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Title: Augsburg Now Spring 2009
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: 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 2 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 12 Augsburg Now 3 3rd place: Christine Tresselt “Coffee in the Cloud Forest” Miraflor, Nicaragua 1 1 2 0 0 8 1 s e i g g u a n e e r g go sustain. respond. recycle. 14 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. 15 e l b a n i a t s u s e r o Toward a m g r u b s aug 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 19 l a t n e m n o r i Env s n o i t c e n n co 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 20 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 A D E H 4 SAVE T October 1- lege l o C g r u b s Aug 9 0 0 2 g n i Homecom ing u/homecom d .e g r u b s g 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.
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Title: Augsburg Now Spring 2007
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: 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 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Minneapolis, MN Permit No. 2031
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Title: Augsburg Now Fall 2008
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: 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. l a c i t i l o p t e nter G ngton Ce ashi W e h T h wit 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 Permit No. 2031
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Title: Augsburg Now Summer 2009
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
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Title: Augsburg Now Summer 2007
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:00 PM Page 1 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 703724-Pages 1-12, 17...
Show more 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:00 PM Page 1 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 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:00 PM Page 2 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 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:01 PM Page 3 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. 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:01 PM Page 4 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.” 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:01 PM Page 5 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 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:01 PM Page 6 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 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:01 PM Page 7 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 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 A 8/22/07 11:02 PM 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 A S U R A U E I S an G G AU 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. 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:02 PM 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 SUMMER 2007 7 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:04 PM Page 10 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 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:05 PM Page 11 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. SUMMER 2007 9 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:05 PM Page 12 The flags of the Commencement procession represent the countries of Augsburg’s graduating students. A I t e t w s h i w f t t w e p T r b a 2007 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. a d i a w s e e 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:05 PM Page 13 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 703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1 8/22/07 11:05 PM 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 Page 15 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
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Title: Augsburg Now Summer 2010: Auggies On Stage
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: AUGSBURG NOW SUMMER 2010 VOL. 72, NO. 3 inside auggies Augsburg Now Magazine of Augsburg College 25The Years of Life-Changing StepUP program Environmental literature Travel 10 reasons to come back Coach Mark Matzek ® Commencement 2010 Exploring Our Gifts page 20 on Stage Editor Bets...
Show more AUGSBURG NOW SUMMER 2010 VOL. 72, NO. 3 inside auggies Augsburg Now Magazine of Augsburg College 25The Years of Life-Changing StepUP program Environmental literature Travel 10 reasons to come back Coach Mark Matzek ® Commencement 2010 Exploring Our Gifts page 20 on Stage Editor Betsey Norgard norgard@augsburg.edu notes from President Pribbenow Creative Director Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL rumpza@augsburg.edu Creative Associate-Editorial Wendi Wheeler ’06 wheelerw@augsburg.edu Creative Associate-Design A new mission statement and Commission Augsburg Jen Nagorski ’08 nagorski@augsburg.edu Photographer o ver the past two years, the Augsburg community has been engaged in a lively and rich conversation about our character and identity. Augsburg last modified its mission statement nearly 20 years ago, and although much that defines Augsburg’s distinctive identity as a college of the church in the city has remained constant, there also have been some remarkable changes. The expansion of nontraditional undergraduate programs, several new graduate programs, campus sites in Rochester and Bloomington, significant work around the world, and continuing initiatives to meet the needs of diverse students have combined to make Augsburg a more complex and, I would argue in addition, a more innovative and faithful college. Given the reality of Augsburg’s current missionbased work, the College community explored together how we might state our mission in such a way as to affirm our abiding values and commitments, while also to articulate how the College’s circle of influence and impact has expanded. The result of those explorations is a wonderfully nuanced and meaningful new mission statement, enthusiastically adopted by the Board of Regents at its spring 2010 meeting. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The new mission statement begins with a bold claim of our aspirations for our students as we send them out to live their callings in the world. As citizens, stewards, thinkers, and leaders, Augsburg graduates bring their education and experience to bear in all aspects of their lives and work. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community, committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. This important statement of our selfunderstanding is an explicit reference to our values as a participatory community—very much in line with our Lutheran Free Church heritage—dedicated to the common work of educating all of our students. At the same time, we reaffirm our abiding sense of the im- portance of intentional diversity—diversity of experience, background, and thought—that is supported by our theological, academic, and civic legacies. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran Church, and shaped by our urban and global settings. This closing sentence lifts up our core values: excellence across all academic programs, the particular gifts of our Lutheran faith, and the central role that our place in the world plays in the education we offer. The circle has been widened to reflect how Augsburg embraces its distinctive role in higher education. I could not be more pleased with the participation of the entire community in crafting this new mission statement. As we move into the next academic year, I am excited to announce an opportunity for all Augsburg alumni and friends to learn more about how our mission sets in place a clear map for our future. Beginning this fall, we will launch Commission Augsburg, a series of conversations that bring together those across the country who care about Augsburg to explore three strategic pathways for Augsburg’s work in the years ahead: Stephen Geffre geffre@augsburg.edu (1) We will create and sustain a culture of innovation and excellence. Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. (2) We will help all of our students to succeed. Webmaster/Now Online Bryan Barnes barnesb@augsburg.edu Director of News and Media Services Jeff Shelman shelman@augsburg.edu Sports Information Director Don Stoner stoner@augsburg.edu Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communication Rebecca John rjohn@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, MN 55454 (3) We will tell Augsburg’s story in word and deed. ISSN 1058-1545 Please watch for opportunities to gather and to learn more about the key initiatives the Augsburg community intends to pursue in order to live out its mission and to honor its distinctive saga as a college of the Lutheran Church. Your perspectives will help shape Augsburg’s future. Send address corrections to: Advancement Services CB 142 Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 langemo@augsburg.edu E-mail: now@augsburg.edu Telephone: 612-330-1181 Fax: 612-330-1780 PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT a summer 2010 7 12 16 Features 24 contents 20 27 augsburg now 7 12 16 20 24 27 Commencement 2010 A step in the right direction by Wendi Wheeler ’06 10 reasons to come back to campus by Jeff Shelman Learning from the environment by Wendi Wheeler ’06 Nine years on the mats by Jeff Shelman Making connections by Wendi Wheeler ’06 Departments inside front cover On the cover Tessa Flynn ’05, community engagement manager and teaching artist with the Children’s Theatre Company, is one of the theatre alums who talks about making connections and the importance of those connections to their life after Augsburg. All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated. 2 4 6 33 36 40 Notes from President Pribbenow Around the Quad Auggie voices It takes an Auggie Alumni news Class notes My Auggie experience around the quad A project of steel Not many senior projects require countless hours spent shaping steel with a hammer and finishing it with sandpaper and steel brushes. But Josh Davis’ project wasn’t like most. For more than two years, Davis spent the vast majority of his free time working to construct a full suit of armor. The project, which was on display during Zyzzogeton—Augsburg’s celebration of student research and creative activity—was featured both in the Star Tribune and The Chronicle of Higher Education. The suit is made out of sheet steel of varying thickness and includes 20 individual pieces, many of which are smaller pieces riveted together, that fit like a puzzle to form the complete armor. Each leg, for example, is 13 separate pieces of steel, some of which were placed on top of each other to increase strength. Building the suit required Davis to shape the steel with a hammer—pounding heated steel over or into a form to produce the required curves—while using a pattern specially developed to fit him. Davis also made each of the buckles and straps on the suit. To call it a labor-intensive process would be an understatement. After originally keeping track of the time on the project, Davis stopped when he reached 1,000 hours, the equivalent of 25 weeks of eight-hour workdays. “The hardest part is finishing it,” Davis said. “I can rough out a form in an hour or two, but fine-tuning it, sanding out the hammer marks, and making the Josh Davis’ suit of armor took two years and hinges and buckles took a long time.” painstaking work to construct. Dal Liddle receives NEH summer research stipend Dal Liddle, associate professor of English, received a National Endowment for the Humanities summer stipend for travel to London to test a hypothesis he’s been formulating. Liddle, whose research focuses on Victorian literature, is spending three weeks in England poring over the private archives of the London Times and the early Victorian holdings of the British Library. Using Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, editorial articles from British papers, and Brontë’s Jane Eyre, he will try to test whether current theories about the historical development of technology will also fit the way British literature developed between 1800 and 1850. What if literary history turns out to change in some of the same ways that technological history changes? Could the history of novels and poems show some of the same patterns as the history of steam engines, microchips, and jet airplanes? “I'm taking a big chance,” he says about his research question. “There’s a big disprovability factor here, but if I’m wrong I want to prove it.” NewsNotes The Nursing Department launched a three-year Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Augsburg’s first doctoral degree, that prepares nurses for advanced practice and leadership in transcultural and community/public health nursing. The DNP is a cohort program that begins in the fall. David Tiede, retiring after five years as the Bernhard Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation, has accepted the interim presidency of Wartburg Theological Seminary in Dubuque, Iowa. Two new summer camps are bringing young people to campus. Two week-long film camps in July bring high school students together to work with 16mm film, teaching them techniques for scripting, directing, and editing. The Minnesota Debate and Advocacy Workshop brings middle and high school students together with the state’s top coaches in a two- or three-week institute. The deaths of two retired faculty are noted. Robert Herforth, professor emeritus of biology, died on June 18. He is remembered as an extraordinary zoologist who remained very much engaged in current research throughout his life. Rosalie Clark, who taught in the Social Work Department from 1979 for more than a dozen years, died in January 2009. She brought perspectives on American Indian issues to faculty and students and encouraged social work graduates. AUGSBURG NEWS SERVICE 2 Augsburg Now Three faculty members retire from the classroom Julie Bolton—Theatre’s “artist-educator” Curt Paulsen—Social work professor, mentor Paul Grauer—Coach, mentor, teacher Thirty-five years ago, Julie Bolton, a professional actor, was hired part time to teach acting. She soon became full time, added courses, hired faculty, and began to build a theatre arts program, which she then chaired for 12 years, plus four more years when it became a new department. Building on her connections in Twin Cities theatre, Bolton both pushed students to get internships in the theatre community and helped them explore vocations in theatre. And, she brought theatre artists to campus to work with students. She hired faculty whose varied expertise helped create a comprehensive, professional theatre arts program within a liberal arts education. Bolton reflects with pride and gratitude on the collaboration in the mid-1980s that helped bring about Augsburg’s black box theater in Foss Center, with the support of President Charles Anderson, Dean Ryan LaHurd, and donors Barbara (Tjornhom) ’54 and Richard Nelson. Bolton considers herself an “artist-educator” and has used her theatre knowledge in the docent tours she gives at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. “If we are looking at Rembrandt’s Lucretia,” she says, “I introduce similar themes in Shakespeare’s epic poem Lucretia or Hamlet’s soliloquies.” In addition to expanding her role as a docent, Bolton also looks forward to spending time as grandmother to her five grandchildren. Social work professor Curt Paulsen often sang to himself on the way to his classrooms—just one indication of the joy he received every day in teaching. “Just as I have pushed my students,” he explains, “they have also pushed me, and I’m grateful for it.” He found continuing satisfaction in the “joint enterprise of reaching great understanding.” Paulsen taught both undergraduate and graduate students in the Social Work Department and, together with his wife, Cathy, taught a personality theory course to graduate students in the leadership program. He has also taught in the Religion Department and Honors program. Paulsen enjoyed most working with students who weren’t functioning to their ability. With respect, and in an atmosphere of intellectual rigor, he pushed them to their point of real reaction, with high expectations, helping them not only to learn, but to grow as people. It meant facilitating a process where students moved from answers to questions. Paulsen always considered liberal arts and crossing disciplines as “just the beginning of lifelong learning.” For him, “To gain a real understanding of human beings, one must go to the poets and to great literature.” Paulsen now anticipates more time for photography, reading, gardening, and for his family—Cathy, their two daughters and husbands, and four grandchildren. Paul Grauer says that even after 31 years, Augsburg has always been “exactly where I wanted to be.” He served long stints as coach, athletic director, and instructor, and he lists a whole series of strong relationships, high points, and changes that kept it interesting. A big change is the continual improvement of athletic facilities that has made it more likely that recruits will choose Augsburg—early in his tenure he recalls one hockey recruit who told him that Augsburg “had no curb appeal.” In addition, the continual development of the Health and Physical Education Department that now includes exercise science can prepare students for varied careers in teaching, fitness, and training. Grauer recalls 1997–98 as “a special, magical year,” when four Auggie teams— football, men’s basketball, men’s hockey, and wrestling—won conference championships and went to national playoffs, resulting in a wrestling championship and a hockey Frozen Four appearance. Among the high points was the celebration in 2007 of the 35th anniversary of Auggie varsity women’s sports, some of which pre-date the Title IX era. Grauer prepared and submitted early reports for Title IX that “showed we had to pay attention to equality,” and which spurred further expansion of women’s sports. Grauer will always remember the friendships, the colleagues, and the continual growth he’s seen both with the coaches and student-athletes in their training, resiliency, and good sportsmanship in a very competitive athletic conference. Grauer now looks forward to having more time to play his trumpet—especially at Augsburg in the brass ensemble. For Auggie sports news and schedules, go to www.augsburg.edu/athletics. BETSEY NORGARD Summer 2010 3 auggie voices Exploring Our Gifts— looking back over 8 years In 2002 Augsburg received a $2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment to integrate a theological understanding of vocation into the life of the College over a five-year period. In 2007 the grant was renewed for $1 million to cover an additional three years. As of summer 2010, the funding from the Lilly Endowment has ended. The College has now established the Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning in order to sustain a number of the programs of the Lilly Endowment grants and to support new initiatives on vocation. Mark Tranvik, associate professor of religion and chair of the Religion Department, was director of Exploring Our Gifts. He reflects about the impact of Exploring Our Gifts on Augsburg’s curriculum and experience. Q: Why did Augsburg apply for the Lilly Endowment grant? A: We should be clear that the Lilly Endowment grant didn’t introduce vocation to Augsburg College. Augsburg began as a seminary, and it had a sense of calling embedded into its DNA. Throughout much of its history, students, faculty, and staff came to the College out of a deep sense of calling. They saw their work here as an expression of what God wanted them to do with their gifts and talents. I think some of that sensibility was lost at a lot of our church colleges during the 1970s and ’80s, Augsburg included. But the idea of vocation never went away, and the Lilly Endowment money provided the school with an opportunity to bring new energy and imagination to the concept. In other words, it was natural for Augsburg to apply for the grant, given our heritage. Q: Why do you think the Lilly Endowment grant has been successful? A: The group who worked on the original application, led by Carol Forbes, Academic Affairs, and Bruce Reichenbach, Philosophy Department, did a wonderful job in making sure the proposal “fit” with the culture at Augsburg. Instead of “top-down” planning, they made sure to solicit proposals from a wide variety of groups on campus. They received more than 30 proposals for projects and were able to whittle that down to 16. When the money actually arrived to fund the projects, a campus-wide conversation had already been going on for some time. In my mind, the genius here is the way this is consistent with the ethos of the school. Augsburg is a college deeply rooted in the traditions of the Lutheran Free Church, and the egalitarian spirit of that church still pervades this community. 4 Augsburg Now Professor Mark Tranvik directed Exploring Our Gifts, Augsburg’s Lilly Endowment program to explore vocation. Q. Didn’t a lot of schools receive Lilly Endowment grants? What’s distinctive about Augsburg’s? A: The Lilly Endowment’s initiative on vocation was incredibly generous. More than 80 colleges and universities, many of them church-related, received grants. And to no one’s surprise, the grants seemed to work especially well at Lutheran schools. This is because the theology of vocation was developed in new ways by Martin Luther and the other reformers in the 16th century. Those places that trace their heritage back to the Reformation found it easier, in general, to talk about vocation on their campuses. One of the distinctive things about Augsburg is the way the College has been willing to integrate a theological understanding of vocation into its core curriculum. This has been one of the fruits of our discussion about vocation on campus. All Augsburg students are required to take two religion classes that have vocation at the center—Religion 100 and 200, Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning I and II, respectively. Furthermore, all students are asked to think about vocation again in their senior seminars. So, you could say that vocation serves as the “bookends” for the Augsburg educational experience. And we also hope that students will be asked in other classes to think about their sense of calling. Of course this will happen, but it’s more dependent on the inclination of individual instructors. Q: What about the specific vocation of ministry? How has the grant helped students who are thinking about working in the church? A: One program of the grant that has worked well in this area is the Lilly Scholars. Every year, 10 juniors or seniors were chosen to take part in a fullcredit seminar dedicated to thinking theologically about vocation and receive a scholarship from the grant. The main prerequisite for the course is to be interested in studying about vocation in-depth. And some of these students do not sense a calling in the institutional church, which is fine. But over half of the participants (about 50 over the eight years) have decided to study theology after receiving their degrees at Augsburg. This is one important way the College continues its long tradition of developing leaders for the church. Q: It is especially important for colleges to document their successes. Is there evidence that the programs of the Lilly Endowment grant have actually made a difference? Purpose: To integrate a theological understanding of vocation into the life of Augsburg College Programs 2002–2010 Total participants Alumni mentoring Student vocation assessments 265 1,962 International exploration 263 Lilly Scholars 82 Church leader development 100 Lilly Interns 54 Youth Theology Institute ~125 Orientation, Augsburg Seminar 2,600 Forums 2,450 Till & Keep journal (copies) Vocatio Chapel 3,600 ~3,600 Interreligious dialogue 471 Courtesy photo A: Augsburg has been fortunate in that it was selected, along with Luther College and Augustana College of Rock Island (both of whom also had received Lilly Endowment grants), to participate in a study by the Wilder Foundation that assessed how effectively vocation had been integrated into these schools. The results were gratifying. They showed significant progress made in helping students view their lives through the lens of vocation. For example, students who had exposure to Lilly Endowment programs were more likely (50% to 23%) to see their life as a “calling,” with a sense of purpose, than those who were not exposed to the grant. Furthermore, 91% of the class of 2007 reported that their understanding of vocation deepened while at college. Go to www.augsburg.edu/cfl to read the full study. Exploring Our Gifts—Augsburg’s Lilly Endowment grant program Q: The Lilly Endowment grant on vocation seems to be strongly rooted in the Christian tradition. Yet Augsburg also stresses the importance of diversity and the acceptance of people from a wide variety of faiths and backgrounds. How do you answer those who suggest that this stress on vocation is done at the expense of diversity? A: That’s a great question and one that many of us have struggled with during the time of the grant. I think I would answer it on two different levels. First, the emphasis on vocation is a way in which we are trying to be faithful to our mission statement and its claim that Augsburg will be “guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran Church.” We are a college of the church, and that is nothing about which we should be ashamed. As one of the Lilly vocation seminars, students in the Religion and the Christian Faith course in 2005 Second—and this is the point that is often misundertraveled to El Salvador to study the legacy of Archbishop Oscar Romero and to explore the depth of stood—I would argue that our Christian faith and emphasis Christian vocation in daily life there. on vocation do not lead to exclusivity and the formation of a community of the like-minded. Jesus spent a good deal of his ministry breaking down walls and crossing so-called “forbidden” boundaries. In a similar vein, I would argue that an emphasis on diversity naturally flows from our Christian faith. We are not diverse in spite of being Christian. Rather, we are diverse because we are Christian. Now this can make life messy, especially for those who insist on nice boxes with neat straight lines. But as Christians we gladly welcome the “world” to our campus and the plurality of faiths and beliefs that come with it. We promise we won’t “coerce” anyone to be Christian (as if that would work!), but we do ask that a respectful and public discussion on faith occur. And we also insist that both sides be open to be challenged and changed. Summer 2010 5 it takes an Auggie StepUP® parents are grateful for support to students and families When Maureen and Harold Thompson realized their daughter Anne was not going to graduate from high school with her friends, they were devastated but not surprised. They knew that something was wrong and that their daughter needed help. Anne went into treatment for drug and alcohol addiction and then began attending daily recovery meetings. During this second phase of her recovery, she worked hard to complete her high school graduation requirements. Anne impressed her teachers and others with her hard work, and her parents thought the situation was under control. This sense of security and relief quickly faded when they discovered that Anne had relapsed. Anne returned to treatment, this time at the Hazelden Center for Youth and Families, where she learned about Augsburg College and the College’s StepUP program for students in recovery. Anne entered StepUP in 2004 and graduated from Augsburg in 2008. She is now a graduate student in higher education and student affairs at the University of Connecticut. “We feel that StepUP has allowed our daughter to attend college, continue with her recovery, and experience college life. Anne has learned to deal with the stresses of projects, schedules, papers, and exams while developing a safe and solid support network. She worked hard in class, and she has worked hard on her recovery. We don’t think this could have happened anywhere else.” Maureen and Harold remain thankful for all that Augsburg did for their daughter and continues to do for other students. That’s one of the reasons they consistently support the StepUP program, The Augsburg Fund, and more. “The StepUP program reinforces the belief that each program participant is accountable. They are accountable to themselves, to their peers, and to the StepUP staff. We believe that the program provided an environment that allowed Anne to blossom and grow, and allowed our family to heal.” “We believe that the program provided an environment that allowed Anne to blossom and grow, and allowed our family to heal.” “StepUP allowed me to go to college,” Anne says. “College is hard for students in general, but students in recovery have all the same challenges that others have and more. This program allowed me to have a ‘traditional’ college experience, which would otherwise be unavailable.” Maureen also noted, “It has been often said that someone with an addiction impacts at least four other people. We believe that StepUP not only helps the student, but it also helps the family, and for that we are eternally grateful.” WENDI WHEELER ’06 Courtesy photo Maureen and Harold Thompson are proud parents as their daughter, Anne, graduated from Augsburg and the StepUP program in 2008. 6 Anne speaks to a campus group about her experiences at Augsburg and in the StepUP program. Augsburg Now t n e m e c n e comm NS THE TRADITIO MORTARBOARD TASSELS There is no official color for bachelor’s degree tassels. Thus, Augsburg chose maroon and gray, and all undergraduate students wear this tassel. Tassels for graduate students are different. In 1895, the Intercollegiate Commission was established to standardize academic dress and to prescribe specific colors to represent different fields of study. This was the last time academic dress has been updated. Augsburg has six fields of post-baccalaureate study, each with a different color: business—drab; nursing—apricot; social work—citron; leadership—white; physician assistant studies—green; and education—light blue. Augsburg graduate program students and faculty all wear the colors of their fields. ‰ ‰ DOCTORAL DRESS The academic dress worn today has its roots in the 12th and 13th centuries when most scholars were clerics in monastic orders. Today’s doctoral robe is based on monastic robes; the hood, originally a cowl, was used to keep the head warm before indoor heating. Robes were formerly all black, but now institutions choose their own colors, and all official doctoral robes have three velvet stripes along the bell-shaped sleeves. Today, professors wear either an Oxford cap (the square mortarboard) or a Cambridge cap (the decorative, beretlike caps). This robe belongs to Nathan J. Hallanger, special assistant to the vice president of academic affairs. The four-foot doctoral hood is scarlet with blue trim, signifying a PhD from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley. ‰ DRUM In 1991, music professor Robert Stacke ’71, a professional drummer, began to lead the procession of graduates through Murphy Square to Melby Hall. In this now-beloved tradition, faculty line the street and congratulate their students as they walk by. In 19 years, Stacke has never missed Commencement and has only once dropped the drum. Summer 2010 7 THE TRADITIONS HONOR CORDS Though a variety of colored cords and stoles show up on students’ shoulders at Commencement, two cords are officially given by Augsburg to undergraduate students. Students who have earned a grade point average of 3.6 or higher are candidates for Latin honors, shown by their maroon and gray cords. All students who have completed the requirements of the Augsburg College Honors program wear gold cords. Other cords indicate that the student has completed a departmental honors project. THE CROSS In 1988, Professor Emeritus Norman Holen created the cross used in Chapel and carried in Augsburg ceremonies. ‰ ‰ ‰ ‰ 8 MACE The mace, like academic regalia, also originated in the Middle Ages. First used by medieval European bishops who were not allowed to carry swords into battle, the mace was useful as an armor-splitting weapon. By the 16th century, the mace was converted into a symbol of authority and was embraced by colleges and universities as a ceremonial icon. At Augsburg, the mace is carried into all official College ceremonies by the president of the Faculty Senate. Professor Emeritus Norman Holen created Augsburg’s mace in 1970, which, until 1988, was laid on a table during events. Holen was then commissioned to create a stand for it. MASTER’S HOODS Like tassels, the hoods given to master’s degree students have specific meaning. The main color of the 3.5-foot hoods is black, and they are lined with the colors of the college conferring the degree. The hood’s trimmings are three inches wide and correspond to the field of study. For example, the master’s hood shown here is given by Augsburg College (maroon and gray) in the field of nursing (apricot). commencement ‰ MAY 1, 2010 PRESIDENTIAL CHAIN OF OFFICE ‰ OTHER COLORS Augsburg College’s Chain of Office represents the president’s authority to head the university, and is worn by President Pribbenow at ceremonial functions such as Commencement. The chain is in fact not a chain but a maroon ribbon that suspends a medal imprinted with the College seal. The colorful stoles worn by African American students are made from a material called Kente cloth, which originates in Ghana, West Africa. The cloth was woven by the Asante people of Ghana and was exclusively made for Asante kings and queens. Now the stoles are given to members of the Pan-Afrikan Student Union (PASU) as a way to denote their fraternity and to connect them with their past. TEXT AND PHOTOS BY STEPHEN GEFFRE commencement JUNE 27, 2010 GRADUATES, FAMILIES, FACULTY, AND GUESTS CELEBRATE 2010 COMMENCEMENT MAY 1 COMMENCEMENT 416 undergraduate day students and physician assistant graduate students Speaker—Governor Tim Pawlenty Honorary degree—Father Fernando Cardenal, SJ, educator and activist, Nicaragua Marina Christensen Justice Award—Jessica Spanswick Jessica Spanswick graduated with a major in international relations and a minor in peace and global studies. She has been a Sabo Scholar in civic engagement, a Hoversten Peace Scholar, a Peace Prize Forum Peace Scholar, and a Lilly Scholar. Locally, she has worked with grass-roots organizations on environmental issues and has tutored Kenyan and Somali immigrants in a neighborhood program. Spanswick studied abroad in Namibia, and while there she worked on HIV/AIDS events and water rights issues. The Marina Christensen Justice Award honors a student who has 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. JUNE 27 COMMENCEMENT 492 weekend/evening and Rochester undergraduate students, and graduate students in business, education, leadership, nursing, and social work Speaker—Congressman Keith Ellison Honorary degree—Peter Heegaard, founder of Urban Adventure Richard J. Thoni Award—Michele Roulet Michele Roulet graduated with a major in studio art and a minor in religion. In immersing herself in student life at Augsburg, Michele provided leadership, community spirit, hospitality, and innovation within the adult programs. She served as Weekend College Student Senate vice president and president and as a student commissioner in Campus Ministry. Her leadership created the First Word gatherings, an on-campus faith community for adult students. In the wider community, she has worked with programs to combat hunger. The Richard J. Thoni Award is given to a weekend student who exemplifies the spirit of community involvement demonstrated by Rick Thoni’s career at Augsburg. To view slide shows and a video of Governor Pawlenty’s commencement address, go to www.augsburg.edu and click on the YouTube icon. commencement IT’S ALL ABOUT FAMILY AT AUGSBURG Jeff and Suzi Burt and their daugher, Crystal Studer, graduated together, all receiving nursing degrees. Studer is a nurse at the hospital in Austin. “Augsburg’s been great,” she says. “It’s made me a more well-rounded nurse, and the faculty is phenomenal.” A little more than a year after Suzi and Crystal began, Jeff returned to the program. “Mayo is in the process of going bachelor’sonly for RNs,” Jeff says. “If you have an [associate’s degree in nursing], you'll be required to go back. I just thought it was the best thing to do.” All three say there are benefits to having family members in the program at the same time. Suzi and Crystal were frequently in the same class, and since they also live across the street from each other in Blooming Prairie, Minn., they were able to share textbooks. They have also encouraged and motivated each other as they worked to balance work, school, and family. “As a married couple, it’s nice to be in the same thing because you know what each other is going through,” Suzi says. While excited to finish, all three found the program both rewarding and beneficial. “It’s been better than I thought,” Crystal says. “In your first two years, you learn a lot of skills. In these two years [at Augsburg], you learn why we do what we do. The content has all been really useful, and it has inspired me.” JEFF AND SUZI BURT AND CRYSTAL STUDER CAROL DEMULLING, SARAH DEMULLING, AND HEATHER DEKOK Jeff Burt was the first member of his family to enroll in Augsburg’s nursing completion program. He was working at the Mayo Clinic when he began taking classes at Augsburg in 2000. He stopped about three-quarters of the way through the program to allow his wife, Suzi, to enroll in a two-year nursing program at Riverland Community College in Austin, Minn. In fall 2008, Suzi Burt and Crystal Studer, one of the couple’s daughters, enrolled at Augsburg, largely because of Jeff’s positive experience. Carol Demulling and her daughters Sarah Demulling and Heather Dekok all ended up in Augsburg’s business administration program for the same reason—they all knew the education they had wasn’t going to be enough. While all three have positions at Mayo Clinic and the two daughters have two-year degrees, they wanted more opportunities for advancement. “When I started work in the ’70s, you could have a high school education and work your way up,” Carol says. “To make moves Families have always been a big part of Augsburg—second- and third-generation Auggies, Auggies following the paths blazed by older siblings, and couples who met at Augsburg and inspired their children to attend. The June 27 Commencement, however, featured a new twist: two families of parents and children from Augsburg’s Rochester campus graduating together. The first is a mother, father, and daughter, all earning bachelor’s degrees in nursing. The second featured a mother and two daughters who studied business administration together. Carol Demulling (center) and her daughters Sarah Demulling (left) and Heather Dekok (right) graduated with business administration degrees. now, you need education.” Her daughter Heather was a little more blunt. “I graduated with a two-year degree in business in 2005,” she says. “And I realized that a two-year degree doesn’t do anything.” They all say their Augsburg education has been practical from the beginning. Dekok works in the international office at Mayo Clinic, and what she has learned about different cultures has been immediately applicable. “I work in an office full of women,” she says. “Some of the countries we deal with, they frown upon women in the workplace. You realize why you get some of the attitudes that you do at times.” Carol developed a complicated spreadsheet for a class project that is still being used by members of her office in the evaluation of grant proposals. As they finish at Augsburg, they’re happy to have experienced college together and appreciate the people they met through the process. “I didn’t really realize until the last two trimesters how many relationships we’ve built here,” Carol says. “People in the Mayo system, people at IBM. I’ve really enjoyed that and getting to know these people. We all have something in common.” JEFF SHELMAN Summer 2010 11 12 Augsburg Now step in the right direction A BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 Editor’s note—In order to be respectful of the students in the StepUP program, their last names are not used. StepUP students wear purple cords when they graduate from Augsburg. GOING TO COLLEGE was never a part of Emily A.’s future plans. She dropped out of high school and eventually got her GED. When she first heard about StepUP®, she was in her late twenties and living in a sober house in St. Paul. “I thought my time had passed,” Emily said. “College was one of the mountains I just wasn’t going to climb.” But she called Augsburg and made an appointment with Patrice Salmeri, StepUP program director. “All the time she was talking to me, I was saying, ‘Yeah, yeah. Sounds great,’ but I had no intention of applying.” Then she met Chris Belbeck ’06, an admissions counselor and a StepUP alumnus. “He asked me, ‘What are you waiting for?’ and he wasn’t taking no for an answer.” So before she left campus that day, she had started filling out an application. Four years later, Emily graduated with honors from Augsburg this spring. “I didn’t have any goals when I was using,” she says. “But StepUP has taught me that I have amazing drive and potential.” Without StepUP, Emily says she doubts she would have even tried going to college. Since 1997, the StepUP program has helped students in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs learn similar lessons about themselves. To date, more than 400 students from across the nation have participated and have maintained an 85% abstinence rate while in the program. They are successful in sobriety and in the classroom, earning a collective 3.2 GPA at Augsburg. For many StepUP graduates, the thought of going to college was at one time unimaginable—never mind staying sober in school and getting good grades. But the StepUP community has given many students in recovery the opportunity to contribute to society in ways they never thought they would. (Photo at left) Emily A. ’10 and Tyler P. ’11 The community is the program Several colleges and universities sponsor 12-step meetings and provide academic support or counseling services for students in recovery. But StepUP goes further by offering chemical-free housing for students in what they refer to as a collegiate recovery community. “The community is a safe place where you feel supported,” says Scott Washburn, the program’s assistant director. The students guard and protect the safety of the community by holding each other accountable. While they are involved in StepUP, students meet individually with a StepUP counselor each week. They are required to attend two 12-step meetings per week and to maintain an active working relationship with a sponsor. Students also attend a weekly StepUP community meeting where they hear from outside speakers, discuss program business, share service opportunities, and celebrate even the smallest of victories. “Getting an A on a math test or just making it to the first day of class, those are chances for us to celebrate,” says Salmeri. “The little things really make a difference.” Achieving success—in sobriety, academically, and in the community—is part of the StepUP culture. “We build positive community norms that are geared toward succeeding, growing, and doing well,” Washburn says. “That’s why it’s different. That’s why it works.” The other component of StepUP that makes it stand out from traditional recovery programs is that the program is constantly shaped by student input. In particular, students serve on the leadership team, which meets regularly with staff to share what is happening in the community and to keep the program moving in the right direction. “The students really take initiative to make changes for the better in the community,” Salmeri says. This mature partnership, where staff and students work together, gives students the confidence to develop into leaders. Salmeri adds, “I can see the potential in them, and it is our role to help them realize it within themselves.” A perfect fit The idea for StepUP began when two students at Augsburg approached Don Warren, the former director of Augsburg’s Summer 2010 13 Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services (CLASS), to ask for his help. The students shared with Warren how being in college was difficult for them. They struggled not only with the usual day-to-day challenges of college life but also with staying clean and sober. Warren turned to Dave Hadden, then the educational and vocational liaison at Hazelden, for his help. Washburn, who worked with Hadden at that time, said Hadden had developed an educational and vocational packet for patients coming out of treatment “to get them thinking about their direction in life,” Washburn says, but they didn’t have a college to recommend. In fact, Washburn says, “We would discourage young people from going to college straight out of treatment. We told them they needed a year of sobriety first and a really solid foundation.” Warren and Hadden’s idea for a residential program that would offer counseling and support proved to be just the foundation students needed to transition from treatment to college. In the fall of 1997, 23 students moved into Anderson Hall to begin college and the StepUP program. Thirteen years later, the program serves 72 students who live in Oren Gateway Center, a chemical-free facility that is also home to the StepUP staff offices. Washburn believes the StepUP program and its students have flourished at Augsburg due in part to the values shared by the program and the College. “Augsburg’s culture is about providing access and helping all kinds of students get the support they need to be successful,” he says. “That’s perfect for students like ours.” Also, as a private liberal arts college of the ELCA, Washburn says the Augsburg community is open to conversations about spirituality. In 12-step programs, students learn to rely on a higher power or a God of their understanding. “We work really hard with students to help them define their meaning and purpose …” Washburn adds. 14 Augsburg Now Students receive a medallion when they complete the StepUP program. Part of that purpose is being of service to others, another value in line with Augsburg’s mission. “We help students find a vision and see that no matter what they do, they can make a difference in the world,” Washburn says. Making a difference means being of service to the community—not just the StepUP community or the recovery community but at Augsburg, in the city, and throughout the world. Success through service Being a part of the StepUP community helps students maintain sobriety because it gives them a chance to help others. Being “of service” is an essential component of any 12-step recovery program, whether it is by sponsoring others, sharing in meetings, or even making coffee. Tyler P. has learned that success in college can come through helping others, not just from studying. After he faced serious consequences from his drug use, Tyler entered treatment at Hazelden. One of his friends from treatment, the only one he knew who had stayed sober, was in StepUP. Tyler saw that the young man was a good student and that he wasn’t getting high or drunk. For Tyler, that kind of life was hard to imagine. He enrolled at Augsburg in 2008 and now participates in the StepUP community, sharing his experience with other men as a sponsor. “I’ve earned more As through being of service to others than when I white-knuckled it for eight hours cramming for a test,” he says. In recovery, Tyler has seen students transform their lives. “I’ve seen guys go from not being able to sweep the floor when they first get sober to being able to run meetings, get on the dean’s list, and participate in life.” And Tyler’s life has also been transformed. “I was not an all-star student in high school, but I’ve found a lot of success here.” He’s been on the dean’s list for three semesters and has developed a network of sober friends. Most importantly, Tyler says being a part of the community has given him the chance to practice the principles he’s learned in his recovery program. A new way of living Salmeri says StepUP also helps students learn that they are leaders and role models, not only for other students in recovery but for all members of the Augsburg community. Students can serve in formal leadership positions in StepUP, in student government, as a member of residence life, or by participating in athletics. But many also become role models to their peers simply by becoming the people they were meant to be. When Julia G. first learned about the StepUP program, she had only been sober for a few weeks. As time passed and she neared the six-month mark of her sobriety, the minimum requirement for acceptance into StepUP, Julia realized that going back to college was possible for her. While in the program, students in StepUP are required to live on campus. This meant that Julia, who had been living in a sober house where she was the youngest resident, would now be the oldest woman in her residence hall. For the first month, Julia says she felt out of place because of the age difference. “I thought I was unique because I had more life experience,” she says. “I judged the other girls.” Eventually Julia began to realize she was more like the other students than she had thought. “We all had different experiences, but we also had something very important in common.” That sense of belonging helped Julia form “intense, involved relationships” with the other students. “For the first time in my life, I was a trustworthy person. It meant a lot to me that the other women looked up to me.” Today Julia has a degree, a career she calls “fantastic,” and a relationship with her nine-year-old son. And she’s stayed sober for seven years. “I really turned into myself at Augsburg,” Julia says. “StepUP showed me that anything is possible.” Moving in the right direction Over the years, StepUP has provided a safe, supportive community for hundreds of students. The program has allowed them to achieve the goal of college graduation while also staying clean and sober—a goal that was at one time overshadowed by their addiction. And the confidence students gain in StepUP keeps them going in the right direction after they move on from Augsburg. Witnessing this achievement is a great joy for Salmeri and the other StepUP staff. “The privilege of my position as director is to witness the growth of each student as they experience the transition into mature adults,” she says. For 10 years, Salmeri says her dream job was to work for Augsburg in the StepUP program. “After eight years of working here, I can still say it is my dream job. I feel honored and humbled to work with the students and their families.” “I am your biggest fan” Every year the StepUP program celebrates the accomplishments of its graduates— those who have completed their studies at Augsburg as well as those who have completed their residency with StepUP and will move off campus. The StepUP graduation ceremony is a special time set aside to recognize the outstanding achievements of the StepUP students and for the Augsburg community to hear their inspirational stories. The theme, chosen by the students on the StepUP leadership council, was “I am your biggest fan.” These are sentiments shared by Patrice Salmeri, StepUP program director, at this year’s ceremony: “… let this statement sink deep into your soul. Write it on a rock. Etch it on a tree. I am your biggest fan. I am rooting for you all the way. And it has been this way since your first contact with the StepUP program. Through the ups and downs, the difficulties and celebrations, life’s twists and turns—I am your biggest fan! Your legacy here at Augsburg and the StepUP program has already been left, and it is more than enough! Whether it was a kind word you said or being a consistent friend in another’s life, you may never know. But each of you has left their mark on this place and it is forever changed because of your presence.” A tradition at the StepUP graduation is for a student to read from “The Awakening,” an anonymous poem about recovery. This is an excerpt from the poem: You learn that, for the most part, in life you get what you believe you deserve … and that much of life truly is a self-fulfilling prophecy. You learn that anything worth achieving is worth working for and that wishing for something to happen is different from working toward making it happen. More importantly, you learn that in order to achieve success you need direction, discipline, and perseverance. You also learn that no one can do it all alone and that it’s OK to risk asking for help. Summer 2010 15 1 10 So try to jog your memory bank and answer this question: Just when was the last time you were on the Augsburg campus? And we’re talking about really being on campus. You know, park the car, get out, walk around, go into a building. Because giving a little wave when you see the sign atop Mort as you cruise down Interstate 94 doesn’t count. Has it been a year? Two? Five? That’s all right. We’re not going to judge. Everybody is busy, you don’t always get to Cedar-Riverside, we get that. But we also know that sometimes you just need a little inspiration. And that’s why you need to keep reading. Because while you only need one reason to come back to campus and remember the role that Augsburg played in shaping your life, we’re going to give you 10. So stop by, check the place out, see how much it has changed. And be an Auggie. 10 reasons to come back to campus BY JEFF SHELMAN 16 Augsburg Now 1 0 OREN GATEWAY CENTER If it has truly been a while since you’ve been on campus, well, this is Augsburg’s new front door. Located on Riverside Avenue, the Oren Gateway Center is the newest building on campus. The multipurpose building has classrooms, residences, offices, meeting rooms, and common spaces. And if you want to learn about alumni programming, our Alumni and Constituent Relations folks are located on the third floor. . 2 Campus model Yes, we know the Augsburg campus has a new look to it. But it isn’t a finished product either. In the lobby of Oren Gateway Center is a model that depicts what Augsburg’s campus master plan looks like. You can see where the planned Center for Science, Business, and Religion will go. Once that is built, Augsburg’s urban campus will have green space from 20th Avenue to Kennedy Center. 3 GET SOME GEAR Let’s be honest, that Augsburg sweatshirt in your closet is looking pretty grungy, isn’t it? We can fix that. The Augsburg bookstore in Oren Gateway Center has many ways for you to show off some Auggie pride. A hat for the golf course? Check. A sweatshirt for fall weekends? Yep. Cool workout gear for the gym? We’ve got that too. Gear Summer 2010 17 4 EAT The food available on campus is no longer how you remember it. It isn’t mass produced and boring. It actually has, you know, flavor. The folks at Nabo, in Oren, will make a fresh sandwich or salad right before your eyes. There’s also homemade soup and even sushi. At the A-Club Grille in the lower level of Christensen Center, the options range from burgers to chicken sandwiches to wings, and fresh fries are an option. Our choice? We love Nabo’s Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (left). You’ll just need a few extra napkins. 5 VELKOMMEN JUL On the topic of eating, who doesn’t need some sweets as you head into Advent? Stop by campus on Friday, Dec. 3, and take part in the Augsburg tradition that honors our Scandinavian heritage. And if anybody can make treats the way your mother and grandmother did, it is the Augsburg Associates, a group of volunteers who support the College. 6 Athletic events For each of the past two years, Augsburg has been the most improved athletic program in the MIAC, and teams are making the playoffs with much greater frequency than ever before. Why not load up the family and watch some of our student-athletes show their Auggie pride? Our defending national champion wrestling team takes on rival Wartburg in the Battle of the ’Burgs on January 18, 2011. There’s a home football game each Saturday in September. Other schedules can be found at www.augsburg.edu/athletics. 18 Augsburg Now 8 7 Christensen Center We know how you work. You have a meeting somewhere in Minneapolis, it ends, and you proceed directly to Starbucks or Caribou. Right? If you’re near campus, why don’t you stop by Christensen Center? It’s a little different than last time you were here. Cooper’s will brew you up some good java and you can get a wi-fi password at the info desk. And you might meet some current Auggies. Art on campus There’s the Gage Family Art Gallery in Oren Gateway Center. There’s the Christensen Center Art Gallery. And there’s also a student gallery on the main level of Christensen. Stop by, see some of the cool stuff from local and Augsburg artists in the galleries and across campus. Exhibit information can be found at www.augsburg.edu/galleries. 9 DAILY CHAPEL There are days when you just need a little reflection, a reminder of what is really important. At Augsburg, there is time set aside to do just that. On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 10:20 a.m. and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11:20 a.m., a 20-minute chapel service is held during the academic year. While daily chapel is considered a given by Auggies, it is very much a rarity for liberal arts colleges. Stop by and take a break from your busy day. 10 Homecoming If you are only going to make one trip to Augsburg in the next year, make it for Homecoming weekend, Oct. 15-16. Among the highlights is the expanded Taste of Augsburg prior to the football game against Concordia Moorhead. After the game with the Cobbers, stick around for the Auggie Block Party and see old friends and classmates. Summer 2010 19 E H T M O R F LEARNING t n e m n o r i v n E BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 College students who take a literature course expect to do a lot of reading. But few who register for a course titled “Environmental Literature” would imagine being asked to go camping, wear the same clothing for a week, or borrow someone’s book and not return it. A student wouldn’t expect this—unless he or she had taken a course from Colin Irvine, associate professor of English and environmental studies. In order to encourage his students to experience the literal and literary landscape more deeply, students in Irvine’s spring semester course found themselves taking on some creative challenges. In addition to reading books and taking exams, students were asked to observe a spot in nature and note its changes over time, learn to identify Minnesota’s birds, wear the same outfit for one week, spend 24 hours in the great outdoors, and go “off the grid” for an entire weekend. The point of these unusual assignments was to challenge students to move outside of their comfort zones. “I wanted, as Thoreau suggested at the outset of Walden, to wake them up to help them see their world—not the distant world connected with wilderness but the one they inhabit daily—as being connected to a dynamic, ultimately dangerous living, evolving world. I wanted them, in short, to feel challenged, unsettled, unsafe,” Irvine says. “It’s a risk when you put these kind of things in the syllabus, but I got away with it.” On the following pages, students share some of their blog and journal entries about Irvine’s challenges. “I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” HENRY DAVID THOREAU, WALDEN 20 Augsburg Now BECOME A BUDDING phenologist (pun intended) Select a plot of land and visit two to three times a week. Spend time in your place observing, recording, and reflecting on what you find, hear, note, and think. SPRING IN THE CITY It seems as if my professor was right in his recommendation to visit our sites twice a week. If I had followed his advice, perhaps I would be able to better appreciate my hillside. Where I stand right now, I am unsure as to how much has changed and how drastically so. The snow is slowly receding into an indistinguishable brown mass of diamond dirt. Wildlife can be heard through the dripping trees as well; the chattering squirrels, the squawking crows, the cooing mourning doves. Something that strikes me as I stand here is the indescribable sense of movement I feel from my site. The water from the once frozen crack in the concrete dam is now a dull trickle on the hill. In the right moment, a flash of sun bounces off of the stream and hits my eye. This sharp glint always jars me awake from my hypnotized state; I feel a bit silly admitting this, but I often lose myself in the sight of the hillside. It’s as if all of the attempts of description are fruitless as my words hold no candle to the majestic power of nature. The subtle movement of the water almost gives the land a pulse. With each trickle of the stream, the surrounding leaves shift and rearrange. The grass sways above the mud’s restless state and the flow of the dirty water draws me in; it’s almost as if the pulse of the hillside is acting as a siren. The movement in the grounds suggests a voice; a voice that beckons me to join with the land. To see my plot of land move, so see it breathe, this is an experience I have never had before. DAVE MADSEN ’11 THISONE’SFOR the birds Learn to identify the birds of Minnesota by their physical characteristics and by their calls. MARCH 1, 2010 I’m so pleased that now I know what a cardinal sounds like—a great mystery of my life, solved! There are three of them—two males and a huge female—that frequent my mulberry bushes and the neighbor’s tree, but somehow I’ve never made the connection before that they’re the ones whose song I wake up early to on work days. I’ve been late more than once on my way to the coffee shop; I can’t help but pause and watch them hop and flutter from branch to branch, circling each other in some birdish dance that I suspect is carefully organized, though I can’t tell what they’re doing. The downside of my new bird watching discovery is that I can’t whistle. When my dad would take me hiking as a little kid, I was constantly fascinated by his ability not only to identify birds by their calls but also to repeat them, and I’ve tried my whole life but never learned how to do the same. When I was five, I remember writing a list of things I had to learn how to do: zip zippers, cartwheel, snap my fingers, raise one eyebrow, tie my own shoes, and whistle. The cartwheel and the whistle have never been checked off. DALEY KONCHAR FARR ’13 Summer 2010 21 GOINGOFF the grid Go off the grid for three days—a Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Though there are many reasons tied to this course that I am presenting you with this challenge, here are four of the most important: first, when we are plugged in, we are often tuned out to the natural sights and sounds specific and central to this course’s focus on landscape; second, when we are off the grid, we are more inclined to sync with those around us, an important consideration given the emphasis in this course on communities; third, unplugging means consuming less and thus preserving/conserving more; fourth (though not finally), much of today’s communications-based technology reinforces the idea that having instant access to information in small bits represents progress. Jessica was determined to go off the grid one weekend, but she was waiting for important news from her family. She received the call and then checked her e-mail to find a message from her graduate school program, which required her to log on and register for classes. She didn’t make it entirely off the grid—she didn’t call anyone and checked e-mail only twice a day. She wrote, “But I know, deep down, that this doesn’t count.” GOING OFF THE GRID: MISSION IMPOSSIBLE (EXCERPT) I have become entirely trapped in our mechanized society. The demands placed on me are not the be-all and end-all of the world, but it is easy to define them as such. This being said, I do not completely resent the technology I have allowed to enter my life. My family has always been very close, and even now, as a senior in college, my parents call me at least three times a week to check in. I do not resent their phone calls, but I relish the contact I have with my family, it helps me feel connected to them. In the same way, some close friends that do not go to school here talk to me via various types of communication. It helps to keep us together when we cannot be physically together. I think there is a danger in setting aside the people we are physically present with for those who are distances away, but there is also a danger in shunning people we could be communicating with for those that are closer. I don’t think technology is evil; it, like everything else, can be used poorly and abused. The key is to use it wisely. I would like to try to go off-grid some other time, because there is no way to understand how to truly utilize technology if we don’t know what life is like without it. JESSICA FANASELLE ’10 “Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountain is going home; that wildness is necessity; that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life.” JOHN MUIR 22 Augsburg Now Bear Grylls HASGOT NOTHINGONYOU By the end of spring break, spend 24 uninterrupted hours in Minnesota’s great outdoors. 3/21 IT’S FREEZING!! We didn’t anticipate these temperatures. The night dragged on, freezing temperatures resulted in tossing and turning and shivering all night. I think we all learned a valuable lesson—it’s impossible to share a mummy bag. 24 hours later and the land seems unchanged except for the layer of frost that confirmed the freeze. It seemed like time froze along with the water in the bottle outside of the tent (note: always take the time to tuck the water bottle UNDER the tarp INSIDE the tent). It was hard to fully appreciate the hours without sun. No sleep, the shivers, numb toes, sounds like initiation criteria. It’s amazing how a few hours of pain and uncomfortable conditions can change how you feel about the outdoors, I’d been winter camping twice before but this was definitely more of a challenge. We may have underestimated the amount of preparation and anticipation that was needed but by morning it didn’t matter. MATIE MINASIE ’11 CAN I BORROW your book? Borrow Daniel Quinn’s Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit from someone—perhaps a stranger—and then convince that person to let you give the book away to someone else. I USED TO BELIEVE I used to believe, before coming to Augsburg, that ‘try’ was a useless word. I used to believe that if something couldn’t be accomplished fully, successfully, it wasn’t worth much. I used to believe that everything I did meant only what value could be found in final products. I think my journey away from this belief has taken place slowly over the last four years but it seems perfect and fitting to me that this Environmental Literature class, with its challenges, has come at the end of my Augsburg education. The challenges of this curriculum represent everything I was wrong about before coming here. Education, growth, things of beauty and worth are rarely born from end products. Trying to spend 24 hours outside, trying to spend a week not planning outfits each morning, trying to memorize Minnesota birds, trying to find a copy of Ishmael that someone would let me borrow then give away, trying to spend hours writing outdoors in the bitterness of February, these attempts taught me more about myself and the world around me than easily succeeding ever could have. Some of the challenges I completed, some I completed creatively, and some I failed but I don’t feel that any taught me less than another. Find all the Environmental Literature challenges at www.augsburg.edu/now One of the best examples of all this, I think, was the challenge to find a copy of Ishmael to borrow and give away. In my search, I learned who around me had read the book and wanted to talk about it when I’d finished (though none from that group still had the copy they’d read), who wanted to borrow it from me when I was done, and what it would mean for me to give up a book that had no intention of coming back to me in physical form. Now I understand, in a way I didn’t before, that a conversation with my father (who will receive Ishmael from me) about the book is worth more that the book’s long life on my shelf. When I couldn’t find a copy of Ishmael from anyone I knew, I ended up making a trade for the book at a used bookstore in St. Paul. “Ishmael?” the girl behind the counter said as she handed it over, “this book will change your life.” Having finished reading it, I know she was right but that she may not have understood entirely what she was saying. The book has changed my life, to be sure, but the journey to find it and the conversations that will come are life-changing things as well. We do not grow through successes, final products, and exams but through journeys, challenges, and trying things once, twice, or fifty times without fear of the result. MOLLY BUDKE ’10 Summer 2010 23 MARK MATZEK It was spring 2007 and Mark Matzek ’05 couldn’t sleep. He was 25 years old, had just finished his first full year of teaching mathematics at Apple Valley High School, and suddenly was faced with a significant life decision. Ever since deciding to become a high school teacher, Matzek’s goal was to return to his hometown of Ellsworth, Wis., coach his nephews on the wrestling mat, and teach math to his nieces. With only two coaches over the past 60 years, Ellsworth had become a wrestling power in Wisconsin, and continuing that interested Matzek. But Matzek was also an Auggie. The three-time All-American and two-time national champion had spent two years as a part-time assistant coach at his alma mater. So, three years ago Matzek had to make a choice. A math position opened in Ellsworth and plans would be made to make him the coach-in-waiting. At the same time, Jeff Swenson retired as Augsburg’s wrestling coach, the assistant coach was promoted, and Matzek was offered the full-time assistant coach position. “I kept waking up thinking Augsburg was the right choice,” Matzek says. Turns out it was. BACK ON TOP AT NO. 1 Fast forward three years and Matzek doesn’t have some of the worries that many 28-year-olds have. He doesn’t worry about whether that promotion is really going to happen. He doesn’t fret about that next job. And he isn’t in that wondering-what-is-next mode that seems to go along with that time of one’s life. 24 Augsburg Now Nine years on the mats BY JEFF SHELMAN Fresh off a Colorado vacation filled with mountain climbing, Matzek couldn’t be more comfortable with where he is. And for good reason. Sitting in his Kennedy Center office, Matzek has two pieces of serious hardware within arm’s reach. The first is for the NCAA Division III wrestling national championship that Augsburg won in March. The second is for Matzek being named Division III Coach of the Year. “There is no ‘what’s next’,” says Matzek, the youngest coach to ever win a Division III title. “This is where I want to be. It’s Augsburg. This is the premier small wrestling school in America. This is a dream job.” And this winter, the Augsburg wrestling program truly became Matzek’s program. With former coach/program architect/athletic director Jeff Swenson ’79 simply a spectator, Matzek led the Auggies to one of its most successful seasons in school history. The Auggies simply didn’t lose. A team with great balance, Augsburg was perfect in dual meets; it won every tournament it entered and the Auggies closed the season by winning their 11th national championship in the past 20 years. It was a season that included dual meet victories over the teams that finished both first and second in the Division II championship and a drama-free Division III national championship in which Augsburg clinched the title before the championship matches began. While there were certainly questions about whether Matzek would be able to keep the Augsburg wrestling program at the same level—the fact that he looks both younger than his age and younger than some of his wrestlers didn’t help—there is little question now. “I couldn’t be happier for Mark; they got the monkey off their back,” Swenson says. “You win one and then you don’t have to answer the question any longer. And I couldn’t be happier that I had nothing to do with it.” Matzek says he didn’t feel pressure to win that first title, but he also knows that there were people nationally who expected a misstep. “If Augsburg was ever going to falter, it was going to be the last two years,” he says. “And we finished second and first.” BUMPS ALONG THE WAY It was a little more than two years ago when Swenson walked into Matzek’s office and asked him to serve as the program’s interim coach. It was the end of July, the school year was less than six weeks from starting and Matzek was handed the keys. “Was I prepared as well as others in the nation? No,” Matzek says. “But I didn’t want it to go outside the Augsburg family. I didn’t really know what I had agreed to until I went home and told my wife.” The next eight months were a blur for Matzek, who at times was just trying to stay a step ahead of his wrestlers and make it to the next day. Because in addition to leading the Auggies, he was also part of the way through a graduate program at Concordia-St. Paul, a program that was much more manageable when he was an assistant coach. “I had three full-time jobs,” he joked. “I had Augsburg, I had my master’s program, and I had my wife. Our guys would study and I’d be there working on my homework at the same time.” Summer 2010 25 MARK MATZEK AT AUGSBURG 2001-05: Student-athlete Two individual national championships Three-time All-American The team won two national titles and had two runner-up finishes. 2005-2008: Assistant coach Augsburg won the 2007 national championship and finished third in both 2006 and 2008. 2008-09: Interim head coach Team rose to No. 1 in the national rankings and won the National Duals. 2009-10: Permanent head coach The Auggies completed a perfect season, winning every dual meet and tournament. Augsburg won its 11th Division III national championship in the past 20 years. Matzek was named Division III Coach of the Year. The Auggies finished second at the NCAA championships. While athletics may not be as cutthroat at the Division III level as it is, say, in the Big Ten, contests are still scored and it isn’t intramurals. “I didn’t want to just hold on and be a bridge from one coach to another,” Matzek says. “I wanted to win the title for those guys. It was a year of extreme highs and extreme lows for me. I was learning to manage all of the different guys, manage personalities and figure out that not all athletes were like me when I was in college.” Matzek was certainly more than just the guy to get Augsburg by. The Auggies defeated rival Wartburg, won the Division III National Duals, and entered the NCAA Championships ranked No. 1 in the country. “I knew we didn’t have as good of a tournament team as we did a dual meet team,” Matzek says. “We had a couple of injuries, and we had a couple of matches that didn’t go our way. After the first day I knew it was going to be tough.” The Auggies finished second, but Matzek did enough to ensure his future as Augsburg’s head coach. While the search 26 Augsburg Now committee did bring in two outside candidates to interview for the position, Matzek was hired. “Given the circumstances, he did a great job,” Swenson says. “We were a lowly-ranked team and he took us to the No. 1 ranking and a second-place finish. There was a real strong assumption with the committee that he had done a good enough job.” IN THE RIGHT PLACE NOW While Matzek has been a head coach for only two seasons—and only one season in which he knew the job was really his—he has impressed the guy who is both his boss and the architect of the Augsburg program. “I think Mark has become a quick expert at preparing his teams for competition,” Swenson says. “I think he gets it. I believe he has taken the Augsburg system and tweaked it to have Mark Matzek’s name on it. He’s done it by having a keen sense of what athletes need. “He’s a lot closer in age to his wrestlers. He knows how it feels to go through this. He’s really in tune to when the guys need to be pushed, need a day off, need rest.” Like anyone in a new job, the second year was easier for Matzek than the first. He had a better understanding of what the job entailed, there were fewer surprises, and he could learn from both high points and challenges of his first year. And when the Auggies reached the NCAA Championships, Matzek knew the work had been done. “I don’t want to sound cocky or arrogant, but we expected [the national championship], we expected to win it,” he says. “It wasn’t a real surprise.” While Swenson was happy for Matzek, Matzek was happy for his boss. “It was big for Augsburg wrestling to win it without Jeff in the wrestling room, it was a big relief for him and the search committee,” Matzek says. “They took a chance and it worked out.” And, as a result, Matzek is exactly where he wants to be. m c Making Connections making connections In theatre, as in life, finding success is often about who you know. But knowing the right people isn’t enough. In order to build the foundation for a thriving career in theatre, students need to form and maintain connections with the people and the places that make up the “theatre scene.” Perhaps this is one of the most important lessons that Augsburg theatre students learn. Through participation in AugSem, the Artist Series, internships, and by attending some of the hundreds of productions staged throughout the Twin Cities every year, stu- dents are challenged to go away from Augsburg, and sometimes outside of their comfort zones, in order to make connections in the BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 theatre community. Summer 2010 27 CONNECTING TO THE CITY From the beginning of her Augsburg education, Tessa Flynn ’05 says she was encouraged to get involved in the city. A theatre arts and mass communication major, she was particularly interested in the role of theatre in the public school system. She was fortunate to land an internship with the Children’s Theatre Company following her sophomore year, an opportunity that served as her introduction to critical literacy in the classroom. The Children’s Theatre’s Neighborhood Bridges program was started in 1997 by Jack Zipes, fairy tale scholar, and the Children’s Theatre Company artistic director, Peter Brosius. Using a variety of mediums such as theatre arts, storytelling, and creative writing, students work through issues in their lives and develop critical thinking and communication skills. “It’s like a little poison, this whole critical literacy thing,” Flynn says. “It gets in your system, and your teaching is forever changed.” Before Flynn’s last year of school, sociology professor Garry Hesser encouraged her to get involved with the Project for Pride in Living college house in the Phillips neighborhood. She lived there with other college students and tutored middle school students from the community. “I saw that my students needed to break a cycle of violence and poverty, and I became even more convinced that theatre could be an important part of that process,” Flynn says. “Being in the city, you get to have the Guthrie and so many other theatres as an extension of the classroom.” KATIE KOCH ’01/’05 Now Flynn is the community engagement manager and a teaching artist with the Bridges program at Children’s Theatre. She works with students in grades 3–8 and has 22 classrooms where she spends two hours a week. Flynn says the Bridges program engages multiple learning styles and allows students to recognize their individual skills. “When I see students shine in Bridges, who in other areas of the school day are thought of as low-achieving or who hide in the shadows, I am convinced that this is important work.” Flynn says she is grateful for the opportunities she had at Augsburg. “I don’t know if I would be where I am now if not for the encouragement of faculty to get involved in the city.” 28 Augsburg Now Katie Koch ’01/’05 also made many connections in the city that led her on a circuitous path—from campus to downtown Minneapolis to New York and back to Augsburg with a few more stops in between. Koch started out as a music major, but when her high school drama teacher took a position as stage manager at Hey City Theatre, longtime home of Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding, Koch was given an opportunity to assist him. She worked as the assistant stage Katie Koch ’01/’05 manager and as an actor in Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding at Hey City for three years while she was in school. “I would be in Augsburg Choir with my hair in pin curls,” Koch said, “because I literally had to go straight from rehearsal to the theater.” She says it was the advice of Sonja Thompson, a piano instructor and vocal coach at Augsburg, that finally convinced her she could leave the music department. “She said, ‘You’re doing all this work in theatre … you don’t have to be a music major,’” Koch says. Instead of declaring a new major, Koch left school to stage manage the next show at Hey City, Smokey Joe’s Cafe. She then became an assistant stage manager for the Minnesota Opera, went on to work with Glimmerglass Opera in Cooperstown, N.Y., and freelanced as a stage manager from Milwaukee to Miami. Eventually she came back to Augsburg and completed a degree in theatre. Koch, who was by then a theatre veteran, found herself in the classroom with younger students. “It was interesting to be tossed in with a group of young, eager students,” she says. But she formed relationships with students and even became a mentor to some. “It was exciting to watch such a talented group of artists learn and get ready to begin their careers.” After school, Koch worked at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts until a friend encouraged her to respond to a posting for the assistant to the director of the Guthrie. She went through several interviews including a very brief interview with Joe Dowling who, she says, asked her mostly about the professionals she’d worked with in her career. “I guess he’d already made the decision to hire me,” she says. She’s worked with Dowling now for three years. Koch maintains connections to Augsburg, sometimes serv- “I knew my experience at Augsburg wouldn’t end after graduation.” LEE FISHER ’06 Summer 2010 29 Justin Hooper ’07 (left) and Michael Kelley ’05 ing as a guest lecturer and hosting Augsburg student groups who visit the Guthrie. “A huge advantage for Augsburg and the theatre department is the city,” Koch says. “Being in the city, you get to have the Guthrie and so many other theaters as an extension of the classroom.” She adds that anytime she gets a chance to talk to Augsburg students, she tells them to take advantage of the opportunities to see high-quality performances in the city. “I say you need to sit in the seats and watch … this is your practicum.” GOING BEHIND THE SCENES Each year many aspiring actors come to Augsburg hoping to make a name for themselves onstage. And while many do just that, they also sometimes discover and develop their calling to work behind the scenes by getting involved backstage. This was the case for Lee Fisher ’06, Michael Kelley ’05, and Justin Hooper ’07. All three were very talented actors who performed in a variety of roles while at Augsburg, but each one also learned a lot about his craft while working on the technical side of shows. Fisher, who has taught English and directed the theatre program for five years at Robbinsdale Armstrong High School in Plymouth, says that being a stage manager was an important part of his education. “When I was behind the scenes, it wasn’t 30 Augsburg Now about me. As an educator that has been very helpful,” he says. “Success happens when the focus is on what the students need and how I can help them.” Today he directs two major productions a year and frequently draws on his connections with Augsburg theatre faculty for advice about organizing shows. He’s sought out professors Michael Burden ’85, Martha Johnson, and Darcey Engen ’88 for help on developing a curriculum and organizing a show, and he says he wouldn’t be able to do what he’s done without their help. Fisher also stays in touch with education and English faculty who were instrumental in his education because he values the professional connections. “I knew my experience at Augsburg wouldn’t end after graduation,” Fisher says. He adds that his Augsburg professors continue to be sources of guidance and friendship. “That commitment to bringing in outside artists puts Augsburg one step higher than other college programs.” JUSTIN HOOPER ’07 Kelley and Hooper also had eye-opening experiences working backstage at Augsburg. Kelley says he came to college wanting to be a professional actor but became interested in other career possibilities after working in Augsburg’s scene shop for four years. And Hooper says his experience was all-encompassing because he worked on- and offstage. “There was always a lot of good discussion,” he adds, noting that theatre majors tended to spend a lot of time together and to continue their classroom discussions outside of class. “You see that everything in theatre is so connected.” Hooper is grateful for the opportunities he had to work with and get to know guest artists while he was a student. “In theatre, it’s all about who you know,” Hooper says. In addition to meeting professionals through faculty connections, he and all theatre students work with actors, directors, and designers from the community on Augsburg productions. “That commitment to bringing in outside artists puts Augsburg one step higher than other college programs.” The connections they made while studying theatre at Augsburg have contributed to their busy and sometimes complicated professional careers. Since graduation, they have acted in and directed shows, painted and designed sets, and written original and adapted works. They’ve been from Winona, Minn., to Acadia, Maine, and back. And now, in addition to maintaining their day jobs, the two are putting their blood, sweat, and tears into managing 3AM Productions, a small local theatre company. At 3AM, Kelley says they draw on their connections with other artists in the community to create unique and multidimensional productions. “We want every show to be something people aren’t used to seeing,” he says. He adds that they strive to provide a well-rounded “big theatre” experience to the patrons who are supporting their small theatre. “I think it’s what we do well.” During and after college, Steen worked in the box office at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts. An actor friend there suggested she become a dramaturg, and eventually she went to Columbia to pursue an MFA. “When students see other actors on the great stages of this city, they can read their bios and see their training, and that helps them see how to get from Augsburg’s stage to another.” CARLA STEEN ’91 Because she had very little experience in the “creative side” of theatre, Steen says her MFA was an immersion experience. “I said, ‘Oh, so this is how all this works.’” Today Steen says it is interesting to come back to Augsburg because as a student she wasn’t really involved with the theatre department. She has taught and been a guest lecturer at the College, and she tries to see at least one production a year. Steen says theatre students in the Twin Cities are fortunate because of the opportunities to meet and see high-quality actors, directors, and artists. “When students see other actors on the great FINDING YOUR STAGE It takes more than theatre majors and faculty and staff to stage a production. Often many non-majors get involved in theatre in college but don’t end up in “the business” until later in life. Carla Steen ’91 is one student whose path to professional theatre went through the English and history departments at Augsburg. As a first-year student, she ran the light board for Julie Bolton’s production of Macbeth—with a set designed by Burden (then a graduate student at the University of Minnesota) and starring Engen as Lady Macbeth. But that was the end of her participation in theatre at Augsburg as a student. Instead, Steen, who has worked at the Guthrie for 12 years as a dramaturg and publications manager, studied literary criticism with English professor Doug Green and worked on a senior honors project under his direction. She also researched Shakespearean history and sources for her history senior seminar taught by Richard Nelson, now professor emeritus. “In many ways, that was the beginning of me thinking that research for theatre was an interesting thing I could do,” Steen says. Carla Steen ’91 Summer 2010 31 “We hire people because they are active and are creating their own work, not waiting for someone … And they also have some other passions that aren’t about theatre.” JENNI LILLEDAHL ’87 Jenni Lilledahl ’87 stages of this city, they can read their bios and see their training, and that helps them see how to get from Augsburg’s stage to another.” Another student who played a minor role at Augsburg and went on to a thriving career in theatre is Jenni Lilledahl ’87. As a student, Lilledahl took courses with Ailene Cole, now professor emerita. “She seemed like she lived and breathed theatre and was completely consumed with passion for the forum,” Lilledahl says. “She influenced me as an artist, and I always admired her from a distance.” Though Lilledahl took courses to obtain a minor in theatre, she felt the need to study in a more lucrative field. “I remember hearing voices saying, ‘You have to pay the bills and have a reliable income.’” Lilledahl majored in communication and public relations. After graduating and working in corporate public relations, she decided to try the “comedy thing,” so she started taking improvisation classes and met her future husband, John Sweeney. Eventually she jumped off the corporate ladder so that she and Sweeney could pursue their dreams, and the couple moved to Chicago 32 Augsburg Now and worked at The Second City. Then in 1997, along with Mark Bergren, the couple bought the Brave New Workshop from its founder, Dudley Riggs. “John and I had three or so years of experience in theatre but had a lot more business experience,” Lilledahl says. “I guess we were sort of the oddballs of the theatre community, but Dudley appreciated that we could manage the business as well as the artistic side.” As the current co-owner of Brave New Workshop and executive director of the Brave New Institute, Lilledahl oversees the theatre’s school, which reaches more than 150 students a week, and she conducts improvisation workshops around the country. She is also on the board for Gilda’s Club Twin Cities, an organization that provides emotional and social support for families impacted by cancer. Lilledahl returns to Augsburg at least once a year to speak in chapel. Often her advice to students, which she says is based on years of seeing who gets work and who doesn’t, is to get as much stage time as they can—wherever, whenever, and however—and to have a life outside of the theatre. “We hire people because they are active and are creating their own work, not waiting for someone,” she says. “And they also have some other passions that aren’t about theatre.” Lilledahl adds that an actor’s experiences outside of theatre help them bring life to a script and creativity to the stage. And perhaps that is what makes all these alumni successful. At Augsburg students are trained as actors, directors, and technicians, but they also learn how to become involved in their community as artists and as informed citizens. They understand that making connections is important to their careers and to their personal lives as well. They’re encouraged to explore many aspects of theatre, to develop their craft, and to work and learn at Augsburg and in the city. More than blocking and movement or scene study and character analysis, these are the lessons that will stick with them as they make their mark on the world’s stage. auggie alumni news From the Alumni Board president … Dear fellow alumni, ummer is in full swing, and that means one thing— lots of activities to enjoy with our families. Nobody celebrates summer quite as well as Minnesotans, and at Augsburg we are no exception. The Alumni Board has a number of family-friendly events planned for 2010 and 2011, and we hope you’ll join us! The annual Auggie Day at the Races, held at Canterbury Park on August 5, usually attracts more than 700 Augsburg alumni. It’s a wonderful opportunity for the whole family to enjoy an evening together. If you didn’t get to it this year, we hope to see you at Canterbury next year. Another summer favorite is the Minnesota State Fair. When you attend the “Great Minnesota Get-Together” this year, be sure to visit the Augsburg booth in the Education Building and tell us what you’re up to these days. Believe it or not, Homecoming is just around the corner—October 10–16. This year’s events feature something for everyone, including continuing education classes, Auggie Author Book Signing, alumni concerts, 5K fun run, football game against the Concordia-Moorhead Cobbers, and much more. Don’t forget to stop by the Alumni Board booth at the Taste of Augsburg to learn how to get involved. This fun event has been expanded with more carnival-style booths for a great time for the whole family. The mission of the Alumni Board is to connect alumni with the College to enjoy the events, friendships, and company of fellow Auggies. Each year the board has a planning session to ensure that we support our mission to provide great, compelling programs that renew and sustain your interest in Augsburg. Some ideas for this year include an expansion of the Uniquely Augsburg series, similar to June’s Dead Sea Scrolls event at the Science Museum that featured Professor Phil Quanbeck II; networking events; volunteer opportunities; lectures featuring Augsburg’s beloved faculty; and more. Augsburg was a gateway to the future for us as students. Now, as alumni, we put the lessons we learned from Augsburg’s unequaled education into action every day. Thanks to the life-altering experiences we share because of our alma mater, those of us on the Alumni Board work hard to unite the alumni of Augsburg College. Enjoy the rest of the summer! I look forward to seeing you at the many alumni events. s Sincerely, Welcome, new Alumni Board members! At its June meeting, the Augsburg College Alumni Board welcomed four new members who will serve three-year terms. Tracy Anderson is a third generation Auggie. She graduated in 1995 with a major in communication and a minor in business administration. Tracy attended Augsburg as a post-secondary student, studied as a day student, and completed her degree in Weekend College. She is a realtor with Edina Realty in Edina, and looks forward to networking with alumni and becoming involved in the Augsburg community. Christopher Ascher, a 1981 graduate with a major in finance and minor in psychology, played on Augsburg’s soccer team and is an A-Club member. He is senior vice president and a branch manager for Morgan Stanley Smith Barney in Bloomington. He enjoyed meeting more than 80 alumni as host of the January alumni winetasting event. Sarah Grans is a youth and family ministry graduate from 2001, also with a minor in psychology. She is director of outreach and faith formation at St. Peder’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. As a student she was active in Campus Ministry and was co-commissioner during her senior year. She wants to give back to Augsburg and reconnect alumni in meaningful ways. Sharon Mercill graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing in 2009 in Rochester and is currently a student in the Master of Arts in Nursing program. When she attended an Alumni Board meeting for a study project and enjoyed connecting with other alumni, she decided to become more involved and join the board. She is the RN study coordinator of breast cancer research at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. JOHN STADLER ’07 MAL PRESIDENT OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Summer 2010 33 auggie alumni news Eye-Opener Breakfasts and Speaker Series Are you looking for an opportunity to hear from Twin Cities business leaders? Are you interested in a chance to network with fellow Augsburg alums? Well, Augsburg— through a pair of programs—has opportunities for you. The Eye-Opener Breakfast Series is for Augsburg alumni who want to network and learn from either a business leader or an Augsburg professor. The Strommen Executive Leader Speaker Series provides opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends to hear from high-level business executives. Here’s a look at the first speakers of the next academic year for both programs with dates to mark on your calendar. President Pribbenow and members of the Alumni Board celebrated with graduating day program seniors at their reception in May. (L to R) Rob Wagner ’02, John Stadler ’07 MAL, Holly (Ebnet) Knutson ’03, ’07 MBA, President Pribbenow, Dale Hanka ’60, Dan Hickle ’95, and Jennifer Carlson ’91. Eye-Opener Breakfast Series: The first event of the 2010-11 academic year will be held on Thursday, Sept. 30. In addition to breakfast and networking, attendees will hear from Nate Garvis, former vice president of government affairs and senior public relations officer for Target Corporation. Garvis will present his thoughts on innovative ways to share the work of building prosperous communities. Other EyeOpener Breakfasts will be held in 2011 on January 25 and May 10. The Eye-Opener Breakfasts are held at Town and Country Club in St. Paul, from 7–9 a.m. The cost is $5 person, which includes breakfast. RSVP by September 27 at www.augsburg.edu/alumnievents. Strommen Executive Leader Speaker Series: Richard Davis, CEO of U.S. Bank, will be the featured speaker for the first event of the academic year on November 18, at 5 p.m., in Sateren Auditorium. Additional events will be held on February 3 and April 7, 2011. The speaker series is free and held on campus. 34 Augsburg Now 2010 Augsburg graduates were excited to join the Alumni Association as they celebrated their achievements at the Senior Reception. (L to R) Lisa Yankauskas, Rosine Johnson, Brenna McHugh, and Barbara Simmons. go es i g g u a Ruth A. Schmidt ’52—Distinguished alumna and educator Ruth Schmidt, the first female president of Agnes Scott College, benefactor to Augsburg’s Women’s Resource Center, and Distinguished Alumna, died on May 24 in Decatur, Ga. Schmidt graduated summa cum laude in 1952 with a major in English and minors in Spanish and library science. She continued to study Spanish, earning master’s and doctoral degrees, and taught Spanish at the high school and college levels, including at Wheaton College and the State University of New York at Albany. After her appointment as dean of humanities at SUNY Albany, she went on to become president of Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Ga., until her retirement in 1994. She remained active in retirement through travel, international development work, women’s social justice issues, and peace initiatives. Her legacy at Agnes Scott includes establishment of study abroad programs, and increased diversity among faculty and students. Professor Emerita Ruth Aaskov ’52 was a classmate of Schmidt’s, and they became lifelong friends. As students, both were close to Anne Pederson, their English professor and mentor. When Augsburg established the Women’s Resource Center in 2000, it was named in memory of Pederson and funded by a generous gift from Schmidt. 0 1 0 2 G N M O HOMEC e it! 2010 c n e i r e exp Block off your calendar for the weekend of October 15–16 and return to campus for Homecoming 2010’s fun-filled festivities. The Homecoming Convocation kicks off the weekend on Friday, Oct. 15, when First Decade, Spirit of Augsburg, and Distinguished Alumni Award winners will be recognized. Professor Emeritus Philip Quanbeck Sr. ’50 will provide the keynote remarks at the Homecoming Convocation Luncheon. A number of Augsburg Experience lifelong-learning sessions are scheduled for Friday afternoon. In addition, the Auggie Author Book Signing and reading will take place prior to the Welcome Back Banquet. If you come to Saturday’s football game against the Concordia Cobbers, plan to get to campus long before the 1 p.m. kickoff. The day begins at 9:30 a.m. with the Come back for Homecoming October 10–16 family-friendly Anderson Hall Homecoming 5K Fun Run, and campus tours are available from 10 a.m. until noon. Three hours prior to kickoff, the Taste of Augsburg in Murphy Square will feature carnival-style booths operated by student groups, alumni, and local restaurants. In addition to carnival-style food, there will be games, inflatable bounce houses, and fun for the whole family. Back by popular demand is the Auggie Block Party (in Parking Lot K, between Melby Hall and Riverside Ave.) following the football game. Join alumni, students, and friends for food, entertainment, and camaraderie. Join fellow Auggies and music lovers after the Block Party for a celebration concert in Hoversten Chapel honoring Professor Stephen “Gabe” Gabrielsen ’63. Go to www.augsburg.edu/homecoming for information. Summer 2010 35 alumni class notes Stan Nelson, Andover, Minn., Jerilyn (Bjugstad) Wibbens, 43was selected as one of the 67Mukilteo, Wash., founded the World War II veterans whose service would be honored by flying them to Washington, D.C., at no cost, to visit the World War II memorial. Stan is the last survivor of four Navy officers from a landing craft that participated in the D-Day invasion in June 1944; he still attends annual reunions. Northwest Nordic Ladies Chorus, based in Everett, Wash., to keep singing the Norwegian songs she learned in her family and to learn songs from the other Nordic countries. They regularly perform at Scandinavian events and senior centers. Vera (Peterson) Rachuy, West- Peter Agre was honored in 52brook, Minn., a retired 70June, along with four other teacher, discovered a love and talent for painting that began during a prolonged and severe winter when she started to sketch her and her daughter’s dogs. graduates of Norwegian Lutheran colleges, with the “Going Viking” Award by Norway House in Minneapolis. The award recognizes the contributions of Norwegian Americans to the region. Rev. Darryl Torrin, Cedar Falls, 66Iowa, retired on July 1 after serving for 39 years in active parish ministry. For the past 13 years, he has served at St. John Maxfield Evangelical Lutheran Church in rural Denver, Iowa, where a retirement celebration was held on June 6. Alvina Strand Skogen, Eppen, N.D., is serving a two-year term as president of Western North Dakota Synodical Women’s Organization (Women of the ELCA). David Siedlar received the “Model Worker Award” from the Communist 71Party, City of Huaian, Jiangsu Province, China, in April, which was published in the party newspaper. Michael Good, Raritan, N.J., 71president and CEO of Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates, LLC, and chair of the Augsburg College Board of Regents, was named to the Inman 100, a list of the top 100 most influential leaders in real estate for 2009 by Inman News. department at Lake Superior College in Duluth. She has a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas, a master’s degree in education from College of St. Scholastica, and a graduate certificate in educational computing and technology from University of Minnesota-Duluth. Kathy (Langemo) Dugdale, Su- 72perior, Wis., was named director of the business services Annette (Olsen) Hustad, Glenwood, Minn., is “Lena” in the comedy singing duo, “Tina and Lena,” along with Susan “Tina” Edwards. For 25 years, they have entertained audiences in the Upper Midwest and farther with music, humor, and fun. With degrees in music therapy and music education, she taught K-12 music for 10 years. In April they performed at the Lifestyles Expo in Alexandria. Lois (Wennen) Larson, White 80Bear Lake, Minn., was named to a one-year appointment as interim financial aid director at Metropolitan State University in Minneapolis, effective Feb. 1. Joan (Maland) Mussa was re- 81cently named senior vice presiParticipants in the Master of Arts in Leadership study and cultural tour of Norway in June pause for a group photo in the mountain resort town of Geilo. Twenty-eight Augsburg faculty, alumni, students, and friends of the College took part in the customized MAL program done in conjunction with Diakonhjemmet University College in Oslo, Augsburg experts on Norway, and CrossingBorders travel company in the Twin Cities. Pictured are Ruth and Raymond Burgau; Paul ’65, Priscilla ’65, David, Karen, Andrew, Lynnsey, and Erika Fieldhammer; Professor Douglas Green; John Grafstrom and Carol Sime ’73; Pete and Glenda Holste ’05 MAL; Lucinda Hruska-Claeys ’10 MAL; Paul ’80 and Rebecca Kilgore; Professor Lynn Lindow; Roger and Linda Nielsen; Angeline and Jeanne Nelson ’09 MBA; Professor Norma Noonan; Patty ’02 MAL and Warren Park; Tawni Reller; Professor Linda Stevens; Professor Barbara West. Look for more about the MAL experiences in Norway at www.augsburg.edu/now 36 Augsburg Now dent for donor engagement, advocacy, and communications at the United States office of World Vision, one of the largest relief, development, and advocacy organizations in the world. Her responsibilities include overseeing the work of all private fund raising, government relations, advocacy, internet, publications, and additional communication functions. She and her husband, Mohammed, and their three children live near Seattle. Tessa Flynn, Minneapolis, ap- 05peared in the Frank Theatre Daniel Werner and Shayne 95Hamann, Little Canada, Minn., announce the birth of their daughter, Savannah, born on Feb. 20. Savannah joins her twin brothers, Drake and Dylan, age 3. Monica Fitzgerald, Washing- Ryan Carlson BA ’96 and BS ’02 and his wife, Lauren, St. Paul, an- 96nounce the births of identical twin daughters, Adelaine Elizabeth and Isadora Louise, on Feb. 14. Addy and Izzy join brother Quin, 4 1/2. The family lives in the Highland Park neighborhood of St. Paul. Ryan is an engineer for Seagate. Karen Reed, Atascadero, Calif., 82ton, D.C., is director of CIO 90was appointed program direc- University and the deputy director of the IT Accessibility and Workforce Division in the General Services Administration’s Office of Governmentwide Policy. In 2009 she was selected as a member of the Council for Excellence in the Fellow’s Program of the Partnership for Public Service, which focuses on servant leadership. tor in January at Coalinga State Hospital, the newest state mental health hospital in the California Department of Mental Health. She formerly served 18 years as a registered music therapist at Atascadero State Hospital. She continues to represent forensic psychiatric music therapy treatment at the national and regional music therapy conferences. Tim Asgrimson, Edina, Minn., Anthony Patton has published 83was recently named the chief 91his second novel, Unfaithfully financial officer of Kraus-Anderson Cos., where he has worked since 2007 as assistant chief financial officer. For 16 years prior to that he provided tax, auditing, and consulting services to the company. Yours, a love story in which he explores how hard-working couples can achieve happiness and success in the time it takes to watch a great movie. Sharon (Fairbanks) Romano, Minneapolis, has served as director of the Department of Indian Work of the St. Paul Area Council of Churches for the past year. 87 Kristin Eggerling, Hallock, 89Minn., is a freelance writer and has served on the board of Conservation Minnesota. A recent article on StarTribune.com featured her family’s outing to view the giant jack pine in Lake Bronson State Park. Nnamdi Okoronkwo, Minneapolis, an assistant city attorney with the City of Minneapolis, was appointed in April by Governor Tim Pawlenty to a four-year term on the Council on Black Minnesotans. Luann Roth, Columbia, Mo., has been appointed as education coordinator of the Mizzou Advantage, a collaboration of five programs of excellence at the University of Missouri. She will facilitate interdisciplinary curriculum and courses for these five areas. She has been an instructor in the English Department and is completing her doctorate in American film and folklore. Heidi (Wachholz) Boll, Minneapolis, was named vice president of sales for the Northeast Region of Allianz Life Insurance Company of North America. She joined the company in 2001 and has held several positions within it. 94 Lori (Langager) Higgins, Blaine, Minn., became president of the MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce in the Twin Cities in May. She has worked for the chamber since February 2009 and became its first female chief executive officer. Kari (Schroeder) Prescott, Minneapolis, took a new position as representative for Minnesota to the American Podiatric Medical Association in Washington, D.C., and will be kept busy with the current healthcare debate issues. Matthew Gooding, Sun Lakes, 95Ariz., graduated from a medical assistant program and is currently looking for and interviewing for jobs. Carye (Johnson) Bye, Portland company’s adaptation of Kafka’s Metamorphosis, which ran at the Open Eye Figure Theatre in Minneapolis during April. She is also on the board of the theatre. (Read more about her on p. 28). Jessica (Norman) and Eric 01Hafemeyer welcomed Kristen Marie on February 22. Kristen joins big sister, Lauren, 3. Christina (Boe) Anderson, 04Blaine, Minn., and her husband, Michael, welcomed their new daughter, Charlotte Marie, on Feb. 25. Chad Darr and his wife, Krista, welcomed a son, Hayden James, on May 5. Miranda Nelson, Chicago, 06began the clinical psychology PhD program at the University of Illinois at Chicago last fall. She plans on specializing in pediatric neuropsychology and will graduate with her doctoral degree in 2014. Dan Morlock, St. Paul, is site 97Ore., is owner of Red Bat 07leader of a before- and-after- Press, a print and design company. She wrote and illustrated a book, Hidden Portland: Museums & Collections, in 2010 with Bedouin Books. school child care program for the Roseville school district called Friendship Connection. Ted Schultz, Bloomington, 98Minn., started a new position as activities director at Minnetonka (Minn.) High School on July 1. He had served for six years in the same position at Bloomington Jefferson High School. Adam Erickson, Chanhassen, 00Minn., was appointed busi- ness banking officer at Anchor Bank in Eden Prairie. Prior to this he was a business relationship manager for Wells Fargo Bank. Maureen O’Shaughnessy was featured as a music therapist on WCCO-TV about her work with autistic children at Fraser Child and Family Center. Molly Shortall recently completed her master's degree at Manhattan School of Music. She has been in New York City for two years and works as a house musician at a large church in Brooklyn. This summer, she's singing the role of Second Lady in Die Zauberflöte. Summer 2010 37 Colonel Steven Charles ’76 receives Legion of Merit On May 1, Colonel Steven Charles ’76 received the Legion of Merit, the highest award not received for valor, which is awarded for “exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements.” While Charles’ 30-year military career began in 1977 as a navy pilot, he received the Legion of Merit for his work as program manager from 2001 to 2007 in the 87th Air Force Element, and air director of joint operations, Air Force Element, U.S. Army Forces Command, 87th Battle Command Training Division in Birmingham, Ala. The citation states, “In this key leadership position, Colonel Charles served as project officer for nine major exercises and 15 Command Post exercises preparing over 30,000 Army troops for Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom, and the Global War on Terrorism.” His duties included training the soldiers how to call in close air support. By teaching soldiers how to talk to Air Force support, how to call in for help, and what protocols and information they needed, they could quickly be rescued, saving their own lives and those of other ground forces. He also developed a successful Train the Trainers program that provided understanding of joint operations within the modern battlefield. During his military career, Charles served two cruises aboard the USS Constellation where he had more than 200 carrier landings. He was chosen to become a Navy A-4 adversary pilot and graduated from the Navy Fighter Weapons School. He Rikki Starich, Lexington, Ky., was recently appointed assistant director of annual giving at Transylvania University in Lexington. In May she completed her Master of Education in higher education administration/ institutional advancement. Andrew Sinko, Blaine, Minn., a teacher in Spring Lake Park, Minn., has been accepted to a University of London doctoral program. Zac Wooten, New York, received his master’s degree from New York University and continues to express appreciation for the support of faculty at Augsburg. A.J. Hau and his brother, Chris, 10from Fort Collins, Colo., were signed by the Colorado Eagles hockey team. They both advanced through the Northern Colorado Youth Hockey and Colorado State University hockey programs. Christopher Stedman gradu- 08ated with a master’s degree in theology from Meadville Lombard Theological School of Chicago. 38 Augsburg Now Jens Olsen and Heidi Le will spend the 2010–11 academic year in Vietnam on Fulbright English Teaching Awards. Courtesy photo alumni class notes Colonel Steven Charles ’76 (left) received the Legion of Merit, presented to him in Birmingham, Ala., on May 1, by Brigadier General David W. Puster. crossed to the Air Force and was an instructor in both the F-111 Aardvark and the F-117 Stealth Fighter. In 1990, he appeared on national television as one of the two pilots flying a Stealth Fighter during their unveiling. He left active duty in 1991 and joined the Air Force Reserves before joining the 87th Division. He retired from the military in 2007 and is now a Boeing 767 pilot for Delta Air Lines. BETSEY NORGARD Graduate Programs Sarah Resor ’06 MAL and Eric Johnson, both of Robbinsdale, Minn., were married Feb. 27 in Oak Ridge Conference Center. Mike Bilden ’07 MAL, St. Louis Park, Minn., is coordinator of the new Adult Degree Completion Program in the College of Business and Economics at University of WisconsinRiver Falls. He has served as director of continuing education at North Hennepin Community College and director of adult and graduate admissions at Augsburg. Larry McGraw ’10 MBA, Owatonna, Minn., has been appointed senior vice president and chief credit officer of Home Federal Savings Bank in Rochester. Previously he spent eight years at United Prairie Bank in Mankato, Minn. Hector Matascastillo ’10 MSW is using his own experience and gift of compassion to help veterans when they return from war. 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 alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news at www.augsburg.edu/alumni. ____________________________________________________________ Full name ____________________________________________________________ Maiden name ____________________________________________________________ Class year or last year attended ____________________________________________________________ Street address ____________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip code Is this a new address? q Yes q No ____________________________________________________________ Home telephone In Memoriam ____________________________________________________________ E-mail Olsen, W. Donald ’34, Sioux Falls, S.D., age 99, on Dec. 20. Nelson, Gordon A., ’54, Cloquet, Minn., age 77, on April 9. Okay to publish your e-mail address? q Yes q No Paulson, Dr. Eric ’38, Spokane, Wash., age 92, on March 6. Wolden, Gerhard ’56, Minneapolis, age 82, on April 5. ____________________________________________________________ Employer Shebeck, Ethel (Sinner) ’38, Richfield, Minn., age 93, on November 14. Welch, Robert ’58, Burlingame, Calif., age 73, on March 28. Ronholm, Olive ’47, Golden Valley, Minn., age 84, on March 9. Peterson, Robert ’49, New London, Minn., age 83, on April 8. Schmeltzer, George W. ’61, Minneapolis, age 70, on March 31. Faue, Jeffrey L. ’68, Belle Mead, N.J., age 64, on April 15. ____________________________________________________________ Position ____________________________________________________________ Work telephone Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No Bolstad, Nan (Haraseth) ’69, Jefferson, Ore., age 63, on March 2. If yes, class year ________________________________________________ Metz, Rev. Richard G. ’74, Sisters, Ore., age 63, on May 13. ____________________________________________________________ Spouse’s name Arney, Claudia (Odegaard) ’78, Clarkdale, Iowa, age 74, on April 17. ____________________________________________________________ Maiden name Davis, Gerald ’51, Litchfield, Minn., age 82, on April 21. Haugan, Joan ’80, Spring Lake Park, Minn., age 80, on Feb. 14, 2009. Your news: ____________________________________________________________ Stenvig, Charles Selmer ’51, Sun City, Ariz., age 82, on February 22. Thayer, Nancybeth (Sedgwick) ’80, Hermantown, Minn., age 49, on June 30, 2006. Schmidt, Ruth A. ’52, Decatur, Ga., age 79, on May 24 (See story on p. 35) Reinhart, Laura Jane ’82, Livermore, Calif., age 49, on January 2. Hegland, Dagny (Quanbeck) ’50, Brandon, S.D., age 81, on March 17. Johnson, Esther ’50, Minneota, Minn., age 80, on April 15. Johnson, Rev. LeRoy ’50, Richland, Mich., on January 11, 2009. Kjos, Edwin ’54, Abbotsford, Wis., age 85, on March 31. Therres, Emmaline (Schlueter), Chaska, Minn., age 66, on April 2; former faculty member. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg. Summer 2010 39 my Auggie experience By all accounts—his own included—sophomore Gottlieb Uahengo had a difficult first semester at Augsburg College. Making the move to Minneapolis from his home in Namibia meant many changes. He missed his family and friends and got sick five times from the food. He was introduced to Mountain Dew and the effects of over-consumption. “I didn’t sleep for several days,” he says. And when he witnessed his first snowfall, a fellow student asked him, “Are you alright? You look disturbed.” Uahengo is a Legacy Scholarship student. His father graduated from the University of Minnesota and came to work in Augsburg’s Physics Department while his wife, Fredericka ’90, completed her degree in education. Gottlieb was actually born at Fairview Riverside Hospital but lived most of his life in Oshakati, Namibia, where his father is a pharmacist and his mother serves as the rector of Ongwediva Teachers College. When it came time to apply for college, Uahengo’s father said, “I’m sending you to Augsburg.” Because Uahengo wants to be an engineer, his father wanted him to study in a small school with a good physics department. “My father holds professors [Mark] Engebretson and [Jeff] Johnson in high esteem,” Uahengo says. “He told me I would get more out of my education at Augsburg than at a large, public university.” His father also told him to be prepared for the challenge of college life. “He said the best way to overcome adversity is to become part of the community, to take a leap of faith.” And that’s exactly what led to a better second semester and a successful first year at Augsburg for Uahengo. Greg Holker, Augsburg’s men’s soccer coach, said Uahengo looked frightened and overwhelmed when the two first met last summer. “I wasn’t sure he would amount to much as a soccer player because he seemed frail physically and psychologically,” Holker recalls. After a tentative start, Holker says the first-year player definitely made an impact on the team. “He scored a big goal against Buena Vista and took off in training from that point on,” says Holker. “He sought out improvement and soaked up as much information as he could. Rarely do I see a person that determined to learn and learn quickly.” Rebekah Dupont, whom Uahengo calls his mentor, says he displayed the same tenacity in his academics as on the soccer field. Dupont worked with him in Augsburg’s North Star STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) program. He participated in the calculus workshop, a class in which students work together on challenging problems. He also got involved in a research project, something not many first-year students take on. “Gottlieb has very high expectations for himself, and I think this made adapting to so many new things all at once a challenge,” Dupont says. “As he feels more comfortable and confident, those high expectations and strong work ethic will serve him very well.” In addition to conducting research during the school year, Uahengo is working on a summer project with another student and professor Ben Stottrup of the Physics Department. This fall he will be an officer with Augsburg’s International Student Organization and will continue to play soccer. He also hopes to compete on the track team as a sprinter in the spring term. “When I set my mind to something, it’s hard to sway me,” Uahengo says. “I am always looking for a way to be engaged.” WENDI WHEELER ’06 40 Augsburg Now an augsburg legacy Joyce Young “I value the impact of my Augsburg education on my life and career … That’s why I am giving back through naming Augsburg as owner of a life insurance policy. Augsburg’s gift planning team, along with my financial adviser, showed me the great benefits.” 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 Courtesy photo Augsburg Choir tours China The Augsburg Choir and the choir from Guangxi Provincial Normal University in Guilin, China, pose for a giant group photo during the choir’s trip through China. For the choir’s China blog and photos, go to www.augsburg.edu/music.
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Title: Augsburg Now Fall 2010: Go Auggies! Homecoming 2010
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: AUGSBURG NOW inside FALL 2010 VOL. 73, NO. 1 Augsburg Now Magazine of Augsburg College 25The Years of Life-Changing Meet Martha Stortz Exploring separate worlds Travel Celebrating our success Healthcare symposium Augsburg annual report Coach Greg Holker page 20 go auggies! Homecoming ...
Show more AUGSBURG NOW inside FALL 2010 VOL. 73, NO. 1 Augsburg Now Magazine of Augsburg College 25The Years of Life-Changing Meet Martha Stortz Exploring separate worlds Travel Celebrating our success Healthcare symposium Augsburg annual report Coach Greg Holker page 20 go auggies! Homecoming 2010 Editor notes from President Pribbenow w Creative Director Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL rumpza@augsburg.edu Creative Associate-Editorial Wendi Wheeler ’06 wheelerw@augsburg.edu Coming Home e celebrated Homecoming this year in grand fashion, welcoming more than 1,000 alumni, families, and friends at events during the week. I am mindful of the many ways in which coming home to Augsburg has meaning for alumni and those of us on campus. We all share in common this place and the experience that continues to shape our lives in the world. And when we “come home,” we mark just how powerful those connections and shared experiences are to our personal and common callings in the world. So what does it mean to come home to Augsburg? First, it is quite literally a homecoming to this place in the heart of Cedar-Riverside and Minneapolis, this campus home we have inhabited since 1872 when our Norwegian-American ancestors first settled here. Homecoming seems especially meaningful this year as our campus community is engaged in a Commission on Campus Space and Master Planning— exploring together what it means that we are in this urban setting and what our aspirations are for the future of Augsburg’s campus. During this year, we will plan for new buildings, landscape, and the responsible use of space. And we also will consider what it means that we are here in Cedar-Riverside, this neighborhood we share with various neighbors. How best do we honor our role as neighbor here? Second, homecoming also marks our return to a community, a gathering of those who share our commitments to education for service. There are clear distinctions in the nature of this community over time. We are much larger—we now count more than 4,100 students and 650 faculty and staff. We offer a wider range of academic programs—from our traditional day program to adult undergraduate and expanding graduate opportunities. We are increasingly diverse—in ethnic and religious background, in age and in socioeconomic Betsey Norgard norgard@augsburg.edu Creative Associate-Design Jen Nagorski ’08 nagorski@augsburg.edu class, and in so many other ways. But at its core it is still Augsburg, a community grounded in offering a superior educational experience for all students that focuses on the intersections of faith, learning, and service. Augsburg is one of the most hospitable and welcoming communities I know, a place that believes deeply that access to education demands of us a commitment to justice for all God’s creatures. Finally, you come home to a mission, a character, and a set of values that abide over the years. Here, we still celebrate the Word made flesh. Here, we still share with our immediate neighbors an immigrant sensibility, the belief that education is at the core of a healthy neighborhood and democracy. Here, we still work together to ensure that all deserving students can receive an Augsburg education. Here, we still help each other discern our vocations and gain the skills and knowledge to live them out in the world. In the work and lives of our alumni, we have remarkable stories of how this distinctive Augsburg mission has made a difference in the world over the years. For those of us who are the current stewards of Augsburg’s mission, I urge you to listen to the stories of our alumni for they are our “epistles to the world,” our parables of what an Augsburg education means. You will be amazed by what they have accomplished. I hope those of you who came to Homecoming were able to meet our current students, because they are the most powerful statements of our mission, our aspirations to make a difference in the world. They are remarkable signs of what we can look forward to as Augsburg seeks to live out its mission to educate students who are “informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.” Welcome home to Augsburg! PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT Photographer Stephen Geffre geffre@augsburg.edu Webmaster/Now Online Bryan Barnes barnesb@augsburg.edu Sports Information Director Don Stoner stoner@augsburg.edu Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communication Rebecca John rjohn@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, 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 langemo@augsburg.edu E-mail: now@augsburg.edu Telephone: 612-330-1181 Fax: 612-330-1780 fall 2010 Features 12 18 26 contents 22 12 18 22 26 29 29 augsburg now On the cover Auggies are awwwe-some! With boomsticks in hand, Auggies cheer on the football team at Homecoming. All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated. Homecoming 2010 She loves being an Auggie: Meet Martha Stortz by Wendi Wheeler ’06 The Sabo Symposium: Understanding healthcare reform by Betsey Norgard Celebrating our success by Wendi Wheeler ’06 Annual report to donors, 2009–10 Departments inside front cover 2 9 10 11 43 48 52 Notes from President Pribbenow Around the Quad Auggies on the course Auggie voices It takes an Auggie Alumni news Class notes My Auggie experience around the quad Partners in the park New Board of Regents members elected Murphy Square, the three acres that sit squarely in the middle of Augsburg’s campus, is the oldest park in the city of Minneapolis. It was given to the city by Edward Murphy in 1857, when he platted “Murphy’s Addition.” At that time, however, this first city park was quite far from the small settlements in St. Anthony and Minneapolis, and for 20 years or more the park served mostly as cow pasture. As Augsburg grew, the park became more and more surrounded by the College and incorporated into college life and traditions. Homecoming parades have flowed around it, science contraptions have been launched in the annual Agre Challenge, tents have held formal receptions for commencements and inaugurations, and many games of Frisbee, grills of hotdogs, and hours of sunbathing have taken place in the park. On October 16 at Homecoming, a formal partnership with the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board was celebrated in which Augsburg assumes responsibility for the maintenance of the park. The partnership serves as the foundation for further cooperative efforts and engagement with the park board as Augsburg moves forward with campus master planning, including a proposed sweeping green landscape across campus. At their fall meeting in September, the Augsburg Corporation Governing Board elected four new members to the Augsburg Board of Regents, and re-elected three members to second terms. Elected for first, four-year terms are: Cynthia Jones ’81 Toby Piper LaBelle ’96 LaJune Thomas Lange Rev. David Tiede Cynthia Jones ’81, Senior Technical Advisor for Nuclear Security, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Toby Piper LaBelle ’96, Senior Vice President, Northland Securities LaJune Thomas Lange, Judge (retired), Fourth Judicial District of Minnesota Rev. David Tiede, Interim President, Wartburg Theological Seminary; Bernhard M. Christensen Professor Emeritus of Religion and Vocation Elected to second, four-year terms are: Richard C. Hartnack, Vice Chairman, Consumer Banking, U.S. Bancorp André Lewis ’73, President (retired), RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation Rev. Norman Wahl ’75, Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester, Minn. Christensen Symposium 2010 On October 3, Gracia Grindal ’65 presented the life and legacy of Bernhard Christensen, “Devoutly Would He Teach.” On October 4, the symposium continued with the inauguration of Martha Stortz as the Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation (see page 18). Read Grindal’s address at www.augsburg.edu/now. Bruce Rowe, groundskeeper, begins his day beautifying Murphy Square. 2 Augsburg Now NewsNotes Urban Scrubs camp on campus Augsburg joined with HealthForce Minnesota, Fairview Health Services, the Cedar-Riverside Partnership, and the University of Minnesota to host a five-day Urban Scrubs camp. Students in grades 9–12, many from the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, lived on campus and explored opportunities in healthcare fields. Commission Augsburg focuses on mission At its 2010 spring meeting, the Augsburg Board of Regents adopted a new mission statement for the College. Following two years of conversation about the character and identity of Augsburg, the new mission statement incorporates many changes that have come about in the past 20 years, including nontraditional undergraduate programs, graduate studies, a campus in Rochester, global study programs, and continuing initiatives to meet the needs of diverse students. The new Augsburg College mission is: “Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community that is committed to intentional diversity in its life and work. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values of the Lutheran Church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.” During this year, Commission Augsburg will present a series of conversations across the country for alumni, parents, and friends to learn about how the Augsburg mission sets a clear map for the future of the College. Watch for opportunities to meet and hear from President Pribbenow and others from the College. To learn more about Commission Augsburg, go to www.augsburg.edu/president/initiatives/Commission.pdf. To learn more about events in your area, contact the Alumni and Constituent Relations Office at alumni@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1085. Augsburg in the rankings: • The Princeton Review—one of 152 schools named “2011 Best in the Midwest,” based on excellent academic programs, visits to the schools, and reports from students. • 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction—115 colleges honored for commitment to volunteering, service-learning, and civic engagement. • “Cool Schools,” Sierra magazine’s 2010 rankings of colleges’ sustainability efforts. Augsburg placed number 102 in the top 162 schools across the nation. • Washington Monthly magazine’s 2010 rankings of best master’s universities in the nation, based on contribution to public good in three areas: social mobility (recruiting and graduating low-income students), producing cutting-edge research and scholarship, and community service. Augsburg placed 71 of 100. Grant to support low-income students The Travelers Company selected Augsburg to participate in the Travelers EDGE program, a five-year initiative that focuses on recruitment and retention of low-income students of color from the St. Paul public schools. Augsburg was one of a small number of colleges selected for the program because of its success in recruiting students from underrepresented populations. Pillsbury United Communities Award to Augsburg Pillsbury United Communities in Minneapolis gave its President’s Leadership Award this year to Augsburg College for “outstanding contributions to the Brian Coyle Center and the entire community.” The award especially recognizes MBA student projects, service-learning, community engagement, and initiatives with the Social Work Department. Gordon Nelson’s death is mourned Professor emeritus of sociology Gordon Nelson died on July 6 following complications from a stroke. He taught in the Sociology Department, including serving as chair of the department, from 1967 to his retirement in 2001. For decades he was a DFL activist, elected city official, and an aide to U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo. A memorial service was held in Hoversten Chapel on September 11. Welcome, Class of 2014 The first-year, Class of 2014, is one of the most diverse in Augsburg’s history. 419 first-year students Composition—41% students of color, 43% first-generation college students Gender—185 male (44%), 234 female (56%) Geography—351 Minnesota residents, plus 17 other states and 10 countries Total Augsburg student body—4,109 (2,132 traditional day students, 1,057 weekend undergraduate students, 920 graduate students) Fall 2010 3 “Gabe” retires after 47 years When asked how he prefers to be addressed, music professor Stephen Gabrielsen ’63 always responds, “My friends call me ‘Gabe.’” After 47 years on the music faculty, “Gabe” is retiring in December. At Homecoming in October, many former students, friends, and colleagues celebrated his work and legacy at a tribute concert. In 1963, while still a graduate student at the University of Minnesota, Gabrielsen received an invitation from Music Department chair Leland Sateren to return to teach in Augsburg’s Music Department. Since then, Gabrielsen has also served as College organist and has played organ for chapel every day, which Pastor Dave Wold figures must add up to more than 5,000 services. Gabrielsen was at the organ for Augsburg’s first Advent Vespers service in 1980, and missed only two services in the 30 years since. He fondly recalls that first Advent Vespers service, which succeeded in creating what he and others had hoped for—an unusual spiritual experience through music and liturgy. “From the somber dark of Advent, the service grew to brilliant Christmas light, and down again to peacefully and quietly end … it was just magic.” A new organ for the chapel A high point during Gabrielsen’s tenure at Augsburg was the installation of the Dobson organ in the new Hoversten Chapel in the fall of 1988. “The building of our wonderful organ in the chapel would have to be a MOST exciting [highlight],” he says. “I will always be thankful that the Augsburg Associates financed the organ. They gave me free reign (within reason) to choose which stops would be in the organ. Every organist ought to have such an opportunity!” During the inaugural year of the new organ, Gabrielsen initiated a series of concerts called “Organ Plus” that featured musician colleagues and friends. Because the series grew so popular, Organ Plus became an annual event for the next decade. Gabe’s teaching innovations David Cherwien ’79 recalled at the celebration concert that he and other students often would arrive for one of Gabrielsen’s music classes and find a canon written out on the blackboard. The class would begin with all the students singing in parts. Music professor Merilee Klemp ’75 also remembers those canons as one example of how “Gabe was great at making music real, whether he was teaching theory or President Paul Pribbenow congratulated history—it was just his pracStephen “Gabe” Gabrielsen ’63 as he received tice of making music.” the Spirit of Augsburg award at Homecoming. 4 Augsburg Now Stephen “Gabe” Gabrielsen ’63 has played the organ for daily chapel since Hoversten Chapel opened in 1988. What may be the most vivid in many students’ memories of classes with Gabrielsen, however, were his dreaded “drop the needle” music repertoire tests, which he created as a way to bolster students’ knowledge. Serving the church as organist Gabrielsen is a fellow of the American Guild of Organists and studied at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, Germany, as a Lutheran World Federation scholar. For 50 years he served as church organist in seven metro area Lutheran congregations, including 10 years each at Holy Trinity in Minneapolis and Calvary Lutheran in Golden Valley. In addition, he often played recitals and dedicatory concerts when congregations purchased new organs. Music therapy professor Roberta Kagin was one of many former students and colleagues who offered personal notes to Gabrielsen at the tribute concert. She reflected on the 36 years they shared neighboring offices in Music Hall. The tribute she read to Gabrielsen described the care, devotion, and mentoring that he pays to each of his students. “Years after a student graduated, and we tried to track them down,” Kagin read, “we would always say, ‘Gabe will know’—and you not only remembered the students, but also knew their spouses and children.” At Homecoming Gabrielsen was also honored with the Spirit of Augsburg award (see page 15). In fact, his entire family shares the spirit of Augsburg, as Gabrielsen’s wife, Kathleen ’79, and their two children, Buffy ’89 and Joe ’91, have all attended Augsburg. Gabrielsen grew up in Norwegian communities, where his father, a Norwegian immigrant, was a Lutheran pastor. Many know that Gabe will now have time in retirement to search out and tell more of the Ole and Lena jokes for which he is legendary. Uff da. BETSEY NORGARD Embedded with the National Guard Augsburg’s Center for Democracy and Citizenship collaborates with the Minnesota National Guard to offer opportunities for student journalists to spend a week embedded with the Minnesota National Guard during training exercises. Jenny Avery, a senior majoring in English with a concentration in creative writing, went to the field each day with the soldiers to identify stories, shoot photographs, and conduct interviews. This is one of many examples of students enjoying personal experiences in their learning. A New Universe Courtesy photo by Jenny Avery ’11 24 May, 2010 I had never seen anything like it before. The split second of each fiery explosion was almost disturbingly beautiful as the smoke dispersed into fluffy clouds of ash. Each moment-long eruption took at least 45 minutes to prepare for, which is a generous estimate to say the least. Little did I know that so much preparation would go into a task that one could miss with a blink of an eye. Our van had been driving for about 20 minutes across the grounds where these sorts of exercises are held before we actually found the specific land that this particular event was holding. We parked a ways away though; the remainder of our journey we arrived by foot. I, the four other journalists involved in this embed, and Specialist Cassinos soon enough found the company we were told to meet with. A group of maybe 12 men were grouped near one of the bunkers on top of the hill. When we first laid eyes on the land spread out in front of us, all that could be seen was a plain of grass, a small little hut off in the far distance, and mounds of dirt and sand in between the outstretch of land from the bunkers and the cube-shaped building. About 15 to 20 minutes after we found the National Guardsmen at the bunkers, four enormous M113 vehicles started slinking their way towards us, making their way down the steep hill. We watched as these gargantuan machines lined up in one row facing the hut across the way. The back ramps from each of them slowly lowered themselves to the ground. Emerging then from each vehicle were 13 soldiers, preparing themselves and their equipment for their upcoming mission. I watched as a large, collective group jogged over to the heavilysanded portion of the landscape. Essentially, the mission was to set off the explosions on the land, and eventually inside the house. As the preparation continued, Lieutenant Matthew Sullivan explained to us the layout of what was about to come. “So basically what they’re going to do is breach the mine field here ... breach the wire opposite below, and then breach into the house. And there’s different levels. There’s gaul stage, block stage, and run stage, and for a training scenario it’s gonna be a little slower than what it would be in real life ... a real life operation. A real life operation, we’d be rollin’ in, throwin’ their targets. Boom.” Being such a great distance away from the company below, it was difficult to distinguish what the soldiers were doing precisely, but I got the gist that they were planting the explosives in the field and waiting for the cue to detonate. At some point I even saw a few men crawling across the dirt pit, possibly simulating how one may have to keep hidden in a real circumstance. “… You might wanna cover your ears,” a soldier pointed out. Taking his advice, I temporarily put down my camera and pressed my inner ears with my index and middle fingers. Suddenly I saw a gigantic orb of orange flame burst out from the ground, and a moment later a thunderous rumble shook my entire body. My chest for two seconds felt like it had two hearts inside of it, and then it was all over. Puffy mushrooms of smoke wafted into each other from the aftermath of the explosion. I watched in awe as the cushiony-looking matter spread into thin swirls, eventually disbursing itself evenly to blend back in with its invisible counterpart called air. Around me I overheard conversations from small groups, hearing the words but not registering what they were saying. I was too engulfed in the explosion and the rush that it gave me to even want to try and understand the clearly spoken English emitted from their mouths. Suddenly I saw a gigantic orb of orange flame burst out from the ground, and a moment later a thunderous rumble shook my entire body. My chest for two seconds felt like it had two hearts inside of it, and then it was all over. After the first or second explosion I was able to relocate to the lower bunker, the one closer to the wrecking site. The soldiers in that spot were just as lively if not more so. We cracked jokes about Monty Python and discussed laundry mishaps; for that spot in time we weren’t students and soldiers, we were just people. To read more of Jenny Avery’s story, go to www.augsburg.edu/democracy/videos.html Fall 2010 5 500 years ago in the old church buildings, pilgrim paths, and road markers.” He says that while he went there as a Lutheran pastor, part of a Lutheran Church with all its modern trappings, he came back with a much better understanding of the formation of the early Lutheran movement. “Those monks started Andrew and Sarah Wilson completed the 1,000-mile reading the Bible in a pilgrimage that Martin Luther made to Rome in new way that differed 1510. They presented “Here I Walk” as Augsburg’s Founders Day lectures in November. from the institutional church’s way,” he says. Wiersma’s “Here I Walk” experience caused him to reflect upon Luther’s own experience. Luther’s 1510 pilgrimage brought him to Rome, where he was scandalized by the conduct of clergy and the religious commercialism. Wiersma understood that Luther’s long journey back to Germany would have given the monk a long time to think over and talk about what he witnessed in Rome. Seven years later, he posted the 95 Theses, igniting the Reformation. BETSEY NORGARD Andrew Wilson Scholars of the Reformation gain deep knowledge by studying the writings of Martin Luther, but for Hans Wiersma it also became experiential when he spent four days walking in the footsteps of Luther’s pilgrimage to Rome 500 years ago. Just before fall semester classes began, Wiersma joined the project “Here I Walk,” led by Andrew and Sarah Wilson, two Lutheran ecumenical scholars, who retraced the entire 1,085-mile route walked by Luther from the monastery in Erfurt, Germany, to Rome. Wiersma walked with the Wilsons for 66 miles, from Erfurt to Coburg. Wiersma had met Andrew Wilson at a conference, and what resulted for Wiersma was a fortunate convergence of his disciplinary interest in Reformation studies, his research focus on the early Luther and the Augustinian monks who followed him, and Wiersma’s undergraduate background and continued interest in documentary filmmaking. The modern pilgrims followed the old pilgrim routes, sometimes spotting stone route markers from the 16th century. They followed the traditional rules of pilgrimage—prayers, scripture reading, chores, and conversation. “It gave me a sense of how 16th-century monks traveled,” Wiersma says, “and what it felt like.” He enjoyed the absence of modern distractions. As it was for the early monks, lodging could be found each night, with bigger towns conveniently spaced a day’s walk apart. What Wiersma brought back was an “appreciation of how much Europe is built on its past. It’s still easy to connect with Europe of Religion professor Hans Wiersma joined the “Here I Walk” pilgrimage during its first four days, from Erfurt to Coburg, Germany. 6 Augsburg Now Courtesy photo Here I walk ... Augsburg stands up When Taylor Foster heard that one of her friends had been assaulted because of his sexual orientation this fall, she decided to turn her anger into something positive. Her Facebook event, titled “Stand Up Against Hate,” was the beginning of a show of support that took Foster, and perhaps others in the Augsburg community, by surprise. In her Facebook posting, Foster wrote: As an Auggie and a member of the GLBT [gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender] community, I am outraged at the fact that these acts are being committed at such a diverse and accepting place as Augsburg. For, “The Augsburg experience is supported by an engaged community that is committed to … intentional diversity in its life and work.” Intentional diversity is the key part in that statement. We need to make a statement that we are not going to tolerate hateful acts at Augsburg. We need to make it known that it is okay to be who you are …” Foster created the event expecting only her close friends to join. Just two days after she posted it, more than 600 people had responded to show their support. President Pribbenow, faculty and staff, and alumni across the country joined students and donned a specific color of the rainbow each day of the week of October 4. Students held a rally and prayer service and a march for equality on campus. Several local media outlets came to campus to interview Foster. “All of this attention and support was beyond my wildest dream,” she says. In his weekly update to the community, President Pribbenow wrote about the events. “This past week was especially difficult for our campus community because of the hateful and hurtful acts of some individuals. These actions were contrary to everything we value in honoring one another, as clearly stated in our mission. I’m very proud of our students who took the leadership in standing up for and demonstrating their support for the values we share as a community.” Foster says she feels members of the GLBT community now have a better understanding of how many allies are at Augsburg. She also believes the week of awareness-building activities helped allies and others see how GLBT people face discrimination in their lives. Most importantly, Foster says she hopes the Stand Up Against Hate event will continue to reinforce the message that discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated at Augsburg. “I was more than thrilled to see Augsburg come together as a community and stand up against hate. It made me proud to be an Auggie.” WENDI WHEELER ’06 Fall 2010 7 Exploring separate worlds On an October afternoon when icy winds and rain interrupted an unusually mild autumn, 15 Augsburg students and their professor donned boots, opened umbrellas, and took a stroll down Minneapolis’ Park Avenue. The group began in the Grand Hall of the American Swedish Institute, a Gothic mansion on the corner of Park and 26th, which once was the home of Swan Turnblad. Guided by Nina Clark, ASI’s director of programs and exhibits, they walked toward Franklin Avenue, learning about other historic homes where some of the city’s wealthiest families lived in the early 20th century. The students learned that many of the homes still standing are occupied by social service agencies that serve those without homes, people facing addiction and mental health issues, and immigrant families. This expedition was just one of the ways students were able to see the juxtaposition of poverty and wealth in the city. In “Separate Worlds: Comparing Homelessness and Affluence in the United States,” associate sociology professor Tim Pippert hopes to help students understand the variables of economic and housing stability. Through a combination of readings, speakers, and involvement in service projects, students learn about housing, financial stability, social networks, and the trend of increased homelessness in the United States. Hearing many different viewpoints, Pippert believes, will help students recognize and appreciate the reasons behind the increasing gap between the wealthy and the poor. Students will also hear from a variety of speakers throughout the semester, helping them to better understand the people and the issues. Youth and family ministry major Justin Daleiden says, “City council member Cam Gordon came into our class so we could discuss how homelessness is affecting our very neighborhood. Hearing these speakers from our city makes the subject a little more palatable.” “Being accepted to Augsburg was one of the best things that has ever happened in my life, and when people ask where I’m from, I say that I’m from Augsburg because this really is my home.” In addition to classroom work, these students are actively involved in the community by volunteering at places such as Peace House and Secure Waiting. Perhaps their biggest connection is with St. Stephen’s Human Services, whose mission is to end homelessness. “We’re beyond the classroom … in all sorts of arenas that this city offers,” Pippert says. These outside experiences help students relate what they are learning in the classroom to real people and present-day issues. 8 Augsburg Now Some of the homes of Minneapolis’ wealthiest families now serve as social service agencies. The Sumner T. McKnight mansion at 2200 Park Avenue is home to American Indian Services. “I think this is a great example in which we are able to learn about a specific topic and serve the community at the same time. I think more courses should incorporate some kind of service work like this one,” Daleiden says. Veronica Berg, a sophomore social work major, has a particular interest in Pippert’s course—before she came to Augsburg last fall, Berg was homeless. She says the class has given her insight into aspects of homelessness that she didn't encounter because of her age and the paths she chose. “I feel validated in this class, learning that my experiences haven’t been that strange and reading about individuals who have walked some of the same paths as me.” Berg says she is grateful for the support of faculty and staff at Augsburg and also for the opportunities she has received in college. “Being accepted to Augsburg was one of the best things that has ever happened in my life, and when people ask where I’m from, I say that I’m from Augsburg because this really is my home,” Berg says. For their final projects, students will compare the differences— social and physical—between the lives of the affluent and people who are without homes. Pippert hopes that through this course, students will develop a deeper understanding of how increasingly stratified American society is and think about ways to mitigate what he sees as a damaging and unjust trend. KATELYN DANELSKI ’13 AND WENDI WHEELER ’06 Auggies on the course Ladies of the links lift the team There was a time not all that long ago when simply getting enough players to field a complete team was a challenge for the Augsburg women’s golf program. As a result, the on-course performance of the Auggies wasn’t where it might have been. Johanna Frykmark (left below) and Stef Zappa (right below) have changed that. The two seniors have brought stability, seriousness, and increased levels of success to Augsburg’s women’s golf program. They have both been All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) selections, both have shown great im- provement on the course, and both will graduate at the end of this semester after three-and-a-half years on campus. “Without them, our team wouldn’t be anywhere near where we are now,” coach Ted Vickerman says. “They’ve really changed the mentality to where we want to do our best. We’re beating teams.” The two take pride in how the program has changed during their tenure. “Our first year, we were last in the conference, but we had fun doing it,” Zappa says. “Everybody’s improved. Both of us have had five or six stokes (average per round) of improvement.” At the MIAC championship meet—her final collegiate event—in early October, Zappa became the first Augsburg women’s golfer to earn multiple All-MIAC honors, finishing seventh, the highest-ever finish for an Auggie at the MIAC championships. Johanna Frykmark finished in 25th place and joins Zappa as the second of three Auggie women’s golfers to record 25th-orbetter finishes in three MIAC meets. Both appreciate their time at Augsburg and the role golf has played in their Auggie experience. “My first year was pretty rough,” Frykmark says. “I had a hard time fitting in and I missed home a lot. I’ve changed so much as a person since I came here. The golf team was a big part of that; they were my second family when I got here.” After completing her degree in international business and business management, Frykmark hopes to find a position with an international company that does business both in the U.S. and in her native Sweden. Zappa is on her way to becoming a teacher, spending this semester student-teaching first- and second-graders at Barton Open School in South Minneapolis. She’s also helping to coach volleyball at Minneapolis South High School. While that’s a heavy load, Zappa wasn’t going to walk away from the golf team. Zappa—who had a hole-in-one on her 20th birthday during a tournament at Carleton— didn’t practice with the team as often this fall as she would have liked. Instead, she practiced in the evenings and remained one of the team’s top golfers—that is, on a team much more stable than before Zappa and Frykmark arrived on campus. JEFF SHELMAN is the former director of media relations in the Marketing and Communication Office. Fall 2010 9 auggie voices Coach Holker becomes an Auggie Greg Holker knows that his class ring from Gustavus Adolphus College is in a box at his house. And he’s pretty sure he knows where his diploma is. But that is it. Those are the only tangible things the Augsburg men’s soccer coach has left from his time both as a player and as an assistant coach in St. Peter, Minn. Holker openly admits he didn’t think that was going to be the case when he took over the Auggie program in 2004. His goal was pretty simple: make Augsburg respectable, win some games, and put himself in position to become the next Gustavus coach. “I had a five-year plan,” he says. “I thought I’d be here three years and I’d be out.” But something happened along the way to mess up those plans—Holker became an Auggie. “The institution has evolved significantly over the six years I’ve been here and I’ve changed as well,” Holker says. “I started to embrace the institution and our work.” He also had success. In 2006 Holker led Augsburg’s men’s soccer team to a 13-victory season and a first-ever Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) playoff berth. In 2008 Augsburg reached the NCAA tournament for the first time in school history and reached the Sweet 16 before losing to Loras College in two overtimes. This past spring, however, brought out the truest example that Holker had genuinely become an Auggie. When the head soccer coach position at Gustavus opened, Holker was approached about the job and spent a day in St. Peter. Before the search moved any farther along, however, Holker pulled out of consideration. And this year, following a record-breaking season for men’s soccer, Holker was named MIAC Coach of the Year, and sophomore Chad Gilmer was named MIAC Player of the Year. The team won the MIAC playoff championship and advanced to the national tournament for the second time. It won the first round, but lost to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the second round. “At the end of the day, this is where I want to be,” Holker says. “I like being in the city and I like that there’s a very true identity here. I think I’m 100% in love with what this institution does. Seven years ago, this was a job. Now, it's a part of me.” And now he’s an Auggie. JEFF SHELMAN is the former director of media relations in the Marketing and Communication Office. 10 Augsburg Now it takes an Auggie The student Phonathon—Dialing for Augsburg dollars ON ANY GIVEN NIGHT, alumni and friends of Augsburg might receive a call from a student who is working to secure donations to The Augsburg Fund. We asked some of the student callers to share their experiences and knowledge with our readers. COMPILED BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 Chris Fleming ’12 Psychology/Sociology major, Spanish minor First year as a student caller Q. What would you like students and alumni to know about giving back to Augsburg? A. When you do become an alum, remember that while you were in school someone made a way for you to get through college. Remember to always give back to the community that gave to you. I know we all say, “Well I will come back to visit and volunteer my time,” but sometimes you must go beyond. If you dig deep to give a few dollars to support another student, they will be able to give back when they graduate. It’s a domino effect. Elisabeth Clemans ’11 Pa Dao Yang ’11 Social work major, psychology minor Has been a caller for four years Sociology major Has been a caller for four years Q. Why should alumni and friends support The Augsburg Fund? Q. What have you learned about Augsburg through this work? A. I am a recipient of financial aid at Augsburg, so I want to thank all the alumni, parents, and friends who give to The Augsburg Fund. It’s really important for students like me because every gift increases the percentage of alumni who give back. That makes the College more reputable and helps me get a job after I graduate! A. What I have learned while working at The Augsburg Fund is the importance of keeping the alumni updated on Augsburg. For example, I talk about the new Oren Gateway Center or speak about events such as the chocolate tasting event at the History Center. It’s fun to talk to alumni about what is happening on campus and to listen to them speak about their experiences. Ember Russell ’11 Elementary education major Has been a caller for two years Q. Have you had any especially memorable calls? A. I was talking with a lady who had studied elementary education. It was really interesting to hear how much the Education Department has changed! She gave me amazing advice on what to do when I graduate. I really enjoyed the call, and she made her very first donation to The Augsburg Fund! Fall 2010 11 homecoming go 12 Augsburg Now auggies! experience it! Fall 2010 13 taste of augsburg 14 Augsburg Now 2010 alumni awards Distinguished Alumni Robert Hanson ’68 A distinguished teacher in bio-organic and medicinal chemistry researche at Northeastern University. “Our three Augsburg wisemen were [Earl] Alton, [Courtland] Agre, and [John] Holum, and their gifts to us were: inspiring us to go far, preparing us with the intellectual and emotional skills to do that, and a dedication to service.” Don ’53 and Beverly (Halling) ’55 Oren Owners of Dart Transit, a transportation company nationally-recognized for leadership, innovation, and promotion of safety for its drivers. “You can choose a career in business and still contribute to society, and you can make a difference.” … “We met here, and that outweighs all other benefits the school had to offer.” First Decade Awards Morgan Davidsen ’00 Internationallyawarded filmmaker who recalls a special moment on the soccer field before a match after just hearing he had the lead in the next theatre production. “Thank you for being part of the greatest picture of my life.” “Augsburg gave me a place to listen and it taught me how to listen.” Stephen Gabrielsen ’63 College organist, music professor, and mentor to hundreds of students and alumni for 47 years. “My delight in being chosen is more significant when I consider all the people who could be standing here—dozens and dozens of students who have helped me become what I am.” Nicolas Thomley ’06 MBA CEO of Pinnacle Services, a successful company now employing 600 people; Marine Corps veteran, political candidate, and world traveler. “I’ve chosen to live an unconventional life—for me, it’s about pursuing my dreams, doing what I’ve wanted to.” Jack Osberg ’62 Retired head football coach, teacher, and mentor who brought the football program to its best season in history and continues to feel the spirit of Augsburg shape his life. “The spirit of Augsburg moves through its people.” Athletic Hall of Fame Richard Spratt ’74 Congratulations to the alumni who have been inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame: Social worker dedicated to connecting people with community resources; adjunct instructor in Social Work Department. Jean Taylor Respected corporate CEO and leader; former Augsburg Board of Regents chair. Learned at Augsburg how to listen to what her life tells her and about values she holds. Spirit of Augsburg Awards • John Beatty ’91, wrestling • Reed Boltmann ’88, football/baseball • Jeff Dainty ’90, baseball • Brian DeClercq ’81 (posthumously), men’s hockey An African proverb says, “If you want to walk fast, walk alone. If you want to walk far, walk together.” • Natasha Hamann ’99, volleyball/women’s golf • Ann Knutson Brovold ’74, gymnastics • Astrid Larssen ’97, women’s soccer/women’s track and field For the bios and more information about this year’s alumni award winners, go to www.augsburg.edu/now • Tom Weidner ’84, football • Don Wichmann ’89, wrestling Fall 2010 15 Augsburg dedicates Ed Saugestad Rink During Homecoming 2010, Augsburg officially named its main competition rink in honor of Ed Saugestad ’59, the coach who led the Auggies to national prominence in men’s ice hockey during his storied career. At the Oct. 16 ceremony, Auggies were able to see the changes that took place in the arena in preparation for the dedication. One change in the rink that fans will notice during the season was the addition of three murals depicting the Saugestad legacy as well as the history of men’s and women’s hockey at Augsburg College. Saugestad began his coaching career during his senior year, 1958, and coached the Auggies until 1996, compiling a 503-354-21 record. His Auggies won Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) titles six straight years (197782), qualified for national tournament play 10 times, and won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship in 1978, 1981, and 1982. He coached 22 AllAmericans during his Augsburg career. Saugestad was named NAIA National Coach of the Year three times and MIAC Coach of the Year six times. 16 16 Augsburg Now ed saugestad ’59 augsburg hockey Augsburg Men’s Hockey Augsburg Women’s Hockey Augsburg College has had a long history of excellence in men’s hockey. The Auggie program dates to the mid-1920s, as one of the early entrants in MIAC play. The Auggies won state titles in both 1927 and 1928 coached by future U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Nick Kahler. After not fielding teams from the late 1920s to the late 1940s, the program finally was reestablished under coach Ed Saugestad, who actually began his head coaching duties while still a student at Augsburg in 1958. Under Saugestad, the Auggie program thrived, winning MIAC titles six years in a row (1977-82), while winning National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national titles in 1978, 1981, and 1982. The Auggies have made appearances in national tournaments seven times in school history (five NAIA, two NCAA). After Saugestad retired, Mike Schwartz was named head coach in 1996, and he led the team to conference regular-season and playoff titles, and a berth in the NCAA Division III national championships in the 1997-98 season. Schwartz compiled a 124-11030 record during his Augsburg coaching tenure, and teams he coached made appearances in the MIAC postseason playoffs six times. Chris Brown was named the program’s head coach in 2006, and he has led the Auggies to MIAC playoff berths in three of the last four seasons. In 1995, Augsburg College made history by establishing the first intercollegiate women’s hockey program in the Midwest. The Auggies were one of the dominant teams in the early history of women’s hockey in Minnesota, winning Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular-season titles in 1998-99 and 1999-2000, and the conference playoff title in 1999-2000. In 2000, the Auggies made history again, qualifying to compete in the first Division III women’s hockey national championship series, the American Women’s College Hockey Alliance tournament in Boston against Middlebury (Vt.). Over the first 15 seasons of Augsburg’s women’s hockey history, the Auggies have a 171-177-30 all-time record. A total of 150 players have competed as part of the Augsburg women’s hockey program in its first 15 seasons, all under head coach Jill Pohtilla. Pohtilla finished her career third among all National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III women’s hockey coaches in career victories and 20th among all collegiate women’s hockey coaches in victories. Michelle McAteer was named the second head coach in program history in 2010. Hockey murals by Stephen Geffre Fall 2010 17 She loves being an Auggie… Many who make the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela today take a scallop shell from the beaches of Galicia, where St. James is buried, to commemorate their journey. The shells served as the medieval equivalent of a water bottle for travelers and became a symbol of the route. Martha Stortz, however, did not keep a souvenir when she made the pilgrimage. At the occasion of her inauguration as the Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation, Augsburg gifted her with a shell and a painting of the apostle James by Peter Brandes [background]. Brandes calls St. James the “pilgrims’ apostle.” BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 18 Augsburg Now Meet Martha Stortz Shortly after she settled into her new home in Minneapolis, Martha Stortz (she prefers to be called Marty) did four things: she became a member of the Seward Co-op, she joined the Midtown YWCA, she took her bicycle in for “retooling” at the Hub, and she took herself on walking tours of the Seward, Longfellow, and Downtown East neighborhoods. And those activities, along with a genuine love for the city and an infectious enthusiasm for Augsburg’s mission, are what make her a true Auggie. Stortz came to Augsburg this summer as the second Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation. She succeeds David Tiede, who retired and subsequently took a position as interim president of Wartburg Theological Seminary. The Christensen Chair holds multiple responsibilities including teaching in the Religion Department, serving as counsel to the president and Board of Regents, and chairing the advisory council for the Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning. Furthermore, the chair plays a fundamental role in the interpretation and advancement of Augsburg’s institutional vocation, its calling as a college. Stortz says she is honored to be at Augsburg and excited about her role in the College’s work. “I was quite taken with everything that you’re doing,” she says. “I love this city. This is a college in and for and with the city.” Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow says Stortz’ appointment affirms Augsburg’s vision and direction. “I am grateful for the experience and wisdom Professor Stortz brings to this important position, and for the leadership she will provide as we continue to explore what it means to be a Lutheran college in the city,” he says. Stortz served as a member of the core doctoral faculty at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., and taught for 29 years at the Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. She is an acclaimed scholar, teacher, and leader in the realms of the church, academia, and society at large. Her interest in the Christian pilgrimage has been an important part of Stortz’ personal and scholarly life. She has hiked part of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela, the Way of St. James, in Spain. She and a colleague have also joined two groups—one in El Salvador and another in Mexico City—as they explore post-modern “pilgrimages” through educational immersion experiences. Though some might question her move from California to Minnesota, from theological education to higher education, and from seminary to college, Stortz feels as though she’s called to be at Augsburg and to bring her connections, an eagerness to share the College’s story with the community, and a commitment to her position. She believes that her experience in circles of theological education and religion and education will bring some meaningful connections to Augsburg. “I’m very enthusiastic about what’s going on here, and I think my key role is to make sure everyone knows what is going on.” “I’m eager to communicate Augsburg’s vision and its sense of a living and lively tradition that is engaged with the city, the community, and the world. I’ve been a writer, speaker, and teacher, and I would now harness those gifts in service of the College’s vocation.” When questioned about her decision, Stortz says, “I say to my friends, ‘You don’t know the Twin Cities, you don’t know how exciting it is to have colleagues in other disciplines and how vibrant those multidisciplinary conversations can be, and you don’t know Augsburg.’” Fall 2010 19 Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation Inaugural Address EXCERPTS FROM MARTHA STORTZ’ INAUGURAL ADDRESS, “LOCATION, LOCATION, VOCATION” “Tell me the landscape you inhabit, and I will tell you who you are.” —Jose Ortega y Gassett However much we claim space, making it our own, space also claims us, telling us who we are. Location shapes identity and gives the people who inhabit it a distinctive vocation or calling. Like the Irish monks, we too live accordingly. I want to look at three dimensions of Augsburg’s location—physical, historical, and spiritual—and probe how it shapes a vocation or calling that is distinctive to this College. Physical location … Augsburg is a college in, with, and for the city … [its] urban location is now central to the College’s identity. The Christensen Center and Memorial Hall do not square off an academic quadrangle; rather, the space between them opens to a public park. The plan for the new Center for Science, Business, and Religion … does not feature a closed quad; rather, it imitates the freeway. As the freeway enables crosstown traffic between the cities, so this new building opens to the neighborhood; it invites cross-campus traffic and cross-disciplinary conversation. Historical location The College was founded by the Free Church Norwegian Lutheran immigrants who settled in the Cedar Riverside area in the mid1800s—and never forgot that they’d been strangers in a strange land … Consonant with that history, the College has welcomed the various immigrant groups that make up this neighborhood: Hmong, Somali, Ethiopian, Eritrean. Moreover, Augsburg consistently saw itself as an institution of higher learning that provided access and excellence to students who simply couldn’t pay higher fees of other private schools. At times when it would have made more financial sense to go after wealthier families and their children, Augsburg elected to be faithful to its historic base. Spiritual location A tradition is not a museum piece, but a lively argument with the past, and throughout its history, Augsburg has loved a good fight. Incarnation and the neighbor stand as signal emphases of this tradition, the first witnessing to the fact that God entered the human condition—to the max. At its best, Lutheranism is a tradition that has always leaned into the neighbor, always learned from the neighbor, and always looked to the neighbor to supply that unexpected bolt of grace that makes all things new (Revelation 21:5). The Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning In the spring of 2002, the Lilly Endowment, Inc. awarded Augsburg College a $2 million grant to expand the College’s commitment to connecting faith and learning. As a result, Augsburg developed and implemented the Exploring Our Gifts program. After four years of successful programming (2002-2006), the Lilly Endowment awarded Augsburg a generous sustainability grant, matched by the College, to help support the project for an additional three years (2006-2009). As a direct result of the success and positive impact of Exploring Our Gifts, Augsburg College is committed to continuing this important work beyond the life of the Lilly grant. To this end, the College has created the Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning (ACFL) to embody and build upon the convictions at the heart of Augsburg’s educational mission: “… to educate students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.” The work of the Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning is guided by the lessons of Bernhard M. Christensen, president of Augsburg from 1938 to 1962. Christensen taught that: • Christian faith liberates minds and lives • Diversity strengthens vital communities • Interfaith friendships enrich learning • The love of Christ draws us to God • We are called to service in the world The Center’s work focuses on three areas of activity: 1. Student and alumni engagement—Supporting discovery and development of talents and gifts, discernment of vocation, and exploration of calling 2. Faculty and staff leadership—Developing curricular and programmatic offerings to guide the theological exploration of vocation 3. Public witness and outreach—Promoting Augsburg’s leadership in the pursuit and realization of individual and institutional calling For more information about the Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning, or to read the full inaugural address and other presentations from the 2010 Christensen Symposium, go to www.augsburg.edu/now 20 Augsburg Now Sammie Guck, Christensen Scholar WHEN SENIOR SAMMIE GUCK sees another Christensen Scholar on campus, she greets them with a simple but reverent, “Scholar.” “It’s just our way of acknowledging each other when we are out in the world,” Guck says. Guck is one of 10 students involved in the Christensen Scholar program. Named for Bernhard Christensen, Augsburg’s president from 1938 to 1962, the year-long seminar helps students explore the Lutheran concept of vocation and define their own calling. Every year 10 junior or senior students are selected for the Christensen Scholar program, which is sponsored by the Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning. The heart of the program is a monthly three-hour seminar devoted to texts drawn from the Judeo-Christian tradition. Authors include biblical texts, Augustine, Luther, and Flannery O'Connor. Topics can range from religious pluralism to the art of prayer. A philosophy major and religion minor, Guck says she appreciates the discussion-based seminar and the free exchange of ideas that happens among the scholars. “It’s not a professor saying, ‘Let me tell you what you should know.’” She adds that the scholars, who represent several different faith traditions, are very respectful of each other’s ideas and backgrounds. “It’s a great environment to share and explore,” she says. Guck says she is having a “senior year vocational crisis.” She met with religion professor Mark Tranvik, who leads the scholar seminar, to discuss the idea of vocation. “I grew up Catholic, so I have a different understanding of vocation than the Lutheran concept,” she says. Together Guck and Tranvik explored different ways that a person of faith can live out his or her vocation. “I realized that vocation doesn’t have to be one set thing, it can always be changing,” she says. Guck was considering graduate school but does not think she will begin immediately after graduation. Instead, she is looking into other ways that she can express her vocation through a career in editing or publishing. Whether she’s pursuing her master’s degree or working in a publishing house, two things are fairly certain for this Auggie. One—even after she graduates from Augsburg, she will continue to discern what her vocation is and how to make it a part of her life. And two—if she sees another Christensen Scholar walking down the street, they are sure to greet each other with the brief acknowledgement of the conversations they had at Augsburg. 21 Augsburg Now Fall 2010 21 Understanding healthcare R E F O R M BY BETSEY NORGARD On March 23, 2010, President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It’s complex, difficult-to-understand legislation and is the product of an extremely contentious political process. On October 15, at its fifth public policy forum, Augsburg’s Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning hosted a forum to decode and discuss the challenges and opportunities this legislation presents for Minnesota and the nation—that is, how the current healthcare system will change. The symposium was moderated by retired U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo and presented speakers who are leaders in the healthcare field. Donna Zimmerman, senior vice president of government and community relations at HealthPartners in Minneapolis, addressed the overall scope of the law and focused on the impact of provisions concerning changes to insurance coverage. “It is a major task to think about how to explain this major piece of legacy legislation our Congress has passed,” Zimmerman said. “I’ll try to demystify this big bill, and focus on what’s important for us in Minnesota.” Her presentation explained various provisions of the act that have already taken effect or are being phased in shortly; for example, extension of benefits to dependent children up to age 26, adding more preventive care without costsharing by consumers, and prohibition on insurance denial to children under age 19 for pre-existing conditions. Dr. Sanne Magnan, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Health, spoke about changes to health care itself and the interface with Vision Minnesota, Min- Demystifying the new healthcare legislation was the focus of the Sabo Center Public Policy Symposium on October 15. Panelists were (L to R) Martin Sabo ’59, moderator; Donna Zimmerman, HealthPartners; Dr. Sanne Magnan, Minnesota Department of Health; and Dr. Bruce Amundson ’60, Community Health Innovations, Inc. nesota’s reform passed in 2008. Her message was that the federal reforms will not have as radical an effect in Minnesota as in some states because Minnesota’s quality and delivery of health care are already consistently higher than in many states. She spoke about how Minnesota is coordinating with federal initiatives to influence how health reform is implemented, “so that we can build on the innovative strategies Minnesota has been doing as well as learn from other states who have been doing health reform.” She compared provisions for reform in the new federal law with similar provisions in Vision Minnesota and showed how a number of them are already being implemented in this state. Magnan also explained that much of the difficulty in enacting reform stems from how the current healthcare system was set up. The incentives and payments for health care are made to doctors and providers for treatment of illness, and not for promotion and maintenance of health. Payment is made for office visits, hospitalization, tests, procedures, and drugs, rather than for better management of chronic disease, prevention, and promotion of wellness. Dr. Bruce Amundson ’60, president of Community Health Innovators, Inc. and assistant professor at the University of Washington School of Medicine, spoke about his longtime work to seek reform in the healthcare delivery system to provide everyone with easy access to a team of healthcare professionals who can provide comprehensive care at lower costs. Amundson offered a vision of the optimal healthcare model (see next page) that focuses on a team approach to ongoing, primary care in clinics, which includes clinical care as well as services in other areas that affect health. These clinics or “medical homes” must then be part of, or connected to, a system that includes specialty-care and hospital and emergency services. Sabo Center Public Policy Symposium 2010 Healthcare Reform: What Will It Mean for You (and the Nation)? October 15, 2010 Panel Participants: DONNA ZIMMERMAN, Senior Vice President of Government and Community Relations, HealthPartners DR. SANNE MAGNAN, Commissioner, Minnesota Department of Health DR. BRUCE AMUNDSON ’60, President, Community Health Innovations, Inc., and Assistant Professor, University of Washington School of Medicine MARTIN SABO ’59, Moderator; U.S. House of Representatives, 1978–2006 HEALTHCARE 22 Augsburg Now To see the slides from these presentations and view the video of the symposium, go to www.augsburg.edu/now E BY DR. BRUCE AMUNDSON ’60 What is ideal healthcare delivery? The recent health reform legislation primarily focuses on helping more people get health insurance and on addressing some insurance injustices. It does not systematically address delivery system reform—how you receive health care—but elements of the act do support ongoing reform efforts. To understand this, you must have a clearer picture of what clinical and healthcare leaders see as a “reformed delivery system” and what we have been working towards—for years. Within the past few years a growing agreement has emerged on what an optimal delivery system should look like, both to be able to provide excellent and comprehensive care and to reduce costs. These are the key elements: First, your health care must be anchored by primary care clinicians—physicians (family practice, general internal medicine, pediatricians), nurse practitioners, and physician assistants. This ensures that you have a personal ongoing relationship with a clinician who is the “general contractor” for your health issues and who is your trusted partner. Second, you should be part of a clinic or system that provides a “medical home” with your primary clinician. Your medical home must serve as the first stop for ANY health issues that arise, short of critical emergencies. Further, your medical home should have: • An electronic health record to ensure immediate access to your history for all who treat you wherever they are located • More convenient access to your clinicians—same-day appointments, expanded hours, e-mail to your clinicians • Management of all referrals to specialists and other services you may need, ensuring coordination and avoiding duplication • Systematic management of common chronic diseases • Case management for people with complex and/or multiple health issues including monitoring of prescription drugs • Healthcare teams to expand clinical competency and services The emergence of primary care teams is one of the most important developments in recent years. I would describe the “optimal primary care team” as comprised of: • Primary care clinicians (physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants) • Mental health clinician • Social worker with family therapy skills • Nurse case manager for patients with complex conditions • Chronic disease care nurse • Patient educator • Pharmacist • Physical therapist or massage therapist Research has shown that with this range of skills a clinic or medical home can competently handle 80% or more of the health problems that it receives. It can care for the whole person and meet total needs. This is a radical change, but examples of this model now exist across the country. The third component is that every clinic or medical home must be part of an organized system of care that includes most specialty physicians, hospital and ER services, and other important services. If not within the same organization, at least there must be formal ties and relationships between the medical home and these other elements of a comprehensive healthcare system. Because our human condition is complex, people are affected by physical issues, mental health problems, family dysfunction, substance abuse, environmental exposures— and often a combination or all of the above. Clinical care is, therefore, also very complex if it is going to be relevant to the person’s needs and holistic in its aims. The combination of knowledge and skills represented in the optimal team described above brings the healthcare delivery system closer in alignment with human needs, with the foundation being “relationship-based” (versus “diseaseoriented”) care. The reform legislation recognizes the work by clinicians and leaders in defining what we seek as health reform goals. While it does not fundamentally change the current healthcare delivery system, it supports clinician-led reform by: • Recognizing the role of primary care clinicians and increasing financial support for training them • Providing bonus payments for care management of Medicare and Medicaid enrollees when needed • Providing financial incentives for establishing organized systems of care • Expanding wellness and preventive coverage in insurance plans • Funding research on the clinical effectiveness of various treatments • Creating a Center of Innovation The legislation is not radical. It builds on our current private insurance and delivery systems. It may not be able to address cost issues, but it does represent a huge step toward ensuring universal insurance coverage and a more effective delivery system. It also must be seen as a move to narrow the gap between healthcare “haves” and “have nots.” While there’s an immense amount of work ahead, it’s critical to understand that for clinicians and most healthcare leaders, there is no turning back. The whiff of something better, a humanizing system, is in the air and a national reform process is underway. I could not be more hopeful. Dr. Bruce Amundson ’60 is president of Community Health Innovations, Inc. in Shoreline, Wash. Fall 2010 23 Reflection by Adam Spanier ’12, film and English major Reflection by Khalid Adam ’12, economics major and Sabo Scholar I do not plan on becoming a doctor, a pharmacist, or anything else in the medical field, and I am no expert regarding topics like health insurance. Yet, the new healthcare system will affect me and everyone else in this country. In today’s tense political climate of rumored complete government takeover, socialized medicine, and “death panels,” misinformation consumes the media. This is precisely why it is important to sift out all of the ridiculous rumors and myths of the new healthcare bill in order to find some truth and understanding. And this is precisely why events like the Sabo healthcare symposium are important. As a Sabo Scholar, but perhaps more importantly, as an ill-informed citizen, I attended the Sabo healthcare symposium. Fortunately, the symposium panelists were all qualified experts of health care; there was no dumbing down or oversimplification of the topic as is evident on the 24-hour news channels. There was a bit of information I did not fully comprehend; however, I can safely admit that I walked away from the symposium knowing much more about the topic. Fortunately, it’s comforting to know that the very people I will directly depend on for my medical needs were involved in this discussion—doctors, nurses, health professionals, and other people involved in the medical field participated in the symposium. Events such as the Sabo healthcare symposium are exactly what this country needs right now. We need to stop arguing and have more conversations. Similar events are important because it will bring us together to better understand complex topics, and it will allow us to make more informed decisions in the future. So just why has health care spending gone out of control in the U.S., consuming nearly a sixth of gross domestic product (GDP) spending in 2008? Liberals say it’s the health insurance companies’ greed and the government’s inability to contain costs and to regulate the employer market for health insurance. Meanwhile, conservatives argue that it’s too much regulation, citing the growing budgets of government welfare programs like Medicare and Medicaid. They also cite overuse of healthcare resources as the main problem, making the problem of health care a “volume-control issue.” Despite these differing viewpoints, a few observations are unarguably universal: • The science of health care has advanced rapidly in the last 60 years, which has affected prices of medical inputs. • The increased health costs, outpacing growth in GDP, have adverse effects on the economic outcomes on industries with large percentage of workers with ESI (Employer Sponsored Insurance); this results in the loss of output and a de facto loss of jobs in those industries. • The current trend in the growth of per capita GDP spent on health care is unsustainable in the long term. Health spending in the U.S. has increased dramatically in the course of the past 50 years, from $27.5 billion in 1960 to $912.6 billion in 1993, and to a mind-boggling $2.4 trillion in 2008. It is projected to reach $4.3 trillion by 2017. To read more of Adam’s paper from his research on healthcare costs, go to www.augsburg.edu/now. Reflection by Phong Le ’13 PA As a first year physician assistant (PA) student, I’m usually busy studying and spending any spare time with my family. Thus I’m afraid to admit I’ve not kept up with the latest news. I attended the 2010 healthcare reform symposium hoping to gain a better understanding of the reform and how it will impact my future as a PA. According to the HealthPartners presenter, the reform will increase insurance coverage to 32 million more Americans. Thus, demand for care will greatly exceed the supply of doctors. In addition, there is also pressure to find a high value but low cost delivery system. According to Dr. Bruce Amundson, these factors have led to a consensus of a team approach in which PAs and nurse practitioners (NPs) will largely fill the demand gap while still able to keep costs low. I was feeling pretty good about my job prospects as I listened to the presenters. However, numerous questions began to emerge as I thought beyond graduation. How far will the trickle-down effect from doctors to PAs and NPs to nurses to healthcare technicians go to increase care volume while decreasing cost? Will money dictate the quality or type of care I provide? Will I be forced to choose between quantity and quality daily? I left the symposium with more questions than answers. One thing I do know for sure is that the reform will happen whether we like it or not, and I believe that any movement toward increased access to care is great. However we should proceed with caution and responsibility to ensure we don’t compromise the quality of care in the process. This drives me to stay informed and involved so that, hopefully, we PAs as a group can help to shape and guide this inevitable health reform. HEALTHCARE 24 Augsburg Now Celebrating our SUCCESS BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 At Augsburg College, we don’t have a lot of traditions. Sure, we have Homecoming every year, and we’ve marked the holiday season with Advent Vespers for the past 30 years. But there’s no annual canceling of classes so that students can go to a local park to hear bands and eat bratwurst. President Pribbenow doesn’t trade places with a student for a day every year. And though we have some important athletic rivalries, none are so longstanding that the matchups attract fans far and wide. There is one thing, however, that Augsburg has done quite well for a long time: we are very adept at the Lutheran Scandinavian practice of not boasting about our accomplishments. Now, after years of celebrating achievements with an occasional internal announcement or a round of applause during daily chapel, we’ve decided it is time for our practice of humility to change. Fall 2010 25 Shift in expectations In the past, Augsburg’s tendency toward humility has kept our students from applying for national scholarships or to graduate school. But that trend is changing, thanks in part to the work of one woman—Dixie Shafer. As director of Augsburg’s office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO), Shafer gives pep talks, takes her trademark green pen to students’ personal statements, and shepherds them through the often daunting graduate school application process. For a small, private college, Augsburg has an impressive résumé of national fellowships and scholarships. In 2010 alone, four Augsburg students were awarded Fulbright scholarships, bringing the total to nine awardees in the last four years, and Augsburg was recently named to The Chronicle of Higher Education list of top Fulbright-producing schools. Five students received Gilman scholarships for the 2010-11 academic year, and in 2009 one Augsburg student became the seventh Auggie to receive a Goldwater scholarship. And in 2008, lest we forget, Augsburg added its first Rhodes Scholar to the list of student achievements. Shafer’s work involves helping students conduct faculty-led research during the summer and school year, advising on the graduate and professional school application process, and helping students apply for fellowships and national competitions. In general, Shafer says she sees students who don’t believe they can be competitive at a national level. “I rarely meet a student who thinks that,” she adds. “We have a pretty humble group of students.” But she acknowledges the slow cultural 26 Augsburg Now Dixie Shafer, URGO director, holds a “bouquet” given to her by Brian Krohn ’08. Krohn fashioned the flowers from drafts of his Rhodes application essays. shift in expectations. “We have more students applying for national fellowships and more receiving them, and that allows others to know that they can do it.” Not just for elite schools Katie MacAulay ’08 was one of the humble students Shafer typically meets. In her junior year, she was studying abroad in Argentina and read a story about two Augsburg students who received Fulbright fellowships. “I had assumed it was a fellowship of the elite schools, one in which a smalltown, Midwestern girl with a relatively average résumé would be of little competition,” she says. But the article in- spired MacAulay, and she made an appointment to meet with Shafer on the day she returned to Augsburg. “Dixie handed me the Fulbright information book and told me to decide whether or not I was serious about applying. As she put it, ‘Once you start, there’s no turning back.’” MacAulay says her desire to apply was motivated out of curiosity to test her beliefs about Fulbrights being only for students from “prestigious” schools and to challenge personal feelings of inadequacy. “Dixie helped me realize that, although I maybe didn’t feel like I had the background, I certainly had the foreground.” Through the application process, MacAulay says, “I realized that your socioeconomic status and upbringing don’t play as large of a role in defining who you are and what you become.” That insight inspired her to stop feeling inadequate in comparison to others and gave her the motivation to challenge her own boundaries. In November, MacAulay completed a 10-month grant as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) in Terengganu, Malaysia. She says it has been the best experience of her life and a gift that will continue to benefit her in the future. “I am of the opinion that you can never have too many options. Be realistic about yourself, but don’t doubt your own uniqueness and abilities,” MacAulay says. She encourages other Augsburg students to apply for national fellowships and programs and to challenge their own ideas about being competitive at a national level. Educating the whole person Tina (Quick) Sandy ’08 is another student whose path was guided by Shafer’s counsel and by the gentle insistence of a few determined history professors. A first-generation student who says she almost didn’t come to Augsburg, Sandy is in her third year at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul. At the end of her second year at Augsburg, Sandy saw a poster advertising the URGO summer research program. This program provides a stipend and housing for students who spend 200-400 hours of their summer conducting research under the supervision of a faculty member. To apply to the program, students must submit a research proposal. Sandy was reading the poster just days before the application was due. She had been taking a history class from Michael Lansing. “He pulled me aside one day and asked if I had consid- Tina Sandy ’08 is a third-year student at William Mitchell College of Law. ered a history major,” Sandy said. So she went to Lansing about the summer program, and the two of them drafted her proposal. That summer Sandy researched the history of the Ku Klux Klan movement in the Midwest, a project that led her specifically to document Klan activities in 1922 in Minneapolis. Throughout the entire project she worked closely with Lansing, especially on writing her final report. “He totally changed my ability to write,” Sandy says. “His red pen shaped my experience, and it served me well.” As a law student, Sandy says she feels much more confident in her writing abilities than some of her classmates who did not receive the same direction and support in their undergraduate programs. In her third year of college, Sandy began considering her plans beyond college with the encouragement of Lansing, history professor Jacqui deVries, and political science professor Joe Underhill. Sandy was considering law school. “We discussed her potential and then rallied the wagons to get her to think about her options,” Lansing said. He recalls that perhaps he tried to be too persuasive at times. “We wanted to see Tina set her sights wide because we knew that she had the potential to go to any institution. We wanted to see that for her because we knew that she could really shine.” “There were a lot of opinions in my ear about what I should do,” Sandy says. That’s when she went to visit Shafer. “She threw a lot of different ideas at me … ideas that opened my mind.” But Sandy says she had a “gut feeling” about law school. She wanted to stay in Minnesota to be close to her family and to her future husband, fellow Auggie Sama Sandy ’08. Because the law school application process requires significant time as well as money, Sandy opted to apply to one school only, something most students are encouraged not to do. The easy part was making the decision; the application process was another story altogether. She needed to study for the Law School Admission Test (LSAT), pass it, and submit the necessary application materials, including several letters of recommendation and a personal summary, by the deadline. This she did while taking classes, working, and trying to have something of a social life. Sandy says Shafer was by her side through the entire experience. “She really ended up being my encourager and sidekick.” As a first-generation student, Sandy appreciated the support of someone who knew the process but also understood her own personal background. As Tina Sandy’s story illustrates, both faculty and staff can be instrumental in a student’s success. Lansing says that as a professor, he feels that he is called to educate the whole person. “I think that’s the point of a small college, thinking of a young person not just as a student but as a person becoming who they are. You want the very best for them.” Discovering and meeting challenges Melissa Robertson ’10 is another first-generation student who benefited from the support of faculty who saw her potential and persuaded her to go outside of her comfort zone. Their encouragement helped her meet the challenges of college and discover new opportunities. Robertson’s first year of college presented the common challenges of balancing school work and social life. She struggled, and her grades reflected that. But in her second year she became more serious about school as she focused on the natural sciences and mathematics. As she got to know her professors, they saw promise in her and directed her to study and research opportunities. “Dale Fall 2010 27 28 Augsburg Now school, work, and personal issues, Robertson says there were many times she wanted to give up and put off graduate school for a year. “But I told myself to keep on with the help of mentors, friends, family, and counseling support. I thought if I didn’t get in to any programs or didn’t like the places, at least I would have tried.” She applied to five programs, both master’s and doctoral in biostatistics and biology, and she was accepted to all five. Currently Robertson is studying on a full scholarship in the molecular biosciences program at Montana State University in Bozeman. From first day to graduation day There is more to student success than national scholarships and fellowships. For some students, whether they are 18 or 38 years old, the greatest achievement is simply to have arrived at Augsburg. In fall 2010, Augsburg welcomed the largest first-year class and the largest graduate school class in the College’s history. Within this student body is the potential for many stories of students who overcame the odds to get to college and to obtain a degree. Augsburg has an impressive history of assisting students who might not otherwise be successful in college—first-generation students including children of immigrant families, students in recovery from addiction, students with cognitive disabilities as well as physical disabilities, and nontraditional-aged students who are returning to college to complete a degree. Rich Osborn is an older-than-average student who found success through Augsburg’s weekend program. At the age of 69, Osborn completed his first bachelor’s degree and was one of the oldest Augsburg for Adults students to graduate. Read his story at http://bit.ly/djx2nN. Not only is Augsburg attracting a larger student body—the College is keeping students and helping them persist to graduation. Augsburg can boast an impressive 86% retention rate in the day college program from fall 2009 to fall 2010. That is an increase of 3% from last year and significantly higher than the national average of 73% for four-year private colleges and universities. All of this success is reason for Augsburg to celebrate and to share the stories of student success. Whether it’s the announcement of another Fulbright recipient, a National Science Foundation grant, or publication in a scholarly journal, these stories serve as inspiration and motivation for other Auggies to pursue their goals. Melissa Robertson ’10 is completing a master's degree in molecular biosciences at Montana State University. Kelly Gorham/MSU Pederson and Matt Haines suggested I think about biostatistics, a field that would combine biology and math. I knew I would have to go to graduate school, but at that point I hadn’t even thought about it,” she says. In the summer before her junior year, Robertson participated in a short-term study program to examine the biodiversity and environmental politics of New Zealand. She also conducted research with biology professor David Crowe in the URGO summer research program. “I was new to that type of research, but I was ready and willing to learn,” she says. “David was a very good mentor, always willing to help and always told me when I was doing a great job.” The URGO program presented a new challenge for Robertson, who says she was shy and had extreme anxiety about giving presentations. “Giving reports about my research in front of my fellow URGO people during roundtable discussions was awful for me,” she says, “and I didn’t even want to think about the final oral presentation.” But working with Crowe gave Robertson the confidence in herself as a scientist and a scholar. Shafer recalls the change she saw in Robertson throughout the summer and her enthusiasm about presenting her research in a graduate school interview. “To see her go from this quiet girl who could barely talk with other students to graduate school … what an accomplishment.” Robertson continued her research with Crowe during the academic year and also began, with Shafer’s help, the process of applying to graduate school. Between AUGSBURG COLLEGE ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS 2009-2010 Fall 2010 29 DEAR FRIENDS, This past year has been an extraordinary one for Augsburg College. Despite continued challenges in the economy, through the generosity and good work of the entire Augsburg community, we closed the fiscal year with a solid financial performance and entered the 2010-2011 academic year with a record number of students in our day, weekend, and graduate programs. While these achievements are significant, it is your ongoing and steadfast support for the education of our students that is most gratifying. As a college, we believe we are called to serve our neighbor, and I am humbled by and grateful for the Augsburg alumni, family, and friends who join with us in pursuing this calling. Our new mission statement—adopted last spring following two years of rich conversation across the Augsburg community—makes a bold statement of our aspirations for our students: We educate students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. Never in the history of this institution has the world had a greater need for future leaders with these abilities. And never before have your gifts been more important to ensuring that this education remains within reach for our growing and increasingly diverse community of students. As we continue to live out our mission and provide a uniquely Augsburg education—an education defined by excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by our Lutheran faith and values, and shaped by our urban and global settings—I ask for your abiding engagement and support. Your gifts make possible an educational experience like no other—one that challenges our students to recognize and live out their individual callings and, through those efforts, make a lasting difference in our world. Sincerely, PAUL C. PRIBBENOW PRESIDENT 30 Augsburg Now ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 2009-2010 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS Where the Money Comes From Where the Money Goes 5% Government grants 6% Other sources 4% Debt service 2% 3% Equipment and capital improvement Student salary 4% 3% Private gifts and grants Utilities 12% Room and board 44% 24% Salary and benefits Financial aid 73% Tuition 20% Other $34.5 2010 Endowment Market Value May 31, 2010 $28,641,248 $30.5 $28.6 $26.7 $26.6 As of May 31, 2010, we have annual realized and unrealized gains of 14.65% on our endow$23.2 ment. Our five-year average annual return on $20.0 the endowment is 1.20% and the 10-year average annual return is 1.18%. We $16.4 are committed to maintaining $14.2 the value of principal gifts and to provide support to the $11.5 College in perpetuity. 1995 $33.7 1996 1997 1998 1999 $26.2 $25.4 $24.8 $22.7 $23.3 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 Endowment Assets (in millions) June 1, 1995 – May 31, 2010 Fall 2010 31 SCHOLARSHIPS Gratitude On April 25, nearly 300 people, including donors, faculty, staff, and scholarship students gathered to celebrate gifts from the Augsburg community that make an Augsburg education possible for many students. Donors enjoyed the opportunity to meet the students who receive their scholarships. During 2009-10, 716 gifts to scholarships totaled over $529,000. Eight new scholarships were started last year: • L. Gracia Christensen English Scholarship • Inez Olson Schwarzkopf English Scholarship • Hazel Stoeckeler Art Scholarship • Judith (Olson) Nelson Health and Physical Education Scholarship • Jorgensen Sethre general scholarship • Dr. Lowell and Janice Kleven Scholarship for pre-medicine • Leonard and Winifred Leifgren Scholarship for students of color • Jerome and Winifred Formo Music Scholarship Simple Gifts Peter Miller graduated in May 2010 with a major in English and is the son of an ELCA pastor. He is now studying at Luther Seminary. Here are excerpts from his talk at the Scholarship Brunch on behalf of scholarship students. It is truly a gift to honor student success, engaged scholarship, and active citizenship knowing that each of these simple components is intertwined in my own story. This is a story about how simple gifts transform a community into a simple reality. … When I was a child, I used to love to listen to my mom play the dulcimer. She would play “Simple Gifts,” an old Shaker hymn while my brother and I would run around in the yard. ’Tis a gift to be simple, ’tis a gift to be free; ’Tis a gift to come down where we ought to be, And when we find ourselves in a place just right, It will be in the valley of love and delight. When true simplicity is gain’d, To bow and to bend we shall not be asham’d, To turn, turn will be our delight, Till by turning and turning we come round right. As I recall my mom singing this song and my brother and I turning and turning until we were dizzy, I have come to value the message in these simple words. We celebrate the success of students because simple gifts are freeing, liberating, and life changing. Getting into college is a big deal and it changes you. As students are groomed in success, simple gifts allow us the freedom to engage fully in what we are learning and to develop into the leaders we ought to be, in a college that is just and right. With an Auggie-assemblage of strong leaders, 32 Augsburg Now we continue to build a neighborhood and a city of love and delight. And we, too, have an opportunity to invest in true simplicity where all people bow and bend and never are ashamed. Simple gifts spark the cycle toward a simple reality. I have seen the spark of a simple gift in the eyes of first-year students Peter Miller ’10 spoke on behalf of students at the as they acknowlScholarship Brunch. edge that Augsburg offers them more financial aid than any other school. And I have seen this simple reality come to life when a former scraping, struggling business major takes a few philosophy and religion classes and gets all 4.0s. I have watched it in a group of interfaith friends who never stand still long enough to watch the paint dry, whether they are doing service projects at a mosque down the street, a local church, or a nearby women’s center. That spark, that simple gift that I saw as an orientation leader, ignites a question—how do I become a part of this simple reality? But that was the spark in my eye, too, in the trust that somehow my family and the Augsburg community would help me afford a meaningful education and turn my gifts and theirs into something simple and beautiful. I had to turn from procrastination to participation in simple things like interfaith dialog, global carbon emission regulations, and ending poverty in Minnesota by 2020. I didn't say it was easy. I said it was simple. It is painting with a broad brush, or like we did at the mosque, with rollers and a taste for new colors. This is a simple reality. Ultimately, I believe the simplest gift is who we are and how we spend our time—the time to sing a song in the springtime, study hard, write a thank-you note, share a story, paint, or spare some change. I want to thank you all for your simple gifts and the countless hours you have given to Augsburg, for bowing and bending to the needs of this community and providing the spark for so many to be a part of this story. Together, we are a simple reality. ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Scholarships for religion, campus ministry, and youth and family ministry The Augsburg community continues to keep the College’s roots as a seminary strong as it provides scholarship support to its students. More than 11% of the value of Augsburg’s endowment supports scholarships for students in religion, campus ministry, and youth and family ministry—a total of 36 scholarships (12% of the total number). Kou Lee is majoring in music and plays flute in the Augsburg Concert Band, the Augsburg Symphony Orchestra, and a woodwind chamber ensemble. His plans after graduation in 2011 are to pursue a graduate degree in music composition that will prepare him for a career as an orchestral director in a university—and hopefully return to Augsburg some day as a faculty member. He has a Hognander Scholarship for 2010-11. The scholarship brunch brought together nearly 300 donors and students to celebrate gifts from the Augsburg Community. A number of donors and recipients of these scholarships gathered at the Scholarship Brunch: (seated, L to R) Carl Vaagenes ’50, Ruth Vaagenes, Dora (Frojen) Quanbeck ’49; (behind them, L to R) Jessica Fanaselle ’10, Sarah Korbel ’12, Emily Wiles ’10, Peter Miller ’10, Morris Vaagenes Jr. ’51, Professor Karl Jacobson, Professor Hans Wiersma, Whitney Holman ’10, Philip Quanbeck Sr. ’50, Harris Lee ’57, Ivory Phung ’13, and Maryon Lee. The Sven Oftedal Society exemplifies the legacy of this early Augsburg president whose leadership and commitment to the growth of Augsburg Seminary secured the financial future of the College. By reaching out to those who shared Augsburg’s vision of providing an education not only for its immigrant Norwegian preachers, but also for everyday people—teachers, farmers, and neighbors in the city growing around Augsburg—he ensured that Augsburg’s students would become responsible citizens and leaders in whatever they chose to do. Planned giving offers a variety of possibilities to provide significant financial benefit to the College while also providing continued income to its donors. Donors and their families can plan with their financial advisors and the College to determine what kind of gift plan (cash gifts, securities, stocks, and others) can be designed to recognize the donor’s commitment to the College and still serve their own financial needs. Planned gifts can be made outright or deferred into the future. For many alumni, families, and friends who are grateful for the education and experience of Augsburg in their lives but have no heirs, planned giving can help them ensure future students receive that same education. Fall 2010 33 I ’ M A N A U G G I E — The Augsburg Fund Your gifts to The Augsburg Fund help to ensure that Augsburg College can continue to support students and give them the opportunity to make the world a better place. What makes you an Auggie? Why do you give? Make a gift and share your story at www.augsburg.edu/auggie. Alex Gonzalez ’90 What makes me an Auggie? I’m an Auggie because of athletics and being a member of the football team. A lot of the close friendships I have are from sports, and I love to bring my kids back and see the games. And I met my wife here—you can’t get much more important than that! Beyond that, faith is a big part of what makes me an Auggie. What I’ve learned at Augsburg, I have carried forward with service to the world through my congregation and in the community. Why do I give? Augsburg has been such an important part of forming who I am, and I want to give back. Serving as a regent is a small way of helping to ensure that this institution continues to make an impact on other people’s lives. I give because I think it’s important to support the unique Augsburg experience. An Augsburg degree has a specific intention behind it—of service to the community. It’s a holistic foundation to approaching life in the world. 34 Augsburg Now Maria Mitchell Helgerson ’07 and Erik Helgerson ’06 What makes us Auggies? We were both drawn to Augsburg by the feeling of community and the opportunity to know people and to be a part of something. We loved our four years here and the relationships we built. We want to keep them going, and we’re so grateful to the Young Alumni Association for helping us do that. Why do we give? We give to Augsburg because we know colleges can’t function just on tuition, and we know that our gifts will be used to better the community and to make a place that is important for others. Augsburg meant a lot to us personally, and giving back helps give opportunities to other students. I’M AN AUGGIE! ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 LIFETIME GIVING The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College, living and deceased, who have generously given a minimum of $100,000, including planned gifts, over a lifetime. We are immensely grateful for their examples of loyalty and commitment to the College. Anonymous (5) Helen and Ernest† Alne Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81 Catherine and Charles Anderson Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson Donald ’60 and Violet Anderson Oscar† ’38 and Leola† Anderson Leona Radman Antholz ’41† Clarette† ’29 and Luther† ’29 Arnold 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 Carl Blegen† Roy ’50 and Ardis Bogen Joyce and John† Boss Donald Bottemiller and Shellie Reed Rodney and Barbara Burwell Bush Foundation Carlson Companies The Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin Mary Brandt ’79 Croft and David Croft Oliver Dahl ’45 Theodore and Pamala Deikel Deluxe Corporation Foundation Darrell ’55 and Helga Egertson Tracy Elftmann ’81 Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri Raymond Erickson ’50† Malcolm† and Maybelle† Estrem Ever Cat Fuels, LLC Philip and Laverne Fandrei Jerome ’37† and Winifred Helland ’37† Formo Jerry and Jean Foss Julian Foss ’30† William and Anne Frame Paul† ’42 and Maxine† Fridlund 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 Lynne and Phillip ’55† Gronseth Carolyn and Franklin Groves Norman and Evangeline Hagfors James and Kathleen Haglund Dale ’60 and Carolyn Hanka Hearst Foundation Loren Henderson Donald Hennings Grace Forss ’57 Herr and Douglas Herr Orville ’36† and Gertrude Lund ’36† Hognander Donald ’39 and Phyllis Holm Allen and Jean Housh Garfield Hoversten ’50 Lester Hoversten† Robert Hoversten Huss Foundation Glenda† and Richard Huston Sandra and Richard Jacobson James Johnson and Maxine Isaacs Kinney Johnson ’65 Wayne ’71 and Carol Pederson ’72 Jorgenson Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy Bruce and Maren Kleven David and Barbara Kleven E. Milton Kleven ’46 and Dorothy Lisjing ’47† Kleven Dean and Susan Kopperud Kraus-Anderson Construction Company Roy† and Eleanor† Krohn Harriett Kurek† Paul ’86 and Rhonda Spitzer ’85 Kwiecien David Lankinen ’88 Diane and Philip Larson George ’61 and Mary Larson Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee James Lindell Sr. ’46 Arne ’49 and Jean Swanson ’52 Markland Jennifer and Richard Martin Marie and Larry McNeff Gerard and Anne Meistrell Hoyt ’39† and Lucille Messerer Robert ’70 and Sue Midness Gay Johnson ’66 Minear and Spencer Minear ’66 Alan Montgomery and Janet Karvonen-Montgomery Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller William and Stephanie Naegele Barbara Tjornhom ’54 Nelson and Richard Nelson George ’68 and Tamra Nelson Ida Nelson† Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson Clifford and Martha Nylander† Robert Odegard ’51† R. Luther Olson ’56 Beverly Halling ’55 Oren and Donald ’53 Oren John and Norma Paulson Robert ’50 and Ruth Paulson George† and Elizabeth† Pennock Glen Person ’47 Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson Joyce Anderson ’65 Pfaff and Douglas Pfaff Addison and Cynthia Piper David Piper Harry and Mary Piper Philip ’50 and Dora Frojen ’49 Quanbeck Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe Alan Rice Curtis and Marian Sampson Ward C.Schendel ’74 and Catherine L. B. Schendel Ruth Schmidt ’52† James and Eva Seed Rodney Sill ’82 John and Martha Singleton Glen and Anna Skovholt David Soli ’81 Paul† and Lorene† Steen Genevieve Stelberg† Gladys Boxrud ’46 Strommen and Clair Strommen ’46† Conrad Sunde ’15† Leland and Louise Sundet Dean ’81 and Amy Sundquist Helen Sverdrup† Johan Sverdrup† Gary ’80 and Deanna Tangwall Glen A. Taylor Foundation P. Dawn Heil ’78 Taylor and Jack Taylor† Teagle Foundation Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Robert ’63 and Marie Tufford Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle Andrew Urness† Robert Wagner ’02 Scott Weber ’79 Robert Wick ’81 Elsie Wildung† Lisa Zeller ’81, ’89 MAL and Glenn Fuller 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 Fall 2010 35 PRESIDENT’S CIRCLE GIFTS RECEIVED JUNE 1, 2009 TO MAY 31, 2010 The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously made leadership gifts to the College of at least $1,000. Founders Society ($100,000 and above) President’s Council ($5,000 - $9,999) Anonymous (1) Donald ’53 and Beverly Halling ’55 Oren Dean ’81 and Amy Sundquist Anonymous (1) Steven and Stephanie Anderson Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden Stephen ’74 and Janet Blake Bruce Brekke Karim El-Hibri ’08 and Carley Meinert Richard and Dail Hartnack Grace Forss ’57 Herr and Douglas Herr O. C. Hognander, Jr. Michael and Barbara Hubbard Eric Jolly Craig Jones Cynthia Landowski ’81 Jones and Rick Jones Lyle ’68 and Susanne Starn ’68 Malotky Gay Johnson ’66 Minear and Spencer Minear ’66 Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson Jeffrey ’77 and Becky Bjella ’79 Nodland Lisa Novotny ’80 and Mark Flaten Donald Olsen ’60 Karl D. Puterbaugh ’52 Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach Leeann Rock ’81 and Brian Anderson ’82 Philip Jr. and Margaret Rowberg Marilee Alne ’65 Schroeder and William Schroeder Inez Olson ’59 Schwarzkopf and Lyall Schwarzkopf Kurt Schwarzkopf Charles and Ritchie Scribner Gloria Steinem Gary ’80 and Deanna Tangwall Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle Regents’ Fellows ($50,000 - $99,999) Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin Alvin John and Ruth Huss Regents’ Society ($25,000 - $49,999) Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson Sandra and Richard Jacobson Lowell ’54 and Janice Kleven Estate of Gertrude Larson ’35† Jennifer and Richard Martin Estate of Myrtle E. Pedersen Earl ’68 and Lisbeth Jorgensen ’70 Sethre Estate of Olive Ronholm ’47† Hazel Stoeckeler President’s Executive Cabinet ($10,000 - $24,999) Anonymous (2) Andra Adolfson Richard ’72 and Tamara Ekstrand Tracy L. Elftmann ’81 Matthew Entenza and Lois Quam Philip and Jean Formo Michael ’71 and Ann Good H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal Norman and Evangeline Hagfors James and Kathleen Haglund Jodi and Stanley Harpstead Hunt and Diane Harris Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans Douglas ’66 and Kathryn Wall ’66 Johnson Esther Johnson ’50† James Johnson and Maxine Isaacs Wayne ’71 and Carol Pederson ’72 Jorgenson Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy E. Milton Kleven ’46 Clayton ’91 and Denise Sideen ’94 McNeff Marie and Larry McNeff Allan Nelson Norma Noonan Glen Person ’47 Paul Pribbenow and Abigail Crampton Pribbenow Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe Eunice Kyllo ’62 Roberts and Warren Roberts Philip Rowberg ’41 Judith and William Scheide Gladys Boxrud ’46 Strommen Jean Taylor ’85 and Roger Griffith ’84 Dick ’61 and Jane Thompson Frances Torstenson Robert Wick ’81 John ’74 and Marvel Yager 36 Augsburg Now President’s Society ($2,500 - $4,999) Anonymous (2) Deloris Anderson ’56 Elizabeth ’82 and Warren Bartz Robert and Mary Crosby Oliver Dahl ’45 Mark and Margie Eustis Anthony ’85 and Traci Genia Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde Lisa Svac Hawks ’85 Bradley ’63 and Linda Holt Allen and Jean Housh John ’47 and Irene Jensen Carol Jones Cynthia Ellman ’80 Kneisl and Gregory Kneisl Joanne Stiles ’58 Laird and David Laird Thomas and Kathy Langdon Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee Andre Lewis ’73 and Kathleen McCartin Donald ’66 and Margaret Mattison Tara Cesaretti ’97 McLeod and Christopher ’00 McLeod Dennis ’78 and Bev Ranum ’78 Meyer Deidre Durand ’88 and Bruce Middleton Thomas and Lorraine Morgan Beverly Omdahl ’55 Nelson Roselyn Nordaune ’77 R. Luther Olson ’56 Mary and William O’Meara Robert ’50 and Ruth Paulson Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson Sandra Phaup ’64 Curtis and Marian Sampson John Schwartz ’67 Douglas Scott and Grace Schroeder Scott Stephen and Kay Sheppard Joyce Engstrom ’70 Spector and Robert Spector Philip ’79 and Julia Davis ’79 Styrlund Gordon ’52 and Gloria Parizek ’53 Thorpe Lawrence ’69 and Susan Turner Betty and Paul Tveite Jeremy and Tracy Wells David and Susan White Wheelock Whitney and Kathleen Blatz President’s Associates ($1,000 - $2,499) Anonymous (3) Ruth Aaskov ’53 Robert and Kristine Ackerman Kate Addo Lois Richter ’60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson Edward ’50 and Margaret Alberg Craig Alexander and Roberta Kagin James ’58 and Beverly Almquist Paul ’59 and Pearl Almquist Charles and Catherine Anderson Leif Anderson Robert ’77 and Katherine Anderson Scott ’76 and Lisa Anderson Sheila ’05 and Lee Anderson I. Shelby Gimse ’56 Andress Frank ’50 and Georgette Lanes ’50 Ario Christine Pieri ’88 Arnold and James ’88 Arnold Ann and Kenneth Ashton-Piper Stanley ’57 and Mary Esther Baker Vera Thorson ’45 Benzel John Berg ’59 Norman ’59 and Delores Berg Daryl N. Bible David and Nancy Bieging Birgit Birkeland ’58 Kathryn and Jim Bishop Buffie Blesi ’90 and John Burns David ’68 and Lynn Boe Thomas ’78 and Julie Bramwell Alan Braun Marilyn Saure ’61 Breckenridge and Tom Breckenridge Michael Brock Richard Brustad Aimee Brynildson ’69 Trechok-Peters and Wayne Peters ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Adam Buhr ’98 and Laura Pejsa ’98 Robert and Brenda Bukowski Carolyn Burfield ’60 Marion Buska ’46 Christine Coury ’91 Campbell and Craig Campbell Timothy Campbell Wayne ’69 and Pamela Bjorklund ’69 Carlson Carrie and Peter Carroll Carl ’59 and Kathleen Aaker ’62 Casperson John and Peggy Cerrito Rev. Dr. Herbert ’54 and Rev. E Corrine Chilstrom Judith Christensen C. Lee Clarke Margaret Clyde Joseph Cook ’89 Pamela Herzan ’81 Crowell and Dring Crowell George ’72 and Janet Dahlman Sally Hough ’79 Daniels Sigrid Kvenberg ’48 Daniels Christopher and Britt Dougall Linda Lundeen ’74 Dunn and Douglas Dunn Karen ’81 and Charles Durant Beverly Durkee Julie Edstrom ’90 Darrell ’55 and Helga Egertson Judy Thompson ’65 Eiler Daniel ’77 and Patricia Eitrheim Avis Ellingrod Rona Quanbeck ’48 Emerson and Victor Emerson Mark and Lynette Engebretson Susan Engeleier Dennis ’64 and Mary Lou Ervin ’64 Erickson Stephen ’68 and Marilyn McKnight ’67 Erickson Duane Esterly ’75 L. Craig ’79 and Theresa Serbus ’79 Estrem Allison Everett ’78 and Kenneth Svendsen ’78 Jennifer and Dean Eyler Barbara Farley Carol Fier Duncan Flann ’55 Bill and Carmel Fogerty Dawn Formo William and Anne Frame Andrew Fried ’93 Leola Dyrud ’61 Furman Barbara and Frederick Gaiser Timothy and Kristin Gamrath Susan Gangsei ’76 and Gerald Glaser Ann Garvey Glen ’52 and Irvyn Gilbertson Orval and Cleta Gingerich John and Carolyn Goddard John and Donde Goldfine Ellen and Merrill Golliet Alexander ’90 and Simone Gonzalez Shirley Larson ’51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud Roger ’61 and Barbara Milne ’60 Gordon Thomas Gormley and Mary Lesch-Gormley Paul and Judy Grauer Charles and Barbara Green Mabeth Saure ’58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom William ’51 and Marolyn Sortland ’51 Halverson Clarence Hansen ’53† Robert ’83 and Lynne Harris Christopher Haug ’79 and Karl Starr David ’67 and Karen Jacobson ’67 Haugen Gloria Hawkinson Mark Hebert ’74 Philip ’42 and Ruth Helland Raymond Henjum ’55 Bruce Holcomb ’90 and Caroline Vernon Kenneth ’74 and Linda Bailey ’74 Holmen Dean ’57 and Jane Holmes Paul Holmquist ’79 Elizabeth Horton Phoebe Hough Jessica Houlding Allen ’64 and Lenice Hoversten Clarence Hoversten ’41 Kermit ’50 and Ruth Hoversten Philip ’71 and Patricia Hoversten Jerelyn Hovland-Cobb ’63 and Clyde Cobb Tom ’72 and Karen Howe Katherine Hoyland Barnett Joseph Hsieh ’61 and E. Mei Shen Hsieh Barbara and Michael Hubbard Glenda† and Richard Huston Brandon Hutchinson ’99 Deborah Hutterer ’99 and Gary Erickson Duane ’68 and Diane Ilstrup Rebecca John Bruce Johnson ’68 Carol Oversvee Johnson ’61 Dr. Ruth E. Johnson ’74 and Philip Quanbeck II Mark Johnson ’75 Merton ’59 and Jo An Bjornson ’58 Johnson William and Patricia Kelly Michael Kivley ’89 Linda Klas ’92 Michael Klutho and Jill Manske Elsie Ronholm ’49 Koivula Carmela Brown ’84 Kranz and David Kranz Robert Kyle Kathryn Lange ’72 and Dennis Sonifer George ’61 and Mary Larson Linda Larson ’70 and C. Jerry Sells Martin Larson ’80 Marvin and Ruth Ringstad ’53 Larson Patrick ’88 and Beth Lilja Brent Lofgren ’88 Dana Lonn Wenona Strandlie ’55 Lund and Norman Lund Thomas ’68 and Carol Batalden ’68 Luukkonen Marissa Hutterer ’99 Machado Mark Mahowold Kay Malchow ’82 and Stephen Cook Arne ’49 and Jean Swanson ’52 Markland Terry Marquardt ’98 and Gary Donahue Donna McLean Jan and William Mershon Daniel ’65 and Mary Tildahl ’65 Meyers Joyce Schroepfer ’02 Miller Eileen and Grant Mitchell Thomas ’59 and Ruth Carlsen ’60 Moen Pamela Hanson ’79 Moksnes and Mark Moksnes ’79 Thelma Monson ’41 Alan Montgomery and Janet Karvonen-Montgomery Sharon Mortrud Van and Mildred Mueller Mildred Nelson ’52 Wedel Nilsen ’45 Robert Nordin ’64 Terry ’70 and Vicki Nygaard Leroy ’52 and Betty Munson ’53† Nyhus Sandra Larson ’69 Olmsted and Richard ’69 Olmsted Bruce L. Olson ’71 Lisa Bradshaw ’79 Olson and Joseph Black Wanda Warnes ’56 Olson and Ted Olson L. Beth Buesing ’45 Opgrand Jack ’62 and Nina Osberg Beverly Ottum Patricia Parker John and Norma Paulson Barbara Petersen Corwin and Doris Peterson Eugene ’59 and Paula Peterson Karin Peterson Ron ’69 and Jane Petrich Carol Pfleiderer Jake and Katrina Phillips Dora Frojen ’49 Quanbeck and Philip ’50 Quanbeck Helen Haukeness ’49 Ranck and James Ranck Laura and Martin Roller Frances Roller Rockey Kevin ’91 and Amy Ronneberg John ’77 and Gail Ronning Gerald ’48 and Judith Ryan Martin ’59 and Sylvia Sabo Milo and Cynthia Schield Ruth Schmidt ’52† Michael ’71 and Bonnie Scott Milan ’48 and Marian Sedio Harold and Phyllis Seim Richard ’70 and Linda Seime Frankie and Jole Shackelford Michael and Pamela Sime David Soli ’81 John ’62 and Ruth Sather ’63 Sorenson Allan ’53 and Eunice Nystuen ’50 Sortland Royal C. Steen David ’63 and Karen Henry ’64 Steenson Todd ’89 and Amy Steenson Donald† and Annelies Steinmetz Myles† and Eunice Stenshoel Sonya Steven Beverly and Thomas Stratton Leland and Louise Sundet Brian Swedeen ’92 and Terri Burnor ’92 Jeffrey ’79 and Melissa Swenson Jo Anne Sylvester ’68 and Larry Dieckman Christine Szaj Harold and Maureen Thompson Jennings ’51 and Mary Schindler ’48 Thompson 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 Fall 2010 37 Dolores Thornes David and Martha Tiede Beth Torstenson ’66 Carol Trotter Robert ’63 and Marie Tufford Peter Turner Catherine and Albert Van Der Schans Julie Lien Vanderboom ’82 and Steve Vanderboom Mary Loken ’70 Veiseth and Dennis Veiseth Peter and Linda Vogt Joan Volz ’68 Robert Wagner ’02 Norman ’76 and Kathryn Anderson ’76 Wahl Ronald Wahlberg ’70 Douglas and Janet Watsabaugh Lois ’76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw John ’49† and Arnhild Werket Diane Pike and Stephen Willett Patrick Wiltgen William Wittenbreer David and Catherine Wold Joyce Leifgren ’64 Young Lowell ’60 and Margery Ziemann ORGANIZATIONS GIFTS RECEIVED JUNE 1, 2009 TO MAY 31, 2010 The following list recognizes organizations that provided generous gifts to Augsburg College of $1,000 or more in the 2009-2010 fiscal year. 3M Foundation Accenture Foundation Adolfson & Peterson Construction Charles and Ellora Alliss Educational Foundation Ameriprise Financial Amgen Foundation A’viands Baker Tilly Virchow Krause, LLP F.R. Bigelow Foundation Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Bonner Foundation Bush Foundation Margaret A. Cargill Foundation Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation CollegeNet Data Recognition Corporation Dow Corning Corporation Drusilla Farwell Foundation Ecolab Foundation Sherry Lou Engebretsen Memorial Fund Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Ever Cat Fuels, LLC Faegre & Benson Fairview Hospital Alumni Association H.B. Fuller Company Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation General Mills Foundation GMAC-RFC Gray Plant Mooty & Bennett Gray Wolf Ranch, Inc. Hearst Foundation Highland Prairie Speech and Debate Booster Club HJ, Inc. Hognander Family Foundation Huss Foundation Nilan Johnson Lewis W.K. Kellogg Foundation Kentron Foundation Kettering Foundation James G. Lindell Fund of the St. Paul Foundation Mary T. Inc McGough Foundation McKnight Foundation Merck Partnership For Giving Minnesota Private College Foundation Minnesota Debate Teachers Association Minnesota Department of Revenue Ms. Foundation for Women, Inc. My Sports Dreams, LLC Network for Good The New York Academy of Medicine Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust Northwest Area Foundation Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation Play-More Travel, Inc. PLH Foundation Presser Foundation Running All Over Addiction Schwab Charitable Fund Sheltering Arms Foundation St. Paul Public Schools Surdna Foundation, Inc. Target Foundation Target Community Relations TCF Foundation Thrivent Financial For Lutherans Thrivent Financial For Lutherans Foundation Twin Cities Orthopedics Foundation US Bancorp Foundation Jeanne M. Voigt Foundation Janet Watson Donor Advised Fund of the Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program Wells Fargo Foundation Community Support Wells Fargo Bank Winds Of Peace Foundation Women’s Foundation of Minnesota Zapevent, LLC S V E N O F T E D A L S O C I E T Y , Supporting Augsburg’s mission into the future The following list recognizes new members who have documented planned gifts to Augsburg College during the 2009-2010 fiscal year. Anonymous (3) Mr. Joseph Black and Dr. Lisa Olson Oliver Dahl ’45 Roger L. Fisher Alexander ’90 and Simone Gonzalez Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal Donald J. and Sonja S. Hagestuen Rodney (Rock) A. and Jane M. Helgeson Allen and Jean Housh 38 Augsburg Now Lorna L. Hoversten Esther Johnson ’50† Gertrude Amundson ’35 Larson† Karla Krogsrud Miley Terry ’70 and Vicki Nygaard Myrtle Pedersen Joyce Anderson ’65 Pfaff and Douglas Pfaff Eileen Quanbeck ’46 Paul Rensted ’87 Olive Ronholm ’47 David G. Soli Hazel Thorson Stoick Stoeckeler Robert E. and Margaret H. Twiton Norman ’76 and Kathryn Anderson ’76 Wahl Bill Wittenbreer Lisa Zeller ’81,’89 MAL and Glenn Fuller ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 CONSECUTIVE GIVING The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given for 10 or more consecutive fiscal years. Consecutive Giving, 30 years or more: Ruth Aaskov ’53 Harold ’47† and Lois Black ’47 Ahlbom Kenneth ’61 and Marilyn Ellingson ’62 Akerman Charles and Ellora Alliss Educational Foundation Raymond and Margaret Anderson Kristin Anderson Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson Catherine and Charles Anderson I. Shelby Gimse ’56 Andress Stanley ’57 and Mary Esther Baker Andrew ’50 and Barbara Kolden ’50 Balerud Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden John Benson ’55 Vera Thorson ’45 Benzel Doris Frojen ’51 Bretheim Jeroy ’48 and Lorraine Carlson James ’49 and Barbara Ekse ’48 Carlson Linda Carlstedt ’63 Joyce Catlin ’73 Casey and Paul Casey David ’72 and Michelle Karkhoff ’72 Christianson Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin Leonard ’52 and Anabelle Hanson ’51 Dalberg Darrell ’55 and Helga Egertson James Ericksen ’69 Ruth Ann Gjerde ’67 Fitzke Alan ’67 and Marilyn Albaugh ’67 Gierke Shirley Larson ’51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde Marlys Ringdahl ’53 Gunderson and Charles Gunderson Arlin Gyberg Mabeth Saure ’58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom Cynthia Hanson ’66 Betty Johnson ’58 Haas and Charles Hass Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans Howard ’51 and Nouaneta Hjelm Bradley ’63 and Linda Holt Gloria Johnson ’51 Marcellus ’54 and Thelma Johnson Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander Jerome Kleven ’58 Elsie Ronholm ’49 Koivula William ’52 and Edith Kuross George ’61 and Mary Larson Linda Larson ’70 and C. Jerry Sells Roger ’57 and Fern Mackey Marie and Larry McNeff Paul ’70 and Barbara Durkee ’71 Mikelson Spencer ’66 and Gay Johnson ’66 Minear Mildred Nelson ’52 Roselyn Nordaune ’77 Orville ’52 and Yvonne Bagley ’52 Olson Laverne Moe ’48 Olson and Paul Olson Roger ’56 and Janet Ose Glen Person ’47 Robert ’68 and Alice Draheim ’68 Peters Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson Janet Evenson ’63 Potratz and Edward Potratz Philip ’50 and Dora Frojen ’49 Quanbeck James ’61 and BettyAnn Redeske Arthur ’53 and Charlotte Kleven ’52 Rimmereid James ’68 and Linda Gilbertson ’71 Romslo Olive Ronholm ’47† Martin ’59 and Sylvia Sabo Ruth Schmidt ’52† Inez Olson ’59 Schwarzkopf and Lyall Schwarzkopf James ’54 and Ethel Nordstrom ’55 Shiell Arnold ’48 and Carol Skaar Evelyn Amundson ’43 Sonnack Donald† and Annelies Steinmetz Myles† and Eunice Stenshoel Merton ’42 and Irene Huglen ’42 Strommen Gladys Boxrud ’46 Strommen Grace Kemmer ’58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud Jennings ’51 and Mary Schindler ’48 Thompson Allan Tonn ’75 Sheldon ’49 and Margery Manger ’47 Torgerson Frances Torstenson Beth Torstenson ’66 Rebecca Helgesen ’67 Von Fischer and Thomas Von Fischer 25-29 years consecutive Frank ’50 and Georgette Lanes ’50 Ario Jack ’49 and LeVerne Berry Carl ’59 and Kathleen Aaker ’62 Casperson Leland ’53 and Eunice Fairbanks Marilyn Pearson ’76 Florian and Kenneth Florian Paul and Judy Grauer Paul ’62 and Susan Grover Sylvia Kleven Hanson ’50 Marjorie Wilberg Hauge ’50 James ’61 and Caroline Holden Rachel Hendrickson ’71 Julian and Bruce Julian Sharon Dittbenner ’65 Klabunde and Richard Klabunde Lowell ’54 and Janice Kleven Joan Johnson ’53 Kuder and Calvin Kuder Martin Larson ’80 Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee Irene Ppedahl ’45 Lovaas Thomas ’59 and Ruth Carlsen ’60 Moen Thomas and Lorraine Morgan Gloria Burntvedt ’43 Nelson Paige Nelson ’74 W. Donald Olsen ’34† and Glenda Olson Bettye and Howard Olson Patricia Strecker ’64 Pederson and Dean Pederson Janet Griffith ’83 Sandford and David Sandford Joyce Opseth ’45 Schwartz Luther ’39 and Helen Strommen George ’46 and Jean Christenson ’49 Sverdrup Jacqueline ’80 and John Teisberg Margaret Sateren ’37 Trautwein Thomas ’63 and Gloria Joyce Wadsworth Gunnar† and Mary Wick David and Catherine Wold 20-24 years consecutive Lois Richter ’60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson Julie Teigland ’69 Anderson and Gary Anderson Charles ’63 and Lois Luthard ’65 Anderson Ray Anderson ’49 Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81 Hamar ’34 and Wanda Severson ’40 Benson Theodore ’51† and Carolyn Berkland Birgit Birkeland ’58 Mary Twiton ’59 Bosben and Robert Bosben John and Carolyn Cain Wayne ’69 and Pamela Bjorklund ’69 Carlson Addell Halverson ’43 Dahlen Scott Daniels ’82 and Marcia Pape-Daniels LeVon Paulson Dinter ’52 Fred ’60 and Janet Engelmann Reynold Erickson ’41† Evangelical Lutheran Church in America John ’82 and Joan Moline ’83 Evans Edward Evenson ’41 Rachel Rohde ’76 Gilchrist and Chris Gilchrist Alexander ’90 and Simone Gonzalez Sonia Overmoen ’62 Gullicks and Milton Gullicks Kenneth ’58 and Aldemar Johnson ’57 Hagen Arvin ’55 and Twila Halvorson Herbert ’51 and M. Joyce Tallman ’52 Hanson Carolyn Hawkins Rodney ’62 and Jane Helgeson Rodney ’59 and Arlene Selander ’59 Hill Thomas ’57 and Arlene Hofflander Norman and Ilene Holen Allen ’64 and Lenice Hoversten Florence Retrum ’40 Hovland Wayne Johnson ’58 Ruth Johnson ’74 and Philip Quanbeck II Duane and Ruth Johnson Marvin ’49 and Dorothy Quanbeck ’48 Johnson E. Milton Kleven ’46 Daniel ’70 and Ingrid Kloster ’69 Koch James Kottom ’52 Joanne Stiles ’58 Laird and David Laird Lois Knutson ’62 Larsen and Paul Larsen Robert ’56 and Mary Erickson ’58 Lockwood 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 Fall 2010 39 Brent Lofgren ’88 Susan Lageson ’77 Lundholm and Mark Lundholm Lynn ’50 and Miriam Hoplin ’50 Lundin John ’65 and Gracia Nydahl ’66 Luoma Ronald ’56 and Christine Munson ’56 Main Kristin Settergren ’86 McGinness and Steve McGinness Donna McLean Victor ’42 and Rhoda Miller LaWayne ’51 and D. LaRhea Johnson ’51 Morseth Bonnie Johnson ’67 Nelson and Bryce Nelson Shirley Christensen ’75 Nickel and Daniel Nickel Margaret Nelson Foss ’48 Nokleberg Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust Robert Nordin ’64 Jonathan Nye Leroy ’52 and Betty Munson ’53† Nyhus Maren Lecy ’83 Ogdie and Al Ogdie Norm ’85 and Kim Asleson ’84 Okerstrom Ruth Pousi ’54 Ollila Mary Olson John ’62 and Nina Osberg James ’64 and Rose Parks Daniel ’51 and Lois Pearson Eugene ’59 and Paula Peterson Donald Peterson ’49 David Proctor ’63 Eileen Quanbeck ’46 Norman ’59 and Ardelle Skovholt ’54 Quanbeck Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach Stephen ’76 and Karen Reinarz Leeann Rock ’81 and Brian Anderson ’82 Judith Sandeen ’72 Gary ’68 and Janice Bell ’70 Schmidt Kari Beckman ’81 Sorenson and Neil Sorensen La Vone Studlien ’58 Elizabeth Mortensen ’56 Swanson and James Swanson Ruth Weltzin ’45 Swanson and Edwin Swanson Dorothy Swanson ’51 Swanson Janis Thoreson ’78 Robert Wick ’81 Pamela Zagaria 15-19 years consecutive Robert ’77 and Katherine Anderson James ’88 and Christine Pieri ’88 Arnold John ’79 and Rebecca Lundeen ’79 Aune Ronald and Anna Marie Austin Dorothy Bailey The Batalden Advised Fund Christine Wacker ’87 Bjork and Steven Bjork Morris ’63 and Mavis Bjurlin David ’68 and Lynn Boe Daniel and Irene Brink Michael Burden ’85 David Christensen ’52 Joseph ’53 and Connie Cleary Judith Norman ’66 Coppersmith and Norman Coppersmith Ann Erkkila ’86 Dudero Avis Ellingrod 40 Augsburg Now Valborg Kyllo ’54 Ellingson and Phillip Ellingson Dean ’68 and Diana Olson ’69 Ersfeld Dann Forsberg ’80 Joann Koelln ’72 Frankena Gary and Barbara Glasscock H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal Lloyd Grinde ’56 Richard ’72 and Carol Habstritt Suzanne Overholt ’67 Hampe and John Hampe Jacquelyn Bagley ’51 Hanson and Kenneth Hanson Christopher Haug ’79 and Karl Starr Burton Haugen ’72 Robert ’55 and Karin Herman Kenneth ’74 and Linda Bailey ’74 Holmen Edith Hovey Glenda† and Richard Huston Rosemary Jacobson ’69 Janet Batalden ’61 Johnson and Dennis Johnson ’61 Morris ’52 and Marjorie Danielson ’52 Johnson Luther ’68 and Joanne Kendrick Carrie Kosek ’85 Knott and Gerald Knott Millard ’52 and Dorothy Knudson Duane and Mary Alyce Krohnke Annette and Henry Lucksinger, Jr. Bill and Anne McSweeney Daniel ’65 and Mary Tildahl ’65 Meyers Alan Montgomery and Janet Karvonen-Montgomery Mark ’88 and Tamala Morken Karl Nestvold ’54 Norma Noonan Betsey and Alan Norgard R. Luther Olson ’56 Gary ’65 and Jean Pfeifer ’64 Olson John and Norma Paulson Rebecca ’88 Pfabe and Maurice Higgins Jay Phinney ’79 Leanne Phinney ’71 and Mark Schultz Elizabeth Pushing ’93 Quentin ’50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck Barbara Hanson ’68 Raymond and David Raymond Joyce Romano and Walker Brents David ’53 and Janice Anderson ’54 Rykken Audrey Nagel ’51 Sander Ronnie ’62 and Karen Scott Nora Anderson ’83 Sillerud and Jon Sillerud Glen and Anna Skovholt Allan ’53 and Eunice Nystuen ’50 Sortland Paulette Nelson ’67 Speed David ’63 and Karen Henry ’64 Steenson Beverly and Thomas Stratton Jeffrey ’79 and Melissa Swenson Diana Talcott Karla Morken ’81 Thompson and Thomas Thompson Gordon ’52 and Gloria Parizek ’53 Thorpe Mark ’79 and Janelle Tonsager Lawrence ’69 and Susan Turner Michael ’64 and Carla Quanbeck ’64 Walgren Jeanne Kyllo ’69 Wendschuh and Ronald Wendschuh Donald ’89 and Melinda Mattox ’91 Wichmann Janet Cooke ’59 Zitzewitz and Donald Zitzewitz Robyn Arnold ’80 Zollner† 10-15 years consecutive Anonymous (2) Ordelle Aaker ’46 Paul ’59 and Pearl Almquist Scott ’76 and Lisa Anderson Leif Anderson Dean ’74 and Janet Nelson ’76 Anderson Scott Anderson ’96 Margaret Anderson William ’86 and Kelly Anderson LeRoy ’52 and Carole Anenson Charles ’63 and Mary Jo Arndt Mary Arneson and Dale Hammerschmidt Susan Hanson ’82 Asmus and Kevin Asmus Lawrence ’52 and Jayne Balzer Dennis ’58 and Doris Barnaal Arlin Becker ’88 Catherine Berglund ’73 Becker and Charles Becker Thomas ’56 and Bernadine Benson Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg Gertrude Ness ’51 Berg Andrew ’64 and Jean Amland ’65 Berg Carolyn Berkland Warren ’69 and Carolyn Bey Anthony and Kathy Bibus Gary ’65 and Jean Blosberg Dennes ’57 and Florence Helland ’54 Borman Richard and Nancy Borstad Willard Botko Bruce ’64 and Nancy Braaten Roxanne Raunschnot ’82 Buchanan and Jim Buchanan Carolyn Burfield ’60 Einar Cannelin ’38 William Capman Gregory Carlson ’74 John and Peggy Cerrito Rev. Dr. Herbert ’54 and Rev. E Corrine Chilstrom Judith Christensen Orla Christensen ’56 and Joan Englund Jeff Christenson ’82 Janet Niederloh ’58 Christeson and John Christeson Wayne ’63 and Bernadine Christiansen C. Lee Clarke Connie Arndt ’96 Clausen and Andrew Clausen Cheryl Solomonson ’89 Crockett and Larry Crockett Laura Bower ’91 Cunliffe and Wayne Cunliffe Oliver Dahl ’45 Sally Hough ’79 Daniels Lois Mackey Davis ’58 Suzanne Doree Hans ’56 and Donna Dumpys Julie Edstrom ’90 Doran Edwards Judy Thompson ’65 Eiler Curtis ’84 and Jody Eischens David ’79 and Amy Eitrheim Daniel ’77 and Patricia Eitrheim Kari Elsila and Michael Buescher Rona Quanbeck ’48 Emerson and Victor Emerson Mark and Lynette Engebretson Ellen Stenberg Erickson ’51 ANNUAL REPORT 2009-10 Lois Hofstad ’58 Esselstrom and Michael Esselstrom Duane Esterly ’75 L. Craig ’79 and Theresa Serbus ’79 Estrem John ’68 and Martha Fahlberg Karen Faulkner Marvin ’74 and Lana Felderman William and Anne Frame Terry ’67 and Pauline Frovik Ann Garvey Barbara Gilbert ’81 John ’66 and Mary Jo Greenfield Cindy Greenwood ’05 Roger Griffith ’84 and Jean Taylor ’85 Steven ’81 and Kathy Grinde Julia Ose ’62 Grose and Christopher Grose Katharine Kuchera ’84 Gruber and Craig Gruber John and Laurie Grygelko Jean Venske ’87 Guenther and Stephen Guenther Lucille and Roger Hackbart Shirley Hansen Wayne ’68 and Lois Batalden ’69 Hansen John ’69 Harden and Barbara Hoganson Robert ’83 and Lynne Harris Lisa Svac ’85 Hawks Philip ’42 and Ruth Helland Gerald ’59 and Maxine Hendricks Dawn Hendricks ’80 Irene Shelstad ’52 Henjum Rand ’82 and Kay Kennedy ’82 Henjum Peter ’92 and Becky Hespen Kristen Hirsch ’91 Montag and Paul Montag Sylvia Hjelmeland John ’70 and Lynn Benson ’69 Hjelmeland John ’81 and Karen Hofflander Dean ’57 and Jane Holmes Donald ’60 and Ruth Thorsgard ’59 Homme James ’59 and Joanne Horn Elizabeth Horton Donald ’65 and Delores Hoseth Kermit ’50 and Ruth Hoversten Tom ’72 and Karen Howe Rhoda Monseth ’59 Huglen and Erling Huglen Duane ’68 and Diane Ilstrup Bruce and Jean Inglis Jeffrey ’80 and Jacqui Jarnes Doris Wilkins ’63 Johnson and Charles Johnson Bruce Johnson ’68 Douglas ’66 and Kathryn Wall ’66 Johnson Glen and Marlys Johnson Margaret Johnson Carolyn Johnson ’63 Martha Johnson Karen Johnson Theodore ’68 and Michelle Johnson Joan ’94 and Mark Johnson Karen Johnson ’66 Suzanne Kelley ’69 Benjamin and Christine Kent James Kerr Richard ’69 and Cheryl Nelson ’70 King Linda King ’78 Carmela Brown ’84 Kranz and David Kranz Joan Kunz Rob ’80 and Lori LaFleur George ’50 and Vivian Lanes Andrea Langeland Marvin and Ruth Ringstad ’53 Larson Julie Gudmestad ’65 Laudicina and Joseph Laudicina John ’52 and Mary Peterson ’54 Leak Roger ’50 and Donna Wang ’52 Leak Jacqueline Kniefel ’69 Lind James ’67 and Laurie Lindell Rosemary and Andrew Link Arlene and Gene Lopas Olivia Gordon ’62 Lorents and Alden Lorents Jack ’53 and Darlene Lundberg Randall ’76 and Susan Lundell Marissa Hutterer ’99 Machado Marie Hafie ’65 MacNally and Thomas MacNally Gregory ’61 and Kay Hanenburg ’62 Madson Raymond Makeever Patrick ’72 and Nancy Marcy Carlos Mariani Rosa Julie Magnuson ’61 Marineau and Richard Marineau Terry Marquardt ’98 and Gary Donahue Robert ’71 and Cheryl Lindroos ’72 Martin John ’59 and De Anne Martinsen Jon ’58 and Judith Matala Phillip ’62 and Karen Tangen ’63 Mattison Lillian and Vernon Maunu Dana Holmes ’81 McIntyre and Vernon McIntyre ’79 Tara Cesaretti ’97 McLeod and Christopher ’00 McLeod Meca Sportswear, Inc. Robert ’59 and Mary Lundquist ’60 Meffert Joan and Richard Meierotto David ’68 and Elaine Melby Robert Nelson ’44 and Helen Johnson-Nelson Ronald ’59 and Elizabeth Miskowiec Jonathan ’78 and Bonnie Lamon ’78 Moren Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller Scott ’81 and Debra Musselman Michael Navarre Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson Edor ’38 and Dorathy Nelson Larry ’65 and Marilyn Nelson E. Irene Lasseson ’38 Neseth† Erika Staub ’51 Niemi and Wayne Niemi Robert ’73 and Linda Nilsen James ’57 and Shirley Norman Terry ’70 and Vicki Nygaard Edward ’54 and Winifred Nystuen ’54 Nyhus Richard ’69 and Sandra Larson ’69 Olmsted Dean Olson ’00 Howard and Bettye Olson Vicki and Daniel Olson Cedric ’61 and Marlys Olson Donald ’53 Oren and Beverly Halling ’55 Oren Russell ’63 and Ruth Osterberg Steven O’Tool ’74 Ervin ’56 and Sylvia Moe ’59 Overlund Patricia Solum ’02 Park Patricia Parker Robert ’50 and Ruth Paulson Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth Howard ’53 and Vicki Skor ’59 Pearson Dwight ’60 and Marion Pederson Dale ’70 and Patti Pederson Cynthia Peterson Linda Christensen ’68 Phillips and Gerald Phillips James Plumedahl ’57 Jill Pohtilla Drew ’89 and Molly Privette Jerry ’83 and Susan Warnes ’88 Quam Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe Nicolyn Rajala ’70 and Bill Vossler Paul Rensted ’87 James ’75 and Jude Ring David ’59 and Arline Ringstad James ’63 and Patricia Steenson ’65 Roback Donavon ’52 and Ardis Roberts Thomas ’86 and Susan Rogers-Miller Frances Roller Rockey Stella Kyllo Rosenquist ’64 Philip Rowberg ’41 Thomas Ruffaner ’98 Mary Mether ’69 Sabatke and Bruce Sabatke Richard Sandeen ’69 Donohue ’56 and Marilyn Sarff Pauline Sateren Carol Watson ’68 Saunders Michael Schock and Leslie Baken Larry ’65 and Muriel Berg ’67 Scholla Arvid ’63 and Lillian Schroeder Roger ’62 and Jean Schwartz Michael ’71 and Bonnie Scott Richard ’70 and Linda Seime Earl ’68 and Lisbeth Jorgensen ’70 Sethre Frankie and Jole Shackelford Charles Sheaffer John ’50 and Norma Shelstad Eugene and Margaret Skibbe Alan ’72 and Nancy Becker ’72 Soli Joyce Engstrom ’70 Spector and Robert Spector Heidi Wisner ’93 Staloch and Mark Staloch Ronald ’58 and Naomi Stave Roger ’54 and Bonnie Stockmo Bonnie Martinson ’59 Storley Steven ’65 and Chynne Strommen Philip ’79 and Julia Davis ’79 Styrlund John ’69 and Stephanie Johnson ’71 Sulzbach Kenneth Svendsen ’78 and Allison Everett ’78 Brian Swedeen ’92 and Terri Burnor ’92 Kenneth and Jane Syverson Paul ’87 and Tracey Morris ’87 Terrio Barbara and Eugene Thompson Dick ’61 and Jane Thompson Sue Thompson ’85 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 Fall 2010 41 Marlys Holm ’57 Thorsgaard and Arlen Thorsgaard Richard ’56 and Darlene Thorud Michael ’85 and Rhonda Riesberg ’84 Tjaden Mark and Ann Tranvik Mary True Merry Tucker Betty and Paul Tveite Charleen and Donald Weidenbach John ’49† and Arnhild Werket Lyndon ’65 and Diane West Heidi Norman ’88 Wise and John Wise Edmund ’53 and Rose Youngquist Robert ’50 and Dee Ulsaker Joan Swenson ’78 Van Wirt Joan Volz ’68 Sharon and Stephen Wade Rebecca and Michael Waggoner Norman ’76 and Kathryn Anderson ’76 Wahl Lois Wattman ’76 and Douglas Shaw ALUMNI GIVING BY CLASS YEAR The following list indicates the percentage of alumni from the traditional day program in each class year who made a gift during 2009-10. Total participation for all class years, 21%. 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 42 33.33% 66.67% 50.00% 20.00% 52.94% 25.00% 33.33% 29.63% 31.03% 31.25% 32.50% 38.89% 34.62% 47.73% 34.85% 42.39% Augsburg Now 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 35.62% 43.10% 49.46% 46.67% 36.59% 35.71% 44.44% 43.40% 55.56% 56.07% 36.17% 46.67% 35.17% 38.71% 32.09% 33.94% 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 31.63% 35.07% 34.60% 27.96% 20.32% 26.29% 26.30% 22.88% 24.01% 21.57% 21.55% 20.91% 23.19% 21.40% 16.67% 17.87% 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 16.29% 14.91% 13.91% 13.33% 13.10% 10.00% 12.61% 11.86% 12.18% 10.00% 11.33% 9.58% 10.71% 10.18% 6.98% 9.91% 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 12.18% 9.76% 11.29% 6.97% 4.69% 10.91% 7.64% 10.55% 5.43% 10.41% 7.53% 5.93% auggie alumni news From the Alumni Board president … Dear fellow alumni, A ugsburg has a time-honored tradition each year called “Homecoming.” Homecoming is a time of renewal—renewal of friendships, college experiences, and meeting new alumni while taking in the festivities of the week. The Augsburg Alumni Board is proud to be part of this and other events. The year 2010–11 is the year of bringing our alumni closer to the College. Our board members understand this as many of the members of the Alumni Board spent their formative years with the College, creating new friends that have passed the test of time. Part of the Alumni Board’s mission is to promote connections among alumni throughout the year. The board sponsors or participates in many of the events that bring alumni together. Some of these are: • Alumni awards that recognize Auggies who have made significant contributions in their fields of work and to the community, who have given service to the College, and who exemplify the mission and spirit of the College. • Social and business networking opportunities • Educational and enriching speakers • Fun events that promote engagement, such as the Auggie Night at the Races at Canterbury Park that attracts more than 700 alumni and family members each year. These are a few examples of how your Augsburg Alumni Board works for you to bring fun and enjoyment to your extended college experience. The board continues to look for ideas to expand our mission of reconnecting alumni to the College, and we would welcome your feedback on programs you feel would help fulfill our mission. This year promises to be fun with new traditions and events for all. We invite you to pass on the message to recent alumni and alumni from years past. We all have an opportunity to extend our college experience past Commencement. Best wishes to you all as you rekindle your relationship with Augsburg College. Sincerely, JOHN STADLER ’07 MAL PRESIDENT OF THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION Alumni get involved! Is it your New Year’s resolution to reconnect with old friends, network with other Auggies, and have fun? If so, join fellow Auggies at the following alumni events in 2011. Auggies Give Back: Feed My Starving Children Packing Session Saturday, January 15, 2011 9–11 a.m., Coon Rapids, MN Eye-Opener Breakfast featuring Mark Eustis, CEO, Fairview Healthcare Tuesday, January 25, 2011 7 a.m., Town and Country Club, St. Paul, MN The Augsburg Centennial Singers Concert Tour February 8-20, 2011 California and Arizona Student and Alumni Networking Reception Thursday, February 10, 2011 5:30 p.m., Oren Gateway Center Strommen Executive Leader Speaker Series featuring Michele Volpi, CEO, H.B. Fuller Thursday, April 7, 2011 5 p.m., Sateren Auditorium, Music Hall For more information on these and other alumni events go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni. Save the Date! Homecoming 2011 October 17–23, 2011 Reunion Classes 50th reunion—1961 40th reunion—1971 25th reunion—1986 10th reunion—2001 If you would like to help make your reunion a success, contact the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations at 612-330-1085 or alumni@augsburg.edu. Go to www.augsburg.edu/homecoming for updates and reunion information. Fall 2010 43 auggie alumni news Auggies Give Back: Student philanthropy at Augsburg Executives share expertise in speaker series A popular trend in colleges across the nation is also taking Augsburg by storm— current students are giving back to Augsburg while they are still students. The Alumni and Constituent Relations student group, the Augsburg Stewards, are at the forefront of Augsburg’s wave. Under the direction of Amanda Storm, associate alumni director, the Stewards host a variety of events and activities to engage and educate students on how their experience at Augsburg is funded. Philanthropy Week, the first week in March, is a week-long awareness event that gives the student body an opportunity to participate in a variety of philanthropic activities that include voting where their donations go and posting how they give back to their community. There is a scavenger hunt on campus for a particular donor, with clues given about that donor and why they give back. These activities help students understand that while their tuition funds a major part of their education, the generosity of Augsburg alumni and friends also plays a significant role in their experience. New this year, students will have an opportunity to directly give back to fellow students through the “Feed the Pig” class gift challenge. All students receive a piggy bank and are encouraged to “feed the pig” their loose change throughout the semester. The money raised will benefit current Augsburg students through a scholarship awarded at the Scholarship Brunch in April. Think it can’t get any better? The class with the highest rate of participation will win a class party at the President Pribbenow’s home. auggies GIVE BACK Alumni artists—call for submissions Augsburg Alumni Juried Show 2011 The Augsburg art galleries are pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for alumni to show their artwork in a juried exhibition featured in both the Gage Family Art Gallery and Christensen Center Art Gallery opening in early August 2011. Each artist may submit up to three images. The submission deadline is June 24, 2011; notifications of acceptance will be sent out July 12. For more information about the Augsburg Alumni Juried Show, go to www.augsburg.edu/galleries or e-mail gallery@augsburg.edu. 44 Augsburg Now The Clair and Gladys Strommen Executive Leader Speaker Series, launched in December 2009, brings major business leaders to the Augsburg campus to share their insights and expertise. Speakers during the past year include Alex Cirillo, vice president of 3M Foundation (now retired) and past president of 3M Canada; Chris Policinski, president and CEO of Land O’Lakes; and Richard Davis, chairman, president, and CEO of U.S. Bancorp. The next speaker in the series will be Michele Volpi, president and chief executive officer of H.B. Fuller. He will speak on Thursday, April 7, at 5 p.m., in Sateren Auditorium, Music Hall. The series is co-sponsored by Augsburg’s Corporate Relations Office and the Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work. Each presentation provides opportunities for alumni as well as students, faculty, and staff to hear unique insights into the current business climate and trends from a national or global corporate leader. Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings, 1949-1979 As part of the Augsburg Choir’s 75th-anniversary celebration, CD versions of remastered historical recordings of the Augsburg Choir from 1949–79 are available as the Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings. A monograph about Leland B. Sateren’s life and career written by William Halverson ’51 will be included with each order. The three boxed sets, each containing five CDs are: • From Opseth to Sateren (1949–1962) • Sateren Intermezzo (1964–1972) • Sateren Finale (1972–1979) Cost: $49 per box (five CDs); $135 for all three sets (15 CDs), plus shipping and handling. To place an order, go to www.augsburg.edu/music/saterenCD.html or call the Augsburg College Bookstore at 612-359-6491. For more information, call 612-330-1265. Call for nominations for alumni awards The Augsburg College Alumni Board seeks your assistance in identifying members of the Augsburg community to be considered for recognition. Please take a few moments to consider those who might be honored for the following awards. Your nominations and suggestions are critical in helping to build these important programs to celebrate the accomplishments of the Augsburg community. The awards will be given at the Homecoming 2011 Convocation on Friday, October 21. Distinguished Alumni Award Awarded to Augsburg College alumni in recognition for significant achievement in vocation, for outstanding contribution to church and community, and for a life that exemplifies the ideals and mission of Augsburg College. Augsburg alumni (graduates and non-graduates) are eligible. First Decade Alumni Award Awarded to Augsburg College graduates of the last 10 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. Spirit of Augsburg Award Honors Augsburg alumni or friends of the College who have given exceptional service that contributes substantially to the well being of the College by furthering its purposes and programs. Alumni, friends, faculty and staff, and groups who have served the College are eligible. To make a nomination, contact the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations for a nomination packet at 612-330-1085 or alumni@augsburg.edu. The deadline for award nominations is March 4, 2011. Members of the Young Alumni Council posed with TC Bear and Auggie Eagle at Young Alumni night at the Twins game in July, with more than 100 attending. (L to R) Rob Wagner ’02, Andrew Johnson ’07, Holly (Ebnet) Knutson ’03, ’07 MBA, Amanda Rueb ’09, and Teresa Barnhill ’08. Young Alumni Summer Series: 2010 From baseball to a brewery tour, Augsburg Young Alumni have it going on! The Young Alumni had another awesome season in 2010, with more than 600 Auggies attending any of the six events held throughout the season, giving Auggies great opportunities to catch up with former classmates and meet new friends. The Young Alumni program is an initiative supported by the efforts of outstanding Young Alumni volunteers, dedicated to providing dynamic social and enrichment opportunities for their Auggie classmates, while keeping them engaged with their alma mater. Join Professor Phil Adamo on a journey to the Emerald Isle Join friends from the Augsburg College community in early May 2011 for an indepth journey through Ireland with Phillip Adamo, associate professor and chair of Augsburg’s History Department, director of medieval studies, and experienced study tour leader. Professor Adamo looks forward to returning to Ireland with a group of alumni and friends, May 2–12, 2011. Explore centuries of heroic history including sites dating to 9,000 B.C. and experience the intense rugged beauty of land carved from the sea contrasting with the meticulous gar- dens of stately castles. As director of medieval studies, Adamo enhances the tour with his special knowledge of the historic significance of Celtic Christianity and how Ireland’s ancient monastic communities flourished during the Dark Ages. The tour also celebrates contemporary Irish culture. To receive a brochure and registration form, contact the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations at 612-330-1178 or alumni@augsburg.edu. Registration is open and spaces are filling—please note that last year’s Italy trip sold out and had a waiting list. Fall 2010 45 60-YEAR REUNION—CLASS OF 1950 Front row (L to R): Shirley Dahlen, Angeline (Rolland) Sorenson, Marjorie (Wilberg) Hauge; Back row (L to R): Edward Alberg, Philip Quanbeck, Raynard Huglen, Robert Paulson go auggies! 50-YEAR REUNION—CLASS OF 1960 Front row (L to R): Marjorie (Moland) Wendt, Ramona (Pedersen) Settergren, Ruth (Carlson) Olson, LaVonne (Gravgaard) Iverson, Phyllis (Redenbaugh) Ose, Fay (Quanbeck) Matsunaga, Lois (Richter) Agrimson, Phyllis (Raymond) Berge, Carol (Johnson) Casperson; Row 2 (L to R): Linnea (Wacker) Whipple, Marlene Studlien, Nancy (Garland) Erickson, Carol (Hawkins) Svanoe, Dorothy (Larson) Henriksen, Phyllis (Dahlmeier) Fering, Ruth (Carlsen) Moen; Row 3 (L to R): Dwight Pederson, Dale Hanka, David Hanka, Stan West, Arden Flaten, Byron Schmid, Myron Carlson; Row 4 (L to R): Clayton Paulson, Bruce Amundson, Gerald Johnson, Lowell Ziemann, Jack Anderson, Dennis Glad, Richard Berge, Don Gilberg Philip Quanbeck Sr. ’50 was the keynote speaker at the Homecoming Convocation Luncheon, and reflected on “Then and Now, and Now and Then.” “It seems to me that when Augsburg College is doing its proper work, it is well aware of its past, but it’s looking not only backward, but forward. Perhaps there is in our future something new, and we should be looking for it.” 46 Augsburg Now 40-YEAR REUNION—CLASS OF 1970 Front row (L to R): Sandy Swanson Mathisen, Bonnie Risius, Marjorie Tietz Peterson, Donna Hillesland Eastman, Nikki Rajala, Paulette O. Odegaard, Steve T. Johnson, Chris Flom Duncan, Karen Dohlen Johnson, LaRhae Knatterud; Row 2 (L to R): Barbara Ingvalson Anderson, Lynne Framstad Payne, Dawn Hofstad Stromman, Tim Strommen, Susan Olson Williams, Barbara Ellefson Ditty, June Gandrud Perrizo, Julie Thompson Lipelt; Row 3 (L to R): Gloria Wohlers Hatchinson, Mary Buss, Linda Larson, Lynn Anderson Haanen, Andrey Olmstead, Cheryl King, Gary Benson, Pam Jurdy Juul, Marilyn Hass Krambeer; Row 4 (L to R): Linda Munson Wahlstrom, Judy Benson Madsen, Sue Lindberg Sorenson, Janet Call Ulvin, Kathie Gildemeister Erbes, Timothy Toso, Paul Mikelson; Row 5 (L to R): Joyce Engstrom Spector, Mark Francis, David Ulvin, Terry Nygaard, John Hjelmeland, John Eidsvoog; Row 6 (L to R): Ray L. Hanson, Jane Cornelison Van Brunt, Dennis King 25-YEAR REUNION—CLASS OF 1985 Front row (L to R): Nancy (Mackey) Mueller, Jean Taylor, Terri (Swanberg) Stoner, Shelly Johnson, Carmen (Elandt) Reibel; Back row (L to R): Ron Winterhalter, Norm Okerstrom, Jay Myers, Clay Gustafson, Rebecca (Melgaard) Newton, Kathleen Kuross, Lisa (Erickson) Gustafson At the Homecoming Welcome Back Banquet, John Eidsvoog ’70 played his own arrangements of several popular selections. He has a master’s degree in jazz composition and has played piano and synthesizers for numerous movies, TV shows, and CDs. In the ’80s, he was the musical conductor and pianist for many popular entertainers, including Andy Gibb, Jaye P. Morgan, and John Davidson. In recent years, Eidsvoog has worked in music preparation with his wife, Julie ’69, as a composer, orchestrator, and arranger. They currently work with such artists as Burt Bacharach, Quincy Jones, Barbra Streisand, Diana Krall, Michael Bublé, and Elton John. Eidsvoog’s CDs are available at the Augsburg Bookstore. Fall 2010 47 alumni class notes 50to move when his home in Rev. Lloyd Kallevig was forced Wadena, Minn., was destroyed by a tornado in June. 61retired teachers who shared Dennis Kalpin was one of the their memories in the country schoolhouse at the Douglas County (Minn.) fair in August. His career included 40 years of teaching, 47 years of coaching football, plus basketball, softball, track, and baseball. 62Hancock, Mich., and her husAlice (Heikkila) Kinnunen, band, Eldon, have spent 18 years in retirement working in Reynosa, Mexico, each winter, building homes for the poor, distributing goods, helping with medical care, schooling, etc. 64Minn., retired from the Rev. Marv Repinski, Austin, Methodist ministry six years ago, and is currently serving as interim pastor at Lansing Methodist Church, his fifth interim appointment. He also teaches world religion at Riverland Community College in Owatonna, and serves on the board of the Austin Symphony Orchestra. 70years with Wells Fargo Bank. Dakota Synod Assembly of the ELCA for 30 years of ordained ministry. David Ulvin, Edina, Minn., served as the senior commodore for the 2010 Minneapolis Aquatennial. He retired from teaching music in the St. Paul school system and now invests in multi-family residential real estate. 77fessor and chair of the English Paul Sedio retired after 36 73 Marti Lybeck’s dissertation on female homosexuality in Germany was named the State University of New York best dissertation in queer studies last year. She teaches history at University of WisconsinLaCrosse. Rev. Gary Wollersheim was reelected to a third six-year term as bishop of the Northern Illinois Synod of the ELCA. He serves as co-chairman of the Illinois Council of Churches and chairman of the Region Five ELCA bishops. 76N.D., joined the staff of Rev. David Halaas, Williston, Lutheran Social Services of North Dakota last summer and works from its Minot program office. He was honored by the Western North Department at Heidelberg University. He is a member of the Tiffin Glass Collectors Club and he volunteers at the Tiffin Glass Museum, giving tours and providing information about the glass production. 80Woodbury, Minn., received a Judy (Carson) Houck ’10 MSW, Hartford Scholarship in social work. She and her husband, Lee ’78, await their first grandchild in January. Kevin Kuntz joined TopLine Federal Credit Union in Maple Grove, Minn., as senior vice president of sales and service. Most recently, he was senior vice president and director of relationship banking at TCF Bank. 52Annabelle (Hanson) ’51, Rev. Len Dalberg, and his wife, Solvang, Calif., were honored by their 4 children and 11 grandchildren on their 60th anniversary at a seaside restaurant family dinner. Len is a visitation pastor at Bethania Lutheran Church in Solvang in his retirement. ence and Health at the university while completing her degree. She and her husband are blessed with three adult sons and a daughter-inlaw, all in the metro area. 88board of Caring Bridge. Janice Aune serves on the 82 Diane (Peterson) Kachel, Woodbury, Minn., received her Master of Biological Science degree from the University of Minnesota in April 2010. For the past four years, she has been assistant director of the Center for Lung Sci- 89English at University of Mis- Devoney Looser, professor of souri, was recently featured in the university’s research magazine, Illuminations, about her book project, a 63summer to celebrate the completion of a water well that provides 75Class of 1975 have been getting together during the year, espe- clean drinking water to the village of Okigwe. She is active in the Fullerton Sunrise Rotary Club, which received funding from the Rotary Foundation for the project. She is an associate professor of communications at California State University-Fullerton and has also taught in Belize as a Rotary teacher. “It was an enlightening and gratifying experience!” cially at Advent Vespers and the Auggie Night at the Races. Here, they enjoy a potluck dinner last summer at Brenda (Hoppes) Cattadoris’ house in Brooklyn Park, Minn. (L to R) Jo Koester, Jennie Hakes, Shirley (Christianson) Nickel, Brenda (Salberg) Peterson, and Brenda (Hoppes) Cattadoris. Carolyn E. Johnson, Fullerton, Calif., traveled to Nigeria in the 48 Bill Reyer, Tiffin, Ohio, is pro- Augsburg Now Since reconnecting some years ago, several women from the 97her husband, Justin, Blaine, 99Danielle, Maple Grove, Minn., 01last summer on Cape Cod. (L to R) Erica Huls, Stacy (Waterman) Newton, Minn., celebrated the birth of their daughter, Lauren Reese. welcomed their first child, Ella Lorraine, on December 14, 2009. Mark is a juvenile probation officer for Hennepin County and an assistant football coach for Osseo Senior High School. Emily (Brinkman) Waldon, Laura Waldon, Sara Thedinga. Jennifer (Coyle) Rhoads and Mark Joseph and his wife, The “Fifth-Floor Girls” from the Class of 2001 enjoyed a mini-vacation 02band, Taher Omar, Brooklyn 04Blaine, Minn., and her hus- Center, Minn., welcomed a baby girl, Scarlett Susan, on July 6. band, Michael, welcomed their new daughter, Charlotte Marie, on Feb. 25. Minneapolis, welcomed their daughter, Lauryn KyJune, on June 11. 073,000-mile bike trip on his Leah (Spafford) and her hus- 02ter Sølvei Mareta on May 24. She is welcomed by big sisters Lillian and Signe (Hillestad) and her husband, Aaron McKie ’05, welcomed daugh- Ellenora. biography of two 19th-century British sister writers, Anna Maria and Jane Porter. The article cites Devoney as “one of the nation’s most respected scholars of British literature and women’s writings.” Will Schroeder joined Kemin Food Technologies in Des Moines, Iowa, as research and development director. He founded and led Blue Sky Creamery and ice cream start-up business. 93Tell You a Story,” was shown in 97football coach at Osseo High Amy Rice’s exhibition, “Let Me the Central Lakes College Gallery in Brainerd, Minn., during September. She is the founder of Spectrum ArtWorks, Minneapolis. 95as vice president, employee Paul Martin was recently hired care and center services at the Lincoln National Corporation’s Lincoln Employer Market’s Group Insurance team. Jim Osberg married Jennifer Oberlag in Hot Springs, Ark., on Sept. 4. He is a sales rep for Medtronic; they live in Wayzata, Minn. Derrin Lamker has been head School for six years. In a recent interview he credits Augsburg coach Jack Osberg ’62 as teaching him the most important lessons of learning how to build relationships with his players. 99her husband, Kevin, Vadnais 01 Nicole Warner recently opened the Milwaukee Chamber Orchestra’s season as mezzo-soprano soloist in Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater. She is the co-winner of the 2010 Bel Canto Chorus Regional Artists competition. 04a member of the USA 00husband, Larye Pohlman ’98, Rev. Melissa (Moyle) and her Brett Cease completed a bike that he named Tranquility, as he traveled from New York City through the Northeast and Canada on his way home to Bemidji. Go to www.homeinthewoods.wordpress.com. Stephanie Malone was hired by CaringBridge as development officer. Karen Lohr, Flagstaff, Ariz., is Women’s Sled Hockey Team and plays in Phoenix on the Coyotes sled team. She has been a hall director at Northern Arizona University. Leah (Holloway) Rudeen and Heights, Minn., welcomed the arrival of their third son, Drew Alexander, on Feb. 26. Drew joins big brothers Zachary (5) and Grant (3). Christina (Boe) Anderson, 06who made his onstage debut Dan Ryan was sworn in as a Rogers, Minn., police officer in September. He is a member of the Army Reserves and served time in Iraq. He completed the Minnesota Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Steve Herzog is a musician at the 2010 Fringe Festival in Minneapolis, playing the role of Rick in “Hollywood Hot!” with the LAB Theater. Previously, he held long-term engagements with the Mall of America and Carnival Cruise Lines. 08band, David Lange, announce Kasi (Clauson) and her hus- the birth of their daughter, Rubi Mae, on July 6. Kasi is the new head coach for Augsburg’s women’s swimming and diving team. Fall 2010 49 alumni class notes Running for Joe—an inspiration Running for Joe … it’s what powered Dan Vogel through his sixth marathon, one of the most grueling in the country—the Equinox course around the University of Alaska campus in Fairbanks. Through 4,000 feet of elevation change on wooded ski trails and up and down a steep gravel road with potholes and loose shale, Vogel ran. It was a on a covered root only two miles into the race where he rolled his ankle, but kept running through the pain, the inspiration of Joe moving him on. Joe was Joe Vogel, Dan’s cousin who died last summer after a two-year battle with cancer. “Why am I doing this?” Dan wrote in the blog that followed Joe’s last year. “Because I BELIEVE. Joe’s ability to never take life for granted and make the most out of every day is what inspires me as I train and prepare for this race.” Dan Vogel graduated from Augsburg in 2005. He ran cross country and track and majored in marketing. Several quick experiences in the business world taught him, though, that sales and marketing—even when his team earned record-breaking revenues—were Dan Vogel ’05 honors his cousin Joe not for him. at www.runningforjoe.weebly.com 09sang under her stage name, Anna Dybdahl, who formerly Arianna, recently released a new single, “Fields of Gold,” on iTunes. Go to www.annadybdahl.com. and educator who founded a company, Jesenia Morales LLC, to work with women in small start-ups. She also teaches non-traditional students as an adjunct faculty member in the business department at National American University. 07Hodgdon ’04, announce the Andrea (Slack) and Clint birth of their daughter, Elizabeth Idelle, born May 24. They live in Savage, Minn. 08Sandy were married on July Cristina (Quick) and Sama Graduate Programs 10award as an English Teaching Laura Schoen ’09 MSW married Jeremy Liila on March 27 in Minneapolis. She works at Meridian Services. Augsburg Now Jesenia Morales ’08 MBA is a Naomi Muellner joined Portfolio Recovery Associates in Norfolk, Va., in July as vice president, Bankruptcy Services. Jody Giza ’04 PA joined Lakewood Health System as a physician assistant. Assistant in Malaysia this year. 06coach, strategist, accountant, BETSEY NORGARD Bethany Hellerich received a Fulbright award as an English Teaching Assistant in Indonesia. Nou Chang received a Fulbright 50 “I learned quickly after being hired by Augsburg cross country and track coach Dennis Barker that I work much better with people in person,” Vogel says. “My friends and family recognized that I had a passion for helping people improve their lives, whether in athletics, school, or life in general.” And Joe’s story on CaringBridge made him realize that “there’s much more to life than working a boring job and earning money.” So, as he says, he left his formal attire and skyscraper cubicle and found a perfect fit with the AmeriCorps VISTA program in Fairbanks at an at-risk youth drop-in center. There he hosts a radio show with his youth clients as guest DJs who also tell their stories, and he started music lessons with donated instruments. “At the same time,” Vogel says, “my heart is still in Minnesota with my friends and family.” I can’t wait to pick up where I left off back home and look for a similar job helping at-risk youth in Minneapolis.” Running for Joe was indeed powerful enough to get Vogel through the Equinox marathon, injured and exhausted and into 25th place out of 370 runners. “Had I not ruined my ankle,” he says, “I was shooting for a top-10 finish under 3:30:00.” Although he has a personal best of 2:49:47 for a road marathon, he’ll look for that same goal in the next trail marathon he runs for Joe. Kim Stone, director of alumni and constituent relations, and her husband, Jason, welcomed their son, Evan, on July 24. 24. Auggies in the wedding were groomsmen Greg Hildebrandt ’08 and Derek Francis ’08; bridesmaids Katie LaGrave ’08 and Halen (Haley) Bower ’08; usher Bryan Ludwig ’08; personal attendant Bethany George ’11; and singers Andrew Johnson ’07 and Maria (Mitchell) Helgerson ’07. Send us your news and photos In Memoriam Oliver C. Severson ’31, Minneapolis, age 100, on November 4, 2009. Amy Ruth Schmidt ’54, Waterloo, Iowa, age 78, on June 14. Signe (Berg) Halverson ’36, Dallas, Wis., age 95, on July 25. Clayton Brandt ’57, Richfield, Minn., age 78, on November 19, 2009. Ethel (Sinner) Shebeck ’38, Langford, S.D., age 93, on November 14, 2009. Sandra (Solseth) Hopkins ’59, Golden Valley, Minn., age 71, on May 16, 2009. Gerald Person ’39, San Diego, Calif., age 93, on June 27. Richard M. Olson ’59, New Hope, Minn., age 79, on October 17, 2009. Reynold M. “Eric” Erickson ’41, White Bear Lake, Minn., age 89, on January 22. Lowell Formo ’41, Meza, Ariz., age 91, on August 20. Mary Lou (Heusser) Wesley ’41, Seattle, Wash., age 90, on October 6, 2009. Agnes (Mortensen) Mosling ’48, age 87, on January 3. Elizabeth “Betty” (Westphal) Peterson ’48, New London, Minn., age 83, on June 25. Dr. Ordean L. Torstenson ’63, Madison, Wis., age 69, on July 20. He was faculty member in the Department of Family Medicine at University of Wisconsin and named Pediatrician of the Year by the American Academy of Pediatricians. Distinguished Alumnus, 1999. Clarence C. “Pete” Hansen ’53, Lakeville, Minn., age 78, on January 12. Duane Myrin ’53, St. Cloud, Minn., age 79, on February 13. Ints Busevics ’54, Minneapolis, age 80, on August 9. ____________________________________________________________ Street address ____________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip code Is this a new address? q Yes q No ____________________________________________________________ E-mail James Dahlager ’71, age 60, on July 31, 2009. Paul A. Green ’51, Roseville, Minn., age 82, on January 7. ____________________________________________________________ Class year or last year attended David Lyle ’64, Sun Prairie, Wis., age 68, on June 9, 2009. Russell Manthie ’49, St. Ignatius, Mont., age 81, on December 4, 2009. Carol (Watson) Schweizer ’50, Minneapolis, age 81, on January 8. ____________________________________________________________ Maiden name ____________________________________________________________ Home telephone Stanley Spangenberg ’64, Lake Jackson, Texas, age 67, on August 24. Robert C. Carlson ’50, Sioux Falls, S.D., age 84, on August 18. ____________________________________________________________ Full name Rev. Orville K. Anderson ’64, Sioux Falls, S.D., age 68, on August 1. Robert Lehman ’49, South Williamsport, Pa., age 84, on July 5. John Werket ’49, Sun City West, Ariz., age 85, on June 4. He was a world champion speed skater and competed in the 1948, 1952, and 1956 Winter Olympics. Distinguished Alumnus, 1972. 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 alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news at www.augsburg.edu/alumni. Kay (Schiller) Trapp ’76, Shoreview, Minn., age 55, on May 10, 2009. Katharine (Bushell) Durr ’80, Hillsborough, N.J., age 48, on February 3. Steve Nelson ’81, Cottage Grove, Minn., age 50, on January 4. David R. Schroer ’89, Shoreview, Minn., age 44, on February 12, 2009. Pamela (Tevlin) Christensen ’92, Plymouth, Minn., age 53, on October 6, 2009. Patrick D. Schmid ’95, South Range, Mich., age 41, on August 29. Okay to publish your e-mail address? q Yes q No ____________________________________________________________ Employer ____________________________________________________________ Position ____________________________________________________________ Work telephone Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No If yes, class year ________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Spouse’s name ____________________________________________________________ Maiden name Your news: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Michelle Hollie ’07, MAL student, Minneapolis, on August 8. ____________________________________________________________ Matthew Gill ’09, Castle Rock, Colo., on September 18, 2009. ____________________________________________________________ q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg. Fall 2010 51 my Auggie experience A pilgrimage to find my college mentor: Professor F. Mark Davis gether in the classroom (including a course in his specialty, Chaucer) and in department meetings (I was a student appointee to faculty meetings). He and his wife, Kay, once hosted Nancy and me in their south Minneapolis home at a gathering of English majors. He even had made the one-hour trip by car to Monticello to visit our hometown and meet my parents. More amazing than finding him after months of occasional searches was the discovery of his home in retirement in Silver Spring, Md., just weeks before my five-day visit to the same area. One evening, I determined, could be devoted to meeting with my mentor whom I had not seen since the early ’70s. Mark was waiting outside the entrance to his building in their sprawling retirement community. The professor I knew when he was nearing 38 (I was 22) appeared somewhat like the man in the 1970 picture that carried. For the next hour and a half, the four of us sat in their apartment, reflecting on careers, family and grandchildren, travel, what we read today, retirement activities, people from Augsburg we mutually knew. There were parallels in our lives: We both have sons in the San Francisco Bay Area. We chose our retirement cities to be near grandchildren. We have downsized from larger, single-family homes to urban housing complexes. We reflected, with personal satisfaction, on our working lives—college professor and dean of students In 1970, Donald Q. Smith ’70 invited his mentor, English Davis (right) and Smith, both now retired, were reunited Department chair F. Mark Davis, to his parents’ home in when the former student successfully searched for his (Mark), weekly newspapering (Don) and K-12 edMonticello, Minn. advisor and visited him in suburban Washington, D.C. ucation (Kay and Nancy). Time didn’t permit reminiscing about the courses we shared at And then came vital help from a most unlikely source: a financial Augsburg ... or how a former English major and a professor later aprecruiter combing a list of alumni in the Northwest. We had a friendly plied their studies in different pursuits. Nor did we reflect on the frevisit for an hour in a downtown Portland hotel, which ended cordially, even though I revealed that our estate planning directs an educational quent campus turbulence during the ’60s from protests against the Vietnam War to the necessary demands for justice and equality by gift not to Augsburg but rather to the foundation of the shared high school of my wife, Nancy, and me. That was acceptable to David Ben- both black Americans and women. As a gift, I brought a Wright-signed copy of Driving to Vernonia for son, who then asked: “Is there anything I can do for you?” Davis. In the fictional “Vernonia,” Edmund’s search for mentor “Yes, find Mark Davis!” I abruptly responded. Richard Vickerman was (in the author’s words) “awkward, suspenseThat he did, querying a contact at Augsburg I had not tried. First ful and tinged with risk.” Not so for me. Rather my personal (and to come to me from Benson was a chronology of Davis's educational successful) drive to find Mark Davis was easy to do, without risk, and degrees and positions. That led to an e-mail to his undergraduate fulfilling. school in Tennessee (Bryan College), which forwarded my e-mail to him. Within days, an e-mail arrived from my one-time professor. DONALD Q. SMITH ’70 Davis, who had come to Augsburg as English Department chair in Former editor and publisher of the Monticello, Minn., Times; he lives in Portland, 1968 when I was a junor, expressed delight at the contact. During Ore., where he occasionally writes “Don’s Column”-like pieces as if he still has a his first two years in Minneapolis, we spent considerable time tonewspaper deadline. He can be reached at donaldqsmith@yahoo.com. Courtesy photos “Who in your life do you consider your mentors?” Oregon author George Wright’s inquiry to me came from his own experience of locating a long-lost store manager who had once befriended him. Twenty-five years later, a search by Wright led to a reunion and frequent luncheon meetings. Pondering the importance of positive influences, especially in one’s early years, gave Wright a plot line for his 2009 book, Driving to Vernonia. I recently followed the lead of Wright’s protagonist, Edmund Kirby-Smith, whose search for his mentor takes him to a small Oregon town. I sought an important teacher in my life: Augsburg College English advisor Professor F. Mark Davis. Finding Davis was no small challenge. Internet searches were fruitless. No Augsburg contacts I made were helpful. A letter to another retired English professor revealed that Davis when leaving Minneapolis became a dean of a small, unidentified college in the East. 52 Augsburg Now an augsburg legacy Hazel Thorson Stoeckeler “While I’m not an Auggie by degree … I know Augsburg makes such a difference for so many students. Through my charitable gift annuities, I know my gifts will make a difference for future Auggies, and I receive added financial security.” 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 City Service Day On the day before fall semester classes began, first-year students contributed more than 1,500 service hours by cleaning, painting, gardening, and helping out in the community. Here, a student works at In the Heart of the Beast Theatre.
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Title: Augsburg Now Spring 2010: Out Of The Box Auggies
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:29 AM Page 1 AUGSBURG NOW SPRING 2010 VOL. 71, NO. 3 inside out of the Augsburg Now The Magazine of Augsburg College 25Photo Years of Life-Changing contest winners Peace Prize Forum 2010 Lutefisk and a legacy In the neighborhood Travel Learning t...
Show more 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:29 AM Page 1 AUGSBURG NOW SPRING 2010 VOL. 71, NO. 3 inside out of the Augsburg Now The Magazine of Augsburg College 25Photo Years of Life-Changing contest winners Peace Prize Forum 2010 Lutefisk and a legacy In the neighborhood Travel Learning to learn Pursuing an ideal education page 20 Connecting the dots for good IGNITE program box Auggies 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:29 AM Page 2 Editor Betsey Norgard norgard@augsburg.edu Creative Director notes from President Pribbenow 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 Multiply your mind by giving it away Photographer a Webmaster/Now Online s this issue of Augsburg Now illustrates, the Augsburg community is engaged in many efforts and initiatives that are best characterized as innovative—or “out-of-the-box,” as they’re called here. In fact, I believe deeply that there is something about Augsburg and its mission that lends itself to this sort of entrepreneurial spirit, this willingness to try new ways of doing things in service to our students and neighbors. Just think of the last 30 years of new programs at Augsburg— the Weekend College; the expansion to seven graduate programs; the Augsburg campus at Bethel Lutheran Church in Rochester and at St. Stephen Lutheran Church in Bloomington; the Augsburg Core Curriculum ––(AugCore), with its expansive framework for educating students in the liberal arts and in the world; the CLASS office, providing support for students with learning differences; the StepUP program, meeting the needs of students recovering from addictions; and the list goes on and on. All examples of how Augsburg is on the leading edge of providing an excellent education in new and innovative ways. I’ve recently been reading literature on helping organizations to embrace and sustain a culture of innovation—that is, to create organizational cultures that are constantly looking for new and different ways to do things, to make products, to deliver services; to save souls, educate students, heal the sick. Recently, I happened upon the writing of Mark Federman, a Canadian scholar whose writings on innovation include this provocative suggestion: “Multiply your mind by giving it away.” And Federman means exactly what he says—be generous, be charitable, give instead of always taking. Because when you are generous with your mind, with your knowledge and education, you help to create organizations and neighborhoods and agencies and churches and schools that are marked not by the scarcity of the world but by the abundance of what’s possible when generosity of mind and heart and spirit is our guiding principle. How will you give away your mind in the communities and organizations you serve? I constantly find examples of such generosity of mind right here in the Augsburg community, and you’ll see them in the stories featured here. For example, I’m struck by the ways in which staff member Brian Noy and his many colleagues who run our Campus Kitchen program are illustrating this generosity of mind and spirit. In addition to the ongoing preparation and delivery of 2,000 meals a month they serve to our neighbors in Phillips and Cedar-Riverside, they have focused our attention on the important role that food plays in our lives—as sustenance for our bodies, as fellowship for our community, as politics and economics in our neighborhood and world. They have multiplied their minds by giving them away to all of us. And the results are staggering— a community garden on the edge of campus that brings together neighbors and students and children, a Farmers Market that brings organic farmers from across the region to campus, composting of leftover everything in the cafeteria, and so much more—abundance through generosity. The gift of an education, an Augsburg education, calls all of us to this generous undertaking of multiplying your mind and knowledge and experience by giving it away so that it serves God’s abundant intentions for God’s people and world. That is the sort of innovation that is at the heart of Augsburg’s mission and vision. I’m proud to share in this significant work. PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT Stephen Geffre geffre@augsburg.edu Bryan Barnes barnesb@augsburg.edu Director of News and Media Services Jeff Shelman shelman@augsburg.edu Sports Information Director Don Stoner stoner@augsburg.edu Assistant Vice President of Marketing and Communication Rebecca John rjohn@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, 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 au w 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:30 AM Page 3 spring 2010 Features 10 14 6 10 14 10th annual International Programs Photo Contest 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Forum Lutefisk, a log cabin, and a 50-year legacy by Betsey Norgard 17 auggies out of the box 20 34 20 Pursuing an ideal education by Wendi Wheeler ’06 23 In the neighborhood contents by Jeff Shelman 28 augsburg now Departments 2 5 8 9 37 40 44 Around the Quad Auggies on the ice Auggie voices It takes an Auggie Alumni news Class notes My Auggie experience 25 Learning to learn—without any A, B, Cs by Jeff Shelman 28 Connecting the dots for good by Bryan Barnes 31 IGNITE-ing Auggie spirit by Betsey Norgard 34 The Bod Pod by Betsey Norgard 36 Out of the box partnerships by Rebecca John On the cover It’s impossible to arrange many of the programs, people, and partnerships at Augsburg neatly into a box. With their creative perspectives and unique features, the stories here show how Augsburg often looks and acts “out-of-the-box.” All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated. 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:31 AM Page 4 around the quad Auggies win 11th national wrestling title With eight All-Americans and three national runner-up individuals, the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed its 11th NCAA Division III national title in the last 20 seasons in March in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Augsburg finished with 110.5 points, 10 points better than second-place Wisconsin-La Crosse’s 100.5. Defending national champion Wartburg (Iowa) was third with 83.5 points, Coe (Iowa) was fourth with 76.0 points, and Delaware Valley (Pa.) was fifth with 50.5 points. In his second year as Augsburg’s head wrestling coach, Mark Matzek ’05 was named Division III National Coach of the Year by the National Wrestling Coaches Association—and at age 27, is the youngest head coach to ever win a Division III wrestling national title. Augsburg assistant head coach Jared Evans ’07 was named National Assistant Coach of the Year by the NWCA. “It was nine individual efforts that created this team national championship,” Matzek said. “I’m proud of each and every one of the guys who wrestled, and I’m proud of each and every one of the guys in this program.” The final session of the tournament completed a unique first for the Auggies—the first time Augsburg has won a national title without an individual national titlist. The feat has occurred just twice before in the 37-year history of the Division III championships. Have you seen the new signs? The new LED “Augsburg” atop Mortensen Hall now serves as a beacon to commuters who pass by on Interstate 94 and as a marker of Augsburg’s location. To read more and see a video of the construction, go to the “Auggie Sign” page on Facebook. Photo by Caleb Williams Auggie wrestlers, students, families, and friends celebrated Augsburg’s 11th national championship. 2 Augsburg Now 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:31 AM Page 5 Augsburg receives five Fulbright awards In the past weeks, three Augsburg students, one faculty member, and the Center for Global Education have all been notified that they have received Fulbright awards for next year. May graduates Jens Olsen and Heidi Le will both teach English in Vietnam during the 2010-11 academic year. Bethany Hellerich, a 2009 graduate who is spending this year as a member of the Lutheran Volunteer Corps, will teach English in Indonesia. All three have plans to further their education after their year abroad, as Olsen will apply to medical school, Le has deferred admission to pharmacy school, and Hellerich is interested in a public health graduate program. Seven Augsburg students have been awarded Fulbrights over the past three years and the College has been recognized as a top producer of winners. Hellerich said Augsburg’s Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity office (URGO) deserves credit for working with students and pushing them to believe that they can have success. “I’m just fortunate that [URGO director] Dixie Shafer exists and magical things happen when she works with you on your application,” Hellerich said. “She’s very helpful with giving good and detailed feedback.” English professor Colin Irvine will spend the next academic year traveling the length of Norway as a Fulbright Roving Scholar in American Studies. Courtesy photo College mourns the death of faculty Professor Don Steinmetz, who taught in the Languages and Cross-Cultural Studies Department for 41 years, died of an apparent heart attack on Dec. 28. He was 71. His son, Erik Steinmetz, is a member of Augsburg’s Computer Science Donald Steinmetz Myles Stenshoel Department faculty. Don Steinmetz served as chair of the department and taught courses in German and Spanish. He also taught Chinese and linguistics within the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities consortium. Professor Emeritus Myles Stenshoel died on March 26 following a short illness. He taught at Augsburg for 28 years and continued to teach part time in retirement. In 1965 he came to Augsburg and established the Political Science Department the following year. His interests were in politics and religion, and he was deeply committed to social action. Also mourned is Neal Thorpe ’60, former faculty member and a Distinguished Alumnus, who died in Vancouver, Wash., on March 3. Jens Olsen and Heidi Le Colin Irvine In this role, Irvine will prepare presentations on American studies topics and visit schools across Norway to provide opportunities for Norwegian teenagers to learn about the United States. Based in Oslo, he will likely give between 250 and 300 presentations across the country. “I’ve always been interested in the possibility of working or teaching overseas,” Irvine said. “This roving scholar program was perfect.” In addition, the Center for Global Education also received its fifth Fulbright-Hays Group Project award and will host a four-week curriculum development program for teachers during July and August in Namibia. Editor’s Note The last issue of the Now had a story, “Augsburg’s first travel to Egypt.” Alas, we have received a note from social work Professor Emerita Edwina (Eddie) Hertzberg, who tells us it isn’t so. “In 1979, for the January Interim, the College sponsored a course, Social Services and Public Policy in a Developing Country: Egypt, 1979,” she writes. “I was the faculty instructor, assisted by former adjunct professor Nagwa Farag and two of her colleagues from Helwan University in Cairo. My request to Professor Farag had been that we get as close to Egyptian people as possible so that our experience include the depth that only such engagement can provide. Eleven students, Augsburg and St. Olaf, from a variety of disciplines, participated in the month-long program. … [I]t was a remarkable educational and life-impacting experience for us all, students and faculty alike.” Spring 2010 3 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:31 AM Page 6 around the quad Yi started out the semester in the back of the room, about as far away from me as possible. He showed relatively little interest; his homework and test grades were poor. Yet when I called on him he responded with reasonable answers. Like others hiding in the back row, Yi had potential; he just needed some personal attention and prodding. I took to writing notes on his homework encouraging him to move forward and talk to me. One afternoon he appeared in my office, and we talked for an hour about many things—about the class, how he came to United International College (UIC), and his goals. Eventually he closed the office door and wanted to talk about the injuries his uncle experienced in Tiananmen Square in 1989. But the fear was still too great and he left. Yi did move forward, began to interact with me, and soon his work, tests, and comments improved remarkably. He began to enjoy thinking philosophically. Through a special arrangement, Augsburg made it possible for me to teach philosophy during the fall semester at UIC in Zhuhai, China. In three classes I was privileged to work with 120 bright Chinese students. A new, English-medium liberal arts college on the mainland, UIC is an experiment to provide a more Western style of education to the Chinese. China is dramatically changing as it attempts to educate its population, and UIC is one of eight brand-new universities built in Zhuhai in the last 10 years. “I told my students that part of my mission was to corrupt them, to move them from the passive state of being excellent note-takers and regurgitators of teachers’ PowerPoints to being able to think and question for themselves.” In Introduction to Philosophy we read Plato’s Apology, where Socrates is accused of corrupting the youth by getting them to question those in authority who claimed that they knew when they really didn’t. I told my students that part of my mission was to corrupt them, to move them from the passive state of being excellent note-takers and regurgitators of teachers’ PowerPoints to being able to think and question for themselves. By the end of the term over half of the students were engaging me in the classroom discussion, raising questions and objections and making the class their own. Courtesy photo Philosophy, religion, and Chinese food Professor Bruce Reichenbach with students (from left) Daisy, Serena, and Charlene enjoy noodles and discussion after class in Zhuhai, China. My Philosophy of Religion students and I would walk down to the student canteen on Friday for lunch and conversation. Jiang sat next to me and between bites of noodles asked, “Do you really believe in God?” Teaching Philosophy of Religion provided both a challenge and opportunity, as both the students and I looked for a common ground of understanding between our two cultures and worldviews. Once the initial barriers of passive learning were put to rest, the classroom boiled with discussion, questions, challenges, and good humor. Here, too, the students would linger. Tony periodically stayed around for an hour, his phenomenology book in hand, to inquire how Heidegger would view these ideas. Self taught in philosophy, he was eager to connect the course ideas with his own reading. Three Augsburg students and four recent graduates, serving as teaching assistants, also joined the UIC community, providing cross-cultural connections that will continue to develop as students and faculty visit each other’s campuses in the years ahead. At the end of the term two of my classes took my wife and me to Chinese restaurants to show their appreciation. We toasted friendship and a wonderful semester as we affirmed that we all liked philosophy and Chinese food. BRUCE REICHENBACH Professor of philosophy 4 Augsburg Now 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:31 AM Page 7 Auggies on the ice Chris Johnson—A third-generation hockey star Chris Johnson certainly has an impressive hockey pedigree. Chris is the son of Mark Johnson, a member of the fabled “Miracle on Ice” 1980 U.S. Olympic team, a pro hockey star, and coach of the 2010 U.S. Olympic women’s silver-medal hockey squad. He’s the grandson of “Badger” Bob Johnson, one of the greatest coaches in American hockey history—who also happened to attend Augsburg for a year before transferring to the University of Wisconsin. And his siblings all played hockey on various teams. But Chris Johnson has also made a name for himself as a leader of the Auggie men’s hockey team. A native of Verona, Wis., Johnson had a terrific career as an Auggie, scoring 41 goals with 74 assists for 115 points in his 104-game career. He had a goal or assist in 15 of Augsburg’s 27 games this season, including seven multiple-point efforts. Johnson’s squads reached the MIAC postseason playoffs in three of his four seasons, including two with him as team captain. He earned All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors all four seasons and All-American honors last year. Off the ice, Johnson will also be remembered as a top hockey player. He’s a member of Augsburg’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and has helped lead hockey ministry and Bible-study groups of student-athletes. He’s also worked with the Herb Brooks Foundation’s “Rink Rats” program, teaching hockey skills to students from the Seward Montessori School. Johnson is a finance major with a 3.4 GPA. “Hockey was everywhere when we were growing up, in a good way, not in a pressure way,” Johnson told columnist Rachel Blount of the Star Tribune in a January feature. “We all got to play at the same high school as my dad. He taught us that even though we might have a last name that helps, it doesn’t matter if you don’t work hard. But he also told us that at the end of the day, it’s all about having fun.” This season was a special one for the Johnson family. Since the U.S. women’s hockey team was based at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., prior to the Olympics, Mark—who took a leave of absence from his job as coach of the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team to lead the Olympic squad—had ample opportunities to be with his son in the Twin Cities. Mark attended several of his son’s games at Augsburg, and the two met weekly for dinner and father-son bonding. In a “Profiles of Excellence” feature on the CollegeSportingNews.com website by Rich Mies in January, Chris Johnson said that his experience at Augsburg has been a positive one. “I’ve received a great education here,” he said, “and I cherish the relationships I’ve made here with teammates, coaches, teachers, and friends. I’ve grown up a lot while I’ve been here.” He also said he may consider following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps and coach hockey someday. DON STONER Spring 2010 5 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:31 AM Page 8 International Programs 1 Photo Contest Portraits 1st place: Matt Anderson “Soccer at Le Sacré Coeur” Paris, France 2nd place: Sandra Meyer “Yes” Managua, Nicaragua 3rd place: Dan Thewis “Friday at Al-Azhar Mosque” Cairo, Egypt Landscape/cityscape 1 1st place: Norah Thompson “Villa Joyosa, España” Madrid, Spain 2nd place: Malena Thoson “Municipal Dump” Managua, Nicaragua 3rd place: Elizabeth Robinson “Work Will Set You Free” Berlin, Germany Photojournalism 1st place: Dan Thewis “Cairo at Midnight” Cairo, Egypt 2nd place: Norah Thompson “El niño en Madrid” Madrid, Spain 6 Augsburg Now 1 3rd place: Sandra Meyer “Nonchalant” Managua, Nicaragua 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:31 AM Page 9 3 2 3 3 2009 2 INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS 2 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:32 AM Page 10 auggie voices How girlfriends do theology “Doing Theology with Girlfriends,” or DTwG as it is known, is not your typical Bible study. Sonja Hagander, associate pastor at Augsburg, started DTwG because students told her they wanted a Bible study on campus. “But you can’t always call it a ‘Bible study,’” Hagander says, “because that means it’s difficult or boring or only for people who already understand the Bible.” So DTwG gives women at Augsburg a chance to connect, to support each other, and to relate their own life experiences to scripture. This group of girlfriends gathers once a month to share stories of their lives and to “do” theology. The idea for DTwG came as Hagander reflected on how she loved spending time with her own girlfriends and on the importance of relating to other women. When the group gathers each month, one woman shares a story from her life. The others then share their own feelings and memories related to the story. Hagander chooses a reading or two from the Bible, which the women use to dig deeper into their experiences. Finally, they ask how what they’ve learned might change their daily lives or the way they practice their faith. On the last Monday in January, one student talked about what it means to “truly experience” nature as she related the story of her family’s vacation in Denali National Park. “I sat there for hours, looking out for miles, reflecting and praying and trying to figure out my place within God’s beautiful creation,” she said. 8 Augsburg Now Hagander passed out copies of Psalm 23, and the girlfriends identified their own green pastures and still waters. For one, a late-night jog around the lakes in Minneapolis was a way for her to connect to nature. Another experienced the majesty of creation while watching the sunrise over the Grand Canyon. Then Hagander asked the group to examine the dark and destructive side of nature using Job’s account of a fire-breathing, stone-hearted leviathan. This led to a discussion about the massive loss of life caused by the earthquakes in Haiti. One woman marveled at the faith that kept some people alive as they waited for days to be pulled from the rubble of destroyed homes, churches, and schools. “Today is a gift that we get to use in the best way possible,” Hagander said, asking how the women could take this discussion into their lives. This hour wasn’t a gab session or group therapy. But it wasn’t an ordinary Bible study either. There were no right answers or theologically sound interpretations. Just coffee and tea, comfortable chairs, a pink candle, and a chance to share. That is how girlfriends do theology. WENDI WHEELER ’06 Back row (L to R): Amy Wenzel, Whitney Pratt, Pastor Sonja Hagander, Ally Streed, Sara Thiry, Emily Wiles; Front row (L to R): Lonna Field, Carly Facchini, Dixie Scruggs, Marrta Wyatt, Angelica Erickson, Sylvia Bull 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:32 AM Page 11 it takes an Auggie A young woman meets her many grandmothers Last year, Krystal Mattison ’10 studied in Korea. Many students who study abroad are profoundly affected by the experience. For Mattison, a history and American Indian studies major from St. Paul, spending the year abroad was a life-changing opportunity to bond with her new grandmothers. Mattison is the granddaughter of a “comfort woman.” During World War II, thousands of Korean women were forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military. Some of these women did not survive their ordeal, and many were unable to have children as a result of their treatment. Furthermore, the women were unable to talk about their experiences until many years later. Her grandmother died when Mattison was five years old, but she heard the story from her father. While in Korea, Mattison spent time at the House of Sharing, an organization in Seoul that houses and cares for the surviving comfort women. She says that after she told them about her grandmother, the women became her adopted grandmothers (halmonis), even giving her the Korean name Soo-Jeong. “They spoiled me, holding my hands and feeding me,” she says. She learned from the women, who now think of themselves not as victims but as survivors and activists, that speaking out against violence is an important part of the healing process. “This experience brought me so much completion that I had to do something.” That “something” was to connect with Jessica Nathanson, assistant professor of women’s studies and director of Augsburg’s Women’s Resource Center. After Mattison shared her grandmother’s story and her own experience in Korea, the center agreed to donate the proceeds from its annual benefit performance of The Vagina Monologues to the House of Sharing. Eve Ensler’s episodic play began off-Broadway in 1996. Each year The Vagina Monologues and other theatrical productions are presented across the country by women on college campuses on V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls. “Since the purpose of performing this show is to fight violence against women by raising awareness about the issue and funds for organizations who do this work, we feel like it was a tremendously successful event,” says Nathanson. “The performances were excellent,” she adds, “beautifully and powerfully delivered.” This year’s production raised more than $800 through ticket sales and donations, which amounts to 940,000 Korean won. “This is such a personal issue for me, and I think it’s amazing that the women of Augsburg took it on,” Mattison says. At the end of each Augsburg performance, Mattison gave a speech about her grandmother. “I felt like she was there with me.” The Vagina Monologues was directed by Julia Sewell, a senior psychology major from Minneapolis. The cast included Irene Abdullah, Veronica Berg, Kia Burton, Amber Davis, Rebecca Dickinson, Sarah Gillund, Annika Gunderson, Lucreshia Grant, Elizabeth Hanson, Brandy Hyatt, Valencia McMurray, Lily Morris, Kris Ness, Magdalen Ng, Shannon O’Brien, Yasameen Sajady, Leann Vice-Reshel, Rochelle Weidner, and Courtney Wiley. WENDI WHEELER ’06 During Krystal Mattison’s year in Korea, she became friends with women, like her own grandmother, called “comfort women,” who were abused by the Japanese military during World War II. These survivors became grandmothers to her, and this year she found a way to help support them. Spring 2010 9 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:33 AM Page 12 THE 22ND ANNUAL NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM 10 Augsburg Now 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:34 AM Page 13 THE 22ND ANNUAL NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM Striving for Peace A Question of Will March 5–6, 2010 In cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, five Midwestern colleges of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) sponsor the annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum. The colleges, all founded by Norwegian immigrants, sponsor the forum to give recognition to Norway’s international peace efforts and to offer opportunities for Nobel Peace laureates, diplomats, scholars, students, and the general public to engage in dialogue on the dynamics of peacemaking and the underlying causes of conflict and war. The Peace Prize Forum is the Nobel Institute’s only such program or academic affiliation outside Norway. Augsburg College Augustana College Concordia College Luther College St. Olaf College This year’s Peace Prize Forum was held March 5 and 6 on the Augsburg College campus, and honored the work of 2008 Nobel Peace Prize winner Martti Ahtisaari, former president of Finland. The other plenary speakers were Kjell Magne Bondevik, president of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, and Leymah Gbowee, executive director of Women Peace and Security Network-Africa. Prior to the forum, the 15th annual Peace Prize Festival brought together approximately 800 school children and youth to learn about the importance and influence of the Nobel Peace Prize and to honor President Ahtisaari. For more photos of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum and Peace Prize Festival, go to www.augsburg.edu/now Spring 2010 11 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:34 AM Page 14 THE 22ND ANNUAL NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM The Peace Prize Forum is grateful for the support of our sponsors: this year’s host, Augsburg College, for providing the platform and for staging this important event. Together, with all of you in the audience, I look forward to learning from a leader this evening, a man who’s been inspiring in his steadfast belief in peace and transformative in his approach. May we all leave this conference energized by the power of one voice and committed to engaging collaboratively with each other to further the process of achieving peace. Thank you.” Alex Gonzalez ’90 (right), Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and Pribbenow meet Ahtisaari. Ann Parriott, vice president for human resources at H.B. Fuller, extended greetings at the forum’s opening ceremony. “Good evening. It’s a pleasure to be here with you tonight to help introduce this year’s conference. H.B. Fuller Company is honored to serve as the lead sponsor for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize Forum. We’re delighted to help welcome our very special guest speaker, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Martti Ahtisaari, and pleased to help and encourage ongoing dialogue and discussion on the topic of peace and conflict resolution. “As a company operating in more than 100 countries for many of our 120-plus years, H.B. Fuller has long embraced the value of diverse global perspectives to solve problems, address challenges, and maximize opportunities in the business sector. We are truly excited to help bring this year’s program to you and by so doing help provide a platform for dialogue, discussion, and diverse perspectives on an issue that affects all of us as global citizens. “We salute the Norwegian Nobel Institute and our academic sponsors, including 12 Augsburg Now Alex Gonzalez ’90 represented Thrivent Financial for Lutherans™ at the forum. Parriott poses with President Martti Ahtisaari (center) and President Pribbenow. Ann and Todd Parriott converse with Augsburg’s MBA director, Steve Zitnick (left). “As a faith-based membership organization, Thrivent Financial seeks to help enable its members to demonstrate their care and concern for others. While organizationally it does not have a global focus, Thrivent Financial does help its members have a global impact through programs such as Thrivent Builds Worldwide and through various Lutheran relief organizations that have a global reach.” Alex Gonzalez, FIC, CLTC, is a partner with the Stonebridge Group. He is a 1990 Augsburg graduate and a member of the Augsburg College Board of Regents. 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:34 AM Page 15 Tim McGough (center) greets Ahtisaari and Pribbenow. McGough Construction and “Bright Green” As a result of their extensive experience with “green” construction and knowledge of sustainable building practices and products, McGough has created the Bright Green sustainable program. A guiding principle of the program is to find creative ways to apply sustainable practices to construction projects in a cost-effective manner. This would include exploring techniques for reducing waste and applying eco-friendly operating practices. McGough has adopted green strategies throughout their company to test cleaning products and utilize advanced recycling strategies. This focus on energy conservation and minimizing waste enables it to export these practices to the construction site and provide useful advice to clients. The centerpiece of Bright Green is the Center of Excellence. The Center of Excellence consists of several sustainability specialists who can provide information and advice to organizations who are considering the implementation of criteria developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) or adopting proven practices to reduce the negative environmental impacts of building design and construction. The center draws upon outside research and industry data, as well as lessons learned “on the ground” from McGough Construction projects. Indeed, McGough is a long-standing member of the USGBC and is a founding sponsor of the local Mississippi Headwaters Chapter in Minnesota. The sustainability specialists in the Center of Excellence maintain active roles in local chapter committees, enabling them to stay well-informed about the most recent developments in sustainable design and construction. McGough, in collaboration with Augsburg, will apply these practices to the Center for Science, Business, and Religion. Kjell Magne Bondevik, president of the Oslo Center for Peace and Human Rights, spoke in dialogue with President Ahtisaari at the forum. “In the long term, we can never win the fight [against terrorism] by military means. We need to find out why people are willing to give their lives and we need to address the root causes of terrorism.” Nordic Home Interiors Tim McGough (left) and Mike Hangge, with McGough Construction, speak with Barbara Farley, Augsburg’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of the College. EVENT CONTRIBUTORS: Jeanne M. Voigt Foundation Mary T., Inc. Wells Fargo Winds of Peace Foundation The Omari rug/wall hangings donated to the forum were woven by Nordic Home Interior’s partner, Everest Handicraft Industries, in Katmandu, Nepal. They were hand-knotted in the primitive Nepalese/Tibetan art form of Tibetan wool with 100 knots per square inch. The dove design is Indian silk. DONORS: Baker Tilly Faegre & Benson Norway House Spring 2010 13 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 16 “ I T ’ S A B O U T F R I E N D S H I P, L E G A C Y, G O O D F O O D , H E R I T A G E , A G I N G — A L L O F T H O S E . ” JIM PEDERSON ’56 On a cold, crisp February morning, photographer Stephen Geffre and I follow Jim Pederson ’56 through ankle-deep snow up a slope to a small log cabin that overlooks Swede Lake. This log cabin, near Star Prairie, Wis., sits on the farm that was homesteaded by Pederson’s great-grandparents in 1872 and that he and his brother, Dwight ’60, now own. They grew up on the farm, moved away to begin their own lives, and now return often with their families and friends. Our reason for being there is to visit the site of an annual celebration that has occurred on the second Saturday of November for the past 50 years. It’s an afternoon each year when Jim and Elaine Pederson host friends and family in the small log cabin for mulled cider and treats before heading to nearby West Immanuel Lutheran Church for lutefisk dinner. This church dinner is a 75-year tradition that now attracts more than 1,200 people for lutefisk, lefse, meatballs, and more. THE BEGINNING OF ENDURING FRIENDSHIPS Jim Pederson says it’s difficult to put a label on this annual gathering. It’s about friendship, legacy, good food, heritage, aging—all of those. Star Tribune columnist Original furniture, art, and history provide the setting for the pre-lutefisk dinner gathering that fills the cabin in November each year. 14 Augsburg Now 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 17 BY BETSEY NORGARD Lutefisk, a log cabin, and a 50-year legacy Jon Tevlin, who attended last November’s half-century celebration, described it as “an iconic Midwestern living postcard that turned 50 years old Saturday.” At first it was just an annual trek to the lutefisk dinner, but as years went by and friends began to gather beforehand at the farm, the camaraderie there became as important as the meal that followed. While to the Pedersons the gathering marks the final event of the farm’s social season, many of the attendees consider it the beginning of their holiday festivities. Pederson really can’t put his finger on just what glue has held so many of them together for so long. The short answer, he says, is that it was a group of Augsburg friends who started coming out to the country for a church dinner. “The better answer,” he adds, “is that some of us developed friendships that included faculty members who were our mentors and with whom we greatly enjoyed informal times outside the classroom.” Faculty from the 1950s who became regular attendees include Phil Quanbeck Sr., Paul Sonnack, Joel Torstenson, Ralph and Grace Sulerud, and others. For nearly 20 years, retired history professor Carl and Val Chrislock spent many of their summers at the farm, where Carl did a great deal of writing and where Val tended her flower and vegetable gardens. When there were deaths, spouses and families often continued to participate. “Many of us were deeply interested in public service of some kind, whether teaching, the ministry, public policy, or politics,” says Pederson. In the 1950s, when academic freedom was restricted and McCarthyism caused colleges to shy away from controversy, he credits Augsburg and the leadership of President Bernhard Christensen for encouraging political expression and organization. “Augsburg practiced academic freedom while in some institutions it was only preached,” Pederson says. “Political organizations were encouraged on campus. Faculty encouraged students to become involved in political campaigns, and Political Emphasis Week brought speakers from the whole political spectrum. “It was in this cauldron that lasting friendships developed and continued beyond graduation. While politics was a strong interest of a few, the friendships persisted regardless of the chosen vocation,” Pederson says. It all started with the five Auggie Norwegian bachelors who, as students, lived together above Larson’s grocery store— Martin Sabo ’59, Jim ’56 and Dwight ’60 Pederson, Harlan Christianson ’57, and Erwin Christenson ’58. In 1959, Jim and Elaine Pederson (who were not yet married) and Harlan and Lori Christianson decided to drive out to Star Prairie for the lutefisk dinner. Elaine was a student nurse at Deaconess Hospital and Augsburg, and this trip became her introduction to the farm, to lutefisk, and to her future Pederson in-laws. Each year thereafter has brought additional invited friends and families. On November 14, 2009—the 50th anniversary—the count was 67. The group now includes the families and friends of Jim and Elaine and their children, Michelle and Kirk, a 1987 grad; his fiancée Molly; grandchildren Madeline, Emma, and Ginny; and Dwight and his wife, Marion, also a Lutheran Deaconess nurse; daughter Denise; and grandchildren Laura, Thomas, and Helenya. AUGSBURG STORIES PLAY OUT OVER THE YEARS Pederson says he’d like to tie the story of the 50-year gatherings to what they learned at Augsburg. “‘Education for Service’ we thought of as just a phrase, but it really did mean a lot to us—whether in ministry, nursing, government, or politics. It played out, and that’s an important part of the story for me.” The Augsburg-connected stories include the political career of Martin Sabo, which dates back to the days of the five Norwegian bachelors. Pederson, who served as student body president and was active in student political groups, became manager in 1960 for Sabo’s state house endorsement campaign. “And he never lost an election after that,” Pederson comments, about Sabo’s long and distinguished legislative career, marked by his retirement in 2007. In another Augsburg story, Chrislock, who was a regular at the November gatherings, stayed on the farm while he wrote his 1991 book, Watchdog of Loyalty: The Minnesota Commission of Public Safety during World War I. Emeriti professors Ralph and Grace Sulerud, close friends of the Chrislocks, Spring 2010 15 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 18 Courtesy photo “WE HOPE THIS CARRIES ON FOR ANOTHER 50 YEARS— S O , Y O U N G E R G E N E R AT I O N , W E ’ R E C O U N T I N G O N Y O U . ” ELAINE PEDERSON enjoyed the old farmstead and lake so much that they now have a house there, just down the hill from the log house. And so, the Augsburg connections continue. THE MEANING OF PLACE THE LOG HOUSE AND LEGACY Pederson’s log house, the current gathering place, wasn’t part of the original farm. The original log house disappeared long ago, and Pederson had always wanted something like his great-grandfather built in the 1870s. In 1972, he found neighbors wanting to get rid of an old log house on their farm, and he jumped at the opportunity. Courtesy photo The Pederson ties date back more than 130 years in the community—to that farm now in its sixth generation and to the church originally chartered by his grandparents and their neighbors. The log house to which people come each November is for him an icon of family and heritage. In the invitation letter for last November’s gathering, Pederson mentioned a recent book that weaves together themes of story, place, calling, and purpose. Claiming Your Place at the Fire, by Richard Lieder and David Shapiro, challenges those entering “the second half of their life” to consider these themes in finding purpose in what they choose to do during their elder years. Pederson sees the old farm as the locale where at this annual event these themes of aging and legacy play out. “This is a time where family and friends share life experiences, the happenings of the last year, perhaps recalling mentors from college or elsewhere, many of whom are no longer with us; reminiscing about the good times; the not-so-good times; commiserating over losses or illnesses; sometimes engaging in a bit of gossip. Sometimes it’s small groups huddling to solve the world’s problems.” Collectively, they recall stories, redefine place, renew callings, and reclaim purpose. “Oh yes, and there’s the country church dinner, the ostensible reason for the gathering,” adds Pederson. “Each year, however, we hear some say they really come for the hour or two they spend together before the big meal, sipping cider Norwegian traditional goodies, and sharing treats they bring.” Auggies in the group of 67 at the 50th gathering last November included: (Front row, L to R):, Winnie (Nordlund) Anderson ’61, Elaine Pederson, Vicki (Skor) Pearson ’59, retired art professor Phil Thompson. (Back L to R) Kiel Christianson ’88, Jim Pederson ’56 (not visible) holding granddaughter Ginny, Kirk Pederson ’87 (turned away), Pearl Almquist, Paul Almquist ’59, Eunice Helgeson ’69, professor Garry Hesser, retired librarian Grace Sulerud. 16 Augsburg Now The “five Norweg ian bachelors” re united in 2002 wi Erickson ’56 (cen th Rod ter). (Clockwise, from left): Marti ’59, Harlan Chris n Sabo tianson ’57, Dwigh t Pederson ’60, Er Christenson ’58, win and Jim Pederson ’56. An eclectic mix of history and heritage, the one main room of the cabin is barely able to contain the crowd that gathers. Hanging on the walls are the farm’s homestead documents and old photos; some of the furniture is original. Rosemaling and other memorabilia fill the area. A loft offers sleeping space, and an enclosed porch was added for additional room. In addition to Jim and Dwight, the old farmstead has incorporated the Pedersons’ younger generations. Jim and Elaine’s son, Kirk, has his place on the farm where he and his family enjoy the summer. Their daughter, Michelle, enjoys the solitude and serenity of the farm both in summer and winter. So, as years go by, and the annual lutefisk group continues, children and grandchildren play greater roles. “In 1959,” Pederson says, “none of us could have predicted that 50 years later we would speak of a remarkable tradition that we hope will continue far into the future.” Last November 14, after some traditional Norwegian folk music and hymns, Elaine Pederson announced, “We hope this carries on for another 50 years—so, younger generation, we’re counting on you.” To read more and see photos from earlier gatherings, go to www.augsburg.edu/now a 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 19 X O B E H T F O OUT s e i g aug ON PAPER , Augsburg College looks a lot like most other liberal arts colleges. We have similar courses, departments, and programs. We teach students to think critically and to lead responsibly in the world, which is what other schools also aim to do. And our students, staff, and faculty don’t look much different than those at the big school across the street or the small campuses across the river. But in person we look and act differently. At Augsburg, we try to put our own creative spin on things and to look at issues from different perspectives. For example, this year some of our first-year students and a group of faculty spent an entire semester working together on a big problem in our first “I-Term.” In another example, students in the Honors program create their very own courses, write and edit their own scholarly journal, and together shape their own learning environment. And, one of our alums has found a very creative way to do community service while also running a thriving business. The stories in this issue represent just a few of the “out-of-the-box” programs, people, and partnerships that make us uniquely Augsburg. Spring 2010 17 18 Augsburg Now 50 students, 5 professors, 1 big problem. Last fall’s I-Term students discussed three big challenges in the non-graded Fate of the Earth course. I-Term students focused on food, fuel, and media in the course. What’s a great way to engage alumni? Introduce them to current students who have similar majors or interests and let them swap stories. In the end, everyone benefits. Yearbooks are keepsakes that link alumni to their college days. IGNITE I-TERM 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 20 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 21 HONORS houses in the Honors program. Items such as an olive-leaf crown are emblems for specific I-Term students focused on food, fuel, and media in the course. OUT OF THE BOX The Honors program consists of a combination of classes, students, structure, and a whole lot of creativity. FINNEGANS As a student, Jacquie Berglund ’87 dreamed of helping the working poor. Today her sense of vocation drives her to take leaps of faith that make life better for others. NEIGHBORHOOD Working closely with Cedar-Riverside and Seward residents is just one of the ways we live out our vocation to serve our neighbors. Somali students help their classmates learn more about the symbols and dress in Muslim culture. 100% of the profit from every bottle sold provides help at the grassroots level. Spring 2010 19 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 22 PURSUING AN IDEAL EDUCATION Imagine your ideal college education. What classes would you take? Who would teach them? What kind of students would you study with? What activities would you take part in? Where would you travel? When Robert Groven set out to restructure the Augsburg College Honors program, he asked faculty and students these sorts of questions. At first, he said, they were silent. “They had just accepted that college is the way it is,” Groven said. But then, they flooded him with ideas. Students wanted more academic challenge and to be pushed by faculty. They wanted courses to include more content and classroom experiences to be more active and engaging than in high school. They wanted to learn outside the classroom and to have opportunities for unconventional learning experiences—the exact sort of education that a small college in the city can provide. BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 The current Honors program house presidents are (clockwise, from front): Adam Spanier, Katie Radford, Becki Iverson, Andrew Fox, David Ishida, Jonathan Chrastek, Kathleen Watson, and Charlie Olson. 20 Augsburg Now 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 23 UNCONVENTIONAL COURSES Three aspects of Augsburg’s Honors courses distinguish them from courses in other college honors programs. First, each class is specifically created for the Honors program. In other words, it’s not a matter of adding an assignment or text to an existing course or simply creating a new title, Groven says. The content of Honors courses is enriched and the pace is accelerated as well. Second, Honors courses are intentionally interdisciplinary—multiple faculty from different departments teach in each class. This spring, for example, the senior keystone course was taught by faculty whose disciplines include sociology, social work, metro-urban studies, art, English, and theatre. Augsburg’s Honors students in the Liberating Letters class stepped back into ancient Greek times to put Poseidon on trial for the murder of Odysseus’ men and fleet. (L to R): Eric Dooley, Nikki Johnson, Becca Dickinson, and Patrick DuSchane. president, Paul Pribbenow, is one of the lead instructors, focusing on his study of Jane Addams, founder of the settlement house movement. The course, Legacies of Chicago: Ideas and Action in Place, was conceived by Lars Christiansen of the sociology and metrourban studies departments. The course examines how particular places are incubators for unique ideas and actions. In addition to studying about the traditions and concepts that originated in Chicago, the class traveled to the Windy City to experience the “place” firsthand. Finally, each course has a “signature” experience—an unconventional way of learning that involves a high level of effort and also includes a public display of what the students have learned. Students are usually enthusiastic about these experiences, Groven says, because the tasks are generally open-ended and students have more freedom to make decisions about what they learn and how they learn it. In Liberating Letters, a first-year humanities course, students put texts, authors, or fictional characters on trial, serving as judge, jury, prosecution, and defense. But before this class begins, students have to pass a test. In fact, in order to gain admission into the first session, they are required to recite the first stanza of Homer’s Odyssey from memory, solve a riddle about Greek mythology, and present the “prophecies” of three different people who know them well concerning where that student will be in 10 years. A second type of course, which is likely more-than-ideal for many students, is the Student Created Learning Experience, or SCLE. Aptly named, these are classes created by students based on their interests. SCLEs can essentially become an independent study course for one student or 20 students and can be open to all Augsburg students. One of the more popular SCLEs, which generated a great deal of interest when it was first introduced and again this year, was The Art, Science, and History of Brewing. In addition to learning about brewing from the perspective of different disciplines, students also brew two batches of beer and invite guest judges to evaluate the fruits of their labors. This year senior theatre arts major David Ishida created an SCLE on swordplay to fulfill 21 An olive-leaf crown is the emblem of the Hesser Servants House in the Honors program. OUT OF THE BOX The result of all that questioning was a student-centered program where students take responsibility for their own learning, with the full support of the faculty and the resources they need to achieve their goals. “We believe that an ideal education will be different for every student,” Groven says. “We know no one can reach an ideal goal, but we believe the process of exploring and pursuing ideals is essential to college education.” By striving for the ideal, the program has become one where students routinely go above and beyond the requirements outlined in their syllabi. “We set a very high bar, and we insist that they get there. But they set a much higher bar for themselves than we ever would.” 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 24 very receptive and energized,” Crockett says, “ … not just in the classroom but on campus.” Crockett has engaged 14 current students as research assistants who will read and critique work that he is presenting at an international conference. “I hope they really come at me,” he says. “I’m counting on them to find fresh answers.” EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER Honors senior Nicholas Blixt experiments with ingredients in The Art, Science, and History of Brewing class. a physical education credit but also to explore his interest in medieval history and culture. STUDENTS WHO LOVE TO LEARN Interesting classes and outstanding faculty certainly can combine for a compelling honors program, but the character and quality of the students make Augsburg’s program unique. “We are trying to look beyond good grades and test scores,” Groven comments. “We want intrinsically motivated learners—students who see ideas as living vehicles for human expression and change.” Computer science professor Larry Crockett, who was once the Honors program director, has taught in the program for many years. While he says Honors students are pushed to rise above expectations and challenge each other, he is especially enthusiastic about the extraordinary energy coming from this year’s incoming class. “These students are willing to dig into issues and are 22 Augsburg Now There’s more to Honors at Augsburg than fun classes and energetic students. Honors also provides leadership and scholarship opportunities and fosters an environment where students often start their own activities or groups. “Part of our philosophy is that as much learning should happen outside the classroom as inside,” Groven says. Students are organized into houses, each of which focuses on a different area: scholarship, social justice and service, stewardship, and citizenship. Each house plans and promotes activities and also elects two house presidents who serve on the Honors Council. With faculty advisers, the council sets the policy for the program and helps solve problems. One officially organized non-classroom learning opportunity is the Honors Review, a student-run, student-edited interdisciplinary journal of undergraduate scholarship. Taylor Norman, a senior English major and Honors student, is the current editor-in-chief. This year the Review extended its reach and received 43 submissions from undergraduates all across the country. After articles are selected for publication, Norman and her editorial staff check citations, verify research, and then engage the author to revise and edit. “We wanted to create a scholarly environment with lots of dialogue,” Norman says. All Honors activities and programs serve to support students so they can pursue their academic goals. “Honors tries to show students what amazing talents and abilities they have,” Groven says, and they find countless ways to apply their academic learning. For example, senior Jessica Spanswick, who majored in international relations and minored in peace and global studies, studied in Namibia for a semester and served as a Peace Scholar in connection with the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Her opportunities to volunteer for World AIDS Day in Namibia and to travel as a scholar to Chiapas, Mexico, gave her valuable hands-on global experience. Honors program students have received many of the highest national and international academic awards available; they have been Fulbright scholars, Goldwater scholars, the College’s first Rhodes scholar, and students who have won National Science Foundation grants—and that’s still just the tip of the iceberg. Part of the program’s mission is to encourage students, many who never thought of themselves as award-winning scholars, to apply for scholarships and publication so that their work can be recognized. These courses, the faculty who teach them, the students who take them, and the learning opportunities that happen outside the classroom all come together to try to create an ideal education for Augsburg Honors program students. “I never think of the Honors program as being done,” Groven says. “The best program will always be different because we are constantly adapting to new technologies, new students, and new problems.” 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 25 Sophomore Madeline Roe helps a Somali student with her work as part of Trinity Lutheran Congregation’s Safe Place Homework Help program. Across the Twin Cities, Minnesota, and the nation, stories of neighbors and colleges clashing bubble to the surface featuring real town vs. gown tension. Augsburg’s philosophy, however, is very different. Augsburg isn’t building walls or installing large steel gates on campus to keep the outside world out. Instead, Augsburg is reaching further out into the Cedar-Riverside and Seward neighborhoods and, in the process, the College founded by Norwegian Lutherans is working closely with the largest concentration of Somali immigrants in the United States. WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY We believe we are called to serve our neighbor. That is Augsburg’s statement of institutional vocation. Live the experience. Love the city. Learn by living. Those words hang on banners along Riverside Avenue. While the first is formal and the second much more conversational, both, however, sum up what Auggies do. On a near daily basis, Augsburg students BY JEFF SHELMAN spend part of their afternoon at Trinity Lutheran Congregation helping young Somali children with topics ranging from spelling and sentence construction to subtraction and social studies. Several times a week, Auggies serve food in the gym at the Brian Coyle Community Center as part of the Campus Kitchen program. First-year Auggies in the Bonner Leaders program work with nonprofit organizations, most within a mile of campus. 23 OUT OF THE BOX IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD Let’s say one person wanted to match the amount of community service that was completed by Augsburg students during the 2008-09 school year. What would it take? Since Auggies performed 67,000 hours of community service last year, someone would have to work for 2,791 24-hour days—more than 7.5 years—or 8,375 eight-hour work days. That’s a staggering total for a college with 2,000 traditional undergraduates and 4,000 total students. That work has led to Augsburg’s inclusion as one of the top 25 schools in the country for service-learning by U.S.News & World Report and the Carnegie [Foundation] Classification for Community Engagement. Earlier this spring, Augsburg became the only Minnesota college or university and one of only four ELCA schools to be named to the 2009 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction. The President’s Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition an institution can receive for its commitment to volunteering, 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 26 service-learning, and civic engagement. “We are very proud and honored to be included in the President’s Honor Roll,” Augsburg president Paul C. Pribbenow said. “Civic work and serving our neighbor are at the core of Augsburg’s efforts to educate students for democracy.” Last school year, 900 Augsburg students participated in service-learning and 1,200 students participated in more than 20 hours of community service per semester. Much of the community service takes place in course-embedded service-learning, something that has been part of education at Augsburg for years. MORE THAN JUST SERVICE Augsburg’s work in Cedar-Riverside and Seward, however, is about more than simply donating time; it is also about trying to make the neighborhood safer, more vibrant, and create opportunities for the state’s newest immigrant population. Pribbenow currently chairs the CedarRiverside Partnership, a group that includes larger institutions in the neighborhood including Augsburg, Fairview hospitals, and the University of Minnesota. “There’s a level of trust being built,” said Steve Peacock, Augsburg’s director of community relations. “There are conversations taking place that weren’t before. There’s the coordination of infrastructure and planning among the institutions.” Much of the work has been around safety in the neighborhood. Last summer, for example, the members of the partnership provided funding to ensure security at the Brian Coyle Community Center. There has been much more communication among security at Fairview and Augsburg, the University of Minnesota, and Minneapolis Police Departments. Augsburg has also worked in the neighborhood in other ways, ranging from providing meeting space to sometimes even trying to build bridges. Last year, more than a dozen reporters and editors from the Minneapolis Star Tribune sat in a room in Oren Gateway Center with a dozen or so Somali community leaders and elders. The Somali leaders talked of good things going on in their community that don’t get covered. Star Tribune editors said they would like to tell more stories, but finding Somalis willing to talk is challenging. The Somali leaders—who arrived in the United States having never experienced freedom of the press—gained a better understanding of how the media work. Reporters and editors left with new contacts and resources. CHANGE TO THE CAMPUS Augsburg’s involvement in Cedar-Riverside has led to a change on campus as well. With each passing fall, the number of Auggies of Somali descent grows. This fall, The Somali yarn weaving hanging in President Pribbenow’s office symbolizes the partnership between Augsburg and the East African Women’s Center. there are about 50 Somali students on campus. For some of them, Augsburg was the first college they ever knew. For others, there is a comfort in attending Augsburg. Halimo Adan is a first-year student who grew up in Seward and can see the Augsburg sign atop Mortensen Hall from her home. She’s among the growing number of students on campus wearing both an Augsburg sweatshirt and a hijab, the head covering worn by Muslim women. “People don’t ask stupid questions, they’re very open minded,” said Adan, who came to the U.S. when she was 9 years old. “Even though I’ve been here most of my life, when you get asked questions all the time, you feel like you don’t belong.” But at Augsburg, neighbors are always welcome. First-year students file into the Northern Clay Center to help with clean-up on City Service Day. 24 Augsburg Now 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 27 For Daley Konchar Farr, the lack of grades was motivation for signing up, but the discussions and professors’ involvement were more rewarding aspects of I-Term. LEARNING TO LEARN WITHOUT ANY A, B, CS 25 OUT OF THE BOX BY JEFF SHELMAN 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 28 It isn’t quite a chicken or egg kind of question, but it is an academic conundrum along the same line. Just how important are grades on a college campus when it comes to actual learning? Do grades really reflect how much a student has learned? Or do students do just enough to get the grade they want? And what happens if you take letter grades and numerical marks completely out of the equation? That’s what 50 Augsburg first-year students, five professors, and several staff members tried to find out this past fall. The Integrated Term, Fate of the Earth 101: Consumption of Food, Fuel, and Media in Contemporary Culture, was more than just a different way to package and deliver several general education courses; it was a semester that challenged many of the standard conventions about what a college education is or should be. There were no traditional letter grades for this learning community nor was there a static syllabus passed out on the first day. This was a term that focused on doing, on students having a say in what they would be evaluated on, and on professors writing detailed evaluations about both what students had accomplished and where they needed to continue to work. Sitting lifeless in the back row and regurgitating enough facts to pass wasn’t an option this term. “This was much more work than grading,” English professor Robert Cowgill said. “But I thought it was a major success.” Most of the students—many of whom were drawn to the I-Term because of the environmental focus or the alternative evaluation method—agreed. Daley Konchar Farr called the semester-long experiment empowering. Veronica Berg said she was pushed to do things she wasn’t sure were possible just one semester into her college career. Katelin Grote called the whole thing life changing. Some of that was because the I-Term, which showed just how parts of a liberal arts education are interconnected, was their entire load for the semester. I-Term students who successfully completed the course received credit for English 101 or 111 (writing), Religion 100 (Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning I), History 101 (Western Civilization), Sociology 101 (Introduction to Human Society) and AugSem (first-year seminar). They also completed their Engaging Minneapolis requirement. REASONS FOR NOT GRADING When a group of professors returned from a conference at The Evergreen State College in Washington in 2007, the goal was to find a way for Augsburg to experiment with a learning community model of teaching as well as non-traditional evaluation methods. Over the next two years, the professors worked with the dean’s office to make this a reality. How was this term going to be structured? Were groups such as Faculty Senate supportive? How would students receive credit? How would the narrative evaluations fit into the very traditional transcript? Once hurdles were cleared, plans were set for a three-year pilot program of the nongraded Integrated Term. The faculty designers of the I-Term hope that the students who spend a semester focused on learning instead of simply making a grade will have higher retention and graduation rates. The longer-term outcomes of the experiment won’t be clear for several years, but this group and subsequent groups of I-Term students will be tracked by the College. While the word “experiment” is often tossed around rather loosely on college campuses, the I-Term is certainly unique. Sociology professor Lars Christiansen, an I-Term faculty member who has studied alternative evaluation methods, said that about 15 colleges and universities across the country have experimented with non-graded courses. Some are completely nongraded while others are partially graded The role of media in contemporary culture was a focus for I-Term students. 26 Augsburg Now or have reverted back to traditional grading. Alverno College in Milwaukee is one of the only schools in the Midwest that is grade free. No grades, however, doesn’t equal no evaluation. In almost every case, I-Term students had a greater grasp of where they stood. They worked very closely with the two English professors on their writing, and received regular written feedback from the other faculty members. “It was kind of like tough love,” Maryam Ayir said. “You knew exactly what you had to work on.” Konchar Farr signed up for the ITerm both because of the subject matter, and also because of lack of traditional grades. “Grades are false motivation,” she said. “In high school, I didn’t get anything out of getting As if I didn’t learn. [Here], I really appreciated that things were so discussionbased and how involved the professors were. They were so dedicated to our work.” For Christiansen, the best thing from the semester is that Augsburg now has the framework in place to continue experimenting with alternative evaluation methods. There is now the ability for the narrative evaluations to accompany a student’s transcript. And there is also at least some appetite from students to not have a semester of work boiled down to simply a number. “The majority of students said it was a good Courtesy photo 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 29 Kwame Collins and other students from the I-Term attended the 350.org event at the State Capitol that was part of an international focus on the climate crisis. LEARNING BY DOING Unchained from the burden of grades, students could concentrate on really learning and figuring out what truly motivates them. And without traditional exercises like exams, students in Fate of the Earth 101 demonstrated their advancement through semester-long projects that incorporated something under the broad umbrella of food, fuel, or media. One group of students met with staff members from Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s office about how the bodies of women are portrayed in advertisements. Pushing Best Buy to be more environmentally friendly in its stores was what another group sought. Others looked into the feasibility of Augsburg capturing solar energy and purchasing more locally grown food. “Those are the kinds of things we were hoping would happen,” Christiansen said. “We were hoping through the experiences of the I-Term that [students] were here to learn and that they were here to understand themselves as possible change agents—and that collaboration is an essential component.” And while most courses end as soon as that final exam is completed, a number of the I-Term students are continuing with the ongoing work of their projects. For example, Berg was part of a group that created the website www.mnhomelessyouth.org. Those students met both with representatives from Minneapolis Public Schools and a group working on homeless issues, before and during the spring semester. “It didn’t just end at the end of the course,” history professor Phil Adamo said. “They continue to be engaged.” Because of what they were asked to do, many of the I-Term students accomplished more than they thought possible just months removed from high school graduation. “We were learning at a different level, we were getting to project ourselves at a bigger level,” Berg said. “To sit at the table as a contributor with some of these agencies was something I didn’t think I’d be able to do for many years.” That theme was a common one. “One thing we repeatedly heard was the notion that they were empowered with what they were able to accomplish by the end of their first semester in college,” religion professor Lori Brandt Hale said. “They were surprised and excited about how they will be able to leverage that moving forward.” CHANGING TEACHING METHODS Like the other I-Term professors, Colin Irvine is back teaching more traditional courses this semester. An English faculty member, Irvine has a collection of writing and literature classes this spring. But Irvine acknowledges that he is teaching differently this semester. And the I-Term had much to do with that. “It made me complicate my classes,” he said. “I’m not content with the way I was teaching before. I’m not content with the assignments I was giving. I’m making them more fun, more relevant, and harder to assess. I can’t allow myself to teach the way I’ve always taught.” Irvine talked about a conversation with a biology major who is taking his environmental literature course this season. The student said he’s been doing the reading, working hard, and attending writing lab sessions. “But he said, ‘I don’t know how I’m doing,’” Irvine said. “I told him, ‘Are you kidding me? That’s exactly what I want you to do, you’re figuring it out, you’re doing great.’” Because just like the I-Term students who have adjusted to courses with traditional grading, almost everyone involved in the experiment has a better idea of what motivates them and just how important learning is. I-TERM CREATORS/DESIGNERS Phil Adamo, History, Medieval Studies Lars Christiansen, Sociology, Metro-Urban Studies Robert Cowgill, English, Film Studies Stacy Cutinella, Lindell Library Lori Brandt Hale, Religion Colin Irvine, English, Environmental Studies Nathan Lind, Information Technology Alyson Olson, TRIO Student Services Beverly Stratton, Religion PROJECTS THE STUDENTS WORKED ON • Addressing women’s body representations in advertising by creating a legislative bill requiring advertisers to indicate the presence of airbrushing and similar touch-ups • Website that centralizes resources for homeless youth in the Twin Cities • Energy-producing exercise bicycles at Augsburg’s Kennedy Center • Reducing water waste at Augsburg • Increasing local food sourcing at Augsburg, particularly meat and cheese • Assisting in developing curbside composting in Minneapolis • Reducing paper waste at Augsburg bookstore • Improving environmental practices at Best Buy • Composting at Maple Grove High School 27 OUT OF THE BOX experience to not have grades and they liked the ongoing evaluation,” he said. “It shows me that if you provide it, people will try it, and many will like it. Why don’t we make it an option generally? It’s not dissimilar to our transportation system. Until the last few years, many didn’t believe they had options other than driving. The I-Term is akin to the Hiawatha (light rail) Line: Once a viable alternative is provided, people may see it as useful and desirable.” 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:37 AM Page 30 CONNECTING THE DOTS FOR GOOD BY BRYAN BARNES “I read this article in Time magazine, interviewing all of these 80- and 90-year-old people,” said Jacquie Berglund ’87. “The overwhelming feedback from their question, ‘If you could change one thing, what would it be?’ was that they all wish they had taken more risks.” That was 1983, when Berglund was in her first year at Augsburg College. Since then, she has faced many risks on her way to building one of Minnesota’s most successful social enterprises—an enterprise that uses beer sales to fund its community foundation. One of her first risks? Backpacking through Europe during her sophomore year in the face of parental disapproval. “My parents didn’t want me to do it,” Berglund said. “[My English professor] said, ‘Jacquie, you should absolutely do it. Let’s come up with a way for you to get credit for it here.’” With that, Berglund ventured across the Atlantic for six weeks under the banner of an Augsburg creative-writing course. Her experience fostered a travel bug that would lead her back for a seven-year long stay in France after Augsburg. “[Backpacking] helped me to think globally and really changed my perspective,” Berglund said. “That was a powerful turning point for me.” Graduating from Augsburg in 1987 with a degree in communication studies Jacquie Berglund ’87 knew that with passion and patience she could fulfill her dream of making a difference in her community. 28 Augsburg Now and a minor in political science, Berglund combined an interest in nonprofits with her travel experience to pursue work in international development. By 1990, she had taken an internship in Paris at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the same group that helped administer the Marshall Plan after World War II. With the collapse of the Soviet Union, Berglund found herself working with the best entrepreneurial minds at OECD to develop regional economies in former Soviet bloc countries. “We were training government officials, and these guys were all communists—they didn’t want to learn [about how to build free markets],” Berglund said. “I felt like we went in and did all of this work and spent all of this money, and I don’t know what impact we really had. Then I thought, ‘you know, I think the real work is done at the grassroots level.’ I would see the people at the grassroots level in these countries and they were really making a difference, and I thought, ‘that’s where I have to be. I’ve got to get there.’ I just didn’t know how I was going to get there, but that’s where I wanted to go.” While at OECD, Berglund earned her master’s degree in international relations from the American Graduate School in Paris. However, by 1997 Berglund found herself needing expensive back surgery, so she returned to the Twin Cities to work as marketing director for her old friend, Kieran Folliard, restauranteur and owner of Cara Irish Pubs LP. One of Berglund’s duties as marketing director was to help Folliard distribute charitable gifts in the Twin Cities. They found themselves Finnegan’s Inc. created the Finnegan’s Community Fund to distribute 100% of profits to local community projects. giving grants to any organization that asked. Eventually, their CFO put the brakes on their charity bonanza and told them they needed a better strategy. Berglund agreed: she recognized from her OECD days that the Cara Pubs money wasn’t making the desired impact. Berglund had also just attended a conference in Washington, D.C., on self-sustaining nonprofits. “That’s when I thought: we sell beer all day,” Berglund said. “What if we create our own beer, and we choose to give all of the profits from this one beer to our own foundation, and then we pick one cause, and we really make a difference? It took me a little while to sell Kieran on the idea.” With that, Berglund and Folliard set about creat- ing Finnegan’s Irish Amber, named in reference to James Joyce’s final work. They contacted James Page Brewing Company in Minneapolis to help them create the beer, eventually selecting one recipe from over 40 options provided by the brewmaster. At this point, Berglund and Folliard realized that running Finnegan’s and its community foundation would consume all of Berglund’s time. That left one choice: quit Cara Pubs and focus on Finnegan’s, or let the idea die. Berglund bought the Finnegan’s recipe for $1 from Folliard. “That was kind of scary, leaving that job, from having a good salary to no salary,” Berglund said. “It was very scary. It was rather terrifying. I’ve had a lot of terrifying moments—I must handle stress well. I’m still waking and talking and not in a straitjacket.” Starting in 2000, Berglund created forprofit Finnegan’s Inc., which donates all of its profits from beer sales to her nonprofit 29 OUT OF THE BOX S 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 31 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 32 creation, which is now called Finnegan’s Community Fund. She taught herself the beer trade. James Page produced Finnegan’s on contract, but she was responsible for selling it to distributors. “I didn’t even know what a keg fee was,” Berglund recalls. Finnegan’s community focus sold the beer. Distributors, liquor stores, bars, and restaurants in the Twin Cities were sympathetic to Berglund’s cause—and it helped that the beer was popular during the burgeoning craft brew craze. Though she wasn’t turning a profit yet, Berglund was able to make a $2,000 donation in her first year of operation. Then, James Page Brewing Company shut down in 2002. “I was a mess—I was totally a mess,” Berglund said. “I started to panic: ‘If they go out of business, I’m going to go out of business.’” Thinking quickly, Berglund contacted Mark Stutrud, founder of Summit Brewing Company in St. Paul. “They really didn’t do contract brewing, but I think that [Stutrud] appreciated the community-mindedness of what I was doing,” Berglund said. “Plus, I already had a list of accounts, so I already had a proven track record that I could make this thing work.” To this day, Finnegan’s is produced at Summit. In 2003, Finnegan’s made its first profit. By 2009, Finnegan’s was selling 4,300 barrels per year to 475 restaurants and 600 liquor stores in Minnesota and beyond—which translated into $30,000 for the Finnegan’s Community Fund. That money, in addition to direct donations, is being used to fund local grassroots community organizations that are helping the working poor. “When I came back from France, I 30 Augsburg Now Berglund often considers her own experience growing up as motivation for her drive to do good for others. volunteered in St. Steven’s shelter in Minneapolis,” Berglund said. “I got to see for myself … a lot of these guys get up to work factory jobs at 3 or 4 o’clock in the morning. I saw how many of these guys were working and still homeless.” The needs of the working poor strike a personal chord for Berglund. Growing up, her father started working as a janitor before moving up the ranks, while her mother was a waitress. “I remember as a kid not being able to participate in church activities because we didn’t have the money,” Berglund said. “I feel so fortunate to be able to have done all of the things that I do. I think that, ‘Boy, it’s nice to give back a little bit.’ We owe a bit of gratitude.” That background helps explain Berglund’s drive to build a self-sustaining nonprofit that can help the working poor regardless of government grants or philanthropic whims. But it also comes down to faith in your vocation. “Whenever I do speaking engagements, that’s my whole thing: It’s about following your passions, and then at some point, the dots will connect. Even though it seems so remote that they could possibly connect,” Berglund said. “When I came back and was working in the pub, I thought, ‘What am I doing here? How does this connect to this whole dream job I had of international development projects?’ I just had faith that it’s going to come—I’m going to find it. It’s kind of that whole ‘calling’ thing at Augsburg—I knew I was going to find it, it was just going to take a minute.” 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 33 IGNITE-ING AUGGIE SPIRIT BY BETSEY NORGARD Senior Brittany Goff is the intern who matches students and alumni for visits and leads the student team. 31 OUT OF THE BOX One student heard about a fire that broke out in one of the houses on campus in the 1970s. Another enjoyed hearing perspectives from a studio art major about his work at a financial organization. A third met with an alum who fondly remembers the tasty cinnamon rolls that students often got in Morton Hall in the mid-1950s. Twenty students working in the Alumni and Constituent Relations Office recently completed the first year of Project IGNITE. They’ve been meeting with alumni to learn more about the role that the College played in the lives of the alumni and to share stories and experiences about Augsburg then and now. Senior Brittany Goff is the intern who directs the students’ work for Project IGNITE. Once she hand-matches students and alums who share similar majors and/or interests, a letter from President Pribbenow is sent explaining the program and alerting the alum to a future call from a student. The student will invite the alum to a meeting preferably on campus or at a convenient coffee shop. That first contact can be a little daunting for students, but knowing they share interests makes it easier. Melissa Herrick, a 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 34 communication studies and art sophomore, says it tells the alum that “this is not a random call; there’s a reason I’m calling you,” which, in her case, is to share with them what art at Augsburg is like now and to hear about their experience studying art at Augsburg. STUDENTS CONNECT WITH ALUMNI On a cold day last fall, Herrick met with Patti Lloyd ’83, who owns a web development and interactive marketing company. While Lloyd was an international business major and not an art major, the two immediately discovered common interests in web design. Herrick was trying to plan a webpage for an arts project and was delighted to get some ideas from Lloyd. “We had a great meeting,” says Lloyd, “and when she left, I think she felt comfortable that all the resources were there for her project.” One of the meetings that Goff enjoyed was with a physician. In the conversation, Goff, a psychology major, learned about the physician’s medical practice that has included a psychologist and a nurse, enabling him to offer both physical and mental testing and care. “This was really a great experience for me,” Goff says, “to help me consider my future career and the option to be in a practice like that.” Adam Spanier, sophomore class president and an Honors student, says he has met many interesting people through Project IGNITE. His favorite aspect of the program, he says, is “hearing the many different bits of advice and wisdom that alumni have to offer.” 32 Augsburg Now Sophomore Adam Spanier enjoys hearing the advice alumni can give to current students. to-face relationship with a person who is going through the experience.” Haug and his partner returned to campus in December for the Advent Vespers dinner and enjoyed talking with people they knew and meeting others. ALUMNI ENJOY RECONNECTING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES CONTINUE Most alumni contacted in Project IGNITE are graduates who have not been active in alumni activities or participated recently in events. Re-engaging with their alma mater through Project IGNITE has also been enjoyable for them, especially seeing the College through the eyes of current students. Christopher Haug ’79 was one of the alumni Spanier met last fall. “What benefited me the most,” Haug says, “is that I felt I was connected again with my school. There’s nothing like a face- Pat Grans, the Project IGNITE volunteer coordinator, follows up with the interests and/or requests that students bring back from the alumni visits. She crafts individual plans recommending events and volunteer opportunities that could include speaking in a class, inviting a student to job shadow, or helping with registration at an event. Or, Grans can seek to create a tailored opportunity based on the alum’s interests. Grans has now developed volunteer job descriptions and oversees all aspects of recruiting, training, scheduling, supervising, and recognizing volunteers. 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 35 Project IGNITE means Involving Graduates Now In Thoughtful Engagement. A three-year project funded by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Project IGNITE is designed to serve as a model to help other colleges and universities engage their alumni. What makes Project IGNITE an out-of-the-box program and readily transferable are several components that together offer lifelong alumni connections: • One-to-one interaction between students and alumni—who better to talk about the college experience and re-engage alumni than current students? • Mutually beneficial matching of student and alumni majors and interests • Individualized and ongoing follow-up from a volunteer coordinator to keep engagement and energy alive In the project’s first six months at Augsburg, both attendance at events and volunteering have increased. Of the alumni the IGNITE students have visited during this time, 14% have now attended College events. Nearly 76% have expressed interest in volunteering; and of those, 20% have begun. More than 1,800 hours of volunteer time have been logged. Kim Stone, director of alumni and constituent relations, is excited by the results. She attributes success to the total package Project IGNITE makes possible—engaging students in the alumni program before they graduate, encouraging ongoing attendance at alumni events, and keeping alumni connected to campus through meaningful volunteering. For more information or to arrange to meet with an IGNITE student, contact the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations at alumni@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1085. “WELCOME TO AUGSBURG” Larry Menzel ’67 retired three years ago from a long career as a Kmart executive in 17 locations across the Upper Midwest. Working with people was what his job was all about, and in retirement he wanted to be able to continue that. When volunteer coordinator Pat Grans sent a mailing about Augsburg’s new volunteer program, it sparked his interest. Despite the fact that he hadn’t been on campus since graduation, he still felt a connection. “Since my wife was gone from the house regularly on Friday mornings, I thought it would be a good time for me to do something, too,” Menzel says. He called Grans to talk about volunteering. Grans suggested that he staff the welcome desk in Oren Gateway Center on Friday mornings, and he thought that sounded good. In addition to helping people find their way around the building and answering questions, he also provides help to the Institutional Advancement staff. Soon he found himself at Homecoming and other events, which pleases his wife, too, as she sees him doing things he enjoys. His advice to current students he meets? “Study hard, find a rewarding life, and follow the principles of God, family, and work—in that order.” Melissa Herrick, an art and communication studies major who is working on a web project, found a natural connection with Patti Lloyd ’83, the owner of a web development company. 33 OUT OF THE BOX HAS PROJECT IGNITE MADE A DIFFERENCE? 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 36 6 3 7 4 1 3 3 2 34 Augsburg Now 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 37 6 5 THE BOD POD lives upstairs in the Kennedy Center kinesiology lab. It’s a high-tech apparatus that provides fast, safe, and accurate measurements of body composition, detailing fat and lean body mass. It provides useful information for measuring the effectiveness of exercise and nutrition, fine-tuning top athletic performance, and tracking the progress of obesity and disease. Since Bod Pods are found mostly in fitness facilities and elite training centers, Augsburg’s health, physical education, and health fitness majors are fortunate to have this in their learning portfolio. Used primarily in kinesiology and exercise physiology classes, students learn how to run the Bod Pod, interpret the results, and incorporate recommendations into specialized training plans. If you are interested in being measured in the Bod Pod, contact Professor Tony Clapp at clapp@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1618. THE BOD POD 1. The Bod Pod 2. Data acquisition box—interprets test data coming from the Bod Pod measurements 3. Computer hardware that processes all measurements, manages data, and provides customized printouts of the test data 4. Calibration standards—Weights used to calibrate the Bod Pod before each person is measured, to assure accuracy when the person’s weight is entered 5. “Fast Eddie”—The Auggies’ own skeleton used in health and physical education classes. He arrived when the Kennedy Center opened in 2007. 6. Anatomical charts most likely dating from the opening of Science Hall in 1949, recently found rolled up in a storage closet. They’re now taking on new life in the Health, Physical Education, and Health Fitness Department. 7. Professor Tony Clapp, demonstrating the Bod Pod procedure: • Wear spandex-type swimsuit or bike shorts and a swim cap • Sit in the Bod Pod while measurements take about 30 seconds • Get printouts of test results in about five minutes 35 OUT OF THE BOX 4 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 38 OUT-OF-THE-BOX PARTNERSHIPS BY REBECCA JOHN The annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum (see story on page 10) is the result of just one of the many unique partnerships at Augsburg College. It is the only program or academic affiliation of the Norwegian Nobel Institute outside of Norway. Here are a few more examples of Augsburg’s out-of-the-box partnerships. NEIGHBORHOOD COLLABORATIONS The Cedar-Riverside Partnership was founded in 2008 to foster collaboration among existing community organizations—the African Development Center, Pillsbury United Communities, West Bank Community Coalition, the Cedar Riverside Neighborhood Revitalization Program, and the West Bank Business Association—and local government bodies and institutions, including the city and county, the University of Minnesota, Fairview Health Services, and Augsburg College. “The goal of the partnership,” says Steve Peacock, Augsburg director of community relations, “is to leverage these organizations’ collective resources to strengthen Cedar-Riverside as a vibrant place in which to live, learn, and work.” The partnership is chaired by Augsburg President Paul Pribbenow. BUSINESS FEASIBILITY Augsburg plays an active role in the Mayo Innovation Scholars Program (MISP), a unique partnership with the Mayo Clinic that offers an experiential learning opportunity for both graduate and undergraduate students. Through the program, undergraduate science and business students from select Minnesota private colleges are teamed with MBA project leaders from either Augsburg College or the University of St. Thomas to evaluate the commercial potential for patent ideas submitted through the Mayo Clinic Office of Intellectual Property. This year, Augsburg had five teams working on projects—two in Rochester and three 36 Augsburg Now in Minneapolis—which presented their findings and recommendations to professionals at the Mayo Clinic in March. SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENT The Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) was founded in 1975 by five liberal arts institutions—Augsburg, Hamline, Macalester, St. Catherine, and St. Thomas—to provide cooperative programs and services for students, faculty, and administrators. In 2009, the consortium’s Chief Academic Officers Council, chaired by Barbara Farley, Augsburg’s vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, renewed its efforts to explore common areas of academic opportunity using a focus on “sustainable urban development.” “This theme truly ties us together as colleges in the Twin Cities,” Farley says. “Broadly defined, it includes education, health care, transportation, housing, and environmental concerns, offering a rich platform for exploring strategies for enhancing shared academic programs.” PARTNERS ON CAMPUS In recent years, two of Augsburg’s community partnerships have become integrated into the College: Campus Kitchen and the Minnesota Urban Debate League—both of which operate under the Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning. In 2003, Augsburg became the fourth college campus in the U.S. to join the Campus Kitchens Project. The program provides meal preparation and delivery to neighborhood organizations, nutrition and food preparation classes for area youth, and outreach to the surrounding neighborhood through the continuously expanding community garden. Augsburg is the first college to wholly integrate its Campus Kitchen as part of the College. The Minnesota Urban Debate League has had a relationship with Augsburg since 2004 and became part of the College in summer 2009. This move allowed the league to focus less on administrative operations and more on reaching urban middle and high school students. In the past year, the program doubled to 350 students and teaches important skills like research, writing, thesis development, and public speaking. CONNECTING YOUTH TO CHURCHES Now in its 19th year, the Augsburg College Congregational Youth Basketball League partners with dozens of metro-area churches to involve junior high and high school boys and girls in an annual basketball league that emphasizes fun, service, sponsorship, participation, relationships, and growth in one’s faith. The program was founded by Augsburg pastor Dave Wold to help keep youth connected to churches. The league starts in January each year and culminates in a March tournament on Augsburg’s campus that involves more than 1,000 players, coaches, officials, and volunteers from Augsburg and area churches. “The program is very successful at enabling our churches to connect with a greater number of young people,” Wold said, “providing the opportunity for them to have some fun; get some exercise; build relationships with teammates, coaches, youth workers, and pastors; and have an encounter with God.” To learn about other out-ofthe-box partnerships, go to www.augsburg.edu/now 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 39 auggie alumni news From the Alumni Board president … Dear Alumni and friends, a 2010 s I write this article we’ve headed into the spring season, and a couple of words appear in my mind: renewal and growth. We can see our world transform around us with a renewed sense of purpose—growth. Trees are beginning to bud, early flowers are beginning to show their bright colors, and I think this lifts our spirits and warms our hearts to the possibility and purpose of our world. It is this renewal and growth I want to discuss with you in this my last article as president of the Alumni Association, as it chooses new leadership in June. One of my main goals this year was that of growth for the Alumni Association—not only in size, but also in commitment and involvement in activities and events that enrich and add value to your life. Every year, the Augsburg Alumni Association’s Board of Directors spends a great deal of time in the creation, planning, and execution of events designed to raise awareness, renew involvement, and create a sense of community among alumni. Looking back on the year, alumni have had opportunities to come together in ways we have not been seen in many years. Ex- HOMECOMING amples of this are the more than 700 alumni who attended the Canterbury Park event last August, the capacity turnout for events such as the Winter Wine Tasting, the Eye-Opener Breakfast Series, and the Young Alumni Council events, as well as alumni attendance at the Guthrie performance of Macbeth. These events and activities are just a few that have been exceedingly well received; and the leadership of the Alumni Association as well as the College’s dedicated staff from the Alumni and Constituent Relations Office plan to enhance what has been a very successful year. I am very grateful for having the opportunity to represent the alumni this year as well as for all of the hard work and dedication of those who helped make this year so successful. I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming years and plan to continue contributing to this wonderful organization dedicated to the alumni of Augsburg College. I wish you a wonderful spring—please continue to check back with the College, as something new will always be springing to life. DANIEL HICKLE ’95 ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT October 14-16, 2010 Reunion Classes 60th Reunion—1950 25th Reunion—1985 50th Reunion—1960 10th Reunion—2000 40th Reunion—1970 Recent Grad/Young Alumni Reunion—2001–2010 If you would like to help make your reunion a success, contact the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations at 612-330-1085 or alumni@augsburg.edu. Go to www.augsburg.edu/homecoming for updates and reunion information. Spring 2010 37 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 40 auggie alumni news preciate works I already knew—Michelangelo’s David, the ceiling When I returned to Augsburg in fall 2004 after dropping out a year earlier, I was eager to reform the lackluster study habits that had of the Sistine Chapel—and discovered wonderful artists—Bernini, plagued my academic career. At every fork in the road, I purposeCarravaggio—I previously knew nothing about. fully chose the path I previously would never have considered. And Between visits to churches and museums, we made time for that’s how I, a young man who spent his entire adolescence hating wine tasting on a Tuscan vineyard and a tour on an olive farm. to travel, jumped at the chance to study in El Salvador. Food and drink took on greater significance while in Italy. An exThere, we witnessed previously unimagined poverty and became pansive dinner coupled with lively conversation regularly served as inspired by countless acts of resilience. The little free time availan evening’s event. My roommate, a chatty substitute science able was spent in discussions, journals, and books. There were no teacher from Lester Prairie named Gordon, celebrated his 70th moments wasted and no words ignored. birthday in Orvieto during one of our four-course dinners. That summer, I studied literature in France, and over the next The trip to Italy allowed me to escape the stresses of home for a two years, I went on to study in Nicaragua, Uganda, Rwanda, and couple weeks and infused me with a new appreciation of visual art. Tanzania and volunteered on a mission trip to Mexico. It was a fitting continuation of the travel experiences I began while Upon graduating in May 2007, I feared my opportunities to con- studying at Augsburg. tinue traveling oversees had vanished. The expansive summer and JEREMY ANDERSON ’07 holiday breaks were gone; the immediate walls of my work cubicle provided no horizon to look beyond. Fortunately, I spotted a chance to break the monotony—Professor Kristin Anderson was leading a travel seminar to study Italian art and architecture. In November, I boarded a plane alongside 25 other seminar participants. During our journey through Padua, Venice, Ravenna, Florence, Orvieto, the ancient ruins in Pompeii, Naples, Rome, and Vatican City, we viewed wondrous landscapes, observed countless works of art, and walked through dozens of secularly decorated churches. Day by day, my learning regarding ancient, medieval, Renaissance, and baroque art and architecture grew, thanks to the knowlTravelers to Italy posed for a photo in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. (Back row, L to R): Mary Johnson, Judy Reeve ’95, Heidi Hunter, Luke Anderson ’60, Gracia Luoma ’66, Jim Hoseth ’68, Gordon Houk, Larry Turner ’69, Grace Bergstrom, Sue Turner, John Luoma ’65, edge shared by Professor Max Carlson ’09, Kim Stone, Jeremy Anderson ’07, Jason Stone. (Front row, L to R): Art professor Kristin Anderson, Kathy Wilson, Joanne Anderson. I came to better apCress, Susan Hoseth, Mary Rogers, Jill Reister, Deanna Carlson, Amy Kessler, Rose Becker ’04, Sharon Carlson ’72, Susan Carlson. 38 Augsburg Now Photo by Larry Turner ’69 Journeying to Italy 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 41 The Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings will be available soon! Three boxed sets, each containing five CDs, present remastered recordings of the Augsburg Choir over 30 years, from 1949–79. Included with each order is a monograph by Bill Halverson ’51 about Leland B. Sateren’s life and career. Cost: $49 per boxed set; $135 for all three boxed sets, plus shipping and handling. For information about availability and ordering, go to www.augsburg.edu/music. The Young Alumni enjoyed some late summer rooftop lawn bowling at Brit’s Pub in September. (L to R): Jay Cavanagh, Rob Wagner ’02, Mike Fasching ’02, Britt Fasching ’02, Ben Carlson ’02, ’09 MBA, and Leah Omar. Young Alumni Summer Series The Young Alumni Summer Series is back in 2010 with exciting new events and favorites from last year. • Seven Corners kick-off party—May 21, 5–8 p.m., at Preston’s • Networking at Fuji-ya in Uptown—June 17, 5–7 p.m. • Minnesota Twins game at Target Field—July 15, 7 p.m. • Auggie Night at the Races, Canterbury Park—Aug. 5 • Summit Brewery tour—Aug. 21, 1 p.m. • End of Summer Bash—Sept. 16, 5–7 p.m., at Seven UltraLounge For more information and to register, go to www.augsburg.edu/alumnievents and join the Young Alumni group on facebook. To get involved in the Young Alumni Council, call 612-330-1178 or e-mail storma@augsburg.edu. auggies GO GREEN The Augsburg Alumni Association is going green The Augsburg College Alumni Association is reducing print mailings and relying more on technology to get the word out about events. To stay in the loop, update your contact information at www.augsburg.edu/alumni or e-mail the Office of Alumni Relations at alumni@augsburg.edu to receive NOW@Augsburg, the monthly news and information e-newsletter. You can also stay up to date by becoming a friend of Auggie Eagle on Facebook. Tourism Ireland Journey to the Emerald Isle Celtic crosses like this one in County Offaly are vivid reminders of Ireland’s rich history. (Note change of date to May 2011) Join friends from the Augsburg College community in early May 2011 for an in-depth journey through Ireland with Phillip Adamo, associate professor and chair of the History Department, director of Augsburg’s medieval studies program, and experienced study tour leader. He looks forward to returning to Ireland with alumni and friends to explore centuries of heroic history including sites dating to 9,000 BC. Experience the intense rugged beauty of land carved from the sea contrasting with the meticulous gardens of stately castles. Discover the spirit and historic significance of Celtic Christianity, visiting ancient monastic communities where Christianity flourished during the Dark Ages. Celebrate contemporary Irish culture with passion-filled music and food at local pubs. To receive additional updates on the tour and be among the first to receive a tour brochure by late June, contact Alumni Relations, 612-330-1178 or alumni@augsburg.edu. Don’t hesitate to be included on the interested list as the alumni tour to Italy last year filled quickly and had a waiting list. Join us at the information session on Tuesday, June 15, 6:30 p.m., Oren Gateway Center. Spring 2010 39 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 42 alumni class notes 53Ariz., was recognized by AmerDr. Leland Fairbanks, Tempe, icans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR) with the 2009 ANR Smokefree Hero of the Year Award during the National Conference on Tobacco or Health in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 9. He is the longtime president of Arizonans Concerned About Smoking (ACAS). 56son) ’60, Baxter, Minn., were Len Brown and Mavis (Daniel- featured on brainderddispatch.com for their tradition of traveling the region to find and enjoy lutefisk dinners. In 2007, they went to 13 dinners; in 2008, they visited 12; and last year there were 8. Coaches Association (MSHSCA) for leadership in promoting the mission of MSHSCA. He retired in 2007 after a 40-year career teaching mathematics and coaching football, mostly in Alexandria. 69ored as the recipient of the Mary (Strom) Dyrud was hon- 2010 Peter Hess Memorial Faculty Recognition Award on February 22 at the Spring Awards Ceremony at Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls, Minn. She has taught there since 1993 and currently teaches Spanish; she and her husband, Loiell ’62, live in Thief River Falls. 58 71Grove, Minn., was selected as 60 74Minn., was named director of 67soccer coach at Bloomington 93lumbia Heights, Minn., was (Minn.) Kennedy High School from 1967–1992 was inducted into the Minnesota State High School Coaches Association Hall of Fame in October. Following retirement in 1992, he served as student activities coordinator until 2001. named to the 2010 “Rising Stars” list by Minnesota Law & Politics, which highlights outstanding attorneys who are under the age of 40 or have fewer than 10 years of practice. She works with the Winthrop & Weinstine law firm in the real estate and campaign finance practice groups. Jerry Peterson, hockey and Tammera (Ericson) Diehm, Co- Christy (Larsen) Branes, Maple Mabeth (Saure) Gyllstrom was recently featured in the Fergus Falls Daily Journal in a story about her background and work in retirement as director of the Zion Lutheran Church choir in Amor, Minn. She currently lives on Otter Tail Lake, Minn. the 2010 Delano (Minn.) Teacher of the Year. She has taught in the district for over 20 years, plus a fouryear stint in Portugal teaching English. She currently teaches second grade. Steven Reznicek, Bemidji, Ruth (Carlson) Olson was inducted into the Faribault High School Hall of Fame on October 1. For 20 years she coached gymnastics, kept score for volleyball, reported for track meets, etc. as the sports liaison between the junior and senior high schools. It was her Augsburg career as an Auggiette on the women’s basketball team, however, that earned her the Hall of Fame spot, because of the Auggiettes’ pioneering efforts in promoting women’s sports. 62 Rev. Jim Quitno and his wife, Mary, Spirit Lake, Iowa, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in June 2009. Jim retired from the pastorate in 2002 after being at Grace Lutheran Church in Spirit Lake for 27 years, but both he and Mary remain active volunteers in retirement. Last year Jim was honored with the June Character Counts Spotlight Award. Dennis Kalpin, Alexandria, Minn., was honored with the George Haun Award last October, given by the Minnesota State High School 40 Augsburg Now the Varsity Singers of Bemidji State University. Otherwise, he is “mostly retired.” 76 Gwedolyn (Peyton) Jackson, Lakeville, Minn., was reappointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty to a four-year position on the Board of the Minnesota State Academies. She is the director of human resources and administrative services with the Edina (Minn.) Public School District. The board governs the Minnesota State Academy for the Blind and the Minnesota State Academy for the Deaf, both in Faribault. 77Minn., a storyteller and chilLise Lunge-Larsen, Duluth, dren’s author, visited Concordia College (Moorhead) and Cable, Wis., in February. At Concordia, she visited the Carl B. Ylvisaker Library to teach classes in children’s literature and told stories from Norwegian folklore. She was in Cable the day before the Birkebeiner ski race and told the story of the race that is recounted in her book, The Race of the Birkebeiners. 00and her husband, David, wel- 00her husband, Eric, Blaine, Daria (Reboin) Gordhamer, comed their fourth child, Andrew, on Oct. 6. Big brothers Elijah (6) and Abram (2) and big sister, Eva (4), love him very much. They live in Apple Valley, Minn. Kathleen Lindquist-Blilie, and Minn., announce the birth of their daughter, Anne Elizabeth, born May 6, 2009. She joins her siblings, Andrew (7-1/2), Alexander (5), and Erin (2-1/2). 74their own 35th reunion on Gull Lake, on the same weekend as Lambda House reunion Ten Auggie women, all 1974 grads, had Homecoming last fall. The women began as freshmen on the first floor in Urness, then moved to the ninth floor as sophomores, and then lived at Lambda House (no longer standing) as juniors and seniors. They’ve continued to see each other several times a year and now have begun taking longer trips together. All live in Minnesota, except for Barb (Ruud) Revueltas who lives in Los Angeles. Three women are married to Auggies, who lived together in a house around the corner from Lambda House. The 10 women are Linda (Lundeen) Dunn, Linda (Bailey) Holmen (married to Ken Holmen ’74), Laurie (Johnson) Thorp (married to Tim Thorp ’74), Barb (Ruud) Revueltas, Marlene (Chan) Hui, Debbie (Rowley) Hasti, Mary Ratzlaff, Diane (Johnson) Moen, Carla (Johnson) Velenchenko, Chris (Henry) Thompson (married to Gary Thompson ’74) 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 43 velopment in Minnesota in July 2009 with TMP Worldwide Advertising and Communications, a full-service recruitment marketing ad agency headquartered in New York. 00 Leslie (Lucas) Wiede ’07 MSW and her husband, Matthew, welcomed twin boys, Lucas and Hunter, on April 3, 2009. 81color paintings of Minnesota 91superintendent of the Spring Jeff Ronneberg became the new Lake Park (Minn.) School District at the beginning of the year. For the past seven years, he has served the district as assistant superintendent. Mary (Primm) Lingen’s water- 01 Sarah (Wilhelm) married Chris Uwimana in Burnsville, Minn., on October 24, surrounded by family and friends. Sarah is a buyer at Supervalu and Chris is a business analyst at DRC. They live in Bloomington, Minn. landscapes were on display at the James Wegner Art Gallery on the West Campus of Riverland Community College in Austin, Minn., in October. Since graduating from Augsburg, she has had more than 30 solo exhibits and numerous group and juried exhibitions. Kurts Strelnieks accepted a position as vice president-account executive, managing existing client relationships, at First Business Capital Corp. in Madison, Wis., in February. 82in October of the Conservation Mike Kilgore was the recipient 02 Jackie (Heyda) married Joshua Eyberg on Nov. 27. She is in her seventh year of teaching in the New Prague (Minn.) Area School District and is a first-grade teacher at Eagle View Elementary School in Elko New Market. They live in Burnsville, Minn. Minnesota Leadership Award for his work as chair of the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council, a Minnesota Legislature advisory body in charge of “restoring, protecting, and enhancing of Minnesota’s wetlands, prairies, forests, and habitat for fish, game, and wildlife.” 83at KARE-11 TV, was inducted 95Ariz., stopped working in the Matthew Gooding, Sun Lakes, restaurant business to return to school to become a medical assistant. He expects to graduate in March. 96January to the Carlson Board Richard Gage was elected in of Directors. He is vice president of the Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation and works at Nebulous/YourMLSsearch.com. Martha (Kenney) Spriggs, who teaches at Andersen United Community School, was surprised and honored with a Milken Educator Award, one of two given in Minnesota that recognizes outstanding teachers. 99a new position as city finance Teresa Walters recently began director in Farmington, Minn. Previously she had been in the same position in Waseca, Minn. Jane Helmke, managing editor into the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Silver Circle in September by the Upper Midwest Chapter. Silver Circle members have displayed superior contributions to the television history and/or NATAS for at least 25 years. 88named the New York 2009 Anne Panning was recently 03 03 Peter Samargia married Angela Gustafson on August 15 in Biwabik, Minn. They traveled around Lake Vermillion on a houseboat for their honeymoon. Peter runs his own business, Attitude Goaltending, LLC, and is a goalie coach for the Augsburg men’s hockey team. Angela is a property manager for Colliers Turley Martin Tucker. Emily Gerard and her husband, Craig Maus, welcomed the birth of their second daughter, Lilia, on November 17. Pictured are Craig and Emily, with Lilia and Caroline. Jeffrey Nodland was recently appointed to the Board of Directors for Texas Petrochemicals Inc. He is currently the president, CEO, and a director of KIK Custom Products. 80came director of business de- Marianne (Lundberg) Kulka be- Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). She was also awarded the Lillian H. Fairchild Award by the University of Rochester for her book, Super America. Her latest work has appeared in West Branch, Ascent (www.readthebestwriting.com), River Teeth, and Women and Gender, a Pearson Longman textbook. She has recently started a blog about reading, writing, teaching, travel, and family called www.thepapersandwich.blogspot.com. 01awarded a 2009 TRiO AchievRev. Rozenia Fuller was ers Award from the Mid-America Association of Educational Opportunity Program Personnel (MAEOPP). The award recognizes outstanding former participants in the federal TRiO programs who have made significant civic, community, or professional contributions. She was also recently inducted into the 2009 Minneapolis Community and Technical College Hall of Fame. 03finance and human resources Betty J. Vangorder, director of at Apex Print Technologies, has been recognized by Cambridge Who’s Who for demonstrating dedication, leadership, and excellence in financial operations. In her job, she is responsible for managing financial reporting for the company, budgeting, forecasting, overseeing 18 employees and performing human resources duties. Spring 2010 41 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 44 alumni class notes 06Minn., was awarded his certiLance Campbell, Stewartville, fied public accountant license last fall and was promoted to senior accountant at Wolter & Raak, Ltd. in Rochester, Minn. Michelle (Connolly) married Matthew Ariola on July 11 at Majestic Oaks Golf Club in Ham Lake, Minn. They honeymooned in Alaska and now live in Blaine, Minn. Michelle is a kindergarten teacher in Sorteberg Elementary School in Coon Rapids and Matthew is starting his own plumbing business. 06wife, Sophia, welcomed the 06MBA,Woodbury, Minn., re- 08(Peloquin) married on June arrival of a son, Parker Andrew, on August 27. Sam is a fourth-year divinity student and the student association vice president at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif. cently left her corporate job in downtown Minneapolis to pursue her passion with a career in real estate. She joined The Snyder Team at Re/Max Results in Woodbury as a residential realtor. 20, 2009. Sarah is a youth minister in Cottage Grove, Minn., and Bryan is a second-year law student at St. Thomas. They currently live in Woodbury, Minn. Sam Kanenwisher and his Kyle Loven performed his visionary solo puppet show, my dear Lewis, both in Seattle where he now lives and in Minneapolis in March at the Open Eye Figure Theatre as part of an emerging artists program. A Seattle arts and culture paper called him a “visionary new puppeteer” and a “burgeoning genius.” See story at http://augnet.augsburg.edu/news archives/2010/03_08_10/kyle_loven. html Erin Schmoeckel ’08 Bryan Ludwig and Sarah James Palan recently began as account executive in the advertising department at the Rochester PostBulletin. He was formerly a personal banker with Associated Bank. Becky (Wolf) and Joe Kaarbo ’06 were married on October 3 in St. Louis Park, Minn. Becky works at the University of Wisconsin-Stout in the Involvement and Leadership Office. Joe is the imaging coordinator at Berkley Risk Administrators in Minneapolis. Auggies in the wedding included Joel Wolf ’02, Josh Wolf ’05, Chris Docken ’06, Erik Reynolds ’06, Carrie (Ohnerheim) Wolf ’02, and Evan Boyce ’07. 09cluded Christine Esser ’09, Shawn Boonstra ’09, and Jason Jefferson ’09. Stacey is a substitute teacher in Stacey (Kinder) married Ryan Plasch in August 2009 in Farmington, Minn. Auggies in the wedding party in- Lakeville, Farmington, and Burnsville; Ryan is a mental health counselor for South Metro Human Services. Gerard, Fridley, Minn., 07Minnesota Certified Public Ac- 09Jenna and her sister own Bravo! Procountant license and currently works Nechia Agate received her as a senior consultant for the Business Advisory Services practice at Grant Thornton in Minneapolis. Carolyn Mollner also earned her Certified Public Accountant certificate last fall. She works at Best Buy as a senior tax analyst. 42 Augsburg Now ductions and created a two-woman musical revue, “Christmas Again?” that spoofed Christmas customs. It ran at the Sunshine Factory in New Hope, Minn., during Christmas last fall. Jenna is currently a student at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. Kathryn MacAulay is currently one of the 14 Fulbright English Teaching Assistants in Malaysia, and is living in Kemaman, Terenganu. Graduate Programs Erik Bredeson ’06 MBA married Tasha Clifford on May 30, 2009, in Kihel, Maui, Hawaii. Erik works in medical sales; they live in St. Louis Park, Minn. Ryan May ’07 MBA was recently hired at Risdall McKinney Public Relations (RMPR) as a vice president. Sarah Marie (Larson) ’07 MSW married Leon Peter Kyalo on October 3. 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:42 AM Page 45 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 alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news at www.augsburg.edu/alumni. ____________________________________________________________ Full name ____________________________________________________________ Maiden name ____________________________________________________________ Class year or last year attended ____________________________________________________________ Street address ____________________________________________________________ City, State, Zip Is this a new address? q Yes q No ____________________________________________________________ Home telephone In Memoriam ____________________________________________________________ E-mail Johnson, Vernel ’42, Tucson, Ariz., age 90, on Oct. 20, after a long illness. English, Dr. Nancy ’73, Duluth, Minn., age 57, on Aug. 8, of cardiac arrest. Myrvik, Quentin ’45, Caswell Beach, N.C., age 88, on Dec. 13. He is a 1960 Distinguished Alumnus. Hain, Ramon “Ray” ’81, Roseville, Minn., age 50, on Nov. 21. ____________________________________________________________ Employer Agrimson, Robb Joel ’83, St. Paul, age 49, on Jan. 6. ____________________________________________________________ Position Woodcock, Delores ’89, Bloomington, Minn., age 83, on Dec. 12. ____________________________________________________________ Work telephone Connors, Patrick ’07, Vail, Colo., age 28, on Dec. 30. Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No Midtling, Rev. John ’49, Minneapolis, age 86, on Oct. 20. Elmberg, Rev. Donald ’50, Mound, Minn., age 85, on Dec. 29. Rust, Alice (Gjesdahl) ’53, Burnsville, Minn., on Dec. 30. Foss Jr, Alfred “Bud” ’54, Hot Springs, Ark., age 77, on Oct. 28. Seaver, Dean ’60, Le Sueur, Minn., age 73, on Jan. 12. Thorpe, Neal O. ’60, Vancouver, Wash., age 71, on March 3. He taught biology, served as department chair at Augsburg College, and is a 2001 Distinguished Alumnus. Hovland, Rev. Peter ’62, Mora, Minn., on Dec. 21. VanDeVoorde, Elaine, Rochester, Minn., on Oct. 26. She was a Master of Arts in Education student in Rochester. Mark, Cindy, Cedar Lake Township, Minn., age 61, on Dec. 13, of cancer. She taught in Augsburg’s program at the Minnesota Women’s Correctional FacilityShakopee. Okay to publish your e-mail address? q Yes q No If yes, class year ________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Spouse’s name ____________________________________________________________ Maiden name Your news: ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ Wrightsman, Rev. Bruce, Decorah, Iowa, age 75, on Oct. 4, of heart failure and amyloidosis. He taught math, physics, and philosophy at Augsburg College, 1960–63. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg. Hunt, Duane ’62, Lakewood, Colo., on Nov. 13. Spring 2010 43 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:43 AM Page 46 my Auggie experience Aquila Tapio ’10 MAE Naadamaadiwin—Helping one another When she was growing up, Aquila Tapio said she never really knew what she wanted to do. “I just wanted to help people,” she said. Until recently, Tapio and her husband helped Native American children as foster parents through the Indian Child Welfare Act program. And then after the birth of her second child, she decided it was time for her to return to the workforce. “I wanted to help Native American kids and keep doing the work we were doing at home,” she says. So when Tapio discovered Augsburg’s tribal special education program, she knew she had found the right fit. Naadamaadiwin, Ojibwe for “helping one another,” is a partnership between the University of Minnesota-Duluth Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Language Revitalization and the Augsburg College Master of Arts in Education program. Naadamaadiwin is a special education licensure program in emotional behavioral disorders and learning disabilities with a focus on the unique needs of Native American children. For Tapio, a member of the Oglala Lakota in South Dakota, working with Native children and families through the education system is important because education is a “touchy issue” for Native Americans. “We need teachers who know where people come from and who understand the history and trauma families have experienced,” she says. “Having a Native teacher provides comfort to students and their parents.” Tapio is completing her student teaching this term at Longfellow Humanities Magnet School in St. Paul. She says the Naadamaadiwin program has given her a new way to give Native children the consistency and support they need. “No matter how many times you have to tell them something, they will pick it up,” she says. “They are capable. They can do anything.” Naadamaadiwin is a two-year cohort-based program with classes meeting primarily online. For more information, go to www.augsburg.edu/admissions/mae/ and click “Licensure Options.” WENDI WHEELER ’06 44 Augsburg Now 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:43 AM Page 47 Lisa Zeller and Glenn Fuller are founding partners of the The Phaedrus Group (1994), a national training and consulting firm. Lisa Zeller ’81,’89 MAL and Glenn Fuller an augsburg legacy “In addition to an education, Augsburg provided me with the confidence and skills to think critically, to see what’s possible, and to create opportunities. I want to make sure that future generations have this same opportunity. 1-800-273-0617 www.augsburg.edu/giving So, when Glenn and I sat down to do our estate planning and consider our legacy, it was important for us to commit a percentage of our estate to Augsburg College.” 102105_Augsburg Now:Layout 1 5/4/10 10:43 AM Page 48 Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Minneapolis, MN Permit No. 2031 2211 Riverside Avenue Minneapolis, MN 55454 Second Augsburg Powwow The Augsburg Indigenous Student Association hosted a traditional powwow on Saturday, March 20, in Si Melby Hall. To view more photos from the powwow, go to www.flickr.com/photos/augsburgcollege.
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Title: Augsburg Now Summer 2012: Auggies Are Achievers
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: The economics of education Auggies on the road Commencement 2012 Calculus and coffee Gage Center for Student Success Homecoming 2012 preview auggies ARE achievers SUMMER 2012 | VOL. 74, NO. 3 inside AUGSBURG NOW notes from President Pribbenow Vice President of Marketing and Communic...
Show more The economics of education Auggies on the road Commencement 2012 Calculus and coffee Gage Center for Student Success Homecoming 2012 preview auggies ARE achievers SUMMER 2012 | VOL. 74, NO. 3 inside AUGSBURG NOW notes from President Pribbenow Vice President of Marketing and Communication Rebecca John rjohn@augsburg.edu Creative Associate-Editorial Wendi Wheeler ’06 wheelerw@augsburg.edu Creative Director Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL rumpza@augsburg.edu The Augsburg Promise Senior Creative Associate-Design A s I recently watched our almost 1,000 graduates of the Augsburg Class of 2012 walk across the stage to receive diplomas, I couldn’t help but be proud of their many accomplishments and successes as Augsburg students. Our remarkably diverse graduates—from various backgrounds, of various talents, on their way to various professions—are the most tangible signs of our strategic commitment to the success of all our students. And yet, the news media and popular opinion would have us believe that there are storm clouds rising in higher education. Some even call it a “tsunami.” Students unprepared for college, students who do not persist or graduate, students who will not get jobs (or, at least, not the jobs they want), students with too much debt. And conversely, colleges and universities that do not meet student needs, institutions that are too bureaucratic and expensive, colleges and universities stuck with an “old” model of teaching and learning. At Augsburg, we are deeply aware of these concerns. In fact, this issue of Augsburg Now includes an overview of the complex economics of higher education because we understand that topics such as this are too important to leave unaddressed. At the same time, we recognize that the markers of student success—graduation rates, academic achievement, or getting into graduate school or the workforce—also must be pursued. The story about our new Gage Center for Student Success shows just one way we are focused on ensuring that our students have the support they need to complete their Augsburg education. So, rather than allow various social and economic trends to define our reality, we are dedicated to planning for our future in ways that are both strategic, that is, focused on what is most essential and important to our mission as a college, and also studentcentered, that is, always mindful that we must do our best for all of our students. We articulate this commitment to student success in a concept we call the Augsburg Promise. It is the relationship we form with our students to ensure their success, and it has three key components. It is, first of all, centered in our commitment to helping our students discern and live their vocations (or “callings”). The concept of vocation—inherited from our Lutheran Christian theological tradition and embedded in the Augsburg curriculum—is not merely about selffulfillment. It is a deeply nuanced way of helping students explore their gifts and commitments, understand the arc of their lives, and embrace how their work in the world—whatever it may be—has significance. At the heart of the Augsburg Promise is the claim that our students will be better prepared for the world because of our work together in the classroom, in residence halls, on athletic fields, and in our neighborhood. The second component of the Augsburg Promise is our focus on academic growth and achievement in terms of both access—how our students are welcomed as part of our diverse community—and excellence—the standards we set and the support we offer to ensure that their education is of the highest order. Our students come to Augsburg with a variety of gifts and talents. Our promise to them is that this educational experience like no other will challenge them to grow as students and as citizens. So, yes, they will attain traditional academic success, and be recognized with honors and awards, but they also will experience the growth and achievement that is recognized in lives of meaning and significance in the world. Finally, the Augsburg Promise is about equipping our students for the lives they will lead in the world. Higher education—especially an education grounded in the liberal arts—must aim at ensuring that our students are educated across a wide range of disciplines and perspectives. At the same time, a college community like Augsburg must also consider how students are formed with certain skills and habits that will prepare them for citizenship and leadership. Whether in the classroom or community, in student organizations or residence halls, on playing fields or international travel, we must have an integrated sense of how our students are “educated to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.” That is our mission—and that is our promise so that all Augsburg students might be successful. PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT Jen Nagorski ’08 nagorski@augsburg.edu Photographer Stephen Geffre geffre@augsburg.edu Director of News and Media Services Stephanie Weiss weisss@augsburg.edu Production Manager/Now Online Mark Chamberlain chamberm@augsburg.edu Sports Information Director Don Stoner stoner@augsburg.edu Senior 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, 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 langemo@augsburg.edu Email: now@augsburg.edu augsburg now summer 2012 Features 12 19 30 28 6 10 12 17 The economics of education BY REBECCA JOHN Speaking of money BY REBECCA JOHN, STEPHANIE WEISS, AND WENDI WHEELER ’06 Commencement COMPILED BY STEPHEN GEFFRE AND STEPHANIE WEISS Faculty retirements COMPILED BY STEPHANIE WEISS 19 . GAGE CENTER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 22 Nic Adducci ’15 contents 23 Rachel Hastings ’15 40 26 Andrena Murphy ’15 28 Calculus and coffee BY STEPHEN GEFFRE Departments inside front cover On the cover Four friends pose for the camera before lining up for the commencement procession. See more photos from the May and July commencement ceremonies at www.augsburg.edu/now. All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated. 2 27 30 31 32 37 40 Notes from President Pribbenow Around the Quad It takes an Auggie My Auggie experience Auggie voices Alumni news Alumni class notes Auggies on the ice quad around the Celebrating Student Success Scholarships and fellowships Augsburg students earned a range of prestigious accolades during spring semester. Some of the awards include the following: Fulbright Scholars: Adam Spanier ’12 and Rosalind “Rose” Sybrant ’12 were awarded English teaching assistantships. Spanier will teach in the Czech Republic during 2012-13, while Sybrant will teach in Venezuela. Augsburg College is recognized by The Chronicle of Higher Education as one of the nation’s top producers of Fulbright Scholars. Gilman International Scholarships: Seven Auggies received Gilman International Scholarships from the U.S. State Department to study overseas this summer and fall. Auggies will study in India, Jordan, South Africa, South Korea, and Thailand. Augsburg was awarded more Gilman Scholarships than any other Twin Cities college or university this academic year. Goldwater Scholarship: Joe Buchman ’13, who is studying chemistry, was awarded an honorable mention in the Goldwater Scholarship competition. He will spend the summer doing off-campus research at the University of Minnesota as a Student Summer Fellow for the Lupus Foundation of Minnesota. Kemper Scholars Program: Ibrahim Al-Hajiby ’14, an international relations/international business major, was named the College’s second Kemper Scholar. Students in the Kemper program get academic scholarships and stipends to cover the costs of two summer internships in major nonprofit and forprofit organizations. Augsburg is one of only 16 U.S. liberal arts colleges with the Kemper Scholars Program distinction. 2 Augsburg Now Student research awards and achievements Winner of international contest: Work by biology major Alex Sorum ’13 on a bacterium that affects about 80 percent of cystic fibrosis patients won an international American Association for the Advancement of Science Angela Bonfiglio ’13 was named a Newman Civic Fellow for 2013. This award, presented by Campus Compact, honors college student leaders who have demon(AAAS) poster competition strated their investment in finding solutions to the challenges that face our this spring. Sorum won communities. the student poster competition in the medicine and Newman Civic Fellow: Angela Bonfiglio ’13 public health category at the 2012 AAAS was named a Newman Civic Fellow by international meeting in Vancouver, B.C. Campus Compact. The award recognizes Sorum said that one of the rewards of inspiring college student leaders who work attending the conference was experiencing to find solutions for challenges facing their how going to a small liberal arts college communities. Bonfiglio has rebuilt has made him competitive with students Community Link, a campus service organiat large research universities. zation, doubling its membership while deepening its issue-based work. In North Minneapolis, she is researching community perceptions on the achievement gap and working to close that gap. She coordinates an afterschool program at Redeemer Lutheran Church to ensure that youth have homework help and an evening meal. She is dedicated to social justice, including environmental work, youth develAlex Sorum ’13 conducts research on Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that opment, interfaith work, affects cystic fibrosis patients. and racial equality. Zyzzogeton celebrates work of 67 students: Augsburg celebrated the creativity and research of 67 underKirubel Gezehegn ’14, a physics and chemistry major from Zimbabwe, discusses his graduate students during research with physics professor Mark Engebretsen at the 2012 Zyzzogeton student research poster exhibition. mid-April at the annual Zyzzogeton poster session. Meeting of Nobel Laureates: Augsburg ColThe festival—which included work by stulege student Kirubel Gezehegn ’14 attended dents from 17 academic departments— the 2012 Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laurewas a chance for students to present their ates in Lindau, Germany. The meeting research to the Augsburg community and brings together 31 chemistry and physics practice public speaking. A “zyzzogeton” laureates and an equal number of invited is a green leaf-hopper as well as one of the students. Gezehegn also will study chemlast words in the Webster Collegiate Dicistry this summer at Johns Hopkins Univertionary, a fitting symbol to mark the end of sity in the labs operated by Nobel Laureate the academic year. Peter Agre ’70. Auggies are doing off-campus research across the United States at: • Argonne National Laboratory, Physics • Baylor University, Biology • Carleton College, Summer Mathematics Program for Women Undergraduates • Harvard University, National Science Foundation-Research Experiences for Undergraduates (NSF-REU), Bioengineering, Scientific Computing, Robotics and Materials Science and Engineering • Loyola University, Biology • Mayo Clinic, Neurobiology • National Institute of Standards and Technology, Cell Systems Science Group • Oakland University, NSF-REU, Mechanical Engineering • Rochester Institute of Technology, NSFREU, External Graph Theory and Dynamical Systems • Texas Christian University, Physics • University of Georgia, NSF-REU, Microbiology • University of Minnesota, Lillehei Heart Institute 11th time since 1998 that the team finished in the top 10. On the mat, the team placed second at the NCAA Division III National Championship. National Society of Black Engineers conference At the end of March, physics majors Gottlieb Uahengo ’13, Mohamed Sheikh-Mohamed ’14, Amir Rose ’14, and Fred Vedasto ’13 attended the National Society of Black Engineers conference in Pittsburgh, Pa. The conference included workshops and programming for grade school, collegiate, graduate, technical, professional, and international entities of the society. Uahengo said he was intrigued by his “ability to draw several parallels between [his] Augsburg education and some of the physics behind the technology of companies such as Boeing, Nearly 70 undergraduate students presented their research at the 2012 Zyzzogeton Lockheed Martin, and poster session. Zyzzogeton, held near the end of the spring semester, is the College’s annual festival of student creativity and scholarship. 3M, and to see the real-world applications of the many concepts studied in class.” Travel was funded through the NorthStar STEM The Augsburg College wrestling team during Alliance, a program intended to double the 2011-12 stood out in the classroom and on number of African-American, the mat. Auggies claimed the highest team Hispanic/Latino, Native American, Alaska grade-point average in the National Wrestling Native, and Pacific Islander students Coaches Association Division III Scholar Allreceiving bachelor degrees in science, America program, with an overall GPA of technology, engineering, and math (STEM). 3.73. This is the second time Augsburg has earned this top academic honor and the Scholar All-America Program Summer 2012 3 quad around the Celebrating Student Success (continued) Travelers EDGE Five Travelers EDGE (Empowering Dreams for Graduation and Employment) scholars from Augsburg will complete internships with Travelers this summer. Three Auggies—Simon Tekle ’13, Ger Lao ’13, and Dustina Granlund ’14—will work in Travelers’ information technology (IT) department. Mai Yang “Maya” Vue ’13 will intern as a cash control analyst, and Mee “Kanee” Lee ’14, will research diverse markets in the Twin Cities. Travelers EDGE seeks to increase the pipeline of underrepresented students to college, help them to graduate, and build awareness of careers in the insurance and financial services industry. This was Augsburg’s second year as a recipient of a Travelers EDGE grant. Thrivent Leadership Fellows Augsburg’s Thrivent Leadership Fellows, a group of students working to engage the Augsburg community in service, organized an annual multicultural dinner at the Brian Coyle Center during April. The event featured foods that represented the cultures in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis. Thrivent Leadership Fellows work to strengthen on- and off-campus communities through organized volunteer events and activities such as cooking classes for local shelters, food shelf drives, and tutoring sessions. The Thrivent Leadership Fellows: Front Row [L to R]: Christine Smith ’13, Janelle Holte ’13, Maya Keith ’13, Shana Strong ’13, Masha Shatonova ’13; Back Row [L to R]: Paul Hunt ’13, Jordan Skrove ’13, Billy Mzenga ’13 4 Augsburg Now Celebration of Philanthropy The 2011-12 fiscal year was one of the most successful fundraising years in Augsburg’s history with nearly $14 million raised to support programming, scholarships, buildings, and research. One of the ways the College celebrated this success was by welcoming more than 250 donors and volunteer leaders to campus for the annual Celebration of Philanthropy in June. W.K. Kellogg FOUNDATION The W.K. Kellogg Foundation during May funded a three-year, $1.2 million grant to support Sprockets, a St. Paul-based educational program operated in partnership with Augsburg College’s Center for Democracy and Citizenship. The W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) is among the largest philanthropic foundations in the United States. Guided by the belief that all children should have an equal opportunity to thrive, WKKF works with communities to create conditions for vulnerable children so they can realize their full potential in school, work, and life. WKKF is based in Battle Creek, Mich., and works throughout the United States and internationally, as well as with sovereign tribes. Special emphasis is paid to areas where there are high concentrations of poverty and where children face significant barriers to success. WKKF priority locations in the U.S. are in Michigan, Mississippi, New Mexico, and New Orleans, and internationally in Mexico and Haiti. For more information, visit www.wkkf.org. National Science Foundation Grant Augsburg College Women’s Varsity Lacrosse Augsburg College announced this summer that it will launch the first collegiate women’s varsity lacrosse team in Minnesota. Lacrosse is one of the fastest growing high school girls’ sports in the state and is currently offered as a club sport at Augsburg. The College’s new varsity team will begin competing during spring 2014. A coach, who will join the staff this fall, will spend the first year recruiting and building the team. By offering women’s lacrosse, Augsburg will be able to expand the number of student-athletes who attend Augsburg for their post-secondary education and increase the total number of female student-athletes at the College. Augsburg was awarded a National Science Foundation grant of nearly $600,000 to support scholarships for undergraduates majoring in sciences or mathematics. The AugSTEM scholarships will provide as much as $7,500 per year to upper-division students. The grant brings to nearly $3 million the College’s total active awards from the NSF. Partial funding is provided by the National Science Foundation Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (S-STEM) program under Award Number DUE-1154096. MANY VOICES BOLD VISIONS Convocation Series 2011-12 MusicEnsembles Augsburg College’s music ensembles performed regionally and nationally during the 2011-12 school year. Numerous performances were given around the metro area, including the U.S. premiere performance of John Ireland’s “Psalm 42” by the Masterworks Chorale and a rousing year-end performance by Augsburg Jazz Instrumental Vocal Ensemble at Famous Dave’s in Minneapolis. Each of the College’s three touring groups follow a fouryear travel rotation that includes national, international, and two regional tours. The Augsburg Symphony Orchestra and the Augsburg Choir went on national tours this year. The orchestra traveled to Florida during winter break, while the choir after commencement toured Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. The Augsburg Concert Band performed throughout northern Minnesota and Wisconsin during spring break, and performed several joint concerts with local high-school and college bands. The concert band will travel to Turkey in May 2013. The Sverdrup Convocation, held April 17, created the opportunity for the community to learn about NASA’s Mercury Surface Space Environment Geochemistry and Ranging (MESSENGER) mission. Brian J. Anderson ’82, deputy project scientist with the mission and a physicist with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, discussed the Mercury mission and whether there is a moral imperative for space exploration. The Rochester Convocation on May 15 was a chance for Auggies to learn about the work of Shanna Decker, a ninetime national award winner for her volunteer accomplishments. Decker’s presentation, “Love Wins,” provided insight into her “Hearts of Hope” project and her family’s co-founding of the nonprofit “Brighter Tomorrows” for families touched by childhood cancer. Decker also has mentored, supported, and visited nearly 1,000 people throughout the world who are amputees or cancer patients. To see photos from the convocation series, go to www.augsburg.edu/now. Summer 2012 5 { The ECONOMICS of EDUCATION BY REBECCA JOHN A bubble. An eruption. An explosion. These are just some of the words used in news reports this year to describe college costs and higher education loan debt. While these headlines may grab attention, they unfortunately are not very useful in helping people fully understand the multifaceted topic of college affordability. As Justin Draeger, president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, said in a May 9 University Business article, a more accurate though admittedly less exciting headline might be: “A Complex Combination of Economic Factors Increases College Costs and Loan Debt for Certain Students.” As mundane as that headline seems, continued public dialogue is important and timely because many students and families today face real challenges in figuring out how to pay for college. This article provides a brief overview of four core areas related to the economics of higher education: the value of a postsecondary degree, key cost drivers in higher education, changes in government aid, and tuition and student loan debt trends. 6 Augsburg Now VALUE OF HIGHER EDUCATION { Ironically, if it weren’t for the significant benefits of a college education, the public debate about the cost of college likely would not be nearly as heated. If people didn’t desire the outcomes of and opportunities afforded by having a college education—if they merely thought the price was too high—they would just simply stop going to college. But that is not the case. Instead, the difference between having a college degree and not having one has become even more pronounced as more and more jobs require higher education. The Georgetown University Center on Education predicts that 63 percent of jobs in 2018 will require some form of postsecondary education. Already, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, high school graduates earn less than 70 percent of the income of bachelor’s degree holders. Moreover, as was evidenced in the recent recession, people with 63 percent of jobs in 2018 will require some form of postsecondary education. – THE GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY CENTER ON EDUCATION college degrees are much less likely to be unemployed than those with only high school diplomas. In 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the unemployment rate for high school graduates was 9.4 percent, whereas people with bachelor’s degrees or higher were unemployed at only a 4.3 percent rate. So, while rising tuition costs and student debt may raise questions about erosion of the ROI (return on investment) of a given college degree, the larger, societal concern is that the required investment— and, therefore, the benefits—of higher education may be out of reach for a growing portion of our population, no matter how promising the return. COLLEGE COSTS An oft-cited book in the discussion of rising college costs is David Feldman’s and Robert Archibald’s Why Does College Cost So Much? (Oxford University Press, 2010). The Augsburg College Board of Regents dedicated a portion of its January 2012 board meeting to a discussion of this book to better understand the key cost drivers in higher education and how those costs affect students and tuition. Many factors affect college costs, but Feldman and Archibald, economics professors at the College of William & Mary, demonstrate that costs steadily have risen during the past 30 years in all personal-service industries that employ highly educated labor. Increasing costs have occurred not only in higher education but also in A one-on-one relationship between a faculty member and a student is critical for student comprehension and engagement. } – JEANNE BOEH, AUGSBURG COLLEGE ECONOMICS PROFESSOR AND CHAIR OF THE ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT dentistry, health care, and legal services. Significant productivity advancements in other industries—for example, automation and robotics in manufacturing—have increased the demand for, and therefore the price of, highly skilled labor. As a result, labor-cost increases have affected all personal-service industries, including colleges and universities, which employ some of the most highly educated people in our country as faculty, staff, and administration. This phenomenon is called “cost disease,” said Jeanne Boeh, Augsburg College professor of economics. Boeh, who served as president of the Augsburg Faculty Senate in 2011-12, participated in the College’s Board of Regents discussion of Feldman’s and Archibald’s book. She is a frequent commentator on economic trends for the Star Tribune, Minnesota Public Radio, and Twin Cities Public Television’s “Almanac.” “In higher education,” Boeh explained, “capital and labor have not been substitutes but complements.” For example, using course management software such as Moodle may enhance collaboration and streamline administrative activities, but it doesn’t reduce the labor involved in teaching or learning in the same way that manufacturing automation does. Online courses also have been affected, resulting in higher operating expenses than originally anticipated. “Augsburg offers several programs in a blended format—merging in-class time with online learning,” said Boeh, who has taught all types of classes at Augsburg. “And we will continue to evolve course formats to take advantage of online technologies where they are most effective.” But no matter the format, Boeh said, “a one-on-one relationship between a faculty member and a student is critical for student comprehension and engagement—not only for any class lectures but also for in-class assignments and projects as well as out-of-class work.” So, while online formats offer attractive benefits—including making lectures available to a broader set of learners and providing flexibility to working adults pursuing advanced degrees—they have not, to date, offered a “perfect” substitute for individual attention from highly qualified faculty. As a result, the trade-offs between cost and quality in higher education exist whether course delivery is in-class or online. Summer 2012 7 { By 2009, institutional grant aid [from Minnesota private colleges] was triple the state’s contribution. GOVERNMENT AID – MINNESOTA PRIVATE COLLEGE COUNCIL Share of Minnesota general fund spent on higher education 18% 17.3% 16% 14% 12% 10% 8% 6.9% 6% 4% Percent of General Fund Appropriated to Higher Education 2% Forecasted Percent of General Fund Appropriated to Higher Education 0% 1967 1975 1983 1991 1999 2007 2013 Chart 1: The percent of the State of Minnesota’s budget appropriated to higher education has declined steadily in the past 20 years. Financial aid trends for Minnesota undergraduates FIGURES IN MILLIONS $1,800 2009 borrowing by Minnesota undergraduates and their families surpassed $1.6 billion. $1,600 $1,400 $1,200 By 2009, grant aid from institutions was triple the state’s commitment. $1,000 By 2005, grant aid from institutions was double the state’s commitment. $800 $600 $400 In 1991, institutions and the state each provided about $80 million in grant aid to Minnesota undergraduates. $200 $1991 1995 State Grants (actual) 1999 Federal Grants (actual) 2001 2005 Institutional Grants (actual) 2007 2009 Total Loans (actual) Chart 2: Since 1991, grant aid from Minnesota private colleges grew to three times the amount provided by the state, while student loan debt increased eight-fold. 8 Augsburg Now Minnesota Private College Research Foundation analysis of Minnesota budget data 20% Minnesota Private College Research Foundation analysis of Minnesota Office of Higher Education biennial survey of aid awarded The financial aid that students receive from the state grant program is an important part of the resources they have to pay for their college education, said Jay Benanav, Augsburg’s director of government relations. “And, while the state has increased the overall dollar amount allocated to support higher education in the past 20 years, this aid has not kept pace with rising higher education costs,” he said. “So, today, state grant aid constitutes a much smaller portion of a student's overall resources for college.” The Minnesota Private College Council (MPCC)—an organization representing 17 private colleges in the state, including Augsburg—has been actively engaged with the Minnesota Legislature on the topic of higher education funding. Chart 1, compiled by the MPCC, shows the declining share of the state’s general fund that has been spent on higher education costs during the past several decades. Because state support covers a smaller proportion of college costs today, a larger portion is falling to students and their families. In fact, the proportion of college costs that families cover has gone up faster than the overall cost of college. To help offset the growing burden on families, Minnesota’s private colleges have increased the aid they provide to students through their endowments and operational budgets. Chart 2, again from the MPCC, shows the dollar amount of college costs covered by Minnesota state grants, federal grants, MPCC collegefunded grants, and student loans. The chart provides data from 1991 to 2009, a period during which student loan debt soared and grant aid from Minnesota private colleges grew to three times the amount provided by the state. NET TUITION AND STUDENT LOANS “Financial counseling is embedded in our admissions process,” As noted earlier, in addition to loans and government aid, many students also receive financial aid directly from their colleges or universi- Edstrom said, “and our financial aid staff work hard to make sure students and parents understand what they are taking on when they ties. This means that the out-of-pocket expenses (or “net tuition”) borrow.” that a given student pays will be less than the published tuition (or Even people with significant financial experience should (and do) sticker price) for that college or university. How much less varies from seek help navigating the financial aid process, said Paul Terrio, student to student based on multiple factors—including the family’s Augsburg’s director of student financial services. “Financing college financial situation, the student’s academic standing, and numerous is a substantial investment for families, and it’s an investment that other factors that enrollment offices take into consideration. has a major impact on one of the most important people in their This variation means that the net tuition one student pays will lives,” Terrio said. “So, naturally, people want to make sure they’re not be the same as another student, even at the same institution. As a result, it has become increasingly important for students and families to understand their specific financial aid package at each institution the student is considering before making a final choice, or before assuming that a certain college is financially out of reach. Even with financial support from colleges, how– JULIE EDSTROM ’90, ’04 MA, AUGSBURG VICE PRESIDENT OF ENROLLMENT MANAGEMENT ever, borrowing has increasingly become a necessary part of how families of all socioeconomic doing the best they can. backgrounds pay for college. Average U.S. undergraduate student “But since college financing is something people do only a couloan debt for 2010 graduates was $25,250, according to the Projple times in their lives, most are not experts in the process,” he said. ect on Student Debt, an initiative of the nonprofit Institute for ColAs a result, every family, no matter their income level or financial lege Access & Success. The average debt of Augsburg graduates was $24,311 that year. sophistication, can benefit from working with a financial counselor In addition to being lower than the national average, Augsburg’s stu- who, according to Terrio, can “help them focus on their own scenario dent loan debt average compares favorably with the averages for rather than on averages and statistics reported in the news, which other higher education institutions in the state of Minnesota, said may have little to do with the specific family’s financial situation.” Julie Edstrom ’90, ’04 MA, Augsburg vice president for enrollment management. { Augsburg’s average student debt in 2010 was $24,311, which compares favorably with other higher education institutions in Minnesota. } } When one steps back from the headlines, it’s easier to see how college costs aren’t driven by one simple factor alone but, instead, are determined by a mix of state, federal, institutional, and individual factors. It’s easier to see, as well, how changing one factor invariably puts pressure on other factors. In the end, the challenge for Augsburg College—and every higher education institution—is to find a sustainable balance among these factors—state and federal government aid, institutional support, and student or family contributions—in a way that keeps higher education within reach for students of academic ability from all backgrounds. At Augsburg’s July 1 commencement, honorary degree recipient David Mathews, president and chief executive officer of the Kettering Foundation, focused his commencement address on the value—specifically the public value—of higher education. Mathews previously served as secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare under former President Gerald Ford and as president of the University of Alabama. Read his commencement address at www.augsburg.edu/now. Summer 2012 9 SPEAKING of MONEY BY REBECCA JOHN, STEPHANIE WEISS, AND WENDI WHEELER ’06 It’s scary. Students don’t like it. Parents don’t like it. But for any family with a student in college, money matters, and talking openly about finances is a critical part of figuring out if and how an individual can afford college. It’s a path toward determining whether the costs of college are a good investment for students, and often, their families. It’s also a path toward understanding individual and family philosophies connected to saving, spending, and philanthropy. Augsburg College is committed to talking with students and families about all these issues and sees these sometimes complex conversations as tools to build good decision-making as well as valuable investments in a family’s future. STUDENT FINANCIAL SERVICES It takes as much energy to wish as it does to plan. – ELEANOR ROOSEVELT Paying for college is a significant undertaking for families, regardless of their family household income. To help plan for this investment, families need to start talking about their finances long before they’re actually facing tuition payments. “The place to start is by focusing on what the family values and how they make choices about what they buy and how they use the money they have,” said Carly Eichhorst, Augsburg College associate director of financial aid. “When we are working with families, we don’t start by talking about the mechanics of financial aid and student loans; we start by understanding their values.” It’s also beneficial to include both the student and the parent or parents in the conversation, added Paul Terrio, director of student financial services. “We see a difference between families who have had conversations about how they plan to pay for college and families where only some of the members—either the parents or the student—are 10 Augsburg Now involved in the financial discussion,” he said. “It’s a much more productive conversation if all of the family members are vested in the plan.” In order to help support and foster these important family conversations, Augsburg has embedded financial aid counseling into the undergraduate admission process. So, when a first-year undergraduate student receives her or his acceptance letter from Augsburg, the letter clearly states, “The next step is to schedule your first-year meeting,” and invites them to make an appointment with the College’s student financial services staff. Augsburg also has linked financial planning with academic planning in the adult undergraduate program to ensure that adult undergraduate students and their families have resources to help navigate the system of financing college. As a result of this intentional effort to invite families into the student finance discussion, as of June 1, nearly 45 percent of firstyear students who had made their initial fall deposit had also scheduled an appointment with Augsburg’s financial services staff. With sessions continuing through the summer, a majority of firstyear students and their families will have the opportunity to discuss their financial plans with the College before classes start in the fall. “Our goal in working with families is to help them develop a comprehensive plan for the entire college degree, not just to figure out how they can pay for the first semester,” Terrio said. A comprehensive plan includes outlining how much the student or family will need to pay and how long they will need to make payments on any student loans taken out to cover college costs. “Our role is not to prescribe financial solutions or provide a specific answer for how to pay for college,” Eichhorst said. “We are working to help families identify and understand their options.” By gaining a shared understanding of their options, families can enhance their financial literacy and equip themselves to plan for— not just wish for—the means to pursue a college degree. STUDENT PHILANTHROPY Someone’s sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. – WARREN BUFFETT Auggies give. Every year. This simple instruction forms the basis of the goal for Augsburg’s Student Philanthropy Week, an annual program designed to make students aware of how donor support benefits them and to teach students, from the beginning of their college careers through their graduation, about the importance of giving back to their alma mater. The Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations and the staff of The Augsburg Fund sponsor several programs for students throughout the academic year. To coordinate these programs, staff work closely with the Augsburg Stewards, a group of current undergraduate students who support philanthropic efforts at the College. Each spring, Student Philanthropy Week includes a virtual “donor scavenger hunt” where students use daily clues, conduct library research, and visit donor-named locations on campus to guess the identity of one of the College’s major donors. The first student to accurately identify the donor wins a gift card. The annual Feed the Pig campaign and the senior class giving campaign encourage students to begin donating to Augsburg. To participate in Feed the Pig, students receive a piggy bank in the fall and, throughout the school year, collect spare change to fill up their banks. Classes compete to raise the most money and to engage the greatest number of student participants. The money raised funds a scholarship for a student in the winning class. These activities highlight the fact that, every year, Augsburg relies on thousands of alumni, parents, friends, and students to ensure that Auggies have access to an outstanding, affordable Augsburg education. MONEY MATTERS The highest use of capital is not to make more money, but to make money do more for the betterment of life. – HENRY FORD At Augsburg College, students and staff have turned inside out the federal mandate that all colleges and universities deliver financial literacy programs. Instead of delivering top-down programs of expert panelists or lectures, Augsburg involves students as key partners in creating and developing the school’s financial literacy program. A key goal of the program is to help students open the door on conversations that typically are difficult and sometimes uncomfortable—conversations about personal and family finances, budgeting, and the cost of college. “If you make public the stuff you usually hide, you can change individual behavior,” said Carly Eichhorst, associate director of financial aid. “But you have to start by being open with your own story.” Having students shape the conversation is critical to helping them learn how to make good financial decisions today and in the future. That’s because research shows that knowledge retention soars to 75 percent when learning is practiced by doing, compared with 20 percent retention when we learn by listening. “This is hard stuff to talk about,” Eichhorst said, “but when students see their friends sharing and grappling with tough ideas, it becomes easier and more acceptable to open up about their own stories.” The College’s annual Money Matters program runs for a week during the spring and includes a range of events and activities to help students and their families talk openly about financial topics. In addition to counseling sessions and opportunities to connect with financial experts, 2012 Money Matters activities included: • A student panel in which five Auggies from different socioeconomic, cultural, and faith backgrounds talked about how they make college work financially. Some student panelists also shared their stories with a Star Tribune reporter. Later in the spring, some of the students participated in a student loan and student finance roundtable with U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison. • My Money Secret, a participant-generated project in which students, staff, and faculty posted their money secrets in the skyways on campus. The secrets were hung on a line using clothespins—a display that was intentionally meant to invoke the feeling that participants were “airing their laundry,” Eichhorst said. Some students shared tips for saving, while other students disclosed habits of overspending. Because investing in a college education is such a significant undertaking, Augsburg is committed to helping families build financial literacy from the first oncampus encounter through a student’s full experience. By beginning the process of talking about money at the very start, students and their families not only learn important information about how to better manage their finances, but also have the chance to consider how they want to use their money—through saving, spending, and giving. Summer 2012 11 E Commencement May 5, 2012 A F D 12 Augsburg Now During the commencement processional, faculty line 7 ½ Street and applaud as graduating students walk from Christensen Center to Si Melby Hall. The tradition marks the transition from student to graduate and allows faculty to show respect for the students. The ceremony also is a bookend to the Auggie experience. Four years earlier—on their first day of class—faculty welcomed incoming students with applause during the opening convocation ceremony. A Faculty greet passing students with waves and handshakes and sometimes even give students a high-five or hug. B Members of ethnic student groups often wear sashes that denote their membership. Here, a group of students who are members of the PanAfrikan Student Union wear stoles made of Kente cloth that originates in Ghana, West Africa. C Students can be seen wearing bow ties, a fashion phenomenon that started to take hold in 2006 when Paul C. Pribbenow was installed as president of Augsburg College. Pribbenow has a reputation for his bow tie collection, and the bow tie often makes an appearance when students dress in formal wear. D Colored cords represent honors given by the College, academic departments, and the Honors program. Candidates for Latin honors—students graduating cum laude, magna cum laude, or summa cum laude—receive maroon and gray cords. Students who complete requirements of the Augsburg College Honors program wear gold cords. Other cords indicate departmental honors. E Students can line up in whatever order they choose. Because there is no formal order, being the last person in line—and, therefore, the last to cross the commencement stage—has become a coveted spot. Students will jockey for the position and stall during the procession, and the last person to cross the stage usually makes a grand statement of it. F Like many faculty members, Phil Adamo, associate professor and chair of the History Department, breaks from the reception line to congratulate a student in the procession. B C Summer 2012 13 In 2007, Augsburg started the tradition of holding two commencement ceremonies—the first in early May for the undergraduate day students and the Masters in Physician Assistant program graduates, and the second in late June for Weekend/Evening College, Rochester undergraduate, and the remaining master’s degree program graduates. A President Paul C. Pribbenow and Jodi Harpstead, chair of the Board of Regents, shake hands with every graduate who crosses the stage. For the July commencement ceremony, that was roughly 300 hands. B Tom Kelsey and Lori York of the Registrar’s office perform a well-choreographed dance to make sure the President always has a diploma holder in his hand the moment a graduate crosses the stage. C A large stack of diploma holders will be whittled down to almost nothing during the ceremony. In case you are wondering, the holders are empty. Diplomas are mailed to the graduates after their final grades are processed by the Registrar. D Master’s and doctoral degree candidates in business administration, education, leadership, nursing, and social work sit on the left side of the gym. E Graduates of the Weekend/Evening College and Rochester programs sit on the right side of the gym. F Handing out diplomas is like an assembly line: grab your name card, follow the faculty marshal to the front of the gym, hand over your name card, cross the stage as your name is called, shake hands with the Board chair, take diploma in your left hand while shaking hands with President Pribbenow and smile while your photo is taken, proceed down the ramp, smile for another photo and be sure that the front of the diploma holder is facing forward, return to your seat, breathe a sigh of relief. To view more commencement photos, go to www.augsburg.edu/now. 14 14 Augsburg Now Augsburg Now E A C Commencement July 1, 2012 D F B Summer 2012 15 Augsburg grad students mix philosophy of social work with drive for business Leading nonprofits increasingly want top-level leaders who understand complex financial issues, can implement strategic business practices, and are able to serve diverse local and global communities. Recognizing the changing expectations and requirements of nonprofits, Augsburg College in 2009 began offering a dual Master of Arts Degrees in Social Work (MSW) and Business Administration (MBA). The College’s first two MSW/MBA graduates completed their dual degrees this spring. “We chose to respond to changing dynamics. More and more, leaders of nonprofits, if they want to continue moving up the ladder, need the same business skills as their counterparts in the forprofit world,” said Steven Zitnick, who during June retired as director of the MBA program. Those with a Master of Arts in Social Work can, if they choose, progress to a different point in their career with formal business training, said Lois Bosch, director of Augsburg’s Master of Social Work program. “Larger social service agencies want business leaders for their business acumen,” Bosch said. “Increasingly, they also want people who are trained formally to understand the needs of their clients.” Jana Nicolaison ’12, one of Augsburg’s MSW/MBA dual degree graduates, said the program provided her the knowledge and tools to manage social service programs by understanding the business behind the programs. “I have the confidence to advocate for clients on the macro level because I under- stand all aspects of the services they receive,” Nicolaison said. The dual degree program isn’t just a good idea for those who want to lead social service agencies, though. “There’s an emerging trend of social entrepreneurship that opens another path for joint MSW/MBA students to pursue,” Zitnick said. “Through Augsburg’s combined curriculum, we can meet the vocational needs of this type of contemporary MSW student.” One such potential social entrepreneur is Miki Peterson ’12, who hopes to use her skills and insight to bring critical healthcare services to underserved markets. “We operate in a complex economic, societal, and political landscape. I now have the knowledge and diversity of skills to bring critical health care services to underserved markets,” Peterson said. “I have insights gleaned from both social services and business administration to allow me to accomplish this goal in any corporate, small business, or non-profit setting.” STEPHANIE WEISS To learn more about the dual MSW/MBA, go to www.augsburg.edu/msw or email mbainfo@augsburg.edu. “I have the knowledge and diversity of skills to bring critical health care services to underserved markets.” MIKI PETERSON ’12 MSW/MBA Miki Peterson ’12 MSW/MBA and Jana Nicolaison ’12 MSW/MBA 16 Augsburg Now HONORING our retired faculty Augsburg College celebrated the accomplishments and dedication of faculty during the spring Faculty Recognition Luncheon and formally thanked 10 faculty for their service. Below are brief biographies of those who finished their careers as Auggies. The group contributed more than 240 years of service to the College. Anthony Bibus III, professor of social work, joined Augsburg during 1992. He served the College as department chair, as faculty parliamentarian, and on key faculty committees. He received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from the University of St. Thomas and the University of Virginia, respectively, and a doctorate in social work from the University of Minnesota. Shelley Burkhardt, instructor of education, worked as the special education program director at Rochester and as an adjunct faculty member. She received a bachelor’s degree from Valparaiso and completed master’s-level studies at Winona State University, Minnesota State University Mankato, and the University of Minnesota. Prior to her work with Augsburg, Burkhardt served as the director of special education for the Rochester Public Schools, where she also was a special education teacher. C. Lee Clarke, assistant professor of business, started his career as a Lutheran parish pastor and then spent 20 years working in management information systems. He joined Augsburg during 2000 as a faculty member Front Row [L to R]: Glenda Dewberry Rooney, professor of social work; Norma Noonan, professor of political science; Lynn Lindow, associate professor of education; Grace Dyrud, professor of psychology; Steven Zitnick, director of the Master of Business Administration; Back Row [L to R]: President Paul C. Pribbenow; Bradley Holt ’63, professor of religion; Arlin Gyberg, professor of chemistry; Anthony Bibus III, professor of social work; C. Lee Clarke, assistant professor of business; Vice President of Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Barbara Farley. Retiring faculty not pictured: Shelley Burkhardt, instructor of education in the Business Administration Department. Clarke co-taught with religion faculty and served as faculty adviser for Augsburg Seminar, a program to help first-year students learn about the Augsburg community and participate in neighborhood service programs. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Capital University, a Master of Divinity from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of St. Thomas. Arlin Gyberg, professor of chemistry, started his career at Augsburg during 1967. He taught general and analytical chemistry for science majors and chemistry courses for non-science major students. He is one of several co-founders of the Mcgyan process reactor, a continuous flow device that is used to produce biodiesel from plant material. He maintains close connections to alumni in local industry (at companies such as Aveda, General Mills, and SarTec, to name a few) over the years. He earned a doctorate in analytical chemistry from the University of Minnesota. Bradley Holt ’63, professor of religion, began his teaching career during 1978. His scholarly interests revolved around the history of Christian spirituality and Christianity in a global context, and he is the author of Thirsty for God: A Brief History of Christian Spirituality. Holt taught theology in Nigeria for 10 years. He graduated from Augsburg with bachelor’s degrees in English and philosophy and received a Bachelor of Divinity from Luther Theological Seminary, and a Master of Philosophy and doctorate from Yale University. Lynn Lindow, associate professor of education, joined the College during 1985 as a member of the Health and Physical Education Department. She subsequently took a position in the Department of Education and was a K-12 expert. For seven years, she served as chair of the Education Department. Lindow also helped with the department’s reaccreditation. She received a bachelor’s degree from Minnesota State University Mankato, a master’s degree from Summer 2012 17 North Dakota State University, and a doctorate from the University of Minnesota. Norma Noonan, professor of political science, served Augsburg for more than 45 years, joining the faculty during 1966. She was instrumental in the development of the Master of Arts in Leadership, the College’s inaugural graduate program offering, and served as program director for 18 years. She chaired the Political Science Department, served on key faculty committees, and was a mentor to many. Noonan received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science from the University of Pennsylvania and Indiana University, respectively, and a doctorate in Russian and East European Studies from Indiana University. Glenda Dewberry Rooney, professor of social work, began working at Augsburg during 1992. An expert in direct social work practice, she served as department chair and taught in advanced clinical placement courses. Her research and teaching interests include child welfare, particularly where racial disparities exist. She is the author of one of social work’s most widely used texts. Rooney received bachelor’s degrees in psychology and sociology from the University of North Texas, a master’s in social work from the University of Illinois, and a doctorate in social work and industrial relations from the University of Minnesota. Maryann Syers, associate professor of social work, joined Augsburg during 1998. Her teaching experience was strengthened by her previous private clinical practice and ongoing research working with women of color, sexual minorities, and persons with physical disabilities. She was a leader in conceptualizing content for the Master of Social Work program’s multicultural clinical practice concentration. Syers also served on the Personnel Policies Committee and Faculty Senate. She received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Arizona State University and a master’s of social work and doctorate in social welfare from the University of Minnesota. Steven Zitnick, director of the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, joined Augsburg during 1999. Prior to that, he served as a military officer and held senior executive positions in human resources and organizational development in the private sector, including at H.B. Fuller. In 2008 Zitnick was named director of the Augsburg MBA program. He helped launch MBA study abroad programs in Argentina, Chile, Germany, and Russia and launched the Mini-MBA program with Luther Seminary. Zitnick received a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Shimer College, a master’s degree in human resources management from the University of Utah, and is on track to complete a doctorate from Tilburg University in the Netherlands during retirement. On May 3, faculty gathered at the annual Faculty Recognition Luncheon to celebrate a successful academic year and to recognize their colleagues’ accomplishments. The program honored retiring faculty members, recipients of tenure and promotion, milestone years of service, and recipients of the Distinguished Contribution to Teaching and Learning awards. 18 Augsburg Now GAGE CENTER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 Who comes to the Gage Center for Student Success and the Groves Technology Center? At one time or another, nearly every student at Augsburg does. I have to write a paper. I’m here to use the computer lab. I am a Weekend College student, and I'm planning to graduate next year. I'm here to plan out my degree progress with an academic adviser. I have ADHD and struggle with reading. I’m here to use the software program that helps me read my textbooks. I am visually impaired. I’m here to talk to an adviser about the services that can help me at Augsburg. I am having a tough time with one of my classes. I’m here to see a tutor. I’m the first person in my family to go to college. I am here because I heard you have a program to help people like me learn how to be successful in school. I’m a pretty good student, but I really have trouble with time management. I’m here to learn how to be better at that. Spring 2012 19 success INTEGRATING ACADEMIC SUPPORT tradition of bringing programs and services together to improve the student service experience. As in the case of the Enrollment Center—which first opened in 2000 and combined the offices of academic advising, the registrar, financial aid, and financial services—co-location benefits students because all services are in one convenient location. In addition, when staff work closely together, they often discover new ways of working that lead to new initiatives and better student service. The Gage Center staff is evaluating a caseload management software tool that will allow them to build connections for students and refer them to additional resources. Gort said the software will help to create a network of student support that extends beyond the Gage Center. “We’re at the start of a really cool project, and we have high hopes for what this is going to be,” she said. While staff and students are still learning how the Gage Center will function to best meet students’ needs, Gort said she has been pleased with the outcomes so far. GAGE CENTER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS At one time, academic support services at Augsburg were scattered across campus. One program was tucked around a few corners in a basement. A few others were in Science Hall. While seeking out and asking for help is already difficult for some students, having support staff in different locations made getting help even more complicated. To address this situation, Augsburg moved all of these academic support services to the new Gage Center for Student Success, which opened on the second floor of the Lindell Library in January. The center provides a one-stop shop for students to access academic advising, tutoring, academic accommodations, assistance with learning and physical disabilities, academic skills coaching, and other support services. “The Gage Center helps us see how students can benefit by having people and programs together,” said Amy Gort, dean of Arts and Sciences. Co-locating the offices in Lindell has made student support services more visible on campus and provides greater access for students. And with all support staff in proximity with one another, the center is the first step in creating a seamless experience of academic support for students. The Gage Center follows an Augsburg 20 Augsburg Now “What is great about this group of staff is that each program has a history of being innovative, constantly evaluating, and looking for opportunities for students to have an even better experience.” Nearly every graduate and undergraduate student at Augsburg comes into contact with the Gage Center staff or services at least once—and usually multiple times—in her or his college career. The center provides a one-stop shop for students to access academic advising, tutoring, academic accommodations, assistance with learning and physical disabilities, academic skills coaching, and other support services. GAGE CENTER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS Gifts from the Gage and Groves family foundations allowed Augsburg to create an integrated and highly visible academic support services center. The Gage Center for Student Success, which officially opened in January, includes the Groves Technology Center, the Groves Accommodations Lab, meeting rooms, testing rooms, and staff offices. DEPARTMENTS IN THE AUGGIES ARE ACHIEVERS GAGE CENTER FOR STUDENT SUCCESS ACADEMIC ADVISING supports students in achieving their educational and vocational goals. THE ACADEMIC SKILLS OFFICE provides coaching to help students develop skills and strategies for academic success, and also works with students in the Conditional Admit Program (CAP) and Augsburg Advantage St. Kate’s (AASK) program. THE CENTER FOR LEARNING AND ADAPTIVE STUDENT SERVICES (CLASS) provides services and accommodations for students with attentional, learning, and physical disabilities. THE GROVES TECHNOLOGY CENTER provides computer workstations for all students and adaptive software programs, such as speech recognition software and screen readers, for learners with special needs. TRiO/STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES, funded by the U.S. Department of Education, helps students overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to complete their college education. TUTORING AND SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION is available for most courses; the type of support offered depends on the course and student demand. ENSURING ACCESSIBILITY FOR STUDENTS Augsburg College is committed to ensuring all students have access to the campus resources and tools they need to succeed. To support this commitment, the College recently formed an accessibility committee of more than 50 staff and faculty from 16 departments. One of the committee’s primary responsibilities is ensuring the College meets the obligations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Recent revisions to the ADA as well as legal settlements at other colleges and universities make the committee’s work especially timely. One of the more high-profile lawsuits was a case brought against Penn State University by the National Federation of the Blind, which settled in 2010 for $150,000. The settlement cited inaccessible technology for blind and print-disabled students and is now serving as a guideline for institutions nationwide to review accessibility of technology and facilities. As part of its charge to ensure the College meets its obligations, the Augsburg accessibility committee is conducting an audit of campus facilities and technology, delivering training to faculty and staff, and working to identify a compliance officer. The work of the committee to identify and address accessibility issues helps mitigate risk for the College as it strives to live up to its commitment to student success. Summer 2012 21 A NEW approach to learning For most of his life, Nic Adducci ’15 was the kid who couldn’t read or write. The kid who had to go to the principal’s office to take his pill every day. The kid with a learn- said, when educators, students, and parents were just beginning to understand learning disabilities. “I was the only student in a small class with a learning disability. I was the kid who had emotional and behavior problems, and when I had a NIC ADDUCCI “I have to give credit to the CLASS office for giving me the support that I needed to really be successful, but I also have to credit the professors who really pushed me to see something more in myself than what I had been taught in the past 27 years of my life.” ing disability. Today, due in part to support he receives from Augsburg’s Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services (CLASS), Adducci made the dean’s list with a 4.0 grade-point average. A double major in business management and psychology with minors in economics and political science, he has shed much of the stigma associated with having a learning disability and has found success at Augsburg. In the second or third grade, Adducci was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). It was a time, he 22 Augsburg Now bad day, [the question] was, ‘Did you take your pill today?’” he said. “That was the foundation for my educational experience, and that followed me everywhere I went,” Adducci said. The labels and messages followed him to the workplace where he was a project manager for an educational testing company. “I thought that I couldn’t do a lot of things because I believed I couldn’t rely on myself.” In 2006, Adducci was told he needed to complete a bachelor’s degree as a requirement for his job. A co-worker who had gradu- ated from Augsburg through Weekend College recommended the program, and Adducci found himself back in the classroom. For several years, he took a class here and there while he continued to focus primarily on his work and personal life. Then in 2011, he realized he needed to make his education a top priority. He enrolled as a full-time student in the College’s day undergraduate program and moved onto campus. That’s when education changed for Adducci, and he discovered his passion for learning. “I approached my professors and the CLASS office right away,” he said. “They really didn’t accept the ‘I’m a bad writer’ excuse I used when I was younger, and they showed me that there was a different way for me to approach learning.” Adducci’s biggest learning-related challenge is reading. “It’s hard to concentrate and my retention is really low,” he said. The accommodations provided through CLASS include extra time to take exams, working with a notetaker in classes, and using the Kurzweil software program that reads his textbooks aloud for him. In two semesters as a full-time student, Adducci not only raised his grade-point average and made the dean’s list, he also landed a position as a residence life adviser for next year and made an impression on his classmates and instructors. “Nic made a marvelous contribution to the class,” said assistant professor of business administration John Cerrito, whose human resource management class Adducci took in the spring semester. “He was mature, serious, and a very positive student,” Cerrito said. “He is a real credit to Augsburg.” At Augsburg, Adducci said, he is able to attain a level of academic success that he hadn’t ever come close to in his life. “People saw something valuable in me in areas where I thought that I would never be able to accomplish anything,” he said, “and that gave me the motivation to actually put the effort in. Then I was successful.” Photo by Sally Ryan A TYPICAL college student In many ways, Rachel Hastings ’15 is a typical college student. She takes Spanish class, sings in a choir, eats in the cafeteria, and works out in the fitness center. But she is also atypical—a student who uses her ears and fingers to find her way through campus and through life. She’s training for a marathon, learning arias by ear, and spreading joy throughout the Augsburg campus. A sophomore from Maple Grove, Minn., Hastings has been legally blind since birth. Through the Gage Center for Student Success at Augsburg College, Hastings gets individualized support services and accommodations that help her succeed. The photos that follow show a typical day in the life of this atypical college student. Hastings checks to see if she is at the studio office for her voice lesson with vocal coach Susan Druck. RACHEL HASTINGS Laughing as they finish lunch, Hastings and a group of friends talk about their upcoming finals and what they need to do before school lets out for the summer. Summer 2012 23 1 2 3 independence 1 By touching her right hand to the treadmill every three or four steps, Hastings keeps her position on the machine during her daily workout. Hastings has completed two half marathons and is planning to run the Twin Cities Marathon in October. 2 “Hi Rachel, it’s Noah,” a student says as he meets Hastings. But Noah Sievert does not need to identify himself because Hastings recognizes his voice. To her, a voice is as distinct as a face is to a sighted person. 3 The complex nature of music theory means that Hastings needs accommodations for this course. Hastings took adapted music theory Pressing on her belly button to physically remind herself to breathe from her diaphragm, Hastings works on the piece “Mi Sueño” during her voice lesson with vocal coach Susan Druck. from assistant professor of music Doug Diamond as a summer independent study course. 4 Before she gets even two steps into a classroom, a classmate hops up and says, “Rachel, there is an open spot right over here.” One of the few times Hastings requires help is when she needs to navigate a full classroom with her cane. 5 Practicing on a baby grand piano is one of the perks of being a music therapy major whose main instrument is the piano. Since she does not read Braille music, Hastings learns music by ear, but she has perfect pitch, which makes learning easier. After a year of finding her way around the campus, Hastings has memorized almost every inch of the grounds. The only thing that will throw her off is an object that is left in an unpredictable place. 5 See more photos and hear Hastings talk about her experiences at www.augsburg.edu/now. Summer 2012 4 25 Augsburg’s TRiO/Student Support Services (SSS) program. Programs like AVID and TRiO/SSS help first-generation and lowincome students succeed in college. For students in high school, these programs provide Blue ribbons and gold medals. These are preparation for college entrance exams, what we normally associate with being assistance with college research and applica“first.” But for Andrena Murphy ’15, being tion, and information about the financial aid first—the first in her family to go to college— application process. On college campuses, meant making new connections, proactively these programs help students find resources seeking advice, and learning new skills. and support to complete their degree. During high school, Murphy said, her Murphy applied for and was accepted to mother encouraged her to do well but didn’t Augsburg’s TRiO/SSS program. She attended THE FIRST in her family share some of the lessons she has learned with the incoming TRiO students. During the past academic year, Murphy met regularly with her TRiO/SSS adviser to update her academic plan and to talk about the challenges of balancing school with family time, social life, volunteering, and her job. She said that her time management skills and even her eating habits improved in her first year of college. She also learned how to make connections with professors and to reach out to them for advice. “That’s something I never did in high school,” she said. ANDRENA MURPHY When Andrena Murphy ’15 saw her first initial in the flower garden outside Memorial Hall, she took it as a sign that Augsburg was the place for her. insist that she go to college. Though her mother had taken some community college courses, neither she nor Murphy’s two older sisters had obtained a college degree. And each of them had been able to find a good job without a college education. “Nobody in my family knew what college was like,” Murphy said, “so no one could help me figure out if it was right for me.” Murphy used her senior year of high school and the resources of her high school’s Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) college readiness program to help determine if college was the next step for her. Through AVID, Murphy discovered 26 Augsburg Now TRiO’s Summer Bridge program in July and August 2011 to begin her Augsburg career. Summer Bridge is a five-week residential program in which students take introductory religion and public speaking courses and attend academic support seminars, workshops, and other activities to help provide for a smooth transition to school in the fall. “It was fun to be in an atmosphere where I could keep learning through the summer,” Murphy said. She appreciated getting a head start on classes, learning what college was like, and meeting her classmates and professors. This summer, she will be a residential peer mentor for Summer Bridge and will Murphy also was involved with the Bonner Leader program during the school year. Through Bonner, she served as a youth development and enrichment coordinator at Kaleidoscope Place, an after-school program for elementary and junior high school students. Murphy officially will enter the Education Department this fall. She’s excited about her education classes and about becoming an elementary teacher one day. “When I look back, there were a few teachers who really made a difference for me, and I want to do that for someone.” it takes an Auggie Gift to future students allows son’s memory to live on at Augsburg “Nathan Schott’s life is an inspiration to me, and I’m humbled and honored to receive a scholarship in his name, a scholarship that is about future possibilities, not past liabilities.” These are the words of Alexandra Stoiaken ’13, recipient of the inaugural Nathan R. Schott Scholarship. Nathan Schott came to Augsburg as a first-year student in September 2009. His time at Augsburg was short, but significant. He touched the lives of faculty, staff, and students like Alexandra. He had a unique ability to make connections within the Augsburg community. Nathan was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the age of six. He passed away at the end of his first year of college. Yet Nathan continues to make a difference in the lives of Auggies, present and future. Teri and Chuck Schott, Nathan’s parents, established the Nathan R. Schott Scholarship to honor Nathan’s life and to give other students an educational opportunity in a supportive community. The scholarship provides support for students who, like Nathan, participate in the Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services (CLASS) program. CLASS provides services and accommodations for students with attentional, learning, and physical disabilities. “Augsburg was the right place for Nathan,” Nathan’s father, Chuck, said. “He had a feeling of belonging, and this was a place where he could participate and contribute to the makeup of the community.” Teri Schott, Nathan’s mother, added, “The scholarship is a chance to see that the spirit of Nathan continues. It means he’s still a part of this place.” “[Nathan] always had a ready smile for me when we passed in the halls,” Stoiaken said. “There was real joy in his life, and he shared it easily.” Stoiaken, who manages life with cerebral palsy, said she was inspired by Nathan. “By receiving this scholarship, I will always endeavor to make Nathan and his family proud. Like Nathan, I will never allow my disease to define me. I will live life to its fullest, finding inspiration wherever I can.” DOUG SCOTT, DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP GIFTS If interested in supporting this or similar scholarship funds, contact Doug Scott at 612-330-1575 or scottd@augsburg.edu. “By receiving this scholarship, I will always endeavor to make Nathan and his family proud. Like Nathan, I will never allow my disease to define me. I will live life to its fullest, finding inspiration wherever I can.” ALEXANDRA STOIAKEN ’13 Nathan Schott in his senior year at Maple Grove High School. [L to R]: Teri Schott, Alexandra Stoiaken ’13, and Chuck Schott at the 2011 brunch for Augsburg scholarship donors and recipients. Courtesy ph oto Summer 2012 27 calculus AND BY STEPHEN GEFFRE Fog-covered mountains, roosters crowing at 4 a.m., dinner by candlelight, 60-foot waterfalls, and calculus. Strange components in a college class, maybe, but for seven students and two faculty members, this was reality during the 2012 spring break. In the course MAT 496: The Calculus of Sustainability, students spent the first eight weeks of the spring semester studying coffee plantations of Nicaragua. With this knowledge, they created projects ranging from calculating the carbon footprint of coffee production to building a largescale differential equation model that would be used while in Nicaragua. Once in-country, students were asked by the farm families with whom they stayed for feedback and advice on an ecotourism model the farmers were creating. The farmers, all members of the GARBO coffee cooperative in the Peñas Blancas region of Nicaragua near the Honduran border, were exploring diversifying their income by inviting tourists to learn about and stay on the plantation. So although they had prepared projects for months before arriving in Nicaragua, the students set them aside and put the needs of the farmers in the forefront. The class came up with ideas like creating a map of the cooperative and installing a water filtration system. They also suggested paving the roads and creating a store to sell convenience items to tourists as well as products grown on the plantation. When all was said and done, the students learned that when working in a place like Nicaragua, plans can change quickly. Adaptation and the willingness to think on your feet are great skills to have when trying to apply complex mathematics in a real-world situation. 28 Augsburg Now coffee See more photos, hear the students talk about their experiences, and watch video of the class at www.augsburg.edu/now. Summer 2012 29 Courtesy photo my Auggie experience Posts from the road Summer Travel 2012 The Augsburg Choir U.S. Tour The Augsburg Choir, under the direction of Peter Hendrickson ’76, toured the Midwest in May. With stops in Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming, the choir performed nine concerts and had opportunities to connect with potential Auggies and their families as well as alumni and friends of the College. Teaching English in Thailand This was the fifth year that English professor Kathy Swanson and her husband, Jack, took students to teach English in Thailand as part of a short-term study abroad course through the Center for Global Education. In addition to teaching for 10 days in the village of Prachuap Khirikhan, the students learned about Thai culture and history, sailed on the Gulf of Siam, rode elephants, and tried to stay cool in the 120-degree heat. See photos from the 2012 Thailand course at www.flickr.com/photos/augthailand. International Management and Finance in Germany For four weeks in May and June, a group of German students and professors from Karlsruhe, Germany, paired with Augsburg students and assistant business professor Marc McIntosh to study international business practices. The group met for two weeks in Europe, visiting the European Parliament in Strasbourg and witnessing firsthand the financial crisis that was occurring in Europe at that time. They also went to the Frankfurt stock exchange and experienced the volatility in the financial market as a result of the crisis, McIntosh said. Then, back in the U.S., the students visited three companies with strong ties to Germany and gained insights into how to do business in overseas markets. Finally, the students participated in an intensive business simulation game with teams competing to maximize shareholder value through the launches of multiple product offerings. The Augsburg students teaching English in Thailand pose outside of the Wat Benchamabophit, a temple in Bangkok. study abroad program coordinated through Augsburg’s Center for Global Education. An excerpt from Underhill’s blog: Election day is notable for its calm. Everyone is voting and waiting; my sense is that people are still feeling that they are in a dream, not sure that this can really be happening, and wondering if they will wake up in the morning to find the military back in power, or in fact with a leader they have chosen. The city is quieter than usual, less traffic and crowds, with people staying home to vote. Read more of the Egypt 2012 blog for more about the elections, the extreme traffic in Cairo, and sharing a plane ride with former President Jimmy Carter at http://augsburgegypttrip2012.blogspot.com. Social Service in a Global Context: Namibia and the U.S. During July, a group of 25 Master of Social Work (MSW) students studied in Namibia and South Africa accompanied by Lois Bosch, professor and MSW program director, and Nancy Rodenborg, associate professor and chair of the Social Work Department. The group visited social service agencies, hospitals, schools, and other venues. Auggies abroad in 2012-13 • 30 Augsburg Now 28 students participated in summer programs in Austria, Ecuador, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Namibia, Norway, Jamaica, Jordan, Spain, and the United Kingdom • Political and Civic Engagement in Egypt Political science professor Joe Underhill and Mohamed Sallam, director of Pan-Afrikan student services at Augsburg, led students to Egypt in May to study youth movements and social change. The group visited cultural sites, villages, an ecotourism resort, and a Bedouin camp, observed the historic presidential election, and examined ongoing efforts to rebuild the country in the wake of the 2011 revolution. The combined political science and history course, Political and Civic Engagement in Egypt, was a faculty-led (including summer 2012) 41 students took part in summer short-term faculty-led programs including programs in Egypt, Germany, and Thailand • 27 students will study abroad in fall semester • 6 students will study abroad for the full 2012-13 academic year Read more posts from the road in the Augsburg Abroad blogs at www.augsburg.edu/augsburgabroad/blogs.html. WENDI WHEELER ’06 auggie voices In a room of her own In A Room of One’s Own, writer Virginia Woolf asserts that “a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” This critical feminist essay, first published in 1929, examines the obstacles that women writers faced in a literary tradition that was, at the time, dominated by men. It was in a room of her own, a quiet space where she could remove herself from the distractions of college social life, that Erika Hammerschmidt ’04 began to write her first book while she was a student at Augsburg. A private room is beneficial for students with Asperger’s syndrome (AS), an autism spectrum disorder that affects a person’s ability to socialize and communicate with others. Students with AS are characterized by poor social skills and restricted interests, but they typically possess great knowledge in specific areas and have extensive vocabularies. Hammerschmidt was diagnosed with AS at the age of 11. “In some ways, having Asperger’s is a gift,” she said. “I have a good memory and a gift for logical thought. And I can get very focused.” As a student, however, Hammerschmidt said she was easily distracted and had trouble concentrating on schoolwork because of anxiety she felt about her social life. Augsburg’s Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services (CLASS) program, one of the student support resources available in the Gage Center for Student Success, helped Hammerschmidt deal with the social aspects of college. “They helped me get a single room, a ‘room of my own’ as Virginia Woolf wrote. It helped me get started on a lot of projects and stay focused on them.” The ability to focus helped Hammerschmidt complete her book, Born on the Wrong Planet. First published in 2003, it is a collection of poems, short stories, and For Erica Hammerschmidt ’04, living with Asperger’s syndrome makes her feel as though she is an alien on Earth, and she taps into that alienation to create art. In her hands is a language she created. It's tactile, and is made up of disk and small sculptural objects that are put together to create words and sentences. Her tactile language offers others a chance to experience and feel how different she feels because the language is intuitive to her, and completely foreign to others. “[Augsburg’s CLASS program] helped me get a single dorm, a ‘room of my own’ as Virginia Woolf wrote. It helped me get started on a lot of projects and stay focused on them.” ’04 ERIKA HAMMERSCHMIDT essays using alternating voices to illustrate the complexities of Hammerschmidt’s life with Asperger’s. A revised edition was published in 2008 by the Autism Asperger Publishing Company. Since graduating from Augsburg, Hammerschmidt has continued writing in the Minneapolis apartment she shares with her husband, John Ricker, whom she met at Augsburg. In 2011, the couple co-authored Kea’s Flight, a science fiction novel that Hammerschmidt said is “like [George Orwell’s] 1984 for autistic people.” The couple also speaks about living with autism spectrum diagnoses to special education students, teachers, and parents of children with autism. In 2005, they were featured speakers at the Annual Autism Society of Minnesota Conference. To learn more about Hammerschmidt and her work, go to www.erikahammerschmidt.com. WENDI WHEELER ’06 Summer 2012 31 alumni news FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT Dear alumni and friends, t hank you for the opportunity to serve as the Alumni Board president. We are welcoming five new Auggies to the board (see their biographies below) and are excited about the ideas and gifts they bring. This year, we will build on the work that has already been done by the Alumni Board and make an effort to reconnect even more alumni to Augsburg. My experiences as a member of the men’s soccer team keep me connected to Augsburg. We won the MIAC championship in 1980 and went undefeated that season. Many of my soccer teammates are still friends to this day. Several of my former teammates attended the student-alumni networking event held on campus this past February, and it was great to see them give back by sharing their experiences with current students. At the networking event, 60 students met with 50 alumni who hosted tables for students to ask about specific careers; my table was for those interested in financial services. I talked with several students for an hour, and I’ve since met with two of them to personally guide them on their career paths. You can stay connected to Augsburg by attending one of many events hosted by the Alumni Board this year, including Homecoming during the week of September 24 to 29. Read more about the activities scheduled for Homecoming on page 33. You’ll find information about more upcoming events on the following pages, and we will continue to update you in the monthly NOW@Augsburg e-newsletter. Be sure to read it when it comes to your inbox. I’d like to see you at an event this summer or at Homecoming. When we meet, I hope you’ll tell me your ideas for staying connected to Augsburg! CHRIS ASCHER ’81 ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT New Alumni Board Members Five Auggies were recently elected to three-year terms on the Augsburg Alumni Board. Frank Grazzini ’96 helps run TelemetryWeb, Inc., a software startup he co-founded. After earning his degree in accounting, he worked in finance and now is focused on general business management. Grazzini said he would like to see the alumni connection to Augsburg begin at commencement. After graduating, Marie (Eddy) Odenbrett ’01 served Augsburg in event and classroom services and in advancement services. Now that Odenbrett works in donor relations at Macalester College in St. Paul, her desire to stay connected with Augsburg led her to join the Alumni Board. Lisa K. Olson ’79 lives in Washington, D.C., and is president and owner of a business and clinical research consulting firm. Several in Olson’s family are Augsburg graduates, and her grandfather, Henry P. Opseth, was head of the Music Department and the first director of the Augsburg Choir. Nick Slack ’02 has a degree in business administration and is currently a manufacturers’ representative for sporting goods companies in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. While at Augsburg, Slack was active in student government and wrestling. After graduating, he served as an Augsburg wrestling coach for seven years. He is also a member of the Augsburg Young 32 Augsburg Now Front Row [L to R]: Holly Knutson ’03, ’07 MBA, Marie Odenbrett ’01, Jill Watson ’10 MBA; Middle Row [L to R]: Nick Slack ’02, Lisa K. Olson ’79, Kathy Amos ’87, Rob Wagner ’02, Chris Hallin ’88; Back Row [L to R]: Michael Loney ’03, Heather Cmiel ’02, Tracy Anderson ’95, Jerry Poland ’92, Chris Ascher ’81 Not pictured: Jennifer Carlson ’91, Sharon Engelland ’87, Sarah Grans ’01, Frank Grazzini ’96, Dan Hickle ’95, LeeAnn Lack ’67, Sharon Mercill ’05, Nancy Nordlund ’91, John Stadler ’07 MAL Alumni Council. Jill Watson ’10 MBA is a business analyst for Land O’Lakes. Watson said she wants to facilitate opportunities to increase alumni engagement and participation at Augsburg events as well as in the recruitment process. If you have ideas for alumni involvement, forward them to the Alumni Board at alumni@augsburg.edu. CHERYL D. CROCKETT ’89 Join Us for homecoming SEPTEMBER 24-29 Whether or not you are celebrating a reunion this year, Homecoming is a perfect reason to return to campus to reconnect with former classmates and enjoy the Augsburg spirit! Join Augsburg alumni, parents, students, and friends in a fun-filled week of Homecoming events and activities. This year marks many milestones for the College that will be recognized during Homecoming, including the 25th anniversary of the Master of Arts in Leadership program, which will be celebrated following the Sabo Symposium on Wednesday, September 26, and the 30th Anniversary of Weekend/Evening College (WEC), which will be celebrated at the WEC Alumni Reunion Breakfast on Saturday, September 29. New events have been added to this year’s Homecoming schedule, including a Faculty and Faculty Emeriti Meet and Greet Reception, an Augsburg Cabaret Reunion and sing-along on Friday, September 28, and a Latino/a Alumni Reunion Breakfast on Saturday, September 29. Homecoming Convocation will start the weekend off on Friday morning, September 28, when we will recognize the First Decade, Spirit of Augsburg, and Distinguished Alumni Award winners, as well as members of the class of 1962. Don’t miss the opportunity for fellowship and reminiscing at the Homecoming Convocation Luncheon that afternoon or at the 10-year, 25-year, and 30-year reunions at Republic (formerly Preston’s) Friday evening. Experience the Best of Augsburg on Saturday morning, September 29, when you can hear a brief lecture from two of Augsburg’s outstanding faculty members—Darcey Engen ’88, associate professor and chair of theater arts, and James Vela-McConnell, professor of sociology. Before the football game on Saturday, enjoy the Taste of Augsburg event with fun for the whole family, including carnival-style booths operated by student, parent, and alumni groups. That afternoon, cheer on the Auggies at the Homecoming Football Game as they take on Bethel College. The Auggie Block Party is back by popular demand! Following the football game, gather in the parking lot north of Si Melby Hall to enjoy food, entertainment, and camaraderie. It’s a wonderful way to conclude the Homecoming weekend. Homecoming has something for everyone. For more information and a complete schedule, visit www.augsburg.edu/homecoming. We look forward to seeing you in September! reunion classes 60th Reunion—1952 50th Reunion—1962 40th Reunion—1972 30th Reunion—1982 25th Reunion—1987 10th Reunion—2002 Summer 2012 33 alumni news Networking at Work In the past year, the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations partnered with Career Services and the Alumni Board to host two student-alumni networking events. These events provide an opportunity for current Augsburg students to have one-on-one interactions with alumni from a variety of professions and also allow alumni to share their professional experience and insight. Several lasting connections were made at these events, including one between Janeece Oatman ’05 and Julie Bednark ’13, who met during Homecoming 2011. The two found they have a shared passion for high-energy, intense projects, and they connected immediately around their Augsburg experiences. Their conversation sparked a connection that led to a friendship and an internship opportunity for Bednark with the American Diabetes Association’s Tour de Cure annual bike ride, for which Oatman is the director. Oatman said she feels good about giving back to the College by offering a unique experience for a current Augsburg student. “Julie was so approachable, smart, worldly, and willing to work hard,” she said. Following her internship, Bednark plans to volunteer for the Tour de Cure to maintain her connection to Oatman and to the American Diabetes Association. Chris Ascher ’81 and Dennis Som ’12 met at a networking event, but their true connection began after Som invited Ascher to lunch and they discovered a mutual passion for the world of finance. Som was inspired by Ascher’s character, goal-setting structure, and willingness to be a resource for current Augsburg students. Now the two connect regularly via email to share personal and professional developments. Both agree that a long-term mentor/mentee relationship is in the cards. Oatman and Ascher agreed they would return to participate in future alumni and student networking events to recapture the sense of gratification and pride that comes from “Auggies supporting Auggies.” Make your own connection with a current Auggie at the next alumni and student networking event that will take place on Wednesday, February 13, 2013. SARA SCHLIPP-RIEDEL ’06 Julie Bednark ’13 and Janeece Oatman ’05 Dennis Som ’12 and Chris Ascher ’81 auggies supporting auggies 34 Augsburg Now s ‘Augsburg Start’ Mentor Program SHARE YOUR SUCCESS WITH A NEW AUGGIE! Do you remember your first days as a new Weekend/Evening College student? Navigating a new campus? Balancing work, life, and family? Learning about resources and success strategies? Now that you are an Augsburg WEC alum, you can give back to Augsburg and share your experience and success by becoming a mentor for a new Augsburg WEC student this fall. Augsburg Start is a mentor outreach program focused on pairing new Augsburg for Adults/Weekend College students with an alumna/us mentor who will support them in their first term. Once paired with a new student, you will be asked to connect with them in the first week and at least two other times in the term and be available as a resource for help and support in person, by phone, or by email. Each mentor/mentee relationship is different, but here are some ways to be an Augsburg Start mentor: • share your strategies for success as an adult student • encourage the student to connect with their faculty adviser so they will be ready to register for the next term • help the student reach out to student support programs • be sure the student knows how to use Moodle and Augnet • connect the student with the library and its resources For more information, visit www.augsburg.edu/alumni/getinvolved or contact Pat Grans in Alumni Relations at 612-330-1329 or gransp@augsburg.edu. BUILDING CONNECTIONS FROM THE ground up When Yemissrach (Yemi) Melka ’15 met Guy Wojtowicz ’81 in March, she had several questions in mind to help her learn about the personal and professional journey of the Augsburg grad. But she was in for a surprise—one that would bring a unique experience to the general chemistry students at Augsburg. During the visit, Wojtowicz told Melka about his family, many of whom are Auggies, including his son Zach who has completed his second year at Augsburg. He also talked about his professional career, describing some of the chemical and agricultural projects currently underway at the stucco and plastering company that he founded with his brother in 2006. The project that took Melka by surprise involves a compound that can be sprayed on depleted soil to significantly increase its fertility. Wojtowicz said the compound could also be instrumental in remediating contaminated soil without having to excavate and remove the soil to a toxic disposal site. As a chemistry major and an international student from Ethiopia, where agriculture is the mainstay of the economy and soil depletion has been an issue, Melka was excited about exploring the application of the technology in her home country. She couldn’t wait to tell [L to R]: Yemissrach Melka ‘15, Guy Wojtowicz ‘81, assistant professor of chemistry Vivian Feng her professor, Vivian Feng, about the chemistry lesson she received outside of class. Feng was impressed with the capabilities of the compound and brought it into a first-year general chemistry classroom for students to use in the environmental chemistry section of the course. Generally, Feng said, first-year students don’t work with commercial compounds used in the real world, so Melka’s discovery provided a rare, hands-on learning opportunity for her classmates. Melka met Wojtowicz through her involvement in IGNITE (Involving Graduates Now In Thoughtful Engagement), a program launched in 2009 with a grant from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans™. Students in IGNITE conduct face-to-face visits with alumni to learn more about their Augsburg experience and their interest in volunteer opportunities at Augsburg. If you have an interest in meeting with an IGNITE student representative, contact Pat Grans, volunteer coordinator, at 612-3301329 or gransp@augsburg.edu. CHERYL