.-a
son,
and Courtney, 4. Terry is senior
vice president for investment sales
at Miller Johnson Steichen Kinnerd,
and can be reached via e-mail at
<tclaus@mjksales. com>.
Donna (Zummach) Martin'90,
and her husband, Dean, Waconia,
Minn.-a son, Dawson Dean, in
May He joins oÌder brother Derek.
Donna is a field performance
business analyst for Luthe¡an
Brotherhood.
Kindwall '86, Seabrook, S.C.a son, Colin Worth Kindwall, in
Laura (Carlson)'92 and Patrick
Guemsey, St. Paul-a son, lan
Patrick, in March.
July He joins older siblings Ethan,
Kim (Swanson)'93 and Jeff
Lisa (Worth)'85 and Jim
B, Kaitlin, 6, and Allison, 5.
Meslow'92, Pll'rnouth, Minn.-
Karin (Sabo) Mantor'86 and
a daughter,
Jillian, inJune.
2001
her husband, NichoÌas, Bumsville,
Minn.-a son, John Bjorn, in
January He joins older siblings
Emiìy and Thomas.
Amy Leanne Stier,
Christopher Schulz'87 and his
Belle PÌaine,
Minn., marriedJeff Eppen inJune.
wife, Maureen, Omaha,
Neb.-
m
Devean George:
Two-time NBA world champion
C.J.
Beaurline '94
and his wife,
Christin, Coon Rapids,
a son,
Mlnn.-
Simeon John, in May. He
joins older sister Savanna, 2. CJ. is
a sales representative for Unique
TèchnoÌogies, Inc., a distributor of
semiconductors; his wife is a violin
teacher and a Creative Memories
consultant..
The Rev. Steven Dow'95 and
his wife, Sarah Schaffner, Elizabeth,
lll.-a son, lsaac Mark, in
January Steven graduated from
Wartburg Theological Seminary in
May, and was ordalned inJune; he
serves as pastor of St. John
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
Elizabeth.
Jim South '96 and hÍs wife,
Robin, Cottage Grove,
a daughter,
Minn.-
Holly Lynn, in
January
Ally
@2000 NBA Photos.
Photos by Andrew D. Bemstein
Heidi(Wisner)
Staloch '93 and her
husband, Mark, St.
Paul-a son, Mac
Fels, in March.
¡v Don stoner
in professional basketball,
with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Devean George'99 hasjoined a unique fraternity In his first two seasons
he has been a member of two NBA world championship teams
The l¡kers finished thelr back-to-back championship nrn lnJune, rvhen they defeated the
Philadelphia 76ers in five games. After a slow start to the season, the Lnkers dorninated tl-uough the
playoffs, srveeping three series before losing just one gar.ne in the NBA Finals.
Many ol the game's greats have yet to w1n NBA charnpionships, rvhich has given George-arlc1 by
extension, hls Augsburg fans-a special sense of pride.
"I think about thaL stuff aÌl the time," George told the Minneapolis Star-Ttibune in a June 14 srory
dr.rring the NBA Fìnals. "Guys like [Charles] Barkley ancl lPatrick] Ewing never have r.von one . . l'm
just trylng to learn."
Devean George'99, here shooting a basket
during the 1999-01 season, became a tuvotime world champ¡on when the Los
Angeles Lakers won the NBA Finals in June,
George sarv hls role on the clu'b increase in his second season, as he playecl rn 59 regular-season gatnes (one start), averaging
ln seven playofl galne appearances, he avelaged 2.0 points and 0.7 rebonnds per gatne.
3.I points and
1.9 rebouncls per
game.
He will enter the tl'rircl year of a guaranteed contlact with the Lakers in the 2001-02 season, a crucral year for him for his furture in prolessional basketball.
The Lakers hold the optlon on a lòurth season. This pâst snmmer, he excelled in a surnmer pro league for rookies and prospects, leading the L,rkers in
sconng (16,8 potnts per game) ancl rebouncling (7.4 per game), incÌuding two double-doubles in seven games
-Don
Fall 2001
SLow is spotts inlorm(tti.ott cootdhtatot.
4ucssunc Now 2s
ln MerncDriam
Clair Strommen, alumnus and long-time
friend of the College, dies at 77
byLynnMena
C*::-.",
1946 graduate of
Augsburg and past
member of the
Board of Regents,
died of cancer July
20 in his home in
Roseville, Minn., surrounded by his wife,
Gladys (Boxrud)'46, and family members.
"We have lost the advice, the energetic
support, and the profound affection of one
of the remarkable members of the College's
alumni," said Augsburg President William V
Frame.
As a student, Strommen was a member
of Augsburg's basketball and baseball
championship teams. After graduation, he
signed a contract wlth the St. Louis
Cardinals and pitched his way to â top
minor-league club.
Although his dream ol playing for the
major leagues was cut short after he contracted
tuberculosis, Strommen recovered and became a
success in the business world. In 195i, he
returned to Augsburg and served as its public
relations director. F¡om there, he worked as an
agent for Lutheran Brotherhood in Fargo, N.Dak.,
and Moorhead, Minn. In 1960, he founded
Strommen 6q Associates in St. Paul, and made it
Central Life of lowa's ieading agency.
Twenty years later, Strommen returned to
Lutheran Brotherhood in Minneapolis, taking over
as president, chief executive officer, and chairman.
From l9B0 to 1994, he helped build the
organization into one o[ the Ìargest fraternal
insurance companies in the nation.
For more than 50 years, Strommen and his
family have graciousiy contributed their time,
support, and resources to the College. Upon his
retirement in 1994, and in honor of his long and
remarkable sewice, the Lutheran Brotherhood
board designated a gift of $250,000 in his name.
Strommen, along with his wife, Giadys, decided to
give the gift to Augsburg. The Strommen FamiÌy
Business Endowment lvas started, which the
family has committed to fully endow This has
enabled Augsburg to establish a major in
marketing for both day and weekend students.
Clair Strommen Ìs a Distinguished
Alumnus, a former regent, and a member of the
Athletic Hall of Fame. He has received honorary
doctoral degrees lrom Wittenberg University
and St. Olaf College. In l9B2 he was honored
by the insurance industry with the G. Bennet
Serrill Awa¡d, the highest given to a member of
that profession in Minnesota. ln 1992 he
receìved the Wittenberg Award from the Luther
Institute for outstanding service to church and
society.
At Homecoming this October, the
Strommen family will be honored with the
Distinguished Service Award (see story on page
21). He is survived by his wife, Gladys'46;
daughter, Nancy'71 (John-Mark Stensvaag'69);
son, Robert'74 l{ndrea (Johnson)'75ì; and
eight grandchildren.
Chuck Gabrielson, dedicated Auggie and
youth advocate, dies at 45
bylynnMena
1ã
Fharles
lLr.
"Chuck"
cuun.lson, an
alumnus of the Class
1977 , dìed June l2
of colon cancer at. St..
Cloud Hospital in St.
ol
Cloud, Minn. He
was 45.
Gabrielson's passion for Augsburg was
honored during Homecoming 2000, where he
been known to provide special treats for the
choir members as they embarked on tours. He
presented a challenge gift to the 1999 senior
class gift project and also spearheaded the
Augsburg House Shower, which raised almost
$20,000 to purchase 50 place settings of china,
flatwa¡e, and stemware for the ColÌege official
presidentiai residence and gathering pÌace. He
also organized and hosted alumni gatherings in
Arizona, where he worked to establish an
was presented a Spirit of Augsburg Award. He
alumni chapter.
exemplified 'Augsburg spiril through his iongstanding commitment as an alumni volunteer
and faithful donor, by his innovative ideas,
Always active in musìc, Gabrielson
performed with the Dale Warland singers and
Augsburg's Masterworks Chorale and Centennial
Singers. He also performed as a sololst for
numerous weddings and funerals, and served as
and through his unwavering energy as he
continued to press Augsburg forward to realize
its full potential.
Gabrielson served on the Aìumni Board,
represented his cìass as cÌass agent, and
chaired the Class Agent Advisory Council. His
love of music kept him closely involved with
the music department; over the years he had
30
,4ucssunc f{ow
a
choir director and soloist at several churches.
Gabrielson had been active in Republican
Party politics for the past 35 years at the
count¡
state, and national levels, including managing
several successful campaigns
in Minnesota,
North Dakota, and Louisiana. He aÌso served on
the Republican State Central Committee.
From I9B2 to 2000, Gabrielson served as
executive director of Mid-American Baptist
Social Service Corporation (MABSSCO). Under
his leadership, MABSSCO enjoyed substantial
growth in faciÌities, staff, residents, and funding.
The lnitial facility, Gateway, doubled in size and
continued its mission of helping at-risk
adolescent boys. Another
facilit¡
STEP, was
added to heip at-risk teens develop independent
living skills. As recently as 2000, GabrieÌson
Iocated and was instrumental in starting another
group home for at-risk adolescent girls.
In addition, Cabrielson was an associate
member of the Carver County Sheriff's Mounted
Posse, commissioner of Corrections CARE
Advisory Committee, and board member of
Minnesotans for Improved Juvenile Justice. He
was also active ìn fostering and rehabilitating
abandoned and abused animals of all kinds
through his involvement with the Hennepin
Humane Society
Fall 20Ol
)
Harold
F.
Groth'36,
Edina,
Minn., died inJuly; he was 87. He
elementary school teacher and
social worker.
sewed as a lieutenant in the U.S.
Nary during WWII, and was a
3M executive from 1941 untii his
early retirement in 1975. That
same year, he was inducted into
the Augsburg College Athletic Hall
of Fame.
Myrna G. Liebers '67, Marine
on St. Croix, Minn., died of
cancer inJune; she was 56. She
was a library acquisitions assistant
at Augsburg in the 1970s and 'B0s
prior to establishing he¡ own
The Rev. Kenneth M. Englund
'52, Abbotsford, 8.C., Canada,
White, Inc., near Stillwater, Minn.
Her library colleagues and other
died inJune; he was 84. He was
long-time minister with the
Evangeìical Covenant Church.
Augsburg acquaintances especially
remember her keen wit, integrit¡
and compassion toward students.
Marvin W. Field'56,
a
McGregor,
market. research firm, Liebers
Harold'Crusher'
F.
&
Schliep
Minn., died inJuly; he was 73.
'67, Clarks Grove, Minn., died in
Before managing the Carlton
June; he was 55. He was a
member of the Army Reserves at
Fort Snelling from 1966-72, and
worked lor 7 -Up Bouling Co.,
County Electric Co-op from 1979he served in the Army in
Germany and also taught biology
and chemistry. He retired to his
farm in Rice River Township in
I99I. He was a former Golden
Glove Champion in St. Paul.
9I,
LeRoi T. Elias
'58,
Minneapolis,
died inJune; he
was 68. He was
a retired
Northland Beverage, Waste
Systems, and American Bottling
Co. He enjoyed practicaljokes,
hunting, sports, and treasured his
wi[e, kids, and grandchildren.
Patricia (McDonald) Fulton
'71, Bloomington, Minn., died in
JuÌy after a courageous battle with
Please
tell us about the news in
your 1ife, your new 1ob, move,
marriage, and births. Don't forget
lo send photosl
Send yor-rr news items, photos, or
change of address by r.nail to:
his parents, James and Gloria;
sister, Laurie; brothers, Mark and
Matt; his loving gulde dog, Jud;
and many other ìoved ones. He
will be deeply missed by the
Steven Carl Psihos'80,
Chaska, Minn., died inJune; he
was 43. He enjoyed horseback
Augsburg community.
riding; gardening; reading; tiedying clothing with his wife,
lfñriltr:füIîIllEf[lì
Mary; listening to classical music;
and especially spendìng time with
his family.
Jean G.
(Shillinglaw
Tigwell)
Mel Riley'80,
St. Paul, died of
cancer inJune; he was 55. A
highly respected Minnesota sports
figure, Riley was a college
basketball player at both
Augsburg and Concordia
College-St. Paul. He was head
basketball coach at Minneapolis
Community and Technical
College. An avid golfer, he most
recently worked at the Arbor Goìf
Course in Inver Grove Heights,
Minn. He was also a partner with
his wife, Peggy, in their consultant
firm. He hosted Mel Riley\ Sportson-the-Run show, a popular Ìocal
cable-TV sports show
Lindell,
Woodbury,
Mlnn., died in
July; she was
l. A great
friend of Augsburg
College, Jean, along with her
husband, James Llndell '46,
contributed the major gift that
made construction of the James
G. Lindell Library possible. She
was vefy ac[ive in attending
many Augsburg events; many of
her children and grandchildren
were Augsburg graduates. The
Augsburg community has been
very fortunate to knowJean and
will miss her deeply
B
Minneapolis, died unexpectedly in
Maiden name
Class
year or last year attended
Street address
City
ls
this a new address? D Yes
tr
No
E-mail
Home telephone
ls spouse also a
Spouse name
Your news:
zip
State
Employer
For news o[ a cleath, lvritten
nolice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notlce, or program from a
memorial service.
July; he was 32. He is survived by
by sons Aaron,22, and Daniel,
lB, and many other loved ones.
Michael Gustavson'02,
cancer; she was 52. She was an
independent consultant for the
Full name
Send us your news
and photos!
Pampered Chef. She is survived
Position
graduate of Augsburg College?
!
Okay to publish your e-mail address
Work telephone
n Yes n No
lf yes, class yea
Maiden name
_
Augsburg N ow Class Notes,
Augsburg College, CB 146,
221Ì Riverside Ave., Minneapolìs,
MN, 55'154, or
e-n.raÌ1 to
<alumni@au gsburg.
Fall 2O01
edr-r>.
4ucssunc n¡ow
31
A
o
I
o
¡a
I
o
o
I
'%"*¿-*¿a,,,4.
ctober
2I, 2001, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of
Bernhard M. Christensen, Augsburg graduate, professor, and
president from l938-62.
Through the work of the Christensen Endowment, the tangible
legacy that has been made possible by
Augsburg alumni and friends, the principles
and commitment of Bernhard Christensen to
academic integrity and Christian community
can continue to shape our vision.
The following excerpts from a column
written in 1976 by President Oscar A.
Anderson eloquently illustrate Bernhard
Christensen's legacy to Augsburg.
A. Quanbech, assistant professor of
-Phílip
religíon
and member of the Chnstensen
Endowment Committee
Bernhard M, Christensen
Bernhard M. Christensen and his wife, Lilly Gracia
Ø-*t
t@o"o*
r. Christensen was president of Augsburg for 24 years and
before that served as a professor here. He, perhaps more
Now, I confess to a presenl and personal uneasiness at this
point. Have I been as dedicated to "the inner pilgrimage" as I am to
than any other person, brought Augsburg College into
the outward progress at Augsburg College? When a1l is said and
the modern era as an accredited American college.
done, have we at Augsburg maintained some peculiarity of the
The book he has written lThe Inward Pilgnmagel, however, is a
powerfui reminder to all of us at Augsburg today that Dr.
heart which imprints those who teach and learn and earn here? Or
Christensen's most significant contribution was to the essentìal
us have amassed, enjoyrng the interest but not replenishing the
spirit of this institution-the essential Christian spirit of Augsburg
principal? Are we content to let the Christianness of Augsburg be
simply an old historical notion rather than a present day reality?
College.
He knew that this college had as its purpose the freeing of the
are we simpiy living off the "spiritual capital" which others before
The real future of this college lies not in a prestigious facult¡
a
mlnd for the rigorous and relentless pursuit of truth. He kneq
briliiant student body, a splendid campus, or a balanced budget
also, that thÌs college required a body, so-to-speak, namely, the
with all the emoluments everyone
physical and programmatic facilities essential to the fulfillment of
its mission. He was, in every way, a builder. But most important of
the nurture of distinctive attitudes toward truth and 1ife, toward
God's good Creation and His beloved human family. It lies in an
all, he will be remembered as a president who was dedicated to the
proposition that a college is essentially spirit-that mind and body
unapologetic bias toward the Spirit of Jesus, whose Living Presence
we have just celebrated at Easter.
function according to inner dictates, that education without
direction is dangerous, that "out of the heart are the issues of life."
32
,4UCSBUnC ruOW
-Excerpts
desires.
It lies beyond
these,
in
Jrom "Augsburg Confesstons," Augsburg Echo,
Apnl 30, 1976.
Fall 2O01
)
o
¡a
t
a,
o
Music
For more information on any oJ these eyents
(unl e s s o t"het'wis e note d), c all 6 1 2 - 3 3 0 - 1 2 6 5
October 13
Homecoming Concert Band and Jazz
Band Alumni Concert
I 1 a.m.-Hoversten Chapel
Theatre
November
Writing the History of Working
2-\1
Our Town
by Thorton Wilder; dlrector, Julle Bolton
Performances: Nov 2, 3, B, 9, t0 at 7 p.m.;
Nov.4andllat2p.m.
-I.1-ornhom-Nelson
Theater, Foss Center
For tlcket information, caII 612,330-1257
October 14
Faculty Recital, Stephen Gabrielsen '63
4 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
October 23
Riverside Singers and Men's Chorus
Concert
7: 30 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
David Roediger, Unlversity of lllinois-Urbana
10 a.m., Convocation-Hoversten Chapel
October 2ó
Lecture by Earl Hightoweri on addiction
intervention and treatment coordination
7 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
For information, call StepUP program,
612-330-t405
Exhibits
For gallery inJormation, call 612-330-1524.
November 6
September l4-October 24
"Sexually Speaking with Dr. Ruth"
"Woodgrain: Vertical and Horizontal,
With and Without Knots"
by Patricia Scott
Gage Family Gallery, Lindell Library
October 25-27
Class
Relations"
Ruth Westheimer, psychosexual therapist
7:30 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
For information, call 612-330-1124
Opening reception, Sept. 14, 6-9 p.m.
November 15-1ó
Featuring Masterworks Chorale (see story
October B-14
on page 5).
7:30 p.m.-Central Lutheran Church,
Minneapolis
For tickets, call TicketWorks at 612-3433390 or visit www.ticketworks.com
Augsburg Homecoming Art Show
"The lnfluence of Afro-American Culture
on American Music"
William C. Banfield, University of St.
Luther
Paintings, photography, and sculpture by
Augsburg alumni
Thomas
Alumni
Ensemble
7 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
GaIIery, Chrlstensen Center
l\ovember 9-December 19
November 19
"Seamless: An Exhibition
Augsburg Orchestra Concert
7 p.m.-Sateren AudiLorium
of Paper
Garments"
by Erica Spitzer Rasmussen
Gage Family Gallery, Lindell Library
November 20
Opening receptìon, Nov. 9, 6-9 p.m.
Augsburg Concert Band Concert
September 1B
1
.Advent Vespers
Nov. 30-6 and 9 p.m.
Dec. I-5 and 8 p.m.
Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
For information, call 612-330-1265
December 7-B
1 th Annual Benefit Concert and Silent
Auction, Center for Global Education
7 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
"Some Leaders are Born Women"
Sarah Weddington, attorney, former
presidential special assistant
7:30 p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
For information, call 612-330-1124
Septenrber 23*24
2001 Christensen Symposium
"Global and Local Neighbors: Christian
Faith across Cultures"
Dr. Lamin Sanneh, Yale University
For schedule, see page 2
For ticket informatlon, call 612-330-Ì159
December 9
Augsburg lazz Ênsemble Concert
4 p.m.-Hoversten ChaPel
December 6
"The Legacy of Matthew Shepard"
Judy Shepard, speaker and activist
p.m.-Hoversten Chapel
Seminars, Lectures, and Films
Minneapolis
or l-800-299-8889
Nov. 16, Convocation
10 a.m.-Hoversten Chapel
B
7 p.m.-Central Lutheran Church,
November 3O-Decernber
Nov. 15, Concert, AugsburgJazz
October
B
"An Evening with Maya Angelou,,
7:30 p.m.-Melby Hall
For tickers: TicketWorks, 612-343-3390,
or www. ticketworks.com
December 10
October 22
Chamber Music Recital
7 p.m.-Satcren Audit orium
"Counting lncidents or Telling Tragedies?
Other Events
October B-14
Homecoming and Family Week 2001
"Augsburg on Parade"
October
B
Diversity Scholarship Day
l0:20 a.m.-Special Chapel service
For information, call 612-330-1 180
Octobe:' 13
5th Annual M. Anita Gay Hawthorne
lazz and Poetry Bash
7 30 p.m.-Tj ornhom-Nelson Theater
For information, call 612-330-1022
:
November 30
Velkommen Jul
I0:20 a.m.-Special Chapel
service
For information, call 612-330-1 180
10:
l5 a.m.-Hoversten
ll a.m.-2
Chapel
p.m., ChrÌstensen Center,
featuring Scandinavian treats and gifts
HOMECOMING & EAMILY \üíEEK 2001
AUGSBURG on
OCTOBER S-14
a
Q.e9ede
Honoring the 2001 Distinguished Alumni
George S. Dahlmarr'72, Burton R. Fosse'44,
Kathleen D. Lake '76, and Neal O. Thorpe '60
Saluting the Golden Anniversary Class of 1951
and the reunion classes of 1951, 1961,1976, and 1991
Looh
for detøils in the special Homecoming
sectíon, pnges
23-25
UGSBURG
A
COLLEGE
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
J211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
PAID
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Augsburg Now Fall 2009: Making It Possible
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T V
.a
The Magazine of Augsburg College
English 111 Bishop Marl< Hanson
Annual report Velkommen Jul sweets
Homecoming 2009 Professor Lisa Jacl<
'J
!.,
þ
Ir
possrible
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norga rd@a ugsbu rg.ed
u
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza '05 MAL
ru mpza@augsburg.edu
fro...
Show more
T V
.a
The Magazine of Augsburg College
English 111 Bishop Marl< Hanson
Annual report Velkommen Jul sweets
Homecoming 2009 Professor Lisa Jacl<
'J
!.,
þ
Ir
possrible
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norga rd@a ugsbu rg.ed
u
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza '05 MAL
ru mpza@augsburg.edu
from President Pribbenow
Creative Associate-Editorial
Wendi Wheeler'06
wheelerw@a ugsbu rg.ed u
Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski'08
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geff re@a ugsburg.edu
.
few years ago my good friend and predecessor as Augsburg's president, Bill Frame,
introduced me to Burton Clark's work on the
concept of saga as it relates to the distinctive character and identity of colleges and universities. A saga, according to Clark, is more than
story-all of us
a
have stories. A saga is more of a
mythology-a sense of history and purpose and
direction that is told in vocabulary and narrative that
accounts for a college's DNA, its essence even-and
it abides in the people, programs, and values that
define an institution.
Clark contends that not every institution has a
saga. Sometimes this is a function of not being true
to founding values. At other times it can be occasioned by a change of location or core mission. Still
other institutions have not found a way to link theìr
pasts, presents, and futures in a coherent narrative.
I believe firmly that Augsburg does have a saga,
and it runs deep in the culture and meaning of our
work here together. My exploration of Augsburg's rich
history has surfaced several themes that are central
to our saga. I think you will recognize them:
founders who believed that education should be for
all, no matter their circumstances, and that the
quality of that education should be of the highest
order because that is what God expects of those
faithful servants who have been given the gift to
teach. This is our distinctive gift for the world, an
educational experience like no other available to
those who might otherwise not have the opportunity.
This is our distinctive gift for students from many
different backgrounds and experiences. This is our
distinctive gift to have a community in which access
to education is celebrated and encouraged and, yes,
even demanded. We dare not keep back any of the
educational opportunity with which we have been
entrusted because it is our distinctive gift from our
You
will read in the following
rent students and alumni who have been welcomed
at Augsburg and offered a demanding and relevant
education that serves them for a lifetime. ln these
stories I trust that you will find-as I have come to
know in my experience here-that our saga, our
DNA, our values, and character lead us to pursue
the pursuit of freedom through a liberal arts
approach to learning, by serving our neighbor and
the world, and by the centrality of faith to our vision
Augsburg experience available to all who will be
formed by our college's rare and distinctive vision of
education for lives of meaningful work and faithful
of education.
service. lt's a saga worth retelling and celebrating!
Another central theme in our saga is powerfully
illustrated in the articles in this issue of the
Augsburg's high-quality education accessible to all
learning, and service. Our commitment to an accessible education is a remarkable legacy from our
Jeff Shelman
shelman@a ugsbu rg.edu
Sports lnformation Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.ed
u
l)irector of Alumni and
Constituent Relations
Kim Stone
stonek@a ugsbu rg.ed
u
wwwaugsburg.edu
I
I
Augsburg Nowis published by
Augsburg College
f
I
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
I
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221 1 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
0pinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
lr
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tssN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to
Advancement Services
cB t42
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
hea lyk@a ugsb
We believe deeply in making
those who seek to learn at the intersections of faith,
Director of l{ews and
Media Services
pages about cur-
ever more avidly a commitment to making an
/Vor.,r¡.
barnesb@a ugsburg.ed u
ancestors and our gracious and loving God.
Augsburg is shaped by an immigrant sensibility, by
Augsburg
Webmaster//far 0nline
Bryan Barnes
u
rg.ed u
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1 181
Fax:612-330-1780
fall 2009
Features
English 111
compiled by Wendi Wheeler '06
Velkommen Jul's sweet traditions
compiled by Betsey Norgard
Finding perspective
by
Jeff Shel
man
Iliscovering joy in the challenges of leadership
by
Jeff Shelman
Making Augsburg possible
by Wendi Wheeler '06
Annual report to donors, 2008-09
ct)
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Depa rtments
4
Around the Ouad
6
Spotlight-Trip to Egypt
I
Auggies on the field
g
It takes an Auggie
12
Auggie voices
't3
Homecoming 2009
47
Alumni news
52
Class notes
56
My Auggie experience
0n the cover
Juventino Meza Rodriguez arrived in St. Paul from Mexico at age 15
Through determination, hard work, and a lot of support, he's one of
the many students helped into college by Admission Possible.
6 ffi
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All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
6
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First-year day students began their semester with
City Service Day, spending an afternoon working on
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Augsburg keeps going green
Sustainability Awareness Month
September on campus not only included the beginning of fall
classes, but a month-long series of events and activities
designed to raise awareness and change habits related to
sustai nabi I ity.
Sustainability Awareness Month (SAM) was the brainchild of
Augsburg students, several of whom participated in faculty-led
study abroad programs, including Sustainable Cities in North
America with Professors Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer in
the summer of 2008.
After students in the course worked with A'viands to create a
composting program in Augsburg's dining facilities last year,
their next step toward a more environmentally friendly and sus-
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Augsburg was the afternoon location of the West Bank Farmers Market each week, bringing
fresh, locally-grown vegetables to the Augsburg community.
tainable campus was a month of events.
"We want this to bring the campus together," said senior
Kjerstin Hagen, a leader on the project. "lt takes all of us to
e
make this happen."
Each week was centered around a different theme, with
tabling, information, activities, and speakers, including nationally known author and activist, Bill McKibben. The themes for
SAM were waste reduction and management, alternative trans-
portation, alternative energy and consumption, and connecting
communitìes through food.
Community Garden and Farmers Market
Augsburg's community garden increased this summer as an additional area was turned into garden plots. A total of 40 plots grew
produce and flowers for the Augsburg community and neighborhood residents and organizations.
didn't grow their own vegetables in the commugarden,
nity
fresh produce was available each week on campus
at the West Bank Farmers Market, a project of the Brian Coyle
Augsburg students joined 5,000 groups around the world that marked the lnternati0nal
Day of Climate Action sponsored by 350.0rg. The number signifies the highest safe level of
carbon emissions in parts per million.
For those who
Center and Augsburg Campus Kitchen. Three farm families sold
their locally-grown and eco-friendly vegetables and herbs during
the summer and into the early cold fall at Brian Coyle Center in
bring about action to reduce atmospheric carbon emissions to 350
ppm, deemed the highest safe level by NASA scientists.
Auggie students led bikers to the State Capitol for a rally on the
Capitol lawn, sponsored by the Will Steger Foundation, Oxfam, 1Sky,
and Augsburg in support of global climate change action. Rep. Betty
the morning and at Augsburg by Foss Center in the afternoon.
McOollum and Rep. Keith Ellison, among other legislators, told
those gathered to "keep your voices loud."
350 lnternational l)ay of Climate Action
Augsburg students planned a full day on October 24 as part of
the lnternational Day of Climate Action, the project of Bill
The bikers arrived back on campus in time to join a crowd at halftime on the footballfield for a photo that was posted online at
McKibben and 350.0rg. Activities around the world aimed to
and Day Student Body Government.
4
www.350.org. The halftime event was sponsored by Campus Ministry
Augsburg Now
I
7-
Mayor meets with students
After returning from New Zealand last summer,
Richmond Appleton '09 was so enthusiastic that he
wrote a letter t0 Minneapolis mayor
R.T. Rybak.
Applelon was in l{ew Zealand lor five weeks
with 25 students led by biology professor Brian
Corner and political science professor loe
Underhill to study Biodiversity and Environmental
Politics. "tveryone is aware of the environment,
of sustainability, of food production, and energy
use. From the north island to the south island,
everything is consistent."
Appleton, a senior environmental studies maior,
Ever Cat Fuels in lsanti, Minn., opened its plant t0 produce biodiesel from the Mcgyan process, which has
student, faculty, and alumni r00ts at Augsburg.
Ever Cat Fuels opens in lsanti
Minneapolis. He contacted Rybak, a strong sup-
What began as a student research project in a Science Hall laboratory made
another step toward changing how fuel will be produced in the future when Ever
porter of sustainability efforts, who welcomed
Cat Fuels held a grand opening for its biodiesel plant in late September.
wanted to bring ideas from l{ew Zealand back to
such a meeting.
Kjerstin Hagen'10, an American lndian studies
major who studied urban sustainability last summer in Portland, 0re., and Vancouver, 8.C., joined
The plant, located about 40 miles north of campus in lsanti, Minn., is expected to
produce about 3 million gallons of biodiesel per year when fully operational. lt represents the first large-scale application of the Mcgyan process of making biodiesel.
The Mcgyan process came out of research by Augsburg undergraduate and
Appleton at the meeting. She was one of the stu-
Rhodes scholar Brian Krohn'08 and creates biodiesel from waste oils. The process
dents involved in implementing Augsburg's com-
doesn't require food stock to work and doesn't create any waste products.
The Mcgyan process-named for Ever Cat Fuels founder and Augsburg alumnus
posting program and planning Sustainability
Awareness Month.
Ihe students shared their travel experiences
with Rybak and told him about ongoing sustainability efforts at Augsburg, many of which were initiated by students. "Augsburg is doing exactly what
I believe in," Rybak said.
The three agreed that informing and educating
the community is an important factor in promoting
urban sustainability. Rybak encouraged Appleton
Clayton McNeff '91, Augsburg chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg, and Ever Cat scientist Ben Yan-has certainly attracted a lot of attention.
"When I see something like this, it's everythingthat we talk about in
Washington," said U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who spoke at the grand opening.
McNeff said Ever Cat Fuels is already planning to expand its facility in lsanti. ln
addition, the company is licensing the Mcgyan process, and it is expected that
other biodiesel facilities will be built across the country and the world.
McNeff also said that a donation to Augsburg's planned Center for Science,
Business, and Religion will be made for each gallon of biodiesel sold.
and Hagen to sign up for one of the city's committees so that they could continue lheir work outside
of Augsburg.
22nd Annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum
Striving for Peace: A Question 0f Will
March 5-6, 2010 at Augsburg College
Honoring 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Martti Ahtisaari
lnternational peace negotialor
and former president of Finland
www.peaceprizeforum.org
Sponsored by Augsburg College, Augustana College (Sioux Falls), Concordia College
(Moorhead), luther College, and St. 0laf College
Fall
2009
5
around the
Augsburg's first travel to Egypt
As a child, I spent most of my summers in Egypt. When I became
language and culture. After learning about the history of Nubia and
director of the Pan-Afrikan Center, I proposed taking students to
Egypt so they could study in a country with both a rich history and
current events of interest. After a year-and-a-half of planning and
its relationship to Egypt, the students spent the day with a Nubian
community located in Aswan.
We later ventured to Hurghada, a city on the Red Sea located in
the Eastern Desert. We drove over an hour to visit a Bedouin community with only 30 members. Due to the harsh nature of the
desert, all of their water comes from a local well, and they raise
the animals needed to survive. We shared a meal with this community, which allowed the students to experience the vast expanse
and isolation of the desert. lt was eye-opening to see what it takes
to survive there.
0ur trip to Egypt evoked a lot of thoughts and feelings within
our students. They had to interact with people who speak different
languages, practice different religions, and come from a very differ-
collaborating with Professor Phil Adamo, who teaches ancient history at Augsburg, we arrived last May in Cairo wilh 22 students. We
began our journey in Africa's largest city, a 1,OOO-year-old metropolis that is home to more than 20 million people. Beyond Cairo,
our three-week excursion took us through Alexandria, Luxor,
Aswan, and Hurghada.
0ur two courses covered Ethnicity and ldentity in Ancient and
Modern Egypt, focusing on Egypt's ancient past and exploring its
modern identity, including a discussion of religion. Although Egypt
has an overwhelming Muslim majority there is also a significant
Orthodox Christian community. As such, students visited some of
the oldest lslamic mosques and Christian churches and monasteries in the world. 0ne stop was Al-Azhar University and mosque,
which is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the
world. We later went to the Hanging Church, one of the sites said
to have been visited by Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Outside of Cairo,
we visited St. Makarios Monastery, another monastery on the Holy
Family's travels through Egypt.
ln discussing Egypt's place in the ancient world, we acknowledged that ancìent Egyptian
society is often over-romanti-
cized, Ieading to a diff iculty in
reconciling the past with the
current state of affairs. To give
context and help students
understand the many changes
Egypt has undergone, we
explored Egypt's relations with
its neighbors, both past and
present. Our f irst stop, Abu
Simbel, is an ancient temple
built by the Egyptians, in an
area then known as Nubia, to
show Egypt's dominance in the
region. Although Nubia is no
longer a separate kingdom, the
Nubian people have a distinct
6
Augsburg Now
È
ent worldview. We challenged stereotypes, explored history, and
dug deep into what it means to be an American traveling overseas.
cities, resorts, mountains, and deserts on our
quest to learn more about Egypt. lt was a wonderful experience to
take students to the place where my family originated, and I look
forward to possibly going back.
We traveled through
MOHAMED SALLAM
Director of the Pan-Afrikan Center and instructor in the Departments of Sociology and History
a7-
Two new regents elected to board
The Augsburg Corporation,
at its annual meeting in
September, elected two new
members to the Board of
NEW
Bt00MlNGIf)l{ CEI{TER-Augsburg students
can now study toward an MBA or a Master of Arts in
Leadership degree in Bloomingon at St. Stephen
Regents and re-elected six
lutheran Church, conveniently located near l-494
others.
and France Ave. For graduates of nearby
Elected to a four-year
term on the Augsburg Board
of Regents:
Ann Ashton-Piper (above
left)
Ann Ashton-Piper is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and has worked
extensively in the information technology field and is president of The Bridgie
Group, a small lT consulting firm. She is active in her church, Peace Lutheran
Church in Bloomington, where she recently chaired the Call Committee. She
and her husband, Ken, who is an architect, are also active in theìr community,
supporting local nonprofit and charitable organizations such as Lake Country
School, Groves Academy, and the Children's Theater Company. They have five
children and live in Bloomington.
Normandale Community Gollege, a bachelor's
degree completion program (AA to BA)
i¡
communi-
cation studies or business administration is
planned at the new Bloomington Center.
NEW S()ClAl- W0R|íMBA DUAL DEGREE-A new
MSWMBA dual degree is specifically designed
for
MSW alumni who completed the Program I)evelop-
ment, Policy, and Administration (PDPA) c0ncentra-
tion; it will offer the knowledge, experience, and
values necessary for success in both business and
human services systems.
Lisa Novotny'80 (above right)
URBAII DEBATE IEAûUE AT AUûSBURG-llow part
Lisa Novotny'80 is vice president, Human Resources at General Mills, and
Augsburg's Sabo Genter for Citizenship and Learn-
has responsibility for human resource strategy and leadership across the sup-
ing, the Minnesota Urban Debate league (MNUI)L)
ply chain and iechnology organization. Prior to General Mills, she held similar
positions for Dain Bosworth and First Bank System. Novotny received her
sponsors six high school programs and three junior
Bachelor of Science degree in social work and Spanish from Augsburg College
St. Paul, serving several hundred students, teach-
ol
high school debate programs in Minneapolis and
in 1980 and a Master of Arts in industrial relations from the University of Min-
ers, and coaches. lt is one ol the college-readiness
nesota. She and her husband, Rev. lVìark Flaten, are members of Edina Community Lutheran Church. They have two daughters; one of them is a current
partnerships Augsburg supp0rts t0 provide access
to underserved and low-income high school stu-
Augsburg sophomore.
dents in the Twin Cities.
Elected to a second, six-year term was:
'65, chairman, Swenson Anderson Financial Group
"LlVE l-lFE
. Dan Anderson
AT THE STRETï
LEVEI"-Day student
body president Sam Smith welcomed first-year
Elected to second, four-year terms were:
Hagfors, founder and president (retired), Norsen, lnc.
. Jodi Harpstead, chief operating officer, Lutheran Social Service of lVìinnesota
. Dean Kennedy'75, president, TFI Securities
. Marie McNeff, academic dean (retired) and professor emerita of education,
. Norman
.
Augsburg College
Paul Mueller'84, physician and chair of internal medìcine, Mayo Clinic
students at the opening convocation with a mes-
sa!e: "At Augsburg my life and my learning have
been enriched by the constant reminder thal the
city and the community are the largest classrooms
you can find.
... Where I currently live,
on the
l3th floor of Mortensen Hall, the view of downtown
Minneapolis is both beautiful and intimidating. Up
that high, it's impossible to make out faces or
street signs. At street level, though, life in the
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Cedar-Riverside and Seward neighborhoods
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doesn'l seem as complicated, foreign, or hectic
as it appears from the bedroom. My hope [is that
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youJ will evenlually learn to live life in the city at
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Campus Kitchen wins youth philanthropy award
{ugsburg's Campus Kitchen program was honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals with the Outstanding Youth Award
for 2009 at National Philanthropy Day in Minneapolis in November. Augsburg students were recognized for the program they
largely plan and run that serves more than 1,700 meals each
month to low-income and homeless persons, and communities in
need in the Cedar-Riverside and Phillips neighborhoods.
The student leadership team of 8-12 Augsburg student volunteers provides the essential component for the program-people
power. Under direction of the staff coordinator and two student
interns, the team coordinates other volunteers for three cooking
shifts and six food deliveries each week. Meals are prepared, stored
overnight, and delivered the following day. The students also gìve
of their heart, providing conversation and offering companionship
to the individuals they serve.
The Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College was established in
October 2003 and is one of only 15 Campus Kitchen organizations
around the country. The program brings together the college dining
service, local community groups, and individuals to plan, prepare,
The Campus K¡tchen at Augsburg received the y0uth philanthr0py award, recognizing
lhe work ol the students and volunteers who serve 1,700 meals per month in the
neighborhoods around Augsburg.
deliver, and serve meals.
ln the past two years, Campus Kitchen has expanded its activities:
.
A'viands food service-From their arrival at Augsburg ìn June
2008, A'viands, a local food service provider, has embraced
Campus Kitchen and provides access to food that would otherwise be thrown away. Donations also come from community food-
.
. Summer Garden
and Nutrition Education Project-Augsburg students teach neighborhood youth from the Brian Coyle Community
Center and Somali Confederation about health, nutrition, garden-
banks and other institutions.
.
Communìty Supported Agriculture (CSA)-Campus Kitchen is the
site coordinator for all Augsburg CSA shares and receìves six
shares through Ploughshare Farm's Food for Folk Project.
Community garden-Over three years, Augsburg's community garden has provided space for neighborhood residents, Augsburg
employees, and community organizations to grow their own food.
ing skills, and cooking nutritious meals.
.
West Bank Farmers Market-ln partnership with the Coyle
Center, local farmers selltheir produce once a week during the
summer in the morning at Coyle Center and in the afternoon at
Augsburg-and often donate unsold food to Campus Kitchen.
. Service-learning-Augsburg
history students get hands-on learning about how resources are collected, distrìbuted, and controlled
in the "living text" of Augsburg's Campus Kitchen.
ln its six years, Campus Kitchen has been the recipient of three
awards recognizing the program's outstanding service and
achievements: Student Organization of the Year, given by
Augsburg College; Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award, given by
World Hunger Year in 2OO4; and the Great ldea Award, given by
America's Promise. Read more about Campus Kitchen at
www.
a
ugsbu rg. ed u/cam puskitchen.
BTTSEY NORGARD
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View more photos and learn more about why Campus Kitchen was nominated
for the youth philanthropy award at www.augsburg.edu/now
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age 77, Herb Chilstrom '54 got an offer he couldn't refuse. The retired ELCA
presiding bishop was invited to serve as interim director of the Linnaeus Arboretum
at Gustavus Adolphus College while its director is overseas for ayear. The transition
from Chilstrom's 50-plus years as pastor and bishop to administrative gardener, he
AI
tells his friends, was easy: "l'm going from tending flocks to tending phlox."
Chilstrom gained an appreciation and love for gardening from his mother, a gardener ahead of her time who, along with her husband, pul organically grown food
on their table. He pursued that interest in retirement when he studied to become a
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master gardener.
"lt turned out to
be one of the most enjoyable educational experiences l've ever
had," he says.
When the Chilstroms moved to a townhome in St. Peter, Minn., Herb volunteered
his services to the arboretum. For seven years he nurtured flowerbeds back to
blooming beauty and created a vegetable garden behind the restored settlers'
cabin-which was a necessity for every settler, as well as his own family, During this
time the arboretum began to restore more than 80 acres back to its native prairie.
Now as interim director, he has enjoyed launching "The Linnaeus Order of
Nasturtiums," a cadre of volunteers who tend the arboretum's flora. lVlostly retirees,
the order has "taken off like gangbusters," Chilstrom says. Despite the initiation,
that is, which requires each volunteer to eat a nasturtium blossom laced with
cream cheese.
"People are almost begging to get into the order," says Chilstrom. He has
recruited 20 volunteers in two months, and all have passed the initiation.
For Chilstrom, this second "calling" also has theological roots. He says that
while Lutherans consider Christ's life, death, and resurrection in the Second Article
of the Creed as the heart of Christian faith, "we may have emphasized it to the
point where we don't appreciate as much as we should the First Article, about creation as the gift of God."
"Being involved in a place like the arboretum," Chilstrom continues, "gives me a
chance to create some balance, to be committed to making this place as beautiful
as it can be in a world that is quite broken, where we don't appreciate the gifts of
nature, and where there's so much desecration of the environment."
It's also a chance for some historical reflection. Chilstrom recounts how so many
settlers, including his great-grandparents, arrived in lVìinnesota penniless and
began breaking up the prairie, with disregard for Native peoples and their land.
"Now when we recapture part of that into native prairie, we are helping people
step back and think about what it was like for Native Americans to live here, how
they survived in that setting, and the beauty of the prairie," he says.
ln sum, Chilstrom says, "lfeel that in my retirement I've been uniquely blessed
to be located in a place like this where I can think about some of these good ihings
that are important to us."
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HfIMECOMING 2OO9
September 28-0ctober 4
Despite the rains and chilly weather, spirits were high at the 2009
Auggie Adventure, as hundreds of alumni, students, faculty/staff,
and friends celebrated Homecoming. 0ueen Jamie Krumenauer
and King Kevin Khottavongsa presided at the football game halftime festivities and cheered the Auggies despite their loss to
Hamline, 38-28. Alums sampled classes from Augsburg professors, met fellow alumni authors, enjoyed their reunions, and
ended the weekend with a bang at the fireworks display.
Fall
2009
13
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1
2009
Augg¡e Adventure
14
Augsburg Now
DISTINGUISHEIl ALUMNI
FIRST ]lECA]lE AWARIl
Tove Dahl'84 and Curt Rice'84
Tove Dah
l-Associate
Professor,
Psychology, University of Tromsø, Norway
Curt Rice-Director, Center for Advanced
Study in Theoretical Linguistics, University
Brenda Talarico, '99 PA
Assistant Professor, Physician
Assistant Program, Augsburg Col lege
of TromsØ, Norway
SPIRIT fIF AUGSBURG
AWARD
Phebe Hanson '50
Poet, teacher, founding member of
The Loft Literary Center
James E. Haglund, Augsburg Regent
Emeritus and Parent
President and Owner, Central
Contai ner Corporation ; Co-owner of
Spectrum Screen Printing
Joyce (Anderson) Pfaff '65
Professor Emerita of Health and
Physical Education, Augsburg College
2flO9 ATHLETIC HALL flF FAME
Bob Arvold '82, Wrestlìng
Joel Engel '87, lvlen's Basketball
Matt Farley'88, Baseball
Dallas Miller'88, lvìen's Hockey
Ruth 0lson '60, Women's Basketball
Sonja Slack Payne '91, Softbatt, Tennis
Drew Privette '89, Football, Men's Hockey
Richard Thorud '56
Daniel Roff '82, Football
Retired engineer, Toro Company
Stefanie Lodermeier Strusz '98, women's Basketball
@
For more aboul Homecoming and the alumni award winners, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall
2009
15
THE DESTINATION IS THE SAME: EARNING A COLLEGE DEGREE. BUT THE PATHS
TO THAT CAN BE AS DIFFERENT AS DAY AND WEEKEND/EVENING.
For many, Augsburg College is a traditional liberal arts college with 18- to 22-year-olds
ENGLISH
living on or near campus. lt's the place where they went just a few months after graduating from high school and spent the next four years.
There is another side to Augsburg as well. lt's one where classes are held on Fridays,
Saturdays, Sundays, and some evenings. ln this evening and weekend program, students
are older, they are more likely to have a full-time job, and they often juggle more family
responsibilities than traditional day students. They study in both Rochester and
lVinneapolis, at four locations.
While the two groups are demographically different, the education they receive is as
close to the same as possible. For example, business majors in the day program take the
same courses as business majors in the evening and weekend program at all locations.
Where the education differs has more to do with the life experiences students bring to
the classroom.
As one way to see this, we talked to students and faculty members in a day and
weekend section of English 111. This class, Effective Writing, is one that nearly every
Augsburg student takes. As seen in their favorite books and authors, the younger day
students tend toward escape fantasy and horror fiction, exploring the dark and the
macabre. The older weekend/evening students show more interest in philosophy, psychology, and spìrituality-perhaps seekìng more understanding, meaning, and comfort
their lives. Enjoy "meeting" these Augsburg students.
COMPILED BY WENDI WHEELER
16
Augsburg Now
in
by the numbers
EVENINû/WËEKENI)
UNI|ERGRADUATE
PR0GRAM (Minneapolis Campus)
DAY UNDERGRAI)UATE PR()GRAM
Total students enrolled: 809
Total students enrolled: 2,01 3
Average age: 35
Average age:
Male/female rat¡o: 37/63
21
Male/female ratio: 50/50
Students of color: l5%
Students of color (total): 25%
Students of color (first-year class): 42%
Fall
2009
17
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{Ulli lli E}l
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sweet trad¡t¡ons
Velkommen Jul is one of Augsburg's most popular traditions, a Scandinavìan
welcome to the holiday season. Augsburg alumni and friends look forward each
year to the splendid banquet of sweets and treats provided by the Augsburg
Associates.
Enjoy these cookie recipes that come from the hands and hearts of the
Associates. Some recipes date back generations to family members who
attended Augsburg Seminary in the late 1800s.
JOIN US AT VELKOMIVìEN JUL ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4,
BEGINNING WITH CHAPEL AT 10:15 A.M.
COMPILED BY BETSEY NORGARD
Fall
2009
19
{
{
Grandma Rand's Krumkake
1 pt. whipping cream
1 c. sugar
l tsp. vanilla
2 c. f|our
Pinch of salt
1 c. milk
Whip cream until stiff . Add sugar gradually. Mix vanilla and
add flour and salt, which have been sifted together. Add milk
slowly, beating constantly. Bake in krumkake iron, a teaspoon-
ful at a time (no more). Remove from iron and roll immediately.
Makes about 10 dozen.
Fattigmann
Berliner Kranser
Þ
6
6
6
2
6
egg yolks, 3 egg whites
Tbl. sugar
Tbl. cream
Tbl. melted butter
2 hard cooked egg yolks
Il2 c. sugar
2 raw egg yolks
1 c. butter
f
2-712 c. flour (use less)
fat for frying
cardamom seeds
lour
salt
van
Beat egg yolks and whites together until
illa
thick and lemon colored. Add sugar and
Mash cooked egg yolks with fork. Add sugar and
continue beating; add cream and beat
again; blend in butter. Crush cardamom
seeds to powder and add with enough
flour to make a dough f irm enough to roll
work into a wet and pasty mixture. Add raw egg
yolks and mix well. Add butter and mix. Add flour,
salt, and vanilla. Take dough about the size of a
walnut and roll into pencil shape about seven
inches long. Form a ring, overlap ends (like a pret-
Roll thin as paper, cut into diamond
shapes about 5 x
sprinkle with powdered sugar.
*
Augsburg Now
inches. Deep-fry
brown. Drain on absorbent paper and
e,
20
2-Il2
in hot fat 2-3 minutes or until golden
zel). Dip in raw egg white, then into crushed loaf
sugar. Bake a|325 degrees until light brown.
Mom's Rosettes
4,t
I
1
1
I
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbl. sugar
3/4 c. milk (can use whole or skim)
.#
dü
Il4 c. waler
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. f lour
canola or vegetable oil for deep frying
Heat oil in a deepfryer to 375 degrees. (Be sure to
have a thermometer in the oil as you fry the
rosettes and maintain an average of 375.) Put the
rosette iron in the oil as it heats-a hot iron and
oil temperature are most important for crisp
rosettes.
Jule Spritz
{
1 c. butter
1 tsp. almond extract
2-tl2 c. flour
Batter: ln a deep bowl, lightly whip the eggs, salt,
and sugar with a fork, just to mix. Don't overbeat
it. Combine the milk, water, and vanilla. Alternately add 1/3 of the liquid and 1/3 of the flour to
the egg mixture and repeat until all are mixed. lf
the batter isn't smooth, put through a sieve to
remove the lumps.
4 small egg yolks (or 3 large)
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Cream sugar and butter, add almond extract
and egg yolks and beat well. Add flour and
salt. Put cookie dough in cookie press and
press out cookies on cookie sheet. Decorate
Lay out paper toweling on cookie sheets to cool the
rosettes after frying. Have a bowl of sugar for dipping the hot rosette into after it comes off the iron.
with red and green sugar. Bake about 12
minutes at 400 degrees.
A couple of forks will be useful to remove the
rosette from the iron.
With hot oil and hot iron a|375 degrees, and
absorbent cloth or several paper towels ready,
quickly remove the rosette iron from the oil,
quickly shake off any excess oil over the deepfryer,
dab the iron on the paper towel, and quickly
immerse the iron into the rosette batter-not going
over the top edge of the rosette iron-and quickly
return the iron to the deepfryer. After about 15-20
seconds in the oil for a light brown color, gently
remove the rosette from the iron using a fork. Be
sure to keep the iron in the oil heating as the
rosette continues to brown; turn it with the forks to
get uniform browning; and remove from the oil
with the forks and place on paper toweling with
the hollow side down to drain off any excess oil
While warm, dip in sugar. Cool completely and
store in large cookie tin in a cool place. Makes
approximately 36 rosettes.
Fall
2009
21
Ð
perspective
BY JEFF SHTLMAN
I
22
Augsb
s'
Lisa Jack
It was a summer of mood swings
and wide-ranging emotions.
ln May, Lisa Jack found herself on the
cover of the los Angeles Times'Calendar
section. The Augsburg psychology professor had a camera around her neck as
is talk of a Paris showing of the photos
"The majority of students, they enjoy
being engaged and challenged," Jack
said. "l love challenging them and to be
that until two years ago were housed in a
chal lenged. "
basement box, Jack is far less interested
than she was even this summer.
That's because real life suddenly
While Jack's photos have been seen
across the globe and she has been inter-
While the 36 photos of 0bama are
now on display at Occidental, and there
reappeared.
0n July 25, doctors told Jack's
viewed by outlets ranging from The New
York Times to the television show Exfra,
Jack has never heard a word from
mother that she has ovarian cancer. ln
examining her family history, Jack and
Obama or anyone at the White House.
her sister were then told that they are
ings with Obama in recent years, is all
right with that. She understands the job
he has to do and that the photos are
from a long time ago. And she also has
display at a hip West Hollywood art
genetically predisposed for the disease.
And because there isn't a way to screen
for ovarian cancer, the only way for Jack
to protect herself would be to have sur-
gallery.
gery herself.
she sat cross-legged and dressed in
black in the California sun. Her 1980
photographs of now-President Barack
Obama-which were originally published
in
Time magazine-were about to go on
She had become the photographer
she wanted to be at the time she took
those photos when they were both under-
graduates at Occidental College. There
was now enough buzz about her work for
singer-songwriter Seal to check out the
photos. Her photographs captured what
she has described as Obama's youth and
playfulness. And she knew she wanted
some sort of platform."
With Jack needing to help provide
care for her mother in New York and
planning for a significant medical
procedure of her own, Jack was
pictures.
forced to adjust her teaching load
at the last minute. Jack was not
years.
New camera in tow, she spent part of
her summer in North Dakota shooting
photos of professional rodeo cowboys
and the livestock they ride. She began
conversations about some photography
projects. She was excited about rediscovering what she had once thought
would be a career.
"Once I purchased the camera, I went
to practice at the IUniversity of
able to teach an AugSem first-year
seminar and is llmited to one psychology internship course for
upperclass students.
"l was adamant that I teach
this semester," she said. "l have
to have a life. I can't be all cancer all the time. And I love to
teach. I have a class of seniors
and I know them all. lt'll be
fun."
Because while Jack's love
of photography was rekindled
Minnesota'sl Raptor Center," Jack said.
"When I put everything in my computer,
I said, '0h my God.' I didn't lose any
when she unearthed the
nearly 3O-year-old photos of
vision. "
Obama, she still wants to
All was great, right?
Not so fast. Because that part of the
summer seems so long ago.
some new-fou nd perspective.
"lt's an ugly, horrible, heinous disease," Jack said. "They call it the
silent killer. I've done a U-turn into a
cancer activist. But maybe it was the
point in finding those photos, to have
to continue telling stories through
That's why Jack began taking photographs again for the first time in many
Jack, who has had two chance meet-
teach. With an extremely outgoing personality and non-stop
professor
energy, Jack loves the classroom setting.
Fall
2009
23
Mafk
HanSOn calls it a "kicking and
screaming" calling. The son of a parìsh
pastor, Hanson had no interest in follow-
difficult times, ELCA presiding bishop Mark Hanson '68 finds
great joy in his calling and seeks to stay focused 0n Ggd's w3rk in the world.
Even through
ing his father into mìnistrY.
Sure, Hanson went to Union Theologi-
cal Seminary after graduating in 1968
from Augsburg with his wife, lone
(Agrimson) '68, but ihat was onlY
because he received a scholarship to try
it for a year. Even when he f inished up
at Union, Hanson went as far as to stand
in line to regìster to begin graduate
school classes in psychology before he
realized that wasn't what he wanted to
do with his life.
"l ended up going to therapy for six
months to f igure out what was going on
ìn my lìfe," Hanson says. "And it was
only after sìx months of therapy that
realized I was f ighting, for all the wrong
I
reasons, the call to ministrY."
Now, nearly 40 years later, Hanson
f
inds himself as the presìding bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America at one of the most challenging
times since the Lutheran Church in
America, the American Lutheran Church,
and the Association of Evangelical
Lutheran Churches merged to form the
ELCA in the late 1980s.
The nation's financial instability has
led to a downturn in contributions to the
church. The nation's changing demographics have left the ELCA as a graying
organization with ìts strength in parts of
the natìon that aren't growing. And, in
the wake of votes taken at August's
Churchwide Assembly on topics of
human sexuality and homosexual clergy
in committed relationships, there are
many individuals and congregations
pondering whether the ELCA is the place
for them.
And despite the current challenges
"I think that ìn anxious times that
have dimensions of conf lict in them, the
temptation ìs to go into enclaves of likeminded people to both reinforce the convictions one holds with those likeminded people, and often to articulate
that those whom you are not in agreement with are so wrong," Hanson says.
"l have worked to be very connected
relationally.
"ln a culture that is so polarized,
facing the ELCA, Hanson loves his job.
"l f ind great joy in what I do,"
especially around issues of personal
Hanson says, while sitting in his 11th-
morality, and tends to be increasingly
f
loor off ice that overlooks Chicago's
0'Hare lnternational Airport. "I use joy
very intentionally. Joy, for me, has its
source in my faith. I literally f ind great
joy in this call. I told a group of pastors
that I have the best call in the church
and what was fun was that a bunch of
them lìned up to argue with me about
why theirs is better. I liked that."
But Hanson acknowledges that these
times are challenging. And that's why
Hanson has spent-and will be spend-
ing-a
signif icant amount of time engag-
fractious, contentìous, and too often
mean-spirited, can we exemplify in our
witness another way to live-together
and honoring our dìfferences, but in the
context of our unity?"
J
im Arends, a I97 4 Augsburg gradu-
ate and current bishop of the LaCrosse
lWisc.l Area Synod,
saYS one
of Han-
son's biggest strengths as presiding
bishop is his ability to communicate in
general and to listen in particular.
"lt
is going to help, it can't but help,"
Arends says. "He respects you. I don't
ing in conversation, even if the actions
think I've ever seen anything even close
at the Minneapolis Convention Center
to disrespectful. With his authority and
height, he's still able to make people be
make things a little awkward and
u
ncomf ortable.
comfortable and relax around hìm.
That's tough with the height of his collar
and the big cross he needs to wear."
How does he do it? Hanson saYS some
of it is because of what he learned at
Augsburg. Because while there are challenges within the church, there are far
Discovering
in the
Challenges
of leadership
BY JEFF SHELMAN
Fall
't
2009
25
1l
more sign
if
icant issues-poverty, dis-
ease in third-world countries, and health
concerns among them-that the ELCA is
trying to tackle.
"The call for us as Christians is not to
be turned inward in conf lict with each
schools of higher education. We have
great colleges and universities in the
church, but I think Augsburg has really
positioned itself where I would want to
see a college of this church to be."
for work about 80% of the time.
"There are some days when I've gone to
the airport where I've given the United
desk my driver's license and said,
'l forgot
to look, where am I going again?"' Hanson
other and miss this moment to be
engaged in God's work in the world;
And as Hanson progressed from
parish pastor to bishop of the Saint Paul
Area Synod to, now, presiding bishop,
Augsburg gave me that perspective," he
Hanson sees a thread that goes back to
says. "Augsburg always reminded me
that whatever is going on with you,
Augsburg.
will have a lot to do with continuing com-
"My whole life has been shaped by
the intersection of intellectual curiosity,
faith, and how faith and intellect shape
one for a life in leadership," Hanson
says. "The phrase I use for what I got
from Augsburg and Union is an
unquenchable curiosity of faith and life.
I've never stopped being curious. I think
Augsburg fostered that. I'm going to be
free to ask questions and to serve my
neighbor, particularly the one who is
struggling with issues of justice and
munications, building relationships, and
leading a church that has members asking
serious questions about the future. While
the conversations and e-mails aren't
always positive from individuals concerned
about the ELCA's actions, Hanson remains
within your family, within the church,
there is a world that calls you."
That was true in the mid-to-late
1960s when Hanson studied sociology,
and it is true now as Hanson also
watches Augsburg as a parent. Four of
his six children have or currently are
attending Augsburg. His daughter
Alyssa, an alumna of the College, is also
teaching math in the Weekend College
program.
"When lone and I were at Augsburg,
we were invited, encouraged, challenged
to immerse ourselves in the city, CedarRiverside, North Minneapolis, and that
has not stopped," he says. "0ur daughter who is a senior there now has been to
Central America twice. The immersion
and context have grown from the immediate Cedar-Riverside neighborhood to
now the world.
"l'm all
26
over the world looking at
Augsburg Now
says with a laugh. "That's pretty bad. I'm
prepared for where I'm going, but there's a
lot of travel."
That travel, in the upcoming months,
upbeat.
"l
am proud to serve in leadership right
"l lead 70 million Luther-
now," he says.
ans in the world and lead the largest
Lutheran Church in the United States;
around Lake Harriet for Chicago's Edge-
that's just an amazing thing that I am
called into that sort of leadership. lf the
criticism begins to take a personal toll,
then I can no longer be an effective leader.
I think that the gospel is too good news for
me to get so discouraged that I can't, with
brook neighborhood, he's rarely there.
It's tough to be at home when you travel
great passion, proclaim the good news of
Jesus. "
poverty."
And Hanson has plenty of opportunities to be curious as presiding bishop.
While he and lone have traded the area
"We have great colleges and universities in the church, but I think Augsburg has
really pos¡t¡gned itself where I would want t0 see a college of this church t0 be."
rl
I
ï
H
ffi
\t'/ith more than 4,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs,
Augsburg College strives to create an intentionally diverse and vibrant community by welcoming students of varied backgrounds and experiences.
For many of the students who come to Augsburg, being an Auggie is a
dream come true because at one time in their lives, the idea of going to college was nearly impossible to imagine.
That's where Admission Possible comes in. This program, which was
founded in Minnesota in 1999 to help low-income high school students get
into college, has brought more than 100 students to Augsburg since its found-
H
ing. Ihis fall, 63 Admission Possible alumni joined the Augsburg community as
first-year students-more than any other private college in the country.
E
tr
Admission Possible made Augsburg possible for these students. Not only
has this program enriched the lives of students and their families,
it has also
benefited the Augsburg community.
Finding Admission Possible
Juventino "Juve" Meza Rodriguez'11 came to the U.S. from
Mexico when he was 15 years old. Unlike his parents or siblings,
Meza Rodriguez had been fortunate to attend school beyond the
sixth grade and, though he did not speak English, he was excited
m
H
m
about continuing his education in a Minnesota high school.
"l come from a low-income working family; my parents and
their parents didn't go to school. My mom made a big push for
education for her children because she wanted us to do something she wasn't able to do," he says.
Meza Rodriguez tested into the ninth grade and began classes
at Arlington High School in St. Paul. ln his neighborhood and in
his family, no one had gone to college. "As kids we always said
we want to be this or that," he says, "but realistically I wasn't
thinking that college would be a possibility for me. And my parents of course didn't think it was an option either."
ln his sophomore year, he dropped out of school, following his
friends who had started working and were making money. "l was
out of school for one week, and I did not enjoy life," he says. He
asked his parents to help him get back into school, and after
that week he appreciated his education more than he had before
"l knew I wanted something more, but I wasn't sure what that
was and I didn't have people around me who had done it either."
With a renewed enthusiasm for high school, Meza Rodriguez
asked a guidance counselor about college. "She told me
I
couldn't go," he says, but she eventually found a program for him
and suggested he apply. That program was Admission Possible.
From the moment he was accepted into the program, Meza
Rodriguez was on his way to college, but he was in unfamiliar
28
Augsburg Now
q F
n
Ð
territory. "When I told my parents that I wanted to go to college,
theyasked how I wasgoingtodo it. I said,'l have no idea."'
Because his parents were unable to support him f inancially
and because they had no experience with higher education, lVleza
Rodriguez says they left many of the decisions about school up to
him. "They would always say, 'Tu sabes lo que haces,'(You know
what you're doing). But I didn't know what I was doing."
Getting to Augsburg
l-lis Admission Possible coach did know what to do to navigate
the complicated and sometimes intimidating landscape of college application. Twice weekly in his junìor and senior years,
lVIeza Rodriguez met with his coach and other students. He prepared for the ACT and learned how to select a college that
matched his interests, complete the admissions applications,
and apply for financìal aid including scholarships.
Admission Possible also encouraged lVeza Rodriguez to make
connections at schools by going on campus visits and attending
education fairs. At one such fair for Latino students, he met Carrìe Carroll, Augsburg's assistant vice president of admissions.
"When I got to Carrie's booth, I told her I had heard about
Augsburg and she started asking me questions. We talked for two
hours," he recalls. "She was very welcoming and showed an
interest in me that other schools didn't bother to show." After
their meeting, Carroll e-mailed lVleza Rodriguez and encouraged
him to apply to Augsburg.
"I applied, and Carrie called my AP coach within six days and
said I had been admitted. I was the flrst student in my AP class
to apply and the first to get accepted."
il
I
I
Carroll says Admission Possible students are attracted to
Augsburg because of the f inancial aid that helps make college
possible for more than 90% of traditional day college students.
Two programs-Augsburg College Access Program (ACAP) and
the Augsburg Promise are aimed at assisting f irst-generation
and low-income students.
ACAP provides a four-year grant for students who have participaled in a college readiness program. The grant covers the cost of
luition not met with federal or state grants for students who are
Minnesota residents, have an ACT score of 20 or belter, and have
cunrulative grade point average of at least 3.25.
lVlore
a
importantly, Carroll says studenls come because ALrgsburg
has made an institutional commitrnent
to providing access for nrany
different types of studenls, to creating an intenlionally diverse cam
pus, and to engaging students in service to the conrmunity. All of
these commitments connect closely to Admission Possible values.
"At Augsburg, we are aware of the obstacles some students
have faced and will continue to face. We value our students." As
Fall
2009
in
29
Meza Rodriguez's case, Carroll says often a student will make
the choice to come to Augsburg, even though they have been
accepted elsewhere, simply because the Augsburg staff takes the
time to get to know them personally.
accessible to anyone, regardless of his or her background or
circumstances.
Beyond admission
onto their campuses." lt has also helped colleges and universities
address much of the stigma that is attached to low-income stu_
Meza Rodriguez says that Admission possible has also changed
campus atmospheres by introducing students who might not have
considered college in the past. ',Ap helps colleges get out of their
comfort zone," he says, "by welcoming more and more diversity
Once students are accepted and begin their college studies, they
still encounter
d
many challenges that can make staying jn school
iffic u lt.
dents, challenging the notion that they are low-achieving or unpre_
pared. ln fact, while the fall 2009 first-year class includes 40%
ln the past, a team of Admission posstble staffers did some
tracking and outreach to their alumni after they had started
college. Most of their assistance had been reactionary, however,
and they were often brought in when a student was in the midst
students of color, the average ACT score and class rank have
of a crisis.
pared for success and dedicated to making the most of their college
This year, Admission Possible has developed a structured col_
remained consistent among Augsburg's incoming classes over the
past four years.
Carroll agrees, adding that Admission possible students are pre_
on their individual campuses.
experience. "These are smart, capable students who work very hard
to succeed. They just need to be taught how to do this.',
Meza Rodriguez is just one example of the motivated and tal_
Ben Pierson is the college coach at Augsburg this year. Having
an office on campus is important because for Admissjon possible
ented students who find a fit at Augsburg through coilege readiness
programs. He received a president,s Scholarship, which recognizes
alumni, "AP" means "help." Students know they will find a caring adult in Pierson as well as a reliable source of information
academic achievement and leadership potential, and he is an
Honors program student. ln his three years at the College, he has
and support.
also been a senator in student government, helped found a Latino
lege program with coaches who work one-on-one with students
Pierson works with Augsburg's director of retention, the
Enrollment and Financial Services staff, admission counselors,
and with the other student support programs. His objective is to
maintain contact with students and help them find the resources
they need before they want or need to drop out.
student organization, and conducted summer research with
President Pribbenow as his mentor and adviser.
This fall Meza Rodriguez is studying poverty, inequality, and
social change in the Metro Urban Studies Term (MUST) through
HECUA, the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs, and
is doing an internship with the Citizens League in St. paul. He
Making dreams poss¡ble
has also organized a group at Augsburgto help connect the more
than 100 Admission Possible alumni who are now enrolled at the
College readiness programs like Admission possible are just one of
College.
When he participates in Commencement, Meza Rodriguez knows
the many ways students find Augsburg and realize their dreams.
But this program benefits more than the students who enroll and
graduate.
Meza Rodriguez and the other Admission possible alumni fea_
tured here set examples for their peers, siblings, and their commu_
nities. Their experiences demonstrate that a college education is
@
30
will be an inspiration not only to members of his community but
to his younger siblings, ages 4 and g, whom he hopes will one
day follow in his footsteps. "My siblings can see that college is pos_
sible. So many people around me can now see that it is possible.,,
he
also
Learn about Adm ission possi ble at www.adm ission possi ble.org.
Read more about the other
Augsburg Admission possible
students pictured here at
wwuaugsburg.edu/now
Augsburg Now
lucky Dirie'13
Houa
lor '13
Farrington Starnes'12
È!
b¡
Fall
2009
31
DEAR FRIEI{tlS,
As I write to report to you on the successful completion to a most extraordinary year of economic challenges, I remain filled
with gratitude for your steadfast support to Augsburg College.
While each week last fall brought more bitter news than the previous regarding our financial institutions, we maintained a
watchful and cautious eye over our students, our revenues, and our gifts. I was so pleased and humbled that through these
difficult months our enrollments remained high, our programs strong, and your giving constant.
During this difficult year, your gifts made an Augsburg education possible for many students who would not have otherwise been able to continue theìr studies. At Augsburg, we are committed to providing the access for these students of differing faiths, cultures, and ethnicities to thrive and to become the
next leaders in creating safe and sustainable communities.
Together, we continue to learn how "We are called to serve our
neìghbor. "
Durìng this past year, as a teaching and learning community,
WE ARE CALLEI}
TO SERVE (lUR NEIGHB(lR
we also explored in many ways what it means to live more sustainably in the city. I was so proud of our students, who pushed the College for changes that made us better stewards of our
gifts and of God's creation. Augsburg is now a leader among educational institutions in the use of renewable energy, in support of alternative transportation practices, and in the adoption of a food composting program.
As we move forward, I ask for your abiding and increased participation and support in the next years as we continue to
work together for a stronger and more vibrant future for our college, and for our students.
S
incere ly,
*
L-
?
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW
PRTSIDENT
32
Augsburg Now
\
Your annual fund gift helps to
1
.., retain talented faculty, like chemistry professor
maintain Augsburg's low
2
...
l4:l
Vivien Feng, and
4
...
keep Augsburg affordable by providing a portion of the academic
scholarships and financial aid received by 90% of day students.
studenUfaculty rati0.
make it possible for curious and talented students to stay on campus
5
during the summer to engage in full{ime research with a faculty mentor.
3
...
provide up{o-date computers and technology services critical to
...
fund student programs and co-curricular activities, like campus
ministry, athletics, internships, and ethnic student services.
6
...
provide the special equipment, safety equipment, and supplies for
our science laboratories.
teaching and learning.
È1.
r,' ,ç $¡
"$,ft..,
t{Ol\¡b^
GIVING IN ACTI(¡NWhat Students and Alumni Say
Nate Johnson '11
Rossing Physics Scholar, StepUP program
Ali Rapp '11
Honors student, "Homemade" blogger
ln Augsburg's unique Honors program, Ali and her fellow students participate in deep discussions about controversial questions. "There's a degree of openness in Honors that you don't
find in other classes," she says. Another way Ali expresses
her-
self is through her blog on Homemade, the site that gives current and future Auggies a sense of what life is really like for
students at Augsburg. "We really get to the heart of issues, and
I'm glad we have that kind of freedom to be ourselves and to be
Junior Nate Johnson has an interest in how things work and
was drawn to the problem-solving part of physics. This year he
was named one of four Rossing Physics Scholars in the nation
by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Johnson grew
up in St. Croix Falls before entering substance abuse treatment
in high school. At Augsburg, Johnson is in the StepUp pro,
gram, a program that is much of the reason why he chose the
College and where he f inds community, support, faith, and discipline. "When I was looking at colleges, every time I went to
genuine."
Augsburg, I felt excited about it," Johnson says, "... other college settings felt daunting."
Your giving supp0rts personal growth in Augsburg's
Your giving supp0rts paths to healthy lives in Augsburg's
Honors program
StepUP program
re
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Shonna Fulford'09
Myles Stenshoel Scholarship
The Augsburg faculty did more
than just teach Shonna Fulford,
a 2OO9 graduate from Perham,
Minn. "They are truly there to
teach you what they know, to let
you discover things you may never
Annika Gunderson '11
have otherwise, and to help you
President's Scholar, world traveler
ln her three years as an Auggie, Annika Gunderson '1 t
succeed in everything you want to do," she says. As the recipient of the endowed scholarship for students pursuing careers in
political science, she also had the opportunity to get to know
has
almost spent more time away from Augsburg than on campus.
This international relations and Spanish major from Winona,
Minn., has studied abroad three times, spending five weeks in
is named. This student orientation leader and Homecoming
queen hopes to return to Augsburg some day, perhaps as a
Cuernavaca, Mexico; a semester in Central America; and
member of the administration.
another semester in Brazil. Gunderson suggests that all students take advantage of the many study abroad opportunities
Your giving supp0rts scholarships endowed to honor
Professor Emeritus Myles Stenshoel, for whom the scholarship
available to Augsburg students. "lt's important to be able to
challenge yourself to go beyond, to experience something unfa-
faculty careers and commitment
miliar."
Your giving supports life-changing experiences thr0ugh
Augsburg's Genter for Global Education
Michele Roulet '10
WEC Student Senate
Michele Roulet found Augsburg at the State Fair. Returning to college
after a two-year degree and full-time work, she enjoys working at her own
pace for "a chance to figure out who I am." The studio art major has
studied abroad in Central America and Europe. She has also found a
niche in the Weekend Student Senate and has served as its president,
making sure that Augsburg's weekend and graduate student voices are
represented on campus.
Your giving supports leadership in Student Government
Fall
2009
35
GIVING IN ACTIflNSupporting Augsburg Chemistry Students:
John and Marvel Yager
John Yager '7 4 was not a typical Augsburg f reshman. Although
born in Minnesota, he grew up traveling in a military family. He
picked Augsburg because his parents were expected to retire in the
Twin Cities; his uncle, Dr. 0. Lewis Zahrendt, was an Augsburg
graduate; and Augsburg's admissions materials were the most
appeal i ng.
It was a good choice. Yager says he considers Augsburg "one of
the most fortunate events of my life as far as my education was
concerned." His goal was medical school and he majored in chemistry and biology.
Yager credits his academic success to what he believes are still
the hallmarks of Augsburg's chemistry department-high levels of
integrity, dedication, and a commitment to achievement-as well
as the dedication of the chemistry faculty-Courtland Agre, John
Holum, Earl Alton, and Arlin Gyberg. Yager also credits his classmates, the "phenomenal group of very bright and hard-working students, who helped me work all the harder."
But even more crucial to his college success was the support
Yager received when his older brother, with whom he was living,
was tragically killed in an accident. ln coping with grief and trying
to decide whether to stay at Augsburg, Yager contacted Rick Thoni,
the director of student advisers, who arranged for housing options
that Yager needed to stay in school and supported him through the
While his first job involved hands-on chemistry, his subsequent
work has taken him into related fields and aspects of immuno-
chemìstry-q ual ity assurance, regu latory affairs, cl in ical trials, and
literature research and publications. He is a patent-holder on a
medical device used in endoscopy.
"l've had great opportunity to really apply chemistry," Yager
says, "to apply the discipline of what I've learned over the years to
a career that has been extremely rewarding personally." He notes
that while he didn't pursue a medical career, his work has contìnually helped people through development of better medical
products.
Yager currently'works for a new company,
Acist Medical
Systems, which manufactures products that help physicians
ing them reach out to me was something l've never forgotten,"
administer the contrast agent used in angiography.
Yager has continually remained connected to the Chemistry
Department and Augsburg. He has lectured in senior seminars,
Yager says.
served as a mentor to chemistry students, and coached students
After graduation Yager took additional chemistry courses and
worked as a pathology assistant at St. Mary's Hospital. While medical school did not become part of his future, in the pathology lab
through the hurdles of f inding their first jobs. He enjoys maintain-
crisis.
"Feeling that connection and that bond to the College, and feel-
he met Marvel, who also worked in the lab and later became his
wife.
Yager turned
to industry and took a position with an immunodi-
agnostics company, researching and manufacturing products that
improve medical diagnostic testing. Thirty-f ive years later he has
worked at all of the major immunochemistry companies in the Twin
Cities and has been on the cutting edge of medical research in
number of start-up companies.
36
Augsburg Now
a
ing this connection and being on campus once in a while.
"l just
feel at home," he says.
John and Marvel Yager value education and have supported
Augsburg chemistry students through the Augsburg College Chemistry Alumni Scholarship. At times, Yager has also been able to
provide an employer match to their funds.
"As my career has advanced and we've looked at our values as a
family," Yager says, "the idea of giving back has been fundamental."
Yager says that for them Augsburg is the natural place to give,
and with the scholarship endowment, the gift keeps giving.
T
2OO8.2OO9 FINAI{CIAt H¡ûHLIGHTS
Where the Money Comes From
Where the Money Goes
7o/o
3o/"
Government grants
3o/o
Equipment
and capital
improvement
2o/"
Other sources
Student salary
5%
\
3o/o
Debt service
\
Private gifts and grants
.3o/o
/utititi"t
t2/"
Room and board
ffi
m
ffi
$34.5
$33.7
$30.5
$26.6
$26.2
$24.8
2009 Endowment Market Value
$23.2
Ï22.7
$23.3
May 31, 2009
$20.0
$26,211,136
As
$r 6.4
of May 31, 2009, we have
annual realized and unrealized
losses of 2I.7% on our endowment.
$r 4.2
$11.5
Our five-year average annual return
on the endowment is .18%, and the
lO-year average annual return is
I.42%.
We are committed to maintaining the value of the principal
gifts and to provide support to the
College in perpetuity.
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
2ît7
2008
2009
Endowment Assets
(in millions)
June
l,
1
995
-
May 31, 2009
Fall
2009
31
llEAR FRIEI{llS,
It is my distinct pleasure to share with you news about the many gifts and contributions made to Augsburg College between June 1, 2008, and May 31,
2009. I am filled with gratitude at the generosity of our thousands of alumni,
parents, and friends who wholeheariedly supported the College during this past
year
of unprecedented economic challenges and uncertainty.
Together, for the benefit of our students and community, we were able to witness many successes and end our year with an operating surplus.
I'd like to
highlight just a few examples.
.
We increased the number of donors who made gifts during the year to a total
4,75L This support went to The Augsburg Fund, student scholarships,
capital projects, and fine arts, athletics, signature programs, and other
important i n itiatives.
of
¡
Perhaps most exciting, especially in a challenging economy, was the success of The Augsburg Fund, our fund for unrestricted gifts for
the College. For the second year in a row, it reached its $1 million goal, surpassing last year's mark for a total of $1,003,210 from
3,400 donors.
¡
Also for the second year in a row, I am proud to tell you
that we received 100% participation in The Augsburg
Fund from the Augsburg Board of Regents, the Alumni
Board of Directors, the President's Cabinet, and-for the
first time-the staff of the lnstitutional Advancement
Division. This was a gratifying sign of commitment from
WE Lfl(lK BACK WITH GRATITUDE
ANIl F(lRWARD WITH EXPECTATION
F()R A YEAR OF CflNTINUED
SUPPflRT FflR flUR STUDENTS
these key groups of leaders.
.
Augsburg also received 619 gifts totaling $387,000 to new or existing scholarship funds. Scholarships are a primary source of financial aid for many students at Augsburg, and we are again grateful for the 334 generous individuals who chose to establish or con-
tribute to these funds,
this new academic year with the largest enrollment and greatest diversity of any incoming first-year class, we look back with
gratitude and forward with expectation for a year of continued support for our students. I thank you for your continued, unfailing support.
As we enter
Sincerely,
JIRTMY R. WELLS
VICT PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
38
Augsburg Now
t¡FEÏIME ûIVI}IG
The following
list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given a minimum 0f $100,000, including
planned gifts, over a lifetime. We are immensely grateful for their examples of loyalty and commitment to the College.
'68 and Tamra Nelson
Ernest+ and Helen Alne
Phillip+'55 and Lynne Gronseth
George
Donald '60 and Violet Anderson
Carolyn and Franklin Groves
Barbara Tjornhom
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Norman and Evangeline Hagfors
Robert'51+ and Carolyn Odegard
R. Luther Olson '56
'54 Nelson and Richard
Nelson
Brian Anderson '82 and Leeann Rock'81
James and Kathleen Haglund
Charles and Catherine Anderson
Hearst Foundation
Beverly Halling '55 0ren and Donald '53 Oren
Earl and Doris Bakken
Loren Henderson
John and Norma Paulson
Loren and Mary Quanbeck'77 Barber
Elizabeth '82 and Warren Bartz
Donald Hennings
Grace Forss
Robert '50 and Ruth Paulson
Glen Person '47
Paul '63 and LaVonne Olson
'63 Batalden
'57 Herr and Douglas Herr
Donald '39 and Phyllis Holm
Harvey
Sidney '57 and Lola Lidstrom '50 Berg
Allen and Jean Housh
Addison and Cynthia Piper
Barbara and Tane Birky
Garfield Hoversten '50
David Piper
Roy'50 and Ardis Bogen
Huss Foundation
Harry and lVlary Piper
John+ and Joyce Boss
Sandra and Richard Jacobson
Philip '50 and Dora Frojen'49 Quanbeck
Donald Bottemiller and Shellie Reed
Kinney Johnson '65
Mark'53 and Jean Raabe
Rodney and Barbara Burwell
James Johnson and Maxine lsaacs
Alan
Bush Foundation
Dean '75 and Terry Kennedy
Curtis and lVlarian Sampson
Carlson Companies
Bruce and Maren Kleven
Ward C. Schendel
The Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation
David and Barbara Kleven
Ruth Schmidt '52
Richard '74 and Nancy Colvin
E. Milton Kleven '46
James and Eva Seed
David and lVìary Brandt '79 Croft
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Rodney
Theodore and Pamala Deikel
Kraus-Anderson Construction Company
John and Martha Singleton
Corporation Foundation
Darrell '55 and Helga Egertson
Rhonda
Tracy L. Elftmann '81
Diane and Philip Larson
Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri
George
Leland and Louise Sundet
Philip and Laverne Fandrei
Winifred Helland '37 Formo+ and Jerome
Formo'37+
James Lindell '46
Dean '81 and Amy Sundquist
Gary'80 and Deanna Tangwall
Jeny and Jean Foss
Jennifer and Richard Martin
P. Dawn Heil
William and Anne Frame
Barbara and Edwin Gage
General Mills Foundatìon
Marie and Larry McNeff
Teagle Foundation
Gerard and Anne lVeistrell
Hoyt '39+ and Lucille lVlesserer
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Robert '63 and Marie Tufford
Michael '71 and Ann Good
Robert '70 and Sue lVidness
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
'84 and Jean Taylor '85
H. Theodore '76 and lVlichele Grindal
Raymond '57 and Janice Grinde
Paul '84 and Nancy Mackey '85 Mueller
Robert Wagner '02
William and Stephanie Naegele
Ronald '68 and lvlary Kay Nelson
Scott Weber '79
Del uxe
Roger Griffith
Spitzer'85 Kwiecien and Paul Kwiecien '86
ice
'74
and Catherine L. B. Schendel
Sill '82
Glen and Anna Skovholt
Gladys Boxrud Strommen '46 and Clair
David Lankinen'88
Strommen'46+
'61 and lVary Larson
Harris '57 and Maryon Lee
Arne '49 and Jean Swanson
R
'52 and Joanne Varner '52 Peterson
'52
lVarkland
Glen A. Taylor Foundation
laylor'78
Robert Wick '81
Every effort has been made t0 ensure that all nanes are included and spelled correctly.
lfyou notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
39
PRESItlENT'S CIRCTE
GIFTS RECEIVTD JUNE 1, 2OO8 TO MAY 31, 2OO9
The following
list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously made leadership gifts to the College 0f $1,000 or more in
the 2008-09 fiscal year.
Ruth Aaskov'53
Margaret Clyde
Andra Adolfson
Joseph Cook'89
William '51 and Marolyn Sortland '51 Halverson
Elling and Barbara Halvorson
Peter '70 and lVìary Agre
Walter and Janet Cooper
Jill Hanau
Lois Richter '60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson
Brent Crego '84
Clarence Hansen'53
Edward '50 and Margaret Alberg
George
Craig Alexander and Roberta Kagin
Sally Hough Daniels '79
'72 and Janet Dahlman
Mark '68 and lone Agrimson
'68
Hanson
Jodi and Stanley Harpstead
Bartley Davidson '76
Hunt and Diane Harris
Julie Edstrom'90
Richard and Dail Hartnack
Leif Anderson
Judy Thompson Eiler '65
Christopher Haug'79 and Karl Starr
Deloris Anderson '56
Dantel'77 and Patricia Eitrheim
David '67 and Karen Jacobson
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Richard '72 and Tamara Ekstrand
Helen Haukeness'49 and James Ranck
Robert'77 and Katherine Anderson
Brian Anderson '82 and Leeann Rock '81
Fuad and Nancy EI-Hibri
Lisa Svac Hawks '85
Avis Ellingrod
Mark Hebert '74
Catherine and Charles Anderson
Rona Quanbeck'48 Emerson and Victor Emerson
Philip'42 and Ruth Helland
Scott'76 and Lisa Anderson
Ronald Engebretsen
Leo Henkemeyer
Steven and Stephanie Anderson
Susan Engeleiter
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
Frank'50 and Georgette Lanes'50 Ario
Christine Pieri '88 Arnold and James Arnold '88
Stephen '68 and lVìarilyn lVcKnight '67 Erickson
Donald '39 and Phyllis Holm
Dean '68 and Diana Olson '69 Ersfeld
L. Craig'79 and Theresa Serbus '79 Estrem
Linda Baìley '74 Holmen and Kenneth Holmen '74
Paul Holmquist '79
Richard '87 and Carla Bahr
lVlark and Margie Eustis
Joeì and Alice Houlton
Dorothy Bailey
John '82 and Joan Moline'83 Evans
Kermit '50 and Ruth Hoversten
Robert Barber'56
Allison Everett'78 and Kenneth Svendsen '78
Clarence '41 and lVarguerite Hoversten
Elizabeth '82 and Warren Bartz
Paul '63 and LaVonne Olson '63 Batalden
Barbara Farley
Jane and Patrick Fischer
Allen '64 and Lenice Hoversten
Philip '71 and Patricia Hoversten
Duncan Flann '55
Jerelyn Hovland '63 and Clyde Cobb
Paul '59 and Pearl Almquist
.James
'58 and Beverly Almquist
Jean Hemstreet'68 Bachman and Harold Bachman
Vera Thorson Benzel
'45
'67
Haugen
Dawn Formo
fom'72
Jerome Formo'37+
Joseph Hsieh'61 and E. Mei Shen Hsieh
Birgit Birkeland '58
William and Anne Frame
Andrew Fried '93
Glenda and Richard Huston
Nancy Paulson '70 Bjornson and
JoAnne Digree '68 Fritz and Barry Fritz
Brandon Hutchinson'99
J. Ragnar Bjornson
Buffie Blesi '90 and John Burns
David '68 and Lynn Boe
Leola Dyrud Furman '61
Barbara and Richard Hutson
Karon Garen
Duane'68 and Diane llstrup
John '47 and lrene Jensen
Sidney'57 and Lola Lidstrom '50 Berg
Norman '59 and Delores Berg
John Berg'59
Ann Garvey
and Karen Howe
lVlichael and Barbara Hubbard
Anthony'85 and Traci Genia
Glen'52 and lrvyn Gilbertson
Carol Oversvee Johnson '61
Bruce Brekke
Orval and Cleta Gingerich
Michael Brock
Andrew and Carolyn Goddard
Ruth E. Johnson '74 and Philip Quanbeck ll
lVerton '59 and Jo An Bjornson '58 Johnson
Adam Buhr'98 and Laura Pejsa '98
Alexander '90 and Simone Gonzalez
Danìel Johnson'75
Robert and Brenda Bukowski
lVichael '71 and Ann Good
Gary'74 and lVelody Johnson
Carolyn Burfield '60
Shirley Larson '51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud
Thomas Gormley and Mary Lesch-Gormìey
Craig Jones
Marilyn Saure '61 Breckenridge and
Tom Breckenridge
Charles Bush
Bruce '68 and Lois Hallcock '68 Johnson
Eric Jolly
Paul and Judy Grauer
Cynthia Landowski '81 Jones and Rick Jones
Carrìe and Peter Carroll
Charles and Barbara Green
H. Theodore '76 and lVichele Grindal
Jennifer Abeln
John and Peggy Cenito
lVabeth Saure '58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom
Janet L. Karvonen-Montgomery and Alan
Keith '65 and Lynn Chilgren
Herbert'54 and E Corrine Chilstrom
David and Kathy Haaland
Norman and Evangeline Hagfors
Patricia and Paul Kaufman
C. Lee Clarke
James and Kathleen Haglund
Dean '75 and Terry Kennedy
Marion Buska '46
Christine Coury '91 Campbell and Craig Campbell
40
Augsburg Now
Carol Jones
'78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow
lVontgomery
lVichael Kivley '89
Jellrey'77 and Becky Bjella '79 Nodland
Charles and Ritchie Markoe Scribner
Linda Klas '92
Norma Noonan
James and Eva Seed
E. lVlilton Kleven '46
Roselyn Nordaune'77
Adam '01 and Allison Seed
Elsie Ronholm Koivula '49
Lisa Novotny '80 and lVark Flaten
Phyllis '58 and Harold Seim
Joanne Stiles '58 Laird and David Laird
Richard '70 and Linda Seime
Kalhryn'72 Lange and Dennis Sonifer
Teny'7O and Vicki Nygaard
Leroy Nyhus '52
Ruth Ringstad '53 Larson and lVarvin Larson
Robert Odegard '51+
Frankie and Jole Shackelford
Earl '68 and Lisbeth Jorgensen '70 Sethre
Norman '85 and Kim Asleson '84 Okerstrom
Stephen and Kay Sheppard
Harris '57 and Maryon Lee
Sandra Larson '69 Olmsted and Richard Olmsted '69
Chad '93 and lVìargaret Shilson
Thomas and Gratra Lee
R, Luther 0lson '56
David Soli '81
Andre Lewis '73 and Kathleen McCartin
Orville '52 and Yvonne Bagley '52 0lson
Earle '69 and Kathleen Kupka '69 Solomonson
Debora and John Liddell
William and Mary 0'lVìeara
Donald '53 and Beverly Halling '55 Oren
Allan '53 and Eunice Nystuen '50 Sortland
Alice Lindell '58 and Gordon '59 Lindgren
Mary Sue Zelle Lindsay and Hugh Lindsay
Beverly Ottum
Arne and Ellen Sovik
Patricia and John Parker
Carolyn Johnson
Dana Lonn
John and Norma Paulson
Robert and Joyce Engstrom '70 Spector
Kathy Lowrie
Robert'50 and Ruth Paulson
Richard '74 and Karen Pearson
Alan Petersen '58+
Harvey '52 and Joanne Varner '52 Peterson
Todd '89 and Amy Steenson
Karin Peterson
Gladys Boxrud Strommen '46
Eugene'59 and Paula Peterson
Corwin and Doris Peterson
Philip '79 and Julia Davis '79 Styrlund
Arne'49 and Jean Swanson '52 Markland
Ron '69 and Jane Petrich
Terry Marquardt'98 and Gary Donahue
Carol Pfleiderer
Jennifer and Richard lVartin
Sandra Phaup'64
Dean '81 and Amy Sundquist
Jeffrey'79 and Melissa Swenson
Nicole Swords '01 and April Leger '02
Jo Anne Sylvester '68 and Larry Dieckman
Gary '80 and Deanna Tangwall
Jean Taylor '85 and Roger Griff ith '84
Paul '60 and Nancy Thompsen
Dick '61 and Jane Thompson
lVlartin Larson
'80
James Lindell '46
Wenona '55 and Norman Lund
Thomas'68 and Carol Batalden '68 Luukkonen
Pamela and Robert lVlacDonald
Philip '79 and Diane Madsen
Kay Malchow'82 and Stephen Cook
Lyle '68 and Susanne Starn
'68
Robert '71 and Cheryl Lindroos
lVìalotky
'72 Marlin
Paul C. Pribbenow and Abigail Crampton Pribbenow
Donald '66 and Margaret fVattison
Karl D. Puterbaugh'52
Donna McLean
Philip '50 and Dora Frojen '49 Quanbeck
lVlark'53 and Jean Raabe
Tara Cesaretti
'97 lVcleod
and
Chrìstopher McLeod '00
Lori Lassi '80 Rathje and Tim Rathje'86
IVarie and Larry lVìcNeff
Clayton '91 and Denise Sideen
Beverly Ranum
'78
'94 McNeff
Meyer and Dennis Meyer'78
John
'62 and Ruth Sather '63 Sorenson
'80 Spargo and Lawrence Spargo
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz
lVìyles
and Eunice Stenshoel
Beverly and Thomas Stratton
Ralph and Grace Kemmer '58 Sulerud
Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach
Harold and Maureen Thompson
Eunìce Kyllo '62 Roberts and Warren Roberts
Gordon '52 and Gloria Parizek'53 Thorpe
E. Palmer Rockswold
David and Martha Tiede
Deidre Durand 'BB and Bruce lViddleton
John '68 and Linda Roebke
Frances Torstenson
Robert '70 and Sue Midness
Laura and Martin Roller
Lawrence '69 and Susan Turner
Frances Roller
Peter Turner
Timothy '74 and Deborah Anderson '73 Miller
John'77 and Gail Ronning
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
Joyce Schroepfer lVliller '02
Philip Rowberg'41
Gerald '48 and Judith
Betty and Paul Tveite
Julie Lien '82 and Steve Vanderboom
Paul '70 and Barbara Durkee
Gay Johnson
'71
lVikelson
'66 Minear and Spencer
lVlinear '66
Ryan
'59 and Sylvia Sabo
Robert Minicucci
Thomas'59 and Ruth Carlsen '60 Moen
Mark'79 and Pamela Hanson '79 Moksnes
Curtis and lVìarian Sampson
'70 and Dennis Veiseth
Norman '76 and Kathryn Anderson '76 Wahl
Judith and William Scheide
David and Sarah Warch
Thelma lVlonson '41
Carolyn Hanson '68 Schildgen and
Loìs
Thomas and Lorraine Morgan
William Schildgen
Ruth Schmidt '52
Jeremy and Tracy Wells
LaWayne
'51 and D. LaRhea Johnson '51
IVlorseth
lVlartin
Alne'65 Schroeder and William Schroeder
lVìary
'76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw
John '49 and Arnhild Werket
Wheelock Whitney and Kathleen Blatz
James lVloulsoff
lVlarilee
Paul '84 and Nancy Mackey '85 Mueller
Suzanne Ziemann Schulz '87
Robert Wick '81
Donald Murphy '43+ Ruth lVurphy
John Schwartz'67
Diane Pike and Stephen Willett
Ronald '68 and lvlary Kay Nelson
lnez'59 and Lyall Schwarzkopf
David and Catherine Woìd
Mildred Nelson '52
Erik and Leigh Schwarzkopf
Todd Yeiter
Beverly Omdahl Nelson '55
Douglas Scott and Grace Schroeder Scott
Estate of E. lrene Lasseson Neseth '38+
Michael
'08
'71and Bonnie Scott
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
lf you notice an errot please clntact Kev¡n Healy at l-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
41
flRGANIZATIflNS
GIFTS RECTIVED JUNE 1, 2OOB TO MAY 31, 2OO9
The following
list recognizes organizations that provided generous gifts to Augsburg College 0f $1000 0r more in the 2008-2009 fiscal year
Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Carl & Eloise Pohlad Family Foundatjon
3M Foundation
Halleland Lewis Nilan Sipkins & Johnson PA.
Accenture Foundation
Hazelden Foundation
Al Franken for Senate
Charles and Ellora Alliss Educational Foundation
Hennepin County
Charles N. and Florence S. Hensel Education Fund
American Lutheran Church
Huss Foundation
Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi L.L.P Foundation
Ameriprise Financial
IBM Corporation
The Summit Group
Ameriprise Financial Employee Gift Matching
lnstitute of American Physics
TCF Foundation
Kresge Foundation
A'viands
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans Foundatìon
Bassford Remele
lVìacalester College
UBS Foundation
Beckman Coulter, Inc.
lVarble Lutheran Church
Bonner Foundation
lVat Bandits Wrestling Club
US Bancorp Foundation
Vista De La Montaña United Methodist Church
Campus Kitchens Project, lnc.
The McGee Group
Wabash College
Collegiate lVìarketing
IVlDTA
Data Recogn ition Corporation
Merck Partnership For Giving
Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program
Wells Fargo Foundation Community Support
Deloitte Foundatron
Minneapol is Public Schools
Winthrop & Weinstine, PA.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
M
Program
FPL Group Foundation, Inc.
nnesota Legislative Society
Minnesota Private College Foundation
i
The New York Academy
Gethsemane Professional & Benevolent Fund
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust
GI\4AC.RFC
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation
E
N 0 FTE D At
The following
Research Corporation
National Trust For Historical Preservation
0f Medicine
Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation
General Mills Foundation
SV
Presser Foundation
S0G
IETY,
SupportingAugsburg's mission intothefuture
list recognizes those members wh0 have documented planned gifts to Augsburg College during 2008-09, becoming charter members of
the Sven Oftedal Society.
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Anna J. Hanson
L. Beth Buesing Opgrand '45
E. William Anderson'56
Rodney E. and Arlene B. (Selander) Hill
John Peterson+
Keith and Beverly Anderson
Lorna Hoversten
Elìzabeth Anne and Warren Bartz
Sherry Jennings-King
Quentin '50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck
Nancy M. (Joubert) Raymond
Oliver Dahl '45
Clair Johannsen '62
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Gladys Boxrud Strommen
Sally Hough Danìels '79
Laura Kompelien Delavie '92
Paul Kwiecien and Rhonda Kwiecien
Robert '65 and Kay Tyson
Avis Ellìngrod
David W. Lankinen '88
fVìary Loken Veiseth
Duane M. Esterly
Luther and Janice Larson
Beverly Gryth
Al
lVlarvin and Ruth Larson
ice Evenson
Allison M. Everett and Kenneth
Svendsen
H
I
'52 Villwock+ and H.
Robert Villwock
Julie (Gudmestad) and Joe Laudicina
Robert Wagner '02
Rev. John and Grace (Nydahl) Luoma
Dr. Scott J.M. Weber '79
Rev. Terry Frovik
Lyle and Susanne lVìalotky
Ann Garvey
Orval and Bernell Moren
James and Corrìne Hamre
Roger lVì. Nelson
42
Gary Tangwal
Augsburg Now
,-t
c0r{sEcuTtvE ûtvtNG
The following
list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given for 10 or more consecutive fiscal years.
lVlarcellus '54 and Thelma Johnson
Rachel Hendrickson '71 Julian and Bruce Julian
George'46 and Jean Christenson '49 Sverdrup
Jennings '51 and lVìary Schindler '48 Thompson
Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander
Allan Tonn '75
Sharon Dittbenner'65 Klabunde and
Sheldon '49 and Margery Manger'47 Torgerson
Consecutive Giving, 25 !€âts 0r nì0t0:
Ruth Aaskov'53
Harold'47 and Lors Black '47 Ahlbom
Kenneth '61 and lVìarilyn Ellingson '62 Akerman
Charles and Ellora Alliss Educational Foundation
Raymond and lVlargaret Anderson
Jerome Kleven '58
Frances Torstenson
Catherine and Charles Anderson
Lowell '54 and Janice Kleven
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Elsre Ronholm Koivula '49
Margaret Sateren Trautwein '37
Rebecca Helgesen '67 Von Fischer and
Kristin Anderson
Joan Johnson
l. Shelby Gimse Andress '56
Frank'50 and Georgette Lanes'50 Ario
Stanley'57 and Mary Esther Baker
Archie Lalim '5O
George '61 and lVary Larson
Linda Larson '70 and C. jerry Sells
Harris '57 and lVìaryon Lee
lrene Ppedahl Lovaas'45
Roger'57 and Fern lVlackey
lVlarie and Larry McNeff
Paul'70 and Barbara Durkee '71 Mikelson
Spencer'66 and Gay Johnson '66 Minear
Andrew'50 and Barbara Kolden '50 Balerud
Paul '63 and LaVonne Olson '63 Batalden
John Benson'55
Vera Thorson Benzei '45
Jack'49 and LeVerne Berry
Doris Frojen Bretheim '51
Beth Torstenson '66
Richard Klabunde
'53 Kuder and Calvin Kuder
'60
Thomas Von Fischer
Thomas '63 and Gloria Joyce Wadsworth
David and Catherine Wold
20 -24 year s consecutive
Lois Richter '60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson
Charles'63 and Lois Luthard '65 Anderson
Julie Teigland '69 Anderson and Gary Anderson
Ray Anderson '49
Hamar'34 and Wanda Severson '40 Benson
Theodore '51+ and Carolyn Berkland
James'49 and Barbara Ekse'48 Carlson
Jeroy'48 and Lorraine Carlson
Thomas '59 and Ruth Carlsen
Thomas and Lonaine Morgan
Birgit Birkeland '58
Linda Carlstedt '63
Mildred Nelson '52
Mary Twiton
Gloria Burntvedt Nelson '43
John and Carolyn Cain
Carl '59 and Kathleen Aaker'62 Casperson
Paige Nelson '74
David '72 and lVlichelle Karkhoff '72 Christianson
Roselyn Nordaune'77
Wayne '69 and Pamela Bjorklund '69 Carlson
Addell Halverson Dahlen '43
Richard '74 and Nancy Colvin
Laverne lVoe '48 Olson and Paul 0lson
Orville '52 and Yvonne Bagley '52 Olson
Joyce Catlin
'73 Casey and Paul Casey
Lester Dahlen '39
Moen
'59 Bosben and Robert
LeVon Paulson
Bosben
Dinter'52
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
lVlarsha
Fred '60 and Janet Engelmann
Roger
Reynold '41 and lVarian Erickson
Ruth Ann Gjerde Fitzke '67
'68 and Dean 0lson-Strommen
'56 and Janet Ose
Patricia Strecker'64 Pederson and Dean Pederson
John '82 and Joan Moline'83 Evans
Marilyn Pearson '76 Florian and Kenneth Florian
Glen Person '47
Edward Evenson'41
Jerome Formo '37+
Robert'68 and Alice Draheim '68 Peters
Harvey '52 and Joanne Varner '52 Peterson
Rachel Rohde '76 Gilchrist and Chris Gilchrist
Leonard '52 and Anabelle Hanson '51 Dalberg
James Ericksen '69
Alan'67 and lVarilyn Albaugh '67 Gierke
Shirley Larson '51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud
Janet Evenson
Paul and Judy Grauer
David Proctor'63
Raymond '57 and Janice Grinde
Philip '50 and Dora Frojen '49 Quanbeck
James'61 and BettyAnn Redeske
James '68 and Linda Gilbertson '71 Romslo
Olive Ronholm '47
'63 Potratz and Edward
Potratz
Leland '53 and Eunice Fairbanks
Paul '62 and Susan Grover
Sonia Overmoen'62 Gullicks and lVlilton Gullicks
Kenneth '58 and Aldemar Johnson
'57
Hagen
Evelyn Amundson Sonnack '43
Arvin '55 and Twila Halvorson
Herbert '51 and M. Joyce Tallman '52 Hanson
Philip '42 and Ruth Helland
Thomas'57 and Arlene Hofflander
Norman and llene Holen
Allen '64 and Lenice Hoversten
Florence Retrum Hovland'40
Ruth E. Johnson'74 and Philip Quanbeck ll
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz
Wayne Johnson
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
lVyles and Eunice Stenshoel
Duane and Ruth Johnson
Howard'51 and Nouaneta Hjelm
Gladys Boxrud Strommen '46
James '61 and Caroline Holden
Merton '42 and lrene Huglen '42 Strommen
Marvin'49 and Dorothy Quanbeck '48 Johnson
Daniel '70 and lngrid Kloster þ9 Koch
Bradley '63 and Linda Holt
Luther'39 and Helen Strommen
James Kottom '52
Gloria Johnson'51
Grace Kemmer '58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud
Joanne
lVìarlys Ringdahl
'53 Gunderson and
Charles Gunderson
Arlin Gyberg
lVabeth Saure '58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom
Edward+ and Shirley Hansen
Sylvia Kleven Hanson '50
Betty Johnson '58 Haas and Charles Hass
Marjorie Wilberg Hauge '50
Marilyn Peterson
'63
Haus and George Haus
lVartín '59 and Sylvia Sabo
Ruth Schmidt '52
James'54 and Ethel Nordstrom '55 Shiell
Arnold '48 and Carol Skaar
'58
Stiles'58 Laird and David Laird
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correcily.
lf you notice an enot please clntact Kevin Healy at 1-800-2/3-06J7 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
43
l\4artin Larson '80
Robert '56 and lVary Erickson
'58
Lockwood
David '53 and Janice Anderson '54 Rykken
Scott Daniels '82 and lVlarcia Pape-Daniels
Ann Erkkila Dudero '86
Audrey Nagel '51 Sander
'68 and Janice Bell '70 Schmidt
Brent Lofgren'88
Dann Forsberg'80
Gary
Susan Lageson '77 Lundholm and lVlark Lundholm
Joann Koelln Frankena'72
Kevin '78 and Catherine Rosik '00 Shea
Lynn '50 and lVliriam Hoplín
'50 Lundin
'66 Luoma
Ronald '56 and Christine Munson '56 IVlain
Kristin Settergren '86 l\4cGinness and
Gary and Barbara Glasscock
Glen and Anna Skovholt
John '65 and Gracia Nydahl
Alexander'90 and Simone Gonzalez
Allan '53 and Eunice Nystuen '50 Sortland
Robert and Nancy Granrud
Paulette Nelson '67 Speed and John Speed
Lloyd Grinde'56
David '63 and Karen Henry'64 Steenson
Tito Guerrero
Steve McGinness
Donna lVlcLean
Bonnie Johnson
'67 Nelson and Bryce
Nelson
lll
Beverly and Thomas Stratton
Suzanne Overholt'67 Hampe and John Hampe
Dorothy Joy Swanson '51
Jacquelyn Bagley'51 Hanson and Kenneth Hanson
Jelfrey'79 and Melissa Swenson
Karla lVorken '81 Thompson and
Shirley Christensen '75 Nickel and Daniel Nickel
Christopher Haug'79 and Karl Starr
lVìargaret Nelson Foss Nokleberg '48
Carolyn Hawkins
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust
Rodney'62 and Jane Helgeson
Robert '55 and Karin Herman
Rodney'59 and Arlene Selander'59 Hill
Robert Nordin '64
Jonathan Nye
Thomas Thompson
Kenneth
'83 Ogdie and Al Ogdie
Norman '85 and Kim Asleson '84 Okerstrom
W. Donald '34 and Glenda Olsen
Edith Hovey
Glenda and Richard Huston
Rosemary Jacobson '69
IVìary
0lson
Lawrence'69 and Susan Turner
Jeanne lvl Kyllo '69 Wendschuh and
'74 and Linda Bailey '74 Holmen
Leroy Nyhus'52
lVìaren Lecy
Mark'79 and Janelle Tonsager
Ronald Wendschuh
Donald '89 and Melinda Mattox '91 Wichmann
Janet Cooke '59 Tilzewilz and Donald Zilzewilz
Robyn Arnold Zollner
'80
Kinney Johnson '65
James'64 and Rose Parks
Janet Batalden'61 Johnson and
10-14 years consecutive
Eugene'59 and Paula Peterson
Eileen Quanbeck '46
Dennìs'61 Johnson
Morris '52 and Marjorie Danielson '52 Johnson
Ordelle Aaker '46
Norman '59 and Ardelle Skovholt '54 Quanbeck
Luther'68 and Joanne Kendrick
The American Foundation
Paul '59 and Pearl Almquist
Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach
E. fVilton Kleven '46
Scott'76 and Lisa Anderson
Stephen '76 and Karen Reinarz
Carrie Kosek'85 Knott and Gerald Knott
Dean'74 and Janet Nelson '76 Anderson
Judith Sandeen'72
Janet Griffith '83 Sandford and David Sandford
Joyce Opseth Schwartz'45
Ronnie'62 and Karen Scott
Kari Beckman '81 Sorenson and Neil Sorensen
La Vone Studlien '58
lVlillard '52 and Dorothy Knudson
Leif Anderson
Duane and lVìary Alyce Krohnke
Scott Anderson '96
Lois Knutson '62 Larsen and Paul Larsen
lVargaret Anderson
Elizabeth Mortensen '56 Swanson and
Annette and Col. Henry C. Lucksinger, Jr.
LeRoy'52 and Carole Anenson
Bill and Anne McSweeney
Daniel '65 and Mary Tildahl '65 Meyers
Charles '63 and IVlary Jo Arndt
Robert '70 and Sue Midness
Mary Arneson and Dale Hammerschmidt
James '88 and Christine Pieri '88 Arnold
Viclor'42 and Rhoda Miller
Susan Hanson '82 Asmus and Kevin Asmus
Ruth Weltzin '45 Swanson and Edwin Swanson
Andrew Moen '87
Dorothy Bai ley
Norman H. Tallakson Charitable Trust
Alan Montgomery and
Lawrence'52 and Jayne Balzer
James Swanson
Jacqueline'80 and John Teísberg
Janis Thoreson '78
Dennis'58 and Doris Barnaal
Janet Karvonen-lVontgomery
Lawayne
'5i
and D. LaRhea .Johnson
'51
lvìorseth
Arlin Becker '88
'73 Becker and Charles Becker
'50 Berg
Adrian Tinderholt '38
Karl Nestvold'54
Catherine Berglund
Wells Fargo Educational IVatching Gift Program
Norma Noonan
Sidney '57 and Lola Lidstrom
Gunnar+ and Mary Wick
Betsey and Alan Norgard
Robert Wick '81
Robert Odegard '51+
Gertrude Ness Berg'51
Andrew '64 and Jean Amland
Pamela Zagaria
Ruth Pousi Ollila'54
Carolyn Berkland
Gary
'65 and Jean Pfeifer '64 0lson
'65
Berg
Anthony and Kathy Bibus
'65 and Jean Blosberg
15-19 years consecut¡ve
Brian Anderson '82 and Leeann Rock'81
Robert'77 and Katherine Anderson
R. Luther 0lson '56
Jack'62 and Nìna Osberg
John '79 and Rebecca Lundeen '79 Aune
-iohn and Norma Paulson
Dennes'57 and Florence Helland '54 Borman
Richard and Nancy Borstad
Willard Botko
Rosemarie Pace
Gary
Ronald and Anna Marie Austin
Daniel '51 and Lois Pearson
Bruce '64 and Nancy Braaten
The Batalden Advised Fund
Donald Peterson'49
Daniel and lrene Brink
Christine Wacker'87 Bjork and Steven Bjork
Rebecca
'63 and lVavis Bjurlin
Davìd '68 and Lynn Boe
Elizabeth Pushing'93
Quentin '50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck
l\4ichael Burden '85
Barbara Hanson
David Christensen'52
Joyce and Walker Romano
lVlorris
44
Augsburg Now
'88 Pfabe and lVìaurice Higgins
'68 Raymond and David Raymond
Roxanne Raunschnot'82 Buchanan and
Jim Buchanan
Eìnar Cannelin
'38
William Capman
Gregory Carlson '74
'65 MacNally and Thomas MacNally
John and Peggy Cerrito
lrene Shelstad Henjum '52
Marie Haf ie
Herbert'54 and E Corrine Chilstrom
Gregory'61 and Kay Hanenburg'62 Madson
Judith Christensen
Jeff Christenson '82
Rand'82 and Kay Kennedy'82 Henjum
Peter'92 and Becky Hespen
Kristen Hirsch '91 Montag and Paul Montag
Janet Niederloh '58 Christeson and
Sylvia Hjelmeland
Carlos Mariani Rosa
John '70 and Lynn Benson '69 Hjelmeland
Julie Magnuson '61 Marineau and Richard
John Christeson
Raymond lVlakeever
Patrick'72 and Nancy lvlarcy
C. Lee Clarke
iohn'81 and Karen Hofflander
Joseph '53 and Connre Cleary
Dean '57 and Jane Holmes
Donald '60 and Ruth Thorsgard '59 Homme
John '59 and De Anne lVartinsen
James'59 and Joanne Horn
Jon '58 and Judith lVlatala
Elizabeth Horton
Phillip '62 and Karen Tangen '63 lVattison
Lillian and Vernon Maunu
Dana Holmes '81 lVclntyre and Vernon Mclntyre '79
Tara Cesaretti '97 lVlcLeod and Christopher'00
Judith Norman '66 Coppersmith and
Norman Coppersmith
Cheryl Solomonson '89 Crockett and
Marineau
Donald '65 and Delores Hoseth
Larry Crockett
0liver Dahl '45
Kermit '50 and Ruth Hoversten
Tom'72 and Karen Howe
Sally Hough Daniels '79
Rhoda lVonseth
Lois Mackey Davis '58
Mark '88 and lVìarya lVlattson
Laura Bower '91 Cunliffe and Wayne Cunliffe
'59 Huglen and Erling Huglen
'83 Hultgren
Suzanne Doree
Bruce and Jean lnglis
Julie Edstrom '90
Darrell '55 and Helga Egertson
Judy Thompson Eiler '65
Carolyn Ross
Robert '71 and Cheryl Lindroos
'72 Mar|in
lVlcLeod
Meca Sportswear lnc.
Robert '59 and Mary Lundquist '60 Meffert
'89 lsaak and James
lsaak
Joan and Richard lVleierotto
Jeffrey '80 and Jacqui Jarnes
David '68 and Elaine Melby
Thomas '86 and Susan Miller
David '79 and Amy Eitrheim
'63 Johnson and Charles Johnson
Laurel Jones '69 Johnson and Larry Johnson
Bruce '68 and Lois Hallcock '68 Johnson
Daniel'77 and Patricia Eitrheim
Carolyn Johnson '63
Mark 'BB and Tamie lVlorken
Avis Ellingrod
Douglas'66 and Kathryn Wall '66 Johnson
Kari Elsila and lVlichael Buescher
Glen and Marlys Johnson
Rona Quanbeck'48 Emerson and Victor Emerson
Margaret Johnson
Paul '84 and Nancy Mackey '85 lVìueller
Scott '81 and Debra Musselman
Michael Navane
and Lynette Engebretson
Ellen Stenberg Erickson '51
Joan '94 and Mark Johnson
Doris Wilkins
Curtis '84 and Jody Eischens
Dean '68 and Diana Olson
'69 Ersfeld
Martha Johnson
Theodore '68 and lVlichelle Johnson
Duane Esterly'75
L. Cratg'79 and Theresa Serbus
'79
Estrem
'78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow
Jennifer Abeln
'78
Moren
Edor'38 and Dorathy Nelson
Lany '65 and lVarilyn Nelson
Ronald '68 and Mary Kay Nelson
David '64+ and Johnson
lVlark
Ronald '59 and Elizabeth Miskowiec
Jonathan '78 and Bonnie Lamon
E. lrene Lasseson Neseth '38+
Steven '64 and Rebecca '64 Nielsen
John '68 and Martha Fahlberg
Suzanne Kelley'69
Robert '73 and Linda Nilsen
Karen Faulkner
Benjamin and Christine Kent
James '57 and Shirley Norman
William and Anne Frame
James Kerr
Donald '65 and Carolyn Francis
Richard '69 and Cheryl Nelson
lerry'67 and Pauline
North Dakota Community Foundation
'70 King
Linda King '78
Terry'7O and Vicki Nygaard
Edward '54 and Winifred Nystuen '54 Nyhus
Ann Garvey
Marie Gjenvick Knaphus '45+
Richard '69 and Sandra Larson '69 Olmsted
Barbara Gilbert'81
LaRhae Grindal Knatterud '70
Howard and Bettye Olson
Lorraine Vash '67 Gosewisch and David Gosewisch
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Cedric '61 and Marlys Olson
John '66 and Mary Jo Greenfield
Carmela Brown
Cindy Greenwood '05
Joan Kunz
Beverly Halling '55 Oren and Donald '53 Oren
ith '84 and Jean Taylor '85
H. Theodore '76 and Michele Grindal
Steven '81 and Kathy Grinde
Julia Ose'62 Grose and Christopher Grose
Jean Venske '87 Guenther and Stephen Guenther
Richard '72 and Carol Habstritt
Robert'80 and Lori LaFleur
George '50 and Vivian Lanes
Steven 0'Tool '74
Andrea Langeland
Ervin '56 and Sylvia Moe '59 Overlund
Marvin and Ruth Ringstad'53 Larson
Patricia Solum Park'02
Julie Gudmestad '65 and Joseph Laudicina
John '52 and lvlary Peterson '54 Leak
Roger'50 and Donna Wang'52 Leak
Jacqueline Kniefel Lind'69
Patricia and John Parker
James'67 and Laurie Lindell
Dwight '60 and Marion Pederson
Rosemary and Andrew Link
Dale Pederson'70
Arlene and Gene Lopas
Linda Christensen'68 Phillips and Gerald Phillips
Frovik
Roger Griff
Lucille and Roger Hackbart
Shirley and Hansen
John '69 and Barbara Harden
Robert'83 and Lynne Harris
Burton '72 and Rollie Haugen
Lisa Svac Hawks '85
Dawn Hendricks '80
Gerald '59 and lVaxine Hendricks
Olivia Gordon
'84 Kranz and David
Kranz
'62 Lorents and Alden Lorents
Vicki and Daniel 0lson
Russell '63 and Ruth Osterberg
Robert'50 and Ruth Paulson
Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Howard '53 and Vicki Skor'59 Pearson
Leanne Phinney'71 and Mark Schultz
Jack'53 and Darlene Lundberg
James Plumedahl '57
lVlarissa Hutterer Machado '99
Jill Pohtilla
Every effort has been made to ensure that all nanes are included and spelled correctly.
lfyou notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
45
lnez Olson '59 Schwarzkopf and Lyall Schwarzkopf
Richard '70 and Linda Seime
Drew'87 and lVìolly Privette
Jerry '83 and Susan Warnes 'BB Quam
lVlark '53 and Jean Raabe
Dick '61 and Jane Thompson
Sue Thompson
'85
Nicolyn Rajala '70 and Bill Vossler
John Rask '71
Frankie and Jole Shackelford
Gordon '52 and Gloria Parizek '53 Thorpe
lVarlys Holm '57 Thorsgaard and Arlen Thorsgaard
Charles Sheaffer
Richard '56 and Darlene Thorud
Paul Rensted'87
John '50 and Norma Shelstad
lVlìchael
James'75 and Jude Ring
David '59 and Arline Ringstad
James'63 and Patricia Steenson '65 Roback
Donavon '52 and Ardis Roberts
Stella Kyllo Rosenquist '64
Chad '93 and lVargaret Shilson
l\4ark and Ann Tranvik
Eugene and Margaret Skibbe
Gordon '57 and Karen Egesdal '61 Trelstad
'72 and Nancy Becker '72 Soli
Joyce Engstrom '70 and Robert Spector
Heidi Wisner '93 Staloch and l\4ark Staloch
Ronald '58 and Naomi Stave
lVìerry Tucker
Earl '68 and Lisbeth Jorgensen '70 Sethre
Alan
Philip Rowberg'41
'85 and Rhonda Riesberg '84 Tjaden
Betty and Paul Tveite
Robert'50 and Dee Ulsaker
Joan Swenson Van Wirt '78
Joan Volz
Richard Sandeen '69
Roger'54 and Bonnie Stockmo
Calvìn '51+ and Bonnie lVlartinson '59 Storley
Mary Mether'69 Sabatke and Bruce Sabatke
'68
Sharon and Stephen Wade
Pauline Sateren
Steven '65 and Chynne Strommen
Rebecca and Michael Waggoner
Carol Watson Saunders'68
Philip '79 and Julia Davis '79 Styrlund
Norman '76 and Kathryn Anderson '76 Wahl
Jan Pedersen '68 Schiff and Tom Schiff
John '69 and Stephanie Johnson '71 Sulzbach
Michael '64 and Carla Quanbeck '64 Walgren
Rodney and Elizabeth Schmidt
Kenneth Svendsen '78 and Allison Everett'78
l\4ichael and Leslie Schock
Stephen '76 and Antoinette Laux'77 Sveom
Lois '76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw
John '49 and Arnhild Werket
Larry '65 and Muriel Berg '67 Scholla
Brian Swedeen '92 and Teni Burnor'92
Heidi Norman '88 Wise and John Wise
Arvid '63 and Lillian Schroeder
Diana Talcott
Edmund '53 and Rose Youngquist
Roger'62 and Jean Schwartz
Barbara and Eugene Thompson
ALUMNI GIVING BY CTASS YEAR
The following
list indicates the percentage of alumni from the traditional day program in each class year who made a gift during 2008-09
Total participation for all class years, 21%.
7934
1935
1936
r937
1938
1939
1940
T94T
40.007"
50.00%
50.00%
62.50y"
64.7'I"/"
25.00%
52.94%
L949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
37.36"/.
1970
24.37"/.
45.83"/"
24.307"
7994
t7.49y"
1981
7982
L8.97"/.
17.44%
1995
1996
7997
1998
1999
70.73%
13.92%
4.23%
9.72%
10a?
18.4I"/"
17.73"/.
17.42y"
13.46"/.
14.34%
15.69%
2004
2005
5.247"
9.45"/.
Lr.48%
7.58%
43.657"
47.75%
46.O9"/"
I97 4
26.42%
38.31%
36.88%
37.97%
40.76%
7975
24.68%
I976
23.5a%
1991
8.70%
2006
4.78%
I977
24.65%
23.92%
t992
70.o7%
993
ro.7t%
2007
2008
5.56y"
3.05%
48.t5%
1961
45.83%
L962
42.86%
1963
Augsburg Now
29.90ï.
46.4O"/o
19.09%
1958
1959
1960
1947
1948
46
37.447"
30.70y.
4L85"/.
34.357"
1979
1980
I957
t946
1944
34.75%
r
r972
r973
1945
1943
35.
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1984
1985
1986
7987
1988
1989
1990
40.63%
48.44%
38.10%
45.65%
48.72%
L942
i0%
L964
47.27%
33.52%
44.53%
50.86%
197
1978
26.IO"/.
25.,ry"
1
1132%
19.I2"/.
t2.20%
2000
2007
8.37%
2002
2003
8.74%
5A3%
alumni news
,fi,
,ì.
Dear valued alumni ancl friends,
s I write this article, we are passing
;! into autumn, and every year this
', brings a palpable sense of nostalgia and ref lection. This year I have been
considering some of the principles and
ideals I learned while a student and at
Augsburg.
As alumni we are all aware of the
another in our closely def ined lives. We belong to chatting commu_
nities, Facebook, MySpace, and thousands of other digital groups,
which could be argued constitute a community.
We cannot deny that technology has grven us the ability to stay
in contact and have more access to informatlon than ever before,
but the question we need to consider is, are we truly following our
duty and responsibllities of our fellowship in humankind?
Each of us will have a different answer to this question, but none
of us can deny that we are living in a time that needs all of us to
themes of vocation, caritas flove), and the duty to be an active part
of our community. These themes were the foundation of the educa_
actively be involved in the world we live. My call to dutyto each of
you, as alumni, is to take some time to rediscover the communities
tion we received from Augsburg and are stillthe foundation for stu-
in which you belong and consider how you can participate and
make a difference. A great place to start is by examining one
community in which you belong: Augsburg College. As a member of
the Augsburg community, a great first step would be to visit the
dents today.
However, my question is, what does each of these tenets mean
to us today, as alumni? Vocation and caritas are def ined without
much difficulty in our lives. We know that through our education
we are able to work in our various fields and through love have last_
ing and def inable relationships with our fellow human beings. But
in our hectic lives, how do we def ine our community?
The notion of community has gone through some interesting
changes over the years. We used to define community by main fac_
tors of geography and/or common goals and ideals. However, this
has evolved over the years with the advancement of digital capabil_
ities and how we communicate. Today we use Twitter, write brief emails, and compose quick text messages to communicate with one
Augsburg Col lege al umn i relations page, www.augsburg.edu/alum
and go to Get lnvolved. There are many opportunities to get
n i,
involved and volunteers are always needed.
I wish you all happy ref lections in this autumn season.
ù'* &*uDANITL HICKLE '95
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Alumni Board
Augsburg Associates
Campus lfitchen at Augsburg
Alumni mentors
Advent Vespers volunteers
GET INVÍ}NE.D
There's a place for youl
Learn more at www.augsburg.edu/alumni
Fall
2009
4l
.:
alumnl news
0ur 'Uniquely Augsburg' faculty add a special touch to alumni events
Have you ever wondered if those
Þ
costumes at the Renaissance Festival are really accurate? Did you
have any idea how the government's
€
stimulus billwould affect you? Ever
considered what it would be like to
see the ltalian countryside through
the eyes of an art historian?
These and many more are the
opportunities you have when
Augsburg faculty join you in the
Uniquely Augsburg alumni events
and programs. While not everyone is able to come to Augsburg's
campus, a number of professors are bringing the Augsburg experience to areas around the Twin Cities, sharing their expertise and
passions, answering questions, and helping interpret policies and
issues into news you can use.
Michael Lansing, assistant professor of history and director of
environmental studies, talked about the value of hands-on learning
in Augsburg's new environmental studies program. He led the Lake
Minnetonka eco-tour cruise in June, describing environmental
issues of the large lake and answering questions about its ecology.
Phillip Adamo (pictured left), associate professor and chair of
the History Department and director of medieval studies, hosted
lunch in Augsburg's tent at the Renaissance Festival and answered
questions about what's real and what's not. He also led a tour
around the grounds, stopping at a 16th-century lrish cottage
replica to give a glimpse of what life was like then.
When Auggies gathered in August for "Auggie Night at the
Races" in Shakopee, accounting professor Stu Stoller kicked off
the night with a presentation on "The Odds of Winning."
The quarterly Eye-Opener Breakfast Series provides alumni professionals an opportunity to start the day with networking and a
talk by an Augsburg academic. ln April, Economics Department
chair Jeanne Boeh spoke about the stimulus package, how it
affected the economy, and what it meant for most people.
The Uniquely Augsburg concept also extends to travel opportunities. The November tour to ltaly was led by art professor Kristin
Anderson, whose passions include the art, archìtecture, history,
and culture of this region.
Uniquely Augsburg alumni events have succeeded in engaging
alumni in great ways to experience an Augsburg education without
coming to campus. Watch for upcoming events in your area; the
next one may be just around the corner.
Keep up on all alúmnì events at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Journey to the Emerald lsle of lreland
à
Join friends from lhe Augsburg College community for an in-depth journey through lreland. Explore centuries of heroic history, visiting
archaeological sites dating lo S,000 BC. Experience the intense rugged
beauty of land carved from the sea, contrasling with the meticulous
gardens of stately castles. D¡scover the spirit of Celtic Christianity at
ancient monaslic communities where Christianity flourished during the
Dark Ages. Celebrate contemp0rary lrish culture with passion-filled
music and food at local pubs.
The tour departs in early 0ctober 2010 and will be hosted by
Augsburg faculty. A detailed tour brochure will be available in December. To receive the brochure, contact Alumni Relations, 6l 2-330-1
1
73
or alumni@augsburg.edu.
Kylemore Abbey, in County ûalway, the oldest ol the lrish Benedictine abbeys,
is one of the sites on the alumni itinerary in 0ctober 2010.
48
Augsburg Now
The Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings
Continuing the Augsburg Choir's
75th anniversary celebration,
Augsburg is proud to announce that
the Augsburg Choir
recordings from 1949-1979 will
CD versions of
Box 3: Sateren Finale
I972-73: An Ascription of Praise; includes Sateren's composition
by the same name
I974-7ú
Day of Pentecosf; includes Sateren's composition by the
same name
soon be available. These re-mastered historical treasures will be
I975-76: And Death Shall Have No Dominion; visiting director
released as The Augsburg Choir
1977-78: Here Comes Our Kingi includes Sateren's composition
legacy Recordings.
by the same name
ldar Karevold
I978-79: Gloria; includes the title piece by
leland
Lars Edlund
B. Sateren '35
Three boxed sets, each containing five CDs, will be produced:
Box 1: From Opseth to Sateren
1949-50: Augsburg Choir, with Henry P. Opseth conducting.
lncludes Jeg er saa glad, Praise to the Lord, and Song of Mary
I95I-52: includes Sateren's Cycle for Christmas and his arrange-
The Augsburg Cho¡r Legacy Recordings
will add to the richness of
the choral tradition of the past, present, and future. Dr. Bill
Halverson '51 has written a monograph about Leland B. Sateren's
life and career that will be included with the recordings. These
ment of The Sun Has Gone Down
1954-55: includes Sateren's Christmas Canticle
1956-57: includes Knut Nystedt's Cry Out and Shout
recordings will also confirm the historical and continued significance of Augsburg College as a place of preparation for service in
community and church.
The Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings will be available early
next year through the Augsburg College Bookstore. For information
196I-62: includes Sateren's His Compassions Fail
on ordering the CDs, go to the Music Department website,
Not
www.augsbu rg.ed u/m usic.
Box 2: Sateren lntermezzo
1964-65: includes music from the European tour, spanning 400
years of music from Corsi and Bach to Jean Berger
1967-68: Praise to God; includes Sateren's Seek
Not
Cost: $49 per boxed set; $135 for all three boxed sets, plus shipping and handling.
Afar for
Beauty
1969-7O: Thy Truth Within; includes Sateren's composition by the
same name
I970-7I: Make a Joyful Noise; includes Sateren's The Poor
and Needy
I97I-72:
The Redeemef includes Sateren's A Choral Cycle
The Redeemer
co8
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Fall
úrr
2009
49
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alumni news
Experience the beauty and culture of Norway
e
JC
\
Join Augsburg's Center
for Leadership Studies
e
for an educatìonal and
cultural tour to Norway,
The tour includes:
r
Five days in Oslo-located on a fjord, surrounded by hills, and
full of the excitement of a large, cosmopolitan city
.
A journey westward by motor coach through Kongsberg, the his-
June 5-15,2010. This
toric Numedal Valley, and Hardangervidda (the mountain
special ly-designed tour
plateau home of large reindeer herds) to stay in a charming traditional hotel in Geilo
includes visits to Oslo,
Kongsberg, Geilo,
o
A famously scenic train ride to the fjord village of Flåm and a
.
Two nights in picturesque and historic Bergen on Norway's
.
west coast
A journey south by motor coach and ferry to Stavanger, designated "European Capital of Culture" for 2008. Stavanger was the
Bergen, and Stavanger.
While in Oslo, the group
will be hosted
Diakon
cruise on the Aurlands and Naeroy Fjords
by
hjemmet
U n
iver-'
sity College, an Augsburg partner school that
maìn departure point for Norwegian immigrants to Amerìca. After
offers a master's degree
ExperiencethespectacularbeautyofNorway's invalue-based leaderfiordswiththeCenterforLeadershipStudies ship.Accommodations
nextlune'
wiil be on or near campus. Faculty from Diakonhjemmet will lead three morning sessions
to complement the travel, providing an inside perspective and an
opportunity to reflect on what is seen and learned.
an overnight stay, the tour departs for home from Stavanger.
Cost: $3799 (includes airfare, accommodations, in-country travel,
entrance fees during group excursions, tour guides, workshops at
Diakonhjemmet, and 15 meals). Space is limited to 26.
For information about the tour and a PowerPoint preview, con-
tact Patty Park at 612-330-1150 or parkp@augsburg.edu.
Welcome home, 0ld Main bell
augsburg
Augsburg's first 0ld Main building opened in 1 8i4, and until it was razed to build
Sverdrup Hall, its bell called the campus communityto meals and events.
This bell has recently come back to Augsburg, and will find a new place and pur-
pose 0n campus. We're planning a story about the bell in the spring issue of Augsburg
I'low,about its history, its travels, and its return home. Scouring our archives, we haven't
been able to learn much about it, or find it pictured in archive photos.
I)o you rememberthis ()ld Main bell? Please help us learn more about
how and when did
it-where
was it located,
it ring? What do you remember about it?
After the bell served its duty in ()ld Main,
il became part of Augsburg student traditions-participating
in sports and other student activities. What do you
remember-tell
us, even anonymously, if you wish!
E-mail information and stories to now@augsburg.edu or call 612-330-1 181. We invite you to become
part of the "rest of the story" about the 0ld Main bell.
50
Augsburg Now
)
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5g-Y[:Aft: ftliüNîoil|-$LAlifi
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ß59,
lyngdal, Walter Lundeen
HflMECOMING 2OOg
{g-YF,Aftj ftlîUNï01,f-$LA$$ ûF 1gõg
Front row (L t0 R): Arlene Uejima, Karl Sneider; Row 2 ([ to R): l{ancy (Rolfe) Rolfe-Bailey, Lynn
(Benson) Hlelmeland, Janice (Hawkins) Halvorson, Kristi Holden; Rows 3,4 combined (L to R):
Roberta (Halseth) clausen, J0an (Halverson) Holt, Diana (0lson) Ersfeld, Ardell (Th0rpe) Bengtson,
Ron Holden; Row 5 (L to R): Greg Clausen, Eunice Helgeson, Judy (Johnson Kangas) Lies, pam
(Fredrickson) Gunderson; Row ô ([ to R): Diane (Helgeson) carter, lois (peterson) Bollman, Julie
(Kreie) Eidsvoog, sue (Halvorson) Bjerkestrand; Row 7 (L to R): sharon (Mielke) Eian, shirley (Swee)
Seutter, Alvina (Strand) Skogen, Linda (Stewart) Miller, larry Turner; Rows B, I combined (l to R):
Jacqueline (Kniefel) [ind, Joel Branes, Daryl Miller, wayne carlson, pamela (Bjorklund) carlson,
25- I FA ft, ftElf$l,i0l,f
gLAf,-: 0f rue+
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laurie (Ofstedal) Frattallone, [aurie ([indell) Miles, Sonja Thompson,
Carmela (Brown) Kranz, Kim (0lsen) Melotte, lisa (Rykken) Kasfler
(L to R)
Richard Fenton; Rows 1 0, 1 1 combined ([ to R): ûlen Peterson, larry Matthews, Bruce Mestemacheç
Mike Essen, Bob Bliss, Gary Boen
Fall
2009
51
ass nOtes
c
FlSheldon
Johnson beean in Sepas interim sJperintend
ent at lVleadow Creek (Minn.)
Christian School. He retired in 2000
after 33 years as superintendent of
the lVlonticello School District, and
has since served four prior stints as
an interim superintendent.
Ult.ro.r.
Richard E. Lund, MD, is a retired
radiologist, living in Edmonds, Wash
He and his wife, Ann, have been
married for 43 years and have five
grandchildren. rlxrad@aol.com
tltSusan
Nelson has been teachlne elementary special education for 23 years in ihe Davenport
(lowa) Community Schools. She
coached lhe 1995 and 1999 World
Games Special Olympics lowa tennis
teams and the 2006 National
Games lowa tennis team.
Uf
l!fllon
Uü.r
Hageseth retired in Sepo.itro m his 27 -year
tenure as co-founder and director of
the Counseling and Testing Center at
the University of Wisconsin-La
Crosse. He plans to pursue photography and woodworking, as well as
play tennis and golf, and volunteer
in the community.
Kathy 0lson entered the contest in
September for an at-large seat on
the Waverly (lowa) City Council. She
retired last year as CUNA Mutual
human resources director and
serves on two non-profit boards in
her community.
FSii;:
i'iåi,' H tilì:t
åi^
David Ctoss works at U N IVAC/
UNISYS Cadence Design Systems.
Robert Strandquist has taught high
school English around the world. He
has been a twolime Fulbright
exchange teacher, a scholar at
Oxford and in lreland, and has run
15 marathons. Now he's "tiredno, re-tired."
[arry Turner has raised a family,
retired from the Burlington Northern
Santa l-e Railway, served22 years in
the Naval Reserve, and now enjoys
opportunities to travel and expand
his photography hobby.
]
!
(Johnson) Sullivan
llSharon Ann
lJreceived the "Excellence in
Jacqueline (Kniefel) l¡nd'94 MAt
works at the Airport Foundation
MSP to recruit, train, and recognize
300 volunteers for Travelers Assistance. She completed her Master of
Arts in Leadership degree at Augsburg and has served as Augsburg's
Alumni Board president.
52
Jill (Beck) Burch works at Accenture
Kay (Peterson) Sauck is president
and CEO of Sauck Media Group, a
publishing company that she
founded in 2009 in Fairmont, lVlinn
She launched Womeninc magaÀne
in 2004. ln 2008, after a series of
personal tragedies, she started
Midwest Caregìver, which has now
become Caregiving in Ameñca.
Coming in spring 2010 is a third
publication called MN Rivers.
Bank.
at Best Buy.
Shari Kay (Hackbarth) Hunter completed an MBA at the Unìversity of
St. Thomas and works at Provincial
Karen Jensen works for the State of
Minnesota. After graduation she
look an Oulward Bound course,
found a passion for outdoor adventure, and has paddled around the
world. Five years ago, she lost her
husband, Jim Rada, when he died
while paddling a whitewater river.
Teaching Award" from the California
Council for Adult Education. She is a
kay@sauckmed ia.com
metropolitan ad ult education
¡nstructor at Hope Services, San
Jose, Calif., where she teaches life
skills to over 150 adults who are
developmentally disabled.
O,4ì Mary
Saturday evening lazz
show, Corner Jazz, on KBEM Radio,
after working for 12 years at Minnesota Public Radio.
't
f
(}rjworkshop in music therapy,
lJane (Catlin) Bracken, a firstlgraOe teacher at Cannon Falls
(Minn.) Elementary School, was
selected by her peers as the elementary Teacher of the Year in
Ann Sullivan began host-
Ctl,tnea
Q 2Xt]l
luedtke-Smith organized
a
"lVlusical Play: Learning through
Music," at the Fraser School last
February.
T flJanice Nelson is a new memt l,nu, of the board of directors ot
Southwest lnitiative Foundation in
Hutchinson, Minn. She is an attorney with the law firm of Nelson Oyen
Torvik in lVlontevideo, IVlinn., and
works with real estate, estate planning, elder law, and probate.
Lisa (Rykken) Kastler is program
executive at Youth Encounter and
oversees national and international
traveling ministry teams and weekend events. She has enjoyed opportunities to use her theatre studies in
youth minislry.
Kim Marie 0lsen taught elementary
and middle school and served as
a youth minister. Her husband
retired from active duty in the U.S.
Navy, and they are now settled in
Wisconsin.
Ja nuary.
@'/f-Wanda (Hemphill) Borman has
O¡Þworked, traveled to Europe
and Asia, and ¡s an instructor in the
Eagan Art House and manager of
the Eagan Ad Festival.
Liz (Peterson) Sheahan has worked
at Ministry Home Care, Inc., where
she has created Telly-award-winning
videos on home healLh and hospice
care used in fundraising.
(Strommen) Johnson is
J9'ùco-chairing
f,Andrea
Paul
St.
Children's
Hospital Association's CHAnging
Lives 60th Annual Ball. Proceeds
from the November 21 benefit go to
Children's Hospitals and Clinics of
M in
Kristi (Sanford) Goetsch enjoyed a
wonderful 30-year career in the
Seattle Public Schools from 19691999. Since then she has been
doing volunteer work with the elcierly
and teaching Sunday School.
management consulting firm,
Drakulic & Associates, which currently contracts in the operations
and development areas w¡th Hope
Chest for Breast Cancer.
t
f
nesota.
ÊRev. David Halaas was called
Uìo ,.ru.
as senior pastor at
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Williston, N.D.
Church of Christ and Nerstrand
(Minn.) United lVlethodist Church
A group of Auggies from the late 1970s found an occasion to get
together for dinner in Minneapolis last April.
Front row, L to R: Laura (Berg) Nelson '79, Steve Nelson'78, Steve
Wehrenberg'78, Sue (Johnson) Wehrenberg'79, Pam (Hanson) Moksnes
last summer.
'79, Lynn Schmidtke'79; Back row, Llo R: Steve Pheneger, LuAnn
(Johnson) Drakulic spent
$Sue
{22years working at Honeywell, and then left to run her own
Pheneger, Mark Moksnes'79, Tim Gordon'80, Ga¡l (Wagner) Gordon'80,
Karin (Larson) Monson, Greg Monson'79 (in back), Susan Streed
McNaughton, Bill Voedisch. Laurie (Carlson) Voedisch, Chris Geason '78,
Julie (Edson) Geason'79
7 8::'3f,:iii:i:l j;i1Ï,ïñ:;
J
I
Augsburg Now
)
rr
.þ
è
þ
q
Adrienne (Kuchler) Eldridge
Jason, welcomed a son, Hudson lsaiah, on
June 12. She is the program and
lff,¡
V-3.and her husband,
ø
organizational manager at the First
Lutheran Church and Bay Lake
q
Camp. aeke@hotmail.com
Q.flSven
9l.his
OEllir¡am Zien Edgar and Scott Edgar were married on July 5 in St. Louis
U UPark, Minn. Auggies in the wedding party included Molly Rivets'06,
Erlandson has published
fourlh book, Badass
Alia Sheirman'08, Laya Theberge'06, Dayle Vanderleest'04, Peter lindemann
'04, and Karley Kielty'07. Music professors Robert Stacke'71 and Ned Kantor played in the klezmer/jazz band. Miriam is orchestra director at J.F.
Kennedy High School in Bloomrngton, and Scott is completing his master's
degree in counseling and psychological services at St. Mary's University of
Jesus: The Serious Athlete and a
Life of Noble Purpose. Written for
"the most ¡ntense, focused, and
fiercest athletes," the book is rooted
in "Jesus' First and Greatest Commandment and his personal ethos
of radical other-centered love."
Minnesota.
Natasha Hamann is a family medicine physician at Allina Medical
Clinic in Buffalo, lVinn.
flfi.Sarah Huerta'06 MBA and
her
U Uhusband, C¡aig'09, wel-
comed theìr second child, Connor
Brian, on April 24. He joins big
brofher Brady,2-112.
(l
ÇAllison
(Cornell) and Matt
llUBroughton'06 were married
in
a small ceremony on June 27 . f he
couple lives in Hanover, N.H.,
where Malt is a graduate student in
physics at Dartmouth College and
Allison works for the Dartmouth
Medical School Development Offìce.
The photo was taken by Ryan
Bethke'09,
fì
Roper-Batker is the presiÚÚoent uÅo cro of the women's
Foundation of lVinnesota, which she
has served since 2001. She received
a diploma from the Higher Trade
Union College in lVloscow, where she
studied trade union movements.
flLee
Bethany Buchanan married
Micheal Scott, a high
school special education teacher, in
June 2008. A year later they started
Grace Homes-Williston House, a
residential care home for seniors in
lVlinnetonka. After working as a
O.tì
rll.Charles
social worker, Bethany graduated
from nursing school in 2001, and
worked at Fairview University Medical Center and Methodist Hospital
as a medical-surgical nurse prior to
opening the care home. ln 2003,
2004, and 2005 she did month-long
medical mission tours in Nigeria.
Tracy (Glumich) Hovland and her
husband, Erik, have a six-month-old
daughter, Ava.
June (Kirk) Nelson returned to West
Africa 15 months ago, where she
works at the Hopital Protestante in
Ngaoundere, Cameroon, a mission
hospital that trains Christian African
physicians to become surgeons.
Megan Renze has been in Florida for
10 years. She completed her Juris
Doctor degree at the University of
Miami Law School.
O OAaron
Shatol Tyra received a Star Award
2008 from the lVlinnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing (N/l0LN)
in recognition of her commitment to
volunteering and dedication to influencing health care by advancing
professional nursrng leadership, particularly with the Metro Alliance Education and Service Collaborative for
Expanded Enrollment of Baccalaureate Nurses.
Petrasek married David
Alan Hurley on Oct. 28, 2008,
in Van Nuys, Calif. Paul works at
FedEx and David Alan works at the
VA Medical Center. They traveled to
Disneyland for a honeymoon and
Gabriel directed the
lJ
lJregional premiere of How Can
You Run with a Shell on Your Back
at the Stages Theatre in Hopkins,
lVlinn., in lVlarch. The musical won a
regional Tony award following its premiere in Chicago last year.
Chiho Okuizumi is program coordina-
tor at VH1 Save the lVlusic Foundation in New York City, which provides
access to instrumental music education to children in more than 1,600
public schools across the U.S.
OTPaul
r'l I
live in Avon, Calif.
Q$toucin da
(0lson) Bjorklund
rJ.rJ-works at Vascular Solutions,
I
nc.
employed at the time of her wedding
at Appleton Cardiology Associates in
Appleton, Wis., as a physician assistant. Kevin is a high school math
teacher and head track coach at
Clintonville High School.
Marcy received his MBA
the Carlson School of
Management, University of Minnesota, in 2008 and accepted a promotion to senior internal auditor at
Valspar in Minneapolis. He travels
fl
2Max
U úfrom
widely doing internal audits, including the U.S., Europe, and China. ln
2OO4 he married his wife, Jessica, in
a Celtic mass held in Syracuse, N.Y.
They live in lVinneapolis with their
Persian cat, Eleanor Rigby.
fddam Nugent and Carolina
U T(Chiesa) are living in College
fi
Station, Texas. Adam is studying for
a lVlaster of Landscape Architecture
degree at Texas A&M, and Carolina
is teaching at South Knoll Elementary School.
Bourn works as a promanager with youth
service agencies and the Minneapolis Public Schools on the North Side.
He has run for the Minneapolis Park
and Recreation Board to keep parks
on the North Side safe and pro-
O FBrad
tlilgram
and has moved to Los Angeles.
grammed. He has received the Presidential Service Award for his work
with youth.
(l{¡
(l'fleremy
fl lEm¡ly Nugent'07 MA[, '09 MBA
lJ lis engaged to Nick Loiacano
Jennifer Langman married
Reese in Cameron, Wis.,
on August 9, 2008. Jennifer earned
a master's degree in health science
from Duke University and was
U-LKevin
Anderson adapted one
of his poems into a l0-minute
play, "Jones'n," which was produced
as part of the Bedlam Theatre's TenMinute Play Festival in May.
Uf
Fall
2009
53
prof ile
A Colombian Auggie in
Europe-
Paola Murcia '99
s
,1
È
How did a Latin American Auggie from Colombia end up in
Belgium via Minneapolis and Costa Rica?
Paola lVurcìa has lived in Antwerp, Belgium, for three years
now, working for Dole Fresh Fruit as the banana allocation
assistant for Europe. ln this role, she is the contact person
between the European market for Dole bananas and the production in Latin America.
This journey began in the mid-1990s when another Auggie
from Colombia introduced Paola to Eloisa Echavez, then the
director of Augsburg's Hispanic/Latino Student Services.
Echavez met with Paola's parents when she traveled in
Colombia, and they agreed to Paola's going to Augsburg.
She studied international relations, political science, and
Apart from her work, Paola Murcia '99 enjoys traveling in Europe and had a great view
ol the Thames in London from the london Eye ferris wheel.
French, and graduated in 1999. A year later, she took a posi-
tion in San José, Costa Rica, with Dole, and over the next six
years she was continually promoted and grew in the company
about those subjects," Paola says, "and it's important when
you live abroad that you try to blend in as much as possible.
toward the appointment in Dole's European division.
Also, to be open-minded!"
Shortly after arriving in Belgium, Paola ref lected on how she
felt Augsburg had provided a foundation for this new
When Paola arrived in Europe, for the first time she found
herself in a place where she didn't understand anything at all.
experience.
ln Antwerp, although most people speak English, the language
is Dutch (Flemish). But, since Belgium's off icial languages are
Dutch, German, and French, she could use her French from
Augsburg and fully appreciated the efforts of professor Pary
Pezechkian, who pushed her to master it.
As of now, Paola plans to stay in Europe, working in the
international f ield. She has studied Dutch and is striving to
"l have used what was learned in political
science and international relations to be the professional and the person I have
become," Paola wrote. "As Professor Norma Noonan puts it
better than I could, [she wrote to me,] 'You are living international relations, which is even better than merely studying ìt!
You are living the multicultural experiences that you have had
in all the countries through which you have passed."'
Paola would encourage current students to pay a lot of
attention to history and geography, as well as language.
"There is still an ìmage that Americans don't know much
perfect her French and German. She is also now accustomed to
the continental European winter, and she credits her years in
Minnesota for preparing her for this, as well.
BEÏSTY NORGARD
Shannon Olson works as a marketing
associate within a new type of teaming structure at Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans, called Professional
Office Practìces (POP).
0uincy Osborn joined the athletic
staf f at Ohio University as an assislanI coach in wrestling, after serving
in the same position for Augsburg's
wrestling team.
at an outdoor ceremony along the
Mississìppi River and drove to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon.
Daniel Manley is a police officer in
Glen Ridge, N.J. and saved the life
of a choking baby on the second day
on his job after having recently completed police academy training.
Alia Scheirman began her service in
the Peace Corps in Ukraine al the
fl QTasha Christensen married
l, [tNikolaus Browne on June l3
54
Augsburg Now
end of September.
fi
$Abigail Ferjak, with a major in
U üyoulh and
family ministry, is
beglnning study at Yale Divinity
Graduate College and wants to
explore the possibility of teaching in
a college setting.
Matthew Tonsager has joined the
Elm Creek Associates of Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans as a financial
associate with the organization's
Central l\4innesola Regional [inancial Office.
Of;ATUATI PfiO$f;AMIì
Jeff Falkingham '95 MAL received
favorable reviews from the Sherlock
Holmes Society of London for his
second novel, Sherlock Holmes: In
Search of the Source, released on
January 6, the 155th birthday of
Holmes, The historical f¡ction ¡s set
in l896 in Sl. P¿ul. Read Lhe review
at www.sherlockhol mes.org. u k/pdf/
DM290.pdf.
Send us your news and photos
Please
tell
us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don't forget to send photosl
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary, funeral notice,
0f program from a memorral service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to: Augsburg
llow
Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 14È,2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55454, or e-mail alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news at
www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
ln Memoriam
[arson, Gertrude (Amundson)'35,
Denver, Colo., age 100, on Aug. 3.
Dahl, Jeffrey'74, Cottonwood,
Minn., age 56, on Sept.30.
Street address
Pautz, Richard'37, Minneapolis,
age 96, on July 4. Former athletic
director, director of public rela-
Treichel, Scott G.'76, Webster, Wis.,
age 55, on July 31.
City, State, Zip
tions, Augsburg regent emeritus,
and 7972 Distinguished Alumnus.
Ahlberg, Ruth C. '¿14, Chesterton,
Ind., age BB, on Aug. 25.
Johnson, Edwin 0. '44, Minneapolis,
age BB, on Aug. 16.
larsen, Marguerite (Greguson)'45,
Carlton, Minn., age 86, on July 4.
Strand, Carl '46, Owatonna, Minn.,
age 87 , on Aug. 12.
Wessman, Rev. Willis'48, Topeka,
Kan., age BB, on July 26.
ls this a new address?
O Yes D
No
Olsen, Daniel ,1. '78, Apple Valley,
IVinn., age 53, on May 4.
Mason, WilmaÆom-Ba-Equay (Windy
Woman) '81, Bemidji, Minn., age
61, on Sept.10.
Home telephone
E-mail
Ballot, Sarah (Carlson) '98, Minneapolis, age 33, in early July, in
an auto acc¡dent.
Okayto publishyoure-mail address?
Allegrezza, Genevieve'04, Anchorage, Alaska, age28, on Aug.3.
Employer
Johnston, Hannah (Bratzel)'07, St.
Paul Park, lVinn., age 27, on June
25, of cancer.
Position
OYes trNo
Work telephone
Garstenbrock, Walter '49, Austin,
Minn., age 86, on July 7.
Brown, Orpha (Grimsrud) '50,
Wick, Cheryl '11 PA, Rochester,
IVìinn., age 25, on July 25, of cardiac arrhythmia.
Phoenix, Ariz., and Portland, Ore.,
Druck, Rachel
age 80, on July 27.
Oct.17.
'12, age 23,
[alim, Archie'50, lVladison, Conn.,
age 80, on Aug. 9. 1990 Distin-
Sulzen, Zoya'12, Minneapolis, at
the end of July.
ls spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? O Yes
tr
No
lf yes, class year
on
Spouse's name
guished Alumnus.
Berkland, Rev. Theodore'51,'54
Sem, Grantsburg, Wis., age 80, on
June 20 of multiple myeloma.
Sortland, Rev. Howard'51, Plymouth, Minn., age 86, on Aug. 3.
Balerud, Paul'54, North Platte,
Neb., age 79, on Aug. 5.
Nelson, Judith (0lson) '65, Shell
Knob, lVlo., age 66, on Aug. 29.
Jones-Hermerding, Ertwin'69, Otter
Anderson, Margaret (Klinner), Edina,
Minn., age 86, on June 19, She
lVlaiden name
Your news:
taught home economics at Augsburg and was the widow of Ernie
Anderson'37.
Pedersen, Myrtle Edith, Hudson,
Wis., age 100, on Aug. 12.
Wrightsman, Rev. Bruce, Garnavillo,
lowa, age 75, on Oct. 4, of heart
failure and amyloidosis. He taught
in the Department of Religion and
Philosophy,1960-63.
O
I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
Tail, Minn., age62, on Aug. 11, in
a motorcycle accident. 2003 Distinguished Alumnus.
Fall
2009
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To see
other photos of Auggie Eagle around
campus during the week of Homecoming,
go to www.augsburg.edu/now
What will Auggie do next?
As part of the Homecoming celebration, Auggie (or a paper
cutout of Auggie from the Homecoming brochure) wandered
around campus and had his photo taken for the online photo
of the week. Here Auggie is studying sociology in the library.
Show less
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Title
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Augsburg Now Spring 2009
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AUGSBURG NOW
SPRING 2009
VOL. 71, NO. 2
inside
auggies
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Photo
Years
of Life-Changing
contest winners Augsburg Choir, 75 years
Twin sisters, twin dreams Core to compost
Travel
How green is Augsburg? Studying sustainability
page
20 the neig...
Show more
AUGSBURG NOW
SPRING 2009
VOL. 71, NO. 2
inside
auggies
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Photo
Years
of Life-Changing
contest winners Augsburg Choir, 75 years
Twin sisters, twin dreams Core to compost
Travel
How green is Augsburg? Studying sustainability
page
20 the neighborhood youth Green planning
Feeding
go
green
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
notes
from President Pribbenow
Generosity and Sustainability
t
his issue of the Augsburg Now offers many
inspiring stories of ways in which our community is learning about and practicing what
it means to live sustainable lives in the city.
I’ve been thinking a good bit lately about why the
Augsburg community has made such great progress
in living out its commitment to urban sustainability,
and I’ve found myself exploring the meaning of the
original motto for Augsburg Theological Seminary
and College, the bold claim found in John 1:14:
“And the Word became flesh.” I’m struck by how
this scriptural promise is both a statement of generosity and of sustainability. Augsburg College practices generosity most authentically when it lives as
the Word made flesh—sustainable, present, rooted,
of service, and faithful.
My teacher, Martin Marty, taught me that colleges
are indigenous communities—that is, they are native
to a particular place, a particular environment, a particular set of values, and practices that define the
institution—and that means something for the way
they live their lives.
What does it mean to think about Augsburg
College as an indigenous community? What does it
mean that the Word has become flesh and lived
among us here?
I lift up for our attention three simple aspects of
Augsburg’s identity—ways in which the Word becomes flesh here and the values we seek to sustain:
• The central focus of our identity is that wherever
Augsburg College is found—here in this neighborhood, in the city, in Rochester, or around the
world—our most authentic work is learning and
teaching. And the wonder of learning is that it involves acts of generosity and sustainability in its
every detail—from teachers who teach what they
love; to students who seek to learn out of curiosity
and passion; to texts that bear the wisdom of the
ages for our reflection; to conversations that help
us pay attention to the Word, to each other, and to
the world; to practices and commitments that help
sustain our environment.
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Editorial
Wendi Wheeler ’06
wheelerw@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski ’08
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Webmaster/Now Online
Bryan Barnes
barnesb@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
• A second aspect of our identity is the way in
which this city, a particular place—much different
now than in 1869—is still a place that demands our
attention and respect and concern. Democracy still
is practiced in this place with our neighbors. Education still happens in this place with learners and
teachers all around us. Engagement and service still
are at the center of our lives with each other in this
place. Sustaining this urban place, this urban environment, is an act of generosity—for our diverse
neighbors, for our diverse selves, for the whole of
creation, now and into the future.
Jeff Shelman
shelman@augsburg.edu
• The final aspect of our identity is our firm grounding in the Christian faith—a confident faith that
frees us to learn, to live, to practice hospitality with
all of our neighbors, to be a force for good in the
world, to affirm our calling as people of faith and a
college of the church, to be God’s people in this
place, and to know that grace and truth abound
where the Word becomes flesh.
www.augsburg.edu
I celebrate the generosity that is Augsburg’s faithful
work in the world—the Word made flesh here, each
and every day. I celebrate the sustainability of our indigenous character, our indigenous work, and our indigenous place. And I recall the concluding words of
John 1:14 that remind us that the Word made flesh
is “full of grace and truth.” Oh, how the world needs
a Word of grace and truth. And here it is!
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President of
Marketing and Communication
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni and
Constituent Relations
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
CB 142
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
spring 2009
Features
6
10
12
Augsburg Choir - celebrating 75 years
by Betsey Norgard
16
30
Twin sisters, twin dreams
by Jean Spielman Housh
International Programs Photo Contest
14
20
23
auggies
go green
16 Toward a more sustainable Augsburg
by Betsey Norgard
contents
19 How green is Augsburg?
26
augsburg now
20 Environmental connections: Green starts here
by Jeff Shelman
23 Studying sustainability
by Wendi Wheeler ’06
26 Green Planning
28 Core to compost
Photos and text by Stephen Geffre
30 Feeding the neighborhood youth
by Wendi Wheeler ’06
32 How green is our magazine?
Departments
2
4
5
8
33
36
40
Around the Quad
Auggies on the ice
Auggie voices
It takes an Auggie
Alumni news
Class notes
My Auggie experience
On the cover
We celebrate in this issue all the commitments, changes, and
progress that Augsburg has embraced in learning how to be a
more sustainable college in the city.
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
around the
quad
Augsburg receives Carnegie classification
Augsburg was recently selected by the Carnegie Foundation as
one of 119 colleges and universities in the nation to receive the
classification for Community Engagement. This affirms that the
school has institutionalized community engagement in its identity, culture, and commitments. It also affirms that the practices
of community engagement are aligned with the institution’s identity and form an integral component of the institutional culture.
The classification has three categories—curricular engagement, outreach and partnerships, and a category for both engagement and outreach—and Augsburg received the latter,
comprehensive classification.
In a letter to Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow, Jim
Scheibel, executive director of the Minnesota Campus Compact,
congratulated the College on this recognition. Scheibel wrote, “As
a country that faces an economic crisis, and as a community that
witnesses division and strife across the globe, we need students,
faculty, and campuses that are fully engaged. This recognition
says you are doing your part and acknowledges that you are serious about fulfilling the mission of the College.”
Augsburg has included “student engagement” as one of nine
specific academic goals for the institution. The Augsburg Experience signature curriculum requirement encourages direct involvement with people and organizations external to the College,
All first-year students spend an afternoon during September Auggie Days working on
community projects—painting, gardening, cleaning up, or whatever needs doing in the
neighborhood with Augsburg’s community partners.
first-hand discovery and application of knowledge, self-awareness
through reflective and critical thinking, and exploration of what
one is called to do in the world.
Augsburg is a committed partner to particular nonprofit and
educational groups within the nearby urban neighborhoods, including Cedar-Riverside, Seward, and Phillips.
In addition, the College has instituted programs and policies
that support community engagement for the campus community.
All staff members receive two days of paid leave time for community service.
A note to the editor
“I found the ‘Lights, camera, and action’ feature in the fall 2008 Augsburg
Now very interesting. This photograph was taken in the Augsburg Art Studio in the early 1970s during a session of a hands-on class teaching 16mm
filmmaking with synchronized sound. As a student from 1965-1970, I had a
work-study job showing films and doing photography working for Robert
Zeller, who at that time was director of instructional services. He is the
first person whom I recall to have taught a course in film studies at
Augsburg. Warren Hanson, John Mitchell, and Larry Glenn (left to right in
the photo) were all students in the course taught by local filmmaker Paul
Rusten. Warren was a registered student. As John was a faculty member
and I was director of the audio-visual center, we were invited to participate in the class without receiving credit.”
LARRY GLENN ’70
2
Augsburg Now
Brian Krohn—Augsburg’s first Rhodes Scholar
Brian Krohn ’08 arrived at Augsburg with plans of being a film major and eventually became a chemistry
student. In November he was selected as a Rhodes Scholar—Augsburg’s first.
Krohn, a native of Cloquet, Minn., was one of 769 initial U.S. applicants from 207 colleges and universities for this year’s Rhodes Scholars. After making it through an interview process and being selected,
Krohn became one of 32 Americans who will study at Oxford University beginning in fall 2009. There, Krohn
will focus on environmental change and management in order to combine public policy expertise with the
scientific knowledge he has gained at Augsburg.
In the summer of 2006, Krohn began research into new ways to produce biodiesel fuel. He acknowledges that he didn’t really expect to break any new ground, but he wanted to give it a shot.
The combination of Krohn’s research, the teaching of chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg, and
Augsburg alum Clayton McNeff led to the discovery of the Mcgyan Process to produce
biodiesel in a cleaner and more environmentally friendly way.
“For me, Brian’s work on the biodiesel project is a great liberal arts story,”
President Paul C. Pribbenow said. “There’s a connection between a student with a
question, a faculty member, and an alum. They work on a problem and come out with
a response that, in this case, is pretty groundbreaking.
“Brian stands for the well-rounded education that we provide for all of our
students. We’re proud of him and proud that his Augsburg education prepared
him,” Pribbenow continued.
In addition to his work with biodiesel, Krohn is a Goldwater Scholar who was
a founder of the Honors Review, a new journal for student scholarship at
Augsburg. He organized the inaugural Agre Challenge, an event in which teams
were challenged to build a catapult to fling a 20-pound sandbag various distances.
Diane Pike receives the Stewart Bellman Award
Diane Pike, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and professor of
sociology, is the 2008 recipient of the Stewart Bellman Award for Exemplary Leadership from The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning.
She was honored in November at The Collaboration’s annual conference.
For more than 25 years at Augsburg, Pike has been recognized for her excellence
as a classroom teacher and as a role model for other faculty members, in large part
due to her ongoing leadership in faculty development workshops, consulting, and summer institutes, and her avid attention to the research literature on the scholarship of
teaching and learning.
Pike’s accomplishments at Augsburg have included re-envisioning the work of the
Committee on Faculty Development, integrating activities for faculty and professional
staff members, and creating dedicated space for student learning and CTL in Lindell
Library. Most notably, however, has been her leadership in the creation of the new
AugCore general education program—guiding the design team work and faculty collaboratives on specific issues, as well as securing a Bush Foundation grant for implementation and work on the course evaluation project. She is the incoming president of the
Midwest Sociological Society.
Spring 2009
3
Auggies on the ice
Tiffany Magnuson—
a star on ice and on the field
If it weren’t for finding cheap hockey skates at a tent sale,
Tiffany Magnuson’s athletic career might have been quite
different than it is today.
“My dad didn’t want me playing hockey. They bought me
figure skates, because my dad didn’t want me messed up
with the hockey guys,” said Magnuson, whose father is a
hockey coach in their hometown of Green Bay, Wis. “They
bought the figure skates for me, and I couldn’t skate in them
because of the toe pick. But my dad always said that I had a
natural hockey stride, and I kept telling him that I wanted
black skates.”
So Magnuson’s mom found her a pair of black skates—
hockey skates.
“My mom always said, ‘Wal-Mart started your career,’
because they had a tent sale at Wal-Mart on hockey skates,”
Magnuson said.
A senior, Magnuson has excelled at two sports during her
Auggie career—hockey and softball—and will leave Augsburg
as one of the top all-around female athletes in school history.
Magnuson finished her hockey career as the school’s second
leading goal-scorer and No. 3 point-producer. She was a
four-time All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
selection.
In softball, Magnuson played three positions—second
base, first base, and pitcher—during last season’s run to the
MIAC playoffs for the first time in program history. A threetime All-MIAC selection, she enters this season with a .379
career batting average as the Auggies leadoff hitter.
Magnuson, a finance major and accounting minor, was recruited to play hockey at Augsburg and she said she chose
Augsburg because it was a small school in a large city. Being
active in back-to-back sports has helped her learn to manage
her time.
“Sports have taught me about leadership, being committed and competitive, about interacting with others, and having to all come together for a goal,” said Magnuson, who
wants to work on the business side of a sports team. “It’s a
family [atmosphere], and for me being away from my family,
it helps me with my life. That’s what I like about Augsburg,
the close-knit atmosphere.”
DON STONER
4
Augsburg Now
auggie voices
Engaging in the big questions
The Lilly Scholars seminar is a place where students can feel
comfortable talking about the big questions in life. Questions
like, Is Christianity the only true religion? What does it mean to
forgive someone? What is God calling me to do?
For Mark Tranvik, associate professor of religion and director of
the Lilly grant program, the seminar is the heart of the year-long
program designed for juniors and seniors who are considering
seminary or graduate study in theology or sacred arts. Once a
month they meet to discuss assigned texts, engage with guest
speakers, and reflect on biblical passages or issues in the
Christian tradition.
Each year, 10 or 11 Lilly Scholars, who receive a $2,100
scholarship, are selected from more than twice that number.
Among the current scholars, the average GPA is 3.75. In addition
to the seminar, Lilly Scholars visit Luther Seminary and can take
courses there.
“There is an ongoing hunger in the intellectual community for
genuine theological conversation among students that the Lilly
Scholar program honors,” says Tranvik, who is also an ordained
minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Creating
a comfortable place for these critical conversations is his goal.
And, he adds, “doubters are welcomed.”
Jenni Pickford, a philosophy and religion major, finds the seminar most valuable for “the openmindedness I’ve gained from
hearing about views that differ from my own.” What she appreciates is that “there are other students out there who are interested
in more than just a grade and do this for the love of learning.”
“The greatest impact for me is the group friendship and discussions that carry throughout other classes,” says religion major
Denise Shuck, a Weekend College senior who is planning to enter
Luther Seminary. “I have a great appreciation for the diversity of
opinions about the topics we’ve discussed.”
Abby Ferjak, a senior, finds it easy to integrate what she does
in the Lilly Scholars program to her youth and family ministry
classes. “It’s important for youth to understand that vocation is
not simply what one might do as a career; but rather, that everyone has many vocations, and [that] they don’t have to wait to fulfill their vocation.”
And that’s exactly what the Lilly Endowment hopes to hear.
Their goal for funding programs in church-related, liberal arts colleges that explore vocation is to nurture a new generation of voca-
In their monthly seminar, Professor Mark Tranvik (above, in blue shirt) seeks to
create a comfortable atmosphere for the Lilly Scholars to discuss and explore
vocation. (L to R) Denise Shuck, Leah Jarvi, Tranvik, Cody Oaks, Allison Streed,
Alexander Garver, Abigail Ferjak, Natalie Sasseville, and Ashley Weston.
tionally-guided leaders—both pastoral and lay—for church congregations. Lilly Scholars are one part of Augsburg’s $2 million
grant program, Exploring Our Gifts, that began in 2002 and is
directed by Tranvik.
Over its six years, Lilly Scholars have included a mix of
younger and older students and have cut across disciplines, for
example, among science and social work majors seeking ways to
combine faith life with their fields.
Last year four Lilly Scholars continued to Luther Seminary (all
with full scholarships), two chose law school, one entered the
Lutheran Volunteer Corps, one is in congregational youth ministry,
and one began graduate study in social work. About half of all
Lilly Scholars have entered seminary.
During their year as Lilly Scholars, the students serve as role
models within the larger community. They develop a portfolio, reflecting on vocation and what they carry with them from the year.
Cody Oaks, a current Lilly Scholar, finds inspiration in
Tranvik’s ability to merge the pastoral with the academic. “He
provides the model of a pastor-scholar I would like to embody in
my own work and call to teach,” Oaks says. He will enter
Princeton Theological Seminary this summer and begin to seek
ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Kyle Zvejnicks, a 2006-07 Lilly Scholar, reflected on community. “The seminar has reminded me of the importance of community in vocation, namely that we need each other. … Just as
much, we don’t come with the same vocation for everyone, but
each with their own, and not for themselves but for others.”
To learn more about Exploring Our Gifts, go to
www.augsburg.edu/lilly.
BETSEY NORGARD
Spring
Fall 2008
2009
5
The Augsburg Choir—
celebrating 75 years
This academic year, the Augsburg Choir celebrates 75 years—a
choral tradition of distinction and excellence.
The Augsburg Choir was founded in 1933, when the Men’s
Glee Club and the Ladies’ Choral Society, who had sung together
on various occasions, voted to unite, under the direction of music
department chair Henry P. Opseth. The first student president of
the choir was a third-year music major and future choir conductor
Leland B. Sateren.
The new choir lost no time in preparing for tours and performances. In 1935, their tour through the Midwest took them more
than 2,000 miles for 20 concerts, including a coast-to-coast broadcast in Chicago with the National Broadcasting System. On their return, they sang a home concert at Central Lutheran Church.
Choir business manager Orville C. Hognander ’36 planned the
tour, plus arranged for a series of 18 Sunday evening radio broadcasts on WCCO radio, the “Hour Melodious.” This program also
was accessible over open channel across the country and brought
visibility to Augsburg, reconnecting many alumni to the College.
In 1946, Leland B. Sateren ’35 returned to Augsburg to join
the music faculty. Following Opseth’s death in 1950, Sateren
was named conductor of the Augsburg Choir.
For the next 29 years, the Augsburg Choir developed its own
distinctive tone quality, musicality, and professionalism under
Sateren. While the choir continued to share the Gospel through
church music, Sateren evolved a more contemporary classical
sound, especially in his own compositions. His passion for
1933
Scandinavian music brought attention to music and composers
relatively unknown in the U.S.
In 1975, the Augsburg Choir’s 40th anniversary tour took
them to Scandinavia. They traveled by boat down the Norwegian
coast, from above the Arctic Circle to Oslo, and sang in the
Trondheim Cathedral.
Leland Sateren retired in 1979, and the direction of the choir
passed to Larry L. Fleming, a noted choral conductor and composer. In his first year, the choir was chosen as the official representative from the U.S. to sing in Augsburg, Germany, at the
450th commemoration of the Augsburg Confession.
Fleming also established Advent Vespers, the College’s annual
1975
Augsburg Choir
is founded
40th anniversary
choir tour
Leland B. Sateren ’35—choir director
Peter Hendrickson ’76—student choir president
and future choir director
Henry P. Opseth—choir director
Leland B. Sateren ’35—student choir
president and future choir director
6
Augsburg Now
The majestic Advent Vespers service each year at
Central Lutheran Church presents Augsburg’s four
choirs, with part of the service sung as a massed choir
of over 200 voices.
holiday program, as a service of music and liturgy, which now attracts up to 8,000 people at its four services and will celebrate
its 30th anniversary in 2009.
Fleming left Augsburg in 1986, and for the next several years
the Augsburg Choir was under the direction of Thomas Rossin.
In 1994, after serving a short time as interim director, Peter
Hendrickson ’76 was appointed the choir’s new conductor. Over
the past decade and a half, he has realized his vision for
Augsburg’s choral program—one that offers distinct choral experiences for all students, including the extended Augsburg family,
with different repertoires:
• Augsburg Choir—a cappella touring choir
• Riverside Singers—women’s chorus
• Cedar Singers—men’s chorus
• Masterworks Chorale—symphonic chorus
All four choirs, as well as an orchestra and liturgical party, participate annually in Advent Vespers. In 2004, for the 25th anniversary,
Twin Cities Public Television recorded the service and won a
Regional Emmy award for the production. The program has been
shown on public television during the holiday season since then.
One of Hendrickson’s passions is language, and to date, his
choirs have sung in more than 15 languages. “We owe it to our
students in the choral program to educate them not only in
Augsburg’s commitment to the Lutheran choral tradition, but also
in creating, through music and language, a better understanding
of other cultures and our responsibility to be world citizens,”
Hendrickson says.
The Augsburg Choir’s March tour this year took them south,
traveling from Nebraska to Texas, and locations in between. Currently the choir is planning next year’s tour, a trip that will take
them to China in 2010.
2009
The Masterworks Chorale marks 15 years
Hendrickson founded the Masterworks Chorale in 1994 as a symphonic chorus of approximately 100 voices, made up of students,
faculty and staff, alumni, and others connected to the Augsburg
community. Unique to a college campus, Masterworks Chorale
presents programs of great choral works and explores new
masterworks.
In 1996, the chorale performed for the first time the entire
Visions from Hildegaard by Minnesota composer Stephen Paulus.
In 1997, it presented the English-language premiere of
Norwegian composer Egil Hovland’s opera, Captive and Free, and
in 2001, the English-language version of Finnish composer and
conductor Kari Tikka’s opera, Luther.
The Masterworks Chorale performs three times per year—at
fall and spring concerts, and for Advent Vespers. A number of
chorale members are Augsburg alumni who sang as students in
Leland Sateren’s choirs.
“The Sateren choir alumni in Masterworks keep the legacy and
spirit of the Sateren era alive,” Hendrickson says. “It’s a wonderful connection for our current students, a passing of the torch, so
to speak, from then to now.”
BETSEY NORGARD
75th anniversary year
For a longer story about choir history with
additional photos, go to www.augsburg.edu/now.
Peter Hendrickson ’76—choir director
7
it takes an
Auggie
A legacy for promising students
President’s Scholarships recognize students with exceptional academic ability and leadership potential and can provide financial
support up to full tuition for four years. Donors who choose to
endow a President’s Scholarship make special connections with
these students, and those that follow them, one after another, as
they see an Augsburg education made possible.
E. Milton Kleven ’46 taught school in Minneapolis for 33 years
and knows what this means to students from low-income families. He and his family have endowed three President’s Scholarships and enjoy being part of the lives of the students who
receive them, helping them begin their work and careers free
from college debt.
Milt Kleven’s Augsburg story began in a home two blocks from
the College, where his Norwegian immigrant mother and father
raised nine children. Since Augsburg was the college in the
neighborhood, six of the Kleven children attended, with three
completing their degrees.
In 1940, Milt followed his sister Agathe, who had just graduated from Augsburg. Like most students then, Milt’s studies were
interrupted by World
War II, and in 1946
he returned and
finished. Their
brother Luther
graduated in
1950.
Milt graduated with a
major in
mathematics
and a minor in physical education. His strongest
and longest friendships he formed in the Augsburg
A-Club, even though his student job downtown at
the Minneapolis Club kept him too busy to participate in most sports, except for lettering in golf.
Kleven’s Augsburg story has a romantic twist on
a broken leg. In late 1943 he left Augsburg to
enter Navy pilot training. When he suffered a broken leg, he decided to spend the eight-week recovery period back at Augsburg, completing his
math major with Professor George Soberg.
8
One evening in Augsburg’s library, in the basement of Old
Main, he met Dorothy Lijsing, the daughter of a Swedish immigrant father and mother, and she became his wife and partner for
53 years. Dorothy transferred to Gustavus Adolphus College and
graduated there. They were married in 1947.
Soon after graduating, Kleven began teaching mathematics in
the Minneapolis Public Schools. In addition to teaching, he also
served as the teacher representative with Great West Financial on
a voluntary investment fund created following a strike in 1970.
From that experience, he learned a great deal about investments
and wise financial planning that has served him well.
In the 1950s, the Klevens were approached by Sig Hjelmeland
’41, Augsburg’s development director, and asked for the first
time to consider giving back to Augsburg.
“My parents always set aside their tithe,” Kleven says, “and
taught us that giving is a part of our responsibility.”
In 1958, he and Dorothy established a scholarship in honor of
his parents, Magnus and Kristofa Kleven. In its 50 years, more
than 200 Augsburg students have benefited from the financial
support of this scholarship.
During the 1960s, the Klevens continued their philanthropic
support to Augsburg, and for many years worked closely with development officer Jeroy Carlson ’48.
In 2001, when Dorothy passed away, Kleven established a
scholarship in her name. With college costs skyrocketing, he
knew from his large family what a difference a full tuition scholarship could make for students from low-income families, like
those he had taught in Minneapolis.
“That’s the main thing,” Kleven says. “I want to help kids who
have a need, and I want it to be a full scholarship.”
So, the Dorothy Lijsing Kleven Scholarship became the first
endowed President’s Scholarship, and provides a full scholarship
to a student interested in choral music, as Dorothy had been
throughout her life. This endowment was created by Milt and
their four children and families—Bruce and Maren Kleven, David
and Barbara Kleven, Barbara and Zane Birky, and Diane and
Philip Larson.
In 2007, the family created two additional endowed
President’s Scholarships. They added Dorothy’s parents, David
and Florence Lijsing, to the original scholarship for Milt’s parents
and raised it to the level of a full President’s Scholarship.
The third was created in Milt’s name—the E. Milton Kleven
Scholarship for public service, so he can enjoy supporting students with a real financial need who plan to enter public service.
Kleven helped to facilitate two other scholarships. The
Margaret Andrews Scholarship was established by Kleven and his
fellow Trade and Industry coordinators in the Minneapolis public
school system to honor their supervisor, Margaret Andrews. The
Donald C. Carlson Scholarship, through the Normandale Lutheran
Church Foundation, is named for founding pastor Donald Carlson
’42 to support a Normandale member attending Augsburg.
The Kleven legacy also includes major support to capital projects. In 1995-96, the family worked with President Charles
Anderson and gave $1 million toward the construction of
Lindell Library.
Milt founded Kleven Flooring Service, which installed hardwood flooring in houses in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. Over
the years, he provided hardwood floors throughout the Augsburg
campus, including the Augsburg Room in
Christensen Center and Augsburg House.
His most recent gift celebrates his over
60-year tie to Augsburg A-Club and close
friendships with Glen Person ’47 and Dick
“Pork Chop” Thompson ’61. Together, as part
of the construction of the new press box on
Edor Nelson Field, the three provided the
funding to name the Jeroy C. Carlson
Hospitality Room in Kennedy Center in honor
of their longtime friend and colleague.
For more information about endowing a
President’s Scholarship honoring Augsburg’s
most promising students, contact Doug Scott,
assistant vice president for development, at
612-330-1575 or 1-800-273-0617.
BETSEY NORGARD
Becky Shaheen ’11
Becky Shaheen is a sophomore from Elk River, Minn., majoring in
vocal music performance and composition, with a pre-engineering
minor. She sings in the Augsburg Choir, Gospel Praise Jazz Ensemble,
and other ensembles. This is her second year as the recipient of the
Dorothy Lijsing Kleven President’s Scholarship in choral music, and
she keeps in touch with the Kleven family.
“Music is my life, and this semester I’ve been able to dedicate
more time than ever before to music. I am finally realizing that being
a musician is possible …
“This scholarship has opened so many doors for me. I don’t have
to worry so much about the financial issues, and it has provided me
with confidence and such an ‘I can do anything!’ attitude.
“When I first met the family, it was like meeting a huge part of my
extended family that I didn’t know about. … A picture of the family
and me taken at the scholarship brunch hangs by my desk, a reminder of the people who are making this journey possible. “
twin sisters
Twin sisters
Twin dreams
“Our Augsburg professors were supportive
and encouraged us to pursue our dream ...”
BETTY BOWERS, MD
Barbara and Betty Bowers knew they wanted to grow up to be
doctors when they were six years old. The twin sisters were born
in Mora, Minn., and graduated from Augsburg in 1972. They attended medical school at the University of Minnesota and graduated in 1976.
“Our family doctor, Dr. Harry Berge, encouraged and supported us in our dream,” says Barbara Bowers, MD, “although
we’d never even seen a woman doctor.”
The Bowers twins were two of George and Opal Bowers’ four
daughters. The family lived in Brook Park, Minn., when the twins
were young. “Our parents raised us to believe that if we worked
hard we could achieve anything.”
Betty and Barbara studied diligently through grade school and
graduated from Forest Lake High School.
“We never took a test without thinking about our goal,”
Barbara explains. “We would not be dissuaded by naysayers.”
Today, Barbara Bowers is medical director of Fairview Southdale Breast Center and Fairview Southdale Hospital Medical
Oncology Clinic.
Betty Bowers, MD, is medical director and an anesthesiologist
with the McGee Eye Surgery Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
10
Augsburg Now
How did two young women from small-town Minnesota make it
through college in the big city?
“We received incredible personal attention and felt cared for
at Augsburg,” Barbara says. The twin sisters found the small
class sizes and nurturing environment a perfect place to study
the sciences.
“Our Augsburg professors were supportive and encouraged us
to pursue our dream,” Betty explains. Although, there was one
science professor who did not give them full credit for their class
work. “He had a special curve for us,” Barbara says. “His attitude
really was indicative of society at the time. It was the late 1960s,
and few women were pursuing careers in science, let alone medicine. But we didn’t lose heart.”
At Augsburg, the Bowers sisters were exposed to different cultures and religions. “Our professors knew us as people, not just
students in the classroom,” Barbara explains. “Rabbi Schwartz
took us to his synagogue and invited us to his home for Seder.”
While it took a lot of hard work to get through medical school,
“We were encouraged by those who meant the most to us,” Betty
says. “Sometimes naive belief serves you well.”
Claus Pierach, MD, a professor at the University of Minnesota
twin dreams
Medical School, recognized right away that the Bowers sisters
were unique. “Not only were they identical twins—they were
equally enterprising.”
Pierach serves on the admission committee for the University of
Minnesota Medical School. “I see and study many applicants, but
I see few students as determined as Betty and Barbara Bowers.”
After completing medical school, Barbara Bowers did her residency at what was then Northwestern Hospital. Pierach worked
closely with Barbara in her internal medicine rotation. “It was no
surprise that she earned the title of chief resident.” It was during
her internal medicine residency at Northwestern Hospital that
Barbara became intrigued by the cancer patients she treated.
“They were strong people, and it really sparked my interest in
medical oncology,” she explains.
Barbara decided to specialize in medical oncology. “At that
time, I thought I’d work in cancer treatment and work myself out
of a job in about 10 years.”
While cancer has not been cured, Barbara has seen significant
advances in cancer treatment and prevention. “We are seeing
more cancer patients live longer. There has been progress in preventing certain cancers through increased patient understanding
of the role diet and exercise play in our lives.”
“As a physician, my role is to partner with patients. To do that,
we need to educate patients, give them the information they need
to make decisions regarding their care, and communicate on the
same wave length—making sure that they know they are the most
important person on our care team.”
For Barbara, caring for cancer patients is where medical science and compassion meet. “I’m a scientist,” she explains. “I
love studying the periodic table. Everything in the universe is up
there except one thing—the heart, the human element.”
Barbara is married to a physician and has two daughters and
a son.
While in medical school, Betty thought she’d become a surgeon. She was the first female surgery resident at Hennepin
County Medical Center. In the fourth year of her general surgery
rotation, Claude Hitchcock, MD, approached her about taking a
six-month anesthesia rotation at the Mayo Clinic. “It’s been a
good fit for me. I’ve been practicing anesthesiology since 1981.”
She’s been with the McGee Eye Surgery Center since 2005.
Betty is married to a physician and has two daughters.
Looking back, Barbara and Betty remember many good times
amid the grueling schedule of medical school. “But we got through
it all by tucking our chins in and working hard,” Betty says.
Both physicians say they have enjoyed tremendous job satisfaction from their careers in medicine. “I would encourage anyone
dedicated to helping people to choose a career in medicine,”
Barbara says. “The medical field is constantly changing and offers
academic challenges, but most of all it is personally rewarding.”
JEAN SPIELMAN HOUSH
Housh is married to Allen Housh, a former Augsburg regent. She came to know
Dr. Barbara Bowers when she was treated for breast cancer in 2004.
Photos submitted by the families and Fairview Southdale Hospital.
“As a physician, my role is to partner with
patients. To do that, we need to ... make
sure that they know they are the most
important person on our care team.”
BARBARA BOWERS, MD
Betty Bowers, MD
Barbara Bowers, MD
Spring 2009
11
International Programs
3
Photo
Contest
Portraits
1st place: Bethany Thompson
“Doi Suthep Girls”
Chiang Mai, Thailand
2nd place: Katie MacAulay
“Llamas and the Lost City of
the Incas”
Peru
3rd place: Sara Black
“Another Walk of Life”
Ibarra, Ecuador
Landscape/cityscape
1st place and Best of Show:
Emily Hanson
“Holocaust Memorial”
Berlin, Germany
2
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2nd place: Katie Woolever
“Looking Through Mada’s
Dwelling”
Northern Namibia
3rd place: Kayla Skarbakka
“Boireann”
County Clare, Ireland
2
Photojournalism
1st place: Emily Hanson
“GDR Shopkeep”
Wittenburg, Germany
2nd place: Tyla Pream
“Festival of San Giovanni–Boy
with Flag”
Florence, Italy
Augsburg Now
3
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Augsburg Now
3
3rd place: Christine Tresselt
“Coffee in the Cloud Forest”
Miraflor, Nicaragua
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sustain. respond. recycle.
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Augsburg Now
“The Augsburg College community is deeply committed to
what it means to build a sustainable urban environment.”
—President Paul C. Pribbenow
clean. reduce. build. Save.
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BY BETSEY NORGARD
Living sustainably is no longer merely an
option. As a vast majority of the world’s
people struggle for resources to sustain
even simple lives, a small minority consume at rates that will quickly deplete
Earth’s resources and imperil future
generations.
Environmental concerns are now front
and center on our national agenda. But
beyond these, the broader considerations
of sustainable living—economic and social policies that determine how resources
are shared—remain difficult to tackle.
Augsburg’s history, mission, and vision
call for the College to engage in these
broad discussions of sustainability. The
two vision documents of 1997 and 2005
spell out an institutional vocation for the
College rooted in a blending of Lutheran
heritage, immigrant history, and urban location that demands a caring stewardship
of God’s creation.
As the College explores how it lives out
its institutional vision—We are called to
serve our neighbor—it must look beyond
the changes brought about by green practices and invite the deeper conversations
in community that probe the meaning of
living sustainably in the city.
The greening of Augsburg
The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC), made up of faculty, staff, and
students, leads the environmental initiatives of the College. Created in 1990 as a
task force, it was revitalized by President
William Frame in 1999 and given both
purpose and strength.
Tom Ruffaner, longtime committee
chair and custodial supervisor, believes
that the comprehensive “Waste Wise”
audit carried out in 1999 became the
“driving force behind ‘greening’ at
Augsburg.” The audit “not only identified
areas of waste and inefficiencies across
campus but also offered resources to
make improvements.”
The ESC Vision Statement in 2004
summarized its goals: “The stewardship of
the urban and global environment can only
be pursued if we take these steps toward
using less, living more simply, and acting
with the care and awareness of the impact
of actions on the people and ecosystem
within which we live and on which we all
depend.”
In 2006, Augsburg’s new president,
Paul C. Pribbenow, quickly embraced the
growing urgency to address issues of sustainability and gave voice to a deeper understanding of sustainability within
Augsburg’s mission and vision.
The changes across campus in the past
three years have been significant. Sustainability is infused through Augsburg’s curriculum and grounded in its daily
practices—on campus, in the community,
and around the world.
Augsburg participates in two important institutional collaborations:
• Presidents Climate Commitment—President Pribbenow joined more than 600
American college and university presidents to sign an agreement to “neutralize greenhouse gas emissions and to
accelerate the research and educational
efforts of higher education to equip
society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.”
One person’s difference
if
mr. green
16
Augsburg Now
Augsburg had a “Mr. Green” contest,
TOM RUFFANER ’98 might well be the best
candidate. Over the past decade, he has
led Augsburg toward greater commitments in
sustainable living.
Ruffaner has pushed Augsburg to bring about environmental improvements in energy use, safer
cleaning products, and recycling and waste reduction
(starting with a comprehensive Waste Wise audit). He
also helped the College study its transportation
habits and commuting alternatives. And, he has
chaired the Environmental Stewardship Committee
and supported community efforts.
In fall 2007, Ruffaner received an Individual
Achievement Commuter Choice Award, given by Metro
Transit, that recognizes organizations and individuals
for their creative solutions in promoting alternatives
to driving alone. He also served on the advisory committee that helped design the light rail station nearest
Augsburg.
A 1998 graduate in metro-urban studies, Ruffaner
is the custodial supervisor at Augsburg.
A report has just been completed that
measures the College’s carbon footprint.
• Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities
(ACTC)—Five colleges (Augsburg,
Hamline, St. Thomas, St. Catherine,
Macalester) are exploring ways to create
a stronger academic identity that clearly
expresses their shared identity as an
urban institution and centers on the
theme of sustainable urban development. Ideas may include curricular development, community outreach,
research, service-learning, internships,
study abroad, and faculty development.
Students step forward
green vehicles, and become engaged in the political
process.
Augsburg’s chapter of the Minnesota Public Interest
Research Group (MPIRG) began the initial efforts to recycle in the 1970s. Recently, its Environmental Task
Force, along with student groups, has led projects on
campus, including:
• Focus the Nation teach-in—Augsburg joined organizations across the country in setting aside a day to engage the entire campus in conversations on
sustainability.
“MY DAD TELLS ME, ‘DREAMS ARE FREE.
DREAM BIG, IT WON’T COST MONEY.’”
Some of the most exciting projects for sustainability have come from student-led initiatives. Students have researched
alternative fuels, organized teach-ins,
gained student backing to support wind
energy, pushed the College to purchase
—Alex Hoselton ’08
Focus leads to wind energy
My dad tells me, “Dreams are free. Dream big, it won’t
cost money.” I listened and dreamt and acted big by forming an ad hoc organization and, with other students,
started organizing for the Focus the Nation teach-in in
January 2008. The teach-in provided rich liberal arts perspectives to more than 500 attendees and launched momentum towards switching Augsburg’s energy
consumption from fossil fuel to wind energy.
The organizing students petitioned Day Student
Government for a referendum to impose a fee of $14.75
per semester to purchase wind energy. The referendum
passed, with 68% of the vote, and day students now contribute more than $54,000 annually. Contributions from
Weekend College Government and the administration enable us to purchase enough wind power to make
Augsburg’s Minneapolis campus 100% free of fossil fuel
electricity. We have reduced the equivalent in carbon
emissions of taking 26,000 cars off the road or planting
69 square miles of trees each year.
17
The case for a green vehicle
• Wind energy purchase—Both day and
weekend student governments held referendums in which students voted to add a
new student fee to contribute to wind energy purchase. It enables Augsburg to
offset 100% of its fossil-fuel electricity
costs on the Minneapolis campus, making the College one of the largest purchasers of wind power in the state.
• Hybrid security vehicle—When a security
vehicle was due for replacement, a student group pushed for the College to buy
a hybrid fuel vehicle.
• Food services changes—Students initiated the practice of composting food,
saving three-quarters of a ton of trash.
• Environmental history of Augsburg—
The 2007 Environmental Connections
class researched and wrote “From Rural
to Urban: The Environmental History of
Augsburg College 1872-2005,” studying
its relationship to nature, technology,
and humans.
• Trash audit—In order to call attention to
lackadaisical attitudes toward recycling,
a group of students went through twodays’ worth of garbage and showed how
nearly 70% of it was either compostable
or recyclable.
Much work remains before Augsburg can
be satisfied it is consuming only what
Earth can renew. But now, that work is increasingly carried out with greater consciousness of the impact made by personal
choices and practices, both on the self and
on an interconnected and interdependent
global community.
18
Augsburg Now
The green vehicle initiative developed from
the inspiration of Brian Krohn’s biofuel discoveries and my resources as a member of
Augsburg Day Student Government in fall
2008. Almost immediately Reid Larson and
Steve Eichten also committed themselves
fully to the project. Collectively, the four of
us found that our goal was to ensure that our
next Department of Public Safety vehicle was
both a fiscally and environmentally sound investment. After hearing estimates that the
department puts nearly 150 miles daily on
their vehicle, we realized that having either a
biodiesel or hybrid would surely be cost effective. It turned out that a Ford Escape
Hybrid would save the college $30,000 annually by our low-end estimates.
Initially finding little support in the
purchase of a hybrid, the group prepared for
a meeting with President Paul Pribbenow. We
presented him with graphs on two- and fouryear savings, a list of ways that he would be
supporting the Presidents Climate Commitment he had signed earlier in the year, and a
list of colleges, universities, and police departments that all had successfully integrated
hybrid vehicles into their programs. By meeting’s end the president had given us an oral
commitment to the Ford Escape, and said that
John Pack, director of public safety, had also
expressed his support earlier in the day. By
September 2008 the College’s new hybrid vehicle was in use on campus. The Green Vehicle Coalition, as it has developed into, sees
this particular project only as a first step toward many long-term goals.
“THE GREEN VEHICLE INITIATIVE DEVELOPED FROM THE
INSPIRATION OF BRIAN KROHN’S BIOFUEL DISCOVERIES.”
—Jake Quarstad ’10
How GREEN is Augsburg?
how
College initiatives
• American College and University Presidents
Climate Commitment—completed the Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Inventory for 2001-08
• Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities will
collaborate on studying urban sustainability
• HourCar hub on campus
• Discounted transit passes
• Reserved carpool parking
• Fair trade items sold in bookstore
• Purchasing enough wind energy to offset electricity
Student-led initiatives
• Led Focus the Nation teach-in—Jan. 2008
• Proposed and passed extra student fees for
purchase of wind energy
• Friends of the Mississippi River stewardship
• Pushed for green vehicle initiative to
purchase hybrid security vehicle
• Environmental studies major and minor
• Presented at Campus Compact conference
• Fall 2009—Fate of the World i-term class
• Created bike-share program
• Campus Kitchen program and community garden
• Launched composting in dining area
green is
Food service
• Composting program
?
• Gradual move toward trayless dining, starting with Trayless Tuesdays
• Take-out materials—all corn-based and compostable
• Purchase all produce from a five-state region
• Fair trade coffee available in campus eateries
Internal practices
• Double-sided printing on all campus copiers
• All copy paper on campus—30% post-consumer waste
• Ongoing re-use center
• Recycling of cans, glass bottles, plastic, paper, cardboard, and yard waste
• Recycling for appliances, carpets, furniture, batteries, electronics, ink
• Compostable paper towels in all public restrooms
• Changed all faucets and showers on campus to water-saving fixtures
• Energy-efficient fluorescent lamps in public areas, increasing use of CFL bulbs
augsburg
• Moving toward 100% “Green Seal” cleaning chemicals
• Display board and fairs to facilitate public transportation
Environmental studies program
• Paddled the Mississippi River to study environmental and river politics
• Built rain gardens to capture runoff
• Researched and wrote an environmental history of
Augsburg College
• Studied, prepared, and served a healthy, local,
sustainable lunch
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GREEN STARTS HERE
The topic of conversation on this early December afternoon was pumpkin ice
cream, a dessert that summed up many of the conflicts that go along with making environmental change.
In Environmental Connections, the gateway course for Augsburg’s new environmental studies major, history professor Michael Lansing and political science
professor Joe Underhill take an issue and break it down over a semester. In fall
2007, the topic was water. This past fall, a dozen Augsburg students looked at
food and just how it ends up on our plates.
At the end of the semester, the Environmental Connections students had to take
what they learned and plan a menu for a lunch that was served in the
Christensen Center Commons. Nutrition and taste were important to the students.
But so were environmentally friendly practices, the use of vegetables grown in the
Augsburg greenhouse, and supporting local farmers and companies.
And that led to the lengthy discussion about whether they should serve
pumpkin ice cream from Kemps or buy it from Izzy’s, a St. Paul ice cream
shop. The students knew they wanted the Izzy’s because the
ice cream is made with organic products and the
shop uses solar power. But there was the issue with
price. Kemps wasn’t as environmentally friendly,
but the students could get more ice cream at a
lower price.
Because while it’s easy for people to say that they
want to take environmental concerns into consideration when making decisions, the tone sometimes changes when being green is more expensive. In the
end, the class reached a compromise and would get ice cream from both.
“That discussion was everything the class was about,” says Kathy DeKrey, a
first-year student from Bemidji, Minn. “I thought we should have put up the cost
and got just the Izzy’s ice cream.
“A lot of people aren’t willing to put forth the initial costs to make good decisions and that is too bad.”
It was the kind of broad, big-picture thinking that the professors hope comes
out of this interdisciplinary class. Because things like food, water, and energy—
a potential topic for next year—impact so many parts of society, Underhill and
Lansing bring in guest lecturers from departments across campus.
“WHATEVER YOU DO, IT IMPACTS SOMETHING.”
—Peter Klink ’12
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Augsburg Now
BY JEFF SHELMAN
Studying the urban
environment
Here’s what you won’t find in Augsburg’s
new environmental studies major: a windmill suddenly being constructed in the
middle of Cedar-Riverside, repeated trips
to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and
anything that could be considered rural.
“That’s not what we want,” Lansing
says. “That’s not who we are.”
The term “environmental” is often
equated with rural, with wetlands, and
with ecosystems. But Lansing and Underhill are much more interested in making
an impact on and around campus. After
all, the Mississippi River is only a few
blocks away. There is a Superfund site in
Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood because of high amounts of pesticides and
herbicides previously produced there. The
local Sierra Club office is just across
Interstate 94 in the Seward neighborhood.
Students in both the water and the food
classes took the light rail to downtown
Minneapolis to learn about the impact of
St. Anthony Falls. For the initial class, the
falls demonstrated the importance of water
in relation to the creation of energy. Last
semester, the falls taught about the milling
process and the history of Minneapolis.
In addition to being a vehicle for teaching, studying environmental issues in an
urban environment creates opportunity.
“If you’re interested in the wilderness
and studying ecosystem dynamics, this
probably isn’t the right program,”
Underhill says. “But if you want to do
something on human impact, you have to
be where the people are. Humans are having a huge impact so we have to spend
time where the most people are.”
In the water class, the students constructed rain gardens on the Augsburg
campus. The gardens are positioned to
collect water runoff from campus buildings. In addition to adding plant life to
campus, the rain gardens keep runoff
water from eventually reaching the
Mississippi River.
“We are uniquely situated in a city neighborhood and are privileged to have
a variety of opportunities to explore the interconnectedness of urban life
with both human and natural forces.”
—President Paul C. Pribbenow
21
Getting students out of the classroom and getting their hands,
quite literally, dirty very much fits into the experiential teaching
Augsburg is known for.
“We want students to be aware of their immediate surroundings,”
Lansing says. “We don’t want to put them in a sealed classroom and
learn about grand theories while ignoring what’s going on around them.”
Changing attitudes
Peter Klink is in his first year at Augsburg after taking classes a year
ago at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. He always had
an interest in the outdoors, but he didn’t really know just how complex food is.
“Most cows are fed corn hay because it gets them fat quicker, but
it’s not as good for people,” Klink says. “But if you stop feeding them
corn hay and feed them grass, the corn industry is hurt. Whatever you
do, it impacts something.”
Klink, who grew up in Stillwater, Minn., found his habits as a consumer changing as the semester progressed. His biggest change—the
result of learning about the environmental cost of transporting food
across country—has been to make a greater effort to buy locallygrown food.
“I want to know where it comes from,” Klink says. “Also, it’s a way
to support local businesses. The way the economy is, I’m all about
supporting local businesses rather than some big corporation.”
Because the Environmental Connections class is a gateway course
and largely for first-year students and sophomores, the students enter
at different points.
“Clearly the most satisfying thing is when they start with no clue
and as the semester goes on, the light bulb starts to come on,” Underhill says.
The environmental studies major—which will feature classes from
a variety of departments on campus—is very much in its infancy at
Augsburg. While the curriculum has been approved and the requirements laid out, simply offering a major doesn’t guarantee student interest.
In addition to providing a base of knowledge, the gateway course
also shows students with interest in the environment some of the
possibilities that are out there, that an environmental studies major
isn’t limited to a job in nature or working as some sort of scientist.
“There’s a lot of green stuff that’s going to be used in the future,”
says Klink, who is going to major in business and at least minor in
environmental studies. “I think there is going to be a lot of opportunities for jobs in that area. There’s wind energy, solar energy, green architecture. To have a background where you
understand that is a key thing.”
And getting students on the path toward
understanding is what the Environmental
Connections class is all about.
22
Augsburg Now
studying
y
t
i
l
i
b
a
sustain
BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
If you want to study sustainability, you need to go where it’s done best.
Students in the Sustainable Cities in North America summer course spent
three weeks in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., learning about the successes and challenges of two of North America’s most sustainable cities.
What they discovered, amidst green buildings and miles of bike trails, is
that being sustainable requires attention to many interconnected aspects of
life. This interconnectedness, they learned, means that what is beneficial
for some may be detrimental to others, so working together to build strong
communities is crucial to the success of sustainability measures.
In the end, the students not only learned more about their world; they
were also empowered to bring their creativity and enthusiasm back to
Minneapolis to implement a plan that would help Augsburg become a
greener, more sustainable campus.
“EDUCATION IS KEY. IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHY
YOU ARE DOING IT OR WHY IT’S IMPORTANT,
YOU WON’T CONTINUE.”
—Kjerstin Hagen ’10
Studying sustainability
Sustainability is a measure of the quality of life for citizens in an area. It involves water and air quality, access to transportation, ability to find work and
make a living, local food systems, energy use, the creation and maintenance
of green buildings, housing availability and affordability, land use, and waste
management—for starters.
To be ranked high on the sustainability scale, a city
must do more than pave bike trails and purchase hybrid buses. Citizens must be educated about greenhouse gas emissions produced by their cars and
about the effect of those emissions on the environment. The city must provide resources that
citizens and businesses need to start and continue environmentally friendly efforts, such as
incentives to use public transportation, access
to buses or light rail, and routes that bring
people easily from their homes to the places of
work and back again.
To be truly sustainable, these efforts must
be culturally appropriate and make the best use
of the resources available in the area. And finally, the practices of sustainability must not only
continue over time, they must improve as the city
changes and grows.
The Sustainable Cities course was a short-term
Augsburg Abroad program led by sociology and metro-urban
studies professors Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer. The professors wanted not only to study sustainability in an urban context
23
While in Portland and Vancouver,
the students and instructors:
but also to travel sustainably and to minimize the impact of their program on the
cities they visited. Rather than rent a van
or bus, Christiansen and half of the class
traveled by bicycle while Fischer and the
remaining students used train, street car,
and their own two feet to get around in
each city.
“You really get to learn a city when you’re
‘behind bars,’” says Jon Peterson ’10, a sociology major from Excelsior, Minn. “When I
went to Portland with my family, we rented
a car. I didn’t learn nearly as much about
the city and didn’t have the appreciation.”
Traveling by bicycle helped the class reduce
its greenhouse gas emissions and also gave
the students an opportunity to experience
the cities more fully.
• Stayed in Epler Hall at Portland State University, a green
dormitory and Portland’s first LEED-certified building
• Explored neighborhoods using the five-minute walk exercise
• Met with city government officials and policymakers to
learn about urban planning, waste management and recycling, and transportation
• Met with community organizers to learn about grassroots movements and civic engagement
• Visited several professors to learn about sustainable development research and sustainability
efforts on university campuses
• Toured farmers markets and community gardens and talked with the people who sell and grow
in these spaces
• Participated in Portland’s Night Ride and a Critical Mass bike ride in downtown Vancouver
For a video interview with Christiansen and Fischer to learn
more about what they and their students did, saw, and
learned in the Sustainable Cities in North America class
go to www.augsburg.edu/now.
Sustainability is complicated
As they studied and explored Portland and
Vancouver, the students began to gain an
appreciation for the complexity of creating
and maintaining a sustainable city. “A lot
of our experiences brought up the idea of
equity,” says Ricky Oudekerk ’09, an international relations and peace and global
studies major from St. Paul. “What might
be a sustainable idea for the wealthy or
for the government might not work for
everyone.”
The class went to Vancouver’s East
Hastings neighborhood—a site of controversy centered on an effort to clean up an
The students cool off in Jamison Square.
24
Augsburg Now
area nestled between popular tourist destinations as the city prepares to host the
2010 Winter Olympics. There, many students said they witnessed poverty and desperation unlike anything they had ever
seen.
“Basically they’ve quarantined the
homeless and addicts into a four-block
area,” explains Oudekerk. “While it’s sad,
the support resources for those people
could be centralized. And they have activists from their community. That was the
first time I’ve ever seen homeless and addict activists.”
Though both cities offer a robust transit
system, the students learned that if citizens don’t have access or aren’t able to afford the fares, the system is not truly
sustainable. “The transit system in
Vancouver severely marginalizes lower income people,” Peterson says.
Bus fare in Vancouver ranges from
$2.50 to $5, and the fare covers only 90
minutes. In a city with a median income of
$62,600 (CDN) where the average home
price is more than $410,000, many
people have been pushed out of the city
and away from their places of work. “We
discovered that fare didn’t last very long
once you are trying to get out to the suburbs, where many people have moved
who are seeking cheaper residences,”
Fischer says.
“Before this course, I thought sustainable cities would be utopias where nothing bad ever happens,” says Meagen
Swartzer ’08, a media writing major and
urban studies minor. “With every good
comes something bad. Once you reach
perfection, not everybody can afford it.”
Sustainability at Augsburg
Once students learned about the many
dimensions of urban sustainability and
began to understand its intricacy,
Christiansen and Fischer challenged
them to turn their knowledge into action.
The professors knew that in order for the
class’ project to succeed, it had to be
driven by the students so that they
would educate and motivate each other.
The class visited City Farmer, an organization that promotes sustainable urban farming in Vancouver.
Through their site visits and conversations,
the students had learned that their project
had to be right for Augsburg. “The recipe for
sustainability is different and unique in every
place,” says Oudekerk. “The mix of what
you’ve got to work with, including the people
and the culture, needs to be taken into account in order to build a sustainable city.”
In Portland, the class saw many of the
one-block parks for which the city is known.
As he explored the city, Peterson thought
about the park in the center of Augsburg’s
campus. “We saw a lot of urban spaces the
size of Murphy Park where they had done
great things,” Peterson says. “I thought we
could really pay tribute to our heritage by rethinking and reforming that park and creating
a more usable public space.”
Several members of the class also discussed creating a mural with other community groups on the wall bordering I-94 at the
southern edge of campus. “We wanted to
transform that space and bring people together,” says Kjerstin Hagen ’10, an
American Indian studies major.
One idea that has been successfully implemented is a composting program in campus dining facilities.
Working with Augsburg’s foodservice
provider, a group of students formulated a
plan to collect organics and compostable
paper products and to reduce the amount of
waste in the Commons cafeteria. Composting
bins and signage were added to the cafeteria
in the fall. Students from the class helped
diners place their compostable items and
trash into the appropriate containers and an-
Leann Vice-Reshel ’10 (and Jon Peterson ’10 background)
navigated the cities on bicycles.
swered questions about the program. “Education is key,” says Hagen. “If you don’t
know why you are doing it or why it’s important, you won’t continue.”
According to Jay Cross, Augsburg Dining
Services manager, the effort has resulted in
a significant reduction of waste. “Now we
have only one bag of garbage per day,” compared to 12 to 15 six-gallon bags that were
collected daily prior to the implementation
of the program. Currently, Swartzer and
Hagen are working on a grant to purchase
more composting bins for the campus’ retail
foodservice operations and for offices and
residence halls.
Sustainable lessons
For many of the students in Sustainable
Cities in North America, studying in Portland
and Vancouver gave them much more than a
comfortable acquaintance with the two
cities. They learned lessons that changed
their habits, their choices, and their lives.
Michael Wethington, with other Augsburg
students, is organizing a bicycling tour back
to Portland from Minneapolis. The group
plans to contact policymakers and examine
current legislative standing on alternative
transportation with a focus on cycling in
both Minneapolis/St. Paul and Portland.
They’ll perform a cross analysis of the cities:
future directions and applications from one
city, that may work effectively in the other.
Others who already had an interest in sustainability developed a deeper understanding of the issue. “This class trip really
helped to broaden my view of the multi-
Street musicians played at a Portland farmers market.
faceted nature of sustainability,” Peterson
says, “and helped to strengthen my personal values for all the dimensions of sustainability.”
The experiential nature of the program
helped Oudekerk make connections to past
classes and his personal interests. “This
class made it easy for me to connect the
dots between what I have read and what I
was doing in the cities.”
Oudekerk, who plans to work in the area
of sustainable urban development in the future, came to understand that change happens when people work together. “This
class influenced my understanding of the
importance of community. Things that bring
people together create sustainable relationships and healthy community. There are
profound and significant benefits when this
happens.”
Fischer and Christiansen have received a
grant from the Canadian Studies Faculty
Enrichment Program and plan to return to
Portland and Vancouver with another
group of students in 2010.
The photos from Portland and Vancouver were
taken by students in the Sustainable Cities in
North America class.
25
n
e
e
r
G
planning
The Center for Science, Business, and Religion (CSBR) is Augsburg’s first new academic
building in 60 years and will replace the 60-year-old, inefficient Science Hall. CSBR will
have a story to tell—of excellence in the sciences, of intersections and connections among
disciplines, of transforming city hardscape to more welcoming green space, of sustainability on display. Students like Andrew Nguyen and Reid Larson will benefit from the learning
opportunities this state-of-the-art building will offer.
The CSBR will be a LEED-certified building, created in collaboration with a prestigious,
experienced, innovative team of consultants:
Holabird & Root Architects have won awards for sustainability
and design for college science centers they’ve created. Their
design is based on Augsburg’s concept of intersections, offering a physical and intellectual framework for bringing disciplines into dialogue with each other.
McGough Construction’s “Bright Green” pre-construction and
planning consultation helps CSBR to take advantage of the
most innovative green building techniques and goals.
oslund.and.associates approaches landscape design
as art, as simplicity, and, at Augsburg, as a laboratory
for sustainable environmental practices in dialogue
with themes of intersections.
Key concepts of the CSBR
The building—organized around a “necklace” of public spaces that encourages the community at large to
cross paths
Linking circle—serving as a gateway to the neighborhood and
city, with connections to Lindell Library and Sverdrup Hall
Expanded quadrangle—a landscape laboratory, creating green
commons on campus from west to east, articulating with
Murphy Square, the city’s first public park
“THE NEW BUILDING WILL BE A FRAMEWORK
FOR HIGH EXPECTATIONS, AND WILL EXEMPLIFY
THE EXCELLENCE AND HIGH ACHIEVEMENTS AT
AUGSBURG COLLEGE.”
—Andrew Nguyen ’10
26
Augsburg Now
Environmental task force
What’s green about CSBR
Specific planning for LEED certification carried out at the
preplanning stage among architects, contractors, and landscape designers
Sharing of interdepartmental resources in efficient academic
“neighborhoods” throughout the building
Building siting and design encouraging pedestrian traffic,
moving auto traffic away from commons area, plus welcoming green space replacing city hardscape
Rainwater cisterns collecting water to irrigate greenhouses
and flush toilets
Landscape laboratory—on-site stormwater containment, integrating native species, and interpreting features of urban
sustainability
Highly efficient HVAC and heat recovery systems, with optimal siting for solar exposure and for harvesting daylight deep
into the building
Air quality systems recycling gases and fumes
Innovative, sustainable materials, preferably locally-sourced
and expressing themes of intersections in panels, forms,
surfaces
Transportation hub—center for bicycle storage
and conveniences; site for shuttle
transfer to light rail
MPIRG (the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group) is a student group at
Augsburg that has been hard at work on environmental sustainability issues
on campus. I’m the leader of the Environmental Task Force within MPIRG …
[that] has been involved in many environmental sustainability projects over
the past few semesters, including working with the current and past food
services companies on introducing compostable cups to the dining locations, composting food wastes, and introducing another day of trayless dining in the cafeteria. We have also been an integral part of converting the
College to buying 100% wind energy, made possible largely by the Focus the
Nation event last year. In addition, the task force works on environmental
education and awareness, one example being the Detox Forum.
Most of our work last semester was centered around putting together a
survey on the commuting habits of Augsburg’s students, faculty, and staff. This
survey looked at the distance people commute from their homes to Augsburg
and how they get here, the results of which were put into the larger Greenhouse Gas Inventory of the entire College for the Presidents Climate Commitment. As a student, I have been central in the discussions around the science
building, especially around the “green” or sustainable features of the new
building. I have done a lot of work, some of it through MPIRG, ensuring that the
science building has a green roof.
I hope to continue my work in environmental sustainability as I graduate
from Augsburg and go on to graduate school in mechanical engineering, and
then ultimately find a career in the renewable energy field.
“AS A STUDENT, I HAVE BEEN
CENTRAL IN THE DISCUSSIONS
AROUND THE SCIENCE BUILDING,
ESPECIALLY AROUND THE ‘GREEN’
OR SUSTAINABLE FEATURES.”
—Reid Larson ’09
CSBR by the numbers
134,000 square feet, LEED certified, an addition to Sverdrup Hall, 75,000 square
feet for eight academic departments (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics,
computer science, psychology, business, and religion)
•
•
•
•
•
•
8 classrooms
21 teaching labs
6,000 square feet of student-faculty research space
2,000 square feet of greenhouse space on the roof of the building
Informal gathering spaces for learning and conversation
Skyway linking circle to Lindell Library
core TO
t
s
o
p
m
co
BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
THE JOURNEY OF AN APPLE
A year ago, all food waste from Augsburg’s dining center was hauled away and dumped
in a landfill with the trash of thousands of other Twin Cities businesses, homes, and
schools.
Last fall, however, the fate of Augsburg’s garbage changed when students from the
Sustainable Cities in North America course (see story on p. 23) worked with A’viands,
the College’s food services provider, to launch a campus composting program.
Photojournalist and staff photographer Stephen Geffre followed an apple as it traveled more than 60 miles—from a Wisconsin nursery through Augsburg’s kitchen and
dining center to a composting facility in Chaska, Minn., where it once again will travel
to nurture spring plantings.
In the autumn, workers at Nesbitt’s Nursery, near Prescott, Wis., harvested the
apple and shipped it more than 60 miles to the Augsburg kitchen where it was served
to diners. The remains of the apple were tossed into the composting bin with napkins,
chicken bones, jello, pizza crusts, etc.
The apple remnants and its compostable companions were transported to Chaska, in
the regular twice-a-week pick-ups. There, the apple core was mixed with other
biodegradable materials like tree clippings and yard waste. Over the course of 90 days
the mixture was turned, separated, mixed again, and heated until it’s ready to emerge
as compost.
This nutrient-rich material will be sold this spring to landscapers, community gardeners, and to the nearby Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to provide nourishment,
perhaps, to an apple seedling there.
“We strive to use up no more clean air, water,
energy, and raw materials in a year than the
earth can provide for it.”
—President Paul C. Pribbenow
28
Augsburg Now
“ALL YOU NEED IS A BUCKET,
AND EVERY LITTLE THING HELPS.”
—Meagen Swartzer ’09
29
Feeding
The Campus Kitchen program at Augsburg College not only
feeds people’s bodies—it also feeds the minds of students.
Last spring, the program moved a part of its operation from
the kitchen to the garden, opening an outdoor classroom to
children from the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
The idea for Augsburg’s community garden blossomed last
spring when students and staff prepared 40 plots on the west
side of campus. The plots are available to Augsburg faculty,
staff, and students as well as neighbors from Cedar-Riverside
and Seward. Brian Noy, coordinator of the Campus Kitchen
program, says, “The garden provides a beautiful entrance to
our campus and a way to welcome the community. It’s a
common space for people to work together to do something
meaningful.”
Through an internship program developed with the Center
for Service, Work, and Learning, the garden has also become
an extension of Campus Kitchen. Last summer, two Augsburg
30
Augsburg Now
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
youth
BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
students worked with youth from day programs at the Brian Coyle
Center and the Confederation of Somali Community. The interns
worked in the garden and in the kitchen, teaching students how food
is grown and how to prepare healthy meals. “This is a whole new program that feeds youth in a fuller way,” Noy says.
Augsburg junior Ruth Senum was the “garden intern” last summer.
She and approximately 50 elementary school children planted seeds,
“I THOUGHT OF THE WATERING, WEEDING, AND
HARVESTING AS OUR CLASSROOM CHORES.”
—Ruth Senum ’10
tended plants, and harvested much of the produce from four
garden plots.
Senum says the children were surprised to learn where food
comes from and that it can look different in the garden than in the
grocery store or on their plates.
“When I showed them the broccoli plant, they thought it was
huge,” she says. “They only see it all chopped up.” She says students also were interested in the fact that some plants have flowers before they produce fruit or vegetables. “Just seeing the whole
process from seed to produce was a very new experience for
them,” she says.
The children were disappointed about the limitations of a
Minnesota growing season. “They asked where the banana tree
was, and it was interesting for them to understand why we can’t
grow a lot of fruit here.”
The internship taught Senum, an education major, techniques
for her future classroom. “I thought of the watering, weeding, and
harvesting as our classroom chores,” she says, but she discovered
the students liked being in the garden more than they liked doing
garden chores. “You need to find a good system to keep them
working,” she says.
Senum also learned that students liked interactive learning activities much more than sit-down learning. “They wanted to talk to
each other, run around, do arts and crafts,” she says. “Getting
them out of their desks and walking around is important.”
The garden also serves as a learning environment for Augsburg
students, but Noy says opportunities were limited because the
bulk of the work is needed when most students are away from
campus. As a solution, a simple greenhouse was added to the garden area, extending the growing season by one month in the
spring and in the fall. “It makes a huge impact because we can
engage actual students and classes outside the garden and allow
them to get involved with the growing space,” Noy says.
The students in Environmental Connections, the introductory
course in Augsburg’s environmental studies major, used the greenhouse in the fall to grow vegetables and herbs for their final project. The class studied how food fits into socio-economic and
ecological systems and prepared and
served a meal in the campus dining
center (see story on page 20).
31
?
HOW GREEN IS
our magazine
How green is our printing?
The paper used in the printing of this magazine is certified to the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody standard and contains 10 percent
post-consumer waste.
What does this mean?
In the process of writing and designing a
“green” issue of the Augsburg Now, we asked
ourselves what we could do to make the magazine itself more environmentally friendly. Using recycled paper and safe inks is an easy way to accomplish
this, but we wanted to do more.
So, instead of adding more pages we’re utilizing one
of the most valuable resources available to communicators and marketers—the World Wide Web.
This issue of the Augsburg Now is the second in
which we’ve added “Web Extras” at www.augsburg.
edu/now. These online features allow us to add material to tell richer, more creative stories than we can
using print alone.
In this issue, we have added a story on sustainable
study abroad, a growing trend in education. The story
connects our readers to tools they can use to minimize
their impact on the environment while traveling.
We also have a video interview with the professors
and some of the students involved in the Sustainable
Cities in North America course (see page 23). On camera, they share their enthusiasm about the work they
are doing to create a more sustainable Augsburg.
In the future, we will continue to use the Internet to
improve our communication with alumni and friends of
Augsburg College. As we continue to expand Now online, we invite our readers to share ideas and feedback
with us at now@augsburg.edu.
32
Augsburg Now
FSC is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. Through its certification
program, foresters, paper manufacturers and distributors, and printers all agree to
abide by strict standards. These standards are designed to ensure social, economic,
and ecological needs are met for current and future generations. This Chain of Custody ensures responsible handling of the paper product from forest to printed piece.
The percentage of post-consumer content indicates that at least 10 percent of the
paper in the magazine has been reclaimed from what would have otherwise ended up
in a land fill.
FSC Chain of Custody can trace a printed piece back through the production process to
identify where the wood pulp came from. Find out where this magazine had its roots and
how our corporate partners are committed to being green at www.augsburg.edu/now.
Please recycle this magazine after you’re done reading.
10%
PLEASE RECYCLE
E
R
A
s
e
i
augMgENTALLY FRIENDLY
ENVIRON
We know many readers love to open their mailboxes to a new magazine, but we also
know many are concerned about the use of our natural resources. Please let us know
if you wish to read Augsburg Now online instead of receiving a copy by mail. E-mail
now@augsburg.edu with the subject line “Read Now online.” Include your full name
and current mailing address so we can identify and adjust your record. You’ll receive
an e-mail message when the Now is posted online.
auggie
alumni news
From the Alumni Board president …
February 2009
Greetings, alumni and friends,
d
uring these interesting and turbulent
times, I am certain that most of you are
feeling the effects of this economic climate in your personal lives. As members of the
Augsburg community, we are called to be fundamentally concerned about our neighbor, which means to be concerned and care about the household of all people. We are to work
toward full inclusion of all of our neighbors assuring that everyone
has access to the resources necessary for life, and that everyone is
allowed to fully participate in the life of the community.
This emphasis on community may come in direct conflict with
our modern lives. We often live for ourselves and focus on our own
family needs. But as members of a community, we are called to invest time and effort in responding to the needs of others. As a
member of the Augsburg alumni community, we are reminded that
we no longer live in a world of fixed boundaries. We need to maintain a sense of commitment to our neighbors around the globe.
Keeping alumni who live in the city, state, and around the world
engaged with the Augsburg community is important to the life of
the College. The Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations has developed the following activities encouraging alumni engagement:
• Project IGNITE (Involving Graduates Now In Thoughtful Engagement) is a new program to build stronger relationships with
College alumni, many of whom are not currently connected to
Augsburg. Read more about Project IGNITE on p. 34.
• A corporate alumni plan will engage young professionals, midcareer professionals, and sole practitioners through networking
events, continued education opportunities, and an alumni benefit that will help promote their businesses to other Augsburg
graduates. Alumni will host receptions at their places of business for President Pribbenow to connect with alumni and update them about the College.
• A program for recent graduates will focus on engaging alumni
who have graduated within the past 10 years. An advisory
board of recent grads will assist in planning events for their fellow alumni.
• Outreach events will engage alumni who reside in the outer
metro area and in Rochester; Duluth; Washington, D.C.; and
Norway. Interesting events that infuse an Augsburg connection
include a Lake Minnetonka eco-cruise tour led by an Augsburg
faculty member, an alumni-directed theatre production in
Anoka, and a “Down by the Riverside” event in Rochester.
Being an Auggie is a gift and staying engaged is priceless.
NOW@augsburg, a new monthly e-newsletter, has been initiated to
update you on current happenings and events, continuing education
opportunities, and Augsburg news. So, do your part by keeping connected and staying engaged with the Augsburg community.
Sincerely,
JOYCE P. MILLER ’02 (BSN-ROCHESTER), ’05 MAN
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Spring 2009
33
auggie
alumni news
Project IGNITE set to launch
Many Augsburg graduates stay connected with the College through
the years. They come to events or games on campus, they volunteer, and they donate to The Augsburg Fund. But there are others
who just don’t stay connected.
That's something the College—thanks to a nearly $230,000
grant from the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation—
hopes to change over the next three years.
Project IGNITE (which stands for Involving Graduates Now In
Thoughtful Engagement) will work very directly and personally with
alumni. Over the next year, Augsburg students will conduct face-toface visits with more than 500 alumni to ask them about their
views on Augsburg and their interest in volunteer opportunities with
the College. The hope is that more than 1,600 alumni will receive
visits in the next three years, mostly those alumni living in and
around the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
“For a college, our alumni are a strategic advantage and if you
don’t use that, you’re missing an opportunity,” President Paul C.
Pribbenow said. “This gives us an opportunity to link current students and recent grads with alumni of all ages. Your current students and recent graduates are often your best spokespeople for
what’s really happening.”
Student representatives have been hired and trained by the
Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations, and visits to alumni
are already underway.
Alex Gonzalez ’90, a senior financial adviser for Thrivent Finan-
(L to R) Denise Aasen, Manager of Lutheran Relationships for Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans; Alex Gonzales ’90, Senior Financial Advisor, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans,
and Augsburg regent; President Pribbenow; Megan Benrud ’10, Student Body President;
and Kim Stone, Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations.
cial for Lutherans and an Augsburg regent, said the grant is part of
the mission for the not-for-profit organization.
“Our goal is to help grow Lutheran communities and Lutheran
institutions,” Gonzalez said. “It’s not just the money, these dollars
will help grow engagement. It will help get alumni engaged into
giving to the school.”
The grant is part of the foundation’s Lutheran Grant Program,
designed to help Lutheran institutions and organizations take advantage of unique growth and service opportunities. It also supports the interests and needs of the Lutheran community. In
2007, the program distributed approximately $5 million through
100 separate grants.
Project IGNITE is designed to become a model program for
alumni programs in other ELCA colleges. For additional information, contact Kim Stone in the Office of Alumni and Constituent
Relations at 612-330-1173 or stonek@augsburg.edu.
Discover Italy with fellow Auggies
“WAS IT IN SHORT, EVER TO BE ELSEWHERE WHEN ONE COULD BE IN ITALY” —EDITH WHARTON
You are invited to join the fellowship of other Augsburg alumni and friends on a journey of discovery to Italy in early November.
Travel among the medieval hill towns of Tuscany, discovering history along with the beauty of the surrounding vineyards and olive
groves. In Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, learn and understand how art pulled Europe out of the Dark Ages. In
Umbria, where art is prayer, visit the town of Assisi that stands out for its inspiration and reflection. Find an education in history and a tapestry of art, architecture, and culture woven over thousands of years in the Eternal City of Rome, one of the
founding cities of Western civilization and a significant place in the story of Christianity. All along the way enjoy the delights of the Italian people and cuisine.
The details of this custom-created travel experience are being finalized. Contact the Office of Alumni and
Constituent Relations at 612-330-1085 or alumni@augsburg.edu to learn more about this unique travel opportunity.
34
Augsburg Now
Called to Lead
Professionals Moving from Success to Significance
Augsburg College admits a diverse group of established alumni and friends each
year for the Called to Lead program. Six weekly seminars give you an opportunity
to examine your life and work. The seminar is co-sponsored by the Center for
Faith and Learning, and the Center for Leadership Studies at Augsburg.
Called to Lead is designed to expand the skills and knowledge of individuals who have demonstrated leadership within their profession and the community. Through collaborative and interactive experiences, participants engage
with each other and their facilitators as they explore their own call to lead.
Augsburg College accepts applications and nominations for the Called to
Lead program from a diverse group of alumni and friends, including business
leaders, professionals and academics, directors and staff of community service organizations and civic associations, managers from government agencies
and community activists. For more information contact Norma Noonan in the
Center for Leadership Studies, at 612-330-1198 or noonan@augsburg.edu.
@
w
o
n AUGSBURG
More ways to keep in touch
Do you receive NOW@augsburg? It’s the new Alumni
and Constituent Relations e-newsletter that goes
out the first week of each month to alumni and parents. Get quick updates on College and alumni
news, and check the calendar for alumni events
during the month. To receive NOW@augsburg,
e-mail alumni@augsburg.edu.
Thrivent rewards your volunteer time
Your volunteer hours for Augsburg can count even more through the GivingPlus program at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent will give Augsburg
$25 for your volunteered hours for Augsburg (25 or more per year) working on
projects or activities, or participating on committees, boards, and task groups.
Report your volunteer hours on the Thrivent matching form and make your
time even more valuable. To find out about volunteer opportunities, e-mail
volunteer@augsburg.edu.
Have you “friended” Auggie Eagle on Facebook?
Go to his profile and check out what Auggie is up to.
Join your classmates
to celebrate!
50th Reunion —1959
40th Reunion—1968, 1969, 1970
25th Reunion—1983, 1984, 1985
10th Reunion—1998, 1999, 2000
Recent Grad Reunion —2004-2009
Homecoming football game
vs. Hamline University
’09
E
T
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D
E
H
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SAVE T
October 1-
lege
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Aug
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Homecom
ing
u/homecom
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www.au
Spring 2009
35
alumni class notes
52Pines, Minn., was selected for
Rev. Arvid “Bud” Dixon, Circle
a 2008 Honorary Award of the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation for
Peace and Justice, given for long
and significant contribution to the
causes of peace and social justice.
68professor of biology and direc-
Ted Johnson, Northfield, Minn.,
tor of biomedical studies at St. Olaf
College, gave an address, “Students,
New Science Building, and the Liberal Arts,” at St. Olaf’s Opening Convocation, on Sept. 4.
69
Rev. Peter Strommen,
Shakopee, Minn., accepted a
call to Shepherd of the Lake
Lutheran Church in Prior Lake,
Minn., that began on Sept. 1. He
has just completed a long tenure as
the bishop of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA.
tary children and conversational
English with adults at the Bible
School.
Larry Turner and Robert Storeygard
’76, along with David Tiede, Bernhard Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation, attended the
10th anniversary of the Bible School
(Center for Christian Education) in
Martin, Slovakia, a Lutheran school
that educates adult students for
serving in congregations and communities. The “Decade of Miracles”
celebration, July 4-6, included performances from the St. Andrew’s
Lutheran Church choir, Mahtomedi,
Minn., who also performed elsewhere in Slovakia. Participants from
18 U.S. congregations taught Vacation Bible School with 330 elemen-
Peter Agre, Baltimore, Md.,
was awarded the Annual Prize
for Outstanding Contribution to Lung
Research on Dec. 11 at the annual
meeting for the Will Rogers Motion
Picture Pioneers Foundation
(WRMPPF), for his groundbreaking
work in aquaporins and potential
benefits to lung research. He is director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria
Research Institute in the Bloomberg
School of Public Health.
70
77Wash., began as director of
Rev. Arne Bergland, Puyallup,
church relations for California
Lutheran University in September,
acting as a liaison between the university and the church community.
Rod Skoe, Clearbrook, Minn., was
honored in November as a recipient
of a 2008 Torch and Shield, the
highest award presented by the University of Minnesota-Crookston. He
represents District 2, northwestern
Minnesota, in the Minnesota Senate
and has been involved in farming in
Clearbrook, Minn., since 1985.
78Lake, Minn., has been named
Steven Hoffmeyer, White Bear
commissioner of the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. He
served as deputy commissioner and
has been with the bureau since
2002.
In October, Augsburg religion professor Phil Quanbeck II and his wife, Augsburg regent Ruth Johnson ’74, led “An Aegean Odyssey to Turkey and Greece,”
with a group of 23, including seven other Auggies. For 10 days, they traveled and studied the world of the Apostle Paul, Byzantium, and modern-day Greece
and Turkey.
(Back row, men, L to R): Jerry Kleven ’57, Art Rimmereid ’53, Paul Anderson, Jim Weninger ’92 MAL, Phil Quanbeck, Mike Bailey, Tom Stertz, Kirk Gill,
Jim Martenson, David Larson, Larry Turner. (Middle row, women, L to R): Sylvia Hanson ’50, Char Rimmereid ’52, Karen Freeman, Liz Weninger ’92, Julie
Larson, Carmen Clementson, Cindy Martenson, Nancy Anderson, Sally Tonsager. (Front row, women, L to R): Jennie Wilson, Ruth Johnson ’74, Kathy Bailey,
Lynn Stertz, Sue Turner, Alice Peterson, Denise Shuck ’09.
To read about their tour and see photos from
their travels, go to www.augsburg.edu/now.
36
Augsburg Now
79Ill., serves as the practice
Brian Carlsen, Buffalo Grove,
87
77
Neil Paulson ran in the Orlando
(Fla.) Utilities Commission race
in December. His photo appeared on
the cover of Runner magazine because he runs without a shirt in all
weather there, which is always tropical compared to Minnesota.
Scott L. Anderson and his
wife, Susan, Minneapolis,
welcomed the birth of John Scott on
Jan. 30, 2007. Scott is an insurance and financial service agent for
Farmers Financial Solutions LLC.
ScottLAnderson38@msn.com
leader of organizational learning at
St. Aubin, Haggerty & Associates, a
strategic HR consulting firm. He recently co-authored a book on business and workforce leadership,
Attract, Engage & Retain Top Talent,
from Author House books.
Leslie (Morland) and Jonathan Carlson moved from Bozeman, Mont.,
back to St. Paul where Leslie has
taken a nurse practitioner job at
HealthEast Clinics.
80St. Paul, Minn., has been apJulie (Petterson) Leslie, West
pointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty
as a parent member to a three-year
term on the State Advisory Council
on Early Childhood Education and
Care. She is a licensed educator
and the director of Augustana Preschool.
82began teaching 11th- and
Karl Spring joined Fox 21 in Duluth,
Minn., in September as chief meteorologist and travels to schools
throughout northern Minnesota to
teach students about meteorology.
Previously, he was chief meteorologist at KBJR-TV in Duluth.
94Sarya, Charlevoix, Mich., reGwendolyn (Christiansen)
ceived her Master of Arts degree in
music education in December from
the University of St. Thomas, with a
concentration in Orff-Schulwerk. She
and her husband, Dave, have a fiveyear-old son, Luke. She teaches K-4
music and movement and fifth-grade
band at Concord Academy in Boyne,
Mich. gwensarya@yahoo.com
Sara Trumm, Chicago, began in October as program coordinator for the
Center for Christian-Muslim Relations for Peace and Justice at the
Lutheran School of Theology. She
had just spent two years in India.
Rick Bennett, Morgan, Minn.,
91tag were married in Hoversten
Kristen (Hirsch) and Paul Mon-
89
Sue Hakes began a two-year
term as mayor of Grand
Marais, Minn., to which she was
elected in November.
Chapel on Oct. 18, with Auggies in
attendance: Velda (Stohr) Gabrielson
’90, Betty Christiansen ’91, Laura
(Ferry) Lee ’92, Brenda Lunde Gilsrud
’91, Liz Pushing ’93, Jennifer Tome
’99, and Aaron Pelaccia ’07. Kristen
is a marketing communication manager at Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, and Paul is in sales and
marketing. They live in St. Paul.
92
Sharol (Dascher) Tyra, received a Star Award 2008
from the Minnesota Organization of
Leaders in Nursing (MOLN) in
recognition of her commitment to
volunteering and dedication to influencing health care by advancing
professional nursing leadership,
particularly with the Metro Alliance
Education and Service Collaborative
for Expanded Enrollment of Baccalaureate Nurses.
12th-grade students in chemistry
and human anatomy in Cannon
Falls, Minn.
Wendy (Shields) and Bradley
Falls, Minn., with big brother, Jackson, announce the birth of Lachlan
Bradley, on March 9, 2008. Brad is
a physician assistant at SMDC
Health System-International Falls,
and Wendy is a stay-at-home mom.
wreiners@frontiernet.net
Rachel Brist is a physician as-
of Bigfork Valley Hospital clinics in
Coleraine and Marcell, Minn.
84in Tromsø, Norway. Tove was
02artistic director for SOS Play-
named a Knight of the First Class of
the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit,
by King Harald V, for the advancement of Norwegian language and
culture in the United States. She is a
peace studies educator at the University of Tromsø and has served for
26 years as dean of Skogfjorden,
Concordia College Norwegian Language Village. Curt began on Jan. 1
as vice president for research and
development at the University of
Tromsø—the world’s northernmost
university vice president. This is a
new position resulting from the
merger of the University of Tromsø
and Tromsø College.
ers, two troupes of pre-teen actors
who perform for elementary and
middle-school audiences, helping
them cope with life. He often writes
scripts based on requests from educators to deal with particular topics.
86Minn., joined UCare health
Heather Schwartz joined the consumer marketing practice of Weber
Shandwick in Minneapolis-St. Paul
as an account supervisor. Previously
she had been a brand public relations director.
Tove Dahl and Curtis Rice live
Frank Gilbertson, Maplewood,
98Reiners ’99, International
01sistant and has joined the staff
plan in November as provider network management director. Previously, he spent 11 years at Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota,
most recently as senior director,
provider relations planning.
Andrew Bernstrom, St. Paul, is
Katie Lindelfelser’s research as a
master’s degree student at the University of Melbourne (Australia) was
published in a co-authored article,
“Bereaved Parents' Experiences of
Music Therapy with Their Terminally
Ill Child,” in the Journal of Music
Therapy, fall 2008. She is teaching
a music therapy course at Augsburg
this spring semester.
Spring 2009
37
alumni class notes
Rev. Rachel (Oldfather) Stout,
Wadena, Minn., was installed as associate pastor of Immanuel Lutheran
Church in September in Wadena.
Her husband, Ryan, is the new pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in
New York Mills. They have a son,
Soren.
04
Amanda Engesether is working
with the current city planning
director in Kinston, N.C., and will
take over that position in July when
he retires. Previous to this, she
worked as a planner in Johnston and
Onslow Counties in North Carolina
and completed an internship at the
Urban Design Center in Raleigh, N.C.
Chris Stewart, Lakeville, Minn., became vice president of operations
for BOR-SON Construction in Minneapolis. He will manage all general
construction operations for the company. Previously he was head of Target’s national field operations team.
05
Andrea (Carlson) and Riley
Conway are living in Hershey,
Pa. Andrea is a third-year medical
student at Penn State, and Riley
works at Border Books and is a student in the distance master’s degree
program at Hamline University. They
were married in 2005.
06Marrandino were married on
Maureen Parker and Martin
Oct. 25. Maureen is a board certified music therapist at KSB Hospital
in Dixon, Ill., where Martin is also
employed. He also is a student at
Sauk Valley Community College.
Kasey Yoder, Duluth, Minn., is coowner of Two Guys Pizza in Duluth,
and working 80-hour weeks, doing
everything from menu planning to
becoming a master of the pizza oven.
00Burnsville, Minn., and her
Missy (Carlson) Bakeberg,
husband, Randy, welcomed the
birth of their twins, Cooper Joshua
and Ava Morgan on Oct. 11. Cooper
weighed 7 lbs., 5 oz., and Ava
weighed 5 lbs., 13 oz.
00
Denitza (Batanova) Stevens,
Chandler, Ariz., and her husband, Joel, welcomed their son,
Roman David, on April 26 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
08Sept. 2008-Feb. 2009 in
Jenni Olson volunteered from
Iringa, Tanzania, teaching communications at Iringa College/Tumaini
University.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Anita Raymond ’94 MSW is a 2008
recipient of the fourth annual Shelley Joseph-Kordell Award from Volunteers of America-Minnesota for
service to older adults. She is a social worker for Volunteers of America-Minnesota’s Protective Services
and Geriatric Care Management and
Consultation Services.
05Robertson were married on
Britni Morgan and Jeremy
05Stephen Belde were married
Melynda Kleewein and
on Aug. 1 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Melynda works at New York Life in
Anchorage and coaches hockey for
the Alaska Firebirds. Stephen is a
teacher with the Anchorage school
district and also coaches hockey for
the Alaska Firebirds and the South
High School boys’ hockey team.
Oct. 4 in Crystal, Minn. Auggies in
the wedding party included Kyle
Howard ’04, Jillian Janicki ’04, Jim
Lindell ’04, Nick Collins ’04, and
Tom Delisle ’06. In March they are
moving to Brainerd, Minn., to start a
lawn/cabin care company, Bear
Paw Cabin Care.
95his second book published,
Jeff Falkingham MAL, has had
Sherlock Holmes: in Search of the
Source, a work of historical fiction set
in St. Paul in December 1896. A sequel to an earlier work, Sherlock
Holmes and the County Courthouse
Caper, it’s set in Jeff's hometown of
Browns Valley, Minn., in November
1886. Originally released in June
2007 as a fundraiser for victims of the
March 2007 flood in Browns Valley, it
has raised over $6,500 for flood relief.
Excerpts from both books can be
found at www.cccaper.com. Falkingham now lives in Eden Prairie, Minn.,
and works in advertising for Northern
Tool + Equipment of Burnsville.
38
Augsburg Now
08UST Tommie, Tony Nagorski,
Jen Janda married her favorite
07Henning on Oct. 4 in Red-
Megan Schiller married Brent
wood Falls, Minn. Auggies in the
wedding party included Marrissa
Henry-Mashuga, Maria Belen Power
’07, and Miesha Martin-Freeman
’08. Megan is an administrative assistant in the Automated Clearing
House (ACH) Operations at Wells
Fargo in Minneapolis, and Brent is
an inside sales representative for
Braas Company in Eden Prairie.
They live in Waverly, Minn.
on Aug. 2 in Eagan, Minn. An Auggie, Megan Carlson ’08, was in the
wedding party. Jen works in the
Marketing and Communication Office at Augsburg and Tony attends
the St. Thomas School of Law. They
live in downtown Minneapolis.
augsburg
then
Send us your news and photos
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary, funeral notice,
or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to: Augsburg Now
Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55454, or e-mail to alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the
Augsburg Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
____________________________________________________________
Full name
____________________________________________________________
Maiden name
____________________________________________________________
Class year or last year attended
____________________________________________________________
Street address
____________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip
When today’s Old Main was conceived late in the 1870s, the College
planned for many of the new utilities and comforts of the day—plumbing
with running water and restrooms, steam heat, and built-in electric fixtures. This marked a shift from a campus that was ecologically independent (with a barn housing a horse, cow, and pig) to one that linked itself to
the growing urban infrastructure for water, waste, and energy.
Taken from “From Rural to Urban: The Environmental History of
Augsburg College, 1872–2005,” written by the students in Environmental
Connections and revised by Alex Hoselton ’08 and Alex Ubbelohde ’08.
Is this a new address? q Yes q No
____________________________________________________________
Home telephone
____________________________________________________________
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? q Yes q No
____________________________________________________________
Employer
____________________________________________________________
Position
____________________________________________________________
Work telephone
In Memoriam
Donald Murphy ’43, Mounds View,
Minn., age 87, on Nov. 24.
Dr. Nancy English ’73, Duluth,
Minn., age 57, on Aug. 8.
Robert W. Johnson ’49, Burnsville,
Minn., age 82, on Aug. 17.
Stacy Sellers ’01, Inman, Neb.,
age 31, on Jan. 2.
Pearson, Wayne ’49, Wildomar,
Calif., age 83, on Dec. 27.
Kerry Affeldt ’05, Wykoff, Minn.,
age 45, on Sept. 21, of injuries
from a motorcycle/auto accident.
Rev. James E. Peterson ’50,
Bloomington, Minn., age 79, on
Sept. 26.
Ronald Lund ’50, Wanamingo,
Minn., age 82, on Aug. 21.
Mary Ann Olsen ’53, Minneapolis,
age 78, on Sept. 18.
Beverly An (Gryth) Villwock ’52,
Charlottesville, Va., age 78, on
Nov. 29.
Mavis (Strand) Hafstad ’54, Eagan,
Minn., age 75, on Aug. 11.
Ahmednur Ali ’10, Minneapolis,
Minn., age 20, on Sept. 22.
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No
If yes, class year ________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Spouse’s name
____________________________________________________________
Maiden name
Your news:
____________________________________________________________
Kathleen (“Katie”) Wiltgen ’10,
Winona, Minn., age 21, on Nov.
29, in an auto accident.
____________________________________________________________
Mathew Ackerman ’10, Dallas,
Texas, age 23, on Dec. 7.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
q I know a high school student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
Spring 2009
39
my
Auggie experience
Richmond Appleton ’09
Environmental Studies
Richmond Appleton is passionate about giving back to his
communities—the Twin Cities and his birthplace of Liberia.
Early in his Augsburg career, he was a biology major and
planned to attend medical school. However, when the environmental studies program began, Appleton knew this was
the path he should take. He became the first student to formally declare the major.
Appleton has overcome a great deal in his life. As a young
boy, he contracted polio and was paralyzed on his left side.
He often had no access to medical care, but his parents took
him to native healers. “There were no social services or hospitals,” he says. “There was nothing to count on in emergencies.” Over time, he recovered the use of his arm and leg.
When civil war broke out in Liberia in the early ’90s, his
family fled to the Ivory Coast. Appleton’s mother was separated from them, and he also lost his father, brother, and sisters for four weeks because he couldn’t run fast enough to
keep up with them. Eventually the family was forced to Ghana
where they stayed in a refugee camp until they immigrated to
the U.S. in 2004.
A desire to make a difference influenced Appleton’s decision to join the environmental studies program where classes
in ecology and biodiversity fuel his interests in social work
and public service. Although he wants to help his country, he
likely won’t return to live permanently. He says Liberia is rebuilding after years of violence and destruction, but that
much remains to be done. “People are sick from the effects
of a polluted environment.”
While at Augsburg, Appleton has been active in the
neighborhood. He chairs the Augsburg Student Activities Council diversity committee and serves as a residence life community adviser. In January, he traveled to Cuernavaca, Mexico,
with students from the Scholastic Connections program to learn
about sustainable agriculture practices in Mexico.
Appleton plans to graduate in December and is researching
graduate programs in environmental studies. “I am interested
in public policy in urban areas, conflict management in war
torn countries, community development, agriculture, sustainability, and bio-agriculture.” Appleton plans to study sustainable food production and how it can minimize the human
impact on the environment.
JENNIFER L. HIPPLE, WEEKEND COLLEGE STUDENT
40
Augsburg Now
an
augsburg legacy
Mr. Augsburg still supporting students
Jeroy and Ainy Carlson
Kirsten Bar ’10
In 1958, when Minnesota celebrated its centennial, Jeroy
Carlson ’48 was one of 1,958 state champions honored by the
state. “Jack Dempsey was at the ceremony,” Carlson said,
“and he told us, ‘The greatest asset America has is its youth.’
That’s still true.”
Carlson and his wife Lorraine “Ainy” support Augsburg students through planned gifts because they believe what
Dempsey said. Carlson, known to many as “Mr. Augsburg,”
spent 44 years as a student-athlete, teacher, coach, and staff
member with the College. “I tried to be of help to anyone I
could,” he said.
With a charitable gift annuity, the Carlsons fund a scholarship that supports students who are studying music or physical
education and who demonstrate a commitment of service
to others.
This year’s recipient of Jeroy and Ainy Carlson’s scholarship is
Kirsten Bar ’10, a music therapy major who has worked
throughout her education with people with Hungtington’s disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
“The students and faculty in the music department have a
special place in our hearts for those who have contributed to
scholarships,” said Bar. “For some students, these scholarships make a huge difference from year to year. We appreciate
the financial support and very much enjoy seeing the donors at
our performances.”
After completing her studies, Bar hopes to return to her
hometown of Billings, Mont., to start the city’s first music therapy practice.
“Investing” with an Augsburg charitable gift annuity rather than with a bank gives the Carlsons a locked rate of
return for their lifetimes, and they will be sure that the remainder will go to the scholarship after their death.
1-800-273-0617
www.augsburg.edu/giving
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
River Politics
Students in Professor Joe Underhill’s Environmental and
River Politics class travel through Lock 1 on the Mississippi
River. During the class, students study current debates
about the extent of environmental problems, and examine
how those problems are manifested on campus and in our
immediate surroundings. Exploring the issues from a canoe
gives them different perspectives.
Show less
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Title
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Augsburg Now Spring 2007
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Alumni Magazine Collection
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Augsburg
Now
KEYSTONE CONNECTIONS
URBAN LEGENDS
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SPRING 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 3
Martin Sabo retires
The ending of an era
page 16
P. 21
A PLACE OF THEIR OWN
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
P. 12
P. 26
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
Being a ...
Show more
Augsburg
Now
KEYSTONE CONNECTIONS
URBAN LEGENDS
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SPRING 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 3
Martin Sabo retires
The ending of an era
page 16
P. 21
A PLACE OF THEIR OWN
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
P. 12
P. 26
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
Being a college in the city
B
ut seek the welfare of the city where I have
sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on
its behalf, for in its welfare will you find
your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7, RSV)
One particular afternoon last fall, I was shepherded
through the nearby Cedar-Riverside neighborhood
by our legendary community ambassador Mary
Laurel True. She introduced me to good people
whose lives and work intersect with the College. We
sat in one of the four mosques in the neighborhood
and spoke with the elders about peace and the God
of Abraham, about our lives here together, about our
children, and about the world and how frightening
it can be to live with strangers. In other words, we
spoke as fellow humans living together in the city.
I love the city (despite my rural upbringing) and
my recent experiences in our neighborhood lead me
to revisit some of the historical themes that fascinate
me about city life.
My first thoughts go to the role that neighborhoods play in a strong urban life. Though we are a
city, we live our lives in neighborhoods. It is in the
neighborhood where I come face to face with the
challenges and joys of negotiating my life with others. I think of Jane Addams, who made the west side
Chicago neighborhood near Hull-House the sphere
of action for her efforts in the late 19th and early
20th centuries to build a stronger democracy. There
are many of us who still believe her settlement
house idea has relevance for the 21st century. It is
not a philosophical exercise—it is the daily living
with, abiding with, meeting the needs and sharing
the aspirations of neighbors that defined the work of
Miss Addams and her colleagues, and that needs to
define our lives in cities as well.
A second theme about cities is the ways in
which they reflect our abiding pursuit of civilization.
Sir Peter Hall in Cities in Civilization suggests that
great cities have been at the center of artistic growth,
technological progress, the marriage of culture and
technology, and solutions to evolving social problems. Cities are places “for people who can stand the
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Design Manager
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Class Notes Designer
heat of the kitchen: places where the adrenaline
pumps through the bodies of the people and
through the streets on which they walk; messy
places, sordid places sometimes, but places nevertheless superbly worth living in, long to be remembered and long to be celebrated.”
Finally, I think of the late Jane Jacobs, the legendary urban theorist, whose The Death and Life of
Great American Cities was a clarion call to arms for
all those who loved the diversity and energy of cities
that was being ravaged by trends in architecture and
city planning. One of Jacobs’ main points was that
the well-being of cities is defined primarily by common, ordinary things, like sidewalks, parks, defined
neighborhoods, and a diversity of architecture styles
and buildings of different ages. These common,
ordinary things, when thought about with the needs
and aspirations of citizens in mind, will create
healthy, sustainable, and vital urban centers. It is not
about spending a huge amount of money, but rather
about a reflective practice of city life—the genuine
work of urban planning.
During my short time here at Augsburg, I have
been challenged to think again about the role of colleges and universities in an urban setting. I am committed to the mutual dependency of colleges and the
city. The paradigm for the relationships between
cities and higher education must be less about
extracting benefits from each other, less dependent
on incidental impact, and more focused on the various resources that can be shared in the pursuit of a
more robust, healthy, and meaningful urban life. I
look forward to our efforts at Augsburg to give substance to this new (but not really so new!) paradigm
of urban citizenship.
Yours,
Signe Peterson
petersos@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Interim Assistant
Vice President of Marketing
and Communications
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services,
CB 142,
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
Spring 2007
21
Contents
Features
11
The Kitchen Connection
by Betsey Norgard
Weekend College student Tom Gouras uses his food service experience to feel
more connected on campus and provide service in the community.
12
Fitting the Pieces Together
by Betsey Norgard
In their keystone courses seniors synthesize all their Augsburg experiences in
preparing for the next step.
16
The Ending of an Era
Photos and text by Stephen Geffre
The boxes are packed and farewells said as Martin Olav Sabo retires from a
28-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives.
21
Urban Legends
by Bethany Bierman
Augsburg’s metro-urban studies alumni are making their marks as leaders
in public service and city planning.
16
26
A Place of Their Own
by Betsey Norgard
The East African Women’s Center bustles with activity as mothers, children,
grandmothers, and girls learn skills for living in a new community.
On the Cover: Congressman Martin Olav
Sabo, Class of 1959, retires from a lifelong
career serving his constituents in Minneapolis
and earning high respect from colleagues on
both sides of the aisle.
Departments
2 Around the Quad
6 Supporting Augsburg
8 Sports
29 Alumni News
36 Views
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
AROUND THE QUAD
Brian Krohn awarded
a Goldwater
Scholarship
NOTEWORTHY
A team of Augsburg and University of St. Thomas students received honorable men-
Junior Brian
Krohn, who is
majoring in
chemistry
with a biology
minor, was
awarded a
Barry M.
Goldwater
Scholarship for the 2007-08 academic year. A total of 317 schol-
arships were awarded from the
more than 1,000 nominations
made by college faculty in the
fields of natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Krohn will join a research
group this summer at the Graz
Technical Institute in Austria,
funded by the National Science
Foundation.
Two other Augsburg students
received honorable mentions—
Kent Bodurtha and Reid Larson,
both in physics.
tion at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York in March.
Model UN team
wins award
A team of Augsburg and
University of St. Thomas students
received honorable mention at the
National Model United Nations
Conference in New York in
March—Augsburg’s first award in
nine years of competition.
More than 4,000 students
from the U.S. and 31 countries
participated, with opening and
closing ceremonies held in the
UN General Assembly Great Hall.
The student team represented
the interests of India in the conference and met with the Indian
Mission to the UN during the
week in New York.
Matt Broughton
named a Fulbright
Scholar
Matt
Broughton’06,
who graduated summa
cum laude
with dual
degrees in
English and
2 AUGSBURG NOW
physics, has been named a
Fulbright Scholar to Germany
during 2007-08. He will spend
the year at the Technical
University of Braunschweig,
working in space physics
research.
It was during an internship
with the National Academies’
Space Studies Board that
Broughton began to see how
research he had been doing fits
into the larger context of national and international physics
research, studying the relationship between the sun and earth.
At the Technical University,
he will study ultra-low frequency
(ULF) waves in the magnetosphere, using data gathered from
four satellites in the Cluster mission. He will be able to analyze
the data with use of a wave telescope, a multi-spacecraft analysis
tool, using techniques that scientists there developed. He already
has a working relationship with
the scientists and has received
some training on the wave
telescope.
This summer Broughton will
spend 10 weeks in Washington,
D.C., in an intensive German
language program.
Coach and athletic director
Ernie Anderson dies
Ernie Anderson ’37, who served Augsburg College
as its men’s basketball coach for 23 seasons and as
its athletic director for 34 years, died on March 18
at the age of 90.
Anderson was a part of the Augsburg community for more than 40 years. He attended the
Augsburg Academy as a prep student in the early
1930s. He played basketball and baseball at
Augsburg, graduating from the College with a hisErnie Anderson ’37
tory degree in 1937.
Anderson served as men’s
basketball coach for the
Auggies from 1947-70, and as
the school’s athletic director
from 1947-80. He was inducted into the College’s Athletic
Hall of Fame in 1975.
In 1984, Augsburg named
its outdoor athletic field
Anderson-Nelson Field, in
honor of Anderson and fellow
longtime coach Edor Nelson
’38. In 2001, the center competition court at Melby Hall was
named Ernie Anderson Court
in his honor, while the outdoor
athletic field was rechristened
as Edor Nelson Field.
Men’s basketball coach Ernie Anderson is
lifted in the air as the team celebrates its
conference championship in 1963.
PA students excel on
certifying exam
Physics students
receive award
All 28 of Augsburg physician
assistant 2006 graduates passed
the National Commission on
Certification of Physician
Assistants (NCCPA) exam,
required for physician assistants
to practice in most states.
While the mean score for all
new grads nationally was 506,
Augsburg’s mean score was 581,
which put the program in the
91st percentile in comparison to
other programs.
Augsburg’s chapter of the Society
of Physics Students (SPS) was
selected as an Outstanding
Chapter for 2005-06. This is the
fourth time in the last five years
the chapter has been recognized
among the top 10 percent of
chapters nationally.
Recognition is given for the
breadth of SPS activities in
research, public science outreach, physics tutoring programs, and interaction among its
members. Brian Wood ’08 serves
Students and money—dollar/sense
Sophomore Cody Warren (left) and financial aid counselor Carly Eichhorst (right)
teamed to teach students about financial literacy.
Studies show that more than half
of all college students acquire
their first credit card during
their first year in college. Nearly
half of all college students have
credit card debt, with the average debt over $3,000.
Combine that with the fact
that most parents feel they are
neither prepared to talk to their
kids about personal finances, nor
do they feel they are good role
models concerning financial
planning and decisions. And few
high schools offer courses on
financial matters.
Last year, Augsburg’s
Financial Aid Office decided to
do something about this and
provide resources for students to
as chapter president and
Professor Mark Engebretson is
faculty adviser.
Best Workplace for
Commuters
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the U.S.
Department of Transportation
become more fiscally literate and
learn to make responsible money
choices. “Does Your Money
Matter?” was offered as a series
of formal presentations.
This year, financial aid counselor Carly Eichhorst and sophomore student worker Cody
Warren teamed up to revamp the
program and ratchet up the level
of conversation and participation.
“I knew my peers didn’t have
the [financial] information,”
Warren said, as they planned a
new program they called “dollar/sense.”
Five sessions (three of which
were repeated) were offered on
weekday evenings:
• Embark: Begin the Financial
Journey
• Build: Establish Credit.
Maintain Credit
• Plan: Chart Your Course
• Renew: Financial Aid Springs
Anew
• Share: Time. Talent. Gifts
included Augsburg among the
Best Workplaces for Commuters
in Minneapolis. It was recognized as an employer offering
good benefits to employees for
alternatives to driving alone to
work every day. Augsburg faculty, staff, and students can buy
discounted travel on buses and
light rail, can make teleworking
arrangements, and use carpools.
Augsburg also hosts an
HOURCAR hub in the CedarRiverside community, making a
hybrid-fuel vehicle available for
hourly rent by qualified drivers on
campus and in the community.
Lots of audience response and
visuals in a relaxed atmosphere,
plus some food, brought home
the message to 20 to 40 students
who came to each session of
“dollar/sense.”
Eichhorst was delighted at
the response. “[A student who]
attended last night’s event on
credit scores … came to me this
morning and told me he pulled
his credit report right away last
night and wanted to talk about a
discrepancy,” she said. “[Another
attendee] was a student who
experienced financial problems
last year … and he attended
every single session of
‘dollar/sense’.”
The word reached parents as
well. One mother e-mailed, “It is
really a shame that you don’t get
more students attending those
sessions since they are truly REAL
LIFE and kids so often complain
about learning things they think
they will never use. Thanks to
everyone in the Enrollment
Center who put them on.”
—Betsey Norgard
SPRING 2007 3
AROUND THE QUAD
Japanese artists visit
Augsburg
For two days in late February,
Ayomi Yoshida and Bidou
Yamaguchi engaged the
Augsburg community with their
talents and art.
Yoshida is a printmaker,
installation artist, and designer,
whose work ranges from a colorful gift wrap line designed for
Target to multi-story installation
art. She is a fourth generation
member of the illustrious Yoshida
family of printmakers, which also
included Toshi Yoshida, who
taught at Augsburg during two
summers in the early 1970s.
For an exhibit at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
(MIA) in 2002 featuring her family, she created a large installation
of wood grain panels. The installation was purchased by Target
Corporation and re-installed in
their corporate executive suites
in downtown Minneapolis.
“Reverberation Ad Infinitum”
is made up of four columns and
a wall, each running three stories
high, flanking a stairway. Out of
each red column, Yoshida carved
repeated lines of oval chips with
a scoop chisel. The red chips
were then glued to the white
wall, creating positive and negative polka dots. Over 60,000
chips were carved, with three
people working on it for three
months.
MIA curator Matthew Welch
led a group of Augsburg students
to Target Corporation to view
Yoshida’s installation—an opportunity for the students to see the
artwork in this restricted, nonpublic area. They appreciated the
centuries-old, handcrafted nature
of the installation, says Kerry
Morgan, Augsburg’s coordinator
of galleries, and were captured
by “the physical process, the
amount of work, and the time
and dedication needed for it.”
Morgan recounts that as people walk through the installation,
“fascinating things happen to the
eye, the grid becomes diagonal
and casts shadows.”
Bidou Yamaguchi demonstrates his master skills in carving masks from cypress wood
for Japanese Noh drama.
4 AUGSBURG NOW
Students explore the panels of a multi-story art installation created by Ayomi Yoshida
at Target Corporation headquarters.
Bob Ulrich, chairman and
CEO of Target Corporation,
greeted the group and told them
that Target employees prefer
walking the stairs through the
installation to taking the elevator.
Yoshida also is a designer for
Target. Her gift wrap line, with
polka-dot-and-lined patterns,
has been described as making
packages “too pretty to open.”
Yoshida’s husband, Bidou
Yamaguchi, is a master carver of
masks for Noh drama. He is
trained as a graphic designer, but
became enchanted with the
ancient craft of carving masks
and their long history as part of
an ancient art form.
Carved and smoothed from a
block of cypress wood by knives
and chisels with three layers of
steel, the masks are lacquer coated many times and then stressed
to show age and wear.
Yamaguchi tried his own
hand at carving, and sought out
a master carver with whom he
could apprentice. After five years
of study—only half the normal
time—he was awarded the master carver status. He was also
given his artist’s name, Bidou, a
combination of words meaning
the “god of war” and “a stack of
wood.”
Yamaguchi has lectured and
demonstrated his craft at numerous institutions in Japan and
other countries. His masks are
part of the permanent collections
of Target Corporation (which the
students also were able to view
on the tour) and the MIA.
Bringing Yoshida and
Yamaguchi to campus was a collaborative effort among the art
galleries, Art Department,
Theatre Arts Department, Art
Club, Pan-Asian Student
Services, and professor emeritus
Eugene Skibbe, a friend of the
Yoshida family. The presentations
made by the artists were open to
the public, and scheduled to
involve classes in AsianAmerican theatre, sculpture, art
history, and design.
— Betsey Norgard
Augsburg Stewards:
Preserving history,
keeping traditions
alive
The Augsburg Stewards have
been involved in nearly every
recent Augsburg event, and they
are not much more than a year
old. The 14-member group has
already participated in
Homecoming, orientation, an
event honoring the Augsburg
Associates, the annual
Scholarship Brunch, and other
events with alumni.
Augsburg students can’t help
but notice the Stewards, but
many wonder, “Who are they?”
If you refer to the group’s
official statement, the Augsburg
Stewards’ mission is “to engage
students in the mission of
Augsburg College in order to
cultivate pride in place and
purpose.”
Lead Steward Solveig Mebust
says, “We combine three important aspects of the College: we
look at the history, the present
traditions, and the future of the
College and then try to make it
all something to which students
can relate. We basically provide
the link between the students
and the alumni.
“We make connections with
people whom you might not otherwise have met, and these are
powerful people,” she says. “They
make the difference between having an Oren Gateway Center or
not, having a scholarship to go to
college or not.”
The Stewards don’t just make
connections with alumni, but
also focus on students. In an
interview in spring 2006,
Augsburg Stewards’ founder,
Paul Cumings ’06, said,
“Students are trying to find ways
to connect with Augsburg, to
The Augsburg Stewards seek ways to engage students in the history and traditions of the College and create links with alumni.
(L to R) Rikki Starich ’07, Marie Sager ’09, lead Steward Solveig Mebust ’08, Sarah Valasek ’09, Cody Warren ’09.
create meaning behind the
school.”
“That’s exactly what we try to
do,” Mebust confirms. “We want
students to be invested in this
school, to take pride in our rich
history, be involved in present
traditions, and to help sculpt the
future of the College.”
The Stewards have already
started working toward that goal.
Each Steward receives a copy of
the late professor emeritus Carl
Chrislock’s Fjord to Freeway, a
centennial history of Augsburg
College. They then share the
College’s history with the student
body.
For example, during Auggie
Days, an orientation program for
first-year Augsburg students,
Steward Chris Kuhn presented a
brief history from Chrislock’s
book.
The Stewards began in
December 2005 when Cumings,
the student body president, came
up with the idea. “It’s important
to learn the history of the
College, to open up our past.
That helps us learn why deci-
sions have been made,” he said.
Cumings asked a few students to join, wrote a constitution, and submitted the constitution to student government. In
January 2006 the Augsburg
Stewards became an official student organization.
Currently the organization is
structured into three main committees: the History Committee,
the Present Committee, and the
Future Committee, each led by a
Steward member and focusing
on one of the three main components. However, Mebust plans
changes to the structure to make
it easier for students to participate more fully. Formal recruiting for new Stewards has taken
place during spring semester.
In December the Stewards
hosted an event called “What is
an Auggie, anyway?” With information tables in Christensen
Center, the group focused on
what it means to identify as an
Auggie and provided students
with information, food, presentations, and a documentary about
the College’s history.
“There’s something unique
about Augsburg. It’s always been
the odd child out of the
Lutheran colleges because we’ve
never felt the need to compete,”
says Mebust. “We produce amazing alumni who are leaders of
both the political and religious
realms, and their children are
now attending Augsburg.”
Mebust hopes to learn more
about why Augsburg is so
unique. She assigned the
Stewards a long-term goal of discovering the personal history of
the College. “Fjord [to Freeway] is
a great history based on institutional life, but not [its] personal
life.”
Even while still evolving, the
Augsburg Stewards are working
hard to reach their goals. Mebust
says, “We do our best to be
involved … and to be the best
representation of the College.”
—Kari Aanestad ’08
Kari Aanestad is a junior, with double majors in English/writing and
political science.
SPRING 2007 5
AROUND THE QUAD
SUPPORTING
AUGSBURG
Sabo Scholars …
‘Walking the talk’
One year after he graduated from
Augsburg, 22-year-old Martin
Olav Sabo was elected to the
Minnesota House of
Representatives in 1960 as its
youngest member. In 1978 he
was elected to the first of 14
terms in the U.S. House of
Representatives and served as one
of its most liberal members.
Throughout his entire career, he
has exemplified Augsburg’s motto,
“Education for Service,” and he
leaves a legacy as one of the most
fair-minded and principled legislators.
In 1990, his friends, family,
and alumni established the Martin
Olav and Sylvia A. Sabo
Scholarship in recognition of
Sabo’s distinguished record. The
scholarship is awarded to students who study political science
and/or have engaged in public
service, and aspire to careers in
public policy.
In 1994, fundraising began to
build the Sabo Endowment for
Leadership in Public and
Community Service. In addition
to the Sabo Scholarships, a summer leadership program for high
school students, a lecture series,
and academic support to public
service are envisioned.
Since 1995, nearly 50 students have been named Sabo
Scholars, and some served internships in Sabo’s Washington office.
A number have since chosen
careers in public service.
Garry Hesser, professor of
sociology and director of the
metro-urban studies program,
says, “What we’re trying to lift up
with the Sabo initiative is that
graduates in urban studies walk
the talk … . They stand for elected office and grapple with the
complexities of public issues and
The Sabo Scholarship
The Martin Olav and Sylvia A. Sabo Scholarship, established in 1990
by friends, alumni, and family is awarded to students with demonstrated financial need and academic achievement who study political
science and/or have engaged in public service or have interest in
public policy.
“I hope your college experience has taught you to listen, and that you
will continue to listen. … I hope you will develop your convictions
and your beliefs. I hope that you will pursue your passions. And I
hope you do get involved and choose your causes. But always remember to listen. And remember—you may not be absolutely right.”
— Martin Olav Sabo ’59
Augsburg Commencement address, 1983
6 AUGSBURG NOW
public policies.”
Here are four Sabo Scholars
whose lives are centered around
walking the talk of public service.
For Minneapolis native
Breanne Dalnes ’03, it took a
year at another Lutheran college
to realize she was an urbanite at
heart.
Once at Augsburg, a metrourban studies major became an
instant fit. “I knew as soon as I
discovered there was such a thing
as neighborhood organizations
that I wanted to get involved on
such a grassroots level,” she says.
While at Augsburg, Dalnes
spent one semester with HECUA’s
Metro-Urban Studies Term
(MUST), which she says opened
her eyes to a new way of thinking. She also served as a planning
Junior Kari Aanestad’s internship teaching
a recent immigrant to write has brought
to life issues around community needs
that her classes in political science have
introduced.
intern for the City of St. Paul.
Her last semester, she spent a
week in Washington D.C., where
her group visited various nonprofits and Sabo’s office. “It was
the perfect send-off to graduate
school.”
She received a Master of
Urban/Regional Planning degree
at the University of Minnesota’s
Humphrey Institute in 2005 and
currently serves as an associate
planner for the City of Ramsey.
“I’m putting my passions to
good work and watching out for
people who are too busy making
ends meet to get involved in their
communities or politics.”
Erica Champer ‘04 chose
Augsburg “for its integration into
a world-class city.” She also chose
metro-urban studies because, in
Making a gift to Augsburg
It’s easy to make a donation to Augsburg College.
All donations are tax-deductible.
her words, “it intertwined all of
the areas I was interested in—
history, economics, sociology, and
politics, all with a focus on making the city a better place.”
She now serves as an associate
director of quality and compliance at Heartland Alliance for
Human Needs and Human Rights
in Chicago. Champer climbed the
ladder in a short period of time,
becoming the youngest director
in a company of 800.
“At Augsburg I learned about
public housing in Chicago and
what a disaster it was, and now
I’m here two years later working
on a real solution!” says Champer.
“I am working on issues that are
meaningful to me—affordable
housing, human rights, and
more.”
Kari Aanestad graduates next
year with double majors in political science and English with a
writing concentration. During her
time at Augsburg, she has taken
advantage of many opportunities
to reflect on vocation, community
service, and building democracy.
“I love helping people and
being a servant of the people,”
Aanestad says. Her Honors Junior
Colloquium, taught by President
Pribbenow, focused on humanitarian Jane Addams, and what
Aanestad took away was a deep
appreciation of Addams’ belief
that in serving people she did not
expect to teach them, but to learn
from them.
Aanestad says her four classes
during spring semester all seemed
to synthesize around public serv-
Ana Chilingarishvili’s international
interest in children’s rights stem
from her own experience growing
up in the post-Soviet Union
Republic of Georgia.
Gifts online
Go to www.augsburg.edu/giving to make a secure credit card
donation. You can use the form to make a one-time donation or
to set up recurring gifts.
Gifts by phone
To make a donation by phone, call Kevin Healy, director of
advancement services, at 612-338-6537 or 800-273-0617.
Gifts by mail
You can mail your gift to:
Development Office, CB 142
Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454
For complete information about making a gift,
including the types of giving and giving programs,
go to www.augsburg.edu/giving.
ice. In political science theory, she
studied what it means to be a
civil leader and servant of the
people. A statistics course taught
her how knowledge is used and
how public policy is translated for
the general public. An internship
gave her the chance to work oneon-one with a 46-year-old East
African man, teaching him to
write. She learned how education
is empowerment, and how leaders have a responsibility to
empower their people. Lastly, in
American literature, she studied
what it means to have a voice,
and how in poverty people do
not have any voice.
Her thoughts after graduation
include work with the Lutheran
Volunteer Corps or AmeriCorps,
giving her chances to offer community service and better understand the role of civic associations
in a democracy.
Ana Chilingarishvili graduates this year with a major in
international relations and will
begin law school in the fall. Her
sights are set worldwide, beyond
local and national boundaries. A
native of the Republic of Georgia,
she was 6 years old when the
Soviet Union came to an end and
independence was declared. Her
family endured the civil war that
followed and were fortunate to
receive help from a number of
international organizations.
Chilingarishvili’s interest is in
human rights law, especially children’s rights, so that she can help
others in the same way. She
doesn’t yet know exactly what
that will be, but feels that
Augsburg’s focus on vocation has
helped her prepare for whatever
may develop.
When the Sabo Scholars had
the opportunity to meet Martin
Sabo on campus this spring,
Chilingarishvili was amazed to
hear about the roots of this legislator who has traveled the
world—a tiny North Dakota community and a high school graduating class of three.
— Bethany Bierman and
Betsey Norgard
SPRING 2007 7
AROUND THE QUAD
SPORTS
Auggies win 10th
national title, claim
nine All-Americans
Claiming three individual national
titles and making collegiate
wrestling history for one of its
wrestlers in the process, the
Augsburg wrestling team won its
record-10th NCAA Division III
national championship in the last
17 seasons with a dominating
performance in the tournament,
held in March in Dubuque, Iowa.
With nine All-Americans,
including three titlists and two
runners-up, Augsburg finished
with 135.5 points, 36 points
ahead of second-place Wartburg
(Iowa), the defending national
champion, with 99.5 points.
Wisconsin-La Crosse finished in
third with 92.5 points, Luther
(Iowa) finished fourth with 86.0
points and the College of New
Jersey finished fifth with 46.5
points.
Augsburg head coach Jeff
Swenson ’79 was named National
Coach of the Year by the National
Wrestling Coaches Association,
the sixth time he has earned the
honor in his 25-season career.
After the championships,
Swenson announced his resignation from his coaching position,
in order to focus on his responsibilities as the school’s assistant
dean for athletics and recreation.
Sam Barber, who has served as an
assistant on the Auggie staff for
six seasons, was named the team’s
new head coach.
“We had a lot of ups, mostly,
and a few downs,” said Swenson.
“It’s hard for me when the year
comes to an end because of the
great seniors, but the bottom line
is I’m proud of them as a group.
They really came together in the
last month of the season.”
Augsburg has finished among
the top two teams in national
competition 19 times since 1975,
has finished among the top four
Wrestling head coach Jeff Swenson steps
down after 25 seasons.
Auggie coaches Jeff Swenson (lower) and Sam Barber (upper) watch their team
With a commanding win, Auggie wrestlers captured their 10th national championship in March, with nine All-Americans.
nationally the last 19 seasons in a
row (the only NCAA school in
any division that can make that
claim), and has finished in the
top 20 nationally every season
since 1971 (NCAA from 1983 to
present, NAIA pre-1983).
Augsburg’s Marcus LeVesseur,
a senior from Minneapolis,
became the first Division III
wrestler ever to win four national
titles, and the second college
wrestler ever to finish his career
unbeaten and untied. LeVesseur,
who won Division III national
titles at 157 pounds three times
(2003, 2004, 2005), finished his
senior season at 31-0, and his collegiate career at 155-0, the second-longest winning streak in
college wrestling history. Cael
Sanderson went 159-0 during his
career at Iowa State from 19982002, winning four Division I
national titles.
“It’s unbelievable,” Swenson
said of LeVesseur’s accomplishment, “… no one had ever won
four titles (at the Division III
level), and only two guys have
ever gone through their careers
undefeated. He’s in great company with Cael [Sanderson].”
Junior Quincy Osborn
claimed his first national championship at 141 pounds. Osborn
finished his first season as an
Auggie with a 44-3 record, completing his third national tournament appearance. As a Division I
wrestler at the University of
Minnesota, he competed in
national tournaments in both
2004 and 2005. Osborn is now
104-35 in his college career.
Junior Jeremy Anderson also
earned his first national championship, completing his second
All-American season with a win in
the 157-pound class. Anderson,
who was a national runner-up last
season, finished his junior campaign at 39-2 overall and his 83-5
in his two seasons as an Auggie.
At 133, junior Jafari Vanier
repeated his second-place finish
from a year ago, and sophomore
Seth Flodeen claimed national
runner-up honors in his first
national finals appearance at 125
pounds.
Senior Jared Evans, a threetime All-American, closed out his
career with his second straight
fourth-place finish, and junior
Robbie Gotreau finished his campaign at 41-6 overall. Heavyweight senior Andrew Neumann,
in his second national tournament, finished fifth overall. At
197, junior Wally O’Connor finished eighth.
Augsburg finished with an
11-1 dual-meet record this season. For the third time in the sixyear history of the event,
Augsburg claimed the championship at the National Wrestling
Coaches Association/Cliff Keen
Division III National Duals in
January.
Academically, Augsburg finished 11th among Division III
programs in the NWCA’s academic national rankings, with a 3.283
team gradepoint average. Five
Auggies earned NWCA Scholar
All-American honors—Evans,
Neumann, Paul Bjorkstrand, Josh
Hansen, and Brandon Klukow.
wrestle to a national title.
8 AUGSBURG NOW
—Don Stoner
Jeff Swenson resigns
as wrestling coach
Augsburg wrestling head coach
Jeff Swenson announced in March
that he is resigning his coaching
post in order to focus on his
responsibilities as the school’s
assistant dean for athletics and
recreation.
Swenson, a 1979 Augsburg
graduate, served as head coach of
the Auggies for 25 seasons (198084, 1986-2007), building the
squad into a national small-college
wrestling powerhouse. Under
Swenson’s leadership, Augsburg
won a record-10 NCAA Division
III national championships and
produced a career dual-meet
record of 321-44.
Associate head coach Sam Barber takes
over as head coach.
Sam Barber, who served as an
assistant coach on Swenson’s staff
for six seasons, is taking over head
coaching duties for the Auggies.
Barber has served as associate
head coach for the last two seasons. A 1995 Upper Iowa
University graduate, he served as
head coach for the Peacocks in the
1999-2000 season.
During his Augsburg tenure,
Barber has been a part of three
national championship squads
and two national runner-up
squads, and has coached 46 AllAmericans and 13 individual
Jeff Swenson ’79 retires after 25 seasons, with a national title and Division III Coach
of the Year honors. He shares the moment with his nearly-two-year-old son, Brady.
national champions. He was
named Division III Co-National
Assistant Coach of the Year by the
National Wrestling Coaches
Association in 2006.
In his role as assistant dean for
athletics and recreation as a member of President Pribbenow’s staff,
Swenson supervises the 18-sport
intercollegiate athletics program,
the athletic facilities department,
and the College’s intramural athletic program. Swenson was
named to the position on an interim basis in 2001, and his posting
was made permanent in 2004.
“I look forward to working
with Coach Swenson in the years
ahead,” Pribbenow said, as “we
partner to make Augsburg one of
the finest examples of NCAA
Division III athletics in the country—a college that honors the
connections between academics
and athletics, that celebrates both
sportsmanship and competition,
and that helps our students to
grow as individuals and teammates … I can think of no one
better than Jeff Swenson to lead us
in this vision for intercollegiate
athletics at Augsburg College. His
track record speaks for itself. His
love for the College is unparalleled. And he has the passion,
commitment, and skills to guide
our athletics programs into a
bright future.”
Swenson has been a member
of the Augsburg community for
more than 30 years—as a student,
coach, and administrator. A
national champion wrestler at
Augsburg in his senior year of
1979 with a career record of 10217, Swenson began his coaching
career in his first year out of college, as an assistant coach on John
Grygelko’s Auggie staff. Grygelko
retired in 1980, and Swenson was
named head coach.
Swenson said that two years
ago, he made the decision that he
would step down from his coaching post this year. He said that
focusing on his role in athletic
administration will help him in
his goals to improve every aspect
of Augsburg’s athletic program
among schools in the Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
and NCAA Division III.
“For me, this is a cause for celebration. It’s not a sad day. It’s a
great day. I’m able to listen to my
vocational calling and lead the
entire athletic department without
having the coaching demands,”
Swenson said.
As an administrator, Swenson
has led the Augsburg program
through a period of unprecedented growth and improvement. This
year, construction was completed
on the new Kennedy Center addition to Melby Hall, which
includes expanded classroom,
meeting, and locker room space,
along with a new fitness facility
and a new wrestling training facility. Two years ago, a new
SprinTurf surface was installed at
Edor Nelson Field, and a new
seasonal air-supported dome was
installed for the first time this
year over the field.
“I’ve been around Augsburg
since the fall of 1975, over 30
years,” Swenson said. “Augsburg
has shaped me. Augsburg has
made me who I am, and it’s
allowed me to pursue my passion
to be a coach. Now, I have a
greater passion to lead the entire
athletic department as a full-time
administrator. I’ve learned a lot
about leading and coaching by
being the head wrestling coach
here for 25 years. That’s going to
help me as I lead Augsburg athletics into the future.”
“I am proud to know Jeff
Swenson and to be able to honor
his remarkable career as our head
wrestling coach at Augsburg,”
Pribbenow said. “He has accomplished great things with his
wrestling teams—10 national
championships, countless individual titles, team academic achievements, and so on. But perhaps
more than anything, I am proud
of Jeff’s commitment and passion
for that individual student who
needs the guidance, support, and
challenge to be the best he or she
can be—as an athlete, as a student, as a person. Jeff exemplifies
what makes Augsburg the special
and rare place that it is—putting
students first and helping them to
grow to be successful, responsible,
and good people.
“Jeff Swenson leaves a remarkable legacy as the Augsburg
wrestling coach. He has built a
program that will endure as a
shining example of quality and
achievement. Now he has made
the remarkable decision to bring
his skills and passion to bear on
moving Augsburg’s intercollegiate
athletics programs to the next
level of excellence. Surely there is
no one better than Jeff to lead our
athletics programs—both to the
benefit of our student-athletes and
the reputation of the College.”
—Don Stoner
SPRING 2007 9
Augsburg
men’s hockey
head coach
Chris Brown
was named
Minnesota
Intercollegiate
Athletic
Conference
Chris Brown
Coach of the
Year. In his first year as the
Auggies head coach, Brown led
the Auggies to a 12-10-4 record
and third-place conference finish
(9-3-4), as the Auggies clinched
a berth in the MIAC playoffs for
the first time since the 2002-03
season.
Brown returned to Augsburg
last season as an assistant coach
under Mike Schwartz, a position
in which he also served during
the 1996-97 season. After leaving Augsburg in 1997, he was an
assistant coach at Division I
Alaska-Anchorage for three
years, then served as head coach
at Marian (Wis.) for four seasons
(2000-04) and at Hamline for
one season (2004-05).
Brown was also named as
one of 12 finalists for the
Edward Jeremiah Award as the
NCAA Division III National
Coach of the Year by the
American Hockey Coaches
Association.
Aaron Johnson
named MIAC Player
of the Year
Senior forward Aaron Johnson
was selected by MIAC as the
conference Player of the Year in
men’s hockey. A three-time AllMIAC honoree, he also was
10 AUGSBURG NOW
named for the
second year in
a row as a
first-team
selection on
the AHCA/
RBK Hockey
Division III
All-American
Aaron Johnson ’07
squad.
In April, he was selected as
one of two Division III players to
compete in the NCAA Pontiac
Frozen Four Skills Challenge
during Division I men’s hockey
Frozen Four in St. Louis, Mo. He
was also one of eight finalists for
the Sid Watson Award, given by
the AHCA to the Division III
National Player of the Year.
Ed Saugestad
receives Hobey Baker
Legends of Hockey
Award
Former
Augsburg
men’s hockey
coach Ed
Saugestad ’59
was recognized for his
lengthy and
outstanding
service to college hockey with
the 2007 Hobey Baker Legends
of Hockey Award. The award
was presented by the Hobey
Baker Memorial Award
Foundation on May 3 in St. Paul.
Saugestad coached Augsburg
to a 503-354-21 record in a
career that spanned 37 seasons.
Only two other Division III
coaches have amassed more than
500 career victories.
In his 37 years of coaching,
Saugestad took teams to national
postseason play on 10 occasions
(nine NAIA and one NCAA),
winning NAIA national championships in 1978, 1981, and
1982. He was named NAIA
National Coach of the Year after
each of the national championships. He coached 22 AllAmericans at Augsburg.
Saugestad and his Auggies
won Minnesota Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular-season titles six years in a
row (1976-77 to 1981-82), and
Saugestad was MlAC Coach of
the Year six times. In 1998, the
MIAC’s playoff championship
trophy was christened as the Ed
Saugestad Trophy.
Saugestad began his Auggie
coaching career while still a student at Augsburg, in 1958. He
graduated with a double major
in physical education and biology in 1959 and went on to earn
his master’s degree from the
University of Minnesota in 1964.
In addition to coaching hockey
for parts of five decades, he also
served on the Augsburg football
coaching staff from 1959-84
(head coach in the 1970-71 seasons); men’s athletic director
from 1981-87; and during his
entire Augsburg career served as
an instructor in the Health and
Physical Education Department.
Saugestad was named the
2002 recipient of the John
MacInnes Award from the
American Hockey Coaches
Association for his contributions
to the growth of amateur hockey
in the United States. In 1996,
the state of Minnesota declared
Feb. 17 as Ed Saugestad Day, in
recognition of his career accomplishments.
Archive photo
Chris Brown named
MIAC Men’s Hockey
Coach of the Year
Sophomore Ed Saugestad (back row, second from left) played on the 1956-57 Auggie
hockey team.
Coach Saugestad studies a hockey pro-
Saugestad’s hockey team captured a
gram during the 1961-62 season.
national championship in 1981.
Weekend College student Tom Gouras uses his food service background as a volunteer in Augsburg’s
Campus Kitchen, a great way for him to meet other students and feel more connected to Augsburg.
The kitchen connection
by Betsey Norgard
“I can begin to see
it take shape.”
Tom Gouras, the Monday
night shift leader at Augsburg’s
Campus Kitchen, is looking at
several pans of fried rice and vegetables, surplus food donated by a
local restaurant through the
Emergency Foodshelf Network.
Alongside them sit other pans of
pork riblets, wax beans and carrots, potatoes, and some melons.
From the donations they
receive, the Campus Kitchen volunteer crew transforms the various components into healthy
meals to be heated, delivered, and
served the next day—to the Brian
Coyle Community Center and
Trinity Lutheran’s Safe Place tutoring program in the CedarRiverside neighborhood, and at
the Minnesota Indian Women’s
Resource Center.
“I call this Chinese medley,”
Gouras says, as he combines several pans of rice and vegetables.
It can be a challenge, as the crew
never knows exactly what foods
they’ll find when they arrive for
the cooking shift. Sometimes, he
says, “what goes into the soup is
interesting.”
Since Augsburg students are
on break, Gouras’ crew tonight is
a group of four students from
Fridley High School with their
teacher, a father with his middle
school son who is doing community service, and Augsburg alum
Bill Ogren ’73. All of them have
become regular Monday night volunteers. Tonight, they cook the
potatoes, chop the melons, and
check out all the boxes of food to
make sure everything is still fresh.
Finally, pans are labeled—protein,
starch, vegetable, and fruit—and
everything is cleaned up to finish
the evening shift.
Gouras is a Weekend College
student who has been volunteering at the Campus Kitchen at
Augsburg since January. His 15
years of experience as a cook and
chef are valuable in the kitchen to
lead the crews of students and
community volunteers.
He entered Weekend College
last spring after two years at
Rasmussen College studying criminal justice. A native of St. Paul’s
East Side, Gouras recites a litany
of blue-collar jobs he’s held—furniture delivery, food service
cook/chef, garbage truck driver,
loading dock worker, chemical
dependency technician, greenhouse hand, and, currently, delivery truck driver for the New
French Bakery.
While at Rasmussen, Gouras
realized that in order to advance
much higher than where he is and
has been, he needs a four-year
degree. He hopes his courses in
psychology and sociology will prepare him for probation work with
the county or state. He’s also open
to possibilities that may develop
during his studies. “I’ve been
asked if I know my calling,” he
says, “and I hope I find it. I’m
open to it.”
After two trimesters in WEC,
Gouras began to understand how
much of the college experience
involves social interaction, and he
wasn’t feeling very connected to
Augsburg. Campus Kitchen
appealed to him because he could
use his food service experience,
and he liked the program’s mission of reaching out to others less
fortunate, making sure they have
hot meals.
Gouras is old enough to be
father to most of the student volunteers, but he enjoys their
enthusiasm, as well as sharing
with them some of his “street
smart” wisdom and common
sense.
Rachel Vallens, Campus
Kitchen coordinator, recognizes
what this does for the program.
“Tom’s cooking experience and
maturity really bring an added
dimension to his cooking shifts,”
she says. “The students look up
to him as someone who knows
what he’s doing and has done a
lot in life.”
Recently, Gouras took on an
additional task. Three days a
week, sandwiches and deli items
are donated from the University of
Minnesota, and when no one else
could pick them up on
Thursdays, he volunteered. It’s all
part of giving back, which is why
Gouras says he’s in the kitchen
every week. Ⅵ
For more information about
Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen, go to
www.campuskitchens.org.
SPRING 2007 11
keystone
courses
Fitting the pieces together
by Betsey Norgard
In architecture, a keystone sits at the top
of the arch and provides the shape and
support to the curved pieces rising to it.
In the Augsburg Core
Curriculum, the keystone is the
final piece that integrates what
students have learned in their
required general education
courses and their chosen major
with everything else they have
done at Augsburg—co-curricular experiences, leadership
development, service-learning,
study abroad, and other areas
of their Augsburg experience.
12 AUGSBURG NOW
First-year day students begin
their Augsburg education with
Augsburg Seminar, a semester
that includes orientation to residence life; development of skills
and strategies they need for success in college; introduction to
the themes of an Augsburg education, including vocation, service, community; and learning
about Augsburg’s neighborhood
and the city. It’s all about transition to college, integration into
Augsburg’s learning community,
and reflection on how they
become responsible learners.
Students learn that a hallmark of an Augsburg education
is intentional reflection on vocation, or what they call the “v”
word. All students study two
semesters of “Search for
Meaning,” which includes critical
conversations on understanding
and discovering one’s own gifts.
The senior-year keystone
course becomes the other bookend. Students synthesize all their
in-classroom and out-of-classroom experiences as they focus
on transition from college to the
community, integration of what
they’ve learned, and reflection on
how they will use their gifts and
knowledge—again, transition,
integration, reflection.
What does it mean to be a
professional in their major? What
does it mean to be a biologist,
accountant, social worker, English
teacher, actor, or whatever?
Because conversations about
vocation are revisited during the
keystone, faculty need to feel
comfortable and confident in
discussing issues of faith and
vocation in this context. A grant
from the Wabash Center for
Teaching and Learning in
Theology and Religion,
“Common Vocation, Distinctive
Callings,” provides funding for
keystone faculty to partner with
religion faculty members.
Together they strategize on content and methods for these crucial conversations.
The vocation focus and other
signature elements of the Core
Curriculum—diversity, the city,
service and service-learning—
distinguish Augsburg’s keystone
from other senior “capstone”
courses. Russell Kleckley, associate professor of religion and
coordinator of keystone seminars, explains that Augsburg’s
keystones are “more intentional
about the educational experience
as a whole, to see how the general education experience has
informed the [major] discipline
and vice versa.”
Diane Pike, sociology professor and director of the Center for
Teaching and Learning, says that
keystones “take the time, with
guidance, to help students figure
out how the pieces fit together
for them.” She says, “We’re
equally serious about the transition from college outward as we
are about the transition to college from high school.”
From the College’s point of
view, the keystones measure how
well Augsburg fulfills its promise
to students. Are they satisfied
with their experience, and do
they feel well prepared and confident in what they know and
will take away with them?
keystone
Psychology majors (clockwise from bottom) Rebecca Lewis, Tiah Colacci, Nghi Ngan, and Peter Chea played a version of the Game
of Life in which the cards required players to discuss some of the bigger questions in life.
the keystone
variations
Most students take the keystone
in their senior year, and most
often in connection with their
major. This past academic year
was the first time all students
have had access to a keystone
course. With a fair amount of
flexibility, departments have created or modified existing courses, or collaborated across departments or divisions to create
classes.
psychology:
the game of life
The psychology keystone is a
good example of a department
capstone course that evolved into
a keystone. All psychology
majors have completed capstone
internship semesters that includ-
ed time on the internship site,
plus time in class, plus papers,
portfolios, etc.
This year, the course changed
to be one-half internship and
one-half keystone, with about
one-third of the total time devoted to issues around vocation. As
part of the Wabash grant, Bridget
Robinson-Reigler, associate professor of psychology, was paired
with Mary Lowe, assistant professor of religion. RobinsonReigler says that she and Lowe
had five or six conversations
about vocation, and that Lowe
helped her plan new activities to
engage her students.
“I was pleasantly surprised
how unbelievably well the students have gotten into [the discussion of vocation],” says
Robinson-Reigler. Early in the
seminar, she offered her own
model of vocation, and by opening herself to them, she set a
comfortable tone for class
discussion.
In what became a popular
activity, Robinson-Reigler introduced an adapted version of the
Game of Life, in which a number
of the play cards were rewritten
with questions relating to vocation. Given this context, students
felt comfortable first answering
the questions themselves, then
opening the conversation to
everyone.
In another session, students
were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their required liberal
arts courses. Did they work?
Why did Augsburg want them to
study those courses? Some students responded by saying that
without the keystone they never
would have thought about these
SPRING 2007 13
business and
vocation
John Knight, Center for Faith and Learning, encourages business majors to consider how their skills, beliefs, and values will
influence decisions they make every day in the business world.
questions, and this assignment
helped them figure out what
they had learned.
Robinson-Reigler’s psychology keystone is a mix of day and
weekend students, giving the
class a combination of ages and
experiences. While all students
were in the same situation of finishing college and figuring out
what was next to come, some
interesting conversations were
launched in the multigenerational class. One WEC student
said that these discussions
helped her understand her own
daughter better. Some said it
helped them understand and
appreciate the younger day
school population.
Robinson-Reigler confirms
that students are not getting any
less psychology in the new capstone-keystone with the addition
of the vocation conversation;
14 AUGSBURG NOW
they’re just getting it differently.
“I’ve taught this class before,
but I love teaching it now,” she
says. “I enjoy grading the papers!”
keystone-capable
english courses
In their new curriculum, the
English Department doesn’t have
a separate keystone course, but
rather several advanced courses
designed as “keystone-capable.”
Students are required to take one
of these courses as a keystone, for
which extra work is indicated.
Much of that work is selfreflection, and requires students
to consider, for example, their
function as readers and to think
about what is happening when
they read. The nature and depth
of their commitment to reading,
and what, if any, responsibilities
their reading entails.
This reflection is more seamless in some courses than others.
When Professor Doug Green
teaches Advanced Studies in
Language, Theory, and Method,
he integrates reflection and vocation throughout the course, even
for the non-keystone students.
Last year he taught Criticism
and Theory as a pilot keystone
course. Students read Azar
Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran
and wrote about how they
viewed the place of literature in
their own lives and cultures.
They had to respond to questions like, “How has my understanding of ‘self’ (who I am as a
reader, writer, student, English
major, woman or man, and
human being) evolved as a result
of my experiences at Augsburg?”
John Knight, associate director of
the Center for Faith and Learning,
has taught several sections of the
keystone course for the Business
Administration Department, the
College’s largest department. The
course is a collaboration between
the business and religion departments, and he co-taught the day
section with religion professor
Hans Wiersma.
Titled Vocation and the
Meaning of Success, the keystone
objectives include reflecting upon
the ways students have been
transformed by their college experiences, especially in their business major; reflecting critically on
beliefs and values they use in a
diverse world; and reflecting on
Augsburg’s understanding of vocation and a comparison to their
own vocation.
Knight finds that the feel of
the class depends significantly on
the class makeup—the day or
weekend student mix, the mix of
males and females, etc. Weekend
College students, he says, who
bring wider job skills and life
experience to class, showed a
“deep willingness to engage in the
material … and really wrapped
themselves around the [vocation]
issues by the second class.”
Some students are suspicious of
the keystone as being a religion
class and question its relevance to
their future. Knight asks them to
consider the bigger picture of
meaning and purpose in their lives.
What does it mean to be a business
professional? How does he or she
behave? He believes that somewhere down the road students will
understand why they had to take
this course and see the benefits
from it.
creating a life in
the fine arts
Students in music, visual art, and
theatre share a cross-disciplinary
keystone course, Creating a Life
in the Fine Arts.
The syllabus states that the
course will “synthesize recurring
powerful concepts of vocation
with practical tools and realities.”
Students will balance the “development of entrepreneurial skills
with ‘intrapreneurial’ knowledge
and awareness” while preparing
for professional life in the community.
The idea of shared courses
across the arts is not new—several short-term courses have
taken place over the past few
years. What’s new is the infusion
of the larger issues integrating
liberal arts and vocation.
Merilee Klemp ’75, associate
professor of music, led the conversations among arts faculty
around the new Core
Curriculum.
Anticipating the need to create a keystone course, she sought
a Lilly Endowment grant for the
music faculty to explore topics in
music and vocation with a consultant, Janis Weller.
Extending this conversation
to art and theatre faculty formed
the nucleus for the new keystone. It also promoted the
building of a fine arts community among both faculty and students on campus. Weller taught
the course, along with Klemp
(music), Darcey Engen (theatre),
and Tara Sweeney (art).
Critical conversations about
vocation began and ended the
course. These included visiting
guest artists, who spoke about
their roles in the community and
world.
In conjunction with the
Wabash grant, Sweeney was
paired with Lori Brandt Hale,
assistant professor of religion.
They met frequently, and Sweeney
describes the experience, “What I
am discussing in the service of
teaching the keystone is inseparable from what I am learning about
my own vocation and practice as
an artist at the same time.”
Their discussions included
how their religious upbringing or
belief systems affected what and
how they teach, and how they
could challenge and support students to discover their own
authentic voices.
The keystone seniors across
art, music, and theatre were
encouraged to find common
ground. In one exercise, teams of
students were given ordinary
objects, like a chair, and together
asked to consider it from a number of perspectives—how the
object could move or be used
with their bodies, what the visual
elements of the object were, what
kinds of sounds the object could
make.
Practical sessions about being
an artist were also included.
Students practiced networking
with introductions and business
cards, and they had to prepare
artist’s statements and professional
résumés.
Several break-out sessions separated the students into their
respective departments for discussions specific to their fields.
For the most, students resonated with the cross-disciplinary
focus of the keystone. “I think
working alongside artists in
another genre is a rare gift in the
college setting,” said music performance major Nikki Lemire.
Still, she enjoyed working with
her music classmates, however,
and would have enjoyed more
break-out time within her own
department and less full-group
time.
Theatre major James Lekatz
appreciated the practical elements
of the course. Hearing from guest
speakers—practicing artists,
teachers, grants administrators—
made him aware of their involvement in the community and the
different styles they use. He said
the course helped students deal
with removal of the “safety net of
Augsburg,” and taught them how
to use specific skills, e.g., to get
gallery space, to plan a show, etc.
Over the next couple of
years, the keystone courses will
all be evaluated and revisions
made where needed. But no matter what the form or content the
senior keystone courses take,
they will all continue to help students complete an Augsburg
education as effective, informed,
and ethical citizens. And to
become adaptable and resilient—
elements needed for success on
whatever path they choose.
Studio art major Rachel Nelson (top), theatre arts major James Lekatz (middle), and
music performance major Catherine DeVoe (right) explore the properties and possibilities of a stool.
SPRING 2007 15
Above: Martin Sabo smiles to greet a judge as he stands in the
imposing Capitol Rotunda, 96 feet in diameter.
Left (top): In their suburban Virginia home, Sylvia Sabo, Martin’s wife
and college sweetheart, works on a crossword puzzle; her husband
usually tackles Sudoku. According to Sylvia, playing the puzzles is
part of their morning ritual.
Left (below): Leaving Congress means many farewells, in this case to
Pennsylvania’s 12th District congressman John Murtha, as the doors
close in the Rayburn Building elevator.
Right: The transition in leadership begins to seem more real as Sabo
sits in a nearly barren office watching Rep. Nancy Pelosi read the
results for the new Democratic leadership in the House.
16 AUGSBURG NOW
The
ending of an
era
CONGRESSMAN MARTIN OLAV SABO,
Augsburg College Class of 1959, represented
Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District in the
U.S. House of Representatives for 28 years and
became a fixture in the Democratic party. In
2006 he made the decision to retire from
Congress and return to life as a private citizen.
Augsburg staff photographer Stephen Geffre
tagged along on the day Sabo and his staff
vacated the corner office in the Rayburn
House Office Building he had earned through
seniority. Sabo actually spent the last month
of his term in a basement cubicle in Rayburn
HOB, with room enough for him and only one
staff member.
SPRING 2007 17
18 AUGSBURG NOW
Olav
Martin
Sabo
THE ENDING OF AN ERA
Above: Martin Sabo takes a moment to read through the
mail delivered to his desk.
Left (top): After a rainy day, the sun finally breaks
through to illuminate the dome of the United States
Capitol, a stately presence in the nation’s capital city.
Far left: Bonnie Gottwald, Sabo’s scheduler, packs up her
small portion of the D.C. office. She is one of only two
schedulers Sabo has had throughout his 28-year tenure in
Washington, and she echoes the entire staff in saying that
Sabo was always a joy to have as a boss.
Middle left: Each departing representative receives a
lengthy final checklist, to ensure as smooth a transition
as possible.
Left: Martin Sabo’s staff poses on the Capitol steps for
their last official photo.
SPRING 2007 19
THE ENDING OF AN ERA
Above (top): Sabo chats with Kevin Bonderud, who served as his first communications
director, during the office-closing party. Scattered across Sabo’s desk are mementos of
more than two decades in the House of Representatives, including mock baseball cards
with Sabo’s stats on them, photos, ashtrays, and T-shirts.
Above: Back in his Minneapolis office, Sabo takes a few minutes to go through the mail.
The plaques, hanging outside the door, are just a small sample of the honors and awards
that mark the achievements of a long legislative career.
Right: Each successive file drawer marked “empty” means that staffers are getting closer
to having all files reviewed and sorted.
20 AUGSBURG NOW
Auggies at the forefront
General civil unrest swelled across the nation. Detroit was
rioting, and downtown Minneapolis was starting to empty.
College students demanded social change, and colleges
responded with programs centering on the urban crisis.
And, Augsburg College was at the forefront.
Thirty-five years later, thanks to a visionary professor, an
enterprising faculty, and a supportive administration,
Augsburg’s metro-urban studies program graduates leaders
who are making decisions about current issues and future
needs, and planning for livable and sustainable neighborhoods and cities.
Urban legends
by Bethany Bierman
in city planning
It was the late sixties, and American cities were in crisis.
Joel Torstenson’s vision laid the foundation for an urban studies program. His wife,
Garry Hesser is professor of sociology and chairs the metro-urban studies program.
Fran, joins him here.
A program is born
Joel Torstenson came to Augsburg as a history major from west central Minnesota. After graduating in 1938, he worked in education for
Farmer’s Co-ops, earned a master’s degree in history and sociology,
and began teaching part time at Augsburg.
During the war years he joined the peace movement and community organizing. In 1947, he returned to Augsburg to develop its
social work and sociology programs while completing his PhD in
sociology. These programs provided a natural foundation for urban
studies 20 years later.
Torstenson writes in his memoirs, “The more [Augsburg] became
involved in urban affairs, the more we began to ask the question—
what is the appropriate role of a liberal arts college located at the center of an exploding metropolis?”
In 1966, Torstenson used his sabbatical to explore this question.
He visited urban studies programs at East Coast schools. Upon
returning, he wrote a position paper with the rationale and proposal
for a metro-urban studies program at Augsburg.
In order to set this in motion, courses centering on the city were
needed. Torstenson, Miles Stenshoel of the political science department, Orloue Gisselquist in history, Ed Sabella in economics, Ron
Palosaari in English, and other faculty embraced this concept.
In 1968, when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, the director of
youth programs for the American Lutheran Church, Rev Ewald Bash,
wanted to address the cultural challenges head on. Colleagues
encouraged him to contact Torstenson, who had a reputation for his
pursuit of racial justice and human rights.
“The Crisis Colony” was born from their conversation. Students
lived on the north side of Minneapolis, first in public housing and
later in an abandoned synagogue, while learning from people who
lived and worked in the community. Led by Torstenson, Bash, and
Stenshoel, it grew from an intense summer program, to a semester
program, to the Metro Urban Studies Term, or “MUST,” the first academic program of the Higher Education Consortium for Urban
Affairs (HECUA). Today, MUST is a key element for all urban studies
majors and is one of the premier interdisciplinary experiential education programs in the nation.
Torstenson took his second sabbatical in Scandinavia in order to
explore how to build cities without crisis. Out of this came the
Scandinavian Urban Studies Term, or “SUST,” the second program of
22 AUGSBURG NOW
HECUA. Based at the University of Oslo, students attend seminars,
go on field excursions, and volunteer with various community and
governmental organizations.
“Two unique ingredients contributed to the success of the [metrourban studies] program: commitments from faculty … and the programs offered through HECUA, which became catalysts and capstones for the major,” says Garry Hesser, professor of sociology and
chair of the metro-urban studies program, who was hired in 1977 to
succeed Torstenson.
While the University of Minnesota and other private colleges
established urban studies programs in response to the mid-’60s urban
crisis, most have not survived.
“Augsburg’s is one of the few that has retained faculty and administrative commitment,” Hesser says. “Over the past 35 years there has
been a steady stream of graduates who have become professional
planners, city administrators, elected officials, and citizens serving on
planning commissions, hearkening to the call to public service.”
With monies from the Lilly [Endowment] grant, a spring break
trip to Washington, D.C., has run the past five years, exposing students to vocations in community development and public service. Up
until this year, the group visited Martin Sabo at his office. This year
they met with newly-elected congressman Keith Ellison and his staff.
Many students decide on metro-urban studies majors after the trip.
Here are several stories of careers that have been shaped by the
metro-urban studies program.
Allan Torstenson ’75
Transforming neighborhoods
One of the first graduates of the metro-urban studies program was
Allan Torstenson.
In his first semester at Augsburg, the Dawson, Minn., native took
his Uncle Joel Torstenson’s “Man in Modern Metropolis” course (now
called “Community and the Modern Metropolis”) because it fulfilled a
graduation requirement. “I tried my best not to disappoint him, and
found it to be a fascinating subject,” says Allan.
As a sophomore, he took an Interim course on new towns, which
included meeting with architects and city planners and visiting HUD
officials in Washington, D.C., and Columbia, Maryland. He loved the
trip, but was still unsure of a major. He considered taking a break
Allan Torstenson ’75 speaks to a metro-urban studies class about community
Paula Pentel’s life experiences have informed her work in urban studies at the
development.
University of Minnesota and with her City Council seat.
from school, but when he shared this with his uncle, Joel suggested
the new SUST program, which was being offered for the first time in
1973. That cross-cultural experience was the eye opener he needed
to decide on metro-urban studies.
Today, Allan is a senior planner for the City of St. Paul, where he
has worked since 1980. One of his most challenging and gratifying
projects has been the Phalen Village Plan and redevelopment project.
Through strategic vision, neighborhood involvement, and hard work,
a run-down, auto-oriented area surrounding a failed shopping center
was transformed into a more pedestrian- and neighborhood-oriented
“urban village” with new housing, new jobs, a restructured neighborhood commercial area, a restored wetland, and a new sense of community.
More than just “the guy who wrote the plan,” Allan researched solutions and wrote grants addressing the larger issues. In 1993 he authored
the Phalen Corridor Redevelopment Proposal, leading to the Phalen
Corridor Initiative and affecting much of St. Paul’s East Side.
“The transformation in only a few years has been amazing,”
Torstenson shared with one of Hesser’s classes recently. “A lot of what
I did in this effort was influenced by the urban studies program at
Augsburg. It’s not just about design, but addresses the real problems
neighborhoods deal with to build and sustain socially and economically viable communities.” He also credits the SUST program as a
foundation for many of the project concepts he considered.
Washington Avenue down through the scrap yards … up through
Cedar-Riverside, which in the early ’70s was very vibrant—it was a
fascinating trip through time that I took every day.”
A course she took from Joel Torstensen really resonated with her,
and she abandoned the biology major.
While at Augsburg, Pentel got involved in collective decisionmaking as one of the volunteer coordinators of North Country
Co-op. Pentel also participated in SUST the fall of her junior year.
“What I took back was planning for versus planning with the public.”
Between Augsburg and graduate school in geography at the
University of Minnesota, Pentel interned for the City of Richfield and
became involved in her neighborhood organization. In 1985 she and
her husband moved to Golden Valley, where she continued volunteering in the community, serving 12 years on the Planning
Commission, seven years as chair.
In 2004 there was a vacant seat on the Golden Valley City
Council. Pentel was appointed to fill out the term and was reelected
in 2005. During her tenure, she’s seen considerable improvements in
regard to environmental stewardship, construction of the Luce Line
bike trail, and creation of a vibrant downtown area.
Pentel stays connected to her North Minneapolis roots by serving
as a board member on the West Broadway Area Coalition and being
active at the Hollywood Studio of Dance, a non-profit, parent-managed endeavor.
“To be effective in what I do in my public life, I have to be articulate, informed, accepting, and open. A lot of that I developed at
Augsburg,” she says.
In her professional work, Pentel serves as undergraduate advisor
for the urban studies program at the university. “I help students find
their calling and what interests them.” She is particularly proud of
mentoring Patricia Torres Rey, who became the first Latina woman
elected to the Senate in the State of Minnesota.
Pentel developed and now teaches a course on the urban environment, which examines the urban effects on air, water, and soil. “All
environmental issues have a local component,” Pentel says. “I tell my
students to look at Augsburg’s new low-impact parking lot [on the
east edge of campus]. It’s a great example of a very innovative way to
mitigate pollution from storm water runoff.”
Pentel also continues the Torstenson legacy of hosting an annual
open house for her advisees—about 80 of them. “I tell them, ‘This is
your private college experience.’”
Paula (Brookins) Pentel ’78
Teaching the next generation
It was at Minneapolis North High School that Paula (Brookins) Pentel
’78 began her life-long interest in civic engagement. She witnessed
the unequal distribution of resources while visiting various
Minneapolis high schools with the debate and cheerleading teams,
and also watched “white flight” from her north-side neighborhood. “I
became interested in social justice and wanted to understand and
affect change in how the city works.”
Pentel chose Augsburg because it offered a biology major and
allowed her to commute.
“I rode the bus to and from campus for four years,” she recalls.
“That’s how I really became interested in urban studies—riding down
SPRING 2007 23
Tammera (Ericson) Diehm ’93
Giving citizens a voice
Growing up in Coon Rapids, Minn., Tami Diehm was fascinated by the
“inner city.” Her plan to be a social studies teacher changed when she
took a metro-urban studies class from Andy Aoki her freshman year.
“For me, the program was the perfect way to combine my interests in
people, government, and the urban environment.”
In the spring of her junior and senior years, Diehm interned with
Anoka County, and during her senior year, she examined multicultural
education in Minneapolis public schools for her senior honors project.
Following graduation from Augsburg in 1993, Diehm spent several
years raising three children but kept in touch with her interests through
her appointments to the Columbia Heights Charter and Planning
Commissions. She also kept in touch with Aoki, her adviser.
While discussing her graduate school plans with him over lunch
one day, he asked her if she could do anything, what it would be. Her
answer? Law school, although she thought her three young children
prevented her from pursuing it. Aoki said she owed it to herself to
check it out.
Three years later, in 2003, Diehm graduated summa cum laude
from William Mitchell College of Law, which she attended on full scholarship. She clerked for Justice Russell Anderson of the Minnesota
Supreme Court for one year and currently is an attorney at Winthrop &
Weinstine, P.A. Her practice focuses primarily on land use and real
estate, assisting clients as they seek development approvals from local
government. She also serves as the city attorney for Mendota Heights.
In addition to her legal work, Diehm is serving her second term on
the Columbia Heights City Council, and was elected as council president in 2006. She is also a member of the Economic Development
Authority and the chair of the city’s Housing Redevelopment Authority.
“There was a strong sense that Augsburg students should not only
be an active part of the College community, but also an active part of
the larger community in which the College is located,” says Diehm.
“This desire to ‘give back’ has stayed with me and directly impacted my
decision to run for my position on the City Council. I saw a need in our
community—the need for young families to have a voice in the decision-making process of the city.”
The desire to give back that Tami Diehm ’93 learned at Augsburg has influenced her
decisions to serve in public office.
24 AUGSBURG NOW
“Through my experiences at Augsburg, I realized that I could use
my gifts to serve a need in the world, and thus follow the Christian concept of vocation,” says Diehm. “I have incorporated my ‘call to serve’
into my work—not only by adhering to the highest ethical standard in
the way in which I practice law—but also through a commitment to
providing pro bono legal services to those who would otherwise have
only limited access to legal representation, and by serving my community on the city council.”
These pro bono projects include representing women and children
in domestic abuse cases, volunteering at a legal clinic where she advises
people who are starting new businesses, and assisting with the formation of new non-profit organizations as they work to obtain tax exempt
status from the IRS.
“In both my legal work and my public service I feel I am using my
gifts to serve a need in the world.”
Diehm was named a “Rising Star” by Minnesota Law and Politics in
2007 and one of 15 “Up and Coming Attorneys” in 2006 by Minnesota
Lawyer.
Susan (Horning) Arntz ’94
Managing suburban growth
Susan (Horning) Arntz decided in ninth grade civics that she would run
for president in 2020, with her slogan being “A Clearer Vision.” Her
love of government grew, and she came to Augsburg to major in political science. She learned of the metro-urban studies program in her second year and focused her electives around metro-urban studies courses.
At a rally on campus her sophomore year, Arntz introduced herself
to Hennepin County commissioner Peter McLaughlin, hoping to secure
a summer job. His aide, fellow Auggie Mike Matson ’79, insisted she
begin earlier, and she spent one-and-a-half years working for him.
After graduation, she interned for the City of Shoreview and then
began her professional career in assistant city administrator positions in
Chaska and New Brighton, before becoming the youngest person ever
hired as city administrator in the City of Waconia, where she has
worked since 2001.
“It’s a growing community, so much of what we do requires look-
Susan Arntz ’94 leads the City of Waconia through its growth spurt.
Today’s Students
ing to the future on a daily basis,” says Arntz. “The people having
these conversations may never be here to see these things happen, just
as those before us made decisions that affect us today.”
Arntz says the biggest challenge she deals with is how to manage
the growth of the city, which has increased 25% in six years and
shows no sign of slowing. This requires communication and cooperation with developers, the school board, property owners, and elected
officials.
“I think one of the best things that Augsburg taught me, both from
a faith perspective and also from an educational perspective, was how
to be receptive to all of those ideas and to have a guide for what I
believe to be right.”
As far as running for president, Arntz says, “The longer I serve in
the capacity I am in, the less I’m intrigued by elected office. I can
make an immediate impact on 10,000 people. We can make huge,
positive improvements or small incremental improvements that will
have a greater outcome down the road.”
Arntz earned a master’s degree in public administration from
Hamline University in 1999. In 2004, Augsburg awarded her the First
Decade Award, and she has served on the Alumni Board.
Rebecca Brown ’00
Promoting community development
While her mother, Barbara (Anderson) ’66, is an alumna, it was the
call of the city that lured Rebecca Brown of Appleton, Minn., to
Augsburg.
While at Augsburg, Brown completed five different internships
and off-campus work-study opportunities, from working with a summer youth peace garden for the Seward Neighborhood Group, to
teaching English for the South American arm of the YMCA in Quito,
Ecuador.
After her sophomore year, Brown took a year off to serve with
AmeriCorps in order to truly live in the city. She took the bus every
day from South Minneapolis to her work at an alternative high school
in North Minneapolis.
Brown also participated in HECUA her senior year, teaching
Tomorrow’s Leaders
Sarah Pesola ’07 of Wadena, Minn., chose metro-urban studies because,
“It meant that I could study history, sociology, economics, political science,
and other disciplines as well.”
Pesola participated in SUST and recalls, “My semester in Norway was
amazing. It had a huge impact on me, ultimately changing the way I view
the world.” Pesola will begin to volunteer at a youth homeless shelter in
Berkeley, Calif., through Lutheran Volunteer Corps.
Since a mission trip to Detroit in junior high, Greg Hildebrandt ’08
has felt the pull to work with people living in the inner city. He went on
the D.C. trip with Hesser last year and will participate in the MUST
semester in the fall.
“Students who are in [metro-urban studies] are very passionate about
what they are doing,” Hildebrandt says. “They’ll carry this passion with
them the rest of their lives, whether professionally or through volunteering.”
Plans for the future include using his second major in mathematics to help
with statistics and budgeting within a non-profit as well as tutoring students.
Jeanette Clark ’07 felt a calling into urban ministry even as a student
at Hopkins High School. She chose Augsburg for its metro-urban studies
and youth and family ministry programs.
At Augsburg, Clark served as a campus ministry commissioner and
leadership team member for the Campus Kitchen. In March Clark created a spring-break opportunity, “Go Away Here,” which included service
projects in the local community, visits to neighborhood organizations,
and social outings.
She will begin work at City South Cluster Ministries in South
Minneapolis through Lutheran Volunteer Corps, then plans to begin
Seminary with the hope of serving in an urban congregation.
English and learning about community organizing, agriculture, and
the economy in Ecuador and South America. She spent an additional
seven months in Ecuador on her own, working with rural youth in
agriculture.
“Traveling abroad definitely makes me a better city planner,”
Brown says. “It has opened my mind to varied ways of thinking and
behaving in community. As a city planner, understanding and validating different points of view, opinions, and experiences is critical.”
After graduating from Augsburg, Brown served over three years as
code enforcement and neighborhood coordinator for the City of
Crystal. She earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning
with a specialization in economic development from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2006.
She now serves as project coordinator for the City of Minneapolis’
Department of Community Planning and Economic Development.
She works in neighborhoods to coordinate commercial redevelopment projects that incorporate public assistance.
As for her future, Brown says, “I see myself in a life of public
service, involved in state-level economic and tax policy in 15-20
years and perhaps an elected office.” Ⅵ
For more information about programs mentioned, go to:
www.augsburg.edu/sociology and www.hecua.org
Travel abroad and internships prepared Rebecca Brown ’00 for city planning.
SPRING 2007 25
T
place
A
of
their
own
Doroth Mayer
by Betsey Norgard
East African women spend time at the East African Women’s Center, established two
he East African Women’s Center in Riverside Plaza near
Augsburg’s campus is a busy place on a weekday morning.
In this two-year-old program of the Confederation of
Somali Community in Minnesota (CSCM), several East
African women sit at sewing machines, practicing sewing
seams in bright fabrics. Others are pressing their fabrics or talking with
a center volunteer. In the next room, behind a glass window, six or
seven small children play actively under the watchful eyes of mothers
and the center’s caregiver in the family childcare room.
In the middle of the activity is center coordinator Doroth Mayer,
often juggling a baby on her hip as she goes about her work. Rarely are
there quiet moments for her in this center she co-created with CSCM’s
executive director, Saeed Fahia.
Since 1994 CSCM has served more than 18,000 Somali immigrants who have settled in Minnesota—the largest concentration in the
country. CSCM provides resources and services to assist Somalis in
navigating American systems and making the transition to living life in
a new culture, while still preserving their traditions. CSCM is funded
by county, state, and federal agencies, as well as a number of
Minnesota foundations. The Women’s Center’s funding has come from
the Office of Refugee Resettlement and local foundations including the
Bush Foundation, the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation,
Sheltering Arms Foundation, and Wells Fargo.
Within the East African refugee community, young mothers with
children and elderly women who have arrived in the last few years
remain especially isolated, some rarely leaving their apartments to take
English classes, to meet American women, or to learn how to cook and
prepare American food. When CSCM was offered a 2,000-square-foot
location right in the middle of the Riverside Plaza housing complex, it
secured grant money and opened the Women’s Center in February
2005. From the beginning, a family childcare center was an integral
part of CSCM’s plan so mothers would have a safe place to leave their
children and take English language classes, learn to sew, or simply to
do their laundry and daily tasks.
The Women’s Center currently serves 85-100 women and children
every week. Different levels of sewing classes meet three days, morning
and afternoon, with two teachers and six or seven women in each
class. Fabric is provided, and the women learn the basics of how to
sew and how to use sewing machines to make simple items, like
aprons and bags. Some women’s skills are now advanced enough to
make clothing for themselves and their children.
years ago in Cedar-Riverside, for sewing classes, the family childcare center, and other
activities.
A partnership
grows
Augsburg’s partnership with the East African Women’s Center is relatively new. During President Pribbenow’s inauguration week last fall, a
service group from Augsburg spent a morning painting at the center.
One person in the group that day was Augsburg junior Kristen Hoyles,
a youth and family ministry major. After hearing Mayer talk about renovation of the center and how much painting was still needed, Hoyles
made a commitment not only to paint, but to teach two or three of the
26 AUGSBURG NOW
Doroth Mayer
adolescent girls in Girls’ Group
how to paint, so together they
could get the job done. She’s
there on Friday afternoons and
feels she is living out her theology by using her painting experience to help where it’s needed.
“I’m in awe of how grateful
the center has been for something I feel is no big deal,”
Hoyles says.
Mayer adds, “Kristen has no
clue how much she means to us.
She has finished the painting,
and we’ve negotiated a new job
for her—she is becoming our
‘handy person.’ She is starting by
taking on the task of repairing
the center’s tricycles so the little
kids have trikes to use.”
The group that visited the
center also took great interest in
the textile weavings hanging on
the walls, made by Somali
women from yarn donated to the
center.
The weavings represent the
thousand-year-old tradition of
East African “twine weaving,”
originally using grasses and vines
to make wall coverings, horse
blankets, and bags used in their
nomadic cultures. When
President Pribbenow furnished
his new office at Augsburg, he
sought out Somali art, and now
has samples of these weavings
hanging both in his office and in
his home.
The Somali weavings will
Kristen Hoyles, an Augsburg junior majoring in youth and family ministry, volunteers at the Women’s Center, teaching adolescent Somali girls to paint with her.
also be featured on campus as
the inaugural exhibit in the new
Gage Family Gallery, scheduled
to open in August in the Oren
Gateway Center.
A kitchen shower
Mayer, who has worked for
many years in community-based
activities, would love to see more
opportunities for the East African
women to spend time with
American women—she knows
how much the women want to
develop friendships with
American women, learn from
them how to live within
American culture, and share East
African culture with their new
friends.
Mayer sometimes takes
women from the center with her
when she buys groceries for center activities. The women ask
about things they don’t know or
understand and foods they’ve
never seen before.
“Last week at the supermarket, we saw some asparagus,”
Mayer says. “We brought back
several bunches and steamed it.
It was a big hit. Even some of
the little kids in the family child-
care center tried it—cautiously,
but they tried it!”
When the Women’s Center
space was renovated (with the
support of the Bush and Phillips
Foundations and the apartment
complex managers, Sherman and
Associates) a full kitchen was
added at Mayer’s suggestion—
and it has proven to be popular
and very well used. She learned
that giving the women recipes to
try at home was not useful, since
many of them don’t read or
know how to follow recipes. But
learning by observing and then
trying it themselves was the way
to go.
“Once in a while we make
quick bread to give the kids for
snacks,” Mayer says. “We learned
that women wanted to watch us
make it. Then, after we make it
together they tell us they feel
comfortable trying it themselves
at home.”
The popularity of cooking
led to another project initiated
by Augsburg community services
director Mary Laurel True. For
Professor Bev Stratton’s religion
class, in which students carry
out projects that benefit the
community, True suggested the
idea of a kitchen shower for the
Women’s Center.
With a wish list provided by
the Women’s Center to adequately equip their kitchen, the class
sought donations from faculty,
SPRING 2007 27
Doroth Mayer
The Somali yarn weaving hanging in President Pribbenow’s office
East African women enjoyed opening gifts for their kitchen from Augsburg faculty, students,
symbolizes the partnership between Augsburg and the East African
and staff at a “kitchen shower” initiated by Professor Bev Stratton’s religion class.
staff, students, and friends.
Fifteen women from Augsburg
met nearly 20 East African
women at the center, shared
desserts and Somali tea, and gave
them “presents” to open. In addition, cash gifts and Target and
IKEA gift cards were given, to
involve the East African women
in shopping for their kitchen.
Mayer was delighted and
called it a great event. “Mary
Laurel came up with the most
creative way to bring women
together that I’ve seen yet. She is
giving women an opportunity to
share their cultures in a respectful and joyous way.”
Learning to lead
Mayer recognizes that new leadership must grow from the
women at the center. She is
encouraging them to actively
engage in whatever learning
28 AUGSBURG NOW
opportunities are appropriate to
their personal situations and to
develop their leadership skills so
that some day they have the
capacity to run the center that
they call their “home away from
home. “In addition,” she says,
“we need partners in the community who try to understand
what we’re doing … partners
who really get to know the
women and plan together with
them.”
For Augsburg’s part, this
kind of partnership wouldn’t be
possible without its Center for
Service, Work, and Learning,
which establishes and nurtures a
myriad of connections between
the College and its surrounding
neighbors—for tutoring, health
education and fitness, sports
clinics, music lessons, science
teaching in the school, meals
programs, use of campus facili-
Doroth Mayer
Women’s Center.
ties, college preparation sessions,
and so on.
Augsburg partners with
CSCM for two tutoring programs, one of which brings
Somali high school students
directly to campus twice a week
for homework help from students in Augsburg’s Honors
Program. The other program targets elementary and middle
school students for tutoring and
receives snacks from the Campus
Kitchen at Augsburg College
Monday through Thursday.
Already True has ideas for
new projects, especially between
the Women’s Center and
Augsburg’s Women’s Resource
Center.
“We are so fortunate to have
this new center in our neighborhood,” True says. “There is so
much we can learn from each
other, and so many ways we can
work together to enhance the lives
of women in this community.”
Hoyles confirms this, saying
that during her time at the center
she is gaining a stronger sense of
community, and “understanding
that our world isn’t so big.
“I think students who do not
learn about our community are
really missing out,” she says. Ⅵ
ALUMNI NEWS
From the Alumni Board president …
Greetings fellow Auggies,
As I’m sure you’re experiencing, the circle and cycle of life continues unabated this year. It is
particularly noticeable to me this year because of the differences which reinforce the sameness
(apologies and thanks to Dr. Palosaari—you helped me improve my writing skills tremendously and
ensured that the poet in me remains untrammeled, too!). Let me explain …
I’m both a student of and practitioner in the field of human systems dynamics. One way we model the
world is through containers, differences, and exchanges. A container, like Augsburg College, is
described by its differences which make a difference in the world. Then, as critical friends, we can
exchange thoughts about those differences in our mutual container.
One difference at Augsburg I want to bring to your attention relates to Commencement:
• The school year is ending with graduation again—a common experience we alumni share and a tremendously important difference,
that makes a difference in the lives of our alumni-to-be. Please join me in welcoming them into new stages of life as Auggie alumni by
taking a moment to think warm, welcoming thoughts or remember them in your prayers.
• Augsburg has two Commencement ceremonies for the first time in its history—one on May 5 aligns the cycle of life of
traditional day students and physician assistant students on semesters, and one on June 24 aligns with WEC and graduate program
students on trimesters. Please join me in saluting Augsburg’s leadership for recognizing the differences in the cycle of life for different
parts of the student body and responding to provide a better graduation experience.
Another difference I want to encourage you to check out is our Online Community. Go to www.augsburg.edu and click on the Alumni
and Friends link:
• To see up-to-date information on Alumni Relations
• To check out the benefits available to you as alumni (did you know that as alumni you can use Lindell Library? Check out the Alumni
Benefits link!). Read about it on the next page.
• Log in to the Augsburg Online Community where you can search for fellow Auggies, keep the College up to date on contacting you,
make a donation to support Augsburg, or read about fellow alumni. You can even read the minutes of the Alumni Association and its
committees (log in to the Online Community, then select the Alumni Leadership>Alumni Board path).
And finally, as you make a difference in the world, remember to stay in touch. We want to hear from you and we want to be able to
contact you.
• Let us know how you are and what you are doing through the Alumni Relations Office (alumni@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1181).
• Register and visit our Online Community (www.augsburg.edu, click on Alumni and Friends, then Augsburg Online Community). Then
update your profile and search for your fellow classmates.
Go Auggies!
Barry Vornbrock, ’96 MAL
President, Augsburg Alumni Association
We’re off to the races!
Auggie Night at the Races
Canterbury Park, Shakopee
Thursday, August 2
5:30 p.m., picnic • 7 p.m., first race
Complimentary entrance fee; fun for all ages. Space is limited.
RSVP to rsvp@augsburg.edu by July 26.
Alumni Board meetings
Aug. 21, 5:30 p.m.—location to be confirmed
SPRING 2007 29
ALUMNI NEWS
Take advantage of Auggie alumni benefits
Augsburg Legacy
Award
The Augsburg Legacy Award is
available to full-time day
students working toward their
first bachelor’s degree, who are
children or spouses of Augsburg
graduates; siblings of current
Augsburg students; or children
or spouses of current ELCA
pastors. No scholarship
application is required. Students
who qualify for both the Legacy
Award and Regents’ Scholarship
or Transfer Regents’ Scholarship
will receive only one award,
whichever is higher. Renewal is
based on maintaining a
minimum cumulative grade
point average of 2.0, measured at
the end of spring term.
Amount: Minimum $4,000
per year
Deadline: Accepted for
admission by May 1 for fall
enrollment; or Dec. 1 for spring
enrollment
www.augsburg.edu/day/finaid/
scholarships.html
Discount on tuition
for classes
Alumni are offered up to four
courses—one course per
term—at 50% off the current
part-time tuition rate (day or
weekend programs). This benefit
does not apply to alumni whose
enrollment qualifies them for
full-time comprehensive tuition.
Tuition discount must be applied
for in the same academic year as
the course is taken.
The following courses do not
count for the benefits noted:
directed study, independent
study, internships, Summer
School, graduate programs,
study abroad, continuing
education. The following do
meet the requirements for the
benefits noted: fall, winter, or
spring term courses; student
teaching; and partial courses (.50
and .25 education courses use
one of the four benefits). NOTE:
The tuition discount cannot be
applied until after the 10th day
of classes in the specified term.
Book privileges in
Lindell Library
Free Augsburg library cards with
limited services are available to
alumni. Check with the
circulation or reference desks for
further information on how to
obtain a library card.
Augsburg License
Plate
Join the Augsburg Online Community
It’s designed just for you—
• Keep in touch with classmates
• Find out what’s happening on campus
• Send class notes about what you’re doing
• Change/update your address and e-mail
• Update your profile so others can find you
• Make an online gift to Augsburg
It’s fast and easy. Already, more than 500 alumni have registered.
Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni—have you signed up?
If you have questions, e-mail healyk@augsburg.edu.
30 AUGSBURG NOW
Display your Augsburg
connection! Available through
the Minnesota Department of
Transportation
www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs/
PlBrochure/CollegiatePlates.htm
Athletic facilities
Augsburg’s athletic facilities are
available to alumni when they
are not in use for special events,
classes, or other activities. If you
plan to come, it’s best to check
first with the athletic facilities
office at 612-330-1504,
especially during the summer.
Schedules are posted outside
of ice rinks A and B (neither rink
is available during the summer),
the gym, and the fitness centers.
Note: Use of the fitness centers is
available only to graduates of the
College. Alumni may use the
racquetball court by signing up
on the posted sheets at the court.
Reservations must be made in
person—no phone reservations
are accepted.
Alumni will be asked for
identification when using the
facilities. An Augsburg ID card
(available in the Enrollment
Center) or an A-Club pass will
expedite your admission.
Alumni using the facilities are
allowed one guest each.
CLASS NOTES
1950
1968
Roger “Bud” Leak, Excelsior,
Minn., was named the 2007
recipient of the Cliff Thompson
Award by the Minnesota Hockey
Coaches Association, at its
banquet in March. The award is
given annually for “long-term
outstanding contributions to the
sport of hockey in Minnesota.”
He helped start the Minnetonka
boys’ hockey program in 1952.
Lois (Hallcock) and Bruce
Johnson, Plymouth, Minn., were
featured in a Minneapolis Star
Tribune article in March about
how families finance education.
All three of their children—Leah,
Thomas, and current senior
Aaron—have attended Augsburg.
1964
Dennis J. Erickson, Los Alamos,
N.M., was awarded the
Distinguished Service to Safety
Award, the highest honor
bestowed by the National Safety
Council, in recognition of
outstanding service in the field
of safety. He has worked for 35
years at Los Alamos National
Laboratory and is scientific
advisor in the New Mexico
governor’s office.
1967
Loren Dunham, Fairmont,
Minn., is retiring from public
school teaching in Fairmont after
39 years in the classroom. He
taught economics, psychology,
American history, and
International Baccalaureate
courses, as well as coaching
tennis and Economics Challenge
and Knowledge Bowl. A former
editor of Augsburg Echo, he says
he feels he was “well-prepared
academically for the many and
various teaching assignments” he
received. dunfritz@charter.net
1969
Matty (Janis) Mathison,
Shawano, Wis., was honored
with the Women’s Sports
Advocates of Wisconsin Lifetime
Achievement Award for 2007. In
1998 she retired from 35 years
of teaching and 25 years of
coaching volleyball at Shawano
High School.
1970
Susan Pursch, Philadelphia, Pa.,
received the 2007 Tom Hunstad
Award (known as the “Tommy”)
at the ELCA Youth Ministry
Network Extravaganza. She has
served as a youth minister and
has coordinated and run
programs for at-risk youth.
Currently she is vice president
for church and community
partnerships at Liberty Lutheran
Services in Philadelphia.
Donald Q. Smith, Portland,
Ore., retired as the publisher and
editor of the weekly Monticello
Times. In October he was
honored with the James O. Amos
Award by the National
Newspaper Association, one of
the highest tributes in
community journalism.
1976
James Moen, Carrollton, Texas,
retired last year from 27 years of
serving as band director in the
Carrollton-Farmers Branch
school district. To honor his
legacy the district named the
new fine arts wing at R.L. Turner
High School after him.
In addition to spending
retirement time with his family,
he works with computers, is a
substitute teacher, and
accompanies students in music
competitions. JLJAMS@msn.com
1977
Rev. Dr. Mark Braaten, Bullard,
Texas, is senior pastor of Our
Saviour’s Lutheran Church in
Tyler, Texas. His first book Come,
Lord Jesus: A Study of Revelation,
was published by Liturgical Press
in January. His second book, on
prayer, is scheduled for
publication in fall 2008.
James M. Strommen,
Minnetonka, Minn., was recently
re-elected president of the
Minneapolis law firm of Kennedy
& Graven, a firm of 36 lawyers
located in downtown
Minneapolis and St. Cloud. He
practices in the area of municipal
franchise, construction, and
utility law.
1978
Rev. Guy Redfield was installed
in November as senior pastor at
Chetek Lutheran Church in
Chetek, Wis.
1980
Carol (Kenyon) Dekker,
Sheboygan, Wis., began as an
administrative and operations
assistant in marketing and public
relations roles at BurkartHeisdorf Insurance in
Sheboygan.
Gary Tangwall, Lake Elmo,
Minn., a senior financial
consultant for the Landmark
Group of Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans in Lake Elmo, has
been honored as the second
highest performer in 2006
among the organization’s 2,500
financial representatives. He is
one of 25 Thrivent representatives
invited to attend the Pinnacle
Leadership Retreat in September
in New York.
1985
Jean Taylor, Eagan, Minn., is
president of Taylor Corporation
in North Mankato, Minn., and
has recently assumed additional
responsibilities as chief executive
officer.
Denise (Rolloff) Tewes,
Lincoln, Neb., announces the
release of her first original CD,
Apple of Your Eye, contemporary
Christian music drawing from
the psalms and reflecting on
some of life’s experiences. She is
choral director at Messiah
Lutheran Church.
denise@denisetewes.com
James Rongstad, Pine Island,
Minn., was appointed in January
to a three-year term on the Van
Horn Library Board. This is the
public library serving Pine
Island. In February he was
appointed treasurer of the Board
of Directors of the Girl Scout
Council of River Trails, serving
southeast Minnesota.
SPRING 2007 31
CLASS NOTES
Responsibility as an adjunct
professor at William Mitchell
College of Law.
1987
Scott L. Anderson married
Susie Wilkey of Coon Rapids on
April 8, 2006. He joined Farmers
Insurance Group and Farmers
Financial Solutions in March.
They live in Minneapolis.
ScottLAnderson38@msn.com.
1998
Brandon Reichel and Shannon
Geiger were married Aug. 28,
2004. They welcomed a baby
girl, Finley Vada, on Jan. 17,
who was 8 lbs., 5 oz., and 21.5
inches long.
1992
Stacy (Shiltz) Abraham and her
husband, Chris, in Milwaukee,
Wis., announce the birth of
Elijah James, on Jan. 26. Stacy
is a teacher in the Milwaukee
Public Schools.
mrs.abraham@earthlink.net
1989
Thomas Stutsman, St. Louis
Park, Minn., founded Stutsman
Realty, Inc. in 1992 and is
celebrating 15 years of business
this year.
1991
Mark Keating and his wife,
Amy, of Edina, Minn., announce
the birth of their third son,
Aidan Howard, on March 14,
2006. He joins brothers Owen,
5, and Carson, 3. Mark is an
account executive at Symantec.
Sharol Tyra, of Life
Illuminations Presentations &
Coaching has qualified for
professional membership and
joined the National Speakers
Association.
1993
Kim (Swanson) Meslow and her
husband, Jeff ’92, in White Bear
Township, Minn., announce the
birth of their third daughter, Hanna
Rose, born on July 7. She joins
big sisters Ally (5) and Kayla (3).
kmeslow@swansonyoungdale.com
Michelle Kay (Wincell) Nielsen
and her husband, William,
welcome the arrival of a
daughter, Lena Kay, on Dec. 10.
They were married in September
2005 and live in St. Paul.
32 AUGSBURG NOW
1996
Scott Magelssen, Rock Island,
Ill., saw publication of his book
Living History Museums: Undoing
History through Performance, by
Scarecrow Press in February. It
treats performance practices and
historiography at living museums
in the U.S. and Europe. He and
his wife, Theresa (Hoar) ’95,
and two-year-old son, Trygg, will
move to Ohio where Scott will
teach theatre history at Bowling
Green State University, starting
in August.
Heidi (Geyer) Ostrander is a
physical education teacher at
Valley View Elementary School
in Columbia Heights, Minn.,
where she teaches the Dance,
Dance, Revolution curriculum.
She was featured on the Fox
Morning Show in February.
Brooke (Manisto) and her
husband, Erik Reseland ’98, in
St. Anthony, Minn., welcomed a
daughter, Adeline, born on Feb. 3.
She joins big sister Elsa, 3.
1994
1997
Will Stute has joined the
Minneapolis law firm office of
Faegre & Benson as a partner in
the Business Litigation Group,
focusing on litigation matters,
particularly commercial fraud.
He also teaches Professional
Astrid Larssen, of Oslo,
Norway, is currently living in
Sydney, Australia, where she is in
the process of finishing up a PhD
in computer science. She has
also lived and worked in Norway
and Ghana since leaving the U.S.
Wendy (Shields) and her
husband, Bradley Reiners ’99
PA, in Prairie Farm, Wis.,
welcomed a son, Jackson
Patrick, their first child, on Aug. 10.
Brad works as a physician
assistant at Luther MidelfortPrairie Farm Clinic.
1999
Aaron Smith and Jill (Pintens)
are proud to announce the birth
of Wyatt Douglas, born May 20,
2006. They currently live in
Tucson, Ariz., where Aaron is a
surgery resident and Jill is a
physician assistant.
With an internship at the White
House, Emily Soeder carried out a
dream and has stayed in
Washington to gain the experince
it has to offer for her future
career choices.
Inside the White House
Emily Soeder didn’t realize how
many statements she would be
researching and fact checking, or
how many definitions of
ordinary words she would be
looking up. But she did know
that she had always wanted to
work at the White House, and
that is exactly where she landed
during her last semester, before
graduating summa cum laude
from Augsburg in December.
She had known for some
time about internships available
at the White House, and during
her senior year worked with Lois
Olson in the Center for Service,
Work, and Learning to complete
and submit the online
application. Several months later,
she was living what was for her
an “amazing experience” as one
of about 70 interns selected for
fall 2006, and one of three in the
Office of Presidential Speechwriting.
“One of the most memorable
projects I worked on was
annotating a version of the
speech the president was going
to deliver to the UN,” Soeder
says. It meant going through it
line by line, ensuring the
factuality of every word and
statement.
When asked how the real
West Wing compared to that of
the TV show of the same name,
Soeder notes that in reality the
West Wing is very small—not
the huge area it seems to be on
TV. In fact, nearly all of the
administration’s staff offices are
not located there, but next door
in the Eisenhower Executive
Office Building.
Beyond her specific duties,
Soeder has learned a great deal
from the contacts with executive
branch staff, as the interns
listened to speakers such as Karl
Rove, assistant to the president,
deputy chief of staff and senior
adviser, and Harriet Miers,
counsel to the president. Her
most exciting “Washington
moment,” she says, came in
November when she met
President Bush the day after
election results came in.
Once her internship ended
in December, Soeder was
fortunate to be appointed as a
confidential assistant to the
assistant secretary in the Office
of Legislation and Congressional
Affairs at the U.S. Department of
Education. Here, she works on
projects, scheduling, and briefing
materials.
Outside of work, Soeder
volunteers as a tutor with
Horton’s Kids, a non-profit
agency that provides services to
children from nearby, lowincome Ward 8 in D.C. The kids
are bused to the Department of
Education once a week for oneon-one tutoring by the
employees.
While at Augsburg, Soeder
was involved with College
Republicans, and has now
become active with Young
Republicans in D.C. To be hired
for political or legislative jobs,
she says, candidates generally
need to show loyalty to a party
or candidate. Campaigning at the
grass roots is a great way to start
building that experience, and she
got a taste of it last fall by
traveling to Ohio and Tennessee
to work on local campaigns.
At this point, Soeder doesn’t
see herself staying in
Washington, D.C., for a long
time. She believes her career
decisions will keep coming back
to a basic question students at
Augsburg are asked to
consider—how am I going to
impact the world in what I do?
She appreciates the grounding
she received in her communications
courses, such as Persuasion, and
the analytical skills and
experience from participating on
the Forensics Team.
For now, she’s enjoying all
Washington has to offer—
politics, history, culture, and the
excitement of being at the center
of it all.
SPRING 2007 33
CLASS NOTES
Wendy (Hoekstra) Vogelgesang
and her husband, David, in
Litchfield, Minn., welcomed twin
boys, August and Ewan, born
three months early on Aug. 1.
They spent three months
growing at St. Cloud Hospital
and Fairview Riverside Hospital
neo-natal intensive care units.
Read their journey at
www.caringbridge.com/visit/wen
dyandboys. They are doing well
now, but everyone has gone
through a lot. Wendy went back
to work as a kindergarten
teacher at Litchfield Public
Schools in January, while David
is a stay-at-home dad.
and 21 inches long. Holly
graduates in June with an MBA
from Augsburg.
hknutson04@yahoo.com
2003
2000
Julia Mensing works at Event
Lab, an event-planning company,
which was recognized for the
second year in a row by the
International Special Events
Society (ISES) with a 2007
Minnesota Star Award in the
“Best Event Design and Décor”
category.
2006
2002
Brendan Anderson, Phoenix,
Ariz., was commissioned by the
Concordia Wind Orchestra in
Irvine, Calif., to write a large
concert piece, The Gift and the
Wise Men, around the theme of
Epiphany, for their orchestra and
guest organist. It premiered in
Phoenix while the orchestra was
on tour in January.
Matthew Chappuis and
Jennifer (Lemke), Apple Valley,
Minn., welcomed their first
child, a daughter, Hattie Romae,
on Aug. 18, weighing 8 lbs., 3
oz., and 21 inches long. He is a
middle school physical education
and health teacher in the
Burnsville School District, and
she is an eighth-grade science
teacher in the Inver Grove
Heights School District.
2004
Rick Dzurik was featured in
March on KARE-11 TV news as a
music therapist working with
hospice patients. With his guitar,
he makes house calls or visits
hospice units to sing music
requested by the patients and
families—one of only a few
certified music therapists in the
Twin Cities who do this.
Anna Warnes and Nathan
Erickson ’03 were married in
August and live in Eugene, Ore.
Both are students at the
University of Oregon; Nathan is
pursuing a doctorate in
sociology, and Anna is studying
for a post-baccalaureate degree
in nursing.
2001
Amy (Stier) Eppen and her
husband, Jeff, in Belle Plaine,
Minn., are proud to announce
the birth of their son, Caleb
Todd, born on Nov. 28. He was
welcomed home by big sister
Courtney, 22 mos. Amy is a
therapeutic recreation
coordinator at The Lutheran
Home: Hope Residence.
34 AUGSBURG NOW
Holly (Ebnet) Knutson and her
husband, Jeremy, in Hugo,
Minn., are the proud parents of a
baby girl, Adelei Marie, born
Nov. 28, weighing 8 lbs., 0 oz.,
India, beginning in the fall. She
is currently employed at
Admission Possible, through
AmeriCorps, where she works
with 34 low-income, first
generation students, encouraging
them to stay in school and
helping them apply to college.
Her work with Admission
Possible was featured in a Star
Tribune article.
2005
Carolyn Herman is a Rotary
Ambassador Scholar and will
continue study of literature at
the University of Hyderabad,
Katie Koch began a new
position in April as the executive
assistant to Joe Dowling, artistic
director of the Guthrie Theater
in Minneapolis.
Graduate Programs
Doris Rubenstein ’93 MAL is
the new director for membership
and development at the Resource
Center of the Americas and
draws on her background in
Spanish, Peace Corps experience,
and living in Puerto Rico and
Ecuador. Her thesis focused on
nonprofit organizations serving
Minnesota’s Latin population.
Jill Boike ’03 MSW joined
Family Innovations in 2005. She
has developed a new
employee/intern training
program and is also working as
an outpatient therapist and
clinical supervisor.
jsalome@comcast.net
Nick Thomley ’06 MBA was
featured in the business section
of the Minneapolis Star Tribune
with a profile of the company,
Pinnacle Services, that he
founded while a sophomore in
college. His high school job of
working with disabled residents
in assisted living led him to start
a company that provides
vocational, residential, and
financial management services to
the elderly and people with
disabilities. In seven years, the
company has reached $7.2
million in revenue.
In Memoriam
Ernest (“Ernie”) W. Anderson
’37, Edina, Minn., age 90, on
March 18, unexpectedly. See
story on page 2.
Henry Erickson Chapman ’40,
Coon Rapids, Minn., age 91, in
Dec. 2006. He was a retired
coach and athletic director from
Proctor (Minn.) Public Schools
and a member of Augsburg’s
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Delbert Rhodes ’41, Renville,
Minn., age 89, in Nov. 2006.
Chester L. Brooks ’42, Duluth,
Minn., age 89, on March 5. He
was a Distinguished Alumnus and
husband of Ebba (Johnson)
Brooks ’42.
The Rev. Robert Erickson
Warren ’46, Edina, Minn., age
82, on Feb. 27.
Fabian C. Carlson ’49, Detroit
Lakes, Minn., age 82, on July 21,
2006.
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
The Rev. Oliver S. Solberg ’49,
Appleton, Wis., age 87, on Jan.
10. Husband of Viola (Nelson)
Solberg ’50.
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the Augsburg
Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Rachel M. Stennes ’49,
Minneapolis, age 86, on Feb. 10.
Full name
Arlene Larsen ’49, Tacoma,
Wash., age 75, on Dec. 13. Wife
of Harold Larsen.
Robert Hofflander ’51,
Clitherall, Minn., age 79, on Jan.
29, of myelodysplastic
syndrome. Husband of Dorothy
(Gramling) Hofflander ’50.
Maiden name
John E. Seaver, Sr. ’54,
Edgerton, Wis., age 74, on
Feb. 2, after a long illness.
City, State, Zip
The Rev. James Glasoe Sr. ’57,
Statesboro, Ga., on March 17, of
lung cancer. Husband of Nicole
(Jacobson) Glasoe ’62.
Home telephone
Class year or last year attended
Street address
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Regie S. Huber ’74, Maple
Grove, Minn., on Nov. 1.
Employer
Marlin (“Mike”) Kloster ’53, of
Willmar, Minn., age 77, on
Jan. 20.
Position
Timothy W. Hanson ’88,
Ogilvie, Minn., age 40, on March
18, of injuries from a car
accident.
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Work telephone
If yes, class year
Spouse’s name
Maiden name
Your news:
SPRING 2007 35
VIEWS
Celebrating 20 years of leadership
by Kathy Rumpza, ’05 MAL
On the evening of Sat., January 27, approximately
110 alumni, students, and guests gathered to
celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Master of Arts
in Leadership program at Augsburg College. The
keynote address was given by Ryan LaHurd,
president and executive director of the James S.
Kemper Foundation, and former vice president of
academic affairs at Augsburg. His presence was
appropriate because of the significant role he played
in the MAL Program’s inception.
More than 20 years ago, LaHurd was key in
launching a task force to explore graduate options
at the College. After much research and discussion
with business leaders it became apparent that there
was a need in the market for a different type of
program than was currently being offered—the kind
of program that would provide students with the
crucial broad-based knowledge and skills needed
for success.
Enter the era of an exciting program,
differentiated from others by a liberal arts focus
specifically on leadership. It offers solid content with
academic rigor as opposed to a workshop format. The
Master of Arts in Leadership program, started in
January 1987, marked an important turning point for
Augsburg and its entrance into the graduate market.
During its 20-year history, the program has
gone through transformation. While content,
schedules, and support staff have changed, the
signature “leadership model” that forms the basis for
the program remains steadfast. Feedback from
students and faculty has helped to hone and refine
course offerings, and relevant courses such as
Women and Leadership have been introduced.
Another constant is the faculty. Norma Noonan,
professor and director of the MAL program since
1993, notes that although the program has grown,
she and instructors Diane Pike, Tom Morgan, and
Garry Hesser have been teaching in the program
since its inception. She says such loyalty comes
from a simple idea—“faculty just love teaching in
the program.”
Noonan credits much of the recent program
growth to the addition of professional graduate
recruiters, and the fact that the program caters to
“students who seek personal development and
challenge.” The classes are “exiting and very
stimulating,” she says. “We’ve had pinnacle
36 AUGSBURG NOW
Norma Noonan is professor of political science and
director of the MAL program.
experiences in class … students are almost
electrified by some of the discussions.”
As far as alumni and students go, many have
had life-changing experiences. Students often say
that the program has changed their career paths,
and many experience a personal metamorphosis as
well. “People use it to define a turning point in
their lives,” says Noonan. Individuals have been
inspired to start their own businesses, and have
been promoted to vice president or CEO positions.
While it is true that completing the program
has changed personal and professional lives,
Noonan says that “completion is not the greatest
indicator of success.” She quickly adds, “it
emboldens you to take more risks, and brings a
maturity in judgment.” And that seems to be the
more important point.
Although some aspects of the program have
changed over time, it will remain a quality program
that “tries to live the leadership model,” under the
passionate direction of Norma Noonan. Her only
regret: “That I didn’t have the knowledge—what we
read, what we study—earlier in life.”
For information on the MAL Program,
go to www.augsburg.edu/mal
MAL… by the numbers
203
21
22
56
MAL degrees conferred since 1989
MAL graduating class in 2006—the largest yet!
Current MAL faculty and adjuncts
Number of new MAL students in 2006-07
The Oren Gateway Center is coming
Construction on the Oren Gateway Center is
proceeding extremely well. The building should be
ready for occupancy in the beginning of August,
with departments and programs starting to move
in during the middle of August.
Watch for more updates—and mark your calendars
for a grand celebration on October 12!
SPRING 2007
John 14: 1-3
A group of Augsburg students
traveled by train to New
Orleans to spend their spring
break working for Lutheran
Disaster Relief. Students spent
five days gutting and rebuilding
houses affected by Hurricane
Katrina. Here, workers find a
plaque from the Gospel of John
that fell from the attic of the
house in which they were
working. The verse offered a
great source for reflection by
the students.
— Photo by Rachel Olson ’08
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
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AUGSBURG NOW
FALL 2008
VOL. 71, NO. 1
inside
auggies
1
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Nursing
Years
of Life-Changing
at the grassroots level Travel that
transforms Clever student + wise professor +
Travel
expert alum = awesome discovery Ready, action,
page
film20
suc...
Show more
AUGSBURG NOW
FALL 2008
VOL. 71, NO. 1
inside
auggies
1
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Nursing
Years
of Life-Changing
at the grassroots level Travel that
transforms Clever student + wise professor +
Travel
expert alum = awesome discovery Ready, action,
page
film20
success! Street pastoring in Wales
get
political
Editor
notes
from President Pribbenow
Our neighbors
o
ne of the most compelling moments in the
Christian scriptures is the question asked
of Jesus by one of his disciples: “And who
is my neighbor?” His answer, of course, is
the parable of the Good Samaritan.
For me, the disciple’s question is at the
heart of the mission and vision of Augsburg College—a question that is at once theological, reflecting our understanding of what God intends
for us to be and do, and also educational and
practical, helping us to link our learning with
service.
So, let’s do some theology! Ask yourself—
who is my neighbor? Is it the Somali woman I
met this morning on Riverside Avenue struggling to carry her groceries home from the bus
stop? Or is it the family in the ravines of Cuernavaca, Mexico, who will offer me both refreshments and life lessons when I meet them on a
Center for Global Education trip? Or is it my
classmate, who is struggling with balancing
school with life at work and home, and who
needs my time and comfort? Once the question
is asked, we are compelled, as was Jesus himself,
to answer with stories and parables—stories of
how being educated at Augsburg prepares us to
serve our neighbors no matter when or where
we encounter them. In that way, the question
leads us to think about the links between learning and service.
A central aspect of an Augsburg education is
to nurture and sustain the work of civic engagement—the practices of citizenship, negotiating
our lives together, navigating what political
philosopher and Roman Catholic theologian John
Courtney Murray once called the “intersection of
conspiracies,” his definition of democracy.
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Editorial
Wendi Wheeler
wheelerw@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Here at Augsburg, we believe we are called
to serve our neighbor. I am so proud of our
Augsburg community for its abiding commitment to civic engagement, to meeting the needs
of our neighbors—there are abundant examples
of ways in which students, staff, faculty, regents,
parents, and alumni are modeling for all of us
and the rest of the community what it means to
be reflective, productive, and responsible citizens of our campus, our neighborhood, and our
world.
At the same time, I want to challenge all of
us to think at an even deeper level about the
work of civic engagement, to see it not simply as
acts of service and compassion, but also as the
abiding and messy business—the lifelong business—of being educated, of building communities of trust and accountability, and of helping to
create a more just and humane world.
The stories in this issue of Augsburg Now
about the Center for Global Education (CGE)
offer fine examples of how the Augsburg community has answered the question of “Who is
my neighbor?” time and again in parts of the
world where our neighbors are partners in the
work of teaching and learning. We celebrate
CGE’s remarkable legacy and promise in Augsburg’s continuing and common work to serve
our neighbors.
Yours,
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President of
Marketing and Communication
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni and
Constituent Relations
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
CB 142
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
a
fall 2008
Features
14
Lights, camera, and action
by Bethany Bierman
A new film major has come of age and now attracts
students from around the world.
augsburg now
19
Get Political!
by Wendi Wheeler ’06
Augsburg students got up front and backstage as interns for The
Washington Center at the Republican National Convention.
24
Travel that transforms
by Betsey Norgard
contents
Augsburg’s Center for Global Education reached the quarter
decade mark last year and continues to transform the way
students and participants view global issues and challenges.
29
Annual report to donors, 2007-08
Departments
2
4
6
13
45
56
Around the Quad
It takes an Auggie
Auggies on the Field
Augsburg Voices
Alumni News and Class Notes
My Auggie Experience
On the cover
(L to R) Erik Franzen, Mai Lee, and Ben Krouse-Gagne—three of Augsburg’s interns for The Washington Center at the Republican National Convention—each found unexpected discoveries in the experience.
Editor’s note:
Welcome to Augsburg Now’s new look! If you visited us at the State Fair last
summer or at our Web site lately, you’ve noticed more vibrancy and energy—
with just a touch of edginess. We’re in the city and we’re all about learning
by doing—whether it’s in the classroom, on the playing field, around the
world, or on the floor of the Republican National Convention. Please let us
know what you think, or what you’d like to see in the Now. Auggies are everywhere, and we want to connect with you. E-mail us at now@augsburg.edu or
call 612-330-1181. — Betsey Norgard, editor
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
around the
quad
Regents elected and honored
Five new members were elected to four-year terms on the
Augsburg Board of Regents at the annual meeting of the Augsburg Corporation Governing Board in September. In addition,
Anthony L. Genia Jr., MD ’85, was re-elected to a second fouryear term.
Mark A. Eustis, president and CEO of Fairview
Health Services.
At the board’s fall meeting, outgoing regents were honored for
their commitment, loyalty, and service. Those leaving the board
after serving several years are Michael Freeman and Beverly
(Halling) Oren ’55. Regents who retired after two six-year terms
are Rev. Gary Benson ’70, Ron Nelson ’68, and former board chair
Ted Grindal ’76. In addition, two ELCA bishops completed ex officio terms: Rev. Harold Usgaard, Southeastern Minnesota Synod,
and Rev. Peter Rogness, Saint Paul Area Synod.
Three retirees worked closely with students
Darrell Wiese ’59 has always had a knack
Alexander J. Gonzalez ’90, senior financial advisor
at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Eric J. Jolly, president of the Science
Museum of Minnesota
Gloria C. Lewis, president and CEO of Big Brothers
Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities
Marshall S. Stanton, MD, vice president
for clinical research and general manager
of the cardiac rhythm disease
management business of Medtronic, Inc.
Appointed to three-year terms on the
board, ex officio, are Bishop Craig E.
Johnson, Minneapolis Area Synod of the
ELCA, and Bishop Duane C. Pederson,
Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA.
To read more, go to
www.augsburg.edu/regents
for finding “diamonds in the rough,” baseball and football players who may not have
put up the big numbers in high school, but
had the potential to shine.
It’s estimated that Wiese, a 1959 Augsburg alumnus, helped to bring literally
hundreds of students to Augsburg over the last several decades
as a recruiter and assistant coach. For his lifetime of service to
Auggie athletics, Wiese was honored with the Distinguished
Athletic Service Award this fall.
“I always had a genuine concern for youth and athletics,
and something always kept drawing me back to Augsburg over
the years,” Wiese said. “I would talk about Augsburg and say it
was a great school with friendly people; they’ll give you a
chance to succeed and get your degree.”
After Wiese had been scouting for talent as a volunteer for
more than 20 years while still owning and operating his family
farm in rural Northfield, Minn., he spent more than a decade as
an assistant coach for both the football and baseball teams.
Several of his football recruits provided the backbone of
the Auggies’ 1997 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title team, the school’s first since 1928. Many of his players were key members of the 2005 MIAC baseball playoff team.
“One of the things that strikes me so much about Darrell is
his ability to identify potential talent,” said former football
coach Jack Osberg, now a football coach and A-Club advancement manager. … “When he recruits, he doesn’t just recruit the
athlete, he recruits the family and gets great connections with
the families and siblings of the athletes he recruits.”
Wiese officially retired from coaching after the 2008 baseball season. A baseball team trophy has been named in his
honor—the Darrell Wiese Most Respected Player Award.
DON STONER
2
Augsburg Now
Retiring faculty and staff, continued
Karen Sutherland, professor of computer science, came to Augsburg in
1999 and retired at the end of the
academic year in May. Often her students would find her in the small lab
in Sverdrup surrounded by computer robots roaming the floor—
AIBO dog robots used for their ease
in teaching basic programming, and
search and rescue robots designed to
stay in communication with each other during emergency situations. They were all part of National Science Foundation
grant research in which Sutherland collaborated.
These projects were at the core of Sutherland’s passion for
improving how computer science is taught to non-traditional
students, including weekend students, immigrants, women,
and first-generation college students. “These students didn’t
relate well to computer science and how we were teaching it,”
Sutherland said. With the grant funding she could do a better
job of both attracting and retaining non-traditional students.
The National Science Foundation CSEMS (Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarship) program
enabled her to offer scholarships to non-traditional students.
She had upper-class students serve as peer mentors to CSEMS
students, encouraging them toward career possibilities in
computer science.
“A number of our young people want to do something to
make this world better,” Sutherland says. “They don’t see how
computer science is going to help that. You have to show
them ways it can, and they have to see how they could make a
difference, a mark.”
Via e-mail, she keeps in touch with many former students, some who have accepted jobs in industry directly after
graduation and others going on to graduate programs.
There is no shortage of plans for her retirement, which
center around gardening and travel. Even her gardening will
keep her near a computer, as she serves as the webmaster for
the Garden Club of Ramsey County. At her lake home, she
serves as a board member of the lake association, working to
promote shoreline conservation and sustainability.
Kenneth N. Erickson ’62, in his
nearly 40-year tenure teaching
physics, allowed students to see just
how vast the world is and just what
is possible.
After one year at Augsburg in
the 1960s, Erickson returned in
1970 and never left. For much of
that time, he held a shared professorship between Augsburg and the
University of Minnesota, cooperating with the University’s
physics and astronomy faculty in grant-funded research.
“As part of the shared appointment at the “U,” I was able
to do a lot of research,” he said. In 1970, Erickson started an
active undergrad research program at Augsburg. In 1991, he
started the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium, part of a
NASA-funded program that provides research and program
development grants to students and faculty.
“His satellite studies and rocket experiments in Alaska,
often involving other scientists from around the globe, gave
his students a window to a much wider and very exciting
world,” said Mark Engebretsen, an Augsburg colleague. “He
helped many of his students catch the excitement of trying to
find out new things about our world.”
The soft-spoken Erickson is reluctant to discuss his
achievements, but colleagues and many former students appreciated Erickson’s teaching and mentoring. Stu Anderson
’78, a current member of Augsburg’s physics faculty and a former student, said, “He displayed the art of an excellent
teacher—to invite students into the voyage of discovery, to
develop an appetite and tolerance for mathematical complexity, and to give students like me the courage to be persistent.”
Matt Broughton ’06, a physics and English major who
was awarded a Fullbright grant called Erickson—who has a
scholarship established in his name—“the best instructor he
had in college.”
Now Erickson is staying busy by growing corn and soybeans and raising cattle on his farm near Cambridge, Minn.
“I haven’t done much physics lately,” he joked.
WENDI WHEELER
BETSEY NORGARD
Fall 2008
3
it takes an
Auggie
New President’s Circle recognizes annual giving
During Homecoming Week, President Pribbenow announced
the creation of the President’s Circle, a new giving society that
recognizes annual gifts of $1,000 or more, at several levels of
support. By recognizing all current gifts, the President’s Circle
shares the Augsburg story among greater numbers of alumni
and donors and builds stronger connections with the College
today.
Within the President’s Circle, one of the top funding priorities of the College is the Augsburg Fund, which provides
support across a range of critical needs of the College. Most
important is the financial support made possible through the
Augsburg Fund that helps the College fulfill its promise to a
richly diverse student body. Financial support makes an Augsburg education possible for more than 85% of its students.
The Augsburg Fund also provides needed support for
current technology to improve teaching and learning, faculty
recruitment and retention, facilities maintenance and renovation, and opportunities for community events and services.
“There’s no other way to give to so many priorities—to
touch the lives of so many students in so many different
ways—than through the Augsburg Fund,” says Jeremy Wells,
vice president for institutional advancement. “It’s giving that
moves Augsburg forward just as it also honors its past.”
The President’s Circle Challenge, through the generosity
of an anonymous donor, will match all increases in gifts to the
Augsburg Fund up to $1,000 for those who become charter
members of the President’s Circle.
President’s Circle members will receive a special pin and a
new, members’ e-newsletter plus invitations to special events
and other benefits offered for support at higher levels.
Sven Oftedal Society honors Augsburg’s legacy
Augsburg’s Heritage Society, which
recognizes donors who have made
a future gift commitment to the
College, has a new name and identity—the Sven Oftedal Society,
named for the second person appointed to Augsburg’s faculty, who
became the College’s third president and chaired the Board of Regents for over three decades.
During the 1870s, vast numThe recognition of donors who
make future gifts to the College
bers of immigrants flocked to
has been named the Sven Oftedal
western and northwestern MinSociety, in honor of Augsburg’s
third president, who saved the Col- nesota. Augsburg’s move to Minlege from bankruptcy, ensuring an neapolis in 1872 placed it closer to
Augsburg education for
the center of Norwegian-American
future generations.
settlement, but by 1877, the College faced a financial crisis that threatened its very existence.
Augsburg was heavily in debt; the region was in an economic
depression.
Sven Oftedal stepped forward to lead a heroic fundraising
effort that saved Augsburg. Oftedal rallied and inspired farmers, merchants, businesses, and churches throughout the
4
Augsburg Now
region to support Augsburg’s mission, an effort securing gifts
from over 30,000 individuals. Augsburg was no longer a
school of a select few—Augsburg truly became a school of the
people.
Exemplifying Augsburg’s commitment to civic involvement, Oftedal established a community newspaper, was
elected to the Minneapolis Board of Education, appointed to
the Minneapolis Library Board, and served as the president of
Augsburg’s board for 36 years. His legacy of service is honored
by Augsburg through the founding of the Oftedal Society to
recognize the loyalty and vision of those who make a commitment of future support to the College.
“By renaming the planned giving recognition society in
honor of Sven Oftedal, we have a wonderful opportunity to
reflect upon the nature of Augsburg’s foundation—its roots,”
noted Jeremy Wells, vice president for institutional advancement, “and to reaffirm that those ideals continue to be the
core of the College and its mission.
To learn more about the Sven Oftedal Society or making a
gift of future support, contact the Office of Planned Giving at
1-800-273-0617 or via e-mail to development@augsburg.edu.
Another million-dollar year!
• The Augsburg Fund, the College’s annual fund, reached its
goal of $1 million—for the third time and the first time
outside of a campaign year—ending the fiscal year at
$1,001,979.
• Important to achieving this goal was the President’s Challenge of $100,000, which resulted in additional giving of
nearly $69,000 in new or increased gifts, triggering a total
of $158,000 in challenge gifts. This was made possible by
Don ’53 and Bev (Halling) Oren ’55 and anonymous
donors.
• During this last fiscal year, a 100% participation rate was
reached with gifts to the annual fund from all members of
the Augsburg Board of Regents, the Alumni Board of
Directors, and the President’s Cabinet.
It’s Augsburg Calling … Mai Yer Vang ’11
Mai Yer Vang was born in Thailand and moved with her family to the U.S. in 1994. When she was in high school, Vang
was introduced to Augsburg on a tour with the Upward
Bound program. “We had a really good tour guide who
showed us everything on campus,” she said.
Vang liked Augsburg’s small campus atmosphere and was
intrigued by a presentation given by Richard Webb, a counselor for Augsburg’s TRiO program, a U.S. Department of Education program that helps first-generation college students
overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to completing
their education.
“My family is on welfare,” Vang said, “but Richard talked
about financial aid and told us that we could go to Augsburg
if we wanted to. He helped us understand that a college education was possible.” In fact, Vang became the first in her
family of eight children to attend college.
She came to Augsburg in the summer, before many of her
classmates, for TRiO’s Summer Bridge program, a five-week
residential program that introduces students to the college experience with classes, academic support seminars, workshops,
and social activities.
As a TRiO scholar, Vang must not only maintain a 3.0
GPA each term, she also meets regularly with her TRiO counselor to discuss her academic progress and financial issues.
TRiO students complete all of their financial aid application
paperwork on their own, an often-daunting procedure many
of her peers delegate to parents. Vang is grateful for this experience because she is now helping one of her older sisters
complete college and financial aid applications.
For two years, Vang has worked as a caller for the Augsburg Fund in Augsburg’s Office of Institutional Advancement.
Through her conversations with alumni, Vang has received
career advice and has learned more about Augsburg traditions
and history. “I learned that Homecoming used to be huge
here,” she said, “and there were a lot more dances and royalty
and parades during the year than we have now.”
To date, Vang and the student caller team have helped
raise more than $114,000 for the Augsburg Fund. To learn
more about the Augsburg Fund and other ways to support
students like Mai Yer Vang, go to www.augsburg.edu/giving.
WENDI WHEELER ‘06
Mai Yer Vang ’11 is one of the
student callers of Phonathon
and enjoys learning about
Augsburg in past years from
the alumni she calls.
Fall 2008
5
Auggies on the field
Jordan Berg: Football, physics, and far more
Division III athletics is more than simply the games. It’s just as much about academics, family friends, and hobbies. Augsburg senior quarterback Jordan Berg understands the importance of balancing.
On the field, the Gaylord, Minn., native is already the most accomplished passer in
Augsburg history, owning single-season and career records for passing touchdowns,
completions, and yardage. Despite starting his college career at Division II MinnesotaDuluth, Berg is on pace to break the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference career passing record of 7,290 yards.
But Berg is more than just a quarterback. He’s also a physics major
with a 3.8 GPA. In his time at Augsburg, Berg has taken classes ranging from chemistry to American Sign Language, and Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning.
“One of the reasons that Jordan is so successful is his preparedness,” says offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Drew
Privette. “He is prepared on the field, in the classroom, and in his
social life. If we have a quarterback’s meeting and Jordan also has a
big test in one of his classes, he’ll find a way to reschedule the
meeting, so he can take care of his first priority, his academics.”
Berg, a self-described “motor head,” has a variety of other
interests. He restored his own Harley-Davidson motorcycle,
complete with a custom paint job. He designed t-shirts for the
football team. And Berg designed two tattoos for himself and a
few others for his teammates.
“Jordan is a unique blend of character, artist, and student-athlete. He is gifted in each of those areas and it is a joy to work with
such a colorful and outstanding individual,” said football head coach
Frank Haege.
KELLY ANDERSON DIERCKS
6
Augsburg Now
For the full story, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
homecoming
’08
2008 Alumni Awards
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
LaRhae (Grindal) Knatterud
’70, specialist on aging,
Minnesota Department
of Human Resources
Dennis Kalpin ’61, retired
mathematics teacher and
coach, Alexandria, Minn.
FIRST DECADE AWARDS
Zach Curtis ’98, actor,
artistic director, and
theatre manager
Jeffery Cameron ’96,
intellectual property
attorney, E.J. Brooks
and Associates, PLLC
Save the date for Homecoming 2009—September 28-October 3
For more about Homecoming
and the alumni awards, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall 2008
7
Grassroots health care
the CENTER CLINIC
Augsburg nursing student Eileen Johnson
confronts poverty and patient needs at the
small, volunteer-run Center Clinic in
Dodge Center, Minnesota.
arty Alemán has a
passion for public
health. She is one
of Augsburg’s Rochester
Campus nursing faculty,
and she believes that
“greater community and social awareness make a better
citizen and a better nurse,
no matter where they
work.”
Thus, it seemed fitting
that she, along with the
Augsburg nursing program,
was chosen by the Center Clinic in Dodge Center, Minnesota, a
small, rural, volunteer-staffed clinic, to receive their Social
Awareness award at their annual appreciation event.
From her office at Olmsted County Public Health, Alemán
coordinates a number of the county’s public health nursing positions. As the Community Health II nursing instructor at the
Augsburg Rochester Campus, she integrates her knowledge of
public health and connections to community health agencies
with the course content to be a catalyst for transformation in the
lives of most of the Rochester Bachelor of Science in nursing
M
8
Augsburg Now
(BSN) students. She loves it. She loves introducing her students
to a side of health care that few of them have ever seen.
Community Health II is Augsburg’s only BSN course with
significant clinical hours outside of the classroom; all 48 hours
must be spent in community health settings. Alemán notes that
about 90% of Rochester BSN students are hospital nurses. “Some
students have only worked in surgery where they see a very limited view of patient care. Community health nursing is not such
a controlled environment,” she says. It stretches and challenges
the students.
Alemán helps students to navigate the challenges of a different healthcare culture and to connect the dots of relevance between their work in a large hospital to social justice in the
community. To that end, she raises questions within the context
of diversity about the uninsured, about poverty and patient
needs upon dismissal from the hospital, and about the community resources to meet those needs. She also encourages students
to consider health issues in public schools such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual activity, bullying, and obesity.
Clinical hours bring the questions of the classroom into the
realm of experiential knowledge. Students integrate these experiences, comparing them to their currently held beliefs, and seeing things first hand rather than in text. They return to class and
talk about the experiences and how their current belief systems
are being challenged.
For their clinical hours, students may choose from a number
of cultural immersion options or community health settings in
Olmsted County or in the county where they reside. Alemán is
fluent in Spanish, having spent four years early in her nursing
career living and working in Ecuador, and has coordinated and
led immersion trips and home stays for students in Nicaragua
and Guatemala.
It’s obvious that Alemán has a special place in her heart for
arranging student placements in county community health settings. She encourages them to divide their time among a variety
of agencies and clinics. Her students can be found at the Good
Samaritan Medical Clinic, Migrant Health Clinic, Christ United
Methodist Church Health Fair, the county jail, and working with
church parish nurses.
The Center Clinic, directed by Jan Lueth, who is also a public health colleague of Alemán, is a favorite placement for
Alemán and her students. Lueth welcomes the students and describes the clinic as “a small non-profit agency staffed by volunteer nurses, nurse practitioners, and Mayo doctors and residents
that provides family planning and limited healthcare services to
the uninsured and underinsured, many of whom are Latino.”
Some of the BSN students have chosen to continue volunteering at the clinic. One student returned for six months as a
paid staff member. Since the clinic relies heavily on volunteer
hours to stretch their limited revenue, Lueth says their services
are invaluable.
“Social awareness is an important part of our mission at the
Center Clinic,” says Lueth. “We believe that awareness is the
first step toward social change.” Part of the clinic’s motivation
for giving Alemán and the nursing program the Social Awareness
award was that “always their questions and comments challenge
us to clarify what we believe and strengthen our determination
to continue our mission,” Lueth says.
When asked about Alemán’s passion for social awareness,
Lueth says, “only a professional like Marty, who truly empathizes and appreciates the complicated world in which our
clients reside, and the positive effect that nursing students could
experience by exposure to this, would have considered the Center Clinic as a possible clinical site for her students.”
She continues, saying the clinic is “a world where, like a
messy closet, you can make the conscious choice to close the
door, so you don’t have to look at it. But, you still know the mess
is there. … Marty puts her foot in the door, so you have to look,
have to experience the ‘mess’ at least for a moment.”
LIBBY HENSLIN ’06
OPERATIONS AND ADMISSIONS COORDINATOR, ROCHESTER CAMPUS
“Social awareness is an
important part of our
mission at the Center Clinic.
Pictured, right: In her community health
nursing course, Augsburg student Eileen
Johnson (left) is learning from Center
Clinic staff person Ramona González
(center) about difficulties faced by clinic
patients, many of whom are Latinos.
We believe that awareness
is the first step toward
social change.”
Fall 2008
9
awesome
DISCOVERY
clever student + wise professor+ experienced alum =
BY WENDI WHEELER AND BETSEY NORGARD
Brian Krohn (second from right) poses
with the scientists who named the
process (“Mcgyan”—from their own
names) that they hope will revolutionize
the biofuel industry: (L to R) Chemistry
professor Arlin Gyberg, SarTec vice
president Clayton McNeff ’91, Krohn, and
SarTec chief scientist Ben Yan.
A student’s passion for research
Brian Krohn originally came to Augsburg to study film, but
after only one semester without any science classes, this lifelong scientist felt “so deprived” that he officially changed his
major to chemistry.
Even so, he was unsure where the degree would lead
him. “I thought with a degree in chemistry, I
could only be a teacher or a pharmacist,” he said.
Then in the summer of 2006, Krohn received
a grant from Augsburg’s Undergraduate Research
and Graduate Opportunity (URGO) program. It
was support to conduct research, one of his passions. He and his adviser, chemistry professor
Arlin Gyberg, were both interested in biodiesel, so
Krohn set out to find a more efficient way to produce the fuel.
Krohn describes the research process as difficult but exciting. “You have to really dig into the
whole process and read all the literature to join
into the conversation about your topic before you
can figure out what you can contribute,” he said. Whereas
most undergraduate researchers “do what they are told, like
calibrate a machine all day,” according to Krohn, he had more
freedom to explore and experiment.
Eventually his work led to the discovery of a process that
converts animal feedstock to biodiesel. Gyberg advised Krohn
to contact alumnus Clayton McNeff ’91, a chemist and vice
president of SarTec, a company specializing in yucca-based
products and CEO of ZirChrom Separations, a chromatography company. McNeff, his chief scientist at
SarTec Ben Yan, and Gyberg took Krohn’s idea and
created the “Mcgyan” Process (from their three
names), an efficient and environmentally friendly
method that will allow McNeff’s new start-up company, Ever Cat Fuels, to produce more than three
million gallons of fuel per year at a first-of-its-kind
biodiesel plant in Isanti, Minn.
Krohn says it was his research and connections
through Augsburg, not the discovery itself, that
opened doors for him. In fact, he said this opportunity might never have been available if not for
McNeff’s ties to the College.
“It’s almost unheard of that the vice president of research
would sit down with an undergraduate student and his old professor,” he said.
clever student
10
Augsburg Now
wise professor
A professor’s connections to industry
It’s an event, says chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg, that
probably wouldn’t have happened anywhere else in the
world.
He’s referring to senior Brian Krohn’s research, his
relationship with Clayton McNeff ’91, and the partnership
that ultimately yielded the invention of the Mcgyan
Process. Gyberg, who is beginning his 42nd year teaching
at Augsburg, has supervised many student research projects over the years beginning with Richard Olmsted ’69,
the husband of current Augsburg chemistry professor Sandra Olmsted ’69, in the summer following their junior
year.
Krohn began his research by poring over hundreds of
abstracts of research on biodiesel. Eventually he found two
examples of projects that had been somewhat successful,
which had suggested that solid-state strong acids might be
effective catalysts for conversion of plant oils to biodiesel.
Gyberg knew that this material was used as a bonded solid
stationary phase in chromatography, so they attempted a
conversion using a batch process that had been used since
World War II. Gyberg summed up the results: “It didn’t
work.”
Then Gyberg recalled a seminar given four years earlier by McNeff on zirconia-based stationary phases used
for liquid chromatography and the ease with which it
could be bonded with various substances. Gyberg contacted McNeff, and Krohn and Gyberg went to present
their research to McNeff at SarTec Corporation. They
asked for some bonded strong acid zirconia and again
tried a batch process experiment with no success.
“Here is where the confluence of events occurred that
would not likely have happened anywhere else,” said Gyberg. McNeff’s ZirChrom Corporation is a world leader on
zirconia and its properties. McNeff and fellow scientist Ben Yan had
been working on oven-heated zirconia-based high temperature liquid
chromatography. It occurred to McNeff that pressurized, heated, continuous column catalysis using solid-state acidified zirconia might
work—and it did, the very first time. The Mcgyan Process was born.
“It would appear that this is only the beginning,” Gyberg said.
Research continues, with SarTec and Augsburg investigating algae
growth as a feedstock source for biodiesel as well as other reactions
that are possible for new types of biofuels that have not been possible
to synthesize before.
Gyberg is also working on a project with a University of St.
Thomas engineering professor who believes that in three years all
biodiesel will be made using the Mcgyan Process. They are developing a “pickup bed biodiesel plant” that the individual farmer could
use to make his own biodiesel fuel. This would also benefit Third
World countries where jatropha, a weedy bush that grows on noncropland and needs only about eight inches of rain or so a year, is
readily available. Jatropha can produce about five times more plant
oil a year for biodiesel than soybeans, and the Mcgyan reactor is the
only one that can completely convert the oil efficiently and cleanly to
biodiesel with virtually no waste and no pollutants.
Rather than spend his summers on the golf course or on the
lake, Gyberg supervises research because, he says, “It keeps things
interesting and exciting, keeps one up with current science, and
keeps the mind sharp.” He adds, “One of the great pleasures over the
years is using my background and experience to work with students,
some of whom are smarter than I am.” Gyberg says students are fortunate to be able to do research at Augsburg, since faculty there can
spend more time working with students than at large research
institutions.
Above, left: Senior Brian Krohn and chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg explain the Mcgyan
Process, a new, improved method of making biodiesel, at a press conference in March.
Fall 2008
11
awe
som
e
SarTec vice president Clayton McNeff ’91, whose team discovered
the Mcgyan Process, shares the discovery with alumni and friends
during Homecoming in September.
“It can be cost effective and
environmentally friendly—
experienced alum
and it’s portable.”
A chemist on the cutting edge
In March 2008 at a press conference at Augsburg College,
Clayton McNeff became somewhat of a media sensation in
the biodiesel world. He is vice president of SarTec Corporation, and together with his chief scientist Ben Yan, his former
professor Arlin Gyberg, and Augsburg student Brian Krohn,
McNeff announced a discovery they said would revolutionize
biodiesel production and lessen or eliminate the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
This was the first public announcement of the Mcgyan
Process and the biodiesel fuel it can produce more efficiently,
less costly, and without harmful byproducts than existing
processes. He went on to announce that the group was already successfully producing 50,000 gallons per year at a
pilot plant, and even powering the plant with it. Through a
new company, Ever Cat Fuels, a new large-scale production
plant is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2009 that
will yield three million gallons per year, using non-food
grade corn oil from ethanol plants and free fatty acid waste
products from the current conventional biodiesel industry.
In July the Star Tribune described the Mcgyan production
process as immensely appealing to countries and companies
around the world because “it can be cost effective and environmentally friendly—and it’s portable.” The goal is for farmers to be able to produce the biodiesel they need to run their
farms completely on site. More than 35 countries have contacted SarTec inquiring about the technology.
Algae is a large part of McNeff’s vision. He refers to it as
the “holy grail” of biodiesel production because it can be
grown utilizing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from
12
Augsburg Now
bioethanol and coal-burning power plants, and it can potentially yield enough oil for biodiesel to replace all U.S. petroleum
needs without competing for food crops or cropland. SarTec, in
partnership with Augsburg and Triangle Energy, is pursuing this
research with grants from Great River Energy and Xcel Energy.
McNeff is a 1991 Augsburg chemistry graduate, who pursued his PhD in analytical chemistry at the University of Minnesota. He joined SarTec, the company founded by his parents
where he first worked as a high school student, fostering his
love for science.
In 1995, as he became known for his expertise with zirconia, McNeff co-founded ZirChrom Separations, Inc., along with
Steven Rupp and University of Minnesota professor Peter W.
Carr. Carr has won numerous awards in the field of analytical
chemistry and has been announced as the recipient of the 2009
American Chemical Society Award in Analytical Chemistry.
In 2002 McNeff was awarded the Tibbetts Award from the
Small Business Adminstration’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This award was given in recognition of
McNeff’s achievement in innovation, research, and business
that contributed to the commercial success of ZirChrom Separations.
McNeff considers the success of the experimentation leading to the Mcgyan Process as “serendipity,” but it’s a success
that can extend far beyond their projected goal of three million
gallons per year and be licensed worldwide to companies seeking more efficient and sustainable fuels.
For more information, go to
www.augsburg.edu/chemistry
DIS
COV
ERY
V
Courtesy Glendine Soiseth
auggie voices
Street pastors bring care and
hope to the streets
Glendine Soiseth graduated from Augsburg and Luther Seminary in 2004 with a dual degree—Master of Social Work and
Master of Arts in Theology. She was ready for the challenge of
an international experience and is the supervisor of therapy
services for a fostering agency in Flintshire, Wales. She lives
in nearby Chester, England.
In 2006 Soiseth heard about the three-year-old Street Pastors program and trained as a street pastor leader in Wrexham, Wales. She led her team on patrol once or twice a
month, from around 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Recently, with her
move to Chester, she also serves as a Chester lead street pastor and will alternate patrols and voluntary time between the
two locations.
In September she wrote about street pastor work for a
community ministry blog in Chester. With permission, we’ve
reprinted excerpts from it.
Call
Historically, I have consistently been involved in faith, community, and political organizations, either working with
people, programmes, or the community in developing a
voice and making a difference.
When the St. Margaret’s vicar in Wrexham started talking about Street Pastors during a service, I immediately experienced a ‘call.’ Not a lightning bolt, but it was made very
clear that this (street pastoring) was something I needed to
do. I realized I was being asked to take a leap of faith despite not knowing how the new initiative would take me.
After training and graduation, I was out on the streets
in my street pastor uniform talking and explaining to people, door staff, vendors, police, and emergency personnel
what a street pastor is and does.
Community
When I mentioned to people at the time that I lived in
Wrexham, the response was universal, ‘nothing good comes
out of Wrexham … .’ I knew it would take more than a marketer or one person to make a difference. It would take the
‘Urban Trinity’—police, civic partners, and church—coming
together in agreement on community initiatives and protocols, as a means for it to work.
Glendine Soiseth ’04 MSW/MA Theology dual degree graduate (left), is a social
worker in North Wales and volunteers as a street pastor in an interdenominational church/community initiative with Rev. Trevor Beckett (right).
Street pastors are now recognized, respected, and welcomed in the community by pub/club goers, police, emergency personnel, door staff, street vendors, CCTV, and
visitors. They have witnessed and experienced our commitment, tenacity, unconditional positive regard, and passion
for what we do.
We’ve been accepted as part of their community for not
only sticking it out when it is raining, cold, and miserable,
but, more importantly, for listening, being authentic, and
providing practical assistance—not preaching ‘heaven and
hell,’ but getting back to basics of what it means to be a ‘caring’ community and how diversity can bring together unity.
Hope
I can’t begin to tell you all the stories I have heard on the
street in my role as street pastor. … about the drug dealer,
or the rugby player, or the person we picked up off the road
just before a car came round the corner, or the person who
had been involved in a cult, or the alcoholic, or the soldier.
But they are just stories about people you don’t know. What
I do know is that Street Pastors makes a difference in our
community. I make a difference. We make a difference.
From a human perspective, getting back to basics with
the above is a step in not only providing a community with
hope, but also it can be a difference between life and death
for that person we talk to on the street. … A good deal of
our work is ‘working in the moment where that person
seems to be at that time.’ Street pastoring works. I truly feel
blessed and privileged every time I go out into the street.”
Street Pastors is an inter-denominational church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the
streets to care, listen, and dialogue. For information, go to
www.streetpastors.org.uk.
BETSEY NORGARD
Fall 2008
13
LIGHTS,
CAMERA,
AND
ACTION
BY BETHANY BIERMAN
Augsburg’s film program, based in liberal arts and
giving students knowledge in production, performance,
and theory, attracts students from around the world.
14
Augsburg Now
ugsburg film comes of age
The coffee shop in Christensen is nearly
full, so we grab two empty stools by the
computers in the back. Wes Ellenwood
sits poised on the stool, looking relaxed
in his blue jeans and vintage New York
baseball cap, balancing his coffee between his hands.
“What makes our department
unique is its three tracks,” he explains.
The former NYU professor specializes
in documentary and 16mm film and
was just last year given full-time status,
making him the only full-time film faculty member.
He breezes through the description
as if he’s told it many times before.
There’s the production track (creating
films and videos), the performance
track (acting for the camera), and the
theory and culture track (the analytical
track). “And our faculty are not just faculty—they are professionals and experts
in film.”
Picture, bottom left: For more than a decade, communication
studies professor Deb Redmond has worked with alumni to nurture
the film courses that have grown Augsburg’s film program.
Pictured, below: Auggie Mike Bodnarczuk ’85 built a career in music
video production and has helped other Auggies get a start in LA.
Just then communication professor
and director of the program Deb Redmond approaches with a young man.
“I’m sorry, but may I interrupt?” she
asks. “Matt, this is Wes Ellenwood, who
teaches our production courses. Wes,
Matt is looking at transferring to Augsburg to study film.”
The professors exchange knowing
glances. This is not the first time such
an introduction has been made. In fact,
the film department averages two visitors per week. For a program that officially finished its fourth year, numbers
are exploding. While Augsburg has a
strong history of graduating students
who have excelled in film, it was only
in 2004 that the major was added. It
jumped from one graduate in 2006 to
now nearly 40 students. Five new film
majors transferred in this past semester.
“We’re different from most of the
metro college campuses,” Ellenwood
tells Matt and me, “because there is actual film being shot on this campus.”
He goes on to explain that because
Augsburg students develop an understanding of film, video, television, and
digital media, in addition to being
grounded in the liberal arts, these graduates are better prepared than most to
truly succeed in the industry.
A seed is planted
It was the early ’80s, and every Friday
English professor John Mitchell showed
movies in his class. One student recalls
nearly leaping out of his seat with excitement.
“He really opened up the gateway
for me,” says Michael Bodnarczuk, the
son of Ukrainian immigrants and a St.
Paul Johnson High School graduate. He
Nick Vlchek
A
LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION
had come to Augsburg to study prelaw and to play
soccer. “I got very
involved with politics with my lifelong friend John
Evans … and
Franklin Tawha,
but then started
spending a lot of time with film.”
Bodnarczuk took a 16mm film
course taught by a friend of Mitchell’s
during January term. “After that, I was
completely hooked, and then it became
an addiction.” He took Julie Bolton’s television class and Stan Turner’s class in
newswriting at St. Thomas. Jeroy Carlson found him an internship at KARE11, which turned into a job editing
stories for the sunrise show.
But Bodnarczuk’s passion was
music videos, and how they told a story
in four minutes. Augsburg didn’t have
cable at the time, however, so with the
rise of the MTV boom, he persuaded the
College to invest in a satellite dish for
the top of Christensen Center. He’d
record videos and host a showing on
Sunday nights during dinner, until they
got too risqué and the administration
shut him down.
Beyond the classroom, he made
connections with several people, including Jimmy Jam, Steve Rifkin (editor of
the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy) and
Darrell Brand (cameraman). During college, he directed videos for Twin Cities
music sensation The Jets and spent a
couple days as a production assistant on
Purple Rain.
Following graduation, he worked at
a law firm for a while but just wasn’t
satisfied. He drove to Hollywood in a
Fall 2008
15
Augsburg’s first “official” film grad, Trevor
Tweeten ’06 has won awards for his films
and is now living and working in New York.
yellow Dodge Charger, with about a
thousand dollars in his pocket, moved
in with a friend, and volunteered on an
American Film Institute film. Through
persistence and personal connections,
he eventually started to get work. His
first breakthroughs were as a production assistant on Lionel Ritchie’s “Say
You, Say Me” video and the film La
Bamba, which led to work on Stand and
Deliver.
“It snowballed from there.” Within
two years he was producing his own
videos and commercials such as
Michael Jordan’s Gatorade ads, and
within a decade was running the commercial/music video department of A
Band Apart with co-founders Quentin
Tarantino and Lawrence Bender. While
his Hollywood connections blossomed
and his résumé grew, his Augsburg connections never died.
16
Augsburg Now
Breaking new ground
“Michael [Bodnarczuk] wanted the film
major here desperately,” recalls Redmond. “He contacted us.” Redmond and
theatre professor Martha Johnson traveled to LA to spend time meeting with
him about the idea. This became the impetus for the program.
Courses in film continued to find
their way into the catalog, and when confirmation came from the dean’s office, a
film minor was established.
As more and more Augsburg graduates entered the world of film, momentum for the program continued to grow.
President William Frame visited Hollywood to raise money for the film program, and Bodnarczuk donated
equipment and money for it.
Students like Adam Schindler ’00
and Hanne Anderson ’99 came to Augsburg before the major was established,
but knowing that film was their passion.
Schindler took creative writing
classes, looking to hone his storytelling
ability, and ended up with a communication major and minors in English and
film. “As I continued churning out
scripts, taking broadcast production
courses, film-related J-term courses, I was
approached by a few students about the
possibility of forming a film group.” They
applied for a grant through Student Senate, and, with the help of Redmond, put
together the Augsburg Association of Student Filmmakers (AASF).
“We were pleasantly surprised when
we had 30 or so students show up for our
inaugural meeting,” Schindler remembers.
“It was a very collaborative effort
with all the members chipping in film
ideas, cameras, and loads of time,” says
Anderson.
While he was still a student,
Schindler had a chance to meet Bodnarczuk through a contact in Augsburg’s
Alumni Office. Bodnarczuk extended
Schindler an invitation to intern if he ever
decided to move to LA. Needless to say,
Bodnarczuk was the first person Schindler
called when he made the decision to go
west.
“I hired a lot of Auggies,” Bodnarczuk recalls. “I helped open doors for
them because I knew how hard it was for
me. I think every single one of them has
gone on to greatness. I am very happy for
and very proud of them.”
A distinctive major emerges
“It took years to put [the major] together
because we really wanted it to be interdisciplinary, and truly based in the liberal
arts,” says Redmond.
The application for approval of the
major was submitted during the 2002-03
school year and was approved for fall of
2004. In the past year, Ellenwood has
begun teaching full time, and additional
courses have been added.
Today, first-year film students are not
allowed to take production courses, but
instead start with still photography and
core academic courses. From there, they
take courses in the history of cinema, criticism, and issues in contemporary cinema, which lead into documentary and
acting courses. Students have the opportunity to take electives in areas such as
graphic design, journalism, and art, and
for their lab science requirement they may
take Physics for the Fine Arts.
Robert Cowgill, who spent years as a
dramaturg at the Guthrie and is past performer, owner, and manager of the Oak
Street Cinema, teaches courses in analysis.
Elise Marubbio, an award-winning author
on the representation of Native Americans
in film, teaches courses that cross-list between the American Indian studies and
film programs.
“Our focus is on training students to
recognize within a system like Hollywood
that there are very particular narratives
around groups of people,” Marubbio says.
“Our hope is that film students begin to
realize that when they create a film and an
image of someone, they need to be aware
of the cultural implications.”
Marubbio coordinates Augsburg’s Native American Film Festival. “The combination of things that we’re doing is unique
to Augsburg.”
The program’s first student to officially major in film was Trevor Tweeten
’06. “The whole theory side at Augsburg
was fantastic, between [John] Mitchell
and [Robert] Cowgill,” he says. “There’s a
practical side of it with Deb [Redmond]
and Wes [Ellenwood], but also the heavy
side of theory and history. I think there’s a
good balance … I feel really lucky to have
gone to a liberal arts school and have a
broader understanding of politics and life
and literature and all that stuff.”
Augsburg also brings in adjunct faculty who are experts in their field, such as
Christina Lazaridi, a New York-based
screenwriter whose first screenplay was
nominated for an Emmy. She teaches
screenwriting in the summer.
Beyond the classroom, the program
encourages study abroad and internships.
It is often past graduates who provide the
internships for current students.
“We are growing our own,” says Redmond. “When people come to Augsburg
to study film, they are not committing
themselves to four years, but for life …
We’re growing our own faculty, in
essence.”
“The thing that fits with the mission
of the College is we’re looking for people
with a commitment to a message, particularly using the language of film to tell
their stories,” Redmond states.
One such example is a film by senior film major David Siegfried, who
used still photographs with voiceover to
tell the story of the teaching career of
his grandfather, Augsburg anatomy and
biology professor Erwin Mickelberg. In
his film are photos of Siegfried’s mother
riding her bicycle in Murphy Park as a
young child. (http://davidsiegfried.com/
mycampusfinal.html)
The current crop
“We’re grounded now,” says Ellenwood,
pointing to the fact that there is now a
common place for film students to hang
out, a space shared by communication,
film, and theatre students. Just through
the hallway of faculty offices are the editing suites, then the film studio, and
the “closet” they hope will soon become
the screening room. “Loitering is happening on a regular basis. That’s a good
thing.”
Ellenwood attributes the increased
interest in Augsburg’s film program to
the fact that it is deeper and broader
than most programs. “Without any marketing, students are finding us. Word is
getting out,” he says. Students have
come from as far as Argentina, and now
India. “We need more faculty, space,
and equipment to allow for the increasing number of students.”
“Our hope is to grow donors,” Redmond says. “It can start with supply
items, like an extension cord, then volunteering to take interns, then, if
they’re in the position to hire, to look at
our graduates. Eventually, they can donate larger sums of money.”
At the end of each semester, there is
a screening of student work. The event
is not broadcast across campus, and yet
last semester’s screening filled the TV
studio, with over 100 in attendance.
“That’s an astounding number for us,”
says Ellenwood.
Starting in fall 2007, film students
Film professor Wes Ellenwood, who specializes in documentary and 16mm film,
connects students with film pros in the
Twin Cities for hands-on experience.
Fall 2008
17
were included in the Fine Arts Scholarship program, which awards $3,000 per
year to selected students who have
demonstrated excellence in film. Four
students were awarded the scholarship
in its inaugural year.
This fall Augsburg is launching a
partnership with the highly-regarded
film studies program at Minneapolis
Community and Technical College.
MCTC students will be able to complete
a four-year degree in film studies at
Augsburg, and Augsburg film students
will be able to take courses in the film
program there.
A rich harvest
Students who recently graduated have
enjoyed rubbing shoulders with professionals in the business, just as those in
the early days.
w
Ben Katz ’08, Steven Jacobson ’08,
Trevor Tweeten ’06, and Joe Lueben ’07
all worked on a film accepted into the
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film
Festival last year. Matt Goldman, who
has written for Disney and for Seinfeld,
directed the film. “Working with Matt
opened up a lot of doors,” says Lueben.
“It was the first time we’ve taken somebody else’s story, and not our own.”
The four also created a feature film
called “Bits” with a group of Augsburg
alumni, which has been featured on
www.mnfilmtv.org and was screened at
the Uptown Theater in August.
He has freelanced for such organizations as 3M and the University of Minnesota, and worked on a Kid Dakota
music video, on a short film with the lead
singer of Motion City Soundtrack, and
made a 50-minute compilation of clips of
Minnesota-made films.
For his senior project, Katz worked
ho’s who in film alums
with Ellenwood to research the documentation needed for an independent
film. With a 90-page script, he created a
production book with scene breakdown,
shooting schedule, budget, and business
plan, which he then presented to the
writer in LA.
“I love that the program’s grown
with me,” says Katz. “When I started out
[at Augsburg], everyone was excited
about the film program, but the department was not very structured. It’s gotten
better. Once Wes was hired full time, it
changed. It’s a real program now.”
“It’s this current wave of graduates
who will probably be the best ones,” Wes
says of the dozen or so who graduated
this last spring. “They are positioning
themselves to be out in the industry, in
the field; not pumping gas.”
Bethany Bierman formerly worked in the
Office of Marketing and Communication
and lives in Minneapolis.
To learn more about Augsburg’s film program,
go to www.augsburg.edu/film
Michael Bodnarczuk ’85
Owner of Battle Creek Productions. Past president and co-founder (along
with Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender) of A Band Apart, which produced videos for such megastars as U2, Metallica, and Bon Jovi (and in
1999 alone was up for 21 of the MTV Awards).
Adam Schindler ’00
Past assistant to producer Lawrence Bender. Assistant to the executive
producer of Desperate Housewives; current assistant for director Marty
Calner. Semi-finalist in the Academy of Motion Picture’s Nicholl Screenwriting Contest; horror script, “Sundown.”
Garret Williams ’89
Attended graduate school at the American Film Institute; directed Spark,
which received a Best Director Award; selected as one of nine filmmakers for
Fast Track in 2005 on his work on Lost Dog. IFP Blockbuster/McKnight Film
Fund winner.
JoLynn Garnes ’02
Editor of The Fearless Freaks, featuring the Flaming Lips documentary,
winner of the Mojo Vision Award. Has edited videos for artists such as Liz
Phair, Hilary Duff, and Prince, as well as Target commercials, the feature
documentary Summercamp!, and video visuals for Beyoncé’s 2007 world
tour.
Bryce Fridrik Olson ’97
Director of feature films The Caretaker (2008) with Jennifer Tilly and Judd
Nelson, and Be My Baby . Co-produced instructional DVD “OT for Children
with Autism, Special Needs & Typical.”
Hanne Anderson ’99
Emmy nominee for camera editing for her work on Guiding Light; editor for
digital group at Spike TV, and, as a sideline business, co-owns Riveting Productions, a DVD authoring company that works primarily with Comedy Central Records.
Jenny Hanson ’05
Completing graduate work in Austria in a trans-arts program; owns
Sprouted Wolf Productions; teaches film at North Hennepin Community
College and Normandale Community College.
Trevor Tweeten ’06
The first official film major. Won first place at the Oak Street Cinema’s 24hour film festival; recently moved to New York City to freelance; currently
shooting for TLC’s What Not to Wear.
THE PIONEERS
18
Augsburg Now
auggies
In the first days of September, while Gulf Coast residents battled
Hurricane Gustav, more than 45,000 Republican delegates, party
officials, volunteers, and members of the media converged on the
Xcel Center in downtown St. Paul for the 2008 Republican National Convention.
An event as significant as the RNC was not contained, however, to a single site. Across the Mississippi on Augsburg’s campus, students and faculty from 48 colleges and universities met
for a two-week program of the The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. Because of its commitment to civic
engagement and service-learning, Augsburg was chosen to host
the seminar in conjunction with the convention.
Twenty-three Augsburg students participated in internships
through the program, each working in the preparation and planning stages to learn about the behind-the-scenes efforts involved
with a national convention. Augsburg communication studies professors Robert Groven and Kristen Chamberlain served on the faculty of The Washington Center Seminar.
Three Augsburg students shared their convention experiences—a young Hmong woman who changed her major from premed to political science, a graduate student who entered a state
legislative race, and a politically liberal political science major
who learned that Republicans and Democrats are more similar
than he thought.
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BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
The Washington Center at the RNC
Fall 2008
19
’11
Ben Krouse-Gagne
Getting active in politics
The Washington Center at the RNC
20
Augsburg Now
Though he says he has been involved in politics for a short time—just
two-and-a-half years—Ben Krouse-Gagne has done more than some of
us will do in our lifetimes. He worked on Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer’s Senate campaign, did a summer internship with the Anti-War Committee,
served as a delegate to the 2008 Democratic state convention in
Rochester, Minn., and spends weekends door-knocking for state congressional candidates.
Krouse-Gagne, a second-year political science major who grew up
in Minneapolis’ progressive Seward neighborhood, said he was really always involved in politics because his family, neighbors, and church
community were politically active. Then in high school, he traveled to
the School of the Americas in Georgia, a military combat training school
and the site of frequent anti-war protests. “It really hit me when they
read the names of those killed in the war,” he said, “and one of the names
was ‘one-month-old baby.’”
That experience fueled Krouse-Gagne’s desire to become active and led
him eventually to a summer job at TakeAction Minnesota, where he worked
to educate voters about political issues. “People don’t understand how state
politics affects them,” he said. “A lot of people don’t even know who their state
representatives are.”
His RNC field placement was with the Bloomberg News Service. On the
first day of the convention, he covered the protests outside Xcel Center. “I
knew a lot of the people and organizations protesting,” he said, which gave
him an opportunity to get close to the action. Protestors told him their goal
was to slow down the convention. “Inside, they didn’t even know what was
happening out there,” he said. “It didn’t slow down the convention at all.”
Through conversations with delegates, Krouse-Gagne learned that he had
more in common with Republicans than he thought. “Republicans are just
the same as us,” he said. “They want what we want, just in a different way.”
Krouse-Gagne also became friends with Eric Franzen, another intern
who is currently the president of the Augsburg College Republicans. The
two are working with the Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning, with
the help of Augsburg Sabo Professor Garry Hesser, to bring speakers to
campus to further the “Get Political” civic engagement events.
Their goal is to ensure that the Augsburg community is exposed
to multiple perspectives on political issues.
Being at the RNC made Krouse-Gagne want to be a delegate
to the 2012 Democratic National Convention and to become
even more involved in politics. A lot can happen in four years.
’11
Mai Lee
Changing courses
In the Hmong culture, young people often follow the path chosen
for them by their parents. For Mai Lee, a second-year student from
Minneapolis, this meant a career in medicine. Though she had always wanted to study political science, she pushed the idea away
and filled her fall semester schedule with science courses. “I was all
set to take biology and chemistry and 99% sure about majoring in
pre-med,” Lee said. Then she attended the 2008 Republican National
Convention, and that experience changed her course.
Days before the fall semester began, Lee changed her major from premed to political science. “At the convention, I met many people who
gave me good advice about a career in politics,” she said. Lee thought
her family would disapprove of her decision, but she knew she needed
to trust her instincts. “My dad wasn’t too happy,” she added, “but I said
I just knew pre-med wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
Lee said she had always considered herself politically conservative,
but the convention gave her an “up-close look at the Republican Party”
and persuaded her to consider a career in public or government administration. She wants to change the immigrant mindset that government
is “bad” or against them. “I want to help people,” she said, “and show
people that government can be good.”
As a Hmong American woman, Lee acknowledges that she would be
a minority in the public administration world. “There are not many
Hmong women in politics,” she said. “I could change that and make a
little difference if I get involved.”
During the convention, Lee was placed with Fox News as a “runner.”
She ran errands, picked up politicians or celebrities, brought coffee to producers, and did whatever else was needed. “At one point, I had to pass out these
ridiculous Fox News hats to convention delegates,” she said. “If they didn’t
want it, I was told just to put it in their faces.”
Her convention experience not only influenced Lee’s future, it also encouraged her to become a more active citizen. She’s joined the Augsburg College Republicans and says she is watching the news and reading the paper more. “I’m
doing what voters should do,” she said.
While she plans to support John McCain, Lee says she will still not be discouraged from pursuing a career in public service if the presidency goes to the Democrats. “If McCain doesn’t win the election, it won’t be over for me.”
The Washington Center at the RNC
Fall 2008
21
’10
MAE
Eric Franzen
Because I can
Even at the RNC, Eric Franzen felt like he was in the minority. He was
certain that he and another intern from St. Louis, Mo., were the only
Republicans placed with Talk Radio News Service.
As a student in Augsburg’s Master of Arts in Education program,
Franzen is not required to complete an internship. He applied to The
Washington Center program because he said he recently became intrigued by the “reality” of politics. “Politics is real people doing real
things with real consequences,” he said. “It’s democracy in action.” He
felt the convention would provide an opportunity to become part of the
political reality.
For his internship, Franzen covered convention events with a video
camera and then posted interviews and stories on the Talk Radio News website. His most rewarding experience, however, happened after the convention
because he said he finally felt free to have open conversations about politics
with other students at Augsburg. “This campus is very politically liberal,”
Franzen said. “Some of us get a little nervous.”
Franzen is grateful to Augsburg for hosting The Washington Center program because he said it created opportunities for dialogue and has allowed
him to engage with others, including his politically liberal friend and fellow intern, Ben Krouse-Gagne. “I want to push for political diversity and inclusivity
at Augsburg,” he said, “but certain opinions aren’t always included in the discussion.”
In the future, Franzen aspires to hold a public office. He even added his
name to the ballot in the Republican slot for the District 60A state representative
seat. His opponent? Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the 10-year incumbent and current speaker of the House.
Why would a young graduate student put his name on the ballot against an
incumbent in an overwhelmingly liberal district? Franzen answered. “Because I can.”
“No one was running, and I didn’t want to see the office go unopposed,” he
said. “My goal was for voters to have a choice, so I’m doing what I can to give them
that choice.” Though he’s not likely to unseat Kelliher, he’s has been campaigning,
calling voters, and attending events to promote his candidacy. “It’s a lot of work.”
22
Augsburg Now
Paul Nixdorf
In the production of Fiddler on the Roof, Janet
Paone ’83 met John Vaughn, who became her
kidney donor. Here, as Golde and Tevye, they
once again ask, “Do You Love Me?”
The Kidney Kabaret for Janet Paone
BY BETSEY NORGARD
In a summer 2007 community theatre
production of Fiddler on the Roof, Janet
Paone ’83 played Golde. Golde’s husband, Tevye, was played by John
Vaughn, a Northwest Airlines pilot.
Four months later, she underwent
transplant surgery and received a kidney
that was given to her by Vaughn. Paone
remains amazed at how this whole series of events evolved.
Since September 2005, Paone had
appeared in the cast of Church Basement
Ladies, playing Mrs. Vivian Snustad, in
the comedy based on the book Growing
Up Lutheran, by Janet Letnes Martin ’68
and Suzann (Johnson) Nelson ’68.
While Paone had lived with reduced
kidney functioning since birth, it worsened into renal failure, and her doctors
put her on the transplant list.
Paone turned down out-of-town
gigs, and a friend told her about the Fiddler production, a show she had done as
an Augsburg student and loved. When
she got to know Vaughn, he asked about
her illness.
“Oh, I need a kidney,” Paone said
offhandedly.
“Well, you can have mine,” Vaughn
replied.
Paone took this as purely a casual
remark, but Vaughn persisted. He told
her he would contact the clinic. Prelimi-
nary tests showed him to be a potential
match, to be confirmed with a battery of
testing. They became close friends.
Four months later, Paone’s regular
check-up indicated she had reached a
crisis point and would have to start dialysis until a transplant became available.
After Fiddler, she and Vaughn had gone
their own ways, and she thought he
might have reconsidered. She set a date
for dialysis.
But the very next day, Vaughn contacted her with news that he had finally
been able to schedule the battery of
tests. He asked how she’d been. She told
him honestly, and added, “Is that kidney
still available?
“I just started crying,” Paone says.
“The timing was crazy.”
Vaughn was a good match, and on
November 27, after several heart-toheart talks with him, Paone received the
kidney he donated. She says he told her
that the true gift she could give him in
return was her good health.
Paone’s recovery went remarkably
well, and she was back on stage in the
winter, continuing her role as Mrs.
Snustad in Church Basement Ladies 2: A
Second Helping. She and Vaughn have
remained in close touch since.
What Paone now faces are thousands of dollars in medical bills, with
few resources to cover them. A month
after surgery, several friends in the theatre
community began talking about a
fundraiser, and a planning “posse”
formed, including several Augsburg classmates. Katie Koch ’06, assistant to the director at the Guthrie Theater, knows
Paone well and served as coordinator.
The “Kidney Kabaret” played at
Augsburg on April 21, with many actors
and musicians stepping forward to donate
services, time, and talents, which also included technical support for sound and
lighting, and event decorations.
A silent auction offered more than
125 items from theaters, restaurants,
churches, sports teams, and radio stations.
The program acts were all friends,
co-actors, and colleagues of Paone from
past theater productions. WCCO’s
Frank Vascellaro and Dale Connelly,
from Minnesota Public Radio, co-hosted
the evening.
Special guest Dr. Mark Odland,
Paone’s transplant surgeon, was introduced, along with staff from HCMC’s
kidney transplant program. Vaughn was
recognized and lauded for his gift of life
to Paone.
More than $15,000 was donated,
and the Janet Paone Transplant Fund
was set up at U.S. Bank with the help of
Auggie classmate David Young ’82.
Sponsors for the event were Curt Wollan and TroupeAmerica, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and Augsburg.
For more information, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall 2008
23
Travel
that
transforms
BY BETSEY NORGARD
The Center for Global Education
Amazing. Life-changing. Transforming. Participants are not shy about describing their experiences on trips organized by the Center for Global Education. They seek out opportunities to talk about what they learned, and they want to return. The difference is that they
have not been on casual, sightseeing trips, but reflective travel; and CGE has built a reputation as a national leader in international experiential education.
24
Augsburg Now
Courtesy CGE-Namibia
Courtsey CGE
Social work students from eight colleges spend a
semester learning about social work issues and meeting
social work students in Mexico City and Cuernavaca—
and here, posing next to papayas in rural Morelos.
While the first student seminar in Mexico
took place in 1979, it wasn’t until 1982
when Joel Mugge led a group that officially established the Center for Global
Service and Education. He did this in response to a request from the Lutheran
Church for programs to raise awareness
of international issues.
Mugge developed a new form of international education, basing the curriculum on the educational principles of
Brazilian educator and theologian Paulo
Freire. In this, students learn in a cycle of
three phases. Initially they have direct experience in the local community, listening
to the voices of people not usually heard
in mainstream media, telling their own
stories and stories of their communities.
Then, informed by readings, students reflect on what they saw and heard. Lastly,
as a group, students share their reactions,
discuss issues, and formulate actions to
carry with them. It becomes a continual
process of “learning how to learn.”
CGE’s programs include study and
travel abroad for students, faculty development in global education, and customized
group travel around specific issues or targeted for specific groups. As a result of
these programs, CGE has served as a catalyst in the Lutheran Church for a new understanding of global mission, putting
people from the U.S. face-to-face with
people in local communities around the
world to learn from each other and build
partnerships across faiths. CGE programs
tailored for small businesses have helped
their employees understand complexities
in social, economic, and political issues,
and the development of more responsible
global citizenship.
“The goal is not to simply educate
persons, but to encourage them to pursue
a life of involvement that will ultimately
lead to wisdom,” says Larry Hufford, a political science professor at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas, who has led
numerous study seminars with CGE’s as-
sistance and who finds them spiritually renewing.
During the 1980s and 1990s, CGE
planned travel seminars literally around
the world. Study centers with resident
Augsburg faculty and staff were then established in three locations—Cuernavaca,
Mexico; Managua, Nicaragua; and Windhoek, Namibia. Offices and staff are also
located in El Salvador and Guatemala.
CGE became known for the quality
of learning their travel provided; in 1988
they were hired by the American Society
of Newspaper Editors to organize a seminar for journalists to Central America and
Mexico. CGE has also received Fulbright
grants to organize several group projects.
In 2003, the program was named the National Society for Experiential Education’s
Program of the Year.
In 2001, the position of CGE director
was expanded to include the associate
dean of international programs. The Office of International Programs (OIP) was
created, which, in addition to CGE, includes Augsburg Abroad, the study
abroad office; International Partners, including European institutions in Germany,
Norway, and Finland that have reciprocal
agreements for study with Augsburg; and
International Student Advising, providing
advising and advocacy for international
students at Augsburg.
Students say…
Comments from the “Religion and
Christian Faith” travel seminar to
El Salvador, January 2007
NATALIE SASSEVILLE ’09
“Going on the trip to El Salvador was like getting
stuck in an earthquake—it shook me and all of
my values to the core…Never before have I felt
so inspired or impassioned…”
JOE SKOGMO ’08
“This trip gave me knowledge that cannot be
learned in any textbook, but it is knowledge that
one cannot do without in order to understand the
magnitude of human responsibility, vocation, and
global citizenship. Studying in El Salvador is
simply the greatest practical application for understanding why our vocations matter.”
MICHELE ROULET ’09
“The people of [El Salvador] are our textbook,
and their stories are frightening and funny and
inspiring. To say that everyone comes back
changed is to make light of the experience. People come back enriched, enlightened, and energized.”
OLEE AMATA ’11
“The concept of affecting another human being
by decisions I make made me see the world differently. … As a business major, I want to learn
how I can help be a global citizen when globalization is the enemy to developing countries.”
Fall 2008
25
Courtsey Donna DeGracia
Students training to become physician assistants visited
clinics in Guatemala, learning about healthcare practices
there and presenting health clinics—such as teaching
children about oral hygiene.
INTERNATIONALIZING AUGSBURG
EDUCATION
Shortly after the arrival of new Augsburg
president Paul Pribbenow in 2006, the
College began to focus on internationalizing Augsburg education. OIP launched efforts to integrate study abroad experiences
into the curriculum of all majors on campus, seeking to create a culture shift toward
a more internationalized campus and college experience for students. The goal is a
more seamless relationship between campus curriculum and study abroad. Students
may choose from the semesters abroad offered by CGE or participate in other study
abroad programs approved by the Augsburg Abroad office.
In addition to infusing study abroad
into all majors, CGE has made it possible
for all students—undergraduate and graduate—to have a cross-cultural experience.
For weekend students it means only a oneor two-week course, a shorter time away
from family and work than the semester
program. For graduate students, it means a
short-term seminar that directly links to
their program work or research. For all students, the direct, personal experience in
another culture is carried back into their
lives and work at home.
A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS
Following are examples of programs that
have been designed for specific disciplines or target audiences:
26
Augsburg Now
Social work in a Latin American
context
This semester-long program in Mexico for
social work undergraduate students was
developed within a unique consortium of
eight colleges and universities in South
Dakota and Minnesota—both public and
private. It provides a common experience
for students at schools lacking the resources to create a program of their own.
This experience gives future social work
professionals better preparation to serve
the needs of Spanish-speaking clients in
their home areas.
The social work students live at
Augsburg’s center in Cuernavaca. They
take classes in culture with Augsburg’s
adjunct faculty there, and classes in social
work theory and practice with a visiting
professor from one of the consortium institutions.
In 2006, the consortium was
awarded the Council on Social Work Education’s Partners in Education award for
“advancing education for international
social work.”
Exploring health care in Guatemala
In July the physician assistant studies master’s program became the third graduate
program to offer a study abroad course tailored for its students. Twelve students traveled to Guatemala for two weeks to learn
about indigenous culture, and specifically
to explore health practices and spirituality
in Mayan cultures.
While there, the students visited clinics, learned about deep social and cultural
disparities, and presented programs on
healthcare topics, such as hypertension and
diabetes. They learned and saw how
healthcare practices can be developed with
vastly fewer resources—something which
may serve them well as they seek physician
assistant positions in areas with underserved populations.
Before traveling, the PA students raised
money to buy supplies and materials to
give to the clinics, such as over-the-counter
vitamins and pain relievers, stethoscopes,
blood pressure cuffs, etc.
Lilly vocation seminars
As part of “Exploring Our Gifts,” Augsburg’s grant from the Lilly Endowment for
exploration of vocation, a total of nine
travel seminars have been designed with a
focus on vocation.
Religion professor Bev Stratton has
twice led a vocation-themed seminar—Religion and the Christian Faith (REL 480)—
to El Salvador, where students have studied
how powerfully the faith of the Salvadoran
people has impacted their struggles for social justice. These courses fulfill the students’ keystone requirement—a seminar
generally taken in their last year that pulls
together their total Augsburg experience,
combining the liberal arts foundation with
their in-depth major, while revisiting the
Courtsey Jennifer Hipple
As part of the Hoversten Peace Seminar, an Augsburg faculty, staff, and student group stopped for a photo while
touring the fields of a coffee cooperative in Guatemala.
critical conversations about vocation.
The El Salvador group visited massacre sites, met with survivors, and heard
from leaders such as Bishop Medardo
Gomez of the Salvadoran Lutheran
Church, who spoke about how he sees his
vocation at work in El Salvador. The group
also became immersed in the work and
legacy of Archbishop Óscar Romero, killed
in the civil war in 1980.
The Lilly seminars have given students
both a cross-cultural experience and a
framework to understand how Christian
vocation is part of daily life. Other Lilly
seminars have taken students to Namibia,
Mexico, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.
Hoversten Peace Seminar
Supported by the Hoversten Peace Endowment, this biennial travel seminar for
Augsburg faculty, staff, and students aims
to develop a strong learning community
among participants. Pre-departure orientation introduces the group to each other,
and living and learning together abroad
strengthens their bonds. Upon return, the
group continues to build community
around their common experience by
sharing it with the larger Augsburg community.
In August, 10 faculty, staff, and students—coincidentally, all women—par-
Courtsey Rachel Olson
“I learned how to learn”
Hannah Glusenkamp ’09
Students in the 2005 study seminar to El Salvador studied
the legacy of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was killed
while championing the struggle of the Salvadoran people
during their long civil war.
ticipated in the 10-day “Peace and Reconciliation after Conflict: A Guatemalan Perspective.” The women learned about the
history of civil war and the peace accords, heard from leaders with differing
perspectives, and confronted the realities
of the local communities.
The efforts to internationalize the
Augsburg campus are showing results. In
2007-08, a record number of 221 Augsburg students studied abroad.
As their first quarter-century came to
a close, CGE director and associate dean
Orval Gingerich noted in their anniversary publication that “the work of CGE is
unfinished, and is perhaps more important than ever in bringing tools for critical analysis and action and ultimately
hope to a new generation of students,
professors, and global citizens.”
Stay tuned for the next 25 years.
Hannah Glusenkamp is a senior majoring in
women’s studies, with minors in Spanish and religion. At the 2008 Peace Prize Forum at Concordia College in Moorhead, she was selected as
one of Augsburg’s two Peace Scholars, a new
program that strives to develop students leaders
aspiring to careers in world peace issues.
Glusenkamp studied on two CGE programs—“Sustainable Development and Social
Change” in Central America, and “Gender, Sexuality, Politics, and the Arts” in Mexico.
“Both of these experiences challenged,
shook up, and reshaped my values, beliefs, and
world view,” she wrote. “From the first day of
the trip we, the students, were encouraged to reflect on our multi-dimensional selves and to approach education from a holistic standpoint, a
standpoint that incorporates all aspects of our
lives into the learning process.”
At the Council on International Educational
Exchange conference last fall, Glusenkamp and
nine other student panelists were asked to share
the most important thing they learned while
studying abroad. “I thought about the question
for a moment and then realized that my answer
had to be, ‘I learned how to learn,’” she said.
“I learned to become an active participant
in my education. … I learned to be curious and
to ask questions. I can no longer travel to a city
or country without wondering what the healthcare system is and if it benefits the people in
that community, or how the public transportation runs, or how subsidies in the United States
might affect the agricultural practices of the indigenous peoples in that community. … I
learned to question whose voice I am hearing
and whose voice is being left out.
“My experiences and time with the Center
for Global Education … showed me that I am
not just a student of Augsburg College for four
years, but rather that we are all students of life,
with the rights and responsibilities to engage in
the dynamic, liberating, and transformative ongoing process of experiential education.”
Fall 2008
27
TRAVEL SEMINARS
850
sponsored groups CGE has
worked with
25
Celebrating
years of
educating for transformation
by Kathleen McBride, regional co-director for Central America
and adjunct professor, Center for Global Education
Crossing borders and challenging boundaries is a
powerful metaphor for our journey of the last 25
years. It is the title of the first Center for Global
Education publication that documented the collective memory of our first years of work. The
Center’s initial experiences in 1979 included
crossing the Mexican border with students for
short-term educational experiences. Since that
time, thousands of participants have joined the
Center’s travel seminars to Mexico, Central America, the Philippines, the Middle East, Southern
Africa, and [locations in the U.S.].
As educators, we see our role as one that
engages students and participants in the world,
facilitating critical analysis and reflection that
leads to action. We believe that intercultural dialogue and collaboration with decision makers
and historically disadvantaged urban and rural
communities are a way of developing greater
understanding of the power relations in the
world and planting seeds towards more just relations and fair practices. These assumptions
are at the root our pedagogical model.
An expanded pedagogical framework
While the pedagogy of Paulo Freire continues to
be the foundation of our educational process (experience—reflection—action), in recent years
other kindred approaches, including feminist and
indigenous pedagogies, have influenced our
practice and strengthened our analysis. All of
28
Augsburg Now
the numbers
12,000+ travel seminar participants
Center for
Global
Education
SEMESTERS ABROAD
300
colleges, whose study semesters are arranged by CGE,
including institutions in the U.S., Germany,
Canada, and Norway
1,900
semester program participants
COUNTRIES VISITED
40+
in Mexico, Central America, South
America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, the Middle
East, India, Southeast Asia, China, and Hong Kong,
and the U.S.
CGE FACULTY AND STAFF LOCATIONS
9
Minneapolis
16
Mexico
9
Nicaragua
1
El Salvador
2
Guatemala
8
Namibia
And, millions of stories shared, hearts touched, and
perceptions changed over 25 years across the globe.
these pedagogies place significant emphasis on
learning in community. For Freire, learning in
community is one of the foundations of liberating
education. Historically, learning in community has
been a fundamental characteristic of indigenous
teaching and learning, though underrepresented
in traditional educational systems. Similarly, feminist pedagogy upholds learning in community as
central to educational processes that gives voice
to all people, particularly women, whose experience and voice have oftentimes been silenced.
Concepts of autonomy and empowerment that are
key to feminist and indigenous scholarship have
informed our methodologies and expanded our understanding of the world and of the educational
process. Our efforts to foster ongoing critical
analysis of power relations in the world are
grounded in a practice of intercultural dialogue
and experiences that continue to break open new
understandings of the world, leading us to a
deeper analysis that continually informs our
teaching.
Ongoing challenges
While our role has become clearer with regard to
our niche in the field of transformative education,
we still face significant challenges. As we facilitate
participants’ reflections on educational experi-
ences and encourage the exploration and implementation of action steps, we are confronted with an institutional challenge if we are in fact going to
continue to practice what we teach. To fully engage
the circle of praxis with the goal of transforming society, follow-up to participants’ experience as they
return to their home communities is essential. How
do we, as an institution, provide a space for participants and students to fully engage the circle of
praxis upon their return? How can we facilitate the
exploration of actions steps in participants’ home
communities? …
The Center for Global Education’s work today
continues to be the fruit of dialogue and reflections
with staff and resource people from over a dozen
countries and hundreds of students and participants
from the United States who have inspired our work,
shaped our analysis, challenged our language, and
informed our worldview. We are excited to be engaged in an educational process that will continue
to be refined and changed in the coming years by
new generations of staff and participants engaged in
transformative education.
Excerpted from Global News & Notes, Summer
2007; 25th Anniversary Issue: “Building a Just
and Sustainable World: Educating for
Transformation”
AUGSBURG COLLEGE
ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS
2007-2008
Fall 2008
29
DEAR FRIENDS,
I write with a deep sense of humility and gratitude for your remarkable support of Augsburg College.
When I received the call to serve as the 10th president of Augsburg College, I enthusiastically accepted,
filled with a sense that God intended my life’s work to intersect with Augsburg’s mission and vision. I give
thanks every day for the opportunity to serve this special college. I am impressed by the deep commitment so
many individuals show toward Augsburg and its important work in the world. This annual report is a reminder to all of us of the importance philanthropy plays in the life of our college, and in the lives of our students. On their behalf, thank you for your generosity.
Our common work here at Augsburg calls us to be good stewards of the many gifts and resources we’ve
been given. Each year, thousands of alumni, parents, and friends make gifts not to the College, but through
the College, directly benefiting the many students we
serve. These students either embark on, or continue,
their vocational journeys here at Augsburg, and the
WE BELIEVE WE ARE CALL
many gifts we receive on an annual basis directly imTO SERVE OUR NEIGHBOR
pact their experience—in the classroom, on campus,
and in our neighborhood.
We have a new and bold way of stating the vision
of Augsburg College. It is this: We believe we are called to serve our neighbor. It is a vision statement that resonates deeply with the legacy and promise, the commitments and values, and the aspirations and reality of
our college. It is a statement that confirms our strong conviction that faith, learning, and service are at the
very heart of our identity as a college. I am especially grateful for the faculty and staff of the College who live
out this vision in educating our students.
To continue to live out this vision in a very real and meaningful way, Augsburg College needs your abiding and increased participation and support. I ask each of you to join me as we work together to secure a
strong and vibrant future for our college, and for our students.
Sincerely,
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW
PRESIDENT
30
Augsburg Now
ED
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2007-08
Six new regents
elected to board
Six new members were elected to fouryear terms on the Augsburg College
Board of Regents at the annual meeting
of the Augsburg Corporation in October
2007. In addition, Michael Good and
Jennifer Martin were re-elected to second
six-year terms. New members: Andra
Adolfson, business development director
of Adolfson & Peterson Construction,
Inc; Rolf Jacobson, writer, educator, and
associate professor of Old Testament at
Luther Seminary; Ruth E. Johnson, MD ’74,
consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo
Medical School. She was recognized as a
Distinguished Alumna of Augsburg in
1996; Stephen Sheppard, former CEO of
Foldcraft Co; Joan Volz ’68, private practice attorney specializing in mediation;
Bonnie Wallace, scholarship director,
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa.
Garry Hesser appointed new
Sabo Professor
President Pribbenow announced the appointment of Garry Hesser, professor of
sociology and director of the MetroUrban Studies program, as the College’s
first Sabo Professor of Citizenship and
Learning. His work in this new role lays
the groundwork for the establishment of
an endowed Martin Olav Sabo Center
and chair.
As the Sabo Professor, Hesser’s activities include collaboration with the
Center for Service, Work, and Learning
concerning student engagement and
leadership, and development of events,
Students from the organic chemistry and analytical chemistry class labs paused to thank Augsburg donors John ’74
(chemistry) and Marvel Yager for their gifts that support scholarships for chemistry majors. Their $10,000 annual gift is
fully matched by John’s employer, Beckman Coulter, and has provided $80,000 over the past four years to support chemistry students.
programs, and lecture series that promote civic engagement and build community outreach.
Hesser has taught at Augsburg since
1977 and is recognized as a pioneer in
experiential education. In 1997 he received the Thomas Ehrlich Award for
leadership in service-learning, and in
2004 was named the Minnesota Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for Advancement
and Support of Education.
The Sabo Center in Citizenship and
Learning is the culmination of nearly 20
years of fundraising and advocacy by the
friends and colleagues of Martin Sabo ’59
that celebrates the College’s commitment
to education for democracy.
Metro-urban studies director and professor Garry Hesser
(right) was appointed Sabo Professor of Citizenship and
Learning, honoring the legacy of retired Congressman
Martin Sabo ’59 (left).
Fall 2008
31
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2007-08
Two Augsburg giants
are mourned
Within one month of each other last
year, Augsburg lost two of its most wellknown and longstanding faculty.
Joel Torstenson ’38,
professor emeritus of sociology,
died on October
18, 2007, at the
age of 94.
So much of
Augsburg’s identity today as a college of the city stems from Torstenson’s
work at Augsburg. He founded the sociology and social work departments, and
the metro-urban studies program. He
developed urban programs in Minneapolis that launched HECUA (the
Higher Education Consortium for
Urban Affairs) and that led to the work
of our Center for Service, Work, and
Learning, including Engaging Minneapolis, which requires all students to
connect with the city in their studies.
Torstenson graduated from Augsburg in 1938. He went on for his master’s and doctoral degrees at the
University of Minnesota in history and
sociology. In 1947, Augsburg president
Bernhard Christensen invited him back
to Augsburg, even while still completing
his PhD, to develop programs in sociology and social work.
Torstenson’s deep commitment to
social issues led him to explore and
work in farmers’ cooperative movements, rural community life, churchlabor relations, racial justice and human
rights, and urban studies, especially
studying the question of the role of a
32
Augsburg Now
liberal arts college in a metropolis.
Torstenson’s memoir, Takk for Alt: A Life
Story, opens a window into his life’s
work and thought.
Leland Sateren ’35,
professor emeritus of music, died
on Nov. 10, 2007,
at the age of 94.
Sateren graduated from Augsburg in 1935, and
for the next 10
years attended graduate school at the
University of Minnesota, where he was
music director at the KUOM radio station. After public service during World
War II he returned to Augsburg, and
four years later he became chair of the
Music Department and director of the
Augsburg Choir. He retired in 1979.
His work includes more than 400
choral pieces he composed, and he was
passionate about Scandinavian choral
music. Sateren introduced the work of
many Scandinavian composers to American choral directors.
Among Sateren’s many notable accomplishments are premieres of works
with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra and a commissioned piece at the
United Nations to commemorate the
20th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Sateren was the first recipient of the
F. Melius Christiansen Memorial Award
for choral directors. In 2002 he was
awarded the Weston Noble Choral Directors Award. He was also honored
Home economics graduates from 1950 to 1970 honored the memory of their mentor, teacher, and friend Ruth Segolson,
who served as chair of the Home Economics Department. Following her death in 1980, a fund was established to provide a
special gift in her memory. In November, on behalf of all former home economics majors, Jerilyn Hovland Cobb ’63 presented a tea service to the College, pictured here as it was first used at the Augsburg House reception honoring convocation speaker Jane Fonda. (L to R) President Pribbenow, Abigail Pribbenow, Dora (Frojen) Quanbeck ’49, and Philip
Quanbeck Sr. ’50.
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2007-08
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton held a campaign rally at Augsburg on
February 3, just prior to the “Super Tuesday” primaries. With one day’s notice, Augsburg
staff, along with her campaign team, readied Melby Hall for the lively Sunday afternoon
event that drew nearly 5,000 people, plus local and national media.
with the St. Olaf Medal, presented by
King Olav V of Norway, and received
two honorary doctorates.
Sateren’s impact on the many hundreds of Augsburg students who sang in
his choir was remarkable. Peter Hendrickson ’76, director of choral activities
and current conductor of the Augsburg
Choir, studied with Sateren. A number
of other Sateren choir alumni currently
sing in the Masterworks Chorale at
Augsburg, directed by Hendrickson.
$100,000 Class of 1957
Endowment Fund
Congratulations to the Class of 1957
alumni and their spouses for establishing the Class of 1957 Endowment Fund
in celebration of their 50th class reunion. Their commitment and loyalty
help ensure that Augsburg can meet the
needs of its future students, especially
Jane Fonda presented the 2007 Koryne Horbal Lecture in November, sharing her
thoughts on the importance of beginning the “third act” of her life as she celebrated
her 60th birthday.
in areas of financial aid, program support, enhanced technology, and student
support services.
The endowment was jumpstarted
through the generosity of a class member who provided matches for all gifts
up to $50,000, challenging fellow classmates to participate at all levels.
Augsburg is grateful to the Class of
1957 for creating this important legacy
during their milestone year to honor
their Augsburg education. The foundation provides for today’s and tomorrow’s
students. It keeps them connected to
the traditions and heritage of the College as they craft their own legacies and
ties with students who come after them.
Spirit of Augsburg Award
Beverly Nilsson, professor emerita of nursing, taught at Augsburg from 1977 to
2001, serving as department chair from
1978 until her retirement.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Dr. Bruce Amundson ’60, a leader in the
Peace Corps, Job Corps, and in rural
community health programs; presently
works to advance the integration of
medical care and mental health care in
Washington State.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Jim Pederson ’56 former legislator in the
Minnesota House of Representatives
and Dept. of Public Safety.
2007 Homecoming Awards
The First Decade Award
Jasmina Besirevic-Regan ’97 dean of Trumbull College, one of Yale’s undergraduate residential colleges.
To read more about the 2007 Alumni
Awards, go to www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall 2008
33
2007-2008 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Where the Money Comes From
Where the Money Goes
3%
5%
3%
Government grants
Other sources
3%
Debt service
Equipment
and capital
improvement
2%
Student salary
6%
4%
Private gifts and grants
Utilities
12%
Room and board
20%
47%
Salary and benefits
Financial aid
74%
Tuition
21%
Other
$34.5
$33.7
$30.5
2008 Endowment Market Value
May 31, 2008
$33,692,461
As of May 31, 2008, we have annual realized and unrealized losses
of 3.4% on our endowment. However, last year’s annualized return
was over 16%. Our five-year average annual return on the endowment is 6.21%, and the ten-year
average annual return is 5.39%. We
are committed to maintaining the
value of the principal gifts and to
provide support to the college in
perpetuity.
$26.6
$24.8
$23.2
$25.4
$22.7 $23.3
$20.0
$16.4
$14.2
$11.5
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Endowment Assets
(in millions)
June 1, 1995 – May 31, 2008
34
Augsburg Now
$26.7
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
DEAR FRIENDS,
As we begin our 140th academic year, it is truly my pleasure to share with you the many gifts and contributions made to Augsburg College between June 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008. Even more important than the thousands of gifts received, however, are
the thousands of generous alumni, parents, and friends who made these gifts.
This past year, my first at Augsburg, was an exciting one. Following on the heels of the successful Access to Excellence campaign, a great deal was accomplished for the benefit of our many students. With deep gratitude, I would like to highlight much of
the success we accomplished together.
• We were blessed to receive over 9,000 gifts last year from more than 4,600
donors. The support and generosity of these individuals make a direct and
positive impact on the lives of our students in many ways. These gifts went to
support the Augsburg Fund, student scholarships, capital projects, the fine
arts, athletics, signature programs, and many other important initiatives.
• One exciting highlight from this past fiscal year was that the Augsburg
Fund, our fund for unrestricted gifts to the College, topped the $1 million
mark for only the third time ever and the first time outside of a campaign
year. Our result of $1,001,978.91 was a 10% increase over the prior fiscal year.
We received 5,143 gifts from 2,763 donors to reach this goal.
• Several key groups also came together last year in support of Augsburg College through their philanthropy. I am so proud to inform you that we received
100% participation to the Augsburg Fund from the Board of Regents, the
Alumni Board of Directors, and the President’s Cabinet. This type of support
from these three groups of individuals demonstrates the type of commitment
to this institution by its various groups of leaders.
• Augsburg also received 853 gifts totaling $756,094 to new or existing
scholarship funds, including the establishment of 12 new endowed
scholarships. Two additional scholarships were also funded at the
presidential level, bringing our total of President’s Scholarships to
three. Scholarships are a primary source of financial aid for many deserving students at Augsburg, and we are again grateful that hundreds
of generous individuals have chosen to establish or contribute to these
funds, directly benefiting our student learners.
YOUR SUPPORT AND
GENEROSITY MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE
LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS
• The College also completed its first year of residency in the new Oren Gateway Center and its first fully-operational year in the
new Kennedy Center. These two new facilities, direct results of the generosity shown in the last capital campaign, have made a
positive permanent impact on the life of this institution. Students now directly benefit from new residence halls, state-of-theart classrooms, athletic and wellness facilities, and important gathering and meeting spaces.
As we enter yet another year with great anticipation of what the future will hold for our college, and our students, we look back
with tremendous gratitude for the many blessings we have been given. We are most grateful for each and every gift we receive
and I thank you most sincerely.
Sincerely,
JEREMY R. WELLS
VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Fall 2008
35
LIFETIME GIVING
The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given a minimum of $100,000 (since 1980),
including planned gifts, over a lifetime. We are immensely grateful for their examples of loyalty and commitment to the College.
Ernest+ and Helen Alne
Charles and Ellora Alliss Education Foundation
Oscar+ ’38 and Leola+ Anderson
Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81
Charles and Catherine Anderson
Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson
Donald ’60 and Violet Anderson
Earl and Doris Bakken
Loren and Mary Quanbeck ’77 Barber
Elizabeth ’82 and Warren Bartz
Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden
Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg
Barbara and Zane Birky
Roy ’50 and Ardis Bogen
John+ and Joyce Boss
Donald Bottemiller
Rodney and Barbara Burwell
Bush Foundation
Carlson Companies
The Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation
Shirley Cherkasky
Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin
David and Mary Brandt ’79 Croft
Theodore and Pamala Deikel
Deluxe Corporation Foundation
Darrell ’55 and Helga Egertson
Tracy L. Elftmann ’81
Philip and Laverne Fandrei
Jerry and Jean Foss
William and Anne Frame
Barbara and Edwin Gage
General Mills Foundation
Michael ’71 and Ann Good
Roger Griffith ’84 and Jean Taylor ’85
H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal
Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde
Phillip+ ’55 and Lynne Gronseth
Carolyn and Franklin Groves
Stephen ’70 and Margaret Gundale
James and Kathleen Haglund
Hearst Foundation
Loren Henderson
Donald Hennings
Grace Forss ’57 Herr and Douglas Herr
Donald ’39 and Phyllis Holm
Allen and Jean Housh
Garfield Hoversten ’50
Robert Hoversten
Huss Foundation
Sandra and Richard Jacobson
James Johnson and Maxine Isaacs
Kinney Johnson ’65
Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy
Bruce and Maren Kleven
David and Barbara Kleven
E. Milton Kleven ’46
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Kraus-Anderson Construction Company
David Lankinen ’88
Diane and Philip Larson
George ’61 and Mary Larson
Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee
James Lindell ’46
Arne ’49 and Jean Swanson ’52 Markland
Marie and Larry McNeff
Gerard and Anne Meistrell
Hoyt+ ’39 and Lucille Messerer
Robert ’70 and Sue Midness
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
If you notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
+ Deceased
36
Augsburg Now
Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller
William and Stephanie Naegele
Barbara Tjornhom ’54 Nelson and Richard Nelson
George ’68 and Tamra Nelson
Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson
Robert Odegard ’51+
R. Luther Olson ’56
Beverly Halling ’55 Oren and Donald ’53 Oren
John and Norma Paulson
Robert ’50 and Ruth Paulson
Glen Person ’47
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson
Addison and Cynthia Piper
David Piper
Harry and Mary Piper
Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe
Alan Rice
Curtis and Marian Sampson
Ward ’74 and Catherine Schendel
Ruth Schmidt ’52
James and Eva Seed
Rodney Sill ’82
John and Martha Singleton
Glen and Anna Skovholt
Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46
Leland and Louise Sundet
Dean ’81 and Amy Sundquist
Glen A. Taylor Foundation
P. Dawn Heil Taylor ’78
Teagle Foundation
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Robert ’63 and Marie Tufford
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
Scott Weber ’79
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
ANNUAL GIVING
GIFTS RECEIVED JUNE 1, 2007 TO MAY 31, 2008
The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who generously gave a minimum of $1,000 in the 2007-08 fiscal year.
3M Foundation
Ruth Aaskov ’53
Accenture
Kate Addo
Andra Adolfson
Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Aegon Transamerica Foundation
Peter ’70 and Mary Agre
Lois Richter ’60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson
Edward ’50 and Margaret Alberg
Charles and Ellora Alliss Education Foundation
Paul ’59 and Pearl Almquist
The American Foundation
Ameriprise Financial
Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81
Charles and Catherine Anderson
Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson
Deloris Anderson ’56
Donald ’60 and Violet Anderson
Kim ’73 and Nancy Kerber ’74 Anderson
Leif Anderson
Robert ’77 and Katherine Anderson
Scott ’76 and Lisa Anderson
Steven and Stephanie Anderson
William ’86 and Kelly Anderson
I. Shelby Gimse Andress ’56
James ’88 and Christine Pieri ’88 Arnold
Carla Asleson ’91
Al Assad
The Aston Group, Inc.
Avaya Communication
B R Direct Marketing, Inc.
Dorothy Bailey
Stanley ’57 and Mary Esther Baker
Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden
Stephen ’67 and Sandra Batalden
Estate of Abner B Batalden
Tracy and Janel Beckman
Vera Thorson Benzel ’45
Norman ’59 and Delores Berg
Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg
Samuel ’97 and Melissa Wieland ’97 Bergstrom
Daryl and Marylee Bible
Birgit Birkeland ’58
Robert and Lynda Bisanz
Nancy Paulson ’70 Bjornson and J. Ragnar
Bjornson
Stephen ’74 and Janet Blake
Buffie Blesi ’90 and John Burns
David ’68 and Lynn Boe
Boeing Company
Kevin Bonderud ’79
Amy Bowar ’97
Thomas ’78 and Julie Bramwell
Marilyn Saure ’61 Breckenridge and Tom
Breckenridge
Heidi Breen
Bruce Brekke
Kyle Brown ’88
Adam Buhr ’98 and Laura Pejsa ’98
Carolyn Burfield ’60
Marion Buska ’46
BWBR Architects
Cargill Foundation
Laurie Carlson ’79 and William Voedisch
Wayne ’69 and Pamela Bjorklund ’69 Carlson
Carolyn Foundation
James and Kimberly Cassens
John and Peggy Cerrito
Shirley Cherkasky
Keith ’65 and Lynn Chilgren
Rev. Dr. Herbert ’54 and Rev. E Corrine Chilstrom
David ’72 and Michelle Karkhoff ’72 Christianson
Harlan ’57 Christianson
C. Lee Clarke
Jerelyn Hovland ’63 and Clyde Cobb
Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin
Joseph Cook ’89
Walter and Janet Cooper
The Cotswold Foundation Trust
Brent Crego ’84
George ’72 and Janet Dahlman
Sally Hough Daniels ’79
Bartley Davidson ’76
Dow Corning Corporation Matching Gifts
Downey McGrath Group, Inc.
Karen ’81 and Charles Durant
Beverly Durkee
E.A. Sween Company
Julie Edstrom ’90
Darrell ’55 and Helga Egertson
Judy Thompson Eiler ’65
Daniel ’77 and Patricia Eitrheim
ELCA
Tracy L. Elftmann ’81
Elftmann Family Foundation
Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri
Avis Ellingrod
Rona Quanbeck ’48 Emerson and Victor Emerson
The Eppley Foundation For Research, Inc.
Edna Kastner ’42 Ericksen
Dennis ’64 and Mary Lou Ervin ’64 Erickson
L. Craig ’79 and Theresa Serbus ’79 Estrem
Alice C. Evans
Barbara A. Farley
Jane and Patrick Fischer
Dawn Formo
Jerome Formo ’37
Jamie Fragola
William and Anne Frame
Andrew Fried ’93
Laurie ’80 Fyksen-Beise and William Beise
Estate of Charles T. Gabrielson
Barbara and Edwin Gage
General Mills Foundation
Anthony ’85 and Traci Genia
Glen ’52 and Irvyn Gilbertson
Hugh ’58 and Kay Lemmerman ’60 Gilmore
Orval and Cleta Gingerich
Estate of Richard Irving Gisselquist
Gerald and Susan ’76 Glaser
Global Impact
GMAC-RFC
Andrew and Carolyn Goddard
Goldman, Sachs & Co
Michael ’71 and Ann Good
Gopher Wrestling Club
Shirley Larson ’51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud
Roger ’61 and Barbara Milne ’60 Gordon
Thomas Gormley and Mary Lesch-Gormley
Paul and Margot Grangaard
Robert and Nancy Granrud
Fall 2008
37
Paul and Judy Grauer
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Charles and Barbara Green
William and Judith Green
Roger Griffith ’84 and Jean Taylor ’85
H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal
Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde
Stephen ’70 and Margaret Gundale
Margaret and Gunderson
Mabeth Saure ’58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom
Patrick ’78 and Debra Haar
Mark ’77 and Naomi Hall
Halleland Lewis Nilan Sipkins & Johnson P.A.
William ’51 and Marolyn Sortland ’51 Halverson
Clarence Hansen ’53
Anna Hovland ’58 Hanson
Skylar ’01 and Jennifer Hanson
Estate of Russell I. Hanson and Viola M. Hanson
Jodi and Stanley Harpstead
Robert ’83 and Lynne Harris
John H. Harris III Memorial Foundation
Richard and Dail Hartnack
Christopher Haug ’79 and Karl Starr
David ’67 and Karen Jacobson ’67 Haugen
Dorothy Haugen
Helen ’49 and James Haukeness
Lee Hawks ’84
Lisa Svac Hawks ’85
Philip ’42 and Ruth Helland
Raymond Henjum ’55
Leo Henkemeyer
Hennepin County
Grace Forss ’57 Herr and Douglas Herr
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
Bruce ’90 Holcomb and Caroline Vernon
Kenneth ’74 and Linda Bailey ’74 Holmen
Dean ’57 and Jane Holmes
Homeland Foundation
Elizabeth Horton
Joel and Alice Houlton
Allen ’64 and Lenice Hoversten
Clarence ’41 and Marguerite Hoversten
Kermit ’50 and Ruth Hoversten
Philip ’71 and Patricia Hoversten
Joseph ’61 and Mei Shen Hsieh
Michael and Barbara Hubbard
Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation
Joseph and Linnea Daigle Hudson
Alvin John and Ruth Huss
Huss Foundation
Mohamed Hussein ’03
Glenda and Richard Huston
38
Augsburg Now
Brandon Hutchinson ’99
Barbara and Richard Hutson
IBM Corporation
Duane ’68 and Diane Ilstrup
Imation Corporation
Mary and Tony Jacobson
Sandra and Richard Jacobson
Bruce ’68 and Lois Hallcock ’68 Johnson
Carol Oversvee Johnson ’61
Ruth E. Johnson ’74 and Philip Quanbeck II
Estate of Louisa Johnson
Kinney Johnson ’65
Merton ’59 and Jo An D. Bjornson ’58 Johnson
Craig Jones
Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander
Jennifer Abeln ’78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow
Cheri Hofstad ’85 Kamp and Thomas Kamp
Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy
Mary Ann Kinney ’04
Cody Kirkham
Michael Kivley ’89
Linda Klas ’92
E. Milton Kleven ’46
Jason Koch ’93 and Heather Johnston ’92
Elsie Ronholm Koivula ’49
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Kopp Family Foundation
Joanne Stiles ’58 Laird and David Laird
Martin Larson ’80
Marvin and Ruth Ringstad ’53 Larson
Julie Gudmestad ’65 and Joseph Laudicina
Bernadine and Sidney Lee
Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee
Andre Lewis ’73 and Kathleen McCartin
James Lindell ’46
Gaye and Stephen Lindfors
Mary Sue and Hugh Lindsay
Dana Lonn
Stanley ’56 and Gailya Ludviksen
Wenona ’55 and Norman Lund
John ’65 and Gracia Nydahl ’66 Luoma
Pamela and Robert MacDonald
Janet Mackenzie ’90
Roger ’57 and Fern Mackey
Philip ’79 and Diane Madsen
Kay Malchow ’82 and Stephen Cook
Lyle ’68 and Susanne Starn ’68 Malotky
Terry Marquardt ’98 and Gary Donahue
Jennifer and Richard Martin
Norman ’57 and Gayle Engedal ’57 Matson
Donald ’66 and Margaret Mattison
Donna Demler McLean
Christopher ’00 and Tara Cesaretti ’97 McLeod
Marie and Larry McNeff
Merck Partnership For Giving
Merrill Lynch
Daniel ’65 and Mary Tildahl ’65 Meyers
Deidre Durand ’88 and Bruce Middleton
Robert ’70 and Sue Midness
Paul ’70 and Barbara Durkee ’71 Mikelson
Dennis ’67 and Christine Miller
Gerald ’57 and Frida Mindrum
Spencer ’66 and Gay Johnson ’66 Minear
Minnesota Hockey Coaches Assoc.
Minnesota Private College Foundation
Jeanette Mitchell
Thomas ’59 and Ruth Carlsen ’60 Moen
Thelma Monson ’41
Alan Montgomery and Janet KarvonenMontgomery
Thomas and Lorraine Morgan
LaWayne ’51 and D. LaRhea Johnson ’51 Morseth
Sharon Mortrud
Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller
Dylan ’97 and Wendy ’96 Nau
Gordon Nelson
Mildred Nelson ’52
Robert ’44 Nelson and Helen Johnson-Nelson
Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson
Steven ’64 and Rebecca ’64 Nielsen
Norma Noonan
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust
Roselyn Nordaune ’77
Jane Huseby ’65 Norman
Shirley and James ’57 Norman
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation
Terry ’70 and Vicki Nygaard
Leroy ’52 and Betty Munson ’53+ Nyhus
Oak Grove Lutheran Church
Robert Odegard ’51+
Richard ’69 and Sandra Larson ’69 Olmsted
Donald Olsen ’60
Bruce L. Olson ’71
Dean Olson ’00
R. Luther Olson ’56
Beverly Halling ’55 Oren and Donald ’53 Oren
Beverly Ottum
Patricia and John Parker
Subhashchandra ’75 and Annette Hanson ’74 Patel
John and Norma Paulson
Robert ’50 and Ruth Paulson
Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Richard ’74 and Karen Pearson
Glen Person ’47
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
Corwin and Doris Peterson
Eugene ’59 and Paula Peterson
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson
Karin Peterson
Ron ’69 and Jane Petrich
Sandra Phaup ’64
Jay Phinney ’79
Presser Foundation
President Paul C. Pribbenow and Abigail
Crampton Pribbenow
Project Consulting Group
Karl D. Puterbaugh ’52
Linda Hanwick ’64 and John Putnam
Lois Quam and Matthew Entenza
Philip ’50 and Dora Frojen ’49 Quanbeck
Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe
Lloyd ’63 and Linnea Raymond
RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation
Donald F. and Mary Sue Zelle Reed Fund
Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach
Stephen Rivard and Christine Jett-Rivard
Eunice Kyllo ’62 Roberts and Warren Roberts
Frances Roller
Olive Ronholm ’47
Philip Jr. and Margaret Rowberg
Philip Rowberg ’41
Gerald ’48 and Judith Ryan
Martin ’59 and Sylvia Sabo
Curtis and Marian Sampson
Audrey Nagel ’51 Sander
Judith and William Scheide
Ruth Schmidt ’52
Inez Olson ’59 Schwarzkopf and Lyall Schwarzkopf
Douglas Scott and Grace Schroeder Scott
Michael ’71 and Bonnie Scott
Charles and Ritchie Markoe Scribner
Milan ’48 and Marian Sedio
James and Eva Seed
Phyllis ’58 and Harold Seim
Richard ’70 and Linda Seime
Frankie and Jole Shackelford
Shepherd of the Glades Lutheran Church
Stephen and Kay Sheppard
Chad ’93 and Margaret Shilson
Michael and Pamela Sime
Russel ’50 and Virginia Thompson ’50 Smith
Neal ’57 and Judy Fosse ’61 Snider
Steven and Pamela Snyder
David Soli ’81
Earle ’69 and Kathleen Kupka ’69 Solomonson
John ’62 and Ruth Sather ’63 Sorenson
Allan ’53 and Eunice Nystuen ’50 Sortland
Arne and Ellen Sovik
Joyce Engstrom ’70 Spector and Robert Spector
Gary ’68 and Jeanette Stangland
David ’63 and Karen Henry ’64 Steenson
Todd ’89 and Amy Steenson
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz
Myles and Eunice Stenshoel
Jeffrey ’82 and Peggy Stoks
Beverly and Thomas Stratton
Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46
Philip ’79 and Julia Davis ’79 Styrlund
Grace Kemmer ’58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud
Kenneth Svendsen ’78 and Allison Everett ’78
Brian Swedeen ’92 and Terri Burnor ’92
M. Douglas + and Solveig Swendseid
Jeffrey ’79 and Melissa Swenson
Gary ’80 and Deanna Tangwall
Elizabeth and Kenneth Tankel
P. Dawn Heil Taylor ’78
Glen A. Taylor Foundation
TCF Foundation
Jacqueline ’80 and John Teisberg
Paul ’60 and Nancy Thompsen
Harold and Maureen Thompson
Jennings ’51 and Mary Schindler ’48 Thompson
Richard ’61 and Jane Thompson
Gordon ’52 and Gloria Parizek ’53 Thorpe
Marlys Holm ’57 Thorsgaard and Arlen Thorsgaard
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans
David and Martha Tiede
Christine Toretti
The Toro Company
Allan ’75 Torstenson and Frances Homans
Frances and Joel ’38+ Torstenson
Todd Tourand ’99
Gordon ’57 and Karen Egesdal ’61 Trelstad
Lawrence ’69 and Susan Turner
Peter Turner
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
Betty and Paul Tveite
F. Clayton ’72 Tyler and Jackie Parker ’76
Cherryhomes
UBS Foundation
Morris ’42 and Grace Ulring
US Bancorp Foundation
Ruth Usem
Catherine Van Der Schans
Julie Lien ’82 and Steve Vanderboom
Mary ’70 and Dennis Veiseth
Peter and Linda Vogt
Frank ’69 and Wendy Wagner
Robert Wagner ’02
Norman ’76 and Kathryn Anderson ’76 Wahl
Martha and Steven Ward
Colleen Watson ’91 and Mary McDougal
Lois ’76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw
Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program
Wells Fargo Foundation Community Support
John ’49 and Arnhild Werket
Wheelock Whitney and Kathleen Blatz
The Whitney Foundation
Mary and Gunnar Wick
Robert Wick ’81
David and Catherine Wold
John ’74 and Marvel Yager
Ziemann Insurance Services, Inc.
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
If you notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
Fall 2008
39
CONSECUTIVE GIVING
The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given for 10 or more consecutive fiscal years,
as indicated by the number in parentheses. (Gifts received since 1980)
3M Foundation (25)
Ordelle Aaker ’46 (11)
Ruth Aaskov ’53 (29)
Lois Richter ’60 Agrimson and Russell
Agrimson (16)
Harold ’47 and Lois Black ’47 Ahlbom (29)
Edward ’50 and Margaret Alberg (11)
Paul ’59 and Pearl Almquist (10)
Charles and Catherine Anderson (28)
Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson (29)
Deloris Anderson ’56 (17)
Elizabeth Manger ’53 Anderson and Delbert
Anderson (10)
Kristin Anderson (10)
Leif Anderson (10)
Margaret and Raymond Anderson (11)
Margaret Anderson (10)
Ray Anderson ’49 (21)
Robert ’77 and Katherine Anderson (16)
Scott ’76 and Lisa Anderson (10)
Theodore ’48 Anderson and Eliazbeth
Hibbeler-Anderson (10)
William ’86 and Kelly Anderson (12)
LeRoy ’52 and Carole Anenson (11)
Frank ’50 and Georgette Lanes ’50 Ario (28)
Elyce Lundquist ’58 Arvidson and Marvin
Arvidson (22)
John ’79 and Rebecca Lundeen ’79 Aune (17)
Dorothy Bailey (14)
Stanley ’57 and Mary Esther Baker (29)
Elizabeth ’82 and Warren Bartz (10)
Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden (15)
Gerald ’56 and Nancy Baxter (10)
Hamar ’34 and Wanda Severson ’40 Benson (12)
John Benson ’55 (29)
Vera Thorson Benzel ’45 (25)
Gertrude Ness Berg ’51 (15)
John Berg ’59 (17)
Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg (10)
Jack ’49 and LeVerne Berry (27)
Anthony and Kathy Bibus (10)
Birgit Birkeland ’58 (22)
Gary ’65 and Jean Blosberg (11)
David ’79 and Peggy Boots (12)
Bruce ’64 and Nancy Braaten (12)
40
Augsburg Now
Heidi Breen (15)
Daniel and Irene Brink (13)
Michael Burden ’85 (14)
Carolyn Burfield ’60 (10)
Marion Buska ’46 (19)
Daniel ’61 and Faith Carlson (11)
Jeroy ’48 and Lorraine Carlson (29)
Laurie Carlson ’79 and William Voedisch (11)
Roger ’54 and Dorothy Carlson (10)
Wayne ’69 and Pamela Bjorklund ’69 Carlson (19)
Wendell ’63 and Grace Carlson (10)
Linda Carlstedt ’63 (29)
Joyce Catlin ’73 Casey and Paul Casey (27)
Carl ’59 and Kathleen Aaker ’62 Casperson (11)
Peggy and John Cerrito (10)
Rev. Dr. Herbert ’54 and Rev. E
Corrine Chilstrom (12)
Judith Christensen (10)
Paul ’59 and Gloria Christensen (11)
Jeff Christenson ’82 (10)
Janet Niederloh ’58 Christeson and John
Christeson (11)
David ’72 and Michelle Karkhoff ’72
Christianson (20)
Joseph ’53 and Connie Cleary (11)
Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin (28)
Donald and Janice Conrad (18)
Laura Bower ’91 Cunliffe and Wayne Cunliffe (10)
Oliver Dahl ’45 (11)
Addell Halverson Dahlen ’43 (18)
Lester Dahlen ’39 (29)
Leonard ’52 and Anabelle Hanson ’51 Dalberg (28)
Sally Hough Daniels ’79 (10)
Lois Mackey Davis ’58 (10)
LeVon Paulson Dinter ’52 (22)
Hans ’56 and Donna Dumpys (21)
Linda Lundeen ’74 Dunn and Douglas Dunn (14)
Julie Edstrom ’90 (12)
Ruben ’45 and Thelma Egeberg (10)
Judy Thompson Eiler ’65 (10)
Curtis ’84 and Jody Eischens (10)
Daniel ’77 and Patricia Eitrheim (10)
ELCA (21)
Elftmann Family Foundation (14)
Avis Ellingrod (13)
Valborg Kyllo ’54 Ellingson and Phillip
Ellingson (15)
Rona Quanbeck ’48 Emerson and Victor
Emerson (15)
Mark and Lynette Engebretson (10)
Fred ’60 and Janet Engelmann (20)
James Ericksen ’69 (27)
Reynold ’41 and Marian Erickson (19)
Dean ’68 and Diana Olson ’69 Ersfeld (15)
Alice C. Evans (10)
John ’82 and Joan Moline ’83 Evans (22)
Leland ’53 and Eunice Fairbanks (22)
Marilyn Pearson ’76 Florian and Kenneth
Florian (26)
Jerome Formo ’37 (27)
William and Anne Frame (12)
Esther Oleson ’54 Freund and Norman
Freund (11)
R. Mark Frey (10)
Andrew Fried ’93 (11)
Marilyn Elness ’53 Froiland and Philip
Froiland (17)
Terry ’67 and Pauline Frovik (10)
Ann Garvey (10)
Alan ’67 and Marilyn Albaugh ’67 Gierke (29)
Donald ’60 and Nancy Gilberg (14)
Rachel Rohde ’76 Gilchrist and Chris Gilchrist (19)
Borghild Gisselquist (10)
Gary and Barbara Glasscock (11)
Alexander ’90 and Simone Gonzalez (18)
Shirley Larson ’51 Goplerud and Dean
Goplerud (28)
Lorraine Vash ’67 Gosewisch and David
Gosewisch (10)
Paul and Judy Grauer (27)
Douglas Green and Becky Boling (10)
Cindy Greenwood 2005 (10)
H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal (22)
Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde (29)
Steven ’81 and Kathy Grinde (11)
Paul ’62 and Susan Grover (27)
John and Laurie Grygelko (12)
Fern Hanson Gudmestad ’41 (26)
Sonia Overmoen ’62 Gullicks and Milton
Gullicks (22)
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
Marlys Ringdahl ’53 Gunderson and Charles
Gunderson (21)
Arlin Gyberg (29)
Mabeth Saure ’58 Gyllstrom and Richard
Gyllstrom (27)
Mark ’77 and Naomi Hall (20)
William ’51 and Marolyn Sortland ’51
Halverson (10)
Arvin ’55 and Twila Halvorson (28)
Edward and Shirley Hansen (24)
Sylvia Kleven Hanson ’50 (12)
John ’69 and Barbara Harden (11)
Evelyn Green ’49 Harris and Edward Harris (12)
Betty Johnson ’58 Haas and Charles Hass (28)
Christopher Haug ’79 and Karl Starr (13)
Marjorie Wilberg Hauge ’50 (25)
Burton ’72 and Rollie Haugen (14)
Marilyn Peterson1963 Haus and George Haus (27)
Philip ’42 and Ruth Helland (21)
Gerald ’59 and Maxine Hendricks (10)
Robert ’55 and Karin Herman (10)
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans (29)
Jean Magnuson ’57 Hicks and David Hicks (10)
Rodney ’59 and Arlene Selander ’59 Hill (12)
Helen Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41 (12)
Sylvia Hjelmeland (11)
Thomas ’57 and Arlene Hofflander (20)
James ’61 and Caroline Holden (21)
Norman and Ilene Holen (20)
Dean ’57 and Jane Holmes (10)
Bradley ’63 and Linda Holt (28)
James ’59 and Joanne Horn (10)
Donald ’65 and Delores Hoseth (10)
Robert ’67 and Jane Hosman (23)
Allen ’64 and Lenice Hoversten (29)
Kermit ’50 and Ruth Hoversten (11)
Edith Hovey (15)
Florence Retrum Hovland ’40 (21)
Joseph ’61 and Mei Shen Hsieh (19)
Glenda and Richard Huston (17)
Bruce and Jean Inglis (12)
Rosemary Jacobson ’69 (14)
Jeffrey ’80 and Jacqui Jarnes (11)
Bruce ’68 and Lois Hallcock ’68 Johnson (11)
David ’64 and Karen Johnson (10)
Doris Wilkins ’63 Johnson and Charles
Johnson (12)
Duane and Ruth Johnson (21)
Glen and Marlys Johnson (10)
Gloria Johnson ’51 (20)
Janet Batalden ’61 Johnson and Dennis ’61
Johnson (13)
Joan ’94 and Mark Johnson (14)
Kinney Johnson ’65 (18)
Laurel Jones ’69 Johnson and Larry Johnson (13)
Marcellus ’54 and Thelma Johnson (10)
Martha Johnson (10)
Ruth E. Johnson ’74 and Philip Quanbeck II (21)
Kenneth & Lillian Ysteboe ’51 Ose
Ervin ’56 & Sylvia Overlund
Theodore ’68 and Michelle Johnson (12)
Wayne Johnson ’58 (26)
Helen Johnson-Nelson and Robert ’44 Nelson (13)
Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander (28)
Jennifer Abeln ’78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow (11)
Cheri Hofstad ’85 Kamp and Thomas Kamp (11)
Richard ’69 and Cheryl Nelson ’70 King (11)
Cody Kirkham (11)
Sharon Dittbenner ’65 Klabunde and Richard
Klabunde (22)
E. Milton Kleven ’46 (11)
Jerome Kleven ’58 (12)
Lowell ’54 and Janice Kleven (24)
Leo Klohr and Judy Occhetti-Klohr (12)
LaRhae Grindal Knatterud ’70 (12)
Millard ’52 and Dorothy Knudson (13)
Daniel ’70 and Ingrid Kloster ’69 Koch (11)
Elsie Ronholm Koivula ’49 (28)
James Kottom ’52 (23)
Joan Johnson1953 Kuder and Calvin Kuder (26)
Joan Kunz (10)
William ’52 and Edith Kuross (11)
Sigrunn Kvamme ’53 (18)
Robert ’80 and Lori LaFleur (16)
Joanne Stiles ’58 Laird and David Laird (26)
Archie Lalim ’50 (28)
George ’50 and Vivian Lanes (14)
Linda Larson ’70 and C. Jerry Sells (23)
John ’52 and Mary Peterson ’54 Leak (13)
Roger ’50 and Donna Wang ’52 Leak (12)
Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee (25)
James ’67 and Laurie Lindell (10)
James Lindell ’46 (27)
Rosemary and Andrew Link (10)
Robert ’56 and Mary Erickson ’58 Lockwood (16)
Brent Lofgren ’88 (17)
Irene Ppedahl Lovaas ’45 (15)
Jack ’53 and Darlene Lundberg (11)
Susan Lageson ’77 Lundholm and Mark
Lundholm (19)
Roger ’57 and Fern Mackey (24)
Marie Hafie ’65 MacNally and Thomas
MacNally (12)
Margreta Magelssen ’72 and David Hallan (23)
Richard ’55 and Mary Mahre (10)
Ronald ’56 and Christine Munson ’56 Main (10)
Raymond Makeever (10)
Michael ’65 and Lynne Marcy (10)
Carlos Mariani Rosa (10)
Julie Magnuson ’61 Marineau and Richard
Marineau (10)
John ’59 and De Anne Martinsen (12)
Michael McCully (12)
Kristin Settergren ’86 McGinness and Steve
McGinness (19)
Donna McLean (22)
Tara Cesaretti ’97 McLeod and Christopher
2000 McLeod (10)
Marie and Larry McNeff (28)
Meca Sportswear Inc (11)
Joan and Richard Meierotto (11)
Daniel ’65 and Mary Tildahl ’65 Meyers (17)
Erwin ’54 and Carolyn Ryan ’56 Mickelberg (10)
Robert ’70 and Sue Midness (19)
Paul ’70 and Barbara Durkee ’71 Mikelson (28)
Victor ’42 and Rhoda Miller (12)
Thomas ’59 and Ruth Carlsen ’60 Moen (10)
James Mondo (10)
Alan Montgomery and Janet
Karvonen-Montgomery (10)
Thomas and Lorraine Morgan (26)
LaWayne ’51 and D. LaRhea Johnson ’51
Morseth (20)
Mildred and Van Mueller (24)
Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller (12)
David Narr ’94 (11)
Bonnie Johnson ’67 Nelson and Bryce Nelson (25)
Edor ’38 and Dorathy Nelson (12)
Gloria Burntvedt Nelson ’43 (26)
Larry ’65 and Marilyn Nelson (13)
Mildred Nelson ’52 (29)
Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson (12)
Steven ’64 and Rebecca ’64 Nielsen (10)
Erika Staub ’51 Niemi and Wayne Niemi (17)
Timothy ’82 and Jane Nohr (10)
Margaret Nelson Foss Nokleberg ’48 (21)
Norma Noonan (14)
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust (20)
Roselyn Nordaune ’77 (28)
Betsey and Alan Norgard (14)
James ’57 and Shirley Norman (11)
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation (19)
Jonathan Nye ’72 and Wendy Worner (17)
Terry ’70 and Vicki Nygaard (10)
Leroy ’52 and Betty Munson ’53 Nyhus (16)
Steven O’Tool ’74 (10)
Fall 2008
41
Maren Lecy ’83 Ogdie and Al Ogdie (19)
Norman ’85 and Kim Asleson ’84 Okerstrom (18)
Sandra Larson ’69 Olmsted and Richard ’69
Olmsted (12)
W. Donald ’34 and Glenda Olsen (20)
Bettye and Howard Olson (16)
Laverne Moe ’48 Olson and Paul Olson (22)
Orville ’52 and Yvonne Bagley ’52 Olson (28)
R. Luther Olson ’56 (11)
Vicki and Daniel Olson (10)
Kristen Olsrud ’80 (11)
Laurie Nelson ’79 Orlow and Steven Orlow (19)
Jack ’62 and Nina Osberg (18)
Jim ’64 and Rose Parks (20)
Arnold ’52 and Betty Paulson (12)
John and Norma Paulson (11)
Daniel ’51 and Lois Pearson (22)
Dale Pederson (10)
Glen Person ’47 (23)
Eugene ’59 and Paula Peterson (21)
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson (29)
Rebecca Arvold ’88 Pfabe and Maurice Higgins (14)
Jay Phinney ’79 (29)
Leanne Phinney ’71 and Mark Schultz (11)
Jill Pohtilla (10)
Presser Foundation (12)
David Proctor ’63 (22)
Elizabeth Pushing ’93 (14)
Jerry ’83 and Susan Warnes ’88 Quam (10)
Dagmar Dahl Quanbeck ’36 (29)
Eileen Quanbeck ’46 (15)
Philip ’50 and Dora Frojen ’49 Quanbeck (12)
Quentin ’50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck (15)
Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe (12)
Larry and Beverly Ragland (16)
James ’61 and BettyAnn Redeske (12)
Donald ’53 and Donna Erickson ’54 Reimer (10)
Robert and Gail Rice (17)
Pamela Birdsall ’75 Richard and Jerry Richard (10)
Donavon ’52 and Ardis Roberts (12)
Eunice Kyllo ’62 Roberts and Warren Roberts (17)
Leeann Rock ’81 and Brian Anderson ’82 (10)
Marion Roe ’50 (12)
Frances Roller (11)
Joyce and Walker Romano (11)
Olive Ronholm ’47 (29)
Stella Kyllo Rosenquist ’64 (10)
Philip Rowberg ’41 (10)
Martin ’59 and Sylvia Sabo (29)
Audrey Nagel ’51 Sander (16)
Pauline and Leland ’35+ Sateren (11)
Maryls Harkman ’54 Schmidt and Leonard
Schmidt (11)
Ruth Schmidt ’52 (29)
Michael and Leslie Schock (10)
Joyce Opseth Schwartz ’45 (26)
Roger ’62 and Jean Schwartz (13)
Inez ’59 and Lyall Schwarzkopf (29)
Ronnie ’62 and Karen Scott (20)
Richard ’70 and Linda Seime (12)
Charles Sheaffer (10)
John ’50 and Norma Shelstad (17)
James ’54 and Ethel Nordstrom ’55 Shiell (28)
Chad ’93 and Margaret Shilson (11)
Nora Anderson ’83 Sillerud and Jon Sillerud (16)
Patricia ’67 and Elmer Sitkin (10)
Arnold ’48 and Carol Skaar (29)
Glen and Anna Skovholt (14)
Evelyn Amundson Sonnack ’43 (27)
Angeline Rolland Sorenson ’50 (25)
Susan Lindberg ’70 Sorenson and Earl
Sorenson (11)
Allan ’53 and Eunice Nystuen ’50 Sortland (16)
Naomi Christensen ’81 Staruch and Steven
Staruch (26)
Ronald ’58 and Naomi Stave (12)
Ruth Framstad Steen ’43 (10)
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz (29)
Myles and Eunice Stenshoel (10)
Hannah Mehus Stensvaag ’38 (29)
Roger ’54 and Bonnie Stockmo (11)
Calvin ’51 and Bonnie Martinson ’59 Storley (10)
Beverly and Thomas Stratton (14)
Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46 (13)
John ’81 and Heidi Strommen (13)
Luther ’39 and Helen Strommen (26)
Merton ’42 and Irene Huglen ’42 Strommen (29)
Steven ’65 and Chynne Strommen (10)
La Vone Studlien ’58 (20)
Grace Kemmer ’58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud (29)
George ’46 and Jean Christenson ’49 Sverdrup (27)
Dorothy Joy Swanson ’51 (18)
Elizabeth Mortensen ’56 Swanson and
James Swanson (19)
Brian Swedeen ’92 and Terri Burnor ’92 (13)
Jeffrey ’79 and Melissa Swenson (16)
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
If you notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
42
Augsburg Now
Jennings ’51 and Mary Schindler ’48
Thompson (29)
Karla Morken ’81 Thompson and Thomas
Thompson (13)
Richard ’61 and Jane Thompson (10)
Sue Thompson ’85 (10)
Gordon ’52 and Gloria Parizek ’53 Thorpe (13)
Marlys Holm ’57 Thorsgaard and Arlen
Thorsgaard (11)
Richard ’56 and Darlene Thorud (10)
Adrian Tinderholt ’38 (28)
Michael ’85 and Rhonda Riesberg ’84 Tjaden (10)
Allan Tonn ’75 (28)
Mark ’79 and Janelle Tonsager (19)
Sheldon ’49 and Margery Manger ’47
Torgerson (23)
Beth Torstenson ’66 (28)
Frances and Joel ’38+ Torstenson (15)
Mark and Ann Tranvik (11)
Margaret Sateren Trautwein ’37 (23)
Gordon ’57 and Karen Egesdal ’61 Trelstad (16)
Trinity Lutheran Congregation (10)
Lawrence ’69 and Susan Turner (10)
Betty and Paul Tveite (12)
Beverly Gryth ’52 Villwock and H. Robert
Villwock (21)
Rebecca Helgesen ’67 Von Fischer and Thomas
Von Fischer (12)
Norman ’76 and Kathryn Anderson ’76 Wahl (10)
Michael ’64 and Carla Quanbeck ’64 Walgren (14)
Lois ’76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw (11)
Scott Weber ’79 (12)
Charleen and Donald Weidenbach (27)
Donald ’89 and Melinda Mattox ’91
Wichmann (16)
Mary and Gunnar Wick (16)
Robert Wick ’81 (22)
David and Catherine Wold (12)
E. Lorraine Yokie (22)
Edmund ’53 and Rose Youngquist (10)
Janet Cooke ’59 Zitzewitz and Donald
Zitzewitz (11)
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
ALUMNI GIVING BY CLASS YEAR
The following list indicates the percentage of alumni in each class year who made a gift to Augsburg College in 2007-2008
(day program, undergraduate alumni).
Total particiaption for all class years, 22%
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
40.00%
50.00%
50.00%
62.50%
64.71%
25.00%
52.94%
40.63%
48.84%
38.10%
45.65%
48.72%
48.15%
45.83%
42.86%
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
47.27%
33.52%
44.53%
50.86%
46.40%
37.88%
37.36%
45.83%
43.65%
47.75%
46.09%
38.31%
36.88%
37.97%
40.76%
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
35.10%
34.75%
30.70%
41.85%
34.35%
29.90%
24.37%
24.30%
26.10%
25.51%
26.42%
24.68%
23.58%
24.65%
23.92%
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
19.09%
17.89%
18.97%
17.44%
18.41%
17.73%
17.82%
13.46%
11.32%
19.12%
14.34%
15.69%
8.70%
10.07%
10.71%
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
10.73%
13.92%
4.23%
9.72%
11.48%
7.58%
12.20%
8.37%
5.43%
8.14%
5.28%
9.45%
4.78%
5.56%
Fall 2008
43
THE 2007-2008 AUGSBURG COLLEGE
ANNUAL REPORT
AUGSBURG COLLEGE
BOARD OF REGENTS
2007-2008
Andra Adolfson
Dan W. Anderson, Class of 1965
Rev. Gary E. Benson, Class of 1970
Jackie Cherryhomes, Class of 1976
AUGSBURG ALUMNI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2007-2008
Michael O. Freeman
Dr. Anthony Genia, Class of 1985
Michael R. Good, Class of 1971
H. Theodore Grindal, Class of 1976
Norman R. Hagfors
Lew Beccone, Class of ’98 MAL
Jodi Harpstead
Buffie Blesi, Class of ’90, ’97 MAL, president
Richard C. Hartnack
Chad Darr, Class of ’04
Rolf Jacobson
Dale Hanka, Class of ’60
Dr. Ruth E. Johnson, Class of 1974
Calvin Hanson, Class of ’98
Dean Kennedy
Daniel Hickle, Class of ’95
Dean C. Kopperud
James Kline, Class of ’01
André J. Lewis, Class of 1973
Lee Anne Lack, Class of ’67
Jennifer H. Martin
Julia Mensing, Class of ’00
Marie O. McNeff
Joyce Miller, Class of ’02, ’05 MAN
Dr. Paul S. Mueller, Class of 1984
Jamie E. Smith, Class of ’04 WEC
Ronald G. Nelson, Class of 1968
Carolyn Spargo, Class of ’80
Beverly Oren, Class of 1955
Jacqueline Teisberg, Class of ’80
Paul C. Pribbenow
Jennifer Tome, Class of ’99
Rev. Peter Rogness, ex-officio
Barry M. Vornbrock, Class of ’96 MAL
Stephen Sheppard
Philip Styrlund, Class of 1979
Emily Anne Tuttle
Rev. Harold Usgaard, ex-officio
Joan Volz, Class of 1968
Rev. Norman W. Wahl, Class of 1976
Bonnie Wallace
FEW COLLEGES ARE AS WELL POSITIONED
A S A U G S B U R G T O S AY, T H I S I S O U R W O R K —
WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS.
—DAVID TIEDE, BERNHARD CHRISTENSEN PROFESSOR OF RELIGION
AND VOCATION, AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF LUTHER SEMINARY
www.augsburg.edu/giving
1-800-273-0617
44
Augsburg Now
auggie
alumni news
From the Alumni Board president …
June 2008
Alumni and friends,
am writing this article on the same day
as commencement for hundreds of graduates of the Augsburg for Adults undergraduate and graduate programs. When I
was an undergraduate, Weekend College
was still in its infancy and the College did not yet offer master’s degrees in any subject area. Look how far we have come
over the last 20 years—Augsburg is now a force in education
for adults in undergraduate programs in Minneapolis and
Rochester and six programs for graduates.
Wow! Who would have thought?
Well, thankfully for all of us, so many brilliant people had
the foresight and perseverance to make it a reality. As alumni,
we benefit from all that the College is and will become. Why?
Because regardless of when we graduated, our degrees gain
value as the College increases its visibility through the accomplishments and success of its programs, professors, and students. If you are like me, you place a great deal of value on
your degree from Augsburg. Take care of it, nurture it, and invest in it through participation and giving. The students of
today will one day bring greater value to it.
With the close of the school year in June, my tenure as
your president also came to an end. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the alumni and have had a tremendous
amount of fun. I turn this column over to a wonderful new
leader, Joyce Miller, who will represent you with vigor and
passion.
i
Good luck to you all and take care,
October 2008
Alumni and friends,
utumn is a season of great beauty. During this time, the Midwest becomes
transformed into a menagerie of colors. This transformation within nature is a
metaphor for the educational experience of
an Augsburg alumnus/a and current student. Liberal arts
courses nurture the growth of human talent and promote a
sense of metanoia, defined as embracing thoughts beyond one’s
present limitations. The menagerie of fall colors can represent
the uniqueness of individuals and the intentionality of embracing diversity within our daily lives.
Augsburg College promises an education like no other.
This promise addresses the following three areas:
a
• To have a special regard for each other—This statement entails having respect for everyone’s unique talents, core values, and cultural traditions.
• To provide an educational experience like no other—Education involves exploring a deeper understanding of faith
and the search for meaning, developing a global perspective, engaging work within the community, and finding
new ways of knowing to promote purposeful living.
• To seek opportunities to develop—This promise promotes
an expanded view of the world, stresses appreciating differences in others, seeks connections, sustains open dialogue,
and prepares to lead in this complex environment.
We can certainly look at these statements and realize how our
education at Augsburg has played a role in the discovery of our
meaningful career paths in the world.
As I begin my presidency of the Alumni Association, I
promise to use my leadership gifts to align the work of the
Alumni Board with the mission, vision, and promise of the College. The Alumni Board members are committed to support the
College’s vision—We believe we are called to serve our neighbor—through involvement in service activities, action projects,
and campus events to enhance the work of the College.
As alumni, stay connected by attending upcoming events
such as Advent Vespers, athletic activities, theatre productions,
or other alumni events. Or just simply keep in communication
with us. Stay connected wherever you are! Looking forward to
a great year.
Sincerely,
BUFFIE BLESI ’90, ’97 MAL
OUTGOING ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
JOYCE P. MILLER ’02 (BSN-ROCHESTER), ’05 MAN
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Fall 2008
45
auggie reunion
Alumni from more than six decades gathered with their classmates.
Class of 1958
Reunion Attendees:
James Almquist, Elyce (Lundquist) Arvidson, Robert
Bagley, Dennis Barnaal, Vernon Berkness, Elaine
(Nelson) Bernards, Birgit Birkeland, Doris (Johnson)
Deml, Dale Evavold, Hugh Gilmore, Byron Golie, Mabeth (Saure) Gyllstrom, Aldemar (Johnson) Hagen,
Kenneth Hagen, Anna (Hovland) Hanson, Betty
(Johnson) Hass, Philip Heide, Carl Hellzen, Ruth
(Thorsgard) Homme, Jerome Kleven, Gwen (Johnson)
Krapf, Joanne (Stiles) Laird, Gary Lange, Gordon Lindgren, Alice (Lindell) Lindgren, Marilyn (Troy) Manley,
Lydia (Dyrlid) Moe, Faye (Brenni) Moen, Wallace
Oien, Roger Olson, Magne Olson, Alfred Reesnes,
Ronald Stave, La Vone Studlien, Grace (Kemmer)
Sulerud
Class of 1968
Reunion Attendees:
Ruth Aaskov, Ann (Larson) Anthonisen, W. Bruce
Benson, Priscilla (Platt) Berg, Joel Bjerkestrand,
David Boe, Donald Britt, Margaret (Engel) Catlett,
Janet (Braaten) DeGaetano, John Eckberg, John
Fahlberg, Douglas Frisk, JoAnne (Digree) Fritz, Mary
(Michaelsen) Garmer, Jane (Eidsvoog) Gisselquist,
James Gisselquist, Kim Gudmestad, Lynn Gunderson,
Pamela (Fredrickson) Gunderson, Ione (Agrimson)
Hanson, Theamarie (Loberg) Harriday, Leif Hartmark,
Claudia (Melvie) Hartmark, David Heidtke, Donald
Horner, James Hoseth, Gerald Jensen, Carole (Braud)
Jensen, Theodore Johnson, Bruce Johnson, Herald
Johnson, Frank Lawatsch, Pamela (Pilcher) Lawatsch,
Janet (Letnes) Martin, Suzann (Johnson) Nelson,
Charles Niles, Perilyn (Brown) Olsen, Kathryn Olson,
Miriam (Cox) Peterson, Richard Quenemoen, John
Roebke, James Romslo, Judith (Anderson)
Schaubach, Jan (Pedersen) Schiff, Carolyn (Hanson)
Schildgen, Gary Schmidt, Kathleen (Nyquist) Schornstein, Clair Severson, Myrna (Jorgenson) Sheie, Jo
Anne Sylvester, Constance (Ackerson) Wanner, Patricia (Korogi) Wehr, Mary (Timm) Zimmerman
46
Augsburg Now
homecoming
AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER
SEPTEMBER 22-27
Class of 1983
’08
Reunion Attendees:
Amanda Barrick, Mary (Thureson) Belden, Mary
(Yurick) Bennett, William Bullock, Kevin Erickson,
Mark Hassenstab, James Haugen, Les Heen, Scott
Henderson, Annette (Walen) Hokanson, Miriam (Gisselquist) Jensen, Karina Karlen, Paul Kuehn, Pamela
(Brakke) Lanning, Susan (Hackbarth) Lundquist,
Daniel Nayman, Stephen Nayman, Karsten Nelson,
Allison (Larges) O’Day, Timothy Olson, Mary (McNevin) Saari, Janet (Griffith) Sandford, Nora (Andersen) Sillerud, John Singh, Diane (Wood) Sponheim,
Christine (Nelson) Swanson
Class of 1998
(Left to right)
August Negele, Erick Agrimson, Adam Buhr, Laura
Pejsa, Angela (Loew) Reichart, Wade Johnson, Andry
Andriambololona-Jercich, Phil Berglin
Fall 2008
47
auggie
alumni news
Meet Kim Stone …
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND CONSTITUENT RELATIONS
At the end of August, Kim
Stone joined the Division of Institutional Advancement as director of alumni and
constituent relations.
Stone came to Augsburg
from the University of Miami,
Coral Gables, Fla., where she
was executive director of
alumni programs and was responsible for the overall management and implementation of
a comprehensive alumni relations program. She served as a liaison to various university offices and departments to further the
mission of the University Alumni Association and to enhance
the relationship between the alumni and their alma mater.
Her experience there includes recruiting and engaging
alumni volunteers to participate in alumni programs and
events, preparing and administering annual budgets for the
alumni programs office, and supervising a team of nine alumni
professionals.
Previously, Stone was at Nova Southeastern University in
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., as director of alumni relations and coordinator of alumni programs. In these roles she managed the strategy of the Alumni Annual Fund and other university
fundraising efforts. Stone organized and coordinated alumni
Homecoming activities, was responsible for all alumni (90,000
worldwide) communications, and oversaw and supported the
Alumni Council Board to enhance growth of the NSU Alumni
Association.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication,
with an emphasis in public relations, at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She also has a master’s degree in international
business administration from Nova Southeastern University.
Stone grew up in St. Paul and is excited to be back in the
Twin Cities serving the members of the Augsburg community.
She looks forward to engaging Augsburg alumni and constituents through strategic programming, effective communication, and volunteer development.
To contact Kim Stone, call 612-330-1173 or
1-800-260-6590, or e-mail stonek@augsburg.edu.
48
Augsburg Now
Augsburg license plates
Display your Augsburg connection! Augsburg license plates
are available through the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs/PlBrochure/CollegiatePlates.htm
Alumni e-mail for life
Sign up for Auggie alumni e-mail for life. Contact Alumni
Relations at alumni@augsburg.edu to request an account.
The service is provided by Google Apps.
Augsburg offers test prep courses
Studying for the LSAT, GRE, or GMAT? Check with Augsburg’s Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity
Office (URGO) for courses offered throughout the year at a
very reasonable cost. Courses are open to current students,
alumni, and others in the Augsburg community.
Go to www.augsburg.edu/urgo and select Test Prep for
the ongoing schedules of classes.
Get Involved. Volunteer!
Would you like to be part of an exciting group of people who
love Augsburg as much as you do? Volunteering is a great
way to stay connected to the College and other alumni, and
there are many ways to get involved.
Join with fellow Auggies and help engage others to be part of
the Augsburg experience. Augsburg Associates, Alumni
Board, Advent Vespers, reunion committees, mentors, and
Campus Kitchen are just some of the available opportunities.
Let us know where your interest lies—call Pat Grans at
612-330-1329 or e-mail gransp@augsburg.edu.
augsburg
then
Trinity Lutheran celebrates 140 years
Augsburg College owes much of the reason for its presence
in Minneapolis to Trinity Lutheran Congregation. In 1871,
when the fledgling Augsburg Seminary was near bankruptcy
in Marshall, Wisconsin, Trinity pastor Ole Paulson led a
committee to secure the land, materials, and funding to establish Augsburg in Minneapolis, as the city was envisioned
as a future center for Scandinavian-American culture.
In 1896 Trinity Lutheran Congregation built a new
church on the edge of Augsburg’s campus, which served as
the venue for many Augsburg events over the years. This
building fell victim to the construction in 1966 for the I-94
freeway.
The altar painting that hung in that church, painted by
Norwegian artist Markus Grønvold, was copied from his
painting in St. John’s Church in Bergen, Norway, and
shipped to Minneapolis. When Trinity’s church was razed,
the painting was placed in storage. It now hangs in Hoversten Chapel, which has been Trinity Lutheran Congregation’s worship home for a number of years.
1963 Augsburgian
In Memoriam
Sateren, Leland B. ’35, Edina,
Minn., age 94, on Nov. 10, 2007.
Samuelson, Mary ’49, Brighton,
Minn., age 81, on July 12.
Aamodt, Bradford O. ’65, Plymouth,
Minn., age 75, on Feb. 13.
Schmidt, David Hans ’85, Phoenix,
Ariz., age 47, in October 2007.
Kruse, Una (Lee) ’38, Sunnyside,
Wash., age 91, on Sept. 25, 2007.
Calderwood, David ’50, Birchwood,
Minn., age 81, on Sept. 18, 2007.
Gruidl, Daniel J. ’93, Trophy Club,
Texas, age 45, on Aug. 3, 2007.
Torstenson, Joel ’38, Minneapolis,
age 94, on Oct. 18, 2007.
Howells, Richard ’52, Bloomington,
Minn., age 78, on April 10.
Longmire, Linda (Nelson) ’67, Kronenwetter, Wis., age 63, on July 29,
of cancer.
Quanbeck, Vardon M. ’40, McVille,
N. Dak., age 86, on Dec. 24.
Lundeen, Donovan T. ’53, Northfield, Minn., age 77, on June 7.
Brooks, Chester L. ’42, Duluth,
Minn., age 89, on March 5.
Skogsbergh, Samuel P. ’53, Hayden,
Idaho, age 77, on Aug. 25, 2007.
Smith, Rev. Louis C. ’42, Riverside,
Calif., age 86, on Sept. 5, 2007.
Rykken, Franklyn “Lindy” ’56,
Roseau, Minn., age 78, on May 2.
Jensen, Rev. Louis F. ’48, Dubuque,
Iowa, age 87, on June 24.
Oliver, Rev. George “Jim” ’60, Baraboo, Wis., age 76, on Feb. 15, following complications from surgery.
Henjum, Arnold E. ’49, Morris,
Minn., age 82, on March 5.
Hoffman, H. Wayne, Bloomington,
Minn., age 82, on July 3.
DeVrieze, Jerry D. ’64, Midland,
Mich., age 66, on June 30, of multiple myeloma.
Baumbach, Cynthia ‘70, Lake City,
Minn., age 60, on July 1.
Orpen, Julie Ann (Hoel) ’76, St.
Peter, Minn., age 53, on June 15, of
breast cancer.
Quanbeck, Beth Marie ’76, West
Des Moines, Iowa, age 53, on Nov.
12, 2007.
Lumbar, Dean ’81, Edina, Minn.,
age 46, on Jan. 7, at home of complications from colon cancer.
Brusletten, Nancy (Raaum) ’84,
Shakopee, Minn., age 45, on Dec.
28, of cancer.
Bedard, Mark T. ’95, Hudson, Wis.,
age 34, on Nov. 9, 2007, of injuries
incurred on police duty.
Feuer, Aaron ’07, unexpectedly in
April.
Eriksen, Rolf, Minneapolis, age 84,
on Nov. 7, 2007, Augsburg’s first
varsity soccer coach in 1970.
Eklof, Edgar, Golden Valley, Minn.,
age 80, on Dec. 1, Music Department faculty during the 1960s.
Hoel, Mathilda, St. Paul, age 95, on
July 13, former registrar’s office and
food service employee.
Fall 2008
49
alumni class notes
50
Phebe Hanson was lauded at
an event in March commemorating International Women’s Day
and her 80th birthday. Readings by
female poets and screenings of a
short documentary about Phebe
were featured, honoring her many
years as a mentor to other writers.
56
Rev. James Parks is serving
until June 30 as an English
teacher in the ELCA’s Global Mission
Department in a Lutheran High
school in Kocise, Slovakia. His wife,
Rose Ann, and their three children
are planning trips to visit him and
travel in Eastern Europe during the
year. Previously he served an interim
ministry in Outing, Minn., for several
months, and traveled, including a
van trip to Alaska.
Lute Olson, head coach of the
University of Arizona basketball team, announced his retirement
after 24 years. His career there includes 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, 11 Pac-10 titles,
four Final Four appearances, and the
1997 national championship.
Judith Reynolds has recently
retired from the Kenosha (Wisconsin) Public Library after 37 years
of employment as a librarian.
57
67
Robert Goodrich has joined
Timber Creek Golf Course in
Watertown, Minn., as a golf pro, with
43 years of teaching experience.
59
Darrell Wiese retired from
Augsburg after a longtime career as assistant coach in baseball
and football.
60
Margaret (Homme) Hiner is retired in Phoenix, Ariz., where
she has been since 1961 working as
a recreation leader, substitute
teacher, 4-H leader, and mother. At
Augsburg, she played on the 195657 Auggiettes basketball team and
has fond memories about how
Coach LaVonne Peterson “let a kid
who loved sports and basketball be
on the team.”
Lowell “Zeke” Ziemann is still working and loves his job as an agency
compliance officer with Park Avenue
Securities in Scottsdale, Ariz.
61nis in the Northland
James Holden has written Ten, a history
of boys’ high school tennis in Minnesota, covering its 75-year history
with chapters about champions,
prominent coaches and families, dynasty teams, and more. To learn
about the book, go to www.jimholden.com.
Dennis Kalpin has stepped down as
head football coach at Alexandria
(Minn.) High School after 17 years
there. His total coaching career, all
at the secondary school level, is 47
years.
50
64
Augsburg Now
65
66
Larry Hoff completed his third long-distance journey across the USA
using no motorized vehicles. Over the summers of 2006 and 2007,
Larry canoed and bike-portaged from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. In
2002-2003 he hiked the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, a “life-changing”
event. In 2004 he bicycled approximately 10,000 miles around the
perimeter of the USA. Before retirement in 2000, Hoff was teacher and assistant principal at Superior High School in Wisconsin.
Carleen (Nordin) Tjader recently retired after teaching
third grade for 23 years in the New
Richmond (Wis.) school district (before and after a “15-year maternity
leave” to raise her children). Each
year her classes have adopted a
manatee in Florida, plus made a
quilt containing squares made by
each student. She looks forward to
traveling with her husband, Mike;
spending time with her grandsons;
volunteering at church; and trying
her hand at writing.
69
Diane (Helgeson) Carter completed a 21-year career teaching seventh-grade English in the
Hudson (Wis.) Middle School and in
retirement plans to use her time for
gardening and travel. She and her
husband, Jim, have two children—
daughter Kirsten, who also is a
teacher, and son, Matthew.
72
Tom Haas continues to work at
Park Nicollet Clinic in Minneapolis, where he recently stepped
down after a decade in department
chair leadership roles. He has now
had more time to spend at the family lake home, continue collecting
jazz and classical LPs, and more seriously resume playing his trumpet.
Jacqueline (Wolhart) Harvestine
completed her first year as a fulltime Master of Divinity student at
Luther Seminary.
Kathy (Seim) Tilderquist, a business
teacher, was selected in January by
her co-workers as “Teacher of the
70
Earlier this year, along with their spouses, five Auggies in the Class of
1970 who lived together in a house on campus celebrated the 40th
anniversary of their becoming roommates. They continue to meet once a
month for lunch as well. (L to R, back row: Lynn [Benson] Hjelmeland ’69,
Terry Nygaard ’70, Phil Walen ’70, John Hjelmeland ’70, Paul Mikelson ’70,
Barbara Harden, and John Harden ’70. Front row: Vicki Nygaard, Teri Walen,
and Barbara [Durkee] Mikelson ’71.
Year” at Cannon Falls (Minn.) High
School. She began as a math
teacher, but has taught in the business department since 1987. She
wrote the curriculum for many
courses and has taught students on
equipment ranging from manual
typewriters to modern computers.
has earned 10 medals and was the
first to earn medals in four different
sports. He is a professor of professional and physical education at Bemidji State University and was the
first person in the U.S. with a visual
impairment to earn a doctoral degree
in physical education.
73
74
Jim Mastro, a pioneer in athletics for the blind, was honored
with the 2008 Medal of Courage
award from the National Wrestling
Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Okla. As a Paralympic athlete, he
Rev. James Arends, pastor at
Prince of Peace Lutheran
Church in LaCrescent, Minn., was
elected June 7 to a six-year term as
bishop of the La Crosse (Wis.) Area
Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran
72
Ronald Johnson, principal at
Hutchinson (Minn.) High
School, was named in February as
the 2008 Minnesota High School
Principal of the Year. He is also a
candidate for the National High
School Principal of the Year, to be
announced at the 2009 National
Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP) convention in
February. He will join other state
honorees at the Principals Institute
in Washington D.C. this fall.
74
Scot Davis was honored as
Wrestling USA magazine’s
2007 Coach of the Year. This year
he won his 800th varsity career
coaching victory, the most career
wins of any wrestling coach in U.S.
history. He has been at Owatonna
High School for 21 years, leading
10 “Top 25” nationally-ranked
Owatonna teams.
ber of the Minnesota Baseball Association.
high school principal at Rugby High
School for the past 11 years.
77
81
Rev. Mark Braaten recently
published his second book,
Prayer as Joy, Prayer as Struggle, by
Liturgical Press. It studies prayer
through biblical and personal stories, and explores prayer as both a
gift and struggle. His first book, in
2006, is Come Lord Jesus: A Study
of Revelation. He is senior pastor at
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in
Tyler, Texas, a bilingual congregation
worshiping in English and Spanish.
Kurts Strelnieks recently joined Associated Commercial Finance, Inc.,
in Eagan, Minn., as their Minnesota
market manager.
78
Dennis J. Meyer was named
the first chief marketing officer at Ellerbe Becket, a global design firm. He will be based in their
Minneapolis office and serve on the
firm’s leadership team to develop
and execute its global marketing
strategy and implement the firm’s
vision.
Naomi Williamson opened a new
restaurant, Sanctuary, on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis.
79
77
Heidi (Leaf) Haagenson has
published a book, The Tenney Quilt, which tells the story of a
quilt with 700 signatures created
in 1928 in Tenney—Minnesota’s
smallest city of six people—as a
fundraiser for the local dance hall.
She is the special projects coordinator at Ridgewater College in
Willmar, and is married to David
Haagenson ’76.
79
Phil Madsen and his wife,
Diane, own and operate a
truck used to transport expedited
freight, traveling the 48 states and
Canada. Read their stories from
the road at www.successfulexpediters.com
Church in America (ELCA). He will
be installed on October 18.
gion Coach of the Year, and the Big
Ten Coach of the Year.
Phil Lundin was named the men’s
cross country and track and field
coach at St. Olaf College. Since
1986 he has coached at the University of Minnesota, including the last
13 years as head men’s track and
field coach. In 2003 Phil was named
U.S. Track Coaches Association
Coach of the Year, the Midwest Re-
Bill Nelson, manager of the Dundas
(Minn.) Dukes amateur baseball
team and part of that team for over
30 years, was inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of
Fame in September 2007. He has
also served as head baseball coach
at Carleton College and has been executive director and a board mem-
Linda Sue Anderson played the
part of Miss Prism in Pendulum Theatre’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest earlier
this year at the Loading Dock Theatre in downtown St. Paul.
David Cherwien directs the National
Lutheran Choir, which dedicated its
May 3 concert to the memory of Leland Sateren ’35 and performed five
of his works.
Debra (Mercier) Peters earned a Certified Management Accountant designation in April 2007. She is a
finance manager/controller for Pella
Windows and Doors and lives in
Bloomington, Minn.
David Zwingel has been named the
2007 North Dakota Secondary Principal of the Year by the North
Dakota Association of Secondary
School Principals, with sponsorship
also from Met Life. He has been the
Rev. Richard Buller was elected
chaplain of the Minnesota
House of Representatives by its
members on March 10. He is pastor
at Valley Community Presbyterian
Church in Golden Valley and a
member of the board of the Greater
Minneapolis Council of Churches.
His son, Peter, is a sophomore at
Augsburg.
Pamela Crowell began on July 1 as
the new vice president for research
at Idaho State University in
Pocatello. Previously she was the associate dean for research and graduate education at Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Science.
Janna (Wallin) Haug and her husband, Rev. Arden Haug, have accepted an assignment to Bratislava,
Slovakia, where he was called as regional representative to Europe for
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America’s Division for Global Mission. Janna accompanies him as the
associate in that position, along with
their two sons, Vitali and Alexei.
Dr. Erik Kanten was named the 2008
Family Physician of the Year by the
Minnesota Academy of Family
Physicians (MAFP). He practices at
the RiverView Clinic in Crookston,
Minn., and at clinics in Fertile and
Red Lake Falls. He also sees students at the University of Minnesota,
Crookston, on campus.
Dana (Holmes) McIntyre traveled to
China in fall 2007 as head coach of
one of two female Special Olympics
basketball teams from the U.S. for
the 2007 World Games in Shanghai.
She has been a recreation therapist
at Minnesota Extended Treatment
Options.
82
Jane Maland Cady joined the
McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis in April as international program director and will oversee
McKnight’s grantmaking in Asia,
Africa, and Latin America.
Fall 2008
51
alumni class notes
87
Deanna Germain published a
memoir, Reaching Past the
Wire, about her 18 months serving
as a nurse in Kuwait and Iraq, which
included time as chief nurse in the
Abu Ghraib prison following the revelations of abuse and violence.
Tammy Johndro-Pressley was named
director of external communications
at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Ill. Previously, she was manager of business development at
Provena Mercy Medical Center in
Aurora, Ill.
Karen Reed received an Award for
Superior Accomplishment in December from the Department of
Mental Health of California. She is a
music therapist at Atascadero State
Hospital and was commended for
her plan to lower restraints, seclusion, and lengths of stay in restraints
for people in the Mentally Disordered Offender program by over 50
percent.
Devoney Looser’s book, Women Writers and Old Age in Great Britain,
1750-1850, was published by Johns
Hopkins University Press in August.
Go to www.press.jhu.edu/books/
title_pages/9473.html. Devoney currently serves as president of the
Midwest Modern Language Association, a non-profit organization of
teachers and scholars of literature,
language, and culture, and will preside at its meeting in Minneapolis,
Nov. 13-16.
Bruce Smith began teaching physical
education to sixth through twelfth
grades and high school Spanish, in
addition to coaching B-squad football, at LeRoy-Ostrander (Minn.)
School in September.
88
Melanie Herrera opened a
franchise in Apple Valley,
Minn., of Butterfly Life Fitness,
which focuses around solutions for
fitness, weight loss, and healthy living for women. Melanie was Augsburg’s first female All-American
athlete.
Anne Panning’s collection of short
stories, Super America, was published in October. The New York
Times Book Review said, “[It] radiates infectious optimism … Her enchanting Norahs and Alices, Tobys
and Theos drag you effortlessly into
their very American lives … ."
89
Rev. La Andriamihaja, pastor
of Jordan New Life Church in
North Minneapolis, helped launch
the “Jordan New Life Hub” to help
residents identify social services.
The project is a partnership sponsored by the ELCA between suburban and urban congregations to
bring volunteers together.
Geoffrey Gage was named in September 2007 to the University of St.
Thomas Board of Trustees. He is
founder and president of the Geoffrey Carlson Gage marketing and advertising firm.
52
Augsburg Now
94
Brad Klein and his wife, Lanica (Lynch) ’95 proudly announce the birth of their identical
twin boys, Noah Addison and
Micah Andrew. They were born on
July 1, 2007, shortly after Brad
and Lanica celebrated their 10th
anniversary on June 21. Brad is a
senior systems analyst at the ELCA
Board of Pension, and Lanica is
public school librarian turned stayat-home mom for the near future.
lanicak@att.net.
94
95
Dan Werner and his wife,
Shayne Hamann, welcomed
the birth of their twin sons, Drake
and Dylan, born on May 10, 2007,
who are on their way to becoming
future Auggie football players, like
their dad.
97
Tracy (Holloway) Drier and
her husband, Thane ’99, announced the birth of their son,
Caden August, on March 15, 2007.
He joins big brother Tristan, 3.
Michelle (Strauss) Ohnstad returned
to work after being a stay-at-home
mom and has two positions—head
librarian at La Jolla Country Day
School and library media specialist
at Pacific Ridge School. She is also
co-editor of the AIM Library & Information Staffing Bulletin Blog.
Rachel (Roth) Erkkila is the registrar
for the Des Moines (Iowa) Area Community College. Previously she was
registrar at Dakota County Technical
College in Rosemount, Minn., and
Walden University in Minneapolis.
Mark Lorenzen and Dawn Van
Tassel ’95, St. Louis Park,
Minn., welcomed their first child,
daughter Julia Grace Lorenzen, on
Aug. 2, 2007.
91
Carla Beaurline, founder, cohost, co-producer, and account
executive of “Around Town” Media,
won the Twin Cities Media Network
Diamond Award for TV Personality of
the Year. In addition, she won TV
Sales Person of the Year. “Around
Town” airs on Metro Cable Network
Channel 6 in Minneapolis.
Tom Ross is the new associate head
coach-defense at Hanover College in
Hanover, Ind.
92
Larry Anderson published a
book, Raptured Alive: Return
of a Prodigal Son, in September
2007 and writes music for his
gospel band.
Gregory Stohr was named vice president of sales at Transtar Autobody
Technologies in Brighton, Mich., a
manufacturer of automotive refinish
and bodyshop repair products.
Sharol Tyra, of Life Illumination presentation and coaching, was elected
to serve a two-year term on the Minnesota Board of Directors of the National Speakers Association.
94
Jennifer (Feine) Hellie ’04 MAL
accepted a position as development coordinator at Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp in
Amery, Wis. Previously she worked
as an admissions counselor and academic adviser at Augsburg.
95
Noelle (Hallblade) Epp was
named as marketing communications specialist in October at
Professional Services Marketing,
Inc. in New Brighton, Minn., and will
focus on copywriting services.
Dave Manka was named assistant
volleyball coach at North Dakota
State University in February.
96
Scott Magelssen and his wife,
Theresa (Hoar) ’95, live in
Bowling Green, Ohio, with their son,
Trygg Magelssen, born in 2005.
Scott teaches in the graduate theatre program at Bowling Green State
University and published a book in
spring 2007 about living history museums. Theresa teaches first grade
at Powell Elementary School in
North Baltimore, Ohio.
98
Aaron Cross and Katrina
Grimsey were married, after
15 years of friendship, first in the
United Kingdom and then in the
U.S. on July 6, 2007. Aaron is a
motivational speaker and received
Augsburg’s First Decade Award in
2005. They live south of London.
aaron.cross@motivationonwheels.com
99
Lisa Nos-Tollefson married
Mark Tollefson in December
2006. Lisa and Mark welcomed
the birth of Taylor Elizabeth on
Nov. 20, 2007.
Dr. Martin Richards was featured in
the Hudson Star Observer in July
about the geothermal heat pump
system he had installed at his home.
He expects to use only one-tenth of
the liquid propane gas that he used
last year without the pump. He is an
emergency room physician at
United Hospital in St. Paul, at the
Baldwin (Wis.) hospital and emergency rooms in Regina and Hastings, Minn.
98
99
Chris and Jaime (Kyle) ’01
Rothe moved last fall to
Rochester, Minn., with Kennedy,
2, and AJ, three months old.
00
Kathleen (Lindquist) Blilie and
her husband, Eric, welcomed the birth of Erin Catherine,
three months early on June 15,
2007, weighing 2 lb., 9 oz. She
joins big brothers Andrew and
Alexander and is loved by her
uncle, Orville Lindquist ’96.
Philip Berglin was named the
2006 Minnesota Businessman of the Year as a top U.S. business leader successfully integrating
business and financial success. In
March 2006 he traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive the award, attend a breakfast with President
Bush, and begin to meet over a
three-month period with Minnesota
legislators. He works at the Rum
River Lumber Company in Coon
Rapids.
Stacie (Ferrazzo) Chiodi and her
husband, Ron, welcomed the birth
of Cyrus Samuel, on February 5,
born in Bennington, Vt.
Tom Ruffaner was presented the Individual Achievement Commuter
Choice Award by MetroTransit
Rideshare in November for promoting commuter benefits and alternate
modes of transportation.
99
00
Jennifer (Crego) and Chad
Carls welcomed their fourth
son on July 10, 2007. Nicholas
Isaac joins brothers Tommy, 5,
A.J., 3, and Brock, 2. Chad is getting his administrative license (in
education) and Jen is home with
the boys.
00
Trena Bolden Fields and
Jerome Fields ’01 announced
the birth of their daughter, Kayla
Lee, born Aug. 18, 2007.
Jill Ruprecht was married to
Joseph Camp on Sept. 2,
2007 in Macomb, Ill. They currently
live in Chicago.
00
MacAdam Gordon and Nicole
Robertson were married on
November 10 in Minneapolis. He
works as an insurance agent at Ray
Smith Insurance in Plymouth, Minn.
01
Hilary English Crook married
Jacob Seljan in Duluth, Minn.,
on September 29, 2007. The wed-
ding party included Emily Crook ’07
as maid of honor, Eilidh Reyelts ’06
as personal attendant, and DJ
Hamm ’08 as usher. Also in attendance were Auggies Nancy English
’73, Ann Bostelmann Webster ’96,
Karin (Sabo) Mantor ’86, Julie Sabo
’90, and Martin Sabo ’59. Norwegian professor Frankie Shackelford
also attended. Hilary is an attorney
working at Thomson West in Legal
Sales, and Jacob is vice president of
the Risk Analytics Department of US
Bancorp. They live in Minnetonka.
Jessica (Norman) Hafemeyer opened
a law firm in Faribault, Minn., on
August 1, 2007, Ibeling Hafemeyer,
Ltd. The practice includes family
law, bankruptcy, and estate/probate
law. www.ibelinghaemeyer.com.
Angie Rieger was named an assistant hockey coach at Hamline University. She has also been chosen to
join the Whitecaps, Minnesota’s first
professional women’s hockey team.
Nicole (Warner) Simml, currently living in Frankfurt, Germany, performed a recital of 20th-century
American music last November at
the American Consul General’s residence in Markkleeberg.
02
Amy Carlson has completed
the surgical technology program at Saint Mary’s University of
Minnesota and has accepted a surgical technician position at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics in
Minneapolis.
Lindsay (Bonner) Pavelka directed
the Galveston Island Children’s Chorus last year from September
through December. In summer
2007, she developed and directed
Summer on Stage, a children’s performing arts camp with the east-end
theatre company in Galveston. She
is an arts educator, voice instructor,
and actress in the Galveston area,
where she lives with her husband,
Matthew.
Zac Schnedler began last fall
03as a school/guidance coun-
selor for grades 7-12 in the Braham
(Minn.) school district.
Fall 2008
53
alumni class notes
Sara Willcut is in her first season on
the Minnesota Swarm Performance
Dance Team as well as teaching
dance, coaching dance teams, and
taking classes. She recently
launched Ascending Star Dance, an
online dance magazine, and helped
form the Ascending Star Dance
team, which performs at semi-professional football games in the MidAmerican Football League. She also
volunteers with her teams for Feed
My Starving Children.
04
Kelly Chapman graduated
magna cum laude from the
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, Calif.
She is the winner of a full scholarship to attend the International Koefia Academy of Haute Couture and
Art of Costume in Italy. She is currently studying Italian in preparation
for her study.
Abbey Payeur is a sixth-grade integrated language arts and social
studies teacher at Oak View Middle
School in Andover, Minn. In May she
was honored as one of the 20 recipients of the Teacher Outstanding Performance (TOP) awards, presented
by the Anoka-Hennepin School District. She was also one of four winners of a $1,000 grant for a project
at her school, plus a cash award.
Laura Simones completed the Ford
Ironman Florida 2007 triathlon last
fall, placing 872 out of the nearly
2600 participants and 18 of 68 in
her division. In addition she completed the Triple By-Pass in Colorado (100+ miles with three climbs
over 10,000 ft.) and then biked
back to Minnesota.
05
Michael Howard is a communications specialist at the Minnesota House of Representatives.
michaelhoward10@gmail.com
Jeremiah Knabe received a Master of
Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary on June 16.
Rebecca Welle ran the New York
Marathon last fall, finishing 4422 in
the field of 40,000 runners. She cut
about six minutes off her previous
personal best, finishing in 3:31:56.
54
Augsburg Now
07
Aaron Dowzak and Emily Hull
were married on Sept. 1,
2007, and moved to Port St. Lucie,
Fla., where Aaron is director of
youth and family junior and senior
high at Immanuel Lutheran Church,
and where they will love happily ever
after.
Christianna Schmit is interning in
music therapy at University Hospitals, Case Medical Campus, in
Cleveland, Ohio. Her supervisor and
their music therapy program were
recently featured in the “Making a
Difference” segment on NBC Nightly
News.
01
Marie and Brent Odenbrett ’02
welcomed the birth of Emma
Louise Marie on Oct. 19, 2007.
02
02
John Goodale married Crystal
Thompson at St. Peter’s
Lutheran Church in Swanville,
Minn., on July 28, 2007. Crystal is
a 2004 graduate of the University
of Minnesota’s Carlson School of
Management and is employed at
Graco, Inc. in NE Mpls as a channel marketing specialist. John is
employed as an account executive
at Novus Print Media in Plymouth.
They live in Maple Grove, Minn.
03
Nicolas Thomley ’06 MBA was featured last fall in Twin Cities Business
and honored in January in their
2007 Small Business Success Stories as the co-founder (at age 19) of
Pinnacle Services, Inc. This company, which has grown rapidly, provides services to people with
disabilities, including help in finding
housing and employment, in-home
care, etc.
She works during the day at the
Center for International Health at
Regions Hospital. Her husband,
Rev. Tchanong Hurh, is pastor at
House of God Trinity Christian
Church in St. Paul.
Frank Huebner and his wife,
Elizabeth, announced the
birth of their son, Andrew, on July
13, 2007. They live in New
Prague, Minn.
Tim Wahl and Lisa Uehling were married on Aug. 18, 2007, in Rochester,
Minn. They live in Minneapolis
where Tim teaches math at Rosemount High School and Lisa works
in the Technology Leadership Program at Target headquarters in Minneapolis.
Katie Winter began in Sept. 2007 as
a reporter for the Pipestone County
Star in Pipestone, Minn.
Graduate Programs
Jeff Falkingham ’95 MAL was a finalist in the Young Adult Fiction category of the Independent Book
Publishing Professionals Group
2008 Next Generation Indie Book
Awards for his book, Sherlock
Holmes and the County Courthouse
Caper. The book was originally published by Beavers Pond Press of
Edina, Minn., in September 2001
and re-released in June 2007, with
all proceeds going to flood victims in
Jeff’s hometown of Browns Valley,
Minn. www.cccaper.com
Jim Addington ’93 MAL was named a
“Facing Race Ambassador” by the
St. Paul Foundation for the work he
has done over many years and
through the Minnesota Collaborative
Anti-Racism Initiative that he and
his late wife, Imani-Nadine Addington, founded in 1995. Jim has
helped more than 20,000 people at
churches, colleges, and public institutions to understand and dismantle
racism.
Heather Reeve ’00 PA has been a
physician assistant at the ELEAH
Medical Center in Elbow Lake, Minn
.
May Mua ’01 PA has partnered with
Dr. Phua Xiong to establish Quik Urgent Care Clinic, the first Asian
American privately-owned and operated urgent care facility in St. Paul.
Danny Storm and Sarah
Schultz ’04 were married in
Hoversten Chapel on Aug. 2.
Danny is an audit/tax accountant
with Denny Hecker Automotive
Group and Sarah is a child protection social worker with Hennepin
county in Minneapolis. They live in
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Alissa Abelson ’06 MSW welcomed a
baby girl, Madilyn Gwen, on July 21,
2007. She lives in New York and is a
social worker at FEGS in downtown
Manhattan.
Gwen Nordahl ’07 PA joined the Battle Lake Clinic in Battle Lake, Minn.,
as a physician assistant in October.
Send us your news and photos
03
Emily Gerard and her husband, Craig Maus, welcomed
their daughter, Caroline Mae, on
Feb. 8.
04
Julie Andert and Jeremy Nelson ’05 were married on Oct.
20 in Pax Christi Catholic Community Church in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Wedding party Auggies included
Kiera Peterson ’04, Rebeca Welle
’05, Joshua Remme ’06, Tyler
Kraft ’06, and Joseph Wessbecker
’04. Julie works in human resources at West Side Community
Health Services, and Jeremy works
for Comcast in Sales and Marketing. They built a home together in
Blaine.
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an
obituary, funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail
to: Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the
Augsburg Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
Street address
05
Jamie Ann Johnson married
Christopher Kerestes in
Grand Teton National Park in
Wyoming. They live in Newark,
Del., where Jamie is pursuing a
Master of Public Administration
degree at the University of
Delaware and an associate degree
in nursing through Delaware Technical and Community College.
Chris is a research assistant and
PhD candidate in electrical engineering working to improve solar
cells for solar energy.
City, State, Zip
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Home telephone
05
Paul Raukar and Chelsea
Haxton welcomed the birth
of their son, Evan Tyler, on May
30, 2007, born in Virginia, Minn.
Paul is a self-employed business
owner. praukar77@hotmail.com
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Employer
Position
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
If yes, class year
Spouse’s name
Maiden name
06
Ryan Adrian-Hendrick Rivard
and Kristin Gulbrandson announce the birth of their daughter
Nora Lucille Rivard, born Dec. 31,
2006. They live in Evanston, Ill.,
where Ryan is a student at
Chicago-Kent College of Law.
riss23@gmail.com
Sara Holman married David
06Nash on July 26 in Wisconsin
Your news:
Dells, Wis. They currently live in
Omaha, Neb., where Sara is a
copywriter for THT Designs and
David is a medical student at
Creighton University.
Fall 2008
55
my
Auggie experience
Patrick Flood ’08
B.S., social work, with a minor in religion
Patrick Flood, a 2008 graduate, reflected on his four years at
Augsburg…
“During opening convocation in 2004, the freshmen marched to
the chapel as professors lined the path, clapping and welcoming
us. They didn’t know us yet but they were there to support us.
After four long years, many of those same professors once again
lined up on Commencement day, clapping and congratulating us
on a job well done. I couldn’t have imagined on that first day
what the impact of this would be.
How I became an Auggie: It was important for me to stay in the
ELCA family, since my mother is a Lutheran pastor. Attending a
small private liberal arts college in an urban setting also appealed to me. (What really sold me, however, were Augsburg’s
skyways and tunnels that make life much more comfortable in
the dead of winter!)
Augsburg highlight: During my junior year I had an opportunity to
study abroad by taking a spring semester course—Social Work in
a Latin American Context—through the Center for Global Education (CGE). The program was centered in Cuernavaca, Mexico
and focused on experiential learning, global perspectives, and
social and economic justice. During the semester I took a Spanish language class, three classes in social work, and completed
an internship at Las Palomas, a local nursing home. … I learned
a lot about the differences between our cultures. In Mexico it’s
much more traditional for the elderly to be cared for by their children; they become part of the nuclear family structure. The number of elderly in nursing homes is much lower than in the U.S.
The Augsburg impact: Conversations with professors and students had a very positive influence on me. My religion class with
Professor Mary Lowe challenged my thoughts and beliefs. Her
enthusiasm rubs off on students and pushes them to think critically and analytically about the Bible and how that can translate
into bigger issues.
Next steps: Although I am a social work major, I was a student
worker in Augsburg’s Institutional Advancement office for four
years. I learned about the importance of giving back to the community through philanthropy and stewardship. Because of those
experiences and one-on-one mentoring, I’m interested in pursuing an entry-level job in development. Wherever life takes me, I
feel well prepared for the journey, thanks to Augsburg.
INTERVIEWED BY JENNIFER L. HIPPLE, WEEKEND COLLEGE STUDENT
56
Augsburg Now
CAROLYN AND DALE ’60 HANKA are firm believers in free enterprise
and entrepreneurship, a fact that’s reflected in their successful careers. Carolyn was a university marketing instructor; Dale was a financial planner and bank president. Together they owned and managed a
title company.
Now retired, the couple is acknowledging the importance of
Augsburg College to their success by establishing an endowed scholarship.
“We thoroughly appreciated our time as students at Augsburg
College. The College gave us so much—small classes, individual attention from professors, and the opportunity to learn teamwork and
leadership.
Today the College is still a very special place. Faculty and staff
challenge students to grow in academic achievement as well as in
personal relationships. The College’s vision that “we are called to
serve our neighbor” is vital to the college community, the community
“The College gave us so much—
small classes, individual attention
from professors, and the opportunity
to learn teamwork and leadership.”
around Augsburg, and the world we live in.
When we decided to acknowledge the importance of Augsburg in
our lives by establishing the Dale and Carolyn Hanka Business Scholarship, Augsburg provided us with the ideas and counsel that made it
easy through a charitable gift annuity. Not only does it establish a
scholarship, but we receive income and tax benefits.
The best benefit? Knowing that scholarships make an Augsburg
education possible for so many students.”
YOU HAVE A VISION FOR AUGSBURG.
P L A N N E D G I V I N G C A N M A K E I T A R E A L I T Y.
Become a member of the Sven Oftedal Society at Augsburg by making a gift through your will, trust, life insurance, or other
planned gift. There are many ways to give a gift that will last a lifetime and make a difference for Augsburg students.
1-800-273-0617
www.augsburg.edu/giving
Watercolor
Taking advantage of the beautiful fall colors along
the Mississippi River, art professor Tara Sweeney
took her beginning watercolor class down along the
St. Paul shoreline.
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
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Augsburg
Now
COMMENCEMENT 2007
INTERNATIONAL PHOTO
CONTEST
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SUMMER 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 4
Diggin’ Dinos
in Murphy Square
page 6
P. 4
P. 7
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Augsburg
Now
COMMENCEMENT 2007
INTERNATIONAL PHOTO
CONTEST
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SUMMER 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 4
Diggin’ Dinos
in Murphy Square
page 6
P. 4
P. 7
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Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Design Manager
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Class Notes Designer
Students at the center of our lives
I
t is the end of July as I pen these Notes for the
summer 2007 issue of Augsburg Now, and we
have just concluded our summer orientation
for more than 400 incoming first-year
students, the Class of 2011. I am as energized
as always by the sense of wonder and hope that
comes with an incoming class of college students!
At the other end of the continuum, you will
find in the following pages the stories and images
of our two 2007 Commencement ceremonies—the
first early in May for our day undergraduates and
our physician assistant graduate students; the
second late in June for our weekend
undergraduates and the other five graduate
programs (nursing, social work, education,
leadership, and business administration). All
combined, we graduated more than 900 new
Auggie alums this spring—what grand
celebrations we enjoyed!
I have been thinking a lot about this
continuum of student experiences—and have
enjoyed some rich and important conversations
the past several months with the Augsburg
community about how we might better honor the
centrality of students to our life as a college.
It is, above all, about the promise we make to
our students. Let’s call it the Augsburg Promise. As
students come to us, no matter their prior
experience or background, we regard them as:
Photographer
As they enter the College—as undergraduates or
graduate students—we engage them in missionbased academic and social experiences that
prepare them for meaningful work and service in
the world. In the classroom, on the playing fields,
in the residence halls, on stage, and in the
neighborhood, students enter a teaching and
learning community that prepares them to make a
living and to make a life in the world.
And as they leave us, our students remain at
the center of our lives as graduates whose lives
and work are emblems of this college’s aspirations
and commitments. We expect them to have gained
an informed vision of the world, focused on
discovery and appreciating difference. We prepare
them for intelligent understanding, full of curiosity
and a commitment to dialogue. And we offer them
remarkable opportunities for relevant experience,
learning to apply what they have learned and lead
others.
Students are at the center of our lives. There is
no more energizing and engaging work. And there
are few places that do it as well as Augsburg
College. It is the Augsburg Promise, a promise we
strive to keep each and every day.
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Faithfully yours,
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services,
CB 142,
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
• Gifted—a gift to us and the world, to be cared
for, educated, and nurtured,
• Called—on a vocational path that we will help
them discern and navigate,
• Accountable—persons of responsibility
and integrity.
Signe Peterson
petersos@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President
of Marketing and
Communication
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
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Summer 2007
4
Contents
Features
4
2007 International Programs Photo Contest
Selected winners of the seventh annual student photo contest for
international study programs showcase the experiences of students abroad.
6
An “Auggieasaurus” in Murphy Square
by Betsey Norgard
7
Senior Jen Janda created the “Auggieasaurus” as Augsburg’s entry in the
Science Museum of Minnesota’s Diggin’ Dinos project.
7
Commencement 2007—May
Nearly 400 students in undergraduate semester programs
and the Physician Assistant program received their diplomas in May.
10
Commencement 2007—June
In the College’s first Commencement focused on programs in the
trimester schedule, undergraduate and graduate students who studied on
weekends and evenings received their degrees.
Departments
10
On the Cover: “Auggieasaurus” is one of
about 50 dinosaur statues decorated and
displayed by local businesses and organizations
as part of the Science Museum’s 100th-year
anniversary project, Diggin’ Dinos. Studio art
major Jen Janda created Augsburg’s entry.
2
3
13
inside
back
cover
Around the Quad
Supporting Augsburg
Alumni News
Calendar
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
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AROUND THE QUAD
NOTEWORTHY
Social Work Student
of the Year
Lisa Luinenburg ’07 was named
Social Work Student of the Year
by the Minnesota Chapter of the
National Association of Social
Workers (NASW) for her
“outstanding scholarship and
service to the community.” She
graduated in May with double
majors in social work and
international relations.
Physician Assistant
program earns
national award
Augsburg’s Physician Assistant
program was recently awarded the
2007 American Academy of
Physician Assistants’ Constituent
Organization Award of
Achievement for a high school
curriculum project developed in
2005. With the help of the
Minnesota Academy of Physician
Assistants (MAPA), the PA faculty
developed a program to educate
high school students about the
role of a PA, increase the diversity
among PA providers, and provide
health education and hands-on
learning.
In May 2006 and 2007,
Augsburg hosted high school
groups on campus who
participated in interactive
educational activities on how
diseases, specifically HIV and
other sexually transmitted
infections, can spread, as well as
how to administer a neurological
exam and take blood pressures.
Current PA students and recent
graduates helped with the
teaching.
2 AUGSBURG NOW
Nou Chang ’09 joins
Minnesota’s Future
Doctors
Junior Nou Chang participated
this summer in Minnesota’s Future
Doctors, a program to explore the
medical profession that is
sponsored by the University of
Minnesota and Mayo Medical
School. Over three summers, it
aims to increase the number of
Minnesota minority, immigrant,
and rural physicians by helping
these students develop academic
skills, an understanding of
medicine, and an appreciation for
serving in an underserved
community.
Chang, a biology and English
major with a religion minor,
immigrated with her family to
Rochester, Minn., from Thailand
in 1988. She also is the recipient
of a Jay and Rose Phillips Family
Foundation Scholarship that
awards potential student leaders
who intend to dedicate a portion
of their lives to community
service. She works with homeless
Hmong refugee children, ages 612, in partnership with the
Southeast Asian Community
Council, and hopes to create a
center where the homeless
children can participate in
culturally-based programs.
Rick Thoni retires as
WEC celebrates
25 years
As Weekend College celebrated 25
years in May, the program’s
founder, Rick Thoni, prepared to
retire from the College in June,
after 35 years of service.
Mia Bothun, WEC student body
president, spoke at the 25th anniversary
celebration on behalf of WEC students,
urging them to become more involved
in building greater community.
Rick Thoni, with his wife, Linda, listened
as President Pribbenow announced the
creation of the Richard J. Thoni Award
for a graduating WEC student that
Thoni joined Augsburg in
1972 as a part-time psychology
professor and counselor in the
Student Affairs Office and went on
to fill such roles as associate dean
of students, acting vice president
of student affairs, vice president
for research and development,
director of Weekend College, and
vice president for enrollment
management.
On May 17, students, faculty,
staff, and alumni of Weekend
College gathered to look back on
a quarter century. President
Pribbenow commented that the
number of stories from faculty and
staff of being asked to help
students get an education clearly
demonstrates the organic nature of
how WEC grew, beginning with
the student at the center.
He also commented on the
commitment of Rick Thoni and
others in WEC who didn’t merely
launch the program, but threw
themselves into the work of
meeting students’ needs.
would honor him “in an abiding way.”
Don Gustafson, professor of
history, applauded WEC students
and described the rewards of
teaching in WEC—meeting
students who bring different
experiences, perspectives, and
commitment to class.
In Thoni’s honor, President
Pribbenow announced the
creation of the Richard J. Thoni
Award, which will be given
annually to a graduating WEC
student whose actions,
commitments, and future
aspirations most profoundly
demonstrate a commitment to
Augsburg’s motto, “Education for
Service.”
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SUPPORTING AUGSBURG
The Kennedy Center—
filled with Auggie spirit
On May 4, the dedication of the Kennedy Center, the three-story
addition to Melby Hall, brought together Augsburg alumni, donors,
regents, faculty, staff, and students in celebration of Augsburg
athletics, fitness, and health and physical education.
Greco-wrestling champion Alan Rice
President Pribbenow expressed gratitude to
was greeted by President Pribbenow
the family of former regent James Haglund
in front of the Alan and Gloria Rice
and his wife, Kathleen, whose gifts provided
Wrestling Center, a state-of-the-art
the spacious, new fitness center bearing their
training facility for Augsburg’s
family name.
championship team and GrecoRoman wrestling.
President Pribbenow (second from left), together with President Emeritus William
Frame (left) and lead donors Dean ‘75 and Terry Kennedy, cut the ribbon to showcase
the new training, fitness, locker, classroom, and hospitality facilities.
The Lute Olson Hall of Champions highlights and celebrates the accomplishments of
The open entryway provided a great gathering place for
the many Auggie student-athletes across 18 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports.
the Augsburg community to celebrate the dedication.
SUMMER 2007 3
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2007 International Programs Photo Contest
FIRST PLACE
“Mysterious Ireland”
Anthony Porter ‘07, Wicklow, Ireland
SECOND PLACE
“Cliffside: Bonsai Overlooking Tea Hills”
Ryan Treptow ‘07, Munnar, Kerala, India
THIRD PLACE
“Beneath African Skies”
Krista Costin ‘08, Ada-Foah, Ghana
LANDSCAPE
4 AUGSBURG NOW
HONORABLE
MENTION
“Eiffel Tower“
Laura Henry ‘07,
Paris, France
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PHOTOJOURNALISM
SECOND PLACE
“Untitled”
Jennifer Oliver ‘07, Chiang Mai, Thailand
FIRST PLACE AND BEST IN SHOW
“Pilgrims and Three Oceans Converge at Sunrise”
Ryan Treptow ‘07, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
THIRD PLACE
PORTRAITS
“The Boat Keeper”
Allison Hutterer ‘07, Rabat, Morocco
SECOND PLACE
“Lumbini Woman”
Ryan Treptow ‘07, Bijapur,
Northern Karnataka, India
FIRST PLACE
“Las Hermanitas” (“The Little Sisters”)
Megan Schiller ‘07,
San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala
SUMMER 2007 5
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ugsburg senior Jen Janda has
been “Diggin’ Dinos” this
summer—not on an
archeological dig in Egypt, but
in downtown St. Paul. It’s part
of the “Diggin’ Dinos” summer celebration
honoring the 100th anniversary of the
Science Museum of Minnesota. Beginning
Memorial Day weekend, 53 dinosaurs were
placed around the streets of St. Paul, mostly
downtown, and seven in the parks of
Minneapolis as part of their 150th
anniversary celebration.
Much like the Snoopy statues a few years
ago, these dinosaurs have been painted by
local artists. Until Labor Day, Janda’s 4.5 feet
tall by 8 feet long, 80 lb. dinosaur will live in
Murphy Square, Minneapolis’s oldest park,
located in the heart of Augsburg’s campus.
When the College joined the project,
Janda was selected as Augsburg’s designer by
the art faculty. In keeping with the overall
theme, she named the dinosaur
“Auggieasaurus.” All the statues were painted
during the Diggin’ Dinos Paint-Off at
RiverCentre in St. Paul, just before Memorial
Day weekend.
“My idea for the Auggieasaurus was to
incorporate Murphy Square’s history
into a ‘map’ of the various
activities that go on in the
Page 8
park each spring and fall because of its
location in Augsburg College’s campus,”
Janda says. Around the base of the statue,
she inscribed:
Murphy Square Celebrating 150 Years,
1857-2007 “From cow pasture to
community center” The Dinosaur
of Minneapolis Parks
The activities she depicts on the
Auggieasaurus are:
• Runners—The Auggie cross-country team
runs around Murphy Square every fall.
• A biker—Minneapolis has many biking
commuters who travel through the park
area every day.
• A picnic scene
• A student reading Murphy Square, the
College’s literary and arts journal
• Kayaks, representing Minnesotans’ love of
the outdoors
The four legs of the Auggieasaurus are
designed to represent the Minneapolis
skyline, Augsburg campus, Seward
neighborhood, and the University of
Minnesota.
On Sept. 9, all the statues will be
auctioned off to benefit the work of the
Science Museum of Minnesota in its next
century.
Janda is a senior in the Honors Program,
with an art studio major. During the summer
she is working on a project to illustrate a
book for children in hospitals to help them
understand medical treatments
and surgery. She also works as
a graphic designer in the
Marketing and
Communication Office.
• A Somali family, representing the rich
cultural diversity of our neighborhood
• Frisbee players
• The Campus Kitchen van that delivers
meals in the neighborhood
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lives in murphy square
by Betsey Norgard
and Judy Petree
page design by Jen Janda ’08
A Paint-Off took place in downtown St. Paul
as local artists created dinosaurs to be placed
around the city, all in honor of the Science
6 AUGSBURG NOW
Museum of Minnesota.
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Page 9
traditional day undergraduates and master’s program in physician assistant studies
commencement
Jeanette Clark receives Marina Christensen
Justice Award
Jeanette Clark, a senior graduating with a double major in metrourban studies and youth and family ministry, was selected as the 2007
recipient of the Marina Christensen Justice Award. Each year, this
honor is presented to the graduating senior who best exemplifies
Augsburg’s motto, “Education for Service.”
Clark, a President’s Scholar, participated in the Honors Program as
well as Concert Band. At Augsburg, she held numerous leadership
roles, including serving as a campus ministry commissioner, resident
adviser, and leadership team member for the Campus Kitchen at
Augsburg College.
As a Spanish minor, Clark spent a semester in Cuernavaca,
Mexico, through Augsburg’s Center for Global Education, where she
worked for a pre-school and after-school program.
This past year, Clark created a spring break opportunity for
students staying in Minneapolis, called “Go Away Here.” In order to
show students opportunities in the city, it included service projects,
visits to neighborhood organizations such as the Sierra Club and East
African Women’s Center, and social outings.
The award recipient must have demonstrated a dedication to
community involvement as characterized by the personal and
professional life of Marina Christensen Justice, who reached out to
disadvantaged people and communities.
— Jen Winter ’07
Senior Jeanette Clark was honored with the Marina Christensen Justice award from
President Pribbenow for her work in the community and on campus.
May
2007
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Eboo Patel, founder of the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth
Core, in his Commencement speech, described the “faith line”
that separates religious pluralists, who seek tolerance and
cooperation, from the religious totalitarians.
excerpts
from the
commencement address
“The Faith Line: On Building the Cathedrals of Pluralism”
Eboo Patel
… In his new book, Peace Be upon You,
Zachary Karabell writes: “If we
emphasize hate, scorn, war, and
conquest, we are unlikely to perceive
that any other path is viable … ”.
Hate, scorn, war, and conquest
sounds like a pretty good summary of
our newscasts; it certainly seems like
the dominant narrative of our times.
And the soundtrack of violence these
days appears to be prayer—in Arabic,
in Hebrew, in Hindi, in various
inflections of English.
There are many who are eager to
divide humanity along a faith line:
Sunnis vs. Shias, Catholics vs.
Protestants, Hindus vs. Buddhists.
I believe there is something else
going on. I believe that the faith line is
indeed the challenge of our century,
but it does not divide people of
different religious backgrounds. The
faith line does not separate Muslims
and Christians or Hindus and Jews.
The faith line separates religious
totalitarians and religious pluralists.
A religious totalitarian is someone
who seeks to suffocate those who are
different. Their weapons range from
suicide bombs to media empires. There
are Christian totalitarians and Hindu
totalitarians and Jewish totalitarians
and Muslim totalitarians. They are on
the same side of the faith line: arm in
arm against the dream of a common
life together.
A pluralist is someone who seeks to
live with people who are different, be
enriched by them, help them thrive.
Pluralists resonate with the Qur’annic
line, “God made us different nations
and tribes that we may come to know
one another.” Pluralists are moved by
the image of the Reverend Martin
Luther King Jr. marching together with
the Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in
Selma. Pluralists love the words of the
poet Gwendolyn Brooks:
We are each other’s business
We are each other’s harvest
We are each other’s magnitude
and bond…
We pluralists far outnumber the
totalitarians. What if we let ourselves
imagine? What if we began building?
What if every city block were a
cathedral of pluralism; every university
campus; every summer camp and day
care. There would not be enough
bombs in the world to destroy all of
our cathedrals.
Read the full Commencement Address at
www.augsburg.edu/commencement/
patel.pdf
President Emeritus Charles S. Anderson (right), who led the
College from 1980-1997 during a period of significant growth,
received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Maria Belen Power is the third in her family to
graduate from Augsburg. She poses here with
sister and brother Ana Gabriela ’05 and Camilo
Jose ’02, and their uncle, Dennis Power, from
White Plains, N.Y. The three grads are from
Managua, Nicaragua, where their mother,
Kathleen McBride, is the Center for Global
Education regional co-director for Central
America and adjunct professor.
8 AUGSBURG NOW
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As the graduates process down the street lined with faculty, hands are shaken, hugs exchanged, and high-fives given.
m”
Theatre arts professors Darcey Engen ’88
Physician Assistant program director Dawn
(second from left) and Martha Johnson (second
Ludwig places the master’s hood on Huong
from right) pose with grads James Lekatz (left)
Timp, one of the 31 newly-graduated PA
and Justin Hooper (right).
students.
President Emeritus William V. Frame, who retired last year from
Augsburg, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
degree, and was lauded for his work in sharpening the mission
of the College.
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The flags of the Commencement procession represent the countries of Augsburg’s graduating students.
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weekend, evening, and graduate programs
commencement
Faculty line both sides of the street as
graduates march through them on their
way to the ceremony.
June
Nursing Department chair Cheryl Leuning takes a photo of instructor
Pauline Utesch ’05 MAN (right) with graduates in the Bachelor of
Science nursing completion degree program.
Roberta Kagin, associate professor and director of the
music therapy program, shares a graduation moment
with her daughter, Julia (Metzler) Mensing ‘00, who
serves on Augsburg’s Alumni Board and received her
10 AUGSBURG NOW
MBA degree.
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Angela Brand receives first
Richard J. Thoni Award
In honor of his retirement from Augsburg,
the Richard J. Thoni Award was established
earlier this year. It was awarded for the first
time on June 24 to Angela Brand, a social
work major.
Beyond the required 240 hours of public
service volunteer work Brand completed for
her major, she also provided parenting
instruction and visitation supervision to a
working mother in Chisago County. She
facilitated and organized meetings to ensure
that the transportation needs of clients at
the Chisago County Social Services office
were met.
Additionally, Brand developed an
evaluation of the youth-oriented services
provided by Chisago County Social Services.
The county is currently following up on her
recommendations to ensure that youth are
better prepared for their transition into
adulthood.
During his or her time at Augsburg, the
award recipient must have demonstrated a
dedication to the kind of community
involvement characterized by the personal
and professional life of Richard J. Thoni,
who until his retirement in June 2007,
served as a tireless advocate for higher
education at Augsburg.
— Jen Winter ’07
Social work major Angela Brand is the first recipient of the Richard J. Thoni Award, established in honor of the
retiring Weekend College founder and given to a weekend student committed to service in the community.
Dean Barbara Edwards Farley places a doctoral hood on
Srividya Raman, who received her master’s
Martin Marty, retired University of Chicago professor and
degree in social work, spoke on behalf of the
historian of religion, who was awarded an honorary Doctor
Class of 2007 and told how, after receiving a
of Humane Letters degree. In his Commencement speech,
business degree in India, she realized her
he gave suggestions about learning to live life as a process,
passion was in “doing something different that
not a product, continually questioning and testing.
was closer to [her] heart.”
A future college coed straightens the tassel of her mom’s
mortar board following Commencement.
More than 50 graduating students and their families from Rochester were able to leave the driving to
Augsburg and relax on their way to and from the Commencement ceremony.
SUMMER 2007 11
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Page 14
Going to college with your mom
With more classes than ever offered in Weekend College, more
students are finding out what it’s like to attend college with their
parents. The Clark and the Spargo families are two who have had
more than one generation attend Augsburg simultaneously. Jeanette
Clark and her mother, Mary Simonson Clark, both graduated in the
spring. The Spargos have three family members graduating from
Augsburg this year and next. According to Clark, “Augsburg’s
graduate programs and Weekend College facilitate adult learning and,
therefore, increase the prevalence of multi-generational students in
families.”
The Clark family went through four commencements this past
spring. There were so many that Mary referred to their graduation
schedule as: “It’s a weekend, who needs a robe?” Jeanette graduated
from Augsburg with a Bachelor of Arts degree in youth and family
ministry and metro-urban studies on May 5. Mary graduated from
Luther Seminary with a Master of Arts in theology on May 27. Mary’s
other daughter, Marie, graduated from the New School of
Architecture and Design in San Diego, Calif., with a Master of
Architecture on June 16, and Mary received the other half of her dual
degree, a Master of Social Work, from Augsburg, on June 24.
Concerning being coeds together, Mary said, “I needed to learn
how to be on the same campus with my daughter without either of
us interfering with each other’s schedules.” Jeanette added, “To be
honest, I had some small anxieties when my mother started college at
Augsburg. It just doesn’t fit the norm to go to college with your
mother.” But both assert that not only did it work, but that the family
grew closer because of it. Jeanette claimed, “I think it was really good
for both of us to have others in our family who were going through
the stress of homework, tests, etc. at the same time. I think this really
promoted understanding.”
Jeanette Clark (left) who graduated in May, shares graduation joy with her mother,
Mary Simonson Clark, who completed dual master’s degrees at Luther Seminary and
Augsburg College. For more on Jeanette, see page 7.
The Spargos had three members attending Augsburg last year, and
all three participated in Advent Vespers. Antonio graduated in May
with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and secondary education.
Carolyn, mother to Annika and Antonio, graduated from Augsburg in
1980 and will complete the Master of Arts in Leadership program
next year. She says, “It’s been fun to have some of the same professors
my kids have.” Annika, who will graduate next year also, with a
Bachelor of Arts in music and education, adds, “Although there are
several of us on campus, we all have our separate programs which
allow us to maintain some individuality.” Continuing, she says, “I
think the neatest thing about being a family of Auggies is that I have
seen and met so many different people from different departments at
the school whom I normally would not know.”
— Jen Winter ’07
the class of 2007—956 graduates
May 5, 2007—semester programs
31 Master of Science, Physician Assistant Studies students
409 Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science
440 Total graduating
June 24, 2007—trimester programs
234 Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
172 Weekend College
52 Rochester
10 United/Unity/Mercy Hospitals
20 Master of Arts, Education
26 Master of Arts, Leadership
15 Master of Arts, Nursing
178 Master of Business Administration
43 Master of Social Work
516 Total graduating
An MBA degree was also awarded posthumously to Shika Addo,
a student in the program, who died in April 2006.
12 AUGSBURG NOW
ALUMNI NEWS
From the
Alumni Board
president …
Greetings fellow
Auggies,
Well, a year has come and gone.
My time as president of the
Alumni Association is at an end.
My hat is off to all the wonderful
folks on the Alumni Board and
to the faculty and staff at
Augsburg. They’re a great group
dedicated to Augsburg and her mission.
As I handed off the president’s role to Buffie Blesi, we had a great
strategic planning retreat in June to define our new objectives.
I’m excited to report to you that our focus areas for 2007 include:
• Augsburg Stewards—Connect with the Augsburg Stewards and
build our Auggie Pride!
• Career Development Program—support Augsburg’s efforts
around Career Development for (soon to be) alumni;
• Gateway—participate in the opening of the Oren Gateway
Center and ongoing activities there
• Vespers—support the annual Advent Vespers programming
• Awards Committee—honor Auggies each year who have done
amazing things in service to the world and Augsburg’s mission
• Augsburg Now Advisory Committee—provide input and advice
to the great group of folks producing the Augsburg Now
• Affinity Groups—build connections with other groups at
Augsburg
• Fundraising—help build Augsburg’s strength through support
of the Annual Fund
Centennial
Singers perform in
the Twin Cities
The Centennial Singers, a male
chorus of Augsburg alumni and
friends, will present a series of
concerts this fall in the greater
Twin Cities area.
The chorus was formed in the
early 1990s of former Augsburg
Quartet members to revive and
continue singing the gospel
quartet tradition. Since then,
they have toured both to Norway
and the Southwest U.S. twice.
Fall Concerts/Appearances:
Fri., Sept. 28, 7 p.m.
Faith Lutheran Church,
Staples, Minn.
Sat., Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
Salem Lutheran Church,
Deerwood, Minn.
Sun., Sept. 30, 4 p.m.
Cambridge Lutheran Church,
Cambridge, Minn.
Sat., Oct. 6, 7 p.m.
Christ the King Lutheran Church,
1900 7th St., New Brighton, Minn.
Sat., Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
Calvary Lutheran Church of
Golden Valley,\
7520 Golden Valley Rd.,
Golden Valley, Minn.
Benefit—Wilderness Canoe Base
Sun., Oct. 21, 4 p.m.
Colonial Church of Edina,
6200 Colonial Way, Edina, Minn.
Sat., Oct. 27, 7 p.m.
Community of the Cross
Lutheran Church,
10701 Bloomington Ferry Rd.,
Bloomington, Minn.
Sun., Oct. 28, 4 p.m.
King of Kings Lutheran Church,
1583 Radio Dr.,
Woodbury, Minn.
Sat., Nov. 3, 7 p.m.
Minnetonka Lutheran Church,
16023 Minnetonka Blvd.,
Minnetonka, Minn.
Sun, Nov. 4, 4 p.m.
St. Michael’s Lutheran Church,
9201 Normandale Blvd.,
Bloomington, Minn.
You are invited and encouraged to participate. Please contact the
Alumni Relations office.
All my best to you and your family as the cycle turns and we
start another year.
Barry M. Vornbrock ’96 MAL
President, Alumni Board, 2006-07
SUMMER 2007 13
CLASS NOTES
1950
1969
Frank Ario, Minneapolis, was
featured on the Minnesota Public
Radio show, Midday on May 18,
in a program, “Two Minnesotans
Touched by WWII; Two
Strikingly Different Stories.”
Royce Helmbrecht, Austin,
Minn., is principal at Lyle
Community School in Lyle,
Minn., a small school of 240
students recently named by
Newsweek in the top five percent
of high schools in the nation.
1952
Robert R. Hage Sr., Hector,
Minn., was entered into the
Minnesota High School Football
Coaches Hall of Fame on April
21. He is the former football
coach at Hector High School.
Rev. Orville Olson and his wife,
Yvonne (Bagley), Excelsior,
Minn., celebrated the 50th
anniversary of his ordination. He
is currently a pastor at Mount
Calvary Lutheran Church in
Excelsior. Gifts will be given to
the Timothy Olson Memorial
Scholarship, honoring their son.
John R. Hubbling, St. Paul,
Minn., received the Max Hecht
Award from ASTM International
Committee D19 on Water. The
committee cited Hubbling for his
outstanding service and
advancing the study of water. He
is laboratory manager for
Metropolitan Council/
Environmental Services in St.
Paul, and also serves on ASTM
International’s international
committees on waste
management, and quality and
standards.
1970
1967
Gerrie Wall (Neff), Rapid City,
S. Dak., retired in May, after a
five-decade teaching career, from
Western Dakota Technical
Institute (WDTI) in Rapid City,
where she has taught in the
general education department for
the last 18 years. At this year’s
commencement ceremony, she
received the Distinguished
Service Award from the school,
and is the first faculty member to
be honored with its highest
award.
Mary (Tweeten) Gladwin,
Pocatello, Idaho, has retired after
21 years in education. She taught
in Cottage Grove, Minn., and
was the media specialist at Grace
Lutheran and Hawthorne Middle
School in Pocatello, Idaho.
physical education and aquatics
in the Glynn County (Ga.)
schools. She was also principal
horn with the Coastal Symphony
of Georgia and played in other
bands and small brass groups. At
Augsburg, she played in a brass
group named Neophonic Brass
with Mike Savold, Bob Stacke,
Johnny English, and others, and
would love to continue playing
brass music.
1982
Les Heen, Maynard, Minn., was
recently appointed president and
general manager of Pioneer
Public Television in Appleton.
He and his wife, Barbara
(Westerlund) ’89, have two
children, Chris, 9, and Erik, 6.
Barbara (Mattison) Lagrue,
Lamberton, Minn., has recently
moved back to the Midwest,
with her husband, Paul. For
many years, she taught adaptive
14 AUGSBURG NOW
John Sheehan, Lakeville, Minn.,
has been named boys varsity
basketball head coach in
Lakeville South High School. For
seven years he was an assistant
coach with the Lakeville North
girls team.
1997
Jasmina Besirevic-Regan,
Hamden, Conn., and her
husband, Matt, welcomed their
second daughter, Lejla, on June
14, 2006.
Rev. Scott M. Ludford, Hayward,
Wis., was installed as senior
pastor of First Lutheran Church
on January 21, after serving at
Concordia Lutheran Church in
Superior, Wis., for eight-and-ahalf years.
1987
Jody Abbott was recently named
senior vice president and chief
operating officer at North Kansas
City (Mo.) Hospital to provide
direction for upper management
in the areas of nursing services,
support services, and facilities.
Previously, she worked at
Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa,
Okla., in a similar position.
1992
1975
1993
Rev. Judith Bangsund, San Jose,
Calif., is pastor, along with her
husband, Rev. James Bangsund,
at Timothy’s Lutheran Church.
She graduated in nursing, served
with her husband in Tanzania for
several years, and became
ordained.
Join the Augsburg
Online Community
• Keep in touch with
classmates
• Find out what’s happening
on campus
• Change/update your address
and e-mail
www.augsburg.edu/alumni
CLASS NOTES
1999
Cheri Johnson, Minneapolis,
received a $25,000 McKnight
Artist Fellowship for Writers,
through the Loft Literary Center,
in creative prose. She has
graduate degrees in English from
Hollins College and the
University of Minnesota and is a
regular participant in the English
Department Homecoming
Reading and Career Night.
2000
Sara M. Quigley, St. Paul, Minn.,
graduated on May 27 from
Luther Seminary with a Master
of Divinity degree. She is the
youth director at St. Stephen
Lutheran Church in White Bear
Lake, Minn., and hopes to
become ordained in the ELCA.
Jennifer Rensenbrink, and her
husband, Adam Miller,
Minneapolis, welcomed twins, a
boy and a girl, at Fairview
Riverside Hospital on June 9.
Rowan Charles weighed 5 lbs., 2
oz.; and Anneke Rensenbrink
weighed 4 lbs., 14 oz.
certified nursing assistant/
environmental aide at Fairview
Southdale Hospital in Edina,
Minn.
2003
Natalia Pretelt, Roseville, Minn.,
was mentioned in the Money
and Business section of the Star
Tribune on April 15 for her role
as a loan specialist with the
Minneapolis Consortium of
Community Developers. She is
involved in microlending and
small loans to help immigrants
and others start businesses.
Jonathan Fahler, has studied
since 2004 in the Master of Arts
in Medical Sciences program at
Loyola University Chicago and
was recently admitted to medical
school at Des Moines University
College of Osteopathic Medicine.
John Tieben, St. Louis Park,
Minn., received his medical
degree from the University of
Minnesota on May 4. Tieben and
his wife, Danielle (Slack) ’04,
will live in Duluth, where he will
serve a three-year family practice
residency in the St. Mary’s/Duluth
Clinic Health System, St. Luke’s
Hospital, and the Duluth Family
Practice Center.
Options, a volunteer mentoring
program that connects with atrisk kids, ages 10-14, in the
Twin Cities through biking and
running. See blog photos at
bolderoptions.org.
2005
Brooke Dornbusch received a
Master of Arts in counseling
degree in May from the
Assemblies of God Theological
Seminary in Springfield, Mo.
Mark Simmonds, placed fourth
in the 120-kilogram GrecoRoman class at the 2007 USA
Wrestling Senior World Team
Trials. He is a damage
controlman third class (DC3) in
the U.S. Navy, operating out of
the Mayport, Fla., Naval Station
and is a member of the Navy’s
wrestling team.
2006
Lauren Falk, Eden Prairie,
Minn., has started her own
portrait/wedding photography
business, Lauren B. Photography,
with on-location photography of
weddings, portraits, and events
in the Twin Cities metro area.
Graduate Programs
Jeff Falkingham ’95 MAL, Eden
Prairie, Minn., donated his
services to author a 2007
commemorative edition of his
earlier book, The County
Courthouse Caper, recounting the
history of his native Browns
Valley, Minn. The publisher,
Beaver’s Pond Press, has donated
1000 copies for the city to sell as
a fundraiser for its Long-Term
Flood Recovery Fund.
Dietrich-Swanson Wedding
2004
2001
Emily Waldon, Salem, Mass.,
recently joined the Harvard
Vanguard Medical Associates at
its Cambridge internal medicine
practice as a physician assistant.
She received a master’s degree
from Northeastern University in
Boston. Formerly she was a
Max Langaard, Oakland, Calif.,
was recently featured in an
article titled, “Teaching
Leadership through Coaching.”
The article is focused on the
Sports-4-Kids program centered
in the Bay area inner city
schools. The program attempts
to help children become not only
healthier but also to learn what it
takes to lead.
Laura Simones, St. Paul, has
biked from Boulder, Colo., to
Minneapolis with Bolder
Hannah Dietrich and Nathan Swanson ’05,, Lincoln, Neb., were
married on June 8, in Luverne, Minn. The wedding included several
Auggie students and staff, including Sadie Dietrich ’09, Lynde
Kuipers ’08, cross-country and track coach Dennis Barker, Marcia
Gunz ’05, Anna (Ferguson) Rendell ’05, Kyla Rice ’05, Tim
Stowe, and Janeece (Adams) Oatmann ’05. Jeremiah Knabe ’05
also served as an officiant at the wedding. Hannah is a doctoral
student at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, and Nathan is
pursuing a job with Lincoln Public Schools.
SUMMER 2007 15
CLASS NOTES
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the Augsburg
Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
Street address
City, State, Zip
In Memoriam
Larsen, Norman ’34,
Morristown, Minn., age 97, on
June 12. He was a member of the
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Woolson, Gladys (Oudal) ’34,
Minneapolis, age 92, on May 9.
Knudsen, Rev. Richard I. ’37
Sem, Minneapolis, age 95, on
July 10.
Gilseth, Margaret (Chrislock)
’40, St. Charles, Minn., age 88,
on June 10. She was a
Distinguished Alumna.
Framstad, Rev. Waldemar ’41,
Marinette, Wis., age 87, on June
14, after a lengthy illness.
Ahlberg, Rev. G. Harold ’42,
Valparaiso, Ind., age 86, on June 4.
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Home telephone
Stolee, Magdalene (Gronseth)
’42, Kenyon, Minn., age 87, on
June 11.
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Employer
Position
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
If yes, class year
Spouse’s name
Maiden name
Your news:
16 AUGSBURG NOW
Estness, Borghild ’43,
Minneapolis, age 92, on July 8.
She served as a recorder in
Augsburg’s Office of the Registrar.
Gronseth, Luther C., Sr., ’43,
Apple Valley, Minn., age 86, on
June 23.
Lindahl, Burton J. ’50, Wayzata,
Minn., age 82, on May 22.
Bakken, Rev. Hardis C. ’52, San
Pablo, Calif., age 97, on May 5.
Thompson, Robert D. ’52,
Bloomington, Minn., age 81, on
June 29.
Pundy, Eileen “Dolly” ’59,
Minneapolis, age 69, on May 4.
Peterson, Rolf ’61, University
Place, Wash., on April 24.
Heimbigner, Marlene (Hanggi)
’65, Olympia, Wash., on Jan. 15.
Timmons, Peter ’74, St. Paul,
age 63, on June 16, from
pancreatic cancer.
Ness, Sheela Jo ’86, Plymouth,
Minn., on July 4, of injuries from
an auto accident.
Galland, John H. ’93, Durango,
Colo., age 56, on May 18, in an
auto accident.
Hope, Jared ’00, West Concord,
Minn., age 28, on May 8 of
injuries from an auto accident.
Neitzel, Daniel Kurt ’06, Eden
Prairie, Minn., age 27, on
June 11.
Ward, Sister Agnes, CSJ, on
April 10. She taught classical
languages at Augsburg in the
1960s.
703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1
8/22/07
11:05 PM
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CALENDAR
For music information, call 612-330-1265
For theatre ticket information, call 612-330-1257
For art gallery information, call 612-330-1524
SEPTEMBER
September 10
Seventh Annual Scholastic
Connections Gala and Dinner
Celebrating the scholarship/
mentorship program and the four
ethnic services programs
Free and open to the public
6:30–8:30 p.m.—East Commons,
Christensen Center
Info and reservations: 612-359-6480
or scholar@augsburg.edu
September 24-25
2007 Christensen Symposium
Everyday Life in the Light of the
Gospel
Rolf A. Jacobson, associate professor of
Old Testament, Luther Seminary.
Free and open to the public.
September 24, “Why Do You Weep?
Sadness, Grief, and the Gospel”
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
September 25, “How Can I Keep
from Singing? Laughter, Joy, and the
Gospel”
11 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
September 27
Theatre Artist Series
From Augsburg to the Guthrie
Theater
Katie Koch ’06, stage manager and
executive assistant to Joe Dowling,
Guthrie Theater
9:40–11:10 a.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
September 14–October 26
Glass from the American-Swedish
Institute and Its Local Influence
Gage Family Art Gallery, Oren
Gateway Center
Opening reception: Friday, Sept. 14,
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Artist Presentation: To be announced
September 14–October 26
Reweaving a Life
Prints by Alejandro González Aranda
and baskets by women weavers of
Tlamacazapa, Guerrero, Mexico
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Artist Printmaking Demonstration:
Friday, Oct. 12, 8:30–10:10 a.m.
Artist Presentation and Reception:
Friday, Oct. 12, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
September 18
Theatre Artist Series
Technical Direction at the
Guthrie Theater
Craig Pettigrew, assistant
technical director
9:40–11:10 a.m.—
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
September 20
Featured Artist Presentation
A Life in the Theatre
Peter C. Brocius, artistic director,
Children’s Theatre Company
7 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
October 17
Many Voices: Bold Visions
Convocation Series
Peter Bisanz, film director,
documentary One
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
NOVEMBER
November 2–11
Life is a Dream (La vida es sueño)
by Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Directed by Martha Johnson
Nov. 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10 at 7 p.m.
Nov. 4 and 11 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
OCTOBER
October 8
Theatre Artist Series
Working in the Theatre
Buffy Sedlacheck, literary manager,
Jungle Theatre
12:10–1:10 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
October 8–13
Homecoming 2007
See www.augsburg.edu/alumni for
information
October 11
Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
November 14
2007 Koryne Horbal Lecture
Anne Pedersen Women’s
Resource Center
Jane Fonda
“My Life’s Lessons about Sex and
Gender”
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
November 30
Velkommen Jul Celebration
10:15 a.m.—Chapel Service,
Hoversten Chapel
11 a.m.—Scandinavian treats and
gifts, Christensen Center
October 12
1957 50th Anniversary
Celebration
Homecoming Convocation
Homecoming Luncheon
Campaign Completion
Celebration and Oren Gateway
Center Dedication
Dept. of Sociology 60th
Anniversary Celebration
November 30–December 1
That All May Have Light
28th Annual Advent Vespers:
A service of music and liturgy
5 and 8 p.m. each night
Central Lutheran Church,
Minneapolis
For seating envelopes,
612-330-1265
English Alumni/ae Reunion
and Reading
October 13
1967 40-Year Reunion
Picnic in the Park
Football game vs.
University of St. Thomas
Auggie Block Party
SUMMER 2007
703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1
8/22/07
11:05 PM
Page 16
An Augsburg Mural
Augsburg’s history is celebrated in the mural across
the Barnes and Noble Augsburg Bookstore windows
at the new Oren Gateway Center. Artwork by
photographer Stephen Geffre.
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
Show less
-
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Title
-
Augsburg Now Summer 2002
-
Collection
-
Alumni Magazine Collection
-
Search Result
-
\
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Celebrating great achievement
rFhe
solash olcolor on Lhis cover
I uiuiåty displays the pomp and
clrcumstance of Commencement-this
year alI the more glorious under
beautiful spring sunshine with trees in a
late bloom from the cold early...
Show more
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Celebrating great achievement
rFhe
solash olcolor on Lhis cover
I uiuiåty displays the pomp and
clrcumstance of Commencement-this
year alI the more glorious under
beautiful spring sunshine with trees in a
late bloom from the cold early spring.
May celebrations on campus are all
about achievement (yes, some senior
celebrating may stretch those
parameters). Foremost, we celebrate the
years of hard work and achievement of
the new graduates who are receiving
degrees. For many of Augsburg's
Weekend College graduates, that
achievement comes at a
steep price paid in time
spent away from
families on weekends, in
a schedule that included
Augsburg community-faculty and
staff-who celebrate the achievements
of long careers at the College. The
retiring professorial class of 2002
includes three men whose vision and
energy during the 1970s and'BOs
helped to build the campus facilities
and programs that enable Augsburg to
be a welcoming place today to all
students. Their legacies enable students
who were limited i.n educational choices
to achieve an Augsburg education,
especially students with physical and
learning disabilities, and students in
recovery from substance abuse.
Lìke the saying, "Tomorrow is the
first day of the rest of your life,"
Commencement Day (as it-s name
denotes) seems to focus on the
beginnÌng of a new stage in one's 1ife. I
suggest we linger for just a moment to
offer congratulations on today's great
achievemenl belore moving on.
Ww
Betsey Norgard
Editor
o
a
s.
hs
q
full-time work plus
extra-time study.
Sometimes the greatest
reward for them may
not be a diploma, but
the achievement of selfconfidence and
realization that a college
degree truly is possible.
We also join with
those members of the
We welcome your letters!
write to:
Please
Editor
AugsburgNow
22ll
Riverside Ave., CB 145
Minneapolis, MN 55454
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Fax: 612-330-1780
Phone: 612-330-1 181
Letters for publication must be signed and
include your name, class year, and daytime
telephone number. They may be edited for
As part of their European concert tour in May, the Augsburg Choir performed at the
Temppeliaukio Church (known as the "Rock Church") in Helsinki, Finland. The church is
carved into a granite hill and covered with a concave copper roof. On their two-week tourl
the choir performed at four cities in Finland, two in Estonia, and in St. Petersburg, Russia.
length, clarity, and style.
)
AI¿GSBLJRG Now
Augsburg Now is published
quarterþ by Augsburg College,
Vol. 64, No.4
Summer 2002
22I1 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454.
Betsey Norgard
Features
Editor
Lynn Mena
Assistant Editor
Kathy Rumpza
Graphic Designer
Jess¡ca Brown
6
11
Bridging East and West:
A music teaching career
Shaped by the faith
and values of the
Christian church ...'
by Betsey Norgard
Class Notes Coordinator
' ...
Stephen Geffre
Contributing Photographer
William V. Frame
President
7
Making Augsburg
accessible: The legacy of
three professors
Dan Jorgensen
Director of Public Relations and
Communication
16
weekend College
16
cn¡t"nges, rewards,
and an A for my daughter
by Sue Kneen
by Betsey Norgard
18
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
nringing their experience
to class
official College policy.
by Joan Thompson
ISSN 1058-t545
ffi
Postmaster: Send conespondence,
name changes, and address
corrections to Augsburg N ow,
Office of Public Relations and
Communication, 221 I Riverside
Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454.
þ'q*
athletic andlor school
ailministere il p ro gr ams, e xcept
in those instances where rcligion
is a bona Jide occupational
qualif icøtion. Au gsbur g C olle ge
is committed to provüling
r e as onable acc ommo dations to
its employees and its students.
www.augsburg.edu
f4
S".orrd Annual International
Photo Contest
21
Commencement 2oo2
,-.,^
Fax:612-330-1780
Augsburg College, as aJfirmeil
stgn language interpreter
makes the grade
by Deanna Constans
wÐ
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-I l8I
in its mission, does not
iliscriminate oi the basis ol race,
c'olor, creeil, religion, national or
ethnic origin, age, getder, sexual
orientation, marital status, status
with regard to public assista:nce,
or disability in its education
p olici e s, admissions p olicie s,
s cholar ship anil lo an pr o gr ams,
20
Departments
t?
2
4
25
26
32
inside
back
cover
Around the Quad
¡
9
*l
r
n
Sports
Alumni News
u
Class Notes
Auggie Thoughts
Homecoming Preview
On the cover:
Augsbur g f aculty, lining
b o th si d e s
street,honor and cheer on
the graduates as they process to the
oJ the
Commencement ceremony. Photo
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste)
by Stephen" GeJfre.
l
I - O
I o
Mary Laurel True is honored for commitment
to service-learning
È
¡
a
tt
O
!
M :üiJ:il *î:.ï:ïi::: *::i:'
and Learning and director of the
Community Service-Learning Program
was honored by Minnesota Campus
Compact in April as a 2002 recipient of
the Sister Pat Kowalski Leadership Award.
The award is given io honor her
commitment to building communitycampus partnerships locusing on servicelearning and civic engagement, and for
success in creating the institutional
change to build them.
Augsburg's Community Service-
Learning Program, embedding service
experiences into the curriculum, serves
a national model. Activities include
as
courses with service-learn i ng
components; a city service projects day
for all freshmen; tutoring children and
adults in schools, literacy centers, and
neighborhood organizations ; community
service scholarships, an annual
O
community servlce week;
and a student-run program
that organizes events on
ca1Ìlpus for neÌghborhood
children and projects for
s.
students. (See story in
Augsburg Now, summer
2001 issue, or online at
<www. au gsburg. edu/now>).
Minnesota Campus
Compact is a coalÌtion of
50 colleges and university
presidents committed to
strategic partnerships that
Mary Laurel True, director of community-service learning,
strengthen communities
holds up lhe Augsburg /llow, summer 2001 issue, that
and education for
contained an article on Augsburg's program. She was
informed and active
recently honored as a 2002 recipient of the Sister Pat
Kowalski award,
citizenship.
This award is named
for Pat Kowalski, O.S.M., who served as
years and is co-sponsored by the
director of community partnerships at the
Minnesota Private College Council,
University of St. Thomas from 1992 until
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities,
her death in 1999. lt is given every two
and the University o[ Minnesota.
Physician ass¡stant students win national writing
COmpgtitiOn Aussburs News service
I
aura Carìson, Larry Nilsson, and Paul
LTala.ico, stuáents ín the Physician
Assistant Program, co-authored the
winning paper in the J. Peter Nyquist
Student Writing Competition, a national
student physician assislanl, competiLion.
The paper titled "Polypharmacy: A
Prominent Yet Preventable Geriatric
Problem," began as a collaborative writing
assignment for a class, and after a little
"tweaking" the students submitted it to the
national coniest where it received first
place among the nearly 70 submissions
from across the nation.
The paper discussed how
poþharmacy, the use of many
medications, is a problem in geriatric
medicine. They also sited examples in
which adverse effects have resulted from
2
,4UGSBURG NOW
using too many medicines.
The purpose of the paper
was to increase awareness
of the importance to reevaluate a patient's profile
before prescribing more
medication.
"ltb nice when one's
hard work is recognized,
and fun to collaborate on
a paper
with
fl t
a
M
m
s.
hs'
FI
æ¡
E
classmates,"
Talarico said. "lt is even
more rewarding to be
recognized for our team
effort. l'm proud to
represent Augsburg College
and its PA Program."
(L to R) Larry Nilsson, Paul Talarico, and Laura Carlson won
the top award in a national student physician assistant
writing competition with a paper discussing use of
multiple medications for older people.
The students received cash prlzes and
funding to attend the American Academy
of Physician Assistants semiannual meeting
in Boston in
May, where they presented
their winning research project. Al1 three
students
will graduate in August.
Summer 2002
I
Augsburg Fund tops 5I50,OOO
record goal
ooi:.rìns
Aili:i:îï:äliJ'
DIALING
Fund
Augsburg Fund
gifts for the year
ending on May 31
came to $801,341, a
33 percent increase
2002 PA o[ the Year, at their spring
conference. The academy cited Ludwig for
her accomplishments in building
Augsburg's PA Program, for her continued
clinical practice, for her volunteer efforts in
church and communit¡ and for the balance
she is able to maintain with family life.
Augsburg's PA Program is graduating
degree.
gave nearly half of
these gifts, increasing
Nursing program accredited
their percentage of
participation over last
year's 15 percent.
Part of this year's
EIIa Howell (left), assistant director of The Augsburg Fund, and
growth can be
Donna McLean (right), d¡rectoí give a thumbs up to the
Phonathon successes and donor support that raised the annual
attributed to the
fund to record levels this fiscal year.
success of the new
Maroon 6¡ Silver
"It is difficult to fully express our
Society donors who pledge a four-year
gratitude
to the thousands of people who
commitment at a leadership levei.
participated
Ìn The Augsburg Fund this
Approximately $350,000 has been given
Achieving
year.
this goal during such a
by the 150 charter members. Also to be
for
difficult
year
our nation shows the
credited is the student Phonathon team,
strong
commitment
so many people have
who raised $134,000 in gifts and
to
Augsburg
and
its
mission," said John
matching gifts.
Knight, director of development.
Student harpist Emily Gerard
rece¡ves Hognander Award
lmily Gerard,
Lof Esko,
Minn., Ìs the
2002-03
recipient of the
Hognander
Award, the
College's most
prestigious
music award.
Gerard, a junior
majoring in
2OO2
o
its sixth class in August. All five classes to
date have achieved a 100 percent pass rate
on the national certification exam. In fall
2001, the PA Program became a graduate
program leading to a master of science
over last year. Alumni
Summer
Dawn Ludwig is PA of the Year
Physician Assistant Program director Dawn
Ludwig was honored by the Minnesota
Academy o[ Physician Assistants as the
s.
$750,000 goal for
fiscal year 2002-the
hÌghest goal ever set
for The Augsburg
Emily Gerard '03
Nn¡Etlilolr-Ililt
music, studies
harp with Minnesota Orchestra principal
harpist Kathy Kienzle and plays in the
Augsburg Concert Band.
The Orville C. and Gertrude O.
Hognander Family Fund was established
to recognize exceptional music
performance and achievement. The
scholarship is based on merit, specifically
to provicle encouragement to outstanding
music students. Requirements include a
résumé, essay, and an audition of two
musical selections.
Augsburg's Master o[ Arts in Nursing
Program had received initial accreditation
by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing
Education (CCNE). A site visit was made
in November 2001, with final
accreditation granted in May.
Fourth Fulbright group grant received
Augsburg received $55,000 fo¡ a
Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad
Program for 12 faculty members to study
at the Center for Global Education's
Namibia site, July I to August 5.
"The purpose of this study trip is to
creâte a core of people lon campusl who
will have a common African experience to
heighten u*ur.r,ess of African issues on
campus," said Professor Bruce
Reichenbach, project coordinator.
While in Africa, the team will study
cultural issues, visit urban and rural
centers, and meet with people and leaders
in all segments of society
Augsburg joins
The Princeton Review
Augsburg has been chosen for inclusion in
The Pnnceton Revíew\ best colleges
publication and Web site. Especially
popular among high school students,
these guides include a "Students Say"
section that comments on all aspects o[
campus life.
Student comments about Augsburg
will be compiled f¡om a survey ¡hat The
Princeton R¿vi¿w encourages students to
complete, which includes academics,
campus life, and the student body.
,Aucsnunc
¡¡ow
3
2O0f -O2 Athletic year in revievlr
All-MIAC honors; three All-MiAC
second-team honors; I7 AII-MIAC
honorable mention team honors; three AllRegion honors; and an All-Region
honorable mention highlighted Auggie
athletÌcs this year.
lifteen
I
o,Donsroner
stands at 53-58 in his 1l-season career. The
53 wins are the second-most ever for an
Augsburg coach, only Edor Nelson's 58 wins
are grealer.
s
a
Ë
ts
Senior Matt Chappuis eamed the Stam
Award, given to the outstanding lineman in
the MIAC on a vote of conference coaches.
Wrestling
Augsburg won its third straight NCAA
Division III national championship and
eighth in the last L2 years, both NCAA
Division III records.
Under head coach Jeff Swenson, the
Auggies finished wirh a 16-0 dual-meer
record, extending its consecutive match
winning streak to 24.The Auggies won the
Division
lll
Volleyball
Augsburg's volleyball team continued to
improve despite a schedule that included
eight matches against teams invited to the
2000 or 2001 NCAA Division III national
playoffs. The team, whÌch had only two
seniors, finished 12-tB overali and 4-7 in
MIAC play
national tournament by six
poi.nts over Upper lowa and Wartburg.
Men's soccer
Augsburg has had 7l NWCA Scholar
All-Americans since 1983. In the five seasons
the National Wrestling Coaches Associatlon
Augsburg's men's soccer team continued [o
show improvement under third-year head
coach Mike Navarre. The Auggies finished
with a 5-11-1 overall record, matching last
has sponsored a DMsÌon III academic
national team championship, the Auggies
have finished in the top four every year.
year's
win total. All but four of the team's 26
goals were scored
Chrissy Baune crosses the finish line during
an Augsburg track and field meet.
Men's/Women's track and field
Senior Chrissy Baune earned a berth in the
NCAA Division III national championships
by freshmen or
sophomores.
for the first time in her career, qualifying
Men's hockey
Augsburg finished third in the M[AC, with a
l0-5-l mark (14-9-3 overall). More than half
of this year's team \Mere freshmen or
sophomores, with just eight seniors.
alter winning the MIAC title in the
women's 3,000-meter steeplechase.
Augsburg's men finished ninth and the
women llth in the MIAC.
Men's golf
Women's hockey
Augsburg finished one point sþ of
qualifying for the postseason playoffs, with a
9-13-2 overall record (8-9-1 MIAC).
Augsburg won seven of its final 12 games
with more than half of the team either
freshmen or sophomores.
Freshman Lauren Chezick was named
to the MIAC All-Rookie Tèam.
Matt Chappuis (right) is about to sack the
St, Olaf quarterback during an Augsburg win.
Men's/Women's cross country
Augsburg's men's squad recorded its best
finish ever in the NCAA Division
Football
Augsburg's football team finished the 2001
campaign with a 4-5 mark in the rugged
MIAC, which sent t\Mo teams to the NCAA
Division III national playoffs.
Head coach Jack Osberg earned his
50th career coaching victor¡ and now
4
,+UGSBURG
Now
lil
Central
Regional, placing l2th in the 22-team event.
All six runners placed in the top 106 in the
154-runner race. Augsburg's women's squad
recorded its best finish since 1996 with a
16th-place finish in the 22-team meer.
In the MIAC meet, the men placed
seventh while the Auggre women were lOth.
Augsburg finished the fall half of the men's
golf season with a fourth-place finish at
the very competitive MIAC championships, continuing a string of finishing in
the top four in the league meet every year
since 1994.
Woment golf
With just four golfers in the fal1 and six in the
spring, Augsburg finished ninth as a tearlrr at
the MIAC championships, led by junior
JanellJohnson, who eamed Most Improved
GoÌfer from coaches in the Minnesota
Womenb Collegrate Golf Association.
For the most complete informatlon on
Augsburg Auggie athletics, visit
<www au gsburg. edu/athletics>.
Don Stoner is sports information coordinator.
Summer 2002
I
Nine students earn top athletic awards
Conference Honor
Roll honors three
times, Verizon
Academic All-District
honors twlce and
Verizon Academic All-
N;ï,::î:;:iî11:iin",äiïî::l"'
year, voted by coaches in Augsburg's men's
and women's athletic departrnents.
Four AuggÌes earned Honor Athlete
designation, the highest honor the College
gives its senior student-athletes-female
athlete Kristi Brusletto and male athletes
Tony Abbott, Brent Peroutka, and Kevin
Brent Peroutka
starter on the defensive
physics-A two-time
All-American in
wrestling, Rasmussen
education double
All-American in
wrestling, Abbott won
the NCAA Division lll
national championship
Tony Abbott
at 165 pounds this
season, after finishing fourth in 2001. He
won MIAC Ìndividual titles twice and was
a part of three consecutive national
championship teams. With a 3.309 GPA,
he earned NWCA Scholar All-American
honors twi.ce.
Ifuisti Brusletto,
psychology-A four-
e
yeâr starter on defense
in women's hockey
with
a 3.2 GPA,
Brusletto earnecl Al1MIAC honors her
\:t
junior season and allKristi Brusletto
conference honorable
mentlon honors her senior year, and was a
part of hockcy terms that Iwice won
MIAC titles
Brent Peroutka, busÌness finance-A fouryear starter in the defenslve backfield in
football, Peroutka earned AÌI-MIAC
second-team honors his sophomore, junior,
and senior seasons. With a 3.780 GPA,
Peroutka earned MIAC Academic Al1-
and physical
education-A four-year
Earning Augsburg Senior Athlete of
the Year honors were male athletes Darin
Bertram, Matt Chappuis, and Nick Slack;
and female athletes Chrissy Baune and
major-A two-time
Matt Chappuis, health
200 1.
Rasmussen.
2OO1-02 Honor Athletes
Tony Abbott,
communication and
winnÌng the national trtle his junror year.
He was one of 10 wrestlers ever to win four
MIAC individual championships.
American honors in
Kevin Rasmussen,
Rachael Ekholm.
placed fifth in the
nation at 197 pounds
this season, after
linishing sixth
Kevin Rasmussen
nationaliy the year
before. He won the MIAC title his senior
season. With a 3.526 GPA, he earned
MIAC Academic All-Conference Honor
Roll honors twice and NWCA Scholar AllAmerican honors twice.
2OO1-02 Senior Athletes
line in football,
Chappuis earned AllMIAC honors three
times, eaming secondMatt Chappuis
team honors his
sophomore year and first-team honors his
junior and senior seasons. ln 2001, he
earned Football Gazette All-Region first-team
honors, and was voted by MIAC coaches as
winner of the Mike Stam Award, given to the
or-rtstanding lineman in the M[AC.
Rachael Ekholm,
physical education-A
four-year starter in
softbali and three-year
of the Year
Chrissy Baune,
business
management-A
leader on the Auggie
track and field and
cross country teams,
Baune earned All-
MIAC honors 16
times in her career,
three times in cross country and 13 times
in track. She qualified for the NCAA
Division III track and fleld national
championships in the women's 3,000Chrissy Baune
letterwinner in
basketball, Ekholm
was a significant part
of the record books in
Rachael Ekholm
both sports. Ekholm
holds school records for career and singleseason strikeouts, and she hold most of the
power-hitting school records. In basketball,
she holds the single-game and singleseason records for three-pointers. In her
sophomore and senior seasons she earned
All-Region honors.
Nick Slack,
marketing-One of the
meter steeplechase.
top upperweight
wrestlers in school
history, Slack earned
All-American honors
three times in his
Darin Bertram, health
and physical
I
t)
byDonstoner
education-One of the
most dominant
llghtweight wrestlers
in school history
Bertram earned A1lAmerÌcan honors three
Dar¡n Bertram
times in his career,
finishrng second in the NCAA Division III
national championships ar, I25 pounds his
lreshman and sophomore seasons and
Nick SIack
career, finishing
second in the NCAA
lli national champlonships aL I74
pounds his junior and senior seasons, while
winning the national title with a 3l-0 record
in 2000. He was one of 10 wrestlers ever to
win four MIAC lndividual championships.
Division
Don Stoner is sports information coordinator.
Sunrmer 2002
,4ucssunc
f{ow
5
mffiXffiffiKruffi
ffiA$f altd kVK$T: Å mltl$;t T,nAtl{lÍ,{ffi ffiÅnnfm
by Betsey Norgard
Robert Karlén's 43 years at Ar-rgsburg
inclucle teaching and research spanning
the globe lrom Scandlnavia to Greece ancl
Tùrkey and China. As he retires from the
College, he leaves a legacy that includes
close conneclions to a Chinese
conservatory of music and its faculty, an
archive of original music from
Scandinavia, and influences from these
experiences that impacted the education of
many, many music students he has taLlght.
Over a decade's time, Karlén taught
four semesters at the Sichuan Conservatory
of Music in Chengdu, China, initiated by
an invitation from the United Board of
Christlan Higher Education in Asia. What
he lound there was a dearth of Western
music-resulting from the purges of Mao's
collect scorcs, and lcarn,
Augsburg then became a
logical recipient of a r-rniqr-re
collection oI Scandinavian
music scores, recorclings, and
books that has recently been
È!
u
ù
caralogr"red in Lindell Library.
(See Augsburg Now, spring
2000 story.)
Karlén came to Augsburg
in 1959, initrally through a
commission for incidental
music for a play, Christ in the
Concrete City, directed by
theatre arts professor Ailene
Cole. He was attrâcted to
Augsburg by music chair
Leland Sateren, and chuckles
Cultural Revolution-and during his
in recalling the early days
teaching sojourns there was able to rewhen they sharecl an office and
ìntroduce music of the classics and his
between the two of them
own to the Chinese students.
tatrght almost all thc mLrsic
On one trip Karlén arranged for a vlsit
students. In lact, cnn-ent music
ofAugsburg Concert Band director Robert
department chair Bob Stacke,
Stacke to join Karlén as a guest concluctor.
as well as faculty members
This led to a yearlong residency at
Merilee Klemp, Peter
Augsburg by the conservatory's band
Hendrickson, Gabe Gabrielsen,
director. Sun Jin. Upon returning to
and Tiudl Anderson all studied
China, Sun started a non-milrtary
with Karlén cluring their
Robert Karlén's legacy at Augsburg includes music
community band in Chengdu.
student days at Augsburg.
influences from his teaching experiences in Europe and Asia.
Karlénb career at Augsburg has also
Karlén comments on the
Among his honors and commÌssions,
includecl exploration of Nordic music. As
openness for collaboration and
Karlén created a composition, For the Birds,
an American Scandinavian Foundation
experimentation as one of the most
basecl on the play by Aristophanes, for the
Felloq he spent a year visiting the five
rewarding aspects of his career hereopening concert of the Ordway Center for
Nordic countries to meet composers,
something not as possible at larger,
the Performing Arts
performance-based music
Karlén looks lorward to retirement as
programs where each faculty
a time to complete some unfinished
member is a specialist.
projects. One is a musical composition
An early pro¡ect brought
that was requested by the Havana Clarinet
Karlén and art professor Phil
Quintet, a grorlp whom he happened to
Augsburg honors and celebrates four
Thompson together for a
meet when they perlormed in China.
faculty and staff who retire in 2002:
series of six TV programs
Karlén would most enjoy a trip to Cuba
describing similarities in
for a premiere ol this composition.
visual arts and music. For
A scholarship honoring Robelt Karlén
another, Karlén collaborated
Vern Bloom, social work-37 years
was established by his friencls, family, and
with English professor John
alumni in recognition of his musical
Norman Holen, art-38 years
Mitchell on a unique short
nccomplishnrents and long service to
film where each frame was
Robert Karlén, music-43 years
Augsburg. I
hand-etched by Mitchell and
Don Warren, StepUP Program-24 years
for which Karlén created an
elecl ronic t¡ttsrc st ore.
6
,4UGSBURG NoW
Summer
2OO2
¡
r
[/lAl(
NG AUGSBIJRG ACCISSIBLI
TllE LEûACY OT TllREE PROFESSORS
by Betsey Norgard
Augsburg has long been recognized as a
leader in providing support for students
with physical disabilities.In 1971, before
federal legislation mandated access,
Augsburg began making its campus
accessible to everyone. By 1978, which was
the implementation deadline for Secrion 504
of the 1973 RehabiÌitation Act, Augsburg
aiready had more than a dozen physicallydisabled students living and studying on
campus, and had a college and community
task force on track with plans to make the
campus fully accessible by mid-1980.
Augsburg's programs are significant
because they began not solely as selvice
programs but as an aspect of "co-leaming."
In 1969 social work adjunct professor Cal
Appleby took his Crime and Community
class to visit Stillwater prison. Appleby then
Vern Bloom
suggested that the class meet there regularly
today-the combination of leaming and
and arranged to include not only Augsburg
students, but Stillwater inmates, and-to
satisfy the apprehensions of correctional
officials-prison guards. With this
succeeding, Appleby then took his
Introduction to Social Work class to meet at
Tievilla of Robbinsdale, a home for severely
physically-disabled adults.
In a paper written by Professor Vem
Bloom on the growth of programs like these
during the 1970s and'80s, Bloom quotes
Appleby, "lt was quite an experience for
everyone, including myself. We not only
studied social work principles and concepts
from books, we now had a rich
environment in which to leam from each
other. And we did!" This concept is the
heart and hallmark of Augsburg's education
experience.
Don Warren
Students from these diverse populations
then came to Augsburg and found a
welcoming community By the late 1990s,
Augsburg was aiready serving over 200
students with physical, learning, and
emotional disabilities.
The end of this academic year marks
the retirement of three longtime professors
and staff who played key roles in developing
these early programs and access for students
with few other educational opportunities,
especially students with physical disabilities.
These faculty members also led the way in
recognizing needs of other student
populations, including those with learning
disabilities and, most recently, students in
recovery from alcohol and drug abuse.
Norm Holen
Photos by Stephen Geffre
Summer
2OO2
4ucsnunc
ruow
7
V[|l[I
HLÜOU]:
F0lJ1ìl0ATl0il
ln I971, rvhen Augsbulg reccivecl
a srate
grånt to cìevelop the prison lealnir-rg
l)rograrll, social n,ork plolessol Vern Bkron-r
bccame cllrectol of Consen'ation o[ Humar-r
Rt'Sor il
cr': (CH R). t hc .:rrrI
pr rs ()l
lltltIt:rti(
ìlr
that ach-r"rir.ristelecl the prrtgraÌn. Soon its
classes expanclecl to inclucle other
populations u,ith little access to an
erlLrtnrrtrn -nrcrrrrll¡ ill Prlicrrts ilì statc
institutions, the elcletly., and resrcler"rts in
other state lacilities.
''The it-rtelesting thing is that every
place n'e \\¡ent," Bloom continues, "everyone
in charge-allnost all n,ith r.aryrng degrees
ol intensitl'-saÌcì that it n,ouldn't u'ork and
tl.rat the;, clicln't think tl-reir people 1i'onlcl l¡e
very,goocl students. Ancl it'uvasn't tn¡e.
Man;' u'e re just '"i onclerfi-rl stuclents."
CHR received no clirect lunds ftorn tl're
College, ancl its classes u,ere kept alive ìt1,
Augsbr-rrg students
u'ho held fi-u'rdraisers. ln
1973, registration fol the classes u'as
extenclecl to the ACTC schools (Hamline,
lvlacalester, St. Tl-ror-nas, St. Catirerine).
In 1975, Augsburg
teceivecl a granr
from the Minnesota Departmer.rt ol
Vocational Rehabilitation ro pror.icle oncamplls eclucatlon [or clisablecl students,
n-ran1' of lvhom \\¡ere ahead;' stud;'i1g q'Lth
Augsburg stuclents ar-rcl facult;r It r,i'as the
determination ol these stuclents lor a chance
at a college eciucation that helpecl u.in rhe
sLlpport of PresiclenL Oscar Anclerson ancl
the College communill,, Bloom recalls.
"lt u'as a goocl idea, but it createcl a
mess, because nobocll, kneu, u4rat to clcr
u,ith lthe stuclents] rvl.ren rhey gor here ."
The barriers \\¡ere nor only'pl.r1'sical; Bloor.n
relates hor,r, tl're stucler-rts organizecl
"Disability \\¡eel<" in lall 1975 u'irh u.rsenice trair-ring sessior-rs and the
encolrragenlent ol everl,gne to "aclopt" a
disabihq' lol a clayi "Tl.re message to us \\'as
clear. Lile is clifficult-bur clon'r rnake ir an1.
u'orse b;' ignoring or feeli.g so'1' for us,"
u,rites
8
Bloor.r.r.
,+UGSBURG NoW
The efforts in the 1970s of social work professor Vern Bloom and others helped Augsburg create
a barrier-free campus to welcome students with physical disabilities.
Another large obstacle for rhe disabled
students rvas lack ol afforclable
transportation to and fion] campus. Solution
to tl-ris problem câtre ir-r the petson ol
\Va¡rre 'lrlo" l\loldelrhalre¡'. a plisorr innrarc
uùo stucliecl in the initial classes ar
Stillwater Prison. Upor-r I'ris release, Bloom
hirecl him as a clriver, and cliscor,erecl a
tremendous commitment ancl energl' for
helping Augsburg build its prograrn. ln
197ó, Molclenhauer becarne the director ol
the Center lor Non-ti-aditional Students
(CENTS). an ACTC eonsortiunì prograln tL)
take over the sen'rces lor CHR, but not the
acadenric classes. B¡ rlris tirne.
75 percent ol disablecì srudents supported
b1, CENTS u'ere choosing to attend
Augsburg. The transportation program thar
N,loldenhaue¡ created sened as a training
r.r-roclel lor the Metlc.r N4obility prograrn later
tleri lopcrl b¡ ltlerro Tlansjr.
Bloom n'as also part ol the task lorce
establishecl b1' President Oscar Anderson ir-r
1976 rl'ith cormrr:nity ancl student leaders
to cleterr.nrne the feasibility, o[ campus
accessÌbilit)' to llersons r,i.iLh dÌsabilities. A
r.r.rajor funchaising eflorr u.ould be requirecl
[() tùtn(r\'('art llitcet rilnl l'rrr.l icrs on cltììpus.
ln 1977, with rhe help ol a film, Mahing
n Wny, proclucecl by English prolessor Jo}rn
Mitchell, Anderson recmlted several facult;,
and stafl r.nenbers, including Bloom, ¡o visit
Lutheran congregations lor fundraisrng. Tl"re
campaign r,r'orkecl, ancl or,er $750,000 rvas
raised lo help construct tunnels, rau-tps,
sk;r,r'a1,s, and oulfit the campr-rs lor clisabled
studer-its.
B),the time federal legislation requirecl
accessibillt;' at al1 instltutions, Ar-rgsburg ri as
aìread;, uncleru'ay with reno'ation. At that
time, there was not one pnr,ate college in
Minnesota that rvas barrier-hee. In 1979.
Augsburg created a special prograrn lor
sen-rng students u'ith clisabilities that took
over the role thar CHR had plal'ecl.
Ar,rgsburg coniinued to oller classes
ser,eral academic disciplines of[
ir-r
canpus-at
Trevilla, Shakopee rvomen's prison, ancl
Stillrvater. Bloom continued to teach in
correciional institutions; althor-rgh begir.rning
in the earll, 1980s, classes \\,ere restrictecl to
prison inr-nates ancl guards, excludir.rg
Arrgsburg stuclents rluc tr, sccu|lt)
consicleratior-rs.
To read Bloom's recollectior-rs about the
cleveloprnent ol Ar,rgsburgs progrâms, llo ro
<n'u.mangsbur g.eclu/nori'>.
Summer
2OO2
I
I
I
Ìln 1978, when he came to Augsburg to
interview for the half-time position of
academic enrichment director, Don
Warren was impressed that the campus
abeady had ramps for people with
physical disabilities. He was also
impressed with the welcoming atmosphere
he felt for diverse student populations on
campus.
A
year laler, a student
in the learning
center told Warren about his diagnosed
learning disabiliqr Warren realized a need
to understand this area and spent a
summer at Berkeley learning from experts
in the field and becoming immersed in the
literature and services for students.
"This is something that Augsburg by
law was required to do and yet we had no
specific services," Warren recalls
concluding. Nor did any other college in
the Midwest at that time.
His proposal to the College
administration for a program to serve
these students was accepted, and the
Office for Disabled Students (ODS) was
born, initially serving three students,
which Warren directed along with the
learning center and tutor center. At that
time, he also proposed that ODS take over
ihe services at Augsburg that had been
provided by CENTS, the ACTC program.
By 1984, \¡/ith the rapid growth of
these programs, Warren returned to
College administrators, requesting the
hiring of a learning disabilities specialist.
In 1989, the program was renamed
the Center for Learning and Adaptive
Student Services (Cf.{SS Program), and by
1990 it served 9I students with leaming
disabilities and 29 with physical
disabilities. Helping to firm the program's
foundation was an endowment received in
1988 from the Groves family to purchase
adaptive technology for leaming
disabilities.
The CLASS Program continued its
Summer 2002
Under Don Warren's leadership, Augsburg programs have grown for students with learning and
physical disabilities and students in recovery from chemical abuse.
growth to a population in 1999 of 125
learning-disabled students, 45 physicallydisabled students, and29 students with
psychiatric disabilities
In 1997, however, Warren was faced
with another challenge. One of his students
told him that it was tough at Augsburg for
students in recovery. Warren understood
that recovery for this student meant
recovery from alcohol and other drug
abuse and realized that a support program
was needed on campus for these students.
Again, Warren proposed to the
administration-this time to academic dean
Marie McNeff and associate dean Earl
Alton-an innovative plan to support the
academic success of students in recovery
from substance abuse. Both McNeff and
Alton were immediately supportive, and
the StepUP Program was created. Two floor
houses in Anderson Hall became a sober
home for 23 students. By living together,
by signing a contract to remain sober and
to advance toward a degree, and by
attending weekly meetings with Warren,
the program achi.eved a relapse rate of only
eight percent, as compared to the national
rate of 82 percent.
After three years, Warren chose to
leave the academic enrichment program,
including CLASS, to direct the StepUP
Program full time, then having grown to
45 students.
Recently completing its fifth year,
StepUP has served 152 students in
recovery and is the only program of its
kind in the country that focuses on
traditional-age college students. StepUP
students have consistently earned a 3.1
grade point average; in its five years, the
program has maintained an average relapse
rate of 15 percent.
In May, Warren was presented with a
certificate of "Special Congressional
Recognition" signed by U.S. Rep. Jim
Ramstad for pioneering work in this area.
Warren plans to remain connected to
StepUP by serving on the StepUP Advisory
Board and working with the StepUP staff
as leaders in a nationwide effort to create a
national association of recovery programs
in high schools and colleges.
4ucssuRc
f{ow 9
ln
1976, an professor Norm Holen was
asked by someone from the registrarb office if
he would be willing to work with a
physically-dÌsabled student in one of his art
classes. "As I started to walk away" recounts
Holen, "this staff person said, 'I should just
menrion that he can only move his left foot.' "
Holen decided to make a tool for
sculpture that would fit between the
student's first two toes, trying it out first on
hls own foot. From there, Holen evoived the
concept to a kind of wooden sandal, using
old belts for straps. The student adapted
well to ìt, and Holen further outfitted the
"shoe" with changeable tools and a gummed
sole to prevent slippage.
"Sculpture was ideal, because if you did
anything other than clay, you needed two
hands," explains Holen. "If you did pottery
you'd have to do the inside. So sculpture
was a natural, because you only needed to
do the outside."
Holen's next challenge was with
students who couldn't iift their arms. He
developed a canvas bag with sand as a
counterbalance, eliminating the need for
strength to lift.
"[The student] said that he really
enjoyed being in class, because for the first
time he could lift his arm. And it was fun,
enjoyable, something we take for granted.
But it was something he could now do,"
recalls Holen.
For one student, Holen's tool was too
efficient. The student had regained strength
through rehab and wanted to push his
capacity, so Holen created a lighter tool that
didn't need a counterbalance. Not being able
to find anything thin enough, Holen had to
laminate his own wood, about 3/16 inch
thick, weighing only l0 oz. when finished.
While each of the splints he made took
as long as some of his sculptures, Holen
never charged students or the College for
his work. "All I did was to solve the
1o
,4ucs¡unc ruow
problem so that they had the tools
to work with. I jusr wanred ro
make it more consistent, for them
to have lhe same opportunities as
I
I
everyone else."
Holen also created a headpiece
for a student who was very
immobiie, who had only head
movement and used a breathing
apparatus. He designed an
adjustable head splint with Velcro
and canvas straps for tools that
would eliminate the need to hold
tools in the mouth-making it
easier on the jaws and teeth, and
permitting the student to talk
during class.
Holen has kept in touch over
the years with a number of his
students with disabilities. He still
talks weekly withJon Leverenu, a
student who suffered brain damage
in a car accident. Leverentz needed
help opening the caps of his paint
tubes, and Holen made a ribbed
receptacle that allowed the cap to
d
be held while the tube tumed.
Norm Holen's hand-made devices have made art possible
In 1990, Holen received the
for students with disabilities.
Govemor's Award on Têchnolory to
Assist Individuals with Disabilities.
When asked about his life work, Holen
In 1995, Holen was honored with an
reports at least 2l one-person shows, 92
Alumni Achievement Award by his alma
group shows, and I 16 competitive
mater, Concordia College-Moorhead.
exhibitions, including a group show at the
Holen's legacy to Augsburg, however,
National Gallery of Art. He says he now
far exceeds his innovative tools. A number
concentrates on national or intemational
of his sculptures in clay, welded steel, and
shows. His achievement includes 16
part of the community and
cast bronze
^re"Buming
national and two intemational awards.
Bush" in front of
campus-the
Holen intends to enjoy his retirement
Christensen Center to honor Bemhard
time working on his own prqects full time.
Christensen, the Augsburg Seminary seal on
The tools and splints he made will still be
the brick wall next to the entrance to
available to students who may need them.
Hoversten Chapel, the Hoversten Chapel
Holen and his wife, Ilene, have established
cross and the bas relief in Sverdrup Hall
an endowed scholarship in his name to
called "The Promulgation of Leaming and
support art and art history students at
Culture."
Augsburg. I
Summer 2002
r
Shaped by th
OF THE
h and values
TIAN CHURCH
I
aaa
EDITOR/S NOTE:
From time to time questions are asked about how the above
portion of Augsburg's mission statement is lived out in daily
life on campus-in the education students receive, in lhe
faculty and staff who teach, in daily engagement with the
community Questions are asked about the nature of Augsburg
as a Christian coliege and as a college of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, especiaily as it relates to a
commitment to intentional diversity.
AugsburgNow invites discussion in this area to form the
basis of occasional articles about the College's mission, its
founding tenets, and the legacy of its alumni, facult¡ and staff
of 133 years.
We begin with questions posed in a recenr letrer, followed
by excerpts from comments made on campus this spring that
speak to the issues raised.
DEAR ED¡TOR,
"I felt led to wrÍte you after taking the time to read the
Spring 2002 edition of your publicatlon. ... My husband
and I have been working as youth leaders since September
I97B at Grace Baptist Church and have numerous
experÌences watching souls come to knowJesus.
Throughout your publication, I see very little mention of
Jesus. Is Augsburg still a ChrÌstian school? I see a pastor's
name mentioned from time to time and Juliana Martinez
briefly mentioned Jesus who started her out to be a 'leader,'
but even she did not give Him continuing credit for where
she is. Has Augsburg changed to be a diversified school,
separated from the Christian faith?
"I need to know where you stand, as I need to know
how to pray for all of you, and what to tell others who are
looking for a Christian college."
-LuAnn
(Ludewig) Lindquist'78
FROM AUGSBURG 2004: EXTENDING THE VISION
"Augsburg is the only ELCA college to be located in the center
of an urban area. As part of its life in urban socÌet¡ as well as
because of its Christian traditions, Augsburg remalns
committed to intentional diversity among its students, staff,
and faculty. Augsburg's commitment to diversity is a function
not only of the gospel, but also of Luther's notion of vocation.
Because God's love extends to all, those who would be faithful
Summer
2OO2
to the gospel cannot preserve non-essential disLinctions
between person, and in fact are called to extend special
attention to those pushed to the fringes of society. Further, an
institution that takes seriously the future of Ìts students cannot
avoid preparing those students ro work in the diverse
communities that make up the modern world."
.Aucssunc
Now
11
EXCERPTS FROM REMARKS BY REV. MARK S.
a
a
HANSON '68,
s.
PRES|DTNG BTSHOB EICA
AT THE COMMENCEMENT LUNCHEON
r^
AND CEREMONY-MAY 19,2002
"As presiding bishop, I'm deeply committed to the vocation of this church to be a church in
higher education, and as I look at the 28 colleges of this church, Augsburg stands unique, not
only in its location, but in its vocation-of preparing people to live in a diverse world, grounded
in the faith, but as global citizens.
"lt was in this hall when we'd gather for chapel that I remember as a first-year student
hearing Oscar Anderson, our president, cry out for the Holy Spirit to stir up within each of us
that faith which so many of us had been benefited by planting in our hearts from parents and
grandparents, so it mlght be for us a iiving faith ... Augsburg College, where reason and faith are
held in lively tension, where we are sent into the world with a passion for building communlties
of justice and mercy"
REMARKS By pHrUp QUANBECK
The Rev. Mark S. Hanson'68
il, ASSTSTANT PROFESSOR OF REilGION
ATTHE lOOTH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION OFTHE BIRTH OF AUGSBURG PRESIDENT EMERITUS BERNHARD
CHR|STENSEN-APR|t 1 6, 2OO2
o
o
s.
"I've been asked to
describe how the
legacy of Bernhard
Christensen
continues toda)¿
Let me address
hs'
how Christian faith
remains
Prof. Philip Quanbeck ll
a
distinctive and
essentiai part of
Augsburg's mission.
This is the Christensen legacy
"During Christensen's tenure
as
president of the seminary and the College,
the collegiate division became a true liberal
arts college. Christensen built programs in
arts, music, sciences, and humanities. He
did that by identifpng people whom he
wanted to be teachers in those programs.
In religion he found people who were then
fresh out of graduate schools, such as John
Stensvaag, Paul Sonnack, and Philip
Quanbeck, to name only a few. These, like
others, would become fondly remembered
by students and, dare I say, legends. In
matters of Bible and theologr, Christensen
brought in the challenges of modern
historical and critical approaches. At the
same time there was a concern for teaching
the faith.
"Augsburg is still a college with a
Christian mlssion. In the tradition of
Bernhard Christensen, we continue Lo
combine the scholaf and critlcal
12
4UCS¡UnC ruOW
approaches to Bible and theologr with a
concern for an encounter with Christian
faith. Every student at Augsburg is required
to take three religion courses. This threecourse requirement includes a course in
Bible, a course in Christian theology, and a
third course which may be in world
religions, ethics, philosophy of religion, or
an additional course in Bible or theologr
Many students exceed this minimum and
go on to take five courses for a minor.
"The ful1-time faculty who teach in our
religion department are all people of faith.
As academics, certainly, we have been
trained to be able to step outside of our
tradition and look critically at it. On the
other hand, we are not dispassionate
observers simply interested in historical
curiosity No, we are people concerned with
the claims the gospel makes on individuals
and the world. This constant engagement of
faith and learning or faith and reason, as
President Frame likes to say, is at the core
of our mission as a department and our
mission as a college.
"A Lutheran college like Augsburg has
a unique role in the life and mission of the
church. A college classroom is not, nor
should it be, Sunday School or
confi.rmation. lt is a place of open and free
inquiry There is, however, a providential
irony We have the opportunity in our
classrooms and on this campus to meet,
teach, and engage students and others who
may be unlikely to enter a church. We have
the opportunì,ty to teach some who have
little or no knowledge of the Christian
tradition. The Christensen tradition, and
the Augsburg tradition, have always
emphasized freedom over compulsion, This
college provides a place where students can
encounter the Christian faith and its claims
in an atmosphere of freedom. I hope the
wider church and its congregations
appreciate the importance of a place like
Augsburg and how the church's mission is
served here.
"Augsburg is among an ever-decreasing
number of colleges that still has daily
chapel. It is significant that the College
continues to devote space in the dally
schedule as a testimony to its commitment.
"We're willing to take big risks here,
but they're the risks the church needs to
take in order to speak and teach the gospel
message. We risk asking difficult questions
with no simple answers. We risk finding
new ways to translate the Christian message
into contemporarylanguage. We walk the
difficult line between the partlcularity of the
gospel and the necessity to adapt to the
needs of diversity in modern society Those
are the kinds of intellectual and faith risks
that were Bernhard Christensen's legacy to
this school. His willingness Lo venture inlo
new territory however, also refLected a deep
confidence that the gospel would survive
the test."
Summer 2002
-l
EXCERPTS FROM "PENTECOST'S CTEAR CALL TO pOLypHONy"
BY WILUAM V. FRAME, pREStDENI AUGSBURc COLLECE
THE BACCALAUREATE SERMON_MAY
"[On Pentecost] , at the very momenr in
which the disciples are empowered to
proclaim rhe gospel to all people
regardless of natÌonal origin or religious
tradition, Peter turns back ro [oe1] calling
his people to repentance in advance of the
Judgement Day And the sharpest point of
the irony lies in the line wirh which Joel
ends his panegyric on rhe Lasr Day: 'And
those who call upon the name of the Lord
will be saved.'
"What of the others? Why doesn't
Peter ask this obvious question? Today we
naturally ask about 'the others'-the ones
who don't, or don't yet 'call upon rhe
name of the Lord.' Perhaps we're better
instructed now than Peter was then. He
and his successors have since published
the gospel, and we've heard its central
message-that we love one another and
our nerghbors as ourselves. Those
neighbors surely weren't expected to be
Christian, were they, nor even and
exclusively of the three great traditions
borne of the sons of Abraham?
"But the largest reason for the
difference between Peter and us concerns
our experience with diversit;r We've been
trying for some time to create here, on this
campus, both a distrnctive Lutheran,
Christian community that is thereforenot 'also' or 'by the way,' but thereforewarmly hospitable to a wide array of
.diversit;r We have mr-rch yet to achieve in
this effort, but Peter and his colleagues
have been preparing for therr foray into a
cliverse world frorn a relatlvely
homogenous cultural confine. They
haven't yet faced, to the degree we have,
the Ìmmense challenge of managing the
tension between community and diversit¡
betrveen unity and plurallty, between the
one and the many
"Apparently, they don't sense (as we
certainly do) that Joel's exclusivityespecially as an original qualifier of those
to whom they pr-rblish the gospel-wou1d
compromise their work in the world
beyond Galilee or our work either in this
College or in vocation in the worlcl
Summer
2OO2
1
s, 2002
beyond this College. After all, we have
invited a fair number of folk who do not
'call upon the name of the Lord' to join
our learning community and to bring their
various religions and cultures with them.
"A community is more than a
mutually advantageous'deal' among
privately-interested individuals formed
into parties. But what is this 'more than,'
thìs unifying thing? Here ls
a question of central
importance on which we
might make a fair trade
with the gospel: While we
rneans of our exchanges, toward called
lives of service that can be lived out,
¡oyously, in a world more surprised by
these virtues than welcoming of them?
"Diversity and communiry are easy;
diverse community is real hard, but trying
lt
offers the best life possible."
For the full text, see <www.augsburg.
edu/commencement2OO2>. I
o
ù
Ê
may have news for Peter
and the disciples on
diversity-and I don't
thinl< that's an impious
claim-they surely have
news for us on lhe
constituting elements of the
ChrÌstian communÌt;r The
12th chapter oI Paul's First
Letter to the Corinthians
contains a brilliant
exposition, '... the body is
one and has many
members,'he says, 'and
all the members of the body, though man¡
President William V. Frame,
Baccalaureate service 2002
are one body'
"This theme that creates the
polyphony among the parts, on the one
hand, and between each part and ¡he
whole identifies eight very carefully chosen
talents or human capabilities. They are:
the utterance of wisdom and knowledge,
healing and the working of miracles,
prophecy and the discernment of spirits,
the lÌstening and rherorical capacitles that
enable us to understand and be
understood, and faith.
"Are not these nine the very talents
that rnake for communal life, that weave a
dlsparate batch of people rhrough their
very vocations into that peculiar ne[work
of relationships and hope that warrants the
name'community'? Have we not used the
wonderful opportunity of our time
together here to bring these to greater life
in each other-and to draw us each, by
,4ucsnunc ruow t3
ver 100 entries were submitted in the
second annual Photo contest for
international and off-campus studies.
Winners were selected in three categories:
scenic landscapes, local people in a cross-
cultural setting, and Augsburg students in
a
host setting. All winning photos were displayed
in Christensen Center.
To see all the winners, visil"
<www augsburg. edu/internationay
photocontest02>.
Top right: Scenic
landscapes. First place.
"Gondola on the
Canal Grande," Becky
Perrotti '03. Venice,
Italy, January 2002.
Bottom left: Scenic
landscapes. Third
place. "The Church
and Social Change,"
Adam Nugent'04.
Tepotzlán, Mexico,
January 2002.
Bottom right:
Augsburg students in
a cross-cultural
setting. Second place.
"Scottish Kiss," Kristi
Eisenreich '02.
Scotland, spring 2001
14
,AUCS¡URC ruOW
summer 2002
)
a.t-.
r
:l
{lr
{
T
:' .,Ðt4
'ü.'
,¡
i:;
Top left: Augsburg students in
a
"New Friendship," Ariann Russ '04.
-
Pattaya, Thailand, January 2002.
Top right: Local people in a crosscultural setting. First place. "Man in
Marketplace," Solveig Grafstrom'02
Bergen, Norway, June 1999.
ttrt
*
ffi
Í
Summer 2002
.4ucseuRc
r{ow ts
wï","ff*"_:
,!
b
BALANCING LIFE AND LEARNING
r^
U
s
At 4 p.m. on Fridays, class activities
ì
wind down on most campuses. But
t,
at Augsburg, a shift occurs, as
parking lots start filling with
Weel<end College students coming
for their 6 p.m. classes.
Students choose to spend every
other weekend on campus for
various reasons-completion of
a
degree or teaching licensure, job
Sue Kneen began Weekend College four years ago and has found rewards for herself and her
family that far exceed the required course readings.
promotion, or personal interest. Most
have full-time jobs and families, so
the commitment is strong and the
motivation to succeed is high.
Faculty choose to teach in
Weekend College also for different
reasons, among them the joy of
teaching students who bring years of
life experience to class discussion.
16
.4ucsnunc now
f
I
I
remember my lirst night of class four
years ago as
il it were just
yesLerday.
Prolessor Kathy Swanson asked each
student to introduce him/herself and to
share a little something. At first chance I
said eagerly, "My name ls Sue Kneen. I
have four daughters, and i'm so happy to
be here, I could just cry" The guy from the
day program sitting directly in front of me
whipped his head around and looked at
me in utter disgust as his face implied,
"Are you for real?"
IniLially. Augsburg was attractive to me
because I iearned that WEC offers the
same degree as the tradìtional program;
the same material is covered, the same
work is expected of us, and we have the
same professors-the only difference is
our schedules. With the commirment
WEC requires of a non-traditÌonal
student, I wouldn't waste my lime on
anything less.
As I proceeded further into the
program, however, what became equally
attractive to me was the quality of
professors at Augsburg. Many
conversations with my WEC colleagues
seemed to end with the same conclusion:
the professors are great at what they doteach. Difficult material is brought down
to an undergraduate level and presented
in a manner that makes it both interesting
Summer
2OO2
I
Weekend College
MAJORS
and exciting to learn. It is quite something
how consistently this seems to happen
from class to class, and I am sr-rrprised at
the lengths most professors will go to help
I
,
us succeed.
I have been challenged in many ways
at Augsburg. Let me share with you just
two: I have learned through my religion
classes an unbiased understanding of other
religions. The Hindu and Buddhist faiths,
for example, have been intriguing to me,
but I had never quite received an unbiased
view previously; I hacl no idea of the depth
and beauty of these faiths. I look forward
the community sulrouncling Augsburg.
Dean Chris Kimball says it well in one of
his letters to students: "1 hope your
achievemenls will encourage yor-r to be of
service to others."
Attending WEC has been one of the
best decisions in my 1ife. Previousl¡ I had
not thought of myself as college material,
so success at Augsbllrg brìngs with it more
and more confidence. I wÌli be the first in
my family of origln to graduate from
college, and I know this is the beginning of
many good thrngs. And it seems most
WEC stuclents have their own stories.
"I
HAD NOT THOUGHT OF MYSELF AS COLLECE MATERIAI, SO
AUGSBURC BRINGS WITH IT MORE AND MORE CONFIDENCE."
I
l
!
to learnlng more about the Buddhist's
message of peace.
It is also okay to be a Chnstian at
Augsburg. Funny âs that may sound,
considering that our mission statement
reads, "... shaped by the faith and values ol
the Christian church ...," it seems Ìt is not
politically correct in many circles today to
admit one is a Christian I find the climate
at Augsburg to be tolerant ancl respectful,
where faith and rdeas are expressed and
shared openly
Secondl¡ my Augsburg education has
shattered the stereotype I had ol inner-city
lile from my grolvlng up in a little,
Caucasian, southern Wisconsin hometown
of 3,500. I dicln't know about the large
. class of people termed the "working
poor"-urban dwellers r.vhose harcl r.vork
lor minimum pay only ekes out a meager
existence. Life ls tough ancl Lltter poverty ls
usually one paycheck arvay for more
people than I l-Lad realized. I am proud that
Augsburg is committed to lhese urban
issues, both via dialogue in classrootn
scllings anrl lhrottgh îclive comnritlllcnl to
Summer 20O2
SUCCESS AT
Some are here for job advancement or a
pay increase, and that's line; but for many
of us, it's much more. As one colleague
whispered to me in class, "l come to class
feeling lÌke the most grateful student."
A thrilling benefit of attending
Augsburg is the example my college
experience gives to my daughters.
Discussion about college abounds in our
home; we are all in this together. Every
other weekend, their smiling little moon
faces peer through the front door and wave
rne off to school; and my six-year-old asks
me after each class, "Mom, did you get an
A toclay?" It ls true, as one prolessor told
me. thíìt one neccls e very sLrpportivc
lamily
ACCOUNTINC
Public accounting
Managerial accounting
BUSI N ESS ADMI N ISTRATION
Marketing
Management
Fi
nance
lnternational business
COMMUNICATION
COMPUTER SCIENCE
COMPUTATIONAL ECONOMICS
ECONOMICS
EDUCATION
Elementary and secondary
licensure
Emotional/behavioral
d isabilities
ENCLISH
HISTORY
MANAC EMENT
I
N
FORMATION
SYSTEMS
MARKETINC
NURSINC (BSN completion)
PSYCHOLOGY
RELICION
So, although I have now learned to
no longer wear my mom's heart on my
SOCIAL WORK
sleeve amidst academia, I still very much
STUDIO ART
just like I did that lirst night ol class
four years ago.
YOUTH AND FAMILY MINISTRY
feel
CERTIFICATE PROCRAMS IN
Suc l{nccn
Ls
aWcchutd Collcge stuclutL
mcrjortngin English.
I
:
nformation technology
Business management
Business finance
.Aucs¡unc
ruow
17
n8 n t)CI their
lr
Br
)
s I walk into O1cl Main 13 at
on a Saturday afiernoon, my
are already deep in
l:10
conversation on Toni Morrison's Beloved.
When I break into their discussion to start
class, the stndents immediately start to tell
me about their responses to the week's
reading. Their enthusiastic interest makes
the three-and-a half hours we will spend
together fly by When class meets every
other weekend, the hours always seem too
short for the lecture and discussion that
need to fit into the afternoon.
I have taught in Weekend College for
the past four years and find adult
returning students a joy to teach. My
sLuclents demonst rate strong molivation to
keep up with assignments and attend
class. Additionally, they bring their life
experience to the classroom, which serves
to enrlch discussion. In my Women and
Fiction class, which meets evenings and
has both day and Weekend College
students, the weekend students' voices add
a much-needed perspective to the
discussion. While most tradltional
students read about women's life stages
with the eyes of daughters, the weekend
students add the perspective of mothers
and sometimes grandmothers to the
classroom. Thelr voices enrich discussion
by helping the day students to undersrand
character motivation that may have
Ê
:J
O
È
E
ilt
Ë
E
É
il
Adult students also tend to teserve
judgment while reading, which allows
them to become fully engaged in the
characters they meet in fiction and the
/WHI[E MOST TRADITIONAL STUDENTS
READ ABOUT WOMEN'S tIFE STAGES
WITH THE
EYES
OT DAUGHTERS, THE WEEKEND STUDENTS ADD THE
PERSPECTIVE OF MOTHERS
TO THE CIASSROOM."
18
,4ucssuRc Now
ff
English professor Joan Thompson finds that many weekend students enroll in her literature
classes to fulfill requirements, but end up engaged in the class community and find an
unexpected enrichment from discussion of the readings.
arguments they encounter ln essays. Of
course weekend students come with as
wide an array of personal, political, and
religious beliefs as any group of students
does, but they also have encountered more
people with other beliefs ln both their
work and daily lives. Because of this,
weekend students generally acknowledge
the ways in which their own experience
has informed their ideas. Rather than
puzzled them initially.
F
AND SOMETIMES GRANDMOTHERS
offering peer comments that simply
disregard the position another student has
taken when writlng an essay, the weekend
student tends to write, "You have a
different opinion on this topic than I do.
You could make your point more
convinclng by considering
counterarguments." As I look at the
comments the students write for each
other, I always appreciate rhis willingness
to consider others' viewpoints.
Many Weekend College students take
literature classes for the purpose of
fullilling general education requirements.
Oftentimes students mention this as their
Summer 2002
7
What students say ab out
WEEKEN
LLECE:
C
primary reason for taking my class in the
letter I ask them to write on the first day
of class. Yet, despite signing up for the
class primarily to fill a requirement, these
students generally turn out to be as
motivated as the Enghsh majors in the
classroom. Most o{ the students take notes
and ask questions about American
transcendentalism or the elements of
fictÌon just as if they were majoring in
English instead of planning on furthering
their career at 3M, Medtronic, or American
Express. By the end of the course, I find
students writlng that they enjoyed reading
the fiction and plan on making more time
to read when they finish college. Others
write of a theme the course emphasized,
such as American pastoralism, and
mention that they will continue to look for
this theme when they read on their own.
My students' interest in learning about
other views of culture and acquiring
knowledge simply because it enriches
one's life adds to my enjoyment in
teaching Weekend College. As the
discussion of Beloved ends because we
have run out of time rather than running
out of topics [o explore, a student remarks
that the afternoon has been like going to a
book club. I know that the students are
walking away with new knowledge about
literary allusion, narrative technique, and
African American culture and hlstory My
student's remark also makes me realize
that they are leaving with a sense of a
'community built through engagemenl in
reading and studylng books. I
Joan Thompson is an assistant prot'essor ín the
English Department who teaches it't both the
day progrant andWeehend College.
"THE WEEKEND COLLECE
SCHEDULE is so flexible. You can
make up your own course schedule
based on what works for you and
your family, and pace yourself so you
can keep up with your school work."
Kundan '02, Minneapolis
-Jit
Public
Schools
"JOY AND I MET in one of our
Weekend College classes. After the
class was over, we kept in touch and
she became my good friend and
moral support. Earning a degree at
Weekend College has helped me in
so many ways-l'm much more
assertive and disciplined. Plus I
gained a lifelong friend in the
process."
Walterbach '00, Wells Fargo,
-Kathy
speaking about Joy Scheck'00,
Ceneral Mills
"I HAVE A VERY DEMANDINC
JOB
and a young child at home, so going
back to school presented a major
challenge. The support of my wife
and the tuition reimbursement
provided by ty company were
instrumental in making it possible for
me to get my degree."
Litteken'01, Reliant Energy
-Luke
Minnegasco
"THE AUCSBURG CURRICULUM
has been extremely important for my
business career and professional
advancement. lt gave me the
roundedness that I needed, and I use
what I learned just about every day."
-Janice
Aune 'BB, Onvoy
From the Weekend College publication, "Balancing Life and Learning."
To Iearn more about Weekend College, visit <www.augsburg.edu/wec>,
e-mail <wecinfo@augsburg.edu>, or call 612-330-1
Summer
2OO2
101
.
,.4ucs¡unc
ruow
19
a
S r8 n
an UA e
N TE
watcl-ring him grow
"Television is a brarn killer," says
MAKES THE GRADE
Devereaux, w1-ro doesn't spencl much ol her
tinre watcl-ring it. "l only let Evan watch one
helf-honr program, Bluc.s Clucs." Perhaps thÌs
rs one of her secrets to balancing her 1tfe,
r.vork, ancl education-her time with her
son is precior-rs, ancl she mal<es cefiain their
by Deanna Constans
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Over 'l 50 students are currently taking
tinre togcrhcr rs r¡urlrty tinrc.
evening classes in Augsburg's Rochester
Program. Three undergraduate majors
are offered-busi ness adm
i
n
Another exciling lroment in her
istratior-r,
Constans.
r-rring the day, 36-year-old GaÌl
Devereaux of Rochester, Minn.,
works ftrl1 time at Mayo Clinic as a
sign language interpreter. She also Ìs a single
parent to her son, Evan, age l9 months. Ancl
this past 1a11, Devereaux aclcled college
classes to her busy evenings by enrolling in
Augsburg College at rheir Rochesrer campus.
Devereaux is one ofnearly 200
nontraditional students who attencl the
Rochester program held at Rochester Central
Lutheran School. Convenlent evening classes
meet on an alternate week schedule.
Devereaux typifies the studenr body at
Augsbr.rrg-Rochester, most of rvhom work
part or lull tirne, have families, and have
declded to pursue an undergraduate or
graduate degree. The average age ol enrolled
students last year r.vas 38, according to Rtck
Thoni, director of the Rochester Program.
Even though she was a full-trrne
employee and mother, Devereaux deciclecl
that she needed to fulfill her goal of
achieving a fòur-year college degree
"l diclnt \van[ to be telling my son he
needed to get a college degree, rvhen I cliclnt
have one mysell," she stated. Although this
graduate from Henry Sibley High SchooÌ
(West St. Paul) had previously auended the
,.rfucs¡unc ruow
1lfe
was when Devereaux hacl the opportunity to
sign duling a Mayo Graduate School lecture
for Archblshop Desmoncl Tutr-r. "He was
computer science, and nursing (for
RNs), plus a master of arts in
transcultural community health nursing.
During winter trimester, journalisrn
class stuclents interviewed other
students and wrote profiles. Here, meet
Cail Devereaux, as profiled by Deanna
20
because I was tolcl by my doctor that I was
infertile," she stated. She ts a devoted
lnother ancl enloys plapng with Evan and
Gail Devereaux is a sign language ¡nterpreter
at Mayo Clinic and an Augsburg-Rochester
student.
very kind and shook my hand," Devereaux
says ol the South Af ican religious leacler
whose efforts to pronlote lacial jr-rstice
eamed hirn the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984
ln her role as sign langurge interpreler
at Mayo Clinic, Devereaux enloys meeting
and connecting with people lrom all over
rhe wor'ld. At trmes she saicl it can be
emotÌonally challenging, especially r.vhen
interpreting dismal medical dlagnoses.
Hclwever, the satisfactlon she gets lrom
helping peopie olrtweighs the drfficulr
moments.
Medical signing is nor for the fainrheartecl. She accompanies deaf patients
cluring their medical tests and procedures,
so is lrequently asked by medical staff il she
might laint. Luckily, Devereaux has never
had this problem in her nine years sigr-ring
at Mayo.
Devereaux also uses her sign language
for the benefit of the greater Rochester
sl<l11s
College of St. Catherine, she was still one
year short of completing her degree.
For Devereaux, lall 2001 was the nght
time to retLlrn to school; and she is nor,v
enrolled at Augsbr"rrg and pursulng her
degree rn communication wrth emphasis on
public relarions. She hopes to finish ir-t
2005. Her career goal is to contrnue
working r.vi¡h cleaf people, but she isn't sure
community, by slgning for the theater (her
great passlon), as rvell as graduation
ceremonies, church services, and other
social functions.
The Augsburg-Rochester campus is
providing a r,rable means for Devereaux to
fi"r1[r11 her dt"eam of obtatnlng a bachelor's
degree, while still allowing her to enjoy the
little, and big, things in life. I
in what realm.
One aspect that the Rochester Program
promotes is "balance in life and learning."
When speaking of her son, Evan,
Devereauxb face lights up. "For me, the
most exciting moment ol my life was when
For inforrnation on the Rochester Program,
visit <w-vr,r,v.ar:gsburg.eclu/rochester>.
Deanna Constans is an Augsbtn'g-Rochcst¿r'
student nnj
o
rmg
in
contn'Lunicatiotts.
my son was bom. Evan is a'miracle'baby
Summer
2OO2
-
p
Ê
L)
H
COMMENCEMENT2OO2
n
"You will be judged not by whom you know, not by what you know but by
who you are-by the commitments you keep, the dreams you realize, the
love you give, the journey you take. Don't be afraid to steer far off course. .
The only way you can really fail is by failing to try."
A. Johnson
-James
Å
E
.S
n
O
a7
James A. Johnson, vice chairman
of Perseus,
banking and private
equity firm, spoke to the 2002 graduating
class, which included his cousin,
lan Anfinson.
L.L.C,, a merchant
n
\
fl
tr
z I
MT
g
g
H
¿-
il
ú
Eì
ws
q
F
IJ
I
È
MARK HANSON AWARDED HONORARY DEGREE
o
ù
r4
-t (;.slìt ll(;
1, l l l (,
1
Rev, Mark S. Hanson '68 (right) received an
honorary doctorate degree, conferred by
President William Frame (left) as Rev. Dr.
Herbert Chilstrom '54 looked on (center).
HONORED FACULTY AND STAFF
Augsburg alumnus Rev Mark S. Hanson '68 , presidìng bishop of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, was awarded the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters
(Honoris Causa) at Commencement on May 19. This is the second honorary degree
awarded by the College; the first was awarded to U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo '59 in 2000.
Hanson is a native of St. Paul and the immediate past bishop of the St. Paul Area
Synod. He earned his master of divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in New
York, and studied at Luther Seminary and Harvard Divinity School.
"Mark has exemplified Augsburg's educationai misslon ln his pastoral work and in
his leadership of the church," commented President Wllliam Frame upon conferring the
degree. "He has brought a profound theology to the service of the city and a graceful
courage to the inclusion of wide diversity in the Christian communion."
Hanson was elected presiding bishop in 2001 and is the second Augsburg graduate in
that office, following the ELCAb first bishop, Rev Dr. Herbert Chiistrom '54.
In his remarks, Hanson told the graduates, "I believe the winds of the Holy Spirit
continue to blow. They have given every one of you graduates gifts that you will use in
your vocations, in the building up of communities for the common good, in the sharing
of the wonder of God's love for us in Christ ]esus."
I
Rolf A. Jacobson, assistant professor of
religion (Divislon of Humanities)
I
Dale C. Pederson '70, associate professor
and department chair of biology (Division
of Natural Sciences and Mathematics)
I
Summer 2002
I
Lori L. Lohman, associate professor of
business administration (Division of
Social and Behavioral Sciences)
I
Rebecca A. Frestedt'01, academic
coordinator, Weekend College
Ronald W: Petrich, assistant professor of
education (DivisÌon of Professional Studies)
,4ucs¡uRcruow
21
È
.L
u
O
s
s
s,
Brandon Hofstedt, a sociology major and McNair Scholar,
received the 2002 Marina Christensen Justice Award for his
commitment to community issues and involvement in student
organizations.
BRANDON HOFSTEDT RECEIVES MARINA CHRISTENSEN JUSTICE AWARD
Brandon Hofstedt, a senior sociology major and McNair Scholar, was selected as the
2002 recipient of the Marina Christensen Justice Award.
Each year this award is presented to the graduatÌng senior whose community
service work best exemplifies Augsburg's motto "Education for Service." This also
characterized the personal and professional life ol Marina ChristensenJustice, who
courageously and effectively reached out to disadvantaged people and communities.
Hofstedt, from Cannon Falls, Minn., has consistently demonstrated his leadership
skills and commitment in the areas of service, justice, and global understanding.
Throughout hÌs years at Augsburg, he remaÌned committed to a broad public agenda,
including work through organizations such as the Minnesota Public Interest Research
Group (MPIRG), the Coalition for Student Activism, LINK, and the AmeriCorps Youth
Works/Get Ready Program.
As one of his professors commented, "Brandon has demonstrated a strong
commltment to social issues, a great ability as an organizer, and has the rare
combination of someone who has both a positive vision for his community and the
skill and dedication to make that vision a reality"
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Beautiful weather, inspiring speeches, pride in
achievement hard earned, and the extra special
rewards-all part of Commencement Day.
Religion professor Rolf Jacobson (left)
takes a moment to chat with students
before the ceremony,
22
,4ucssunc Now
Taher Omar, physics graduate and McNair Scholar,
celebrates with family and friends during the
reception.
Summer
2OO2
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Amy Maheswaran (left) adds a master's hood to her
academic garb, as she receives her master of social
work diploma and degree from program director
Lois Bosch,
Speech/communication major and McNair Scholar Darryl Sellers enjoys a moment with
fellow grads before the ceremony.
I BELIEVE PREMIERES WITH THE CHOIR AND CONCERT BAND
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Brendan Anderson, senior muslc major and 2001 Hognander Scholar, led the
Augsburg Choir and Concert Band in the premiere performance of his work,
I Belíeve, an lnterpretation of the Apostle's Creed in word and music.
"I Believe is the culmination of my four years of composition study at Augsburg
Coilege," says Anderson, who graduated wirh distinction, received Music
Department honors, and was part of Augsburg's Honors Program. The piece is
structured in three general sections, as is the creed. The Concert Band introduces
and carries musical statements, intertwined with the choir's recitation of the creed,
heightened by illustrations of the themes in Latin.
"It is my hope and prayor that through this remarkable texr and this
remarkable story the spark of faith will be ignited in all who hear rhis piece, and
that the convictions we all believe in will be strengrhened by God's awesome
power," explains Anderson.
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Graduating musician Brendan Anderson conducted
his composition, I Believe, for the Augsburg concert
Band and Choir at the Commencement Concert on
May 18.
Graduates in the Class oÍ 1952 wear gold caps with their gowns as they join
the Class of 2002 at the Commencement Ceremony. The 5O-year class will be
back on campus to celebrate at their reunion during Homecoming,
Summer
2OO2
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The Class of 2002 begins their graduation day in Hoversten Chapel at the
Baccalaureate service, led by Augsburg campus pastors, Rev. David Wold (left) and Rev.
Sonja Hagander (right).
Social work graduate and McNair Scholar Leslie Howard
(left) poses with visiting Norwegian social work student
Kristine Dyrnes (right).
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THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE CLASS OF 2OO2
54I
¡ 318
t 148
a 44
a
I 3l
I 1l
Candidates for graduation
Day program graduates
Weekend College graduates
Graduate students (22 Master of
Social Work, 1 Master of Arts in Nurslng,
20 Master of Arts in Leadership, and I
Master of Arts in Education-Leadership)
Rochester Program graduates
Countries of graduates-China, Czech
Republic, Estonia, Ethiopia, Laos, Nigeria,
Pakistan, Sweden, Turkey, Venezuela, and
Vietnam.
I
20-58 Age range of graduates in the Class ol 2002
24
,4UCSSURC n¡OW
GRADUATION
DAY-A
CONTINENT AWAY
Three sets of parents at Commencement this year came from Norway to Minnesota to
see their daughters graduate, Five Norwegian students from the Oslo University
College, who have been studying in Augsburg's lnternational Partners Program, were
unable to take part in their own graduation because of the academic schedule here.
They received special permission to take part in Augsburg's Commencement. The front
row students are (L to R): Una Sveen, Kristine Dyrnes, Rikke Nielsen, and Sylvi Nilsen.
Not pictured is Erik Moen.
Summer
2OO2
/-.
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From the Alumni Board president's desk...
¡lhe
I
Alumni
sourd
organized
w
activities this
year with four
outcomes in
mind. As I
report on these,
join me in
applauding the
board and the Office of AlumniÆarent
Relations on their accomplishments.
Outcome : Friend-raising
Many events connected alumni to the
College, including Auggre Hour gatherings
that brought 130 alumni together after
work to meet and hear stories from
Augsburg professors. There were 3,500
participants at Homecoming events. The
alumni nights at the State Fair, the MAL
l5th anniversary dinner, and
Commencement weekend events brought
together still more friends of Augsburg.
Alumni events did not happen only in
the Twin Cities. Regional chapters in
Chicago; New York City; Washington,
D.C.; Los Angeles; Boulder, Colo.; Naples,
Fla.; Sun City and Tucson, Ariz.; Rochester
and Willmar, Minn.; and 3M Company in
St. Paul also held alumni gatherings.
And can there be any better way to
Outcome: Communication
If you have computer access or a mailbox,
you can always be in touch with
The ultimate measure of our Alumni
Association's effectiveness is increased
talent and resources supporting the
mission of Augsburg. Board members led
by example, donating time, expertise,
financial grfts, and Maroon 6¡ Silver
scholarships. Thank youl
Our new Alumni Board president,
Andy Morrison'73, is well prepared to lead
us into another successful year. Our new
board members-Greg Boone '81, Barry
connect with students than serving treats
during finals week?
Outcome: Effectiveness
Augsburg. Board members helped to
enhance the alumni Web site, the Augsburg
Now magazine, and the Class Agent lerters.
They communicated with leaders of the
regional chapters. They also searched for
First Decade, Spirit of Augsburg, and
Distinguished Alumni award recipients.
Outcome: Connections
Alumni gave valuable contributions to
current students, faculty, and staff. We
were advisors to the Board of Regents,
Development Committee, and'Science
Advisory Board. Alumni from 25
businesses held ajob fair for over 100
students, preceded by a session onjobsearch skills. We surveyed faculty to match
alumni with their needs, e.g. intemships,
mentors, speakers, and research funding.
Vornbrock'96 MAL, and Jennifer Tome
'gg-will add to our spirit of fun and
responsibility Would you like to join us?
e4+
Jackie ltuiefel Lind'69, '94 MAL
President, Alumni Board
Lute Olson '56 elected to Naism¡th Memorial
Baskgtball Hall of Fame
AussbursNewsservice
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5
{9
A
ugsburg
College
alumnus and
Olson, previously a finalist for the
Hall of Fame in 2000 and 2001, will be
joined in the Hall of Fame by players
currenI
University of
Arizona men's
Earvin "Magic" Johnson and Drazen
Petrovic, coaches Larry Brown and Kay
Yow, and the Harlem Globetrotters. The
Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of
Fame's Class of 2002 will be enshrined on
September 27 in Springfield, Mass.
basketball head
coach Lute
Olson'56 was
among five
individuals and
one team
selected for
enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial
Basketball Hall of Fame, officials
announcedJune 5.
Summer 2002
"I think it ranks right up there with
the NCAA Championship and rhe 1986
World Championship," said Olson. "This
is definitely one of the special things that
has happened in my career. I am very
thankful for the recognition and
opportunity for enshrinement."
A native of Mayville, N.Dak., Olson
was an Augsburg student from 1952-56,
plapng three sports (football, basketball,
baseball) while earning a double major in
history and physical education. Olson was
Augsburg's Honor Athlete, the highest
honor given to a senior student-athlete, in
1956. He was inducted into Augsburg's
Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977.
Olson earned his piece of basketball
immortality with a coaching career that
spans 43 seasons and includes nearly
1,000 career victories. He has won more
than 70 percent of his games on the high
school, junior college, and NCAA
Division I level.
4ucsruncruow
2s
Albuquerque. He is the author o[
1948
several books.
Reynold Skotte, Long
Beach,
Calif., ¡etired lastJune from
teaching at Peninsula Christian
School in Carson, Calif.
1
¡a
O
tt
1957
for 25 years.
Marshall
Ellen (Stenberg) Erickson,
Ham Lake, Minn., was recently
named president ol Free to Be
Community Coalition, an
organization in Anoka County
that helps financially stressed
famìlies.
1
956
The Rev. Dr. Russell C. Lee,
Albuquerque, N.Mex., was guest
preacher at St. Paul's Lutheran
Church in Crookston, Minn., in
February. From 196'l to his
retirement in 1997 he served
Faith Lutheran Church in
1964
Minneapolis,
recently
published Mahing
Phebe (Dale) Hanson, St. Paul,
1951
D.
Johnson,
950
recently rvorked with artist
Rebecca Alm and poet Kathleen
Heideman to create timeuponOnce
a book o[ poems that seek to
"deconstruct" and reconfigure old
fairy tales, mostly those of the
Brothers Grimm and Hans
Christian Andersen.
Sense
rnù¡d rlFr
u¡ri,..¡-¡
U nder standíng
mathematics department, and
taught high school math at Cook
County SchooÌs in Grand Marais
of the Bible:
Ltteraty typ(
as
an Approach to
(Eerdman's
Publishing Co.).
r 961
The Rev. Daniel J. Carlson,
CharÌestown, R.I., has been an
ELCA regionaÌ gift planner for the
ELCA Foundation sinceJuly 1999
he previously devoted 34 years to
parish ministry in New England.
r 963
Dean Gulden, Grand Marais,
Minn., recently returned from a
dog sledding expedition to the
North Slope in Alaska, t50 miles
above the Arctic Circle. He has
also competed in the lditarod, the
Yukon Quest, plus numerous races
in the continentaì United States. In
addition, he worked in the space
industr¡ spent nine years at
Augsburg as head of the
Ann
L. (Johnson) Wollman,
Beaver Falls, Pa., and her
husband, Dave, retired from
Geneva College. Ann was
registrar, and Dave was a professor
o[ history and chair of his
department. They plan to travel to
Lithuania to teach and counsel at
Lithuanìan Christian College.
1
Luncheon in March. She has coauthored seven books and
recently published her eighth, Just
How Much Scrap.Wood Does a Man
Need to Sav¿? The audio book of
her award-winning book, Grcwing
Up Lutheran, is under
consideration for a Grammy
nomination.
1970
Ray Hanson, Denton, Md.,
St. Paul, recentìy
continues to help teach Children's
Church a[ Talbot Evangelistic
Church. He recently completed
serving three years on the church
board, during which time a new
Christian ministry center was
constructed and opened.
published a book
of poetry called
1977
96s
Gracia Grindal,
Lise LungeLarsen, Duluth,
won her second
ARevelry oJ
Harv¿st, which
features several
poems about
Auggies. She is currently professor
o[ rhetorÍc at Luther Seminary in
Minnesota Book
Award for her
children's book,
The Race of the
St. Paul.
1968
Birhebeíners,
UMC-M Auxiliary 50th
illustrated by Mary Azarian. The
book, based upon an account
written in 1264 by Sturla Tordsson,
explores the origin of Norway's
national ski championship-the
Anniversary Membership
Race o[ the
Suzann (Johnson) Nelson,
Grand Rapids, Minn., was the
guest speaker for the Fairview
ffi
c
Birkebeiners-and tells
the story of the cross country
escape that kept the nation's infant
king safe from an invading army.
Rod Skoe, Clearbrook, Minn.,
recently announced he will seek
election to the Senate in District 2;
he is currently serving his second
terrn âs state representative (DFL)
in DÍstrict 28. He also farms in
northem Minnesota. Prior to his
election to the Minnesota House in
1998, he was a member of the
CÌearwater County Board of
Commissioners. He also served on
the Clearbrook-Gonvick School
o
s.
ã'
o
U
Board. He and his wife, Sarah
Hoagberg, have two children.
1978
Gladys (Boxrud) Strommen '46 and Anne Frame hosted an Augsburg alumni
luncheon in Naples, Fla., this past March. Front row, L to R: Donna Mclean; Gladys
(Boxrud) Strommen '46; Anne Frame; Louise Sundet; Helen Smith. Back row, L to R:
Lois Wattman '76; Carole Skaar; Marilyn Fogdall; Nancy (Strommen) Stensvaag'71;
Jan Grinde; Grace (Forss) Herr'57; Marion Anderson; and Lorraine Carlson.
26
,4UCSSUnC NOW
Steve Hoffmeyer, Mendora
Heights, Minn., joined the State
Bureau o[ Mediation Services as
mediator in April.
a
Summer 2O02
d
m
Tim Wolter '78: Baseball historian and
'battlebot' chal lenger
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5
(J
by Lynn Mena
During the Second Worid War, nearly I30,000 American soldiers and 19,000 crvilians were captr-tred
and held in prisoner of war camps. While the conditions under which they were held varied enormously,
baseball, in various forms, was a common activity among the prisoners. Not just Americans, but
Canaclians, Britìsh, Australians, and New Zealanders palticipatecl, as well asJapanese and even some
Germans.
Augsburg alumnus Tim Wolter wrote a book on this toplc, which was published last year by McFarland
6c Company. POW Baseball inWorldWar II: The National Pastime Behind Barbed V/irz is the story of POW
baseball. The book is dÌvided into the various prison camps and describes the types of prisoners held
there and the degree to which baseball was played.
Tim Wolter'78 recently
published a book about the
history of PoW baseball in
World War Il.
"I've been a history lan for a number of years, Ìn fact, my minor at
Augsburg was history," says Wolter. "l kind of drlfted into this aspect
of baseball hrstory-one thing led to another."
ñ
L
S
o
Q
Wolter, a practicing physician who has written articles on the history of baseball ar-rd the philosophy of
mediclne, first investigated I9th-century war baseball. He discovered that even during the Clvil War, POW
baseball was playecl on maneuvers.
Wolter received so many lnteresting clues and information from various calls ancl letters about WWII POW
basebal1, that what first appeared to be an Ìnteresting magazine article soon turned lnto a book.
"The book turned out pretty weli, althor-rgh I can of coLlrse see a hundrecl ways I cou1c1 have done it better,"
for a first book, it's not too bad." Wolter is especìally glad to see the book published rvhile
some of the people he wrote about are stlll living.
says Wolter. "But
During the course of Wolter's research and writing, ESPN, the cable-TV sports network, heard about the
project and asked him to help with a documentary on WWII and sports for the networl<'s Outside the Lincs
While writing POW Baseball
in World l/l/ar ll, Wolter also
contributed to an ESPN
documentary about llllWll
and sports.
program. The episode, "Fields of Battle, Fielcls of Play," premieled last December on Pearl Harbor Day.
"They filmed me at Fort Snelling Ìn a l9th-century limestone jail cell," says Wolter. He came away from the
collaboration in awe of the enormous resources the writers at ESPN have at their disposal. "What would
have taken me years to research took them months or jr-rst weeks."
Wolter, who has lived in Chippewa Falls, Wis,, since 1985 with his
wife, Laura (KasdorÐ'81, and their three sons, Matt, Karl, and
Gus, is also a frequent guest speaker. He recently spoke at the
Baseball Hall of Fame on Memorial Da¡ ancl olten speaks lo
veterans' gloups.
a
a
à
L
,e
ln addition to baseball ancl histor¡ Wolter recently cliscoverecl a
new passion that he shares with his son, Karl-robotic combat.
"We first got interestecl rn robotic combat a couple yeals ago on a
trip to London," says Wolter. "While watchlng BBC we discovered
RobotWars, a program that had not yet crossed the Atlantic. 'How
cool is thisl'we exclaimed, and started to discr-tss ways to create
or11' own killer robots."
Since then, they have built several 'battlebots' (as they are known
in the U.S.) and have cornpeted 1n various competitions. Their
robots have featured garden gr-romes, fruitcake, and bowling balls.
New clesign ideas include the use of other cultural icons, sttch as
rhe Teletubbies, a disco ball, or perhaps even lava lamps or E1vis.
ln addition to baseball history, Wolter also enioys building
'battlebots' for robotic combat competitions with his son' Karl
Summer 20O2
Sometimes, robóts come home h'om competitions in pieces, "Bnt
that is part" of the fun," says Wolter. "Then it's back to the shop to
build something new."
4ucs¡unc ruow
27
Class Notes
W
W
1979
Sharon Lakin Upton,
Congratulations
and WELCOME,
Class
Â
of
20021
s a member o[ the
A^ugrourg Lottege Alumnr
AssociatÌon, you are a very
important part of the College
community and are welcome
VISIT THE AUGSBURG BOOTH AT THE
MINNESOTA STATE FAIR!
Hellertown, Pa., is the new
director oI development research
at Lehigh University in
Bethlehem, Pa. (not at North
Carolina State University, as was
mistakenly printed in the previous
issue of Augsburg Now).
1
980
Stacy Lee (Stephans)
Hutchens, Indianapolis, Ind., is
to receive various benefits
including:
men's work-release counselor at
.
Corporation.
Augsburg Now, the quarterly
Coilege publication
. Bi-annual letters from your
class agent,
who wilÌ keep
you updated on news
.
.
Invitations to Homecoming,
reunions, and other special
events on campus
Access to the
library and
[itness facilities
.
Access to Career Services'
resources
. A special tuition discount for
alumni
. An alumni directory
containing complete
information on classmates
that is available for purchase
. Volunteer opportunities on
leadership boards and
committees
. Opportunities to participate
in alumni tours around the
world
.
Legacy scholarships for
family members of students
and alumni to study toward
a degree at Augsburg
ATUMNI
Blomkest, Minn., recentÌy accepted
the pastorate position at Roseau
Baptist Church in Roseau, Minn.
He previously served the Blomkest
Baptist Church near Willmar.
1992
Larry John
Anderson,
Eagan, Minn.,
received
N.Y, received a $40,000 Houle
preaches
Sandra (Voss) Wollschlager,
Cannon Falls, Minn., recently
announced her candidacy for state
representative (DFL) from Distrlct
28,{. She has worked for 3M
Company lor 22 years, beginning
as a lactory worker and advancing
to her current position in research
and development. She is in her
second term on the Cannon Falls
Schooi Board. She and her
husband, Joe, have two children.
occasionally-most
He can be e-mailed at
<drljanderson@msn.con>.
988
Timothy Todd, El Sobranre,
Calif., relocated from France to
CalifomÍa last year after obtainÍng
a finance manager position at BioRad l-ab. He and his wife, Helene,
have three children: Natalie
Caroþ, and Christoph.
has
Jim Weninger, Prior Lake,
Minn., is the facilities and
maintenance manager at the Toro
manufacturing plant in Shakopee,
Minn. He has served on the Prior
l-ake Planning Commission, as well
as on the Metropolitan Council's
Water Advisory Board and on the
Minnesota River Assessment
Project, a position to which he was
lived in England and worked at
investment banks for the last few
years. Michiel can be e-mailed at
appointed by former Gov. Arne
Carlson. He and his wife, Liz
(Wolffl '92,have
99f
a daughter,
Ginny
is
a technical coordinator for Peace
Corps MalawiS training programs.
His wife, Stacia, is the coordinator
1994
doctorate degree
recently at Bethany Baptist Church.
N.Y.
candidacy for a seat in the
Minnesota House of
Representatives. She will run for
the District 638 (DFL) seat, now
held by Mark Gleason. She is an
independent consultant in the area
of corporate citizenship and
philanthropy management.
in biblical studies
Andersonville Baptist Seminary in
March 200I. He is an emplol.rnent
developer for Ramsey Action
Programs and also works with the
Filipino American Christian
Church of RoseviÌleb Social
Concerns Ministry In addition, he
America, and the United States.
She is currently an assistant
professor of adult education at
Buffalo State CoÌlege in Buffalo,
1
a
from
Scholar Grant for Emerging
Scholars in Adult Education,
which is sponsored by ihe WK.
Kellogg Foundation and is given
to scholars in Africa, Latin
Kristof Nordin, Malawi, Africa,
,4UCSSURC NOW
years.
Lisa M. Baumgartner, Amherst,
1
2A
lnterested in volunteering? Contacl the alumni offlce at
6L2-330-I 17 B or I -800-260-6590
f986
<mYbema@hotmail. com>.
ÀSSOCIATION
Visit rvith alumni, get a peek into Homecoming activitres, find out
how you can get involved, ancl don't forget to enter the gleat
'alumni only' drawings.
for Peace Corps Malawi's crisis
corps program. They have been
living in Africa for more than five
The Rev. Patr¡ck Krause,
ASSOCTATTON
ALUMNI
a
98f
Michiel Ybema, London,
Augsburg College
Speclal nights dedicated to alumm are Tlesday, Ar-rgust 27, ancl
Thursda¡ Ar-rgust 29, lrom 5-9 p.m.
Check out the full schedule of booth events on1ìne at
<wwwarrgsbrr rg.ed rr/strte lai r>
Riverside Community Correct ions
1
August 22-September 3, 2002
1993
Doris Rubenstein, RichfieÌd,
Minn., recently announced her
ElIil[INII:rõtlf¡ftl
2002-2003 Alumni Board
meeting schedule
June 18
August 20
November 19
February 18
April
15
Meetings are open to the
public and all alumni are
invlted to attend. Each
meetrng features a guest
speaker from the College
community For more
inlorrnrtion, visit lhe alumni
Web site at <www.augsburg.
edu/alumni>.
Summer 2O02
)
F
W
The Augsburg alumni
chapter at 3M held a
iuncheon May 6.
Augsburg College staff
and faculty joined
alumni and current
Augsburg students who
work at 3M for a lunch
and leadership program.
Diane Pike, professor and
department chair of
sociology, presented
"Confounded by
LeadershÌp." Augsburg is
planning future events at
3M, American Express,
We11s Fargo, and LBIAAL.
1
1997
995
a
Matthew A. Gooding,
Lori (Mosher) Claussen,
s
Goodyear, ArÞ., has lived in
Arvona since he began working
wirh rhe Litchfield Elementary
Rosemount, Minn., received her
master's degree in special education
from the University of St. Thomas
a
s.
School District
in 2000.
1996
John R. Burt, Fargo, N.Dak.,
married Kara Miller in December.
He works at Scheels All-Spons.
Teresa (MacNabb)
Barbara Kaufmann, manager of 3M
education contr¡butions, presented
the 3M scholarsh¡p and 3M
match¡ng gift checks to Ron Nelson
'68, vice pres¡dent and controller at
3M and member of the Augsburg
College Board of Regents,
Kysylyczyn, Roseville, Minn.,
passed the Certified Public
Accountant Exam in February; she
is a staff accountant at John A.
Knutson & Co., PLLB and can be
in December. She is teaching in
Independent School District 196,
working with students with
specific leaming needs, at
Rosemount High School.
Michele McNaughton,
Mahtomedi, Minn., joined the staff
of Catalyst Medical Clinic, PA., in
Watertown, Minn. She will focus
on women's health care, pediatrics,
and diabetes.
a
e-mailed at <tck@Knutsoncpa.corïÞ.
S"
A.
L
s
(_)
m
Ami Nafzger
'94:. Finding
cultural connections
by Cherie Christ
Aml Nafzger beheves the Augsburg College Pan-Asian Association changed her life. A native of Chun Ju,
Korea, Nafzger was adopted by an American famrþ in 1975 at the age of four. Growing up in Minong, Wis.,
and a later move to Willmar, Minn., left Nafzger with very few AsÌan connections.
Determined to keep a promise to her dying mother that she would graduate from Augsburg, Nafzger worked
three parr-rime jobs to pay for school and living expenses, leaving little time for involvement with the campus
community But. it was an encounter her freshman year with Lee Hoon Wong Benson, then Pan-Asian Services
director, that changed Nafzger's life.
Ami Nafzger '94 established
G.O.A,t,, an organization
committed to providing
knowledge about Korean
culture to Korean adoptees.
Frightened and hesitant to approach other Asians, Nafzger remembers, "I had never even talked to an AsÌan before." Benson not oniy encouraged
Nafzger to ger involved in varÌous campus events and organlzations, including Pan-Asian Services, but to build friendships within the Asian
community Her connection to Benson provided Nafzger a sense of pride ln herself as an Aslan, and also as an individual.
In 1994 Nafzger completed her social work degree, and now has built her career around 1t. With a need to better undersknd her heritage and with
few concrete reasons to stay in the United States, Nafzger returned to her native home, Korea, in 1996.
In 1998, after extensive research on Korean adoptees, Nafzger established G.O.A.L. (Global Overseas Adoptees Link), an organization committed to
providing knowledge about Korean cuiture. G.O.A.L. acts as a voice for many Korean adoptees by providing positive links to their Korean culture.
Developed specifically for these adoprees, G.O.A.L. provides a variety of resources such as translators, guides, home stays, and birth search
depar[ments to those who wish to learn more about their culture. Nafzger says, "Afier so many decades I felt there needed to be something
established in Korea for adult adoptees as they return to their birth country"
I
Although on occasion frustrated by a lack of support from the Korean government, Nafzger believes there are many benefits. HelpÌng adoptees
understand where they come from is the most rewarding part of her job.
work connected her to addirional associations around the world. in addition to her work with GOACC (Give Orphans a Chance to
Choose), which helps provide hands-on assistance to adult orphans in Asia, she is also a member of an international planning committee working
with sister adult adoptee organizations in Europe and America
Nafzger's
Nafzger believes that her work is "helping to break down the prejudlce and misunderstanding thal separates Koreans from adoptees and adoptees
from each other."
For additional information, vislt G.O.A.L. online at <www.goa1.or.kr>.
Chene Chnst is ø communication speciølist in the Ot'Jice
Summer
2OO2
oJ
Public Relations and Contmunication.
4ucsnunc ruow
29
Class Notes
ffi
Births/Adoptions
Auggie Conversations
Jeannie (Shaughnessy)'88
al fresco
and Joseph Hodges, Alexandria,
Dine ancl converse with fellow
Augsburg alumni and friends
on some of the Twin Cities' best
ontdool patlos for Auggie
Josie, in February.
Va.-a daughtea Campbell
Amy (Johnson) '89
Conversations al fiesco.
Rernaining sunìmer dates are:
Tuesda¡July 16, 5:30 p.m.
Jennifer (Ohlin) '91 and
and Patrick
952-47r-8513
An Augsburg alum will lead a
'sporty' conversation-j oin the
team!
Please RSVP
lor the above
events to the Alumni./Parent
Relations offÌce, ó I2-330- I I 78,
or e-mail <alumni@
augsbr,rrg.edu>. Particlpants are
responsible for the cost of thelr
meals and dlinks. Visit the
alumni Web site for more
information at
<www.augsburg.edu/
alumni,/gatherings.html>.
daughter, Alexis
Leigh, inJanuary
Kenndy D.
(Bade)'00 and
Kirk Lewis-a
son, Owen, in
January.
lan Quello'38 correctly
identified Olive Berg'38
(far Ieft) in this photo
from the'Remember
When' contest in the
spring issue. An Augsburg
t-shirt is on the way!
Laura
ahrmna, will lead the
conversation.
on Lake Minnetonka
3746 Sunset Dr., Spring Park
Minn.-a
Dan
(Carlson)'92
Lold Fletcher's Old Lake Lodge
Stefanie (tindell) '98 and
Falk, Sauk Rapids, Minn.-a
daughter, Olivia Joan, in March.
She joins older siste¡ Emily, 3.
stage ancl screen and Augsbr-rrg
Tuesday, August 13, 5:30 p.m.
Denmark-a son, Christopher,
in February.
Bruce Lender'98, Coon Rapids,
and John
Hanson, Falcon Heights, Minn.a son, Noah John, in December.
Hejoins older brother, Bennett.
WA. Frost & Cornpany
374 Selby Ave., St. Paul
651-224-57r5
Carolyn Pool'91, actress of
Louise L. (Andersen)'97 and
Jacob Karlstad '97, Lyngby,
N
E
F-!
LI ro
Guernsey
'86, St. Paula son, lan
Patrick, in
March.
Pictured,
clockwise from
top, is Patrick'86, Alan, Robert,
Josephine, lan, Laur a' 92,
Thomas, and Angela.
Laura (Ferry) '92 and Matthew
Lee, Prentice,
Wis.-a
daughter,
Catherine Rebecca, in January.
Alisha (Kaul)'97 MSW and
Curt Nelson, Bloomington,
son, Zachary Patr¡ck,
in March. He joins older brother
ErcrcTKIIIE
Alumni Book Club Spotlight
What does it mean to say "I exist?" What is existence and can we say
anything about it?
If questions like these interest you there exists a book club for you.
The Nature of Being alumni book club is looking for members. The
group meets on the second Tuesday of every month at 7 p.m. The
next book up for discussion is An Enquiry on Human Understanding,
by David Hume.
If you are interested, call Bob Fitzsimons '96 ar 612-926-2059 or
e-mail him at <rtfitzsimons@mmm.com>.
Other active book club categories include Pulitzer winners, American
novels, mysteries, and women fiction writers. If you are interested in
joining an existing book club or starting a new one, contact the
AlumniÆarent Relations office at 612-330-l l78.
Minn.-a
a
a
Jeremy, 3. Alisha is a school social
worker for Independent School
District 196.
s.
à
ô
Q
a
o
s.
ã
!
o
U
On September 8, Tim Vadis'94 married Kari Lee at Viking
Lutheran Church near Alexandria, Minn. Tim's father, the Rev.
Vadis'64 presided. Tim's mother, Anita (Berg) Vadis'6O
was prcsent also, of couñse, having been "up to her eyeballs" in
the wedding preparations. Pictured seated, L to R: Carmen
(Neseth) Berg '65; Anita (Berg) Vadis '66; Darryl Carter'65; Lona
Berg Froyum'69; and Carla (Quanbeck) Walgren'64. Second row,
L to R: David Berg '66; Christina (vadis) Jones'95; Marilyn (Quam)
Larson'66; Kristin Ftoyum'00; Kim Vappie'98; and Michael
Walgren '64. Back row, L to R: Allen larcon '66; Timothy Vadis '94
(groom); Bryan Maloney'93; and the Rev. James Vadis'64.
James
Brenda Seaver'00 married Justin Dittrich 'Oi September 29 at
Family of God Lutheran Church in Brooklyn Parlç Minn., wherc
Justin is director of youth and family ministries. The Rev. Sonja
Hagander; Augsburg's associate college pastor, performed the
ceremony. The Rev. Paul Burow'84 also participated.
30
,4ucsnunc now
Summer 2002
)
!
I
Oscar Galstad '26, Redwood
Falls, Minn., died in April; he was
97. Known as a 'Jack of all trades,"
Galstad traveled many paths. He
worked ar the Redwood Falls post
Office for 18 years, rhen wenr on
to operate a farm in Delhi. He also
served as a civil service secretary
was elected secretary-treasurer to
the Minnesota Federation for Post
Office Clerks, served as clerk of
Consolidated School District IB for
six years, continued farming until
1975, arrd more. He served on
several boards and committees,
and received numerous honors,
including a citation lrom the U.S.
Department of Agriculture and the
Redwood County Outstanding
Senior Citizen Award.
Jessie M. Christensen'29,
Orlando, Fla., died in ApriÌ. She
was a retired teacher.
Mathilda L. Sageng'31,
Fergus
Falls, Minn., died in March; she
was 94. She was a social studies
teacher and guidance counselor at
the Hutchinson high school for
many years o[ her long career in
teaching. After retiring in I972,
she traveled extensively Dedicated
to service of her church and
communlty, she donated the land
on which the Zion-Sarpsborg
Church of Dalton stands.
Marie (Pierce) Mitlyng'37,
Montevideo, Minn., died in April;
she was 86. She wo¡ked fo¡ the
National l¿bor Relations Board
and the Department of Agriculture,
living in San Francisco, Cincinnari,
Chicago, PeorÍa, and Washington,
D.C. She was also a member of the
National Organization o[ Women,
and enjoyed working in her church
and reading.
Ardel le (Albertson) Versen
'39, Waterloo, Iowa, died in
March. She \¡/as a retired teacher.
Margie M. (Jensen) Green '40,
Norwood Young America, Minn.,
died in February; she was 83.
During WWII, she served as a
nurse in the ArmY, receiving a
Bronze Battle Star, an American
Theater Ribbon, and an EAME
Theater Ribbon. She was an
Summer 2002
Eastern Star member and served in
several positions; she was also
active in the United Methodist
Church in NYA, holding several
offices and as a Ladies Aid
member. From 1975-1987, she
worked part time at the Young
America Library and was always
on the look-out for her patrons'
favorite reading materials,
personally calling them when
books arrived that might be of
particular interest.
The Rev. Alton Halverson'43,
Park Rapids, Minn., died in
March; he was79. He sewed as a
missionary with his wife on the
island of Madagascar for eight
years, then worked in the national
World Missions office in
MinneapoÌis, serving as secretary
for interpretation and promotion
f.or 23 years. He traveled on all
continents, making films and
gathering information for the
promotion of global missions in
the U.S. He later served as director
of public relations at Golden Valley
Lutheran College and then as
director of church relations at
Augsburg.
Edna C. (Oseth) Sausser'56,
I-akeport, Calif., died in March;
she was 72. She moved to
Califomia in 1976, where she was
a security guard until retiring in
1986. Prior to moving, she also
served as a security guard for
Barn's lnternational Securities in
Bloomington, and was co-owner of
Ken-Rich Enterprises.
The Rev. Joan (Everhart)
Stavig '56, Brooklyn Center,
Minn., died in April; she was 67.
Beginning in1977,she made I5
missionary trips to Haiti, followed
by numerous other overseas
missionary trips to Jamaica, St.
Maarten, South Africa, China,
India, Sri Lanka, and the
Philippines. She was ordained by
the Spiritual Life Training Center
Bible School in 1987, and shortly
thereafter started Flag of the
Nations, which is primarily an
overseas ministry specializing in
short-term, long-term, individual,
or group missionary trips. She was
also a travel agent, and her
commissions heÌped to support rhe
ministry Flag of the Nations built a
medical clinic in the Philippines,
which was completed in 200I and
dedicated this past May
Ronald E. Nelson'67, Grand
Rapids, Minn., died last November
after a long, courageous battle wÍth
brain cancer; he was 58. He
worked for ltasca County as an
assessor and also was a composer
and publisher of music. He was
director of the Blandin Male
Chorus, as well as a past director
o[ the Community Chorus and
interim director at Zion Lutheran
Church. He was also a vocalist and
soloist with prestigious choral
groups. He is survived by his wife,
Suzann (Johnson)'68, and two
daughters, Senja and Siri.
Ruth E. (Anderson) Lofgren
'75, St. Anthony Village, Minn.,
died in May of multlple myeloma;
she was 77. She was an employee
of the Board of Pensions of the
ELCA for 14years, and aÌso
enjoyed teaching Bible study
classes and preparing retreats in
with a psychology major; as a
student, she sang with the
Augsburg Choir, and also traveled
with the contemporary ChrÍstian
singing group, the Con¡inentals.
She is survived by her husband,
Erik; parents, James and Karen;
and siblings, Blair, Jeremiah,
Benjamin, and Rebacca.
Sara Marie Turpin '03,
Albertville, Minn., died in May of
leukemia; she was 2I. She was a
junior in Augsburg Weekend
College, majoring in
communications.
Leslie M. Jones, Columbia
Heights, Minn., died in May as a
result o[ medical complications; he
was 41. He was an integral and
dedicated member of the
Augsburg communit¡ working in
the facilities department slnce
January 1994. He was also a
member of the Minnesota Home
Brewers Association. He is
survived by his wife, Cindy (also a
member of the Augsburg facilities
staff), and two children, Angelena
and Leslie II.
Richard Clark
various churches.
Little,
Heidi Huber'92, Long Lake,
Minneapolis,
died in March of
Minn., died in April of malignant
melanoma; she was 33. She was a
Peace Corps volunteer from 1993199ó, and earned her masterb
degree
in education from Harvard
University in 1998. OnJune 2, a
new booth at the annual Grand
Old Day festival in St. Paul offered
free samples of sunscreen as a
tribute to Huber; the festival was
her favorite summer event. Her
friends and famiÌy working in the
booth also sold lshirts and hats to
raise money for the American
Cancer Society and a scholarship
in Huber's nâme at Augsburg.
Tamara (Aakre) Jerde'00,
Apple Valley, Mìnn., died in March
after a long battle with a brain
tumor; she was24. She was a
counselor at Inspiration Point Bible
Camp and was Rollag, Minnesota,
Steam Thresher Queen. She loved
music and played the piano, flute,
and oboe. She graduated from
Augsburg at the top of her class
pancreatic
cancer; he was
Education
&
56. His
Housing Equity
Project has been based at
Augsburg, and he has been a great
friend and celebrant of Augsburg's
engagement in the life of the city
and in partnership with such
entities as the Project for Pride in
Living and the Minnesota
Minority Education Partnership.
In November, he received the
2001 Minneapolis Special
Recognitìon Award, honoring his
lifelong commitment to
Mìnneapolis. For 20 years he
worked ln federal housing
programs, leaving to work as a
consultant and voiunteer,
dedicating rhe resr of his life ro
Twin Cìties civil rights and urban
and housing issues. He died as he
lived-with dignity, grace, and
much love.
4ucs¡unc now
31
I
o
^
o
¡¡
O
o
EDITOR'S
NOTE:
In honor of National Tèachers Week in May, Woman\
ne teacher who stands out was my high school
philosophy/American government teacher. He was the
first really avid reader
I ever met who shared what
he read with me (and other
students). Sophie's Choice
inspired a great class
discussion. Besides teachÌng,
he and his wife owned a
()
bookshop in town, and they
employed me there. I never
s.
made any money, because I
had the option of taking my
pay in books. Oh, the books
I earned while there. I
babysat hj.s children. He
coached me on our Hi-Q and
Knowledge Bowl teams (thj.rd
in State that yearl). He was
the one who encouraged me
to go on to college, and I
became the only one in my
family to ever do so.
My first Christmas home
from college, I was in a
severe kitchen accident, and
Fran Baker
spent the next two months ìn
the hospital, recovering from
burns and undergoing
surgeries. He was lhere,
dressed in surgical cap and
gowrr so as not to infect me.
He brought me books and
talked about what he was
reading.
When I dropped out of college the
following year, ít was his disappointment in me
that I most dreaded. My family, who could
never understand why one would go to college
to study English in the first place, never gave
me any grief about dropping out. lt was much
wiser, in their eyes, to go out and get a job and
make moneir It was my teacher's voice, nagging
in the back of my mind, that encouraged me to
go back to school now And when I return
home, it is not my classmates I go visit, but
him and his family He is the one to whom I
Day magazine requested stories by readers whose lives
were changed by teachers. Here are two that were
submitted by Augsburg women:
teachers can point to a parent who, in the
f think many "parent"
and "classroom teacher," provided
I dual role as
Ian early love of learnlng and teaching. I am no
exception. My mom, E. Cecil Gregoire, was an English
and physical education teacher for the Cannon Falls
(Minn.) School District from 1967-86. As a farm wife and'
mother to 11 children, she used her love of learning,
curiosity about the world, and teaching expertj.se to direct
us through family outings, 4-H, athletics, K-12 school,
college, and service to a larger community I didn't realize
until after she had died thls last September the gifts she
gave to her students and to her community during her
tenure as a teacher.
At the wake and funeral, former students and
communÌty members warmly remembered Mrs. Gregoire
as the white-haired basketball coach for the boys and girls
team; the teacher of folkdancing, dodgeball and volleyball,
as well as good sportsmanship, manners and cooperation;
the caring adult who told young H.S. graduates that their
nexl step was college; and the "vocal" taxpayer, small
town school supporter, and self-designated adviser and
watch-dog of the schooi board.
We had a gara,ge sale this last
Saturday to disburse her estate and to
raise funds for the school playground in
her memory As I boxed up the
Grollíers Encyclopedia and the
o
o
Booh of Knowledge for the next
s.
family of learners, I realized
E
how vitally important teachers
are to their family and to the
larger community. Her legacy
lives on in how that knowledge
and those life lessons have
transformed us, our families,
and those with whom we live,
work and play into the next
generation of "teacher" and
community leaders.
show off my children. And my current report
J eanine
cards.
Professor of Education
Fran Baher, Weehend College student and McNair
Scholat maj onng in English and history
32
.AUCSBUnC ruOW
Gregoire, Assistant
Jeanine Gregoire
Summer 2002
)
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N
THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 26
.
.
D
fT
Ea
t_¡
N
I
w
OII
--
ffi
T:
Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
Variety Show & Coronation
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 27
.
.
Homecom¡ng Convocation
Master of Arts in Leadership event
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 2B
r Auggie 5K Mississippi RunA,A/alk
r Pan-Afrikan Alumni-Student
E
I
E!
Basketball Came
M
m
. Homecoming Pep Rally
o Picnic in the Park
. Homecoming Football Came
å
.
.
L:-
!ffi
ffi
.
.
ËT
.
vs. Custavus Adolphus
Homecoming AIumni Awards
Social & Dinner
Class Reunions oÍ 1952, 1962,
1977, and 1992
Pan-Afrikan Alumni Reception
6th Annual M. Anita Cay Hawthorne
Jazz & Poetry Bash
Music Event
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 29
.
EI
GJ
t!
Herita8e Society Luncheon
o
a
s.
s'
Send us your news
and photos!
Please tell us about the news rn
your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don't forget
to send photos!
year or last year attended
Class
Street address
City
ls
For news o[ a death, written notice
is required, e.g. an obituary, funeral
notice, or program from a
memorial service.
Maiden name
Full name
this a new address?
!
Yes
!
No
E-mail
Home telephone
Employer
ls spouse also a
zip
State
Position
graduate of Augsburg College?
!
okay to publish your e-mail address
Work telephone
! Yes n No
lf yes, class
year-
Send your news items, photos, or
change of address by mail to:
Augsburg N ow Class Notes,
Augsburg College, CB 146,
22Il Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
MN, 55454, or e-mail to
<alumni@au gsburg.edu>.
,4tmmc
COLLEGE
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Spouse name
Maiden name
Your news:
Non-Profit Org.
U.S, Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No.2031
-
Show less
-
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Title
-
Augsburg Now Winter 2001-2002
-
Collection
-
Alumni Magazine Collection
-
Search Result
-
A season of hope and expectation
f,
dvent ... the time of antÌcipation,
Ap..pu.ution,
hope, and longing.
During this time we tend to focus on the
joyful preparation for the birth of Christ.
We don't often spend time considering the
other side of Advent, the second comlng
of the Lord, wj....
Show more
A season of hope and expectation
f,
dvent ... the time of antÌcipation,
Ap..pu.ution,
hope, and longing.
During this time we tend to focus on the
joyful preparation for the birth of Christ.
We don't often spend time considering the
other side of Advent, the second comlng
of the Lord, wj.th its promÌse of
judgement, but also deliverance and
redemption from despair.
As we reel from the events of Sept. I I
that turned our safe and secure world
topsy-turuy, this second advent offers
good news for us. As difficult as it may be
We welcome your letters!
write to:
Please
Editor
AugsburgNow
22ll
Riverside Ave., CB 145
Minneapolis, MN 55454
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Fax: 612-330-1780
Phone: 612-330-Il8I
Letters for publication must be
sþed
and
to ignore the decorations, music, buying,
and trappings of the season, these few
weeks also offer us the chance to
anticlpate and envision the renewed
presence of the Lord and the world
promised and possible through this
presence.
In this
issue we see a repetition in the
theme of Advent candles. The same
candlelight that brought light to a dark
sanctuary during the Advent Vespers
procession also consoled us through
September from a place of vigil in the
front of Hoversten Chapel. The quiet,
soothing illumÌnation of candles is aiso
central to the Taizé worship that came to
Augsburg at the end of October. Farther
on, you'll read about the intriguing way
some Augsburg students found to recreate
this special atmosphere.
This issue's feature article,
"Remembering September" examines how
Augsburg, as a iearning communit¡ has
engaged its faculty, staff, and students in
discussion of the difficult issues facing it
since Sept. ll, and how the College's 132year-old mission provided the grounding
to frame these discussions.
Also in this winter issue, anticipating
the coming Winter Olympic games, we
feature stories of Auggies who have gone
for the gold-speedskater Johnny Werket,
who found in his "golden" career both
Olympic medals and a partner for 1lfe;
and the 1928 men's hockey team, whose
golden Olymplc dreams were shattered on
the very eve of the games.
This issue also shares the spirit of
Homecoming through photos from the
events and class reunions. As we note on
the back cover, the rains may have
canceled plans for "Auggies on Parade,"
but the festivities brought alumni and
friends together Ìn a celebratÌon of
Augsburg community-and a big
football win.
As this calendar year closes, Augsburg
Now extends to readers the best wishes for
a holiday season ol hope, anticipat"¡on,
celebration, and peace.
WW
Betsey Norgard
Editor
include your name, class year, and daytime
teìephone number. They may
be edited for length, clarity,
and style.
o
o
si
h,
s
r^
Family and friends
gathered to remember Jean
Lindell (see Augshurg Now,
summer issue, ln
Memoriam) with the
dedication of the Lindell
Garden in front of Lindell
Library. Victoria Grunseth
spoke on behalf of the
family about her mother as
an avid gardener.
-
At¿csBrJRG Now
Winter
Vol.64 No.2
2OO1-O2
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
22ll Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454.
Features
Betsey Norgard
Editor
Lynn Mena
Assistant Editor
Remembering September
Kathy Rumpza
by Betsey Norgard
Graphic Designer
Jessica Brown
Class Notes Coordinator
William V. Frame
Following the events oJ September 77, how could
and would Augsburg CoIIege, as a learning
community, respond?
President
Dan Jorgensen
Director of Public Relations and
Communication
Nancy Toedt'94
Director of Alumni and Parent
Relations
Johnny Werket's
golden career by Don stoner
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
Inhis youth, speedshater lohnny Werhet'49 won
ISSN t058-I545
Olympic goldmedals and the heart of aNonueglan
Postmaster: Send conespondence,
name changes, and address
corrections to: Augsburg Now,
Office of Public Relations and
Communication, 221 I Riverside
Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454.
girl; they now celebrate their golden marnage.
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: ó12-330-l 18I
Fax: 612-330-1780
16
The Rev. Mark Hanson '68ELCAs new presiding bishop
Horr"rrten chapel gets dressed
up in 'stained glass'
Departments
Augsburg College, as alfirmed
in its mission, doesnot
ilßcnminate on the bøsis of race,
color, creed, religion, national or
ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual
orientation, marital status, status
with regar¿l to public assßtance,
or disability in its education
p oliaes, ailmissions policies,
scholar ship and loan pro gr ams,
athletic anill or school
ailministered pro grams, except
in those ínstances where reli$on
is a bonø fiile occupational
quølification. Augsburg C ollege
is committed to providing
reasonable accommodatíons to
its employees and its stuilents.
www.augsburg.edu
2
Around the Quad
5
Sports
7
Chapeltalk
17
Alumni News
22
28
Class Notes
Auggie Thoughts
inside
Calendar
back
cover
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste)
On the cover:
Augsburg students Çront to bach)
Renzo Amaya Torres, Kerri
Sjoblom, len Falhman, and Adam
Dehnel prepare for the Advent
Vespers procession, as it lights up
the advent season. Photo by
Linda Cullen.
I
a
I
o
Augsburg ranks again in top tier
Augsburg College
once again is
ffiffi
ranked in the top
tier of its category
in the U.S. News
€t World Report
2001 ratings-up three places from last
year. A new classification by tl.:'e magazine
puts Augsburg in the "Midwestern
¡¡
O
Conor Tobin w¡ns Fulbright
Scholarship to Norway
Fonor
Augsburg in the news-a busy fall
Tobin. who
academic yeat on the Oslo Year Program.
Lg.nduut.d in May
with
a double major
in
A course in Middle Eastern politics at that
time led to research on the role of Norway
political science and
in the Middle
Norwegian, was
Tobin's current study continues that
interest, with a heightened focus on the
ethics of war and peace in time of
terrorism. On returning to the U.S., he
plans to combine law school and graduate
awarded a Fulbright
Scholarship and is now
Universities-Master's" category, because
the College offers graduate-ievel programs.
Augsburg is ranked second in the
"Reputation" category among the other
Minnesota private colleges in that tier.
Reputation is determined by surveying the
presidents, provosts, and deans of
admissions at i.nstitutions in that tier.
For campus diversity, Augsburg is
ranked first among the other Minnesota
private colleges in that tier.
o
(a
studying in Norway at
the University of Oslo.
As a junior, Tobin spent the fall
semester at the University of Oslo on the
HECUA urban studies term and then
extended his studies through the
Conor Tobin
East peace process.
study in Ìnternational law and neggtiation.
Tobin graduated from Augsburg "with .
distinction" and received departmental
honors in political science.
Hoyt Messerer Fitness Center
is dedicated in Melby Hall
Scholastic Connections program:
.
.
.
.
.
WCCO radio interview of Syl Jones '73
Star hbune and Pioneer Prøss articles
on the program
Star Tribune editorial about the creation
of the program
Chronícle of Higher Education article
Associated Press national article
Events surrounding terrorism:
.
.
.
.
.
Prof. Amin Kader was interviewed
widely on radio and TV
Prof. Joseph Underhill-Cady was
interviewed on KSTP-TV
Prof. James Vela-McConnell was
interviewed on KARE-I1 TV
Admissions counselor Heidi Breen was
interviewed on WCCO radio
Augsburg was part of a national article
from Collegiate News Service
Other activities/interests
.
.
.
2
:
Student LINK Halloween Safe Block
party featured on Fox-29 TV
Prof. Norma Noonan was interviewed
on Wisconsin Public RadÌo in
connection wlth Russian president
Putin's visit to the U.S.;she was also
featured in an article fromLiberation,
a news magazíne
in
Paris
Adapted physical education sports day
was featured on KSTP-TV
,4UGSBURG NoW
Lucille Messerer spoke at the opening of the newly-expanded Fitness Center dedicated
to her husband, the late Hoyt Messerer'39. President Frame presided as both the
Fitness Center and the Gertrude and Richard Pautz Plaza were dedicated at Melby Hall,
lrom belore dawn to late at night, one
I of the most active places on campus is
Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
during the renovatlons of Melby Hall in
Conference.
The center is named for Hoyt
Messerer '39, a football, basketball, and
baseball athlete at Augsburg and one of
the four founders of the A-Club, who died
2000, making it one of the largest in the
in May
the Fitness Center. Open to all members of
the Augsburg community, includÌng
alumni, the center was doubled in size
(see In Memoriam,
p.26).
llUinter 2001-02
I
Good, Martin
ioin Augsburg's
board
Four regents retire after two
terms of service
StafJ photo
M;Ti:,ii.î::i]:Jiji,"#:lï,T,-,
on the Board of Regents at Augsburg's
annual meeting in October.
Michael R. Good
A l97l Augsburg
graduate, Good is
executive vice
president of NRT, a
residential real estate
brokerage company A
Michael R. Good 24-year veteran in the
real estate industry Good worked for 20
years in the Coldwell Banker division of
NRT, beginning as a regional manager in
St. PauL/Minneapolis, and subsequently in
Florida, rising to NRT's senior vice
president for the southeastern region.
At Augsburg, Good was twice an Al1American in wrestling. ln1972 he was
Augsburg's head wrestling coach. In 1991,
he was inducted into Augsburg's Athletic
Hall of Fame.
Good earned a master's degree at the
University of St. Thomas. He lives in
Bridgewater, NJ., with his wife, Ann, and
children Matthew and Mandy Mandy is a
student at Augsburg.
Jennifer H. Martin
Jennifer Martin is
tr
senior vice president of
corporate and human
resources for Lutheran
Brotherhood. After 15
years in public
Jennifer H. Martin education, she became
a personnel training specialist with Sperry
Corporation, later Unisys Corporation,
where she held executive positions. She
joined Lutheran Brotherhood in 1995.
Her undergraduate degree in education
was earned at Southern Illinois University
WhÌle teaching in Minneapolis, she earned
a doctorate in education at the University of
Minnesota.
She and her husband, Richard, have
seven children and live in Minneapolis.
Winter 2001-02
Three regents were honored at Augsburg House as they retired from Augsburg's board.
Pictured with President and Mrs. Frame (t to R) Jean and Allen Housh, Evangeline and
Norman Hagfors, and Cheryl and Michael Thompson, Not present was Curtis Sampson.
Four
resents. who each served two terms
office, were honored and thanked as
they retired from the board.
l'of
Norman Hagfors served as vice-chair of the
board, vice-chair of the Regents Committee,
and a member of the Development, Finance,
Govemment and Community Relations, and
Marketing Committees.
Allen Housh
served not only on the
Development Committee as a regent, but
aiso twice served as Augsburg's interim vice
president for institutional advancement.
Curtis Sampson sewed on the Finance
Commi.ttee.
Michael Thompson was also
a
member of
the Finance Committee.
Kathy Tunheim elected to the board of
the governing boards association
A:ffi,ï:å:f
Tunhei.m was elected
to the Board of
Directors of the
national Association
of Governing Boards
of Universities and
Colleges (AGB) for a
Kathryn Tunheim two-year term.
AGB is dedicated to strengthening the
performance of boards of public and
private higher education. AGB provides
leadership in supporting the American
higher education system of citizen
trusteeship and a diverse system of higher
education.
The organization serves as
a
continuing education resource to trustees
and boards and contributes to effective
working relationships between boards and
lt advises on matters
affecting institutional oversight
responsibilities, promotes wider
understanding of citizen leadership and
lay governance, and identifies public
chief executives.
policy issues of concern to hlgher
education.
,4ucssunc
ruow
3
Around the Quad
Thanksgiving to donors
and scholars
Ã
Thankssivins brunch was the
lloppor,uniry lor over 200 donors to
meet the students who are reciplents of their
scholarshlps-and for the College to
recognlze and thank donors for their support.
President Frame told them, 'A1l of you
here today are here by virtue of some kind
of calling-on one hand to provide support;
on the other to be students. Each of you is a
constituent element of what Augsburg
College is-no less important than the
faculty and staff who are here to provide this
education. We are grateful for your
support."
Kyle Kuusisto'03
spoke for students: "Here
at Augsburg, one can really
be immersed ìn the strong
fabric that is called
community It is a
community that gives us
the chance to not only
dream, but to fulfill those
Fun stuff
kids in the dome
o
the future is to continue to spread that value
of community that I experienced here at
Augsburg."
Clnthia Balley'02, a weekend student
who has majored in religion while worhng
full time, also spoke for students. Last
summer, she traveled to Poland and Eastern
Germany with Herb Brokering and Youth
and Family Institute director Dick Hardel.
"It was lÌsted as a pilgrimage and that's
the experience I had," she said. "After that
trip, I felt even more called to ministry
particularly social ministry ... Thank you,
all of you, who have helped me reach my
goal of ministry to God."
sS.B'
r^
Auggie junior Emily Bushey and one of
the participating teachers help unfurl the
colorful parachutes in Augsburg's air
structure at the adapted physical
education sports day.
a
o
population. ... Students
\^
area schools had some fun at the third
Junior Kyle Kuusisto expressed thanks on behalf of students
for the financial support they receive. He is pictured here
(center) with E. Milton Kleven 'a5 (left), the donor of the
Magnus and Krostofa Kleven Scholarship Kuusisto has
received, and Kleven's sister, lvadell Rice.
Dialing for dollars
aF tudent Phonathon callers have been
fall-and
gifts
to The Augsburg Fund has risen seven
percent compared to last year in the same
period.
Most significant is the increase in giving
from Weekend College alumni-$3,206 this
year, compared to $2,2451ast year.
However, similar to the experience of
many charitable organizations, the total
amounts from September gifts were
ÐUury
on the telephone this
their results prove it. The number of
4
4UGSBURG NoW
200 chiLdren with developmental
s.
"I plan on teaching
need to feel a sense ofplace
and belonglng. My plan for
¡F\ver
lLJan¿ physical disabiiities lrom merro
dreams.
adaptlve physical education
in the Minneapolis Schools.
I am confident that my
education here is preparing
me to work effectively with
a diverse student
for
annual sports extravaganza in Augsburgb
air structure.
Augsburg health and physical
education students, as well as students
from the Cedar-Riverside School, teamed
up with the third- to sixth-graders for
games, or just spent time one-on-one.
Activities included soccer, dancing,
parachutes, jump rope, races and relays,
balloon volleyball, and cage ball. All of the
partlcipants received ribbons at the end of
the day
ffi
At press time, word was received that
dramatically down, as donors focused
their support to help the victims of
terrorism.
The Augsburg Fund, Augsburg's
annual fund, is the College's "living
endowment" that provides the foundation
of annual financial support needed to
attract and retain its talented and diverse
student body. For addltional information,
contact Donna Mclean, director of The
Augsburg Fund, at I-800-273-06L7 or
Augsburg has been awarded $2
million over five years from the lilly
Endowment as part of the initiative,
"Programs for the Theological
Exploration of Vocation."
ln Minnesota, grants were awarded to
Augsburg, Concordia College
(Moorhead), and the University of
St. Thomas.
More about Augsburgb grant will
appear in the next issue.
<mclean@augsburg.edu>.
W¡nter 2001-02
r
The Edor Nelson Field is dedicated
rFhe skies ooened and a constant rain
I f.ll on the artificial turl all aliernoon.
The visitors from St. John's University
further dampened spirits by beating
Augsburg, +B-14. And the guest ofhonor
rvas on crutches, as the result of knee
replacement surger)¿
But nothing was going to stop
Augsburg from honoring coaching legend
Edor Nelson '38. The College rededicated
the outdoor athletic field in Nelson's honor
at a halftime ceremony during the Sept.22
football game.
"To you, Edor, we owe a great debt of
gratitude," President William V Frame told
Nelson. "We appreciate your gifts; as they
are mar,y and manifold, and we are glad to
rededicate this stadium for you toda;r"
in 1984, the College named its newlyconstructed outdoor athletic field as
Anderson-Nelson Field, in honor of
Nelson and longtime athletic director and
men's basketball coach Ernie Anderson. in
February the College dedicated the court
at Melby Hall in Anderson's honor.
"You have truly been a champion of
the athletic program, and a champion of
byDonstoner
.è
all the student-athletes
whose lives you have
touched," said Paul Grauer,
men's athletic director,
during the halftime
ceremony
Nelson said that much
È
s!
(J
of the credit for the field
should be attributed to the
donors who gave time and
money to make the field a
reality-men like Carl
Benson'51, Ray Grinde
'57, andJeroy Carlson '48.
He chose to honor the
donors, along with all the
athletes he coached and
taught during his four
f:
Edor Nelson '38 stands under umbrellas as Augsburg's athletic
field is rededicated in his name. Norm Okerstrom'85 (left), Office
of lnstitutional Advancement, holds the plaque to be placed in
Melby Hall.
decades at Augsburg.
A special luncheon was held before
the game, where more than 150 guests
pald tribute to Nelson. Fans also had a
chance to pay trlbute to Nelson during a
post-game reception in the Melby Hall
Iobby
During his four decades of service to
Augsburg, Nelson served the College in
variety of roles, most notably as the
longtime coach of the football and baseball
teams. He was also an associate professor
in Augsburg's health and physical
education department for 32 years, retiring
in 1978.
-Don
Stoner is sports inJormation
coordinator.
a
Dozens of children from central Minneapolis prepared for
their winter hockey this year by learning the basics at the
Augsburg-Sheehy Hockey Camps held in August at the
Augsburg lce Arena,
Organized by NHt player agent Neil Sheehy, Augsburg
men's hockey coach Mike Schwartz'85 (pictured at right
without hat), and Auggie alumnus John Evans'82, the two
camps were held in conjunction with the Minneapolis Park
and Recreation Board. At the end of each week-long camp,
the youngsters got a chance to get autographs from several
professional hockey players, including Minnesota Wild star
Darby Hendrickson and Auggie alums Martin Hlinka'00 and
Ryan Mclntosh '01, who were attending Sheehy3 pro
hockey development camp also taking place at the
Augsburg lce Arena.
Winter
2OO1-O2
,4ucsnunc
ruow
s
'scholastic Connections' pairs minority
students with alumn i mentors
Aussburs News service
Æ;Tüåî.iX1'#"::îiiil;J:ï?
and believed to be the first of ìts kind in
the nation, uses proceeds from a $500,000
endowment to pair students of color with
alumni of color in mentoring relationships.
Five students have received $5,000
renewable scholarships in this first year,
with a goal to increase that number to 20
students as the endowment grows.
"The commitment to diversity is a
long-standing commitment on the part of
the College," President William Frame
said. "It is rooted in the Lutheran
proposition that colleges and universities
must sweep into modern society to
provide the education which the
management of our world requires."
The program was developed in
response to the resolution of a lawsuit filed
by Elroy Stock'49, who sued Augsburg for
breach of contract, relating to a 1986
campaign gift of $500,000. Shortly after
thls gift, upon learning that Stock was the
author of thousands of mailings urging
"racial" purity sent to interracial couples
and adoptive families, the College decided
it would not put Stock's name on a college
building in return for the donation.
Due to charitable donation regulations,
the College could not return the
6
,+UGSBURG
Now
s.
E
money
The lawsuit was dismissed due to
the expiration of the statute of
limitations.
The sch olarship-mentorin g
program asslsts achievement-oriented
high school and post-secondary
students of color andJor mixed race to
succeed at Augsburg. Scholarship
criteria include leadership ability and
an interest" in communiLy service.
"The conneclion piece is to put
leaders of today in touch with leaders of
lomorrow" Frame said. "The scholarships
announcing today are named for
the mentors, for our graduates who have
achieved distincrion in rheir fields. [The
recipientsl will be receiving the advice and
counsel of those men and women of
\Me are
co1or."
The program also aims to strengthen
the College's role as a progressive and
welcoming institution for communities of
color, said Kathy Tunhelm, chair of the
students of color received scholarships in Scholastic Connections, a program that pairs them
(L to R) President Frame, Xia Xiong '05; KMSP-TV news anchor
and luncheon host Robyne Robinson; Eloisa Echavez'94,'98 MEL; Matthew Shannon'04; Murry
Kelly, Jr. '71;9yl Jones'73; €amilo Power'03; Gianna Sorrell '03; Jackie Cherryhomes'76;
Jennifer Boswell '05; F. €layton Tyler '72; and Noya Woodrich '92, '94 MSW
F¡ve
with alumni of color as mentors.
o
a
KMSP-TV news anchor and luncheon host
Robyne Robinson (left) talked with Gianna
Sorrell '03, one of the five new scholarship
winners, at the luncheon honoring the students
and alumni mentors.
Board of Regents.
"While it is true that we have always
attempted to be responsive to the disparate
needs of the communities that we serve, 1t
is also true that we have not always been
successful in doing so ... with the
announcement ol today's initiative, we
seek to change that," Tunheim said.
Jones said that by virtue of Augsburg's
location and mission, it can play a major
role in helping to increase the number of
students of color who graduate from
college, a number which has been
decreasing. "But," he added, "only if the
campus is prepared to welcome those who
are different."
Frame said that approximately I7
percent of the College's 3,000 students are
students of color, putting Augsburg second
among Minnesota's private colleges in that
category
Inter-Race, a diversity think-tank
based at Augsburg that was co-founded
and headed by Vivian Jenkins-Nelsen, will
administer the Scholastic Connections
program.
Augsburg graduate Rev Rufus
Campbell'75 presented the homily in
chapel (see next page). A luncheon, hosted
by KMSP-TV news anchor Robyne
Robinson, honored the scholarship
recipients and mentors.
I
Winter 2001-02
r
by the Reverend Rufus Campbell '75, Camphor Memorial United Methodist Church
-following the
announcement of the Scholastic
Oct. 8, 200f
Connections scholarsh¡p program
wffi
llth
I
l
l
I
I
:iå,ffi î,i:,1äi-,ä,ember
the
we looked into the face of evil. It
hurt us, it angered us. We have not yet
recovered.
This institution has had its own
version of looking into the face of evil. I
just returned from the press conference
over in Christensen Center where there
was an announcement that scholarships
are being created for people of color as a
result of one of our alumni, brother Elroy
Stock.
I know brother Stock. I received my
flrst letter in 1991 shortly after I had
performed an interracial marriage. ...He
senr a lerrer that was filled with hate ...
and this institution, as a result of his
lawsuit, also has looked into the face of
evil.
I'm careful never to think that evil is
embodied in a person. I think all of us can
be overcome by evil, and so I'm always
careful to make that distinction. ... So
what does one do when looking into the
face of evil?
s
evil is by overcoming evil "Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with
U
s
good."
I reviewed the mission statement of
this great institution. ... [It] was called,
through its educational process, to prepare
leaders and servants in the community.
"\J
-J
That is a high and a holy call, my sisters
and brothers. And it fits with the Gospel,
because we are a1l called to be servants. To
pattern our lives after the one who was the
greatest of servants, Jesus. ... As servants
\Me are called to face each day, and each
day that we live and face eyil, we are
ca1led to overcome that evil by doing
good.
I think it was a remarkable stroke of
grace, President Frame, to take a proposal
to the Board of Regents saying, 'Let's take
this request from someone who was
overcome with evil ... [and] make some
good come out of it.' I thlnk there was an
extraordinary act of grace on God's part to
see that and to be able to respond
accordingly. So you've done just what our
God commands. You looked into the face
of evil and you have responded by doing
good.
We aii know that we can do much
better as we walk the road to diversity. We
"As servants we are called to face each day, and each day that we l¡ve and
face evil, we are called to overcome that evil by doing good."
Rev. Rufus Campbell '75
good and faithful servant.'
And so I say to you, this great student
body at this great instil,ut"ion, as you
prepare to be leaders and servants in
whatever community God places you in,
remember this day ... Because this is the
day when this institution can celebrate the
fact that it looked into the face of evil and
brought out good.
The God we serve is a great and
mighty God. God gives us the resources to
turn evil to good. Sometimes it's just small
acts, sometimes it's mighty acts. Al1 of
In the text that was read earlier-in
Romans, Paul's letter to the church in
Rome-the beginning and the first trvo
verses of chapter 12 set the context.
Paul said, "I appeal to you therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God, to
present your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and acceptable to God, which is your
know that there is much more that needs
to be done. And God has given us the gift
spiritual worship."
And he goes on to say lhat we ought
not to be conformed by this world, but be
transformed by the renewing of our
of people to help to get us where we need
to be. And so, I didn't come here to beat
you up about your past record; I came to
encourage you as you walk the road you
are walking now I came to say to you that
the God \Me serve is pleased every time we
look into the face of evil and then
transform that by doing something good.
And so, to this institution, I say to
you, Godspeed. I don't know what the
minds. So, Paul talks about how we
respond as Christians in a world that is
extraordinarily good and extraordinarily
evil. Paul says finally, in verse 21, that the
way God calls the church to respond to
reporters wiil be writing ... but I can
imagine, in the annals of heaven, this date
is to be recorded. And I can imagine that
words like this have been recorded with
respect to this institution-'Well done, my
Winter 2001-02
them are important.
And so I say to you this day that God
is pleased, and the very angels in heaven
are rejoicing. And to the Elroy Stocks of
the world, we are ca11ed to pray for you.
And we pray that maybe lf not our
witness, somebody else's witness will be
able to break into his mind, and he, too,
will be able to look into the face of God
and see God's goodness, which will
transform him, also. And so I say, grace
and peace to you this day, my sisters and
brothers, and may the God of heaven and
earth guide you in your journey as you
walk the road of diversity, as you walk the
road of peace, as you walk the road that
produces goodness. God bless you. I
,4ucssuRc
t¡ow
7
The Rev. Mark Hanson '68 is installed as the
ELCA'S
third presiding bishop
fln
a master of dìvinÌty degree
lJHunron,
1972. He continued with
further study at Luther
Theologlcal Seminary and
Harvard Divinity School.
Hanson served several
churches in the Twin CiLies
area, most recently spending
October 6. the Rev. Mark S.
bisúop of the St. Paul
Synod and Augsburg graduate of 1968,
was installed as the ELCA3 third presiding
bishop.
He was elected to the six-year term at
the ELCAb churchwide assembly in
Indianapolis in August. His new duties
began on Nov I at ELCA headquarters in
Chicago. He succeeds the Rev. George
Anderson, who served one term.
Of the ELCAb three presiding bishops
since its inception in I987, Hanson is the
second Augsburg graduate to serve.
Bishop Herbert Chilstrom '54 was elected
as the ELCAb first presiding bishop and
served two terms before retiring.
"I couldn't be more proud and
grateful than to have Mark Hanson, a
fellow Augsburg graduate, as a successor
in the office of presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,"
said Chilstrom. "Mark brings to the office
a wealth of experience, the heart of a
pastor, and the passion to make the
Gospel relevant to the times in which we
live."
After graduating from Augsburg with
a degree in sociology, Hanson attended
Union Theological Seminary in New York
as a Rockefeller Fellow, and was awarded
in
seven years at University
Lutheran Church of Hope,
Minneapolis. ln 1995, he was
elected bishop of the St. Paul
Area Synod, and was re-elected
in spring 2001.
He has aiso served on
numerous inter-church boards
and committees, especially
dealing with affordable housing
programs.
Hanson has been an ex
offrcio member of the Augsburg
Board of Regents for the past
two years, representing the St.
Paul synod.
In announcing Hanson's
election to the Augsburg
community, President William
Frame said that Hanson has been
"a steady friend of Augsburg and
especially of its unique mission as
a college of the church in the
ELCA ecumenical partners and Lutheran bishops from
other continents symbolically extend their hands as
ELCA presiding bishop George Anderson (left, front)
installs St. Paul Synod Bishop Mark S. Hanson '68
(kneeling) as third presiding bishop of the ELCA on
October 6 in Chicago.
modern city
Presiding bishop-elect Mark S. Hanson '68 and his wife,
lone (Agrimson) Hanson '68, greeted visitors after the
installation service.
8
-4UGSBURG NoW
byBetseyNorsard
"He is a great admirer of
Augsburg 2004 and has been
especially dedicated to
helping the College widen
accessibility for underserved
populations in the Twin
Cities," Frame continued.
Hanson's electlon to
leadership comes at a time
when not only the world, but
also the denomination, is
divided by social and
theologÌcal Ìssues. Hanson
referred to this in a
Minneapolis Star Tribune
article upon his election:
"One of my most important
iasks will be to define and
claim the mission to which God cails and
which unites us, while continuing to tend
to the divisions that divide us."
Hanson is married to lone
(Agrimson) Hanson'68, who has served
as director of social work at Minneapolì.s
and St. Paul Children's Hospitals. Their
children are Aaron, Alyssa, Rachel, Ezra,
Isaac, and Elizabeth. They also have one
grandchild.
President and Mrs. Frame
represented Augsburg College at the
installation service, which was held in
Rockefeller Chapel at the University of
Chicago. The organist for the service was
David Cherwien'79. I
Photos by GeolJ Scheerer, courtesy oJ ELCA
News and
Inlornltiotr
llUinter 2001-O2
j¡rËA$!iþ?:"T¡¿i
ffi
r
t
I
1
by Betsey Norgard
Assøssing the irnpact
September 77, 2001. It's clear that the world
changed profoundly
... and probably in ways not yet
building. (See In Memoriam, p.26.)
imagined.
Though not affected
in the søme degree as
colleges on the East Coast, the Augsburg community
deeply
felt the impøct, both on cilnpus
neighborhood, with
Only one Augsburg alumnus/a is known to have died in the terrorist
attacks. Lt. Col. Dean E. Mattson '66 was a career mihtary officer,
scheduled for retirement in December, who was sitting at his desk
in the Pentagon when the h¡acked plane destroyed his area of the
and
ø lørge population of
in its
Somali
immigrants.
How could and would Augsburg-a leørning
community of faculty, staff , ønd students-cope with
Augsburg regent Dean Kopperud was in his office at
Oppenhelmer Funds, lnc., on the 33rd floor of the World Tiade
Center south tower when the north tower was hit. He and
Oppenheimer's nearly 600 employees quickly and judiciously
evacuated and were on the street when their tower was hit.
Memories of fire, explosion, and dying people stick in his mind.
Kopperud reported to the Stdr hbune that the only questì.on he
continually asks himself is "Did I do everything I could for everyone
I saw in trouble along the way?"
In Washington, Les Heen'83, communlcations and publÌc
affairs director for the Minnesota Farmers UnÌon, was standing
across the street from the Capitol, preparing for Congressional
meetings, when panicked people began evacuating the building. A
few minutes later they saw a large, white plane banking low toward
the Capitol, which they soon learned passed them by and crashed
into the Pentagon.
this unprecedented tragedy, seeh understønding of
its complex issuøs, and respond to its own and the
community's needs?
Above: Throughout the days and weeks following the terrorist
attacks, the candles in Hoversten Chapel were constant reminders
of the terrorist victims and those in need of consolation and prayer.
Winter
2OOf -O2
"l remember seeing the smoke, feeling sj.ck, and then hearing
sirens from all around us," Heen said. ... "It's hard to describe how
lr-rlnerable you feel when your only defense is to run from a target
before a jumbo jet hits it."
Messages from Auggies abroad were also quick in coming. From
London, Adam Olson '92 wrote to Norm Okerstrom '85 in the
development office: "I found a pub with the news on and sat with
my mouth on the floor for about two and a half hours ... It was
packed with people in stunned silence."
Reactions on campus to the stunning and horrifying news
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Concerned faculty and staff sought
ways to assess the impact on students,
especially freshmen, many of whom were
away from home for the flrst time. Ann
Klamer, director of residence life, compiled
a list of reports on various topics that
helped student life personnel deal with
aspects of the tragedy The student life
office posted a message board to gauge
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empowerment in the face of this awful
sense of powerlessness," Underhill-Cady
continued, "and certainly one of the best
sources for that is in the polis, the public
forum."
Students also sought discussion
among themselves. The Coalltion for
Student Activism, that had formed earlier
as a small group of a dozen or so, began
"As much as I want reyenge lor ablatant dttdch on nry home, I want t