Friday, November 20, 2009 up Augsbu student directors Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 7 VARIETY discuss love, this weekend only! MALENA 'InosoN AéE Editor Augsburg student directors discuss love, this weekend only! Two student directed productions will be playing only this week- end in the Foss... Show moreFriday, November 20, 2009 up Augsbu student directors Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 7 VARIETY discuss love, this weekend only! MALENA 'InosoN AéE Editor Augsburg student directors discuss love, this weekend only! Two student directed productions will be playing only this week- end in the Foss Studio Theater: Savage/Love, a play by Sam Shepard, directed by Molly Budke, senior, and The Falling Sickness, written by Russell Edson and directed by Levi Morris, senior. Savage/Love is a poetic play that allows the audience to emotion- ally interact by presenting familiar sexual and romantic experiences on stage. The play is designed to inspire introspection, and to encourage the attendees to consider their own stories. The Falling Sickness is also a play based in poetry, and addresses another kind of love: the kind of love experienced in the nuclear family. This play explores the struggles we've all faced in our journeys to find acceptance and affinity in our homes. These two productions run from Nov. 20-22, with shows on Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m. and a matinee on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $1 for Augsburg students and can be purchased by calling the box office at 612-330-1257, or by visiting www. augsburg.edu/theatre. Shostakovich’s 5 th symphony is on god’s iPod ANDY MYERS Columnist Cancel your Saturday afternoon plans and prepare to be blown away by one of the most impressive and enjoyable pieces of 20th century music, being performed by the Augsburg Concert Band at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21 in Hoversten Chapel. The Finale of Dmitri Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony is an incredible piece for both audiences and performers. When people talk of the great 20th century composers, Shostakovich is frequently a discussion point, and his 5th Symphony is a remarkable example of powerful Russian music. If you like music, you need to come experience this emotional masterpiece this Saturday. After being denounced and harshly (and unjustly, as the subtitle of the piece describes) criticized for his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District in 1936, Shostakovich had to halt rehearsals for his upcoming 4th Symphony (which ended up not being premiered for another 25 years). The political climate of Stalinist USSR demanded that Shostakovich write simpler pieces that supported Stalin and the soviet control. This was also the beginning of the Great Terror period of USSR history and many of Shostakovich’s friends and family were imprisoned and killed. Despite constantly thinking he was next, Shostakovich wrote his 5th Symphony to regain his good favor. The premier was a great success and the piece received significant praise, especially the Finale, which at the time was believed to represent a Stalin victory. Many years later (and after much interpretive debate amongst music critics and scholars) Shostakovich confirmed that the Finale was indeed a parody of the Stalin reign and was his pointed answer to being denounced in the first place. The end of the piece is marked by open “A” chords with just the root and the fifth, representing children mockingly grinning and laughing, “La la la la ha ha ha ha.” Shostakovich describes the end of the piece as “forced rejoicing,” an obvious slight to Stalin’s reign. The Finale begins with trilling winds and strings followed by a tonic-dominant timpani solo (imagine the timpani solo that would occur if God walked into the room). The main theme, echoed over and over throughout the Finale, is blasted from the brass section and low strings. Picking up pace, the march hurries on with a new, though similar, theme from the strings. The first theme explodes from the trombones and again pushes the tempo forward. After a short development section the giant doors to the square open as Soviet tanks begin rolling in front of the crowd with a crushing timpani solo, playing the interval known as the “tri— tone” (originally banned from the church because it was known as “the devil’s interval”). The booming timpani and orchestra bombardment slows to a halt and the evil dictator appears. This new theme is reminiscent of another Russian piece, Prokofiev ’s Peter and the Wolfi specifically the Wolf’s theme. The theme melts into a beautiful, slow development section with the strings accompanying a gorgeous horn solo followed by a flute solo. For the next several minutes you may find yourself tearing up while several of the main themes can be heard extended and stretched out. The haunting minor development is a somber reminder of the fear and oppression that plagued the “proletariat” during the Great Terror. Out of the darkness marches the original theme, only this time at half-tempo, driven by the snare drum and timpani. The orchestra builds and begins melding themes heard earlier in the piece, ultimately arriving at a new rhythmic idea, shifting the piece from the common 4/4 time to 3/4 with odd syncopated accents. Possibly the most wrenchingly powerful moment of the whole piece is heard (and felt with every inch of your body and soul) at the end of the 3/4 section, leading into the “triumphant” last minute and a half of the piece. I cannot do this chord justice with simple words, you just need to listen to it, and I recommend sitting down beforehand. The main theme is altered for the last minute, this time being heard in with major harmonies. It is no longer showcasing an evil oppressor but a joyous hero. Of course we now know that Shostakovich was actually being sarcastic with this ending theme, parodying the supposed triumph of Stalin. The ending rallies on and the God-like timpani march forces the piece onward towards the brilliant finale. With sheer power and might the timpanist nearly destroys the drums hammering out the final notes of the piece. The spectacle is phenomenal and gets my blood pumping every time I hear it. Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony is a testament to Russian music, combining elements of his great predecessors such as Mahler and Hey. Write your opinion for the ECHO. Now Stravinsky as well as incorporating the political struggles and worker hardships of the times to produce this masterpiece. Truly a staple in 20th century music literature, this piece stands in defiance of the oppressive Soviet Union’s restrictions on music, an, literature, and the human spirit. lfyou were still on the fence as to whether you wanted to go see the Augsburg Band concert this Saturday at 4 p.m. in Hoversten Chapel, this piece is the only reason you need. However, there are also plenty of other reasons to attend and some great pieces in addition to this beast, such as another wonderfiil piece by Shostakovich entitled Festive Overture. The concert is free so bring your friends (and family) and don’t miss this opportunity to see what the Augsburg Concert Band has been working on all semester, namely a fantastic program including Shostakovich’s work of genius, his 5th Symphony. I also beseech you to watch Leonard Bernstein conduct this piece on YouTube; it is mind-blowing. Enjoy music. A-List MALENA 'hroson Ari-E Editor Theater Savage/Love By Sam Shepard Directed by Molly Budke, senior The Falling Sickness By Russell Edson Directed by Levi Morris, senior Augsburg College Foss Studio Theater Nov. 20—21, 7 p.m.: Nov. 22, 3 p.m. Tickets: $1 for Augsburg students 612-330-1257 www.augsburg.edu/theatre Reefer Madness Bumsville Performing Arts Center Final Weekend! Nov. 20-21, 7:30 p.m.: Nov. 22, 2 p.m. $16 (with 2 for one 1 deal if you say the code word “blunt") 12600 Nicollet Ave S, Bums— ville 962895-4680 www.bumsvillepac.com Dance Tu Dance The O’Shaughnessy St. Catherine University Nov. 20—21, 8 p.m.: Nov. 22, 2 p.m. 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minne- apolis 651—690—6700 Tickets: $16 with student 1D 2004 Randolph Ave, St. Paul www.ticketmaster.com Music More Than Lights CD Release Party! Featuring: City on the Make Wide Eyes Dalia DJ Gabe Carcia The Cabooze Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 p.m. (doors at 9PM) 917 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis Tickets: $5 Advance, $8 Door Available at: Fifth Element, Electric Fetus Treehouse Records, Know Name Records, and online at: www.thecabooze.com Show less
Page 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota Wake up ANDREA SANOW Features Editor Two years ago, I sat in a Kennedy classroom and listened to Professor Bradley Holt tell us, his Religion 200 students, that we were “in the morning of our lives;" we had the time and the energy to make plans and take hold... Show morePage 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota Wake up ANDREA SANOW Features Editor Two years ago, I sat in a Kennedy classroom and listened to Professor Bradley Holt tell us, his Religion 200 students, that we were “in the morning of our lives;" we had the time and the energy to make plans and take hold of our lives. I‘d like to think that part of the lessons I have learned lately will force and encour- age me to do just that. A week ago, I boarded a plane bound for Atlanta, Ga. I was honored to be heading to the 30th Annual National Women‘s Studies Association Conference with five of my fellow Augsburg students, Erin Scott, Luchresia Grant, Elizabeth Hanson, Gina Brama and Julia Suul, along with Women’s Studies Professor Jes— sica Nathanson. The conference, titled “Difficult Dialogues,” high- lighted the academic and field work of women ’5 studies professors and students along with feminist activists. The dialogies at the conference were diflicult, but they were also honest and inspiring. Among the scholars, students and feminists that presented and attended were women that I have studied, analyzed and come to respect deeply. On Thursday. Nov. 12, 2009, student, teacher, and international activist, Angela Davis spoke. In her speech, she called for the older feminist generation to listen to the vocabulary and needs of the younger gen- eration. This vocabulary is one that we live in everyday, ' it is a part of our lives, it is where we find our identities, our homes. Davis also called for the continued work in the ending of all oppressions. As I sat in the grand ballroom of the Sheraton Hotel in Atlanta, I felt an urgency to live out ofmy life in the most powerful way that I can. In part, it was a feminist feeling, but even more than that, it was human feeling: should I not want to be awake in the morning of my life to listen, inquire and act? The rest of the weekend focused on five themes: “Thinking, Speaking, and Working Margin to Margin," “Intersectionality as Theory, Method and Politics,” “Reconceptualizing Women’s Studies within the Transnational,” “Negotiating the Politics of Memory,” and “Women’s Studies 40 Years Later: Where Are We Going, Where Have We Been?” Within each theme, scholars presented their work to an audience of peers. The consensus, it seemed, was that we, as students, teachers and critics of Women’s Studies, have to take the advice of Angela Davis and countless others and recognize our victories, but not rest in and among them. There is still and always will be work to do. Instead of my expert advice column this week, I give you a challenge, and it isn’t hard. I challenge you to look at the world around you and recognize the change that you can make. You don’t have to be a feminist or an activist: youjust need to be a person. If I learned anything at the NWSA conference, it was that I have everything that I need to be great or successful or whatever it is that I want to be: I simply need to recognize that presence within me and cultivate it. So wake up, it’s morning. Frida , ovemer 20, 2009 gs More Than Lights releases prescription MALENA THOSON Aé‘E Editor Make some noise for More Than Lights’ debut album, The Electric Prescription for All Your Funky. For the past year, the local Twin Cities hand More Than Lights worked tirelessly to write and record their debut album. The efforts of the seven-member band finally came to fruition this month with the release of The Electric Prescription F or All Your Funky [112, which was recorded and produced by the band’s percussionist Corey Hess and released on More Than Lights’ own independent label, More Than Lights Music. The seven musicians that make up the hip-hop and neo- soul sound of More Than Lights come from a rich and diverse array of backgrounds and influences, making The Electric Prescription... a truly unique listening experience. Every track is layered with rich musical contributions from each member: New MC and Unicus Harry altemate in the role of emcee on the album, adding texture and rhythm, each with their own unique style. Vocalist Natalie Fine’s strong soulful melodies seamlessly work into the mix, and Matt Unga, Chris Hunicutt and former Augsburg student: Josh Holmgren sing along while also creating the brilliant instrumental foundation that forms each song; playing guitar, bass, and keyboard/sax respectively. Corey Hess, meanwhile, lays the rhythmic groundwork for each song with his percussion stylings and contributions on the harmonica. The album also features guest emcees Parallax and Lucas Dix. The Electric Prescription... starts off extremely strong with its title track, “The Electric Prescription. . .”. Afier a short and alluring intro featuring simple percussion and a sweet keyboard melody, Natalie Fine introduces the album in her strong, clear melodic voice: “We have the solution to all your afflictions. To ease and your aches and pains, we’ll pump right through your veins. Vibrating sensation, the sweetest medication, melodic therapy, we’ll set your illz free.” The lyrics on this track are some of the best on the album. and the listener is drawn in to the album believing wholeheartedly that these “musician physicians” really can cure her “funky illz.” Impressively, the album does not seem to lose steam as it continues. It could be said that in places the lyrics are somewhat juvenile, as is typical with any debut album, but the instrumentation and production is consistently crisp and impressive. T h r o u g h o ut the album New MC and Unicus Harry tie their clever and poignant rhymes seamlessly in with Fine’s infectious melodies that will surely get stuck in your head. Certainly, it is almost impossible to listen to the track “Everywhere We Go” without joining in and singing “da, da-da da da da!” with the chorus, and I personally challenge you to turn off “Be With You” without belting out “why don’t we talk about the weather, ask me how my weekend was” for the next hour. Electric Prescription... is a truly impressive accomplishment, and I anticipate that More Than Lights will soon take the musical world by storm with their innovative style. These young musicians toss up the themes of humor, sex, compassion and delight in their lyrics with the sounds of blues, funk, reggae, hip-hop and soul to create an album unlike any other. I urge all music lovers to check this phenomenal album out. The band officially launches their album on Nov. 21, 2009, at The Cabooze with a celebratory performance, featuring City on the Make and Wide Eyes. Tickets are $5 ($8 at the door) and can be bought at The Electric Fetus, Know Name Records, or online at www.cabooze.com The Electric Prescription F orAll Your Funky 1112 can be purchased online at amazon.com, through the iTunes music store, or at The Electric Fetus, Cheapo Records, and Fifth Element. First year Honors play to be performed this Saturday BECCA ANDERSEN Stafl' Writer Craving a night of comical contemplation of the metaphysical? Save the date. On Saturday, Nov. 21, at 7:00 pm. in the Sateren Auditorium, the first year Honors students will be performing The Good. The Bad, and The Ugly. The production is written, performed, and produced by first year students in Honors 120, The Scholar Citizen Theatre Lab, and consists of four twenty minute vignettes: “It’s Time We Had This Talk’: Excerpts from our Sexed Up World” written by Jacob Nelson-Johnson, “Brightly Dimming Lights” by Camille McAloney, “Mission Impossible” by Luke Mueller, and “Dr. Horrible’s Sexical (or just musical for the less adventurous type) Blog Extravanganza!” by Dustin Ritchea. Based off The Question of God by Dr. Armand M. Nicholi Jr., a novel that debates God, love, sex, and the meaning of life through the lens of the very contrasting worldviews of CS. Lewis and Sigmund Freud, The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly plays with heavy themes like truth, morality, and temples of belief. With the help of instructor Erica Huls, the students have broken down profound themes in a way that captures both laughter and consideration of suffering, hardship, and life’s mysteries. This Saturday, support the first year Honors students in their “rite of passage,” and have a few laughs along the way. Common Roots Café: a hipster’s paradise TED CONOVER Copy Editor Before I actually ate there, I always thought Common Roots Cafe on 2558 Lyndale Avenue South in Uptown was just your everyday, run-of—the-mill coffee shop. Little did I know that they had a seasonal dinner menu, delicious soups made from scratch. the best bagels in the city. and a BEER MENU! (whoa). Common Roots Cafe is a hip, styling place with a very “I ride a fixed—gear bike and sport an ironic mustache” type of crowd. The music they play sounds like it was compiled by Mark Wheat of the Current himself; but most of all, the food is honest, 84 percent organic, and delicious. I went to Common Roots with a group of friends on last Monday. We had trouble finding a table because the place was filled with twenty-somethings with their Macbooks and chai-teas. Luckily one woman moved so we could sit at one of the few tables that could accommodate four people. At Common Roots, you have to order at the register (a reason why I thought it was just a cafe'). The menu is scribbled in chalk above the counter; they had about six different appetizers, seven or so different entrees, and four soups. I ordered the tamales with rice and mole sauce and got a pint of Surly Wet on tap. For Surly lovers, Common Roots has a large selection of Surlys on tap and there are all $5.75 a pint! A .8 liter glass of Surly Wet at the Acadia is $8. But I digress from the most important part, the food. The tamales I got were HUGE and there were three of them. Inside their comhusks was a delicious blend of black beans and masa (the staple ingredient in tamales that is pretty much cooked corn meal dough). With the tamales came a mole sauce. which is a brown sauce made from cocoa beans (chocolate...) Most moles aren’t that sweet; sugar is usually withheld, but the mole I got with my tamales was very sweet. At first I was put off, but it really went well with my tamales, so I made sure to hoard my mole sauce from my friends at the table. As for my lovely dining partners, Friend- one got potato soup, which was creamy, salty and 50000 tasty. It was served with hearty tortilla chips. Friend two got the pumpkin and apple risotto, which he testified was great. And Friend-three got the pan-roasted pheasant with shiitake sage polenta, which she said was good, except I noticed she left some on her plate. The atmosphere made me scoff a little at first , just because of the uber-hipster feel of the place. But, if hipsters ceased to exist, people would still come to Common Roots because of the great food, great beer, and tasty coffee drinks. Check out Common Roots on http://www.commonrootscafe.com. Show less
Page 4 Minneapolis, Minnesota OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Top twenty movies of all time... continued ROGER HuarsNrrz Opinions Editor Last week, I told you about numbers 20 to 11 of the Top 20 American Films of all time. Here are the best of the best, the top ten of the Top 20 American Films of All Time ... Show morePage 4 Minneapolis, Minnesota OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Top twenty movies of all time... continued ROGER HuarsNrrz Opinions Editor Last week, I told you about numbers 20 to 11 of the Top 20 American Films of all time. Here are the best of the best, the top ten of the Top 20 American Films of All Time . . . IO. Star Wars." Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980) ~ Star Wars was great, and it revolutionized the world of cinema, but Empire is one of the greatest sequels of all time. It is much darker than the first, more entertaining, better moments, and the good guys essentially lose in this movie, which is something that really hadn’t been done. Empire Strikes Back is pure classic movie gold, and deserves to be at number l0. 9. The Dark Knight (2008)v I’m sure you‘ve already seen it. and you know why it’s on this list. I love Batman. but this is something more. something really wonderful. It‘s not just Ledger’s perfomrance, but the way the Batman lore was approached in such a dark and gritty way. This is Chris Nolan’s best film. This is such an important movie. It shows that even when dealing with comic book subject material, there is always the possibility to make a really great movie. It is the best movie in the comic book genre, ever. 8. Apocalypse Now (1979)— Possibly the greatest war movie ever made, and definitely the best film about the Vietnam War. Martin Sheen is cool as a cat in this movie, and Marlon Brando creates a classic character without trying. This is Francis Ford Coppola’s best film. It is one of the greatest epic films ever conceived. “I love the smell of Napalm in the morning,” says Robert Duvall’s character, and I absolutely love this line. This is really superb filmmaking, another truly rare gem, something we don’t see much of in the world of cinema. 7. UP (2009) — The greatest animated film of all time. I watched it in 3-D, which was okay, but the movie was gorgeous in its own right. Who would have thought, a geriatric hero? What a cool idea. This is Pixar’s best film; it is fun, hilarious, and very sad too. The beginning of the movie pulls you in to Carl’s life as you watch the life he built with his wife, and then her death, leaving Carl lonely and bitter. He then embarks on an amazing journey when his house takes off, and he discovers his young, soon to be great friend, Russell. The movie ebbs and flows through a crazy story mixed with sadness, laughs, and pure joy. This is a must-own title, especially in Hi-definition. 6. Schindler s List ( l 993) — Perhaps Spielberg‘s finest achievement. Liam Neeson is wonderful. The classic black and white look really helped to bring this movie to life; it further helped solidify it as a classic. Spielberg is a great filmmaker, and Schindler's List really shines, with great performances, direction, and an important story. 5. One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest (1975) ~ “Nurse Ratchet I want my cigarettes, and I want’em now!” Director Milos Forman has done some great work, but Cuckoo s Nest could have been his only film, and he’d still be considered a great filmmaker. It contains some of the greatest characters ever on screen. Jack Nicholson lights up the whole project with the charisma and humor of his character, and the ‘chief’, is just as good. Will Sampson is a fine actor. Cuckoo s Nest is a truly beautifiil film that is humorous, but by the end it has so much meaning as well. This is one that can make you laugh out loud, and shed a few drops as well. 4. Alien (1986) — Ridley Scott is arguably the best director Great Britain has to offer. I think everything he does, regardless of genre, is always entertaining. Over 20 years ago. he marveled theaters with disgusting and horrific aliens ripping through the ribcages of innocent space ship crew members, and it was awesome. It still is awesome. I can’t wait for the Alien movies to land on Blu-ray. Alien not only started a franchise, but was a precursor to so many other sci-fi horror films since. It’s a firm movie to watch again, and again. I love sci—fi horror, and this film is just fantastic in every sense of that genre. There were great actors attached to this project as well. and Sigoumey Weaver did a fine job plowing through this role in four films. Screw Paranormal Activity, try Aliens, with chest-bursters ripping out of your chest; it’s a much better feeling. 3. The Shining (I980) — Oh my Stanley, you’ve done it again. The opening music with incredible scenic wide shots, Nicholson’s hilarious/horrific take on a great character, and Shelley Duvall’s screaming through buck-teeth while Jack hacks his way through the bathroom door, all of these things are why I love this film. It’s an original horror movie, and yet very funny at the same time. Kubrick was at the helm, and he steered this horrific masterpiece into the pages of cinema history. Superb acting, great story, and creepy as hell, The Shining delivers a great experience that should be watched over and over again, “Heeere’s Johnny!” 2. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) — Stanley Kubrick continues to impress. Every film he has made has been so original, and so unique. He has used techniques that can’t be done better by any other director, and that is why this critical classic is in the number two spot. I was floored that this movie was actually made 40 years ago. It’s quite astonishing at what they accomplished. Keep in mind this is way before Star Wars. Of course there is no raucous action or light-sabers, but it is serious space drama. This wasn’t at all like the typical space fare that folks had seen at that time. He threw out the interstellar movie formula of Frida , November 2, 2009 the 1960’s and seasoned it with his own special sauce. You owe it to yourself to witness this marvel on Blu-ray; it is crisp, and clear, a really beautifiil transfer. Space Odyssgz will take you on quite a psychedelic journey through space and time. With the coolest jump shot ever filmed, and an ending still debated to this day, Kubrick’s space fantasy deserves to be in second place. “Open the pod bay doors, HAL,” and marvel at pure cinematic genius. I. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) — First it starts with Steven King’s beautiful story, and then it ends with Director Frank Darabont’s interpretation of that story. Sure, there were some small spaces where Tim Robbins could have given more of a performance, but that was overshadowed by his friendship with Morgan Freeman’s portrayal of ‘Red.’ This is one of the greatest stories every told by Hollywood. It is engrossing, and unbelievably satisfying to watch the growth of their friendship, and their meeting at the end of the film on the beach. This film is an example of two perfect story elements mixed together, undying friendship. and the hope to drive on when there is no hope in sight. It’s hard to pick the number one spot. but I have to give it to Shawshank. Some people’s lives have literally been changed after seeing this movie. “Get busy livin,’ or get busy dyin’, that’s damn right.” The Shawshank Redemption is a perfect example of smart filmmaking, a rare gem, and that’s why it gets the number one spot. ’ r L 0‘ g ’- I //7?/:; m squNTS MIME”- evablwy AT THE 0F we ROCCOCO ' . e . . .m.’/"ri’:'5.“ ( 2.41.va O we // V A 3 n c o I Write your opinion for the ECHO. Now I . “do, :9 ‘ i SUBMIT YOUR OPINION BY EMAILING OUR OPINIONS by" §._ 1; ' ’/ (a j EDITOR, ROGER HUELSNITZ AT: huelsnir@ougsburg.edu 4” . ’ g i \ . o a ’ K _‘ g , t S My DEAR soy/j Now THAT Is WHERE we WILL 5E5 INNoVArIoA/J fflléq. j Cartoons by Erica Maloy . difference between stating S P a mission and living it . out. I couldn’t agree more I am very pleased that Professors Adamo and Tranvik have weighed in with columns in the Echo concerning their thoughts about a new mission statement for Augsburg. As Professor Tranvik says in his column today, this is very important work for our community and we all should join in the conversation. I would just raise two quick points about their comments. First. Professor Tranvik quotes a part of the proposed statement (“The President‘s original proposal reads this way: Augsburg educates students to think critically, serve faithfully, lead effectively and live responsibly in the world”) I would add that, in fact, the proposed statement also includes the opening phrase: “Augsburg is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America...") Whether or not one views this as a normative reference to the Lutheran church is open to discussion. but I think that it is important to look at the whole of the proposed statement. Second. I also commend Professor Adamo for his column today about the with his argument about the importance of living out our mission in everything we do as a college. I’m not sure I would focus only on fundraising and academic planning- though these are important aspects of ensuring that we are headed in the same direction and making a compelling case for our work as a college. Instead, I would suggest that living out the mission is primarily about our core work as a college- teaching and learning that prepares our students to think, serve, lead and live in and for the world. If we get that right each and every day, then our priorities will be clear, our case compelling and our story will be known far and wide for the remarkable impact Augsburg has on the world through our students. There will be various opportunities for all of us to join in these conversations over the next couple of months. In the mean time, if you would like to comment on the process or proposed statement, please send your thoughts to mission@augsburg.edu so that we are sure to gather all comments in one place. The proposed statement (along with Professor Lapakko‘s alternative statement) were printed in last week’s Echo. I very much look forward to our continuing conversations about our mission and our mission-based work together. And now on to the original topic of this week’s column: Green by 2019. I wonder whether you have noticed the reformation that has happened on the Augsburg campus during the past couple of years. In keeping with our identity as a college of the Lutheran church, in which we celebrate the distinctive gifi of semper reforrnanda, constantly open to reforming our lives as individuals and institutions, we have been part of an environmental reformation. Through the combined will of the entire Augsburg community— students especially, but also faculty, staff and neighbors- we have made environmental sustainability a central part of our academic work and our community practice. And we have changed our lives. We teach each other about sustainability through our new environmental studies program, the “Fate of the Earth” integrated term for first year students, community teach—ins, public lectures and many other less formal teaching and learning experiences. We share, grow and buy food through the work of Campus Kitchen, the urban garden and our farmer’s market. We compost our waste from the cafeteria and go without trays to cut waste. We buy our power from wind farms in southwest Minnesota. We support a new method for biodiesel production through research and advocacy. And so much more. I am proud to be part of a community that practices what it preaches when it comes to caring for the earth. But there is more to be done and to that end, I am pleased to announce an intense planning effort that will lead to Augsburg being completely carbon-neutral as an institution by 2019. Green by 2019. A little background. In September 2007, Augsburg College became part of one of the most ambitious environmental initiatives linking colleges and universities across the country. As a signatory to the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), I committed our campus to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions within a specified period of time. Asafirststeptomeetingourconnnitment, the Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC), chaired by Tom Rufl'aner, conducted a comprehensive inventory of the total See PRESIDENT, page 5 ._ -_ .M... w..--~...mvw-,.&.. ; _,.__,5.,.__ 7 an... .a. ...~ “mu...- . , .- rvv-ivoqw‘aw a... .- . n Show less
Friday, November 20, 2009 l' '1 Luaner-z StafiWn'ter Augsburg Women’s Ice Hockey played their last two games of the non—conference series last weekend, facing Lake Forest College on both Saturday and Sunday. Even though both of the games were lost 1-6, there is a new spirit in the making as half... Show moreFriday, November 20, 2009 l' '1 Luaner-z StafiWn'ter Augsburg Women’s Ice Hockey played their last two games of the non—conference series last weekend, facing Lake Forest College on both Saturday and Sunday. Even though both of the games were lost 1-6, there is a new spirit in the making as half the squad consists of new players this season. Head coach, Jill Pohtilla, is positive ahead of the new campaign. “Our team has set a goal of finishing third in the league. If we finish fifih, we will make the playoffs,” Pohtilla said. Half of our squad is new to the program. This is a group of hockey players that are working hard to mesh on and off the ice and I’m excited for them to realize how great they can be.” Despite the losses in the pre-season matches, Pohtilla is sure they can reach a spot in the top three. “Saturday’s game wasn’t good, but the game on Sunday was a better indicator of what our team is capable of,” she said. “We played two strong periods, despite struggling to take make shots. Our goalkeeper, Toni Meneth, was out- standing in the net for us both of the days. I left the weekend Minneapolis, Minnesota Fresh start ‘ hockey women knowing this team is capable of playing great hockey" she explained, and elaborated: “The team is quickly coming into their own and if they can be patient with their mistakes while learning from them, we will peak at the right time.” Sandra Hinz, a new face at the Augsburg Ice Arena, scored one of the goals against Lake Forest College. She is excited as the Auggies are entering the new season and shares Pohtilla’s opinion that Sunday’s game was a good experience, despite the loss. ’ “That game showed a lot of what we are capable of doing this year. We proved there are a lot of talent in the team and that the players are willing to work hard. Thus, success eventually will come” Hinz said. The Swede has never played for a women’s team with such a large squad and thought the fact that there are many players fighting for few spots gives everyone an extra boost. “The competition is exciting and it will push our de— velopment forward,” Hinz said. “The talent and ambitions among all the players mean that you always have to be ready to do your best.” She also praised the coaching staff for believing in the new players; “I am happy that we have a group of elder players that brings experience to the plate, but I also think it is great that coaches aren’t afraid of playing us newcomers,” she said. Augsburg Ultimate Frisbee Page 3 SPORTS Augsburg Women‘s hockey took on their 19th season this winter. Being the first college in the Midwest to offer hockey as a varsity sport, they were already in their third year when the University of Minnesota began playing on the highest level. Participating for the first time, Hinz is eager to play in front of the Augsburg faithful “I hope to see many people at our games.” Hinz said. “This will be a season with exciting hockey. The charm with the game is that so much can happen and the outcome of a game can change in the matter of minutes.” The women started the new season away from home this Thursday, against College of St. Catherine, and will host the same team at Augsburg Ice Arena on Sunday. Nov. 21 at 7.05 pm. Photo by Kali Holst ED SHEHWEN Sports Editor Another athletic student organization is on the up and coming. The Augsburg Ultimate team is currently in its fourth year as a student organization. The Ultimate team here on campus started off shaky — like most student organizations — but now in its fourth year, it is really starting to take off. Clayton Thomas and Phil Brown, now alumni of Augsburg, had a desire to play competitive Ultimate Frisbee. They pursued this desire by scrapping for field time and getting some pickup games together. Augsburg Ultimate now operates under the leadership of team captain and president, Justin Daleiden. Daleiden reflected on his experience with the young, new team, “We went to our first official tournament the spring of my first year at Gustavus. Since then, we’ve been going to tournaments, practic— ing around Augsburg, and getting more members.” The team’s current success has been met with many challenges along the way; this was expected as the sport of Ultimate was foreign to the Augsburg Campus just four years ago. But this year has shown signs of promise. Daleiden said, “One thing we have done really well this year, in comparison to other years, is have practices four days per week. We’ve seen a lot more commitment from our players this year than any.other year.” This ‘team’ concept is really enabling Augs- burg Ultimate to grow. Unlike past years, this year is the first year in which our Ultimate team has con— sistently competed with other teams. This past October, a team represented Augsburg in a competitive Ultimate atmosphere. For their first tournament, the Auggies traveled to Eau Claire, Wisconsin for a weekend. The Auggies were pre-seeded 17th heading into the tournament. They didn’t like this and competed accordingly. Augsburg Ultimate earned their respect by finishing 12th with an overall weekend record of 3—4. The team’s second tournament, held over Halloween weekend, was located in Winona. It was here that Augsburg com- peted with more familiar teams, such as arch-rival St. Thomas. Augsburg finished with a 3-3 record for this weekend, instill- ing their name into the world of competitive Ultimate. Daleiden commented on his team’s performance, “This is the first year we’ve actually been able to go to tournaments and actually compete against teams. We’ve had some exciting games, and we only strive to get better.” Looking forward to this spring, Da- leiden stated a few short term goals, “Since our fall season is over, one of our short term goals is to get to as many tournaments as we can this spring. This spring we hope to attend the 2010 UPA (Ultimate Players As- sociation) College Series sectional touma- ment.” And looking even further into the future Daleiden stated, “Longer term goals include team growth and participation as well as some day becoming a commissioned Justin Daleiden, president of Ultimat Frisbee goes up for a block. Photo by Kendra Christiansen organization.” The Augsburg Ultimate team is looking for support as they continue on the path that has led them this far. Anyone interested in joining the squad is asked to contact Justin Daleiden at daleiden@augsburg.edu. Daleiden concluded, “We’d like to thank Student Government for helping our organization grow. We’d also like to thank Kristin Farrell, our advisor from the Center for Service Work and Learning, for her help with our organization.” SPORTS \NRHER FOR THE ECHO Contact our sports editor Ed Shehwen at: shehwen @augsburg.edu Auggie swimmers are ready to take on a new season LAURA Moe Stafi’ Writer Augsburg women’s swimming is putting in the work and effort in order to improve last years disappointing sea- son. With a new coach leading only eight swimmers, Augs- burg swimming has something to prove. Their season started in early October, and the team has already participated in four meets. The Augsburg Pentathlon was the first competition of the season and Augsburg‘s only “home” meet. Each swim— mer had to compete in five events: 100 fly. 100 backstroke, 100 freestyle, 100 breaststroke, and 100 IM. The women finished third out of four teams, which was an improvement from last season. Top finishers for Augsburg included Cassie Steen, fieshman; Laura Moe, sophomore; and Julie Zollner, sophomore. Amy Storlie. senior, talked about how she thinks the team performed at the pentathlon, “The meet went well. It was wonderful to see the potential that we have for this year as both a team and as individuals.” The women’s most recent competition was against Hamline, St. Kate’s, and St. Mary’s. Unfortunately, the Auggie swimmers were unable to pull through in the com-‘ petition, finishing in last place. However, several swim- mers performed well. Once again sophomore, Steen, led the women with three top ten finishes. Zollner also raced strong, finishing 6th in both her individual races. In order to compete at their strongest, these eight ladies train hard. The team practices for two hours, five days a week, as well as an intense lifting regime twice a week, and a long meet on most Saturdays. Steen commented on the intensity of training. “Not many people understand how hard swimming really is until they try it themselves. I swim because I love it and I have been swimming all my life.” Swimming at least 160 lengths in a single practice, these yormg women work hard. Colleen Morgan, University of Minnesota Alumna, is the new Augsburg swimming and diving coach. With her experience as an athlete and coach, everyone hopes to continue to improve and eventually grow as a team. “I feel like the new coach will be able to bring things to the team that we have been missing in the past. i believe that this will help us reach each ofour season goals," Storlic said. In order to reach season goals these young women are able to endure their tough practices due to the fact that they have the opportunity to go to Pueno Rico for training. Steen, Storlie, and most other swimmers highlight of the season is the training trip. For seven days they will be able to escape from Minnesota’s unforgiving winter. However, it’ll hardly be a vacation. Their daily workouts consist of two, two-hour practices a day, as well as at least an hour of dry-land training. With over a month and a half until they travel, the team prepares for three more meets before winter break. Come support women’s swimming by attending their next meet, Nov. 21, 1:00 pm. at Macalester College’s Riley Pool. Show less
Jackhammer, page 7 The College’s Student—Produced Newspaper Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony, page 7 Friday, November 20, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Volume CXVI, Issue 8 Jazz in the Hoversten "Night Club” Upcomiflg MOLLY Emma Co-editor—in-chief The Gospel Praise and Jazz Ensemble will be having their... Show moreJackhammer, page 7 The College’s Student—Produced Newspaper Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony, page 7 Friday, November 20, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Volume CXVI, Issue 8 Jazz in the Hoversten "Night Club” Upcomiflg MOLLY Emma Co-editor—in-chief The Gospel Praise and Jazz Ensemble will be having their annual fall concert this Sunday, Nov. 22, and it will be anything but ordinary. Everything from the aesthetics of the chapel to the sound of the ensemble is crafted to create a night club atmosphere. With the help of Augsburg Alumn Charles Sletten, the chapel will be decorated with black curtains to create the club—like environment. The décor will help set the mood for the concert and even afi’ect sound quality. The chapel is a loud place for a band to play but Sletten’s set up will mute the harshness of the sound, according to Music Department Chair and Augsburg Band venue is the energetic and smooth sound of the ensemble. It is a fusion of both singers and band members, resulting in sound that is unique to the country, according to Stacke. Fourth-year Gospel Praise singer, Ben Amundson, agrees. “It’s a kind of music Augsburg isn’t usually exposed to,” Amundson said. “There’s a lot of opportunity to hear choral music at Augsburg but the Gospel Praise and Jazz Ensemble is a good way to enrich Augsburg’s musical culture.” “Even if you’ve heard the ensemble in past years, Sunday’s audience can expect 'a different sound,” said Stacke. The Gospel Praise singers are veterans who’ve grown as a group, challenging themselves with difficult pieces and high expectations. For instance, the Gospel Praise singers have taken on a challenging a capella version of “Black Bird,” ‘director, Bob Stacke. But more important than the looks of the DAVE MADSEN News Editor A free research management tool is now being offered to Augsburg Students. Mendeley, a program that manages personal and online data, is a service already utilized by postgraduates and lecturers from Augsburg College on a daily basis. *According to founders Victor Henning and Jan Reichelt, Mendeley is similar to a program like iTunes. Essentially, the process is this: one imports his/her documents into Mendeley Desktop, and the program will begin to intuitively organize the referenced work. "Therefore, when one searches for a document, the work will be displayed according to author, journal, keywords, or one’s personal tags. The program will also suggest other works related to the context one’s work. “Mendeley on your computer is a desktop client (for Windows, Mac, and Linux) that categorizes and manages your research papers, compiling a bibliography of all your that they’ve been devoting their time to, accord— ing to Amundson. The piece’s complex chord structures, harmonies, and rhythms make it both Photo by: Stephen Gettre See JAZZ, page 2 Mendeley improves student research academic sources and making citations in Microsofi Word and Open Office simple and quick,” Ben Romberg said. “Mendeley web is a virtual storage space for your research papers and a website that allows you to share your research and discover like-minded students or researchers in your academic discipline.” As opposed to traditional methods, Mendeley extracts specific details of a referenced work and can generate multiple citation styles. Like social networking websites, this program shares and collaborates users’ research projects to better connect a student’s work to others. “Traditional publishing methods depend on manual reviewing and categorization systems that can take months to place a research paper in their repositories; Mendeley can do this in a click of a button," Romberg said. With users constantly adding to the services’ publication catalogue, the amount of articles downloaded has reached over 7.5 million—and that number doubles about every two months. With such a strong user- base, it is no wonder Dr. Werner Vogels, Chief Technology Officer at Amazon.com and former research scientist at Cornell University, said it has the possibility to “change the face of science.” Mendeley is in cooperation with former founders and executives of Skype, Warner Music Group, and Last.fm. “We also collaborate with academic social bookmarking tools such as CiteULike to sync your data, with academic publishers and databases like the Public Library of Science (PLoS) and Arxiv to allow easy data import, and Mendeley supports over 30 academic databases such as EBSCO, World of Knowledge, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and PubMed,” Romberg said. To download the program, students must follow the directions found on http://www. mendeley.com/download—mendeley-desktop/. With but weeks left in the semester, perhaps Mendeley can ease the worries of students’ final research papers. New bicycle boulevard underway for south Minneapolis Minneapolis. ION PETERSON Staff Writer Transportation has always been an important issue for M inneapolitans and last Saturday nearly 30 bicyclists gathered for a tour to discuss the potential for a bicycle boulevard along Bryant Avenue in south Abicycle boulevard is a local residential street which is designated for shared bicycle and auto use with an emphasis on bicycling. The main reasons that bicycle boulevards differ from bike lanes, such as the recent installation on our very own cedar avenue, is that bicycle boulevards are designed to discourage cut—through motor vehicle traflic. In addition, a well designed boulevard generally takes into account all levels of riders, from children to more experienced bicyclists. Bicycle boulevards are intended to lower the amount of traffic, to give bicycles the right of way and make the roadway more free flowing, and also to help bicyclists cross busy roadways. See BYCYCLE, page 2 Augsburg 7| Events ASAC Rock Your Socks Off Tuesday, November 24 Battle of the Bands December 11 QSU Transgender Day Friday, November 20 Christensen Center Advent Vespers December 4 and 5 Come watch your fellow Augs- burg musicians in this annual Christmas celebration Spanish Club and ALAS Thursday, December 3 Join us for hot chocolate, bread and musica. 6:00 pm, Coffee Shop, Christensen Center Student Government Weekly meeting Wednesdays at 7:30 pm. Career and Internship Center Writing A Vaning Resume Workshop Tuesday, December 1 Anderson Hall, Classroom 101 4:45-6 pm. Interviewing Workshop Wednesday, December 2 Anderson Hall, Classroom 101 4:45-6:00 pm. ECHO Show less
Friday, November 20, 2009 Sy it or i PHILADAMO * WWoflfim Last week I discussed Presi- dent Pribbenow’s proposed re— visions to Augsburg’s mission statement It seems as if others are chiming in as well. The Echo staff has invited response from its readership, and the Faculty Senate will be asking... Show moreFriday, November 20, 2009 Sy it or i PHILADAMO * WWoflfim Last week I discussed Presi- dent Pribbenow’s proposed re— visions to Augsburg’s mission statement It seems as if others are chiming in as well. The Echo staff has invited response from its readership, and the Faculty Senate will be asking for feedback. All of this is good. My question today is about how much energy we should spend trying to revise the mission state— ment, in contrast to our attempts actually to live out the mission. Some will argue that we cannot Does the college need a new mission statement? MARK D. TRANVIK Religion Department At a recent faculty meeting President Pribbenow argued that Augsburg needs a new mission statement and he put forward a proposal for consideration. The present mission statement is as fol- lows: “To nurture future leaders in service to the world by providing high quality educational oppor— tunities, which are based in the liberal arts and shaped by the faith and values of the Christian church, by the context of a vital metropoli- tan setting, and by an intentionally diverse campus community.” The President’s original pro- posal reads this way: “Augsburg educates students to think criti- cally, serve faithfully, lead effec— tively and live responsibly in the world.” It is also reinforced by several pages of rationale. There has also been a third proposal au- thored by the Faculty Senate but the status of that statement is not yet clear. I support the idea of a new mission statement and I would like to raise a few issues that I hope I disagree. In the end, the President’s mis- sion statement isn’t that radically different than the current state— ment, which isn’t that different from Professor David Lapakko’s suggested revision. All of them express good ideas. Each of them is at once more and less inclusive. So, what difference does it make? What we do is more important than what we say. It should be obvious that the College can do all sorts of good things, no matter what its mission says. The mis- sion is simply there as a guiding principle, to help us decide what kind and which good things to do. But we cannot do any good things unless we have the resourc— es needed to accomplish them. Is will contribute to the conversation now under way. First, a mission statement is a big deal. It is at least as important as a change in curriculum. This would have never crossed my mind as a student. But when you serve on a college faculty or in its administration you understand that many things flow from a mission statement. It provides direction for what will be taught at the college. It shapes the perspectives and imaginations of many members of the community and it sets priori- ties for how money is to be spent. Mission statements aren’t forever. Augsburg has had six or seven in its l40-year history. But it is important to be deliberative and make our arguments with great care. This is not a conversation for only the few. Therefore it is important that the Faculty Senate set up a process that allows for wide participation. By the way, the President would seem to agree on all of the above. He has put forth a carefully argued proposal (underlining its importance) and is agreeable to a longer, more do the latter without the former. Minneapolis, Minnesota the President raising the money needed for us to accomplish the real work of the College? Is the Dean allocating money so the real work of the College may thrive? Revising the mission state- ment will be meaningless unless we have the means to move from mission statement to action. Let us not allow our discussion of revising the mission statement to distract us from these important questions: Where is the money? How is it being spent? What can we do about it? Here are three suggestions: First, keep the discussion of the mission statement going, but construct a process and pick an end-point at which all discussing and word-smithing ends. At that end-point, agree to make a change, extensive discussion. Second, I would argue that a good mission statement gives us something to aspire to. As the Latin root of mission (missio) sug- gests, it sends us out. It moves or carries us into the future, pointing us to where we want to go. The problem with the new proposal is that it tends to be more descriptive while avoiding objective norms. There is a sense in which you can get there from the President’s statement but it is a stretch. For example, a few years ago I had a student who subscribed to the re- ligion of Scientology. Do I simply want to affirm that faith? Under the President’s proposal I would have little justification for challenging that student’s assumptions. Afier all, he was “serving faithfully.” But a mission statement should do more than that. It ought to provide norms that shape and guide the direction of the college. Third, I am puzzled by one of the President’s rationales for a change: that many people say they don’t “see themselves” in the present statement. It is hard to or not. Otherwise, we are just spin- ning our wheels. Second, support the President in his fundraising efforts, but encourage him to release more detailed data so that we might truly understand his efforts. For ex- ample, the President has reported on the generosity of the Strommen family in establishing the Strom— men Center for Meaningful Work (Inside Augsburg news archive, 11/2/09), but he has not told us the extent of that generosity. I don’t mean to seem indelicate or nosy, but, by tradition, a naming gift like this is usually quite significant, and common practice is to proclaim exact numbers. Is there any reason for not doing so here? Third, support Dean Farley in her efforts to create an academic know how to weigh such a claim. It seems to draw on sentiment. I am not sure it would be pos- sible to create a mission statement where everyone is able to “see themselves.” For example, the elimination of “Christian” from the mission statement means that many no longer see themselves in it. And conversely, its inclusion means others don’t see themselves in the statement. However, I don’t believe it is the main purpose of a mission statement to simply “re- flect” the community. Certainly the community needs to be repre- sented to a degree and the present statement’s omission of profes- sional studies needs to be changed. Overall, it is better to use language that moves the community toward a Vision. Fourth, I want to make a point that relates to Augsburg as a college of the Lutheran church. Forgive my digression into matters of theology but, in fact, the modi- fier “Lutheran” does affect how we think about ourselves. President Pribbenow said in a recent speech (“Dual Citizenship”) that “as a Page 5 OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS plan. An academic plan is about how we spend the money. At the moment, the Dean’s plan seems more like a plan about creating a plan, but this should not deter the Faculty from engaging in the process. It is on us to create the academic plan that we want, one that speaks not only to the needs of our students and the community, but also to our intellectual and creative interests. So let’s all work together on the mission statement, but let‘s not allow that to drag on ad infinitum. And let’s all work together, sup- porting the President and the Dean, so that they might gather and distribute the resources needed to implement the mission we already carry in our hearts. Lutheran college we are called to live with the paradoxes of life“ and he also stressed that “our capacity to develop a narrative framework in which these tensions are livedA not just debated—is one of the cen- tral features of creating contexts for civic education.” But doesn’t the elimination of any normative reference to Christian or Lutheran smooth out all the wrinkles and weaken the healthy tension? Of course the normative presence ‘of “Christian” or “Lutheran” is going to cause some discomfort. It should! It forces us as a com» munity to continually clarify what those words mean. So, back to the original ques- tion: Does Augsburg need a new mission statement? The answer is yes. . .but we need to go about it the right way. Thanks are due to President Pribbenow for getting the discussion started. Now is the time for good citizenship as we debate the nature and contents of the statement that sends us into the future. President P. continued greenhouse gas emissions from all sources on the Minneapolis campus for fiscal years 2001-2008. This inventory, completed in January 2009, represents countless hours of work by members of the ESC who were faced with the initial problem of gathering large amounts of relevant data and putting it into a usable format. Thanks to their diligence, we now have reliable baseline data covering five main sources of emissions: electricity, purchased steam, natural gas, refrigerant, and fertilizer. This baseline data leads us to the next phase of our commitment: the development ' of a feasible plan for this campus to become carbon neutral by 2019, the year of Augsburg’s 150 anniversary, our sesquicentennial. The deadline for submitting our plan to ACUPCC is Jan. 15, 2010. We have much to do between now and then but we are fortunate that the work of the ESC provides a solid foundation for this next step. I have now appointed a “Green by 2019” task force and charged it with the responsibility of drafting Augsburg’s plan, soliciting input from the wider campus community, and finalizing the plan by the deadline. l have asked several members of the ESC (Tom Ruffaner, day custodial supervisor, Andrea Dvorak, short term program coordinator in the Office of International Programs, and David Draus, facilities management director) to join with two members of my cabinet (chief financial officer Kevin Myren and chief of staff Chris Szaj) and several other community members (day student government president Sam Smith, director of residence life Amanda Erdman, and director of information technology services Scott Krajewski) to form this task force. They all have agreed to serve and take on this important planning work. The work of this task force will focus on identifying specific action steps, target dates, and interim milestones. A first draft of the plan will be prepared and shared with several campus groups beginning in mid- December. The task force will then make recommendations for incorporating feedback we receive into the final plan. We are serious about this critical work to do our part as a college community to reverse the environmental degradation that we see all around us and that threatens our world. We will look at every part of the college’s operations to see how we might most effectively and swiftly achieve carbon neutrality— certainly energy use is huge, but we also will continue to look at transportation (public transportation, bikes, policies about air travel, etc.), food and paper (composting, recycling, where our food comes from, etc), building materials, purchasing and information technology. We also will ensure that our various college policies are consistent with our commitments to sustainability. This is important, strategic work for Augsburg. And it’s work that belongs to all of us - common work. I look forward to engaging all of you in learning, decision- making and living as a community deeply committed to being Green by 2019. WTF Augsburg? ANDY MYERS Columnist Have you ever seen those commercials on television or on billboards along I-94 that say, “Call before you dig!”? Well, obviously the construction crew working outside of Anderson Hall last Friday didn’t. Not only did they begin cutting concrete with a concrete—saw and using a jackhammer at 7:25 am. (thanks for waking me up). They also “accidentally” knocked out the power in my dorm building for over five hours. WTF construction contractors. I hope nobody was hurt when they cut the power lines. Man, that sounds dangerous. It must be a risky business if it can just happen like that when they were taking all of the safety measures. Oh wait, they didn’t. Here’s the procedure when working with power lines— call the electric company and have them spray paint the ground where the power lines are, then use shovels until the power lines are found, and then bring in the backhoe (that giant digging claw-arm for those of you unfamiliar with construction terminology) to unearth dirt at a faster rate. Notice there is a natural, safe order to those three simple steps. The construction crew decided they could get the job done sooner (and thereby making a higher wage/hour ratio) by just using the backhoe right away. And of course it just so happens that they hit the power lines to both Anderson and Luther Halls. Some of you Luther residents may mention how your power was only out for roughly twenty minutes; that’s because the crew didn‘t cut entirely through the Luther power lines, just half. So when the electric company came out to fix the problem, they had to shut off all of Luther in order to patch up the severed lines. WTF construction crew, you could have endangered one (or more) of your own employees by not following obviously necessary safety procedures, ending with a five-hour setback and a few hundred angry residents. I hope the construction company receives a lowered payment (which the Augsburg students are paying for by the way) and that Augsburg refuses to hire them again. Thank you to the Hall Directors and Residence Life student stat? members who alerted us that the power was out and to not open our refrigerators. Show less
Page 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota BICYCLE, page 1. The bicycle boulevard tour helped to inform preliminary designs for what the boulevard might look like. After preliminary designs are completed, they will be presented to the public for review. Despite the cold temperature, numerous individuals... Show morePage 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota BICYCLE, page 1. The bicycle boulevard tour helped to inform preliminary designs for what the boulevard might look like. After preliminary designs are completed, they will be presented to the public for review. Despite the cold temperature, numerous individuals made it out to voice their opinions regarding the new boulevard. Residents. [neighborhood organizers, local reporters and bicyclists all gathered on the bridge above another mode of bicycle transportation for Minneapolis, the Midtown Greenway. The Greenway is a 5.5 mile long former railroad, now bike and walking super-highway that connects downtown to uptown and ultimately extends to suburban trails stretching as far as Waconia. The group toured the avenue and stopped at specific locations where they thought the money could be used to ratify different parts of the street and intersections in particular. Many intersections had less than ideal lighting or dangerous comers where yet. visibility is otherwise low. The bike tour organizer was Shaun Murphy from JAZZ, page 1. difficult and interesting. The band, on the other hand, is made up of many new members who create a different, smoother sound than last year’s band, ac— cording to Stacke. The repertoire, or song selection, for this concert will cater to their new, smooth quality. Stacke is excited for listeners to realize that over a third of the pieces on the program are arranged by Augsburg alumni or current students. Becky Shaheen, a third- year Gospel Praise singer, has written a number of pieces for the group. Her piece “Breathe” will be performed at Sunday night’s show. The concert will feature full ensemble pieces, band and singers together, as well as separate group pieces. Stacke said the separation shows both groups can stand by themselves. the Minneapolis Department of Public Works. Murphy is also the project coordinator for the Non-motorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTP). In 2007, the City of Minneapolis received a $150,000 grant for this project from the Non- Motorized Transportation Pilot Program (NTP), a federal source of fimding to increase biking and walking, and decrease driving. The bicycle boulevard portion of the project is between the Lon'ng Bikeway Bridge near Franklin Avenue and Lake Street, as well as between 50th Street and 58th Street. Between Lake Street and 50th Street the design will likely include “sharrows” or shared lane markings. Northeast Minneapolis is also due for two bicycle boulevards according to the Public Works department. One will begin at 5th Street NE and 22nd Avenue NE and the other at Fillmore Street NE and 6th Avenue SE. The exact route has not been determined as of The planned construction for the three projects is 2010. “It’s like a night club act,” he continued. “You can’t have all vocal or they’ll just tire out, and you can’t have all instrumental or they’ll just tire out too.” Often, the Gospel Praise and Jazz Band are seen as separate entities, especially when they per- form on their own, but both Stacke and Amundson insist that they are a unified ensemble. In fact, they seem more like one ensemble now than they’ve ever been before, Amundson said. The ensemble has a successful fusion because they’ve learned to listen to each other, according to Amundson. If the band starts to take the song in one direction, the singers will follow, and vice versa. “Listeners should expect a lot of energy,” said Stacke. The concert begins at 7:00pm Roger Huelsnitz 5m Ed Shehwen E—mail — echo@augsburg.edu Phone — (612) 330-1102 of the students. subject to revision. appropriate. Augsburg College Echo Fall 2009 Staff Exfitors—in—g;hief Layout Editors Molly Ehling Sergio Monterrubio Becki lverson Molly Ehling E ’tor Managing Editor Malena Thoson Becki lverson F a r i r £pr Eitor ' Andrea Sanow Ted Conover New itor Photo Editor Dave Madsen Kendra Christiansen Qpinions/ Editorials Editor Advertising Manager 731 let Avenue 5, CB 148 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454 The Augsburg Echo is published each Friday — except during vacation periods and holidays — by the students of Augsburg College. Opinions expressed in the Echo are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the supporting staff. administration. faculty. alumni/3e or the remainder The Echo does not necessarily promote the products or services it advertises. Advenisements can be placed in the Echo by contacting the advenising manager. Submissions are welcome and can be sent to echo@augsburg.edu. All submis- sions should be between 500—700 words and accompanied by the writer‘s name and contact information. All submissions become the property of me Echo and are The Echo reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limita- tions. repetitive subject matter. libelous content or any other reason the editors deem Printed by Print Group Midwest on recycled paper. Sarah Gillund Fggilty Adviser Boyd Koehler Tips — echotips@gmail.corn Fax — (612) 330-1666 and is expected to be approxi- mately an hour and a half long. No tickets are necessary and everyone in the Augsburg and surrounding communities are encouraged to attend. Write for the ECHO. Frida , November 20, 2009 ASHLEY ABBATE Stqfi' Writer Once again the Augsburg College Advent Vespers, put on by the Music Department, is coming upon us. Advent Vespers has reached its 30th year. It’s hard to imagine that it has been around since 1979, but it has grown immensely since that first ceremony to the brilliance that it is today. The celebration will take place on December 4 and 5. But the per- formances on Dec. 5 at 2 pm. and 5 pm. are already sold out, so it is imperative to get one’s tickets as soon as possible. This is not an event students would want to miss out on. Central Lutheran Church in downtown Minneapolis will ring with traditional and contemporary hymns and carols. Advent Vespers is open and friendly to people of all ages and, in the past years, the crowds have reached levels of eight thousand people, plus three hundred volunteers, choirs, readers, instrumentalists, along with a full liturgical party. The excitement of the event builds up as the choirs sing and then pause as volunteers walk in with bells, and then start up singing again while the bells chime from different areas of the beautifillly constructed church, where the sounds ring off the vaulted ceilings. Enthusiasm and delight fills the air as people come together to sing along and embrace the feelings of Christmas entering the mind and heart. To come and be a part of this event, students can go online to the Advent Vespers website (www.augsubrg.edu/vespers/index.html), and click on Seating Envelope Registration to request how many seats they would like and for what time. Those who want tickets are urged to do this quickly as Saturday is already full; be a part of Friday, opening night, and enjoy the music along with everyone else. There are also directions for driving, parking and the shuttle information on this website. This is one of the largest holiday events in the area, and it brings the spirit of Christmas, the holidays, and togetherness upon us, so don’t hesitate to snatch up your tickets. OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Response to “OGC heats up with its first rave” TIM BRUSTAD Counselor Step UP Program “Any press is good press” “Watch out what you wish for, it may come true" Two popular phrases of the day certainly seem relevant to my reaction about the dance that StepUP helped sponsor a few weeks ago. As the new Chemical Dependency Coun- selor for the StepUP program I have been fascinated to watch as events have unfolded. Attending the dance was one of my first oppor- tunities to become involved. My wife Teri and I volunteered to help out that Saturday night, watching the doors, ensuring safety and hoping to meet the students who are involved in sober activities. So I was quite surprised to read the Echo article on Friday, Nov. 6 by staff writer Ashley Abbate. My surprise started by reading the headline “OGC heats up with its first rave” and continued throughout the article with the reiter- ated premise that is was in fact a rave. I’m not sure if the article was a “review” of the event which would perhaps allow for some journalistic freedoms but the article is directly under the NEWS banner which certainly means something difi’erent than a review. I point this out because it appears that some journalistic “leg-work" was lacking in regards to the article. In fact a needed and simple phone call to the StepUP office would have easily clarified that the dance was not a “rave” and that several discussions, including the verbage on the flyers, was held so that this misinterpretation would not happen. So what’s in a name? I come from a time, okay it was the 70 's, when it was length of hair or clothes that were misinterpreted. It was common and I still believe true, that you would hear that you cannot judge “a book by its cover.” Since that time some societal realities have also made themselves apparent to me. That perceptions, right or wrong, can have effects in what we do as individuals, where we work, and how others see us. The StepUP program is a national leader for supporting individuals in recovery, as I un- derstand it, StepUP has moved beyond the “just say no” policies of the past and is proactive in supporting and providing alternative options to enhance students’ quality of life. To accomplish that requires some risk. Dances that provide a sober environment are one example of that and it works! As Ms. Abbate rightly points out, “The people who did not come missed out”. Driving home Teri and I talked about what a wonderful experience was offered to the students. They did all the work, took all the re- sponsibility and appeared to have a really good time. It would be a missed opportunity to focus only on the words used in the article rather than the value and meaning behind the event. MMWWWufl —A A. 4A ‘ mm. Show less
Friday, November 13, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 7 VARIETY emoirs of a Pop Icon: Moving Tribute to Michael Jackson ALEX STORAKEN Contributor Capturing the senses, making you want to groove to the music and move like the man himself, Michael Jackson is a musical genius who we will never see... Show moreFriday, November 13, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 7 VARIETY emoirs of a Pop Icon: Moving Tribute to Michael Jackson ALEX STORAKEN Contributor Capturing the senses, making you want to groove to the music and move like the man himself, Michael Jackson is a musical genius who we will never see the likes of again. Although there is a deep sadness worldwide for the loss of such an icon, Kenny Ortega’s Michael Jack- son’s This Is It, pays great homage to the pop star, in his documentary of Jackson’s final rehearsals. This film shows a series of rehearsals for Michael’s planned comeback tour in London. In it, the megastar who we have all come to love, once member of Jackson 5, spills out such solo hits as, “Beat It”, “Thriller”, and “Billie Jean.” A movie for the fans, This Is It gives you an inside look at the labor that goes into making these productions. Animatronics, pyrotechnics, spotlights, stage props, visuals, you name it: the preparations for these performances were dazzling. From the beginning of the show with the casting call for the dancers, to get- ting the exact tempo down for each song, Jackson wanted things to be perfect. I myself was fascinated by the different effects used for each song, such as the visuals of a beautiful rainforest for “Earth Song,” and the ghoulish stage props for “Thriller.” I also thoroughly enjoyed the con- nection Jackson had with his musicians. At times the music was his director and he felt out the beat, and he let his guitarists have their solo time as well. Even though M] ‘5 amazing talents have been masked by the demons of his past, This Is It gives us a look at “The Man in the Mirror” and creates positive memories of this phenomena] performer and global icon. Taco things at Taco Johns ION CHRASTEK Columnist Taco Johns, I don’t know where they are but they’re kind of good. Well some people think they’re amazing. Last week my girlfriend and I went on a double date to Taco John’s. We had to drive to St. Paul to find one. I had never been, so it was my first experience into foreign taco territory. We anived and it was pretty empty. The interior looked as if it hadn’t been changed since it was first built in the early 90’s. It was the same with the menus. Ok, so it was dirty, but so are most fast food restaurants. We went up to the counter and there were a million different taco related things. I ordered a taco thing; it was pretty good. Every thing was rather good. But, what it came down to for me was the hot sauce. I’m used to Taco Bell’s Fire sauce. Some say I may have eaten it for breakfast on occasion—no comment. But their “hot” sauce was a major disappointment. They had two different “hot sauces,” “hot” and “mild,” and they were both like chunky tomato paste. One had a small amount of something some people might describe as “spicy,” but I would describe as a disappoint- ment. This disappointment turned into out right rage when I was told other Taco Johns had hotter sauce! So overall Taco John’s [or at least this one] is a nice early- but-nothing-special. Just fast taco’s and that’s it. 0k and those potato things were pretty good, or at least everyone else loved them. Lucky Dragon: A diamond in the rough ION CHRASTEK Columnist So I had been to Lucky Dragon be- fore, but decided to review it anyway. The world must know what I think about Lucky Dragon! It’s that Chinese and Vietnamese restaurant on Riverside and Cedar across from Map’s cafe. I’m not going to lie, it looks like a super stereotypical, shady Chinese restaurant. So we arrived and there was only one other group of people there, they looked like college students from the U of M. We were seated in a booth, which was not properly connected to the wall because I was able to move my backrest thing, not to mention the plastic coving on the seat was coming off. An overly friendly waiter came up to us and gave us menus. The menus were enormous. I would say there are at lest 100 difi’erent dishes there. My girlfriend and I ordered. KP got spicy Szechwan beef and I got some sort of “Vietnamese special” which I could not pronounce nor spell back to you. We also ordered creme chesses wontons, which arrived with our drinks. so not too much time waiting for those. They were delicious with green onions on the inside of them. They were cheap too; it was like six for two fifty. which is pretty cheap for cream cheese wontons. A short time later we got our main entrees. Mine was comprised of noodles and seafood mixed together. It wasn‘t spicy enough but I asked the friendly waiter and he gave me some very good hot sauce. Despite a lack of a spicy kick. I‘m eating my lefiovers right now! Originally my dish came with shrimp and crab in it, but I’ve just about eaten all that. KP’s, on the other hand, was made with bamboo, beef, red peppers and broc- coli. It was very delicious but not spicy at all. The atmosphere was exciting. When you first walk in you wonder if they’re closed or something because no one else is there. The bufiet is all still set up but with no food. Next you’ll notice that they have all of their extra drink supplies out in one comer of the dining room next to a TV (when we were there it was on Animal Planet and the cook was watching it). On top of that going to the bathroom was excit- ing as well. First you walk through a door labeled rest room, thinking it leads to the rest room but no rest room immediately presents itself. The door leads to a small hallway filled with lard, soya sauce and vegetable oil containers along with a —pos- sibly broken#stove and down the hall is (finally!) the bathroom. So overall, Lucky Dragon is very cheap and has large portions. Nice service, not so good tables and chairs. But you shouldn’t be looking for nice tables and chairs when you go into a place like Lucky Dragon . So the total for the both of us with drinks came to about $23.05, which isjust about the cheapest non-fast food restaurant in two block distance of Augsburg (that I’ve reviewed so far). This weekend I’m going to Chicago to visit my little sister so next week you’ll be reviewing another Thai restaurant, but this time it’s in Chicago! HEY! Write YOUR opinion for the ECHO. Now. “Ill! SE01!“ lMPlllWlS llll [VHWIIIIIE TIMI MM)! Ill! "RSI Hlfl GREAT.” L‘yfl" lkLe‘Ln‘d A‘- ’K"";C‘{‘c’-t1i3 SUHBQ find L I F“! 24! “All” Elli“ HILSXS H. mm msCUHlll llll lllllllllllll‘.” MINI? I! an carafe nnv imam ‘Htfilsi a'l‘li 'HIMJ'W ll lrlrtltfit HUI M; H!" M? Ill”! 5 V II a l‘fiel '93 Milliilltm :1“! 3d ' r ya «I! I)" r IIIINI'VHVJ‘H”_"A’I’I‘Wl'I’ . “SIMS ii .menrttmmsn ten mi mm 10mm: A-LIST MALENA 'niosou Ad—E Editor Theater/Discussion Cafe Scientifique: Feeding Africa Presented by the Bell Museum of Natural History Bryant Lake Bowl Theater Tuesday. Nov. 17 7 pm. (Doors 6 pm.) Tickets: $5-$12 (pay what you can) 612-825-8949 810 W Lake St. Minneapolis www.bryantlakebowl.com Dance The Good Dance: Brooklym Dakar Reggie Wilson and Andréya Ouamba Walker Art Center McGuire Theater Nov. 12—14, 8:00 pm. 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis 612-375—7600 Tickets: Thu. $18 ($15 for Walker members) Fri-Sat. $25 ($21 for Walker members) www.walkerart.org Music Toshi Reagon with Chastity Brown Cedar Cultural Center Sunday, Nov. 15, 7:30 pm. 416 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis 612-338—2674 x 2 Tickets: $15 Advance, $18 Door www.thecedar.org Film Series The People’s Republic of Cinema: 60 Years of China on Film Walker Art Center November 4-23 This week: Yellow Earth (Huang Tudi) Directed by Chen Kaige Friday, Nov. 13, 7:30 pm. Platform (Zhantai) Directed by Jia Zhangki Saturday, Nov. 14, 7:30 pm. Beijing Bastards (Beijing Za- zhong) Directed by Zhang Yuan Thursday, Nov. 19, 7:30 pm. 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis Tickets: $8 ($6 Walker members) www.walkerart.org T0 write/or A&E mnlur'l Malena Thom/1 u! tho.s'on@aug.s'burg. cdu Show less
Page 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota Moscow is hard to imagine in Augsburg Theater’s “The Three Sisters” MOLLY BUDKE Columnist It is challenging for an American college student, who has never dreamt of Moscow, to imagine missing it. To imagine missing a child- hood home is easy, to imagine... Show morePage 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota Moscow is hard to imagine in Augsburg Theater’s “The Three Sisters” MOLLY BUDKE Columnist It is challenging for an American college student, who has never dreamt of Moscow, to imagine missing it. To imagine missing a child- hood home is easy, to imagine missing any sym- bol from a happy past comes almost naturally, but Moscow isn’t that home, or that symbol, for most of the audience that attended Anton Chekhov’s The Three Sisters at Augsburg College this past weekend. As tends to be the case with good literature, it would be entirely possible for an audience of The Three Sisters to sympathize with its main characters (the sisters, played by Kat Lutze, Shan- non O’Brien and Abbey Ehling) by finding pieces of their own life in the story of three women who wish to return to Moscow, their childhood home. It should be easy for most to understand the pain of a faraway home, a lost family member, a failed relationship or an unsatisfactory job like these characters do. Easy, that is, if the actors under- stand it well enough to convey it. I hesitate to say that none of the actors under- stood any of their lines. That is simply not true. But to say that all characters and storylines were clear, consistent or sincere would also be a lie. Overall, Augsburg ’5 production of The Three Sis- ters lacks depth, consistency and honesty. There are some exceptions. Senior Roger Huelsnitz and junior Shannon O’Brien bring beautiful life to a doomed love, which freshman Dustin Richea plays off of with a sweet energy that hints he may become an actor to watch in the coming years. Sophomores Brittany Juntunen, Abbey Ehling and Kat Lutze have wonderful moments that show promise of their talent, buried within meaningless blocking and incoherent journeys. Sandra Nei Schulte provides a wonderful set of period-appropriate costumes while Nayna Ramey has created a beautiful canvas of a set for the actors to create with, and Wu Chen Khoo does justice with his lighting design. Unfortunately, there is so much unnecessary travel that any sense of the characters’ pretty and painful world is lost in the confusion of move- ment, along with much of the story itself. As a friend of mine asked, frustrated by the over- whelming topography enacted in front of him, “why can’t the characters just sit and talk?” It’s a simple sentiment for a story that should have been told through simple blocking. Director Martha Johnson writes in her pro- gram notes that, “Our overall goal has been to explore the powerful resonance that The Three Sisters has with our contemporary lives, with its themes of love, work, dreams of the future, and desire for home. It is also a play about living through sorrows and disappointments and giving up one’s dreams, but somehow still finding the stamina, endurance, and ability to move forward into a newly-conceived filture.” I would have to say that while I find these themes strong in the script, they have not been given much justice on Augsburg’s stage. Other than the love triangle portrayed by Huelsnitz, O’Brien and Ritchea, few moments hold any sense of love, dreaming, giving up or surviving. The themes come through with as much frailty as the lines to the point that a worthwhile story must be dug for, rather than followed and enjoyed. Still, go. Go, because Augsburg actors are worth supporting, even through the more difficult productions. Go, because tickets are a mere $2 for Augsburg students, and because especially at that price, unsuccessful productions are worth discus— sion. Go, because there is at least one story on stage that will move you. Just go, and use this as a chance to discuss the failures and achievements of a college production. That’s what college theatre is for. Go. It’s the right thing to do. Performances are Friday and Saturday at 7:00 pm. Sunday at 3:00 p.m. Tickets $2-10. Call 612.330. 125 7for reservations. ario and Luigi: , November 13, 2009 worse indigestion than Taco Bell Bra-rsr COLLINS Stafi' Writer Like many, I enjoy the nos- talgia of a video game from my childhood. I grew up in the Super Nintendo age, the heyday of ev- eryone’s favorite plumber Mario, and his afierthought brother Luigi. They incited all of that wonder- fully simple side-scrolling action that I, to this day, still seek out. Mario and Luigi: Bowseris Inside Story is the latest Mario game for the Nintendo DS. The concept for the game is actually pretty neat. Bowser eats a bad mushroom and inhales all of Toad Kingdom. Mario and Luigi must find Princess Peach while inside of Bowser, but Bowser must also get to his own kingdom to fight the evil scientist who poisoned said bad mushroom. These dual goals ultimately require Mario and Luigi to work in tandem with their arch-nemesis Bowser. I have two main issues with how the game is set up. The first is that the game is clearly made for a younger audience than a col— lege student. The DS has such a large audience, (games clearly for younger kids like Dogz and Catz, but also games for teenaged-boy audience such as Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, and older adults with games like Brain Age), that it’s difficult to ascertain the level of skills required for a par- ticular game. This age confusion is problematic because even proficient gamers end up being treated like novices. In Bowser's Inside Story, the gamer is followed by a guide who first obsessively teaches every little detail about how to play the game, then constantly pops up with reminders of these lessons, even in Dukas’ Sorcerer is a delight situations where she doesn’t want to be reminded (like in the middle of a battle). The things that the guide harps on about could be (and are) easily learned by a quick look at the instruction booklet. Trying to play through these tutorials becomes tedious and time consum- ing. I spent 30 minutes just getting to the point in the game where I had any control to actually move a character. I was expecting a game targeted toward an audience that was at least twelve, not eight. The other issue I had with the game is that it’s a role-playing game (RPG). I’m not a RPG kind of person, and probably wouldn’t have ventured into this game had I known this. I don’t have the time (or attention span) for the level of involvement they require. This is why I don’t play Paper Mario, the signature RPG of the Mario fran- chise. I don’t have the patience for individual battles and level-ups. I just want to run through a level and collect coins and mushrooms and the occasional raccoon tail on my way, devil may care. Jump over lava, save a princess. I don’t think that’s too much to ask. Unfortunately my nostalgia for Super Mario Brothers was not quenched with this game alone. It did, however, add a nice layer to the standard “save the princess” story, and it was a good introduc- tion to Role Playing Games for me. Still, I think that I would have enjoyed it much more thoroughly if all of the hand-holding had been left out. It wasn’t, however, a waste of money because in the end I keep playing it. Afier all, having a distraction from homework is really all I’m looking for. ANDY MYERS Columnist Aah, nostalgia at its finest. Though not the defining moment in orchestral music. Paul Dukas’ L ’apprenti sorcier (The Sorcerers Apprentice) is still a wonderful gem that brings back some great memories. One of my favorite movies growing up (and still today) was Disney’s Fantasia, an animated representation of some of the greatest orchestral works to date. Sorcerer s is pos- sibly the most recognizable of all of the cartoon renderings because Mickey Mouse is the sorcerer’s apprentice, com- plete with a star-covered Wizard’s hat, and appears on the cover. Typically appearing at “pops” concerts or “youth” concerts today, this piece is still enjoyed by audiences around the world. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is by far Paul Dukas’ most well-known work. Composed in 1897, the piece was sub- titled “Scherzo afier a ballad by Goethe” in reference to the 1797 Goethe poem Der Zauberlehrling (The Sorcerer’s Apprentice). Being a chronic perfectionist, Dukas was known for tearing up his compositions in frustration or simply destroying them if not up to his extreme standards. Because of this there are very few surviving works, and only one with any real amount of success, namely a ballet entitled La Peri (1912) and the later-composed Fanfare pour precede La Peri (Fanfare to precede La Peri). Sorcerer’s begins rather quietly and utilizes Dukas’ ex- quisite layer technique. Glistening strings and flutes build a dreamy tension at the beginning of the spell. Afler basically repeating the first short phrase. the piece comes to a ferrnata or hold. A fast chromatic downward scale (along with an upward scale in the harp), the piece returns to its serene state as. in Disney‘s Fantasia. the old magician decides it’s time for bed. The devious apprentice decides to try his own hand at magic and the tension builds amongst the strings, flutes, and clarinets, climaxing in an abrupt sforzando (strong, sudden accent) followed by a solo timpani hit. The magic broom is now alive, characterized by the most recognizable theme from the piece, first heard in the bassoon. It‘s now ofl’ to work for the broomstick while the apprentice happily goes ofl’ to take a nap. The apprentice’s gleeful theme is heard in the keyboard glockenspiel, flutes, oboe, and clarinet. This quick melody is my favorite of the entire piece, although I must admit my bias of being a percussionist and having played this part. The keyboard glockenspiel, an instrument similar in construction to a piano but not in sound (think of a high-pitched metal xylophone), is uncommon in today’s orchestra inventory. Later on in the piece there is another fantastic keyboard glockenspiel part that is extremely difficult to play unless using the intended instrument. While playing the instrument like a piano, the keyboard glockenspiel part has five very fast descending and ascending notes, one for each finger; it is fairly easy to play with one hand, but unforgivineg difiicult when playing with two mallets on a regular glockenspiel. Because of its rarity (and the ridiculous price) the keyboard glockenspiel parts are usually handed over to percussionists to be performed on regular glockenspiels. The piece continues on and, in Fantasia, the magic broomstick is filling up the cauldron nicely. Afler dozing off the apprentice begins to dream, characterized by the return of the twinkling keyboard glockenspiel and flutes and eventually loud crash cymbals and blaring horns, only to awake to find that his plan has worked too well, the floor now flooded. In a panic because he can’t remember the counter—spell, the apprentice hacks the broom to pieces, depicted in the music by short crash cymbal chokes and a horn and wind fanfare. And now is the calm before the storm. The pieces pull themselves together and create dozens of magical broomsticks, the original bassoon theme retum- ing and being multiplied over and over again. Dukas was a great orchestrator, having a strong grasp of how to manipu— late the different members of the orchestra to create a truly beautiful effect. Several of the short themes from earlier in the piece can be heard clashing with each other producing a dizzying spectacle of sound, the apprentice now going mad and drowning in his watery misfortune. Off in the distance the old sorcerer appears, his theme from the very start of the piece reckoning with a massive trumpet, horn, and trombone chordal fanfare. The sorcerer makes shOrt work of the apprentice’s mistake, lasting only seven bars (the last three of which are single quiet echoes). The fluttering strings’ theme from the beginning is heard, bookending the piece. Afier a brief pause the loud 3/8 phrase that is now so familiar is heard once again, adding a bit of amusement to mark the end of the piece. If it weren’t for Disney’s inclusion of this piece, Dukas’ delightful symphonic poem might have been forgotten. The Disney movie and its sequel Fantasia 2000 continue to keep children (and adults) interested in orchestral music, and honestly they are very enjoyable films. If you haven’t seen the movies in a while (Sorcerer’s is featured in both movies), and you want to listen to this fantastic piece, or just want to take a trip down memory lane, I entreat you to go on YouTube and watch the eleven minute video, or any of the other videos of the piece being performed. Enjoy music. Show less
Page 4 Minneapolis, Minnesota . OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Frida , November 13, 2009 t Augsburg Politics 101 SHANNON BACKES Contributor Why is it that every class I attend at Augsburg somehow turns into “Augsburg Politics [0]?" Now that I am registering for the spring semester, I feel like every course... Show morePage 4 Minneapolis, Minnesota . OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Frida , November 13, 2009 t Augsburg Politics 101 SHANNON BACKES Contributor Why is it that every class I attend at Augsburg somehow turns into “Augsburg Politics [0]?" Now that I am registering for the spring semester, I feel like every course should be listed under “Political Science.“ Since freshman year I have attended classes like religion and mathematics to get lectured on going green, the current election, or the stimulus plan. What hap— pened to following the curriculum? I didn’t sign up for philosophy to learn the name of Obama’s dog or what he ate for lunch yesterday. While I am interested in gaining knowledge from professors in their field of expertise. I have no interest in having their opinions forced upon me on a daily basis. It’s not the fact that Augsburg typi- cally offers only one-sided arguments that is the most frustrating, it’s the fact that ev— ery course is transformed in order to mold the average student into the “Augsburg minded" student. C an’t we go to religion class to learn about Luther and be done with it? If I want to learn about the effect of C02 levels on temperature, or vise versa, then I will find the appropriate venue for it. I know where MPIRG is and all the other student organizations. Leave the opinions to the students, and the teaching to the professors. I promise, I will ask you what you think of healthcare when I want to know, but until then, please keep it to yourself. I am eager to absorb the correlation of supply and demand and I am even willing to hang on your every word in a lecture about corporate taxes. I am anxious to be prepared for the outside world and I’m eager to obtain the knowledge I need to generate my own What I don’t want is to be indoctri- nated and manipulated into having the opinion that you think is right. I realize that professors are indepen— dent minded and very opinionated, but the college campus is not the stomping ground for their controversial ideals and viewpoints. There is a time and place for professors to discuss their political stance and it is not in the classroom. Before attending college, I was under the impression that continued education would broaden my mental landscape and open my mind to new and exciting phenomena. Instead, I have found that Augsburg is successful at promoting closed—mindedness with regard to politics. The same institution that claims to encourage diversity ironically isolates itself from it. For example, I can think of quite a few speakers that have visited campus since my enrollment including Hillary Clinton, Jane Fonda, Bill McKibben, Cindy Shee- han, Ekwueme Michael Thelwell, Winona LaDuke. Howard Dean, and so many more. What do they all have in common? They all uphold the same ideals as Augsburg. In the end, diversity is welcome, but only “likeminded” diversity. Because the opposition is rarely heard at Augsburg, many professors probably do not realize just how offensive their remarks might be. It’s time to let them know how you feel. If you are one of the students that keeps quiet in class when the professor cracks a joke about your political beliefs (notice this would never be considered acceptable if it was religion), you need to speak up. Even talking to your professor after class will save you from another semester of persecution. If you are a student who agrees with the professor, it is also your duty to speak up and sincerely support the diversity that Augsburg claims to encour- age. J 7%: {(513 P ' P.....—::-Trw};'p'4 » _..v 1 t: 1;... it. .21. — ---l——- u: By Erica Maloy opinions. Don’t Write for the ECHO. The top twenty movies of all times ROGER HUELSNITZ Opinions Editor So last issue I was discussing the merging of movies and video games, and how this combination is a continually growing industry. This week (and next) I’m going to lay out for you what I (and many others) feel are the top 20 Ameri— can films of all time. These films roam the gauntlet through every genre: horror, thriller, drama, comedy, animation etc., from big blockbuster, to cult classic. They run the gambit through every emotion: providing thrills, laughs, tears of sadness, tears of joy, and just pure entertainment. So here goes, feast your eyes upon them, my opinion of the Top 20 American Films of All Time . . . 20. Memento (2001)— Christopher Nolan’s masterpiece. Guy Pierce was great in the leading role, but Nolan‘s great direction is clear throughout. With the ‘starting at the end and going back to the beginning' style, this film is very unique. The actual plot isn’t very complex. but the way it was set up made it rather confusing. which was great, it really made you think. Simply put, it’s a wonderfully original idea, done perfectly. 19. Fight Club (1999) — “I am jack’s raging hormones.” What makes a really great movie is when a deeply original idea meets a great director and good acting (for the most part). Norton is great, Pitt is good, but not at Norton’s level of acting skill. Never the less, this is pure entertainment. This is one of David Fincher’s best films, right alongside Se 7en. It’s seems an odd pick to become a true classic, but there are so many elements that are done well, it deserves to be on the list. 18. Braveheart (1995) — Mel Gibson does it all. He directs and stars in this historically accurate portrayal of Scottish revolutionary William Wallace. This movie was a huge success which won several Academy Awards. It is still a great epic, even by today’s standards, a well deserved spot at number I8. “Freeeedoooooom!” You tell ‘em Mel. l7. Goodfellas (1990) — “From the time I was young, 1 always wanted to be a gangster." Mob movies don‘t get any better than this, and I mean that with the utmost sincer- ity. Raging Bull is probably Scors- ese's best film. but Goodfellas is a close runner—up. The cast is as- tounding, and De Niro, Pesci, and Ray Liotta, make the perfect group of gangsters. Ray Liotta did a fine job with this performance, and De Niro slipped into a great character as well, with his cool gangster-like sensibilities, and funny obscene dialogue. Pesci though, was the greatest. He dropped the f-bomb over 200 times in this film, and it’s just phenomenal, he makes such a great character, and Joe Pesci is also a really fine actor as well. Not only the actors, but Scorsese’s direction, and the cinematography was astounding. Along with being an entertaining movie, it’s a great example for a film class. 16. Saving Private Ryan (1998) — Another Spielberg special, this film is the most ‘in your face’ and realistic war movie ever made. Ex- tremely entertaining, Tom Hanks delivers a good performance as usual, heartfelt, and serious. It’s a tearj erker too, a really meaningful film about war, and the commit- ment to leave no man behind. This is an important film, a must—see. 15. Raging Bull (1980) ~ Like Spielberg, Scorsese went back to basics with a black and white tone. Superbly directed and acted, De Niro is a firecracker, and Pesci is ,. in top form alongside him. I love boxing movies, and this film nails it above all the rest. This is argu- ably Scorsese’s best film to date. 14. Aliens (I986) — Another ex- tremely entertaining movie that I could watch over and over again, well deserving of spot 14. “Game over man, game overl” Need I say more? Buy it, if you haven’t already. 13. Star Wars: A New Hope (1977) — Kubrick mastered space drama, but George Lucas also revolution- ized cinema as we know it today. At the time, nobody elsew a 5 looking to do a movie like Star Wars. As a matter of fact, it was almost guaranteed to fail, based on many of the movie studios feelings at that time. However, it ended up becoming a towering success, with sequels, books, toys, games, etc. becoming one of the largest and most successful franchises of all time. 12. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) — I’m not a huge Lord of the Rings fan, but Return of the King is not only a good sequel, but a really excellent film which grabbed Best Picture from the Academy Awards. All the Rings movies are great in their own right, just looking at them from a technical standpoint, and every one is worthy of an Academy Award in some way or another. With Return of the King, Jackson received the awards that he deserved. He’s a really great director, no bones about it. He wove Tolkien’s novels together like a beautiful piece of cinema art, and this one is the best of them all. 11. Pulp Fiction (1994) — The culmination of Tarantino’s talent, and is by far his best work. With some great moments (“I will strike down with vengeance and furious anger!”) and quirky fun perfor- mances. What’s in the suitcase? Does anybody know? It’s debat- able. What’s not debatable how- ever, is Tarantino’s effect on the art of cinema itself since he came onto the scene in the early 90’s, which is very evident in many other movies. People talk about other movies as being Tarantino—esque, but Pulp Fiction is pure Tarantino in its rawest form: unique, original, and a blast to watch. Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you agree, at Iemt on a few of them. In the next issue, I will be putting up a list of the top 10 greatest American movies of all time, stay tuned. Show less
Friday, W: 13, 2009 ‘ EDSHEHWEN SportsEditor A switch in the MIAC play- off structure had left Augsburg women’s volleyball out on their luck. The six-team playofi‘ system was established a few years ago and Augsbmg has 'not been able to make the cut since — rmtil now. Augsburg women’s volleyball... Show moreFriday, W: 13, 2009 ‘ EDSHEHWEN SportsEditor A switch in the MIAC play- off structure had left Augsburg women’s volleyball out on their luck. The six-team playofi‘ system was established a few years ago and Augsbmg has 'not been able to make the cut since — rmtil now. Augsburg women’s volleyball was one ofthe six teams in the MIAC to make the playoffs, their first time since 2001. Although the women’s squad- ron met one of their toughest goals this season by making the playofi‘s, it may not have been their biggest accomplishment. Senior, captain, Shanna Reed commented, “The team was very excited that we had reached our goal of making playoffs, but we . not only made playoffs we also made fourth in conference.” Reed recognizes this feat as she remembered not being as lucky in the past, “Last year we found ourselves in a tie for 6th, leaving our chance for playoffs out of Our hands.” Reed continued, “This year, we didn’t want that to happen again. Instead of aiming for sixth place we fought and beat great teams that became important in the outcome of our placing and Great fun at the dome LARSHELTNE Minneapolis, Minnesota therefore took fourth.” Reed spoke for Augsburg women ’s volleyball as whole when she stated, “That is what our team is mainly proud of, our fight and our dedication to our goals. Mak- ing playofl‘s was just icing on the cake.” This icing on the cake is what has been missing from women’s volleyball for the past seven years. Captain Reed reflected on the season and spoke of how get- ting this far was even possible, “Working on our dedication and hardwork enabled us to get this far.” However, the path the Aug- gies took was far from smooth. Page 3 I , _,, e SPORTS Volleball in playoffs for the first time in 8 years Reed spoke of the difi‘iculties they encountered along the way, “Afier losses to St. Kates and Bethel, our coach and the team kicked things into gear. Practices became more intense with the intent for improvement each day. Another factor in our success was sticking together.” Reed continued with the intent of displaying the women’s team concept, “Our team is relatively a close knit team off the court. A new focus was to keep that same “togetherness” on the court. By encouraging and pushing each other on the court, we were able to overcome difficult situations.” This attitude and sense of swimming and diving “togetherness” proved Augsburg women’s volleyball to be one of the best squads they have been in years. Reed, as a senior, has ended her legacy on this positive note. Looking into the future for her teammates Reed concluded, “I can only assume that the teams goals continue in the same direc- tion. Top three in the MIAC has always been lingering in our heads and is now readily in our reach. With making the playoffs, the next step is to go further in the playoffs and eventually aim for the MIAC championship!” Amy Storlie leads Augsburg Stafl'Wn'ter Although the Auggie’s 20th match at the Metrodome turned out to be a tough one - a 28-7 loss to Saint John’s University in their last “home” game this season, head coach Frank Haegh thinks the annual match is a great happening. “It’s great fun for everyone to play at the Metrodome, especially late in the year when the weather is typically not so good” he said and added “The players enjoyed it and turned out well for us as there was a large crowd at the game. More than would have fit into Edor Nelson Field” St. Johns, who is ranked number four in the country, had complete control throughout the game and secured their seventh straight win in the MIAC championship this season. i “We started on a bad note fiimbling the opening kickoff and they returned that fumble for a touchdown. It’s dif- ficult to come back against the fourth ranked team in the nation when you spot them seven points right off the bat” Haege explained. Even though Saint John’s made it difficult for Augsburg to attack, Tyler Judkins secured the only touchdown for the home side when he returned an interception 93 yards, one yard away from beating the school record. Those fourth quarter points remained the only ones for the Auggies. “We really struggle on offense” Haege admitted. “They had a really good defense and it was tough for us to move the ball against them.” he said. With two defeats in a row, the Auggies will try to end the MIAC season on a high note when they face Bethel Uni- versity in the last game of the campaign on November 14th. “We have to maintain our focus and schedule. We should be fine if keep it simple and play fast.” Haege said. LAURA MOE Stafir Writer Senior, Amy Storlie, is the Augsburg swimming and diving captain for the 2009-2010 season. Augsburg swimming and diving has had four coaches in its six seasons of existence. With a new coach, three new swimmers, and five returning swimmers Storlie hopes to make an easy transition - not only for the coach but for the athletes as well. This will be Storlie’s tenth year of swimming, and she has high hopes for her last season at Augsburg. “My biggest goal is to end the season with something that I can remember for the rest of my life, and to leave the team in a good position for next year,” Storlie said. After last season, Augsburg swimming can only get better. Last year the team finished 11th, good enough for last place. So far this season the team has already seen improvements. The first meet of the season, The Augsburg Pentathlon, Augsburg finished third out of four competing teams. This year there will be time cuts for championships in February. This should put the pressure on Auggie swimmers to perform their best. With the hope of improving from last season, Storlie expresses her expectations. “My biggest goal for the team is for everyone to perform to the best of their abilities,” Storlie said. “I’m looking forward to the end of the season because I think our team has a lot of potential because I think our new coach can bring out the best in all of us.” With only eight girls on the team, teamwork is a necessity. Practices are mentally and physically draining. Practices ofien stress the importance of competition within the team in order to be competitive in relays. As a captain, Storlie-helps improve team morale by doing team building activities such as having breakfast and tie-dying towels. Practice started Oct. 5, and the girls practice at St. Kate’s University for two hours five days a week, as well as intense lifting regimes twice a week, followed by a meet almost every Saturday. Being an Auggie swimmer isn’t only hard work, but time consuming. So why would someone swim? “I swim because of the experience, both competitive experiences and the thrill of competition,” Storlie said. “Also, the experiences I get from being on a team and the traveling that we do.” This year the team is going to San Juan, Puerto Rico, January 1-7, which is definitely the highlight that carries the swimmers through their long season. But beyond the pool, Amy plans to graduate this spring. Storlie is a current biology major. with a psychology and chemistry minor. After she graduates she hopes to work for Teach for America in Minneapolis. Her experience as a student-athlete has prepared her for the real world by providing important life skills: time management. leadership. goal setting, and teamwork. Storlie comments on her experience as a student-athlete at Augsburg. “Swimming at Augsburg has left me with so many memories, which really has added to my college experience. But I’m looking forward to the future and what is has to offer.“ Profile: Athletic Director Jeff Swenson and his journey at Augsburg MIKE GALLAGHER Stafi Writer Mike: Let’s start at the begin— ning. You were a three time All- American wrestler at Augsburg and stayed in the program as an assistant after you graduated, was being a wrestling coach what you wanted to do in life or was there something else calling you? Jeff: I was going into the field of education, and I was an athlete, I knew that part of being a teacher, and that if I could offer my skills as a coach as well, that high schools were very interested in that. Plus, I’m a sports nut, so I had a passion for my two best sports, football and wrestling. Mike: You quickly took the reins in 1980 as the head coach. just one year after graduation, what were your first thoughts after taking the reigns? Were you intimidated at all by the task at hand? Jeff: I owed the success I had at Augsburg to my head coach, John Grygelko. The program was pretty good. I took the great things I took from John, kept those things in place, and slowly I integrated my own things. Individual training was my big thing. Under Coach G, we were supposed to do a lot of things on our own, but I knew that not a lot of guys did; so I made those things mandatory to be a part of the program. Mike: What was the key to go from the good program that was in place when you took over, to the great program you formed? Jeff: I had a loyal staff, assistant Scott Whirley was with me for 23 years, and assistant Don Wickman was with me for 19 years. There was a time when almost all of our coaches were alums, so they knew the program. If I could talk about a physical piece to it, weight training would be it. We were on the cut— ting edge of weight training, and lifted all year round. Back then that was pretty cutting edge. Mike: You lefi Augsburg for two years (’84—’86) to go to Rosemount High School. did you ever think you'd be back? Jeff: They had a full time posi- tion open, and Augsburg did not. In 1986 when one opened up at Augsburg, they called me. It wasn’t easy leaving Rosemount, but my heart and love has always been for Augsburg. It did a lot for me and I always wanted to give back. I can only hope I give to the student athletes what Augsburg gave to me. Mike: Three time All-American while you were wrestling, six time national coach of the year while you were coaching, what was more special to you? Jeff: The coach of the year stuff doesn’t matter. It’s nice that you get recognized by your peers for being the epitome of your profes— sion, but the award doesn’t matter. It’s the satisfying feeling when you make a difference in a student athlete’s life. There’s nothing that compares to helping other people, and changing lives in a positive way. Mike: Keeping kids motivated to be great in their sport is easy, but how did you keep them so motivated and successful in the classroom? Jeff: I knew that to sustain our existence, our number one focus would have to be academics. I noticed the guys that did good in class were doing the best on the mat because they didn’t have to think about failing a class. When we got to Augsburg, undeniably, it was, and still is under Mark Matzek, our number one priority. Even now in our entire athletic department, we have a 3.2 GPA, and one of the big keys there is accountability. From coaches to players, everyone is held ac- countable. Mike: When you stepped down as wrestling coach in 2007, it had to be an incredibly hard decision..... tell us what went through your mind in the days and weeks lead— ing up to it. Jeff: It wasn’t a tough decision, but it was a big decision. I felt like I could do more for the col- lege, and while I love coaching wrestling, I felt my leadership was something that could really help not only the wrestling program, but the entire athletic department. Mike: Mark Matzek is a very young coach, 27 years old, almost as young as you when you took over. Knowing that the two of you were in very similar situations, what advice or conversations did you have with him when he took over the job? Jeff: Mark was a two time na- tional champion and a three time academic All-American. He exv emplified what we expect from a student athlete. We had many discussions and I gave him advice when I believed it would help, but I was confident Mark would be ok. I emphasized that he should just take the things that worked for him in the program and apply them to the student athletes he was coaching. He’s his own man and was very successful, and I knew he would make very sound choices. Show less
A new mission statement for Augsburg. page 5 :The College’s Student—Produced Newspaper "Three Sisters" page 7 Friday, November 13, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Women’s Resource Center makes a slam against sexual violence Becca ANDERSEN stafiwnter A strong woman’s message, whether it radiates from... Show moreA new mission statement for Augsburg. page 5 :The College’s Student—Produced Newspaper "Three Sisters" page 7 Friday, November 13, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Women’s Resource Center makes a slam against sexual violence Becca ANDERSEN stafiwnter A strong woman’s message, whether it radiates from an Augsburg Convocation speaker, at book or film character, or a mother, sister, or friend, always leaves a mark of inspiration. Slam, a movie about a young poet’s journey of survival within the ghettos of Washington DC, was shown at last week’s Feminist Film Friday in the WRC; it echoed a message of inspiration not only within the theme of bringing poor inner city communities the escape and relief they deserve, but also within an underlying theme involving the power of a strong woman. The character Lauren Bell encourages the young poet protagonist to pay more attention to his talents, teaches him about finding peace within the hardship they face in the projects, and swears her support no matter what path he chooses as he faces years in prison for his crimes. Although Lauren Bell provides for a stimulating Building American pragmatism character, Augsburg students don’t even have to look as far as Slam to find inspiring women role models who stand for feminism and justice, and provide support and encouragement. The ladies at WRC spend a lot of time “listening to peers—their worries, frustrations, joys, and triumphs that go down at this institution and in this community.” Lucreshia Grant, a leader at the WRC, and a leader within the Augsburg student community in general, said, “I have a voice and if my community brothers and sisters need me and want me to be their voice I can, will and do. That’s what has inspired me: voices and stories. I want everyone to be heard here at Augsburg and feel like their experiences, ideas, struggles, and joys matter.” The WRC is not exclusive to women, but is an open facility that provides a laidback safe space for all of the Augsburg community where conversation with friendly faces is always an option. Events that are coordinated by the WRC focus on collaboration, connection, and exploration. Feminist Film and Stitch-n-Bitch/Social Hour on Fridays are “the kind of gatherings that I have never experienced anywhere else,” said Grant. “It’s a great time and space to see beautiful people having open conversations about nothing that has to be written on an agenda.” Throughout the year, the WRC also puts on activities such as a spa day on the last day of classes each semester, the Anne Pederson WRC Koryne Horbal Lecture, which is a part of a Convocation speaker series, and the Feminist Student Collective, which has meetings every other Tuesday in the WRC facilities. This week, Nov. 11 and 12,Alicia Cabaduzo is speaking as the Chosen Convocation speaker for the 2009 Anne Pederson WRC Koryne Horbal Lecture. Also this year, the WRC will sponsor the staging of The Vagina Monologues, a theatrical production that carries meaning of lasting importance for women and men alike: halting sexual violence. Because the profound message that radiates from The Vagina Monologues is a perfect mirror of the mission of V-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls, the performance will be a way for Augsburg to fight sexual violence on a world-wide scale. “The significance of The Vagina Monologues is the work it does for V-Day, which is in honor ofthe vagina to stop sexual violence and any violence against women," said Grant. “We will be doing the show on Valentine’s Day, because it is a day when women experience much violence.” According to VDAYorg, “the ‘V’ in V—Day stands for Victory, Valentine and Vagina." The production will look to Augsburg and the surrounding community for both cast and crew. All interested students are encouraged to audition on Nov. 16 and 18 from 7 pm. to 1] pm. To sign up for an audition time, refer to the sheets posted on the Tjomhom- Nelson Theater door in the Foss center, and visit the Women’s Resource Center for review scripts and more information. questions. This study of American pragmatics has inspired nin Volume CXVI, Issue 7 Upcoming Augsburg 7| Events ASAC Hop Night F riday Noe. 13 Augsburg Students Kovan Baldwin, Avery Winter, and lVlatt Thornton perform. 7:00pm., Student Lounge Student Government Weekly Meeting E very Wednesday Weekly meeting for Day Stu— dent Government 7:00p.m.. Century Room International Student Org. Environmentalflrt Exhibit Starts lWonday Nov. 16 l 1 :OOa.m., Christensen Center PETER MILLER Stafl Writer Larry Crockett teaches Computer Science and works in the Honors Department. He is also an Episcopal Priest. In his Honors 120 course, Scholar Citizen, students are en- gaged in a deep discussion of dividing disciplines: science and religion. “This is my 25th year at Augsburg and I have never been this excited about a project. And I see that same excitement in my students’ faces,” Crockett said. The dialogue between Science and Religion has been explored in a number of publications, but Crockett’s course will explore the idea of American pragmatism. “Pragmatism is the only uniquely American philoso- phy,” Crockett noted. As an American philosophy, Crock- ett’s students will focus on pragmatism from a Midwestern perspective. They will look at American Indian spirituality, African American philosophy, Darwinism, feminist writ- ings, and the Civil War. They will also read Louis Menand’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning book The Metaphysical Club and connect the idea of object-oriented computer programming. This interdisciplinary approach seeks to solve problems and releam the roots that established pragmatic teachings in the United States. “This is what it looks like to do frontline work on the science and religion dialogue. . .it’s about ask— ing questions of practice, behavior, not belief,” Crockett expressed. “It’s about trying to solve problems, not dis- covering truth,” he added. These questions revolve around how productively a community lives together, what good the community does, how to contribute to conversation. American Indian pragmatics has been one of the most helpful ways to view the discussion of religion and science. Pluralism, experience, teaching, and social cohesion are all tenets of American pragmatism that originated in American Indian communities. “They are principles that are closely linked to the Col— lege Mission: affirmation of multiple faiths, long history of internship, and commitment to the city. . .where experience is at least as important as the theory,” Crockett said. These connections are paramount in the project, a continuation of Augsburg’s dedication to experiential education and social justice. Crockett and his colleagues have already been awarded for developing courses in religion and science through the Templeton Foundation. The Foundation awards scientific inquiry and engaging study of the world’s most challenging Auggies as researc assistants and potentially many more. These students [will engage in rigorous study: “We will be recasting how we understand science in a revolutionary way.” Crockett said. This collaboration plans to develop an extensive research paper, followed by a book. For Augsburg, the science and religion de- bate will be cemented its future. The Center for Science, Business, and Religion is currently on display in the Oren Gateway Center lobby. Through intensive research, joint questioning, and practical Visioning, Augsburg has solidified itself in this collective conversation: building a community of problem solvers. Photo by Stephen Geftre Think before you print MELISSA MONSON Stafl Writer You log on to one of the many comput- ers on campus; however, you notice there is a little yellow window in the upper—right corner with a bunch of numbers in it. This little yellow window has each student’s or faculty’s usemame on the top, along with a counter on the number of pages they have left to print. The page-counter is all part of Augs— burg’s new printing policy. The policy was ofiicially put in place more than a month ago. on September 28. Yet, many students are unsure of why the policy was imple— mented in the first place. Dan Hoisington. manager of help desk Operations and student support in the infor- mation technology department (I.T.) explain the new changes. “[The goal is to] make people more aware of what they’re printing.” “In a typical academic year, students print about 1.7 million pages. If a quota had been [in] effect in the past, up to 600,000 of those pages might not have printed,” according to I.T.’s frequently asked questions (FAQ) webpage on the printing policy. This new policy allots for 500 units per student over the course of six months; and this particular number is explained on the FAQ webpage. “Campus printing was analyzed over the 2007-2008 and 2008—2009 academic years and the majority of students were under 500 pages in a single term.” One student, Senior Katie Walker, said, “I don’t really care. I feel neutral." Walker does think, however that the limit of 500 units is a good starting point. She thinks that paper usage should be ana- lyzed at the semester’s end to re-evaluate whether this number is a good limit or not. The page-counter is measuring in units and not pages as many might think, so it might be confiising to adjust to at first. The reason behind measuring in units instead of pages is because color and large-fomiat print—outs count as a higher quantity than just one page. One print-out in black-and-white is considered the standard unit. The large format print-outs such as 11x17 counts as two units, while printing color pages is 2.85 units. Lastly, a large format color print—out is worth 5.7 units. To help students remember these measurements, all campus printers have this information posted on them. Students should not worry about run— ning out of their 500 units. If students run out of paper, they can simply request an in- crease from the technology desk. They will increase a student’s quota by another 100 units. lfa student still surpasses that initial increase, they can contact the technology desk for another increase. Walker feels as if the policy will not make students think before printing because they know they can just ask for more paper. She thinks that students will only become conscious oftheir printing habits once they have less than 100 units remaining. Another effect of this system is that students and faculty must sign-in twice on the computers; once for the computer itself and a second time for the printer. Walker thinks this second log-on is a good idea in case you forgot to make final changes to your printing or so someone else doesn’t print stuff out with your name. Students now have to think twice before printing, because the units are counting down and they’re going fast. Show less
Friday, Novemr 13, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Page 5 You have a voice in Day Student Senate Dear Augsburg students, Ever want to see what the government looks like on a smaller scale? Ever want to see where your taxes go, I mean, your activity fee, you know, the one that... Show moreFriday, Novemr 13, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Page 5 You have a voice in Day Student Senate Dear Augsburg students, Ever want to see what the government looks like on a smaller scale? Ever want to see where your taxes go, I mean, your activity fee, you know, the one that costs you $90? Then you should come to the Student Government meetings that take place in OGC 100 on Wednes- days at 7:30 pm. If all else fails, check out the minutes I take on it every week on the Student Government web page. Yes, I am aware that it doesn’t sound like a good time, but I am also aware that you NEED to know how your money is spent. I sit in that meeting every Wednesday, and I swear, you need to know why, because of the possible uselessness of paying that astonishing amount in activity fees. You need to know what the money is going toward on campus, and you need to know what it is going to off campus. You can say you don’t care, I mean come on, when you are paying a college tuition, what is another $90 tossed into the mix, right? However, are you going to say the same thing when it’s thousands of dollars in the real world, and you don’t know what it is spent on? Trust me, you will hate that when you get out of college, so the best thing you can do is to start being involved now. Knowing where your money goes should be something that matters to you. It matters to me as I sit there and take notes on something you’re not even aware of. You have a voice; use it. That is why you were given the freedom of the right to speak, now use it. You should be aware of what is going on around campus, and if you don’t like it, do your best to change it. Come to a Day Student Government meeting and read my ‘minutes.’ Find out how, why, and where your money is being spent. You can also say, “Well I have representation, and I trust them.” That is all good and well, but if you choose not to say anything, then it’s the Senators’ own voice and opinions being heard, and not yours. How is that representation? Everyone on campus complains about something, but if you don’t tell the Senators, then you might as well not be speaking, because nothing will change, ever. Also, how would you feel, knowing that your money is being spent on something you don’t agree with, politically, emotionally, or mentally? Don’t you want to know what your senators are voting on, or even if they are bothering to vote at all? Don’t you want to know what the Day Student Government is trying to change on campus to make it better, or what programs they are funding, and which ones they aren’t? If you have answered yes to any of these questions, or actually care about what will affect you, come to a Day Student Government meeting. Better yet, if you feel like changes need to be made on campus, come and soapbox for them. Let the people in charge represent you accurately and completely, like the way it ought to be. Change can only be made if someone speaks, so speak up and be heard. Help make changes. It is not only your right, but your duty as well. And for the rest of you, who answered no to these questions, go along with your merry lives, letting life happen to you instead of being a part of it. All I have to say is, I hope you don’t ever vote until you are willing to take responsibility for what happens to you in the world. I Ashley Abbate Day Student Body Secretary At the Faculty meeting this week, the Faculty Senate representa- tives presented a new mission statement for the college. A committee of faculty, staff and student senators worked together to write the statement. Professor Lapakko presented an alternative to the proposed statement. Listed below are the current mission statement of Augs- burg College, as well as both of the proposed statements presented at the meeting. Voting on the issue was delayed until a new statement could be agreed upon in majority. The Echo would like all faculty, cavemen . W’l‘F Augsburg? ANDY MYERS Columnist Sometimes I just want to yell at some of the students here at Augsburg. WTF, WASH YOUR HANDS!!! For Christ’s sake wash your hands after using the bathroom, you disgusting deviant. Too many times have I gone into one of the public bathrooms around Augsburg’s campus only to witness another student finish urinating or (much worse) defecating and proceed to walk out of the bathroom, completely skipping the most important step. When you don’t wash your hands, you are completely compromising the health and sanitation of everyone else. Perhaps those of you who don’t wash your hands after going to the bathroom are too obtuse to understand what I am talking about. Haven’t you noticed the signs in many of the bathrooms that show you how to wash your hands? You must have gone to elementary school where they teach you how to wash your hands, regardless of what your parents taught you. There is almost always soap in the dispensers and paper towels to dry after- ward. Also, Augsburg has recently started providing hand sanitizer stations around campus, which is wonderful — thank you, and please put up more. Utilize these services and help keep the spread of diseases and viruses to a minimum. No, just rinsing your hands with water (hot or cold, doesn’t matter) does NOT count as washing your hands. You know that deep down in your heart that just rinsing does nothing. Also, on a similar topic, those hand dryers that attempt (and fail) to dry your hands by blowing air onto your hands are actually negating the washing process. Think about it: you are in a bathroom with fecal particles floating around in the air, and then you blow that same poop-ridden air at a high speed directly onto your supposedly clean hands, rendering your hands gross once again. I apologize if anyone is attempting to read this while eating, but guess what, if you didn't wash your hands the last time you used the bathroom, you are most likely eating something you don’t want to. That’s right, thinking about bathrooms and what transpires in toilets is foul and sickening, but somebody needs to say it. Next time I see someone just walk out, I am calling that man out on it. Consider yourselves warned, all you uncivilized Concerning the proposed mission statement staff and especially students to send in responses and suggestions for a new statement to reflect Augsburg’s role now and in the future. CURRENT MISSION STATEMENT To nurture future leaders in service to the world by providing high quality educational opportunities, which are based in the liberal arts and shaped by the faith and values of the Christian church, by the context of a vital metropolitan setting, and by an intentionally diverse campus community. PROPOSED MISSION STATEMENT Proposed by President Pribbenow and the Faculty Senate Augsburg is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, located in thriving urban neighborhoods in Minneapolis and around the world, serving students of diverse backgrounds and expe- riences through a broad range of academic program, and committed to excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies. Augsburg educates students to think critically, serve faithfully, lead effectively, and live as informed, responsible citizens. PROPOSED MISSION STATEMENT Proposed by Professor Lapalrko Augsburg College serves students of diverse backgrounds and experiences through a broad range of programs that promote excel- lence in the liberal arts and professional studies. Augsburg educates students to think critically, serve meaningfully, lead effectively, and live as informed, responsible citizens. Augsburg’s local and global mission is shaped by its urban location. its engagement with the broader community, and its commitment to the ideals of Christian faith. Please send any responses or suggestionsfor change to the mission statement to echo@xzugsburg.edu or Campus Box. 148. “. PHIL ADAMO Associate Professor of History “Augsburg is a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, located in thriving urban neigh— borhoods in Minneapolis and around the world, serving students of diverse backgrounds and experi- ences through a broad range of academic programs, and committed to excellence in the liberal arts and professional studies. Augsburg educates students to think critically, serve faithfully, lead eflectively, and live as informed, responsible citizens.” It has been the mission of President Pribbenow for some time to revise Augsburg’s mission statement. There are those who have long thought this necessary. Others oppose such change. The proposed mission statement, above, has many elements that speak in its favor, but also has room for improvement. Here are some of its positive attributes: It locates Augsburg within the ELCA. This is a change from the current mission’s language that speaks of education “shaped by the faith and values of the Christian Church.” The sentiment behind the current language is good, but too vague. Which values? Of which Christian Church? The one that opposes a woman’s right to choose? The one that op- poses gay rights? By being specific about the ELCA, the proposed mission statement clearly associates the College with one of the most progressive denomina— tions in the world, a denomination that is intentionally becoming be more open and inclusive. To me, this seems like a good thing. The proposed mission statement finally acknowl- edges the importance of professional studies on our campus, without losing the College’s cornmitment to the liberal arts. In fact, I would argue that the “outcomes” set forth in the proposed mission state- mentfito “think critically, serve faithfully,” etc—are all still based in the liberal arts, though these outcomes may certainly be honed through professional studies, I also like that the proposed mission statement commits the College to excellence. Some will find this too ambitious, or impossible to measure. To those modest militants, I say, relax and enjoy the ride. One thing the current mission statement has that is missing in the proposed version, is the language of “an intentionally diverse campus community.” The “intentionality” of that desire is what brought us to our most diverse incoming class in the College’s history—42 percents students of color! “Serving students of diverse backgrounds and experiences” doesn’t seem quite as powerful as “intentionally diverse.” Indeed, the idea of “serving” students is itself problematic. We are not McDonald’s, with “billions and billions served.” We (faculty and staff alike) teach our students. We educate them. That is our specific form of service, and we should be specific in claiming it. These are just my thoughts. Agree or disagree. The good news is that there appears to be openness in the Administration to engage the Faculty in a real conversation on this issue. We should not let this opportunity at shared governance pass us by. The Faculty Senate moodle site has a forum for this topic on which Faculty can post their opinions. And there will be other chances to share your views. Take them. Finally, we must not forget the most important aspect of all: it isn’t what the mission says that mat— ters, but how we live it out. More on that, next week. Show less
Page 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota Nursing department awaits rey on accreditation Sm KLEMP Stafl Writer Recently, Augsburg‘s nursing department was evalu- ated for reaccreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, CCNE. The department also proposed to the Higher Learning... Show morePage 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota Nursing department awaits rey on accreditation Sm KLEMP Stafl Writer Recently, Augsburg‘s nursing department was evalu- ated for reaccreditation by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, CCNE. The department also proposed to the Higher Learning Commission that a Doctor of Nurs- ing Practice, DNP, program be added to its graduate degree offerings. According to a document requesting for the proposed accreditation and addition to the department, the DNP was applied for in March of 2009 and will concentrate on advanced transcultural nursing leadership and com- munity health across care systems and care settings. Once approved, the DNP will first allow registered nurses who hold a master’s degree in nursing to pursue the degree. By 2015, a Baccalaureate to DNP degree process is proposed to become available to students. The nursing department is currently waiting on a reply from the committee. Also in March, 2009, the BSN was examined for reaccreditation by the CCNE. The BSN has been a de- gree ofi‘ering at Augsburg for more than thirty years and, according to the DNP accreditation report, it has become the most popular major pursued by Augsburg for Adults, Weekend and Evening, WEC, college, and Rochester cam- pus students. The degree was created in 1974, and was accredited by the National League for Nursing Accrediting Commission, NLNAC, from 1984 to 2004. The program was again accredited in October, 2004 by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, CCNE. The program was then revaluated by the CCNE for reaccreditation last March and is also waiting on a reply from the commission. , November 13, 2009 Currently, Augsburg’s nursing department ofl‘ers two majors: the BSN and the Master of Arts in Nursing, MAN. The MAN was first established and accreditated by the CCNE in 1997 and was reaccredited in 2007. The CCNE is an independent accrediting agency that evaluates the quality and efi‘ectiveness of baccalaureate and graduate degree nursing programs. The commission accredits degree offerings by examining several aspects of Augsburg‘s nursing department, including faculty, resources and course curriculums. According to the Encyclopedia of Education, accreditation is a process vital to the integrity of any degree program. Organizations including and similar to the CCNE evaluate programs based on their progress to reach desired goals and their improvement activity. Strommen and Sabo centers expand MELISSA MONSON Stafi Writer If you see construction on the Augsburg campus in the following months, it is because the campus is expanding. President Paul Pribbenow just announced the creation of the Clair and Gladys Strommen Center (Strommen Center) as well as the expansion of the Martin Olav Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning (Sabo Center). The Strommen Center, according to Pribbenow’s announcement on Augsburg‘s website, “will recognize Mr. and Mrs. Strommen’s personal commitment to creating meaning and purpose in work and life.” The Strommen Center is one of four Centers of Commitment at the college; the other three are Sabo Center, Center for Global Education, and the Augsburg Center for Faith and Learning. The Center for Service, Work, and Learning (CSWL) will be re— located from the lower level of Anderson Hall to the Strommen Center once it’s built. This new building will give the CSWL greater visibility to students and staff. The expanded Sabo Center will serve as the new location for service-leaming programs currently ofiered through the CSWL, such as community garden and Campus Kitchen. The Sabo Center will also be the new home to the Center for Democracy and Citizenship, Minnesota Urban Debate League, Minnesota High School Mathematics League and Community Relations. These exciting new changes to campus started construction No- vember 1. Augsburg College Echo Fall 2009 Staff Molly Ehling Sergio Monterrubio Becki Iverson Molly Ehling Malena Thoson Becki lverson W 'tor Andrea Sanow Ted Conover mm P o ‘ r Dave Madsen Kendra Christiansen i i n itori s it I Advems' ing Manager Roger Huelsnirz Sarah Gillund Sports Editor Eggulgy Adviser Ed Shehwen Boyd Koehler 731 21st Avenue 5, CB 148 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454 Tips — echotips@gmail.com Fax - (612) 330—1666 E—mail — echo@augsburg.edu Phone — (612) 330-1102 The Augburg Echo is published each Friday — except during vacation periods and holidays — by the students of Augsburg College. Opinions expressed in the Echo are those of the authors and do not necmarily reflect those of the supporting staff, administration. faculty. alumni/3e or die remainder of the students. The Echo does not necessarily promote the products or services it advertises. Advertisements can be placed in the Echo by contacting the advertising manager. Submissions are welcome and can be sent to echo@augsburg.edu. All submisp sions should be between 500-700 words and accompanied by the writer’s name and contact infonmtion. All submissions become the property of the Echo and are subject to revision. The Echo reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limita- tions. repetitive subject matter. libelous content or any other reason the editors deem appropriate. Printed by Print Group Midwest on recycled paper. Redefinition: Hate crime ION PETERSON Stafi Writer A controversial piece of legis- lation concerning a broader defini- tion for hate crime acts was signed on the President’s desk last week. The “Matthew Shepard/James Bird Hate Crimes Bill” expands the definition of a hate crime from merely race, religion, and ethnicity to include sexual orientation and gender identity. The bill was passed 68-29 votes in the Senate and was in- cluded in a $680 billion National Defense Authorization Act. The law will be limited only to violent acts due to bias; other non—violent acts will not be included with the legislation. The persons for whom the bill is named were both victims of hate crime in 1998. Matthew Shepard was kidnapped, tied to a fence and beaten to death and James Bird was dragged behind a car. Both were killed because of sexual orientation and race respectively. “A hate crime is a criminal act against someone based on that individual’s background with the intention of targeting an entire group,” according to Michael Grewe, director of Augsburg College’s Queer and Straight in Unity (QSU) and Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender, Question- ing, Inter-sex, Asexual Services (LGBTQIA). Nationwide sexual orientation hate crime has increased in recent years according to the National Coalition of Anti—Violence Pro- grams (NCAVP). According to a recent article concerning hate crimes from CNN, “more than 77,000 hate crime incidents were reported by the FBI between 1998 and 2007 or ‘nearly one hate crime for every hour of every day over the span of a decade,’ Holder told the Senate Judiciary Committee in June.” Minnesota has seen a 48 per- cent increase in hate crime just from last year according to the Minnesota Independent. Accord- ing to the NCAVP, the percentage of hate crimes based on sexual orientation has increased by 15 percent in Minnesota. With the F.B.I. data, there arise is- sues with labeling. The problem is that individual state statutes have varying interpretations of a hate crime. Some states, like Wyoming and Michigan, have no hate crime laws at all. Minnesota doesn’t have a “hate crimes” law per se, al- though the state legislature has, in recent years, created a law treating discrimination— based offenses much more seri- ously. Grewe believed that Minnesota has been a pio— neer in creat- ing inclusive legislation and m cm W D US. 1991sz ' moreover Augs— burg is one of the few liberal arts schools to offer services to lesbian, gay and transsexual students. Sexual Ori- entation hate crime deaths have increased nationally by 28 percent in 2008 according to the NCAVP. “There is deep-rooted sexism, ableism, and racism in our culture and dominant culture maintains the status quo,” said Grewe. Grewe then recalled a time when a fiiend of his was beaten on a metro transit bus Simply for expressing his gen- der and identity as a homosexual. Over the last decade, both Minnesota and the US. have seen a decrease in hate crimes per cap- ita. The most substantial of these thus far is the 25 percent decrease for 2007 hate crimes per capita, nationwide. Per-capita hate crimes in Minnesota have been slowly declining since the 2001 spike. This increase in hate crimes were certainly experienced nationwide as hate crimes per capita rose 20 percent that year. The FBI. has not yet released the Hate Crime figures for 2008, but according to the NCAVP, there was a 43 percent increase. There were 255 incidents of hate crime in Minnesota in 2008 as opposed to the 144 the previous year. AS a whole, Minnesota has kept in line with the national aver- age of hate crimes per capita with the exception of 1998 when the state saw more than double the amount of hate crimes per capita than the national average. This was the same year as the two men for whom the legislation is named were murdered. Although, the national aver- age consistently falls right around four hate crimes per capita, Public Policy Research Fellow Rebecca Stotzer’s research shows that more than double and ofien three times that many individuals have per— ceived themselves as a victim of a hate crime, Jews and LGBT folks (predominantly men) being the highest. According to the NCAVP, “incidents occurring in or around private residences constituted the most fi'equent site of anti-LGBT bias, approximately 32 percent.” Often, the actual percentage of hate crime does not get reported. Of the hate crimes committed in the United States in 2007, the NCAVP found that roughly a third of them were reported to police. While there has been a nationwide decrease in hate crime the last two years on F.B.I. record (2006 and 2007), there was an increase in ethnic and religiously motivated crime in Minneapolis. Minneapolis has seen ethni- cally, disability and religiously motivated hate crimes remain tightly coupled phenomena that are currently decreasing according to the latest F.B.I. figures. Crimes that involve racial and sexual orientation are also are coupled and are increasing steadily. For Minneapolis, this data appears to be aligned with the rise both statewide and nationally. For many, the new legislation has meant a milestone for an ongo- ing civil rights movement. There are those hopeful that the legisla- tion will provide more overall equality for those marginalized due to gender identity and sexual orientation. When asked about a solution to the problem of prejudice both at Augsburg and beyond, Grewe stated, “I think that it requires edu- cation, and we need to encourage the creation of safe environments for everyone. It involves being transparent and being open when hate crimes do occur.” Proponents of the legislation believe this is a giant step forward in improving the rights of those oppressed because of their gender and sexual identities. Obama’s campaign focused on supporting full civil unions and federal rights for LGBT couples. Obama has also opposed a ban on same-sex marriage. Since January, Obama has also made social justice one of his main prerogatives. The president signed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to address the problem of payment discrimination for mar- ginalized demographics including women. Obama is also seeking to expand the Civil Rights agency within the Department of Justice. .mr‘.~...:_ .. ; Show less
Friday, October 2, 2009 Siosi I I I rocks worship PETER MILLER ' Stqfi' Writer Symbiosis means living to- gether, mutually contributing to the support of another. At Augs- burg, on Wednesday nights or during Chapel, Symbiosis rocks. As an experienced group of wor- ship leaders, Symbiosis combines... Show moreFriday, October 2, 2009 Siosi I I I rocks worship PETER MILLER ' Stqfi' Writer Symbiosis means living to- gether, mutually contributing to the support of another. At Augs- burg, on Wednesday nights or during Chapel, Symbiosis rocks. As an experienced group of wor- ship leaders, Symbiosis combines music, artistry, and prayer, 3 sem- blance of contemporary praise and Christian expression. For Matt Fisher, guitarist and vocalist in the band, introducing this new style of worship to the Augsburg community reflects an innate passion for harmony: “Music is a way to reveal who God really is...it is as innate in human beings as language.” This is the heartbeat of students living, learning, and supporting each other. As Auggie musicians and Christians, Symbiosis provides an opportunity to serve and com- municate their crafi. “As a band we all want to bring people to God,” said Tony Lovass, drummer and vocalistist. Lovass has been playing in worship bands since he was thirteen. The youth director at Tony’s church introduced him to the drums. He has also been involved with different forms of secular music. “Mainstream music is influ- ential to worship music, but you don’t have to play music to live the ‘rock-star’ life. Music also furthers your relationship with God...it connects the heart to God,” Lovass said. Fisher also believes that wor— ship music is a way that students are fulfilled by God: “A lot of college students are looking for something and they are trying to fill that void in many ways. The best way that I know how to fill that void is through Christ and that is our hope and prayer.” Through a connection to Christ and the inherent nature of music, Auggies are exposed to “the relevancy of a relationship with God, what that looks like. . .it is familiar, to dance to, to sing to, to pour their hearts into,” Fisher expressed. “It is a transcendent thing,” he added. Afier starting last year and practicing together, Symbiosis has worked with a conglomerate of talented Auggies. Becky Sha- heen, Erika Osterbur, Seth Lien- ard, Jonathon Gabhart, Stephanie Korfe, Michael Buller, Spencer Miller, and Caitlyn Schmit have all participated in the liturgical leadership. This emphasis on involve- ment is not an accident. Symbiosis wants to incorporate a polyphony of Auggie voices and gifts: “We want to add many more elements in our worship, including different forms of art, graphics, film, and drama,” Fisher said. For the future of the hand, there is also a sense of calling: “We would like to get to the point where Symbiosis is more than a band, something more constant. . . as Christians, it is our calling to provide a worship setting that is open to the love of God,” Fisher noted. This openness reflects the mission of the College, to be filled with the resonating tones of grace, to sing and serve our neighbors, to feed hearts and feed the hungry. Now that’s a beat Auggies can clap to, a common facet of Sym- biosis’ rhythmic overtones. As the drummer, Lovass senses the rising clash of flesh and fingers, the beat from the Auggie congregation: “I like when people clap along on the 2/4; they’re all involved in the song.” To get involved, you can find Symbiosis at Wednesday Night Communion, which starts at 9:09 pm, in Chapel, Monday, Wednes- day, and Friday at 10:20 am, and Tuesday and Thursday at 11:20 am, or on Facebook. Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 7 VARIETY Mt. Fuji: sushi worth the jaunt to ION CHRASTEK Columnist Let me be honest, I love sushi. So when my girlfriend and I saw this new restaurant in Uptown, we thought we would give it a try. Mt. Fuji is on Hennepin near the intersection with 28th street. 1 went to dinner with my girlfriend and her mom. We arrived and the first thing I noticed was how empty the restaurant was. We arrived at around 6:30 pm. and the place was almost empty except for one large group rightnext to the window. We entered though the bar and were directed to seats near the sushi bar. The décor was very modern and Japanese. This makes sense for a Japanese restaurant. My favorite part was the TV screens, which were all showing Japanese TV shows. The best part were the commercials for all sorts of strange things. I ordered hibachi shrimp, which came with hot and sour soup and my girlfriend and her mother got a whole bunch of different types of sushi rolls. The food ar- rived rather quickly. My soup was not as hot as I hoped and was a little too sour. But Katie disagreed; she thought it was very good. Ap- parently she is more experienced in the hot and sour soup department than myself. A short time after my appetizer came, the sushi rolls ar- rived at our table. The rolls were neatly arranged on the serving platter with very nice presentation. Their asparagus role was plain but good. The spicy California roll was amazing. It was a blend of spices and fish that went together very well. Next was the salmon cucumber roll, which was, as one might expect afier eating the California roll, amazing as well. It had a perfect salmon and cucumber texture and flavor. Finally, there was the vegetable role. It was very Uptown subtle on differentiating the differ- ent vegetables but overall was very good. Shortly after all of that, my hibachi shrimp arrived. Oh, I should have mentioned this, but I didn‘t know what hibachi was before I ordered it; it was on the happy hour menu and I thought “why not?” I was told it was grilled or something or other. What I got was amazing! It seemed to be stir-fried shrimp with cucumbers and mushrooms and a side of fried-rice. There were also two different dipping sauceseappar- ently homemade, our waitress said—and a sweet and sour type of thing. Neither was what I ex- pected. The sweet and sour was less than exciting, but the other one was definitely worth writing home about, especially when mixed with the fried rice. So we finished most every- thing and were still kind of hungry so we decided to get some more food. We got two more rather large rolls: Japanese Dream (a shrimpy- thingy-jobber) and Pink Leopard (spicy crab). The Japanese Dream came first. It was a tempura-style roll drizzled with a sweet sauce, very tasty and original, the tempura crunchiness of the outside added a new dimension to the roll. The Pink Leopard was an equal adven- ture. It was presented beautifiilly wrapped in pink soybean paper. Its spicy crab and cool avocado and cucumber added texture to an already flavorful roll. Overall it was very good. We got there during happy hour so every thing was almost half off. At these kinds ofprices you might think that the rolls aren’t as good as other more expensive sushi places, but you'd be mistaken. So what it comes down to a very good, cheap. but kind of far away sushi restaurant. An experience that lasts a lifetime SHANNON BACKES Contributor Nothing is out of reach. A few years ago I would have never seen myself leaving my home to travel abroad. It’s so easy to get stuck in a routine and ignore the urges to see the world. ously unfamiliar with: one week of class, then an exam. Initially, I was nervous that this would put too much pressure on me to perform well on the few graded assignments. However, we were able to focus on one course at a time instead of a plethora of information being drawn out over weeks of lectures. We were provided with condensed material allowing little time for us to forget any subject matter. The exams proved to be challenging, but not overbearing. All 36 students in the program (half Germans, half internationals) were able to work together on projects and review for exams, which provided much relief for those not native to the English However, I found myself unable to suppress the desire to experience something new, something exciting, which led me to study abroad meet- ings in Murphy Place. tThis is where I first heard about International Partners and the Duale Hochschule Baden-Wiirttemberg Mosbach (DHBW Mosbach). They offered classes that were preap- proved to transfer back home and would count toward my major. It was a program designed specially for international students so I knew I wouldn‘t find myself lost on a big campus in a foreign country. It didn‘t take me long to realize that Mosbach. Germany would be my new home for four months. The courses in Germany were scheduled in modules that I was previ- Photo submitted by: Shannon 3. language. Although the courses were beneficial for my educational career, the relationships I made were far more rewarding. Students from all over the world united under one program. Native countries included: Finland, Slovenia, France, Russia, Singapore, Hungary, England. America, and Germany. We quickly realized that we had much in common and friendships arose almost immediately. The Junior Program at DHBW Mosbach allowed the students to immerse themselves not only in the German culture, but multiple backgrounds. An entire day was put aside solely for the purpose of See ABROAD, page 8 A-LIST MALENA Tucson Aé-E Editor Theater Macbeth MetER/politan StateCUniver- sr innea 0 18 am us) \thtney F mg Arts Ceriier, Sta edoor Theater Nov. 1 -14, Nov. 20-21 — 7PM Nov. 14, 21 — 2PM Matinee Tickets: $5 612-659-7222 1424 Yale Place, Minneapolis www.metrostate.edu The Seafarer The Jungle Theatre Nov. 13 throu h Dec. 20 Tue-Thur. :30PM Fri-Sat. 8PM, Sun. 2PM 2951 Lyndale Ave S, Min- nea olis 612-8 2—4002 Ticket prices vary (student discount avail.) Rush tickets $10 off www.jungletheater.com Music Greater Twin Cities Youth Symphonies Fall Festival Orchestra Hall Sunday, Nov. 8, 2:00pm 1111 Nicollet Mall, Min- nea olis 612-3 1-5656 Tickets: $13-16 www.minnesotaorchestra. org Film Series The People’s Republic of Cinema: 60 Years of China on Film Walker Art Center November 4-23 This weekend: Crows and Sparrows (Wuya Yu Maque) Directed by Zhen Junli Friday, Nov. 6, 7: 0PM Little Red Flowers (Kan Shang Qu Hen Mei) Directed b Zhan Yuan Saturday, 0v. 7, :30PM The Red Detachment of Women (Hongse Nian zi Jury Collectively irecte Sunday, Nov. 8, 3:00PM 1750 Hennepin Ave, Min- nea OllS Tickets: $8p($6 Walker members) www.walkcrart.org To write/Or A &l:' ('onlar‘l Malena Thoson al thoson (cgaugshurg. edu Show less
Page 8 Minneapolis, Minnesota THE BACK PAGE Auggie at a Glance: ' Whitney Pratt Anson RAPP Columnist Born in Landstuhl, Germany to parents stationed at the Ramstein Air Force Base, Whitney Pratt has lived an extraordinary life. At three, Pratt moved to Oslo, Norway; two years later, she moved to... Show morePage 8 Minneapolis, Minnesota THE BACK PAGE Auggie at a Glance: ' Whitney Pratt Anson RAPP Columnist Born in Landstuhl, Germany to parents stationed at the Ramstein Air Force Base, Whitney Pratt has lived an extraordinary life. At three, Pratt moved to Oslo, Norway; two years later, she moved to Stavanger (on the opposite Norwegian coast). After Stavanger (where her dad worked for NATO), she moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, then finally, to Mitchell, South Dakota. Initially, Pratt was home schooled, but upon entering sixth grade, she entered the Mitchell Public School system. “I hated it with my whole heart. I wasn’t a fan of having a structured day,” said Pratt. Lucky for Pratt, the “typi- cal” educational experience didn’t last long. Her senior year, Pratt was a foreign exchange student in Sweden, studying math and science at Uddevalla Gymnaseiskola. When asked why she picked Augsburg, Pratt said, “I originally didn’t want to look at Augsburg, but my mom convinced me to. So I visited campus, and I instantly knew I wanted to come here. I liked Coach Patilla, and Brenda [Hemmingson] really made me feel at home. I felt comfortable.” Now a third—year Economics major in the Honors Program, Pratt is most heavily involved in the Reserve Officer Training Corps (better known as the ROTC). Her first and second years were spent in the GMC, or General Military Course, learning the proper ways to wear her uniform and appropriate methods of communication within the armed services: “It was basically an introduction to the Air F orce, along with a course on history,” said Pratt. The summer afier her sophomore year, Pratt attended field training, which she describes as “a lot of yelling and screaming. It’s an evaluation of how well you can lead and follow under pressure.” Now, Pratt leads as a “Flight Commander,” helping first and second-year cadets learn the ropes. When she graduates, Pratt hopes to attend undergraduate pilot training to fly fighter jets. If her application is accepted, and she completes her training, she’ll be required to devote another ten years of her life to the armed services as a pilot—~preferably, as Pratt explained, working with NATO. “Afier I graduate [from Augsburg], my first vacation might not be a vacation,” Pratt said. But she assured me it was what she wants to do. “Once you have military in your blood, it’s really hard to get it out of you. . .you get the ‘three-year itch. . . ”’ Pratt, afier discussing her personal experiences with the ROTC, wanted to debunk some mis- conceptions about the military: “We’re not war—mongers. I‘m not in it to go to war. We do a lot of infrastructure building, setting up clean water sources. . .We believe we should leave a place cleaner Music Professor Frida , October 2, 2009 \ Milenkovic at Dakota Late Night JON PETERSON Contributor Unless you have taken “Worlds of Music” for a fine arts credit or have taken “Improvisa- tion” as a Music Major or Minor, you may not be familiar with the name Vladan Milenkovic. Originally from Serbia via Berkley College of Music in Bos- ton and Northern Iowa University, “Vlad” (as he is called for short) is gaining important recognition within the local Twin Cities music scene as a progressive pianist and composer. Milenkovic played this past Saturday evening at the Dakota Jazz Club with saxophone virtuoso Chris Merz, who has toured with top names like the legendary Dave Brubeck. Seldom does the Dakota book late night shows that feature simply a woodwinds and keys combo, but the enigmatic duo charged through several charts in a tour-de-force meddling of elec— tronic and acoustic elements. than it was when we arrived. The military is not a wing—~we’re neutral that way." Pratt’s advice for Auggies included: “Work hard and follow your dreams. I know that’s what a lot of people say, but I mean it. There’s nothing you can’t do if you put your mind to it.” Obviously, Pratt has had no trouble doing just that. political machine. It’s not left-wing or right- Curiously, to accentuate the Dakota’s gorgeous Steinway and Son’s concert grand piano, Milen- kovic came equipped with effects pedals and a low-octave electronic keyboard that looked more like a children’s toy than any sort of instrument for playing jazz music. Needless to say, the creative col- laboration was “unconventional” as Vlad’s exploratory and imagi- native imagery met with Merz’ exceptional sense of melody. Ambitious numbers like Milenkovic’s “Waterlands” incor- porated both raucous and benign soundscapes whi_le essentially staying true to thoughtful articu- lation and emotionally driven character. Milenkovic added some interesting flavor to the same old jazz ballad with multi-dimensional compositions that were as thought- fiilly eclectic as they were highly experimental. Playful and colorful songs like “Beats and Crickets” were intricately woven but still grooved hard and swung steady. The exciting synergy clanged, buzzed, hollered and appeased, as high-powered solos met electronic back-beats. Perhaps most remark- able were the nuanced multi-cul- tural aspects within Vlad’s sound for an ending result as ambient and unique as it was thoroughly enjoyable. G O V E R N M E N A B A F D T C X S 2 W O C O N E S T Y F O L R O A E W K R H U P W O C V 0 U R O N S L C A P l A L l S M F S N O N S N C Y Y O E K G U F V X U D T O T O I A l L F R E E D O M U Q l A H l l T H F l l U l S D U R P N N N E T T R Z Z U T C A P l T A L G E K U A A X l S H O O B Q U S G F S P L A W S C T T N H L C R C O A l R l S l V T S I N G P S O H X T E E O I Q U 0 B C M R | E Z N B H H S N G H N D Y E G E E L P K I G E M | E S R B G M 0. P F 0 L E R D L D H E C E L L M E M E N D M | L P O E P P E K E Government Constitution Senator Reps Amendments Founding Fa- Honor Laws Freedom thers President Capital Citizens Congress Honesty Chief Speaker of the Truth Legislations US OfA House Politics Colonies Bill Judge Capitalism Justice ABROAD, page 7 presenting one’s native culture to the rest of the class. We shared food from our home countries and tasted other dishes. The Junior Program was meant to provide students with knowledge of business skills. but the faculty and staff also supported cross culture learning and the opportunity to learn outside of the classroom. Because of this. we were able to embark on class trips including a weekend in Berlin, a tour at the Audi car plant. and a day in Adventure Park (ropes course). The college. enabling all students to participate. paid for most things. Although we spent time in class together on a daily basis. those excur— sions allowed us to get to know each other more personally and more impor— tantly; we had a lot of fun! I can honestly say that my decision to study abroad was the best decision I have ever made. Not only did I improve my knowledge of the German culture and language, but also I learned about many other parts of the world, which I had not anticipated. The semester flew by and now I have friends scattered over thousands of miles. My encounter with DHBW Mosbach altered my outlook on life and I will never forget the relation- ships that were a result from the pro- gram. I thought studying abroad would be fun. but I didn’t realize it would be a life changing experience. If you too wish to continue your education outside of US borders. be sure to stop by Murphy Place or even send me an email. I would be happy to help out. ‘HOROSCOPES J.E.R.K. (JAMIE KRUMENAUER, EMILY PETERSON, RESHA ALBRECHT, KELLY DAUGHERTY) Contributors If your birthday is this week: We are sincerely apologetic that your birthday had to fall on the week that Glee was cancelled for the second time in a row. Damn those Yankees... Aries (Mar. 21 — Apr. 19): Wondering what’sfor lunch this week? So are we! Turns out it is Chef’s Choice every day this week.. . Again... Taurus (Apr. 20 — May 20): A Christmas Carol comes out today! It’s the same epic tale, only with Jim Currey and 3D glasses. Be prepared to be amazed, or simply nauseous. Gemini (May 21 — Jun. 21): Curious as to why you have been one hour late to every event this week? Note to self: Daylight savings time was on Sunday... get with the times. Literally. Cancer (Jun. 22 — Jul. 22): This JUST in - Augsburg residence heating does not work properly. Shocking, no? Leo (Jul. 23 — Aug. 22): Are youjust a small town girl? Living in a lonely world? We suggest taking the midnight train to anywhere. Virgo (Aug. 23 — Sep. 22): Campus squirrels are scampering around like the ra- bust creatures they truly are. Beware, for they are known to hide in unsuspecting vehicles. Next time you start your car and smell something strange... it wasn’t your passenger passing gas. .. Libra (Sep. 23 — Oct. 23): Looking for another way to use that 45-dollar costume you bought for Halloween? Chippendale Auditions are bound to come to the Twin Cities any day now! In the meantime, you can always wear it to Nana’s 90th birthday party. Not like she’s getting her vision back any time soon. Scorpio (Oct. 24 — Nov. 21 ): It’s oflicially November! Nine out often college stu— dents can’t tell the di erence. Sagittarius (Nov. 22 — Dec. 21 ): Team Kate or Team Edward? Your move, Holy man. Whats with all this “Team (Insert Name)” business anyway? What kind of individualistic culture are we?! Capricorn (Dec. 22 — Jan. 19): If you know what “Doro Wat” is, in terms of “World Flavors,” please email moldy_bean_water@hotmail.corn. Tell them JERK sent you. Aquarius (Jan. 20 — Feb. 18.): Eczema flourishing from the colder weather? We hear your mom has some great cream that works some serious magic... Pisces (Feb. 19 — Mar. 20): REDRUM! REDRUM! Tony told us to do it... Oh, here comes Johnny! Show less
Page 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota ’Undies Run’ for a good cause LUCIA GAYOSO Contributor After a successful test try, Augsburg’s team of cross-country runners is already organizing the second Undies Run. The athletes define the Un— dies Run as both a fund-raiser with a good cause, and an event... Show morePage 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota ’Undies Run’ for a good cause LUCIA GAYOSO Contributor After a successful test try, Augsburg’s team of cross-country runners is already organizing the second Undies Run. The athletes define the Un— dies Run as both a fund-raiser with a good cause, and an event to promote school spirit. The run will most likely take place in the spring semester, before finals. The task is to bring clothes for donation to a gathering spot somewhere on Augsburg’s campus. Then, the participants have to take off their clothes and run in underwear sur- rounding Augsburg’s campus, all the way back to the starting point. The first Undies Run took place on Satruday, Oct. 3 during Homecoming Weekend. A group of people. most of them athletes, brought clothes for donation to the Kennedy Center. Then, despite the weather (the temperature was 40 degrees), they took off their own clothes and ran all around campus. Everybody bought special underwear just for the occasion. Victor Sanchez bought Buzz Lightyear boxers. and Anthony Fremling bought Spidennan box- ers. Some even wore revealing undies. The athletes went to buy the underpants at Target. They wanted to get the funny boxers with cartoons, so they had to go to the kid’s section, and the undies were way too small. Target does not have underpants with cartoons and funny designs for grownups. The athletes said they think this is really unfortunate. After the run, Anthony F rem- ling took the clothes to Free Port Family Center. He delivered over 50 articles of clothing, and he said the members were “pretty happy" when they saw the pile. The members of the center asked Anthony Fremling how they got the clothes. But he did not want to get into details. He just said it was a “school fundraiser.” The idea came from the residents of Apartment 208, on the second floor of Mortensen Hall. The athletes’ source of inspi- ration was a TV program called Greek, a fictional show about college life, students, fratemities and some sororities. They saw an episode where a sorority did not want to do the run in underwear because they found it demeaning. In the end, they resolved to turn the er into a fundraiser to justify it and make it more meaningful. Aficr that, the cross-country runners started joking about doing the same thing. Anthony Frem- ling, one of the creators behind the event, was the first one to talk about it seriously. As Ben- jamin Rodrigues, his roommate, revealed, Anthony woke up one morning and said, “You know, we could actually do this. We could actually make this work.” The first run in underwear was a success, but not many people on campus knew about it. So, next time the athletes are planning to advertise it better. They plan to make a Facebook group and ad- vertise the run all around campus through posters or other devices. Benjamin Rodriguez insisted that everybody should do it because “there is nothing wrong about it; it’s not illegal because you are wearing basically thcgsame thing you wear at a beach. The worst they could do is tell us not to do it again. It was really fun. It was kind of to be goofy and silly and just do something that you would never do ordinarily, and to do it for a good cause it just gives a good feeling.” The athletes have high expec- tations for the future of the Undies Run. They want it to become an Augsburg tradition. Benjamin explained “we are going to be here for two more years after this year. Hopefully by then, by our senior year, there will be like a hard set tradition, and people will be doing it for years to come, and plenty of people will be doing it with us, not just the cross-country in track team, just everyone.” \vk. a» Hector Berioz — “Opium is one hell of a drug” ANDY MYERS Columnist I’ll be honest — I’ve never taken any hallucinogenic drugs. Hector Berlioz ’s Symphonic F an- tastique (1830) is one hell of a trip though. Literally. In the program notes for the fourth movement, “Marche au supplice” (The Pro- cession to the Stake), Berlioz describes the movement: “Con- vinced that his love is spurned, the artist poisons himself with opium...” The wonderful and insane music of the fourth move— ment of Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique cannot be tamed by a simple article from a simple listener, but I will try to point out some of the obvious and hidden treasures this piece has to offer. Right away at the start of the movement there is already something unusual — there are two timpanists playing together. On top of that, the score states that “the first quaver (eighth note) of each half-bar to be played with two drum-sticks; the other five quavers with the right hand” which is not only unusual but also fairly awkward for a timpanist if the conductor pushes the tempo beyond the recommended half- note=72 beats per minute (that’s the equivalent of clapping your hands six times in just under one second; try that and tell me it’s not awkward at first). The quiet dynamics and repeated phrase in the winds and contrabasso (upright bass) immediately giVes this piece a foreboding feeling. The piece marches on and the main character of Berlioz’s symphony is horrified to discover that he has killed his one true love and is now being condemned to death. Modifying a classic Chap- pclle’s Show quote, “[Opium] is a hell of a drug.” As the main character is marching toward the scaffold amidst a jeering crowd, he is overtaken with a sense of helplessness, caught in his own nightmare. The music alternates between the somber march and the character’s chaotic thoughts without any sense of casual transi- tion; rather, it abruptly jumps from calm pizzicato (plucked) strings and soft arco (using the bow) to loud horn fanfares and booming timpani. Just before the character is about to be executed, the love theme that haunts him from the first movement of the symphony is heard from a lone clarinet. This brief reminiscence of his fleeting romance is interrupted by the guillotine cutting his head off, as heard by the sudden fortissimo (very loud) G minor chord. The severed head bounces down the steps into a basket as portrayed by the pizzicato strings, and then the thunderous applause of the masses is heard from three (yes, three!) Fida , October 2 2009 timpani players on a triumphant G major triad and the giant roar of the entire orchestra for the last few measures of the ‘piece. What a spectacle! Berlioz’s Symphonic Fan- tastique is truly a highlight of the early Romantic period of music history. If you want the full story of this piece, I recommend getting a recording of the piece and look- ing up the Wikipedia article, which contains the entire program notes Berlioz wrote to be handed out to the audience. Shortly afier this piece was written, Berlioz wrote a sequel, Lelio, which he meant to be played immediately after Symphonic. It is said that Symphonic was written as a means of confessing Berlioz’s love for Harriet Smithson, who he later married (and then divorced). There are plenty of myths and speculations surrounding each of these pieces, which you can find on the Wiki article and other vari— ous musical encyclopedias (there are several top-notch ones at the Lindell Library). Symphonie Fantastique is a wonderful, exciting piece that is sure to keep you on your toes (unlike all of those other boring orchestra pieces, right? [note the sarcasm]), and for all of you Music Majors, it is on this year’s Repertoire Test! Get a recording of this piece, now, just do it, it’s fantastique! Enjoy music. A taste of Louvre at Minneapolis Institute of Art Mondayamovember 9, Working in GREEN JOBS a panel discussion by industry experts \ 3 3% " ' Free and 61 2-304 148 SERGIO MONTERRUBIO Layout Editor Crowds packed the entrance of the Target Gal- lery when I visited the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) on Sunday morning. However, the enthusias- tic visitors came to realize that they would have to wait 10 minutes to go through the glass door. The reason: to protect the works of art from humidity. Indeed, the MIA’s exhibition The Louvre and the Masterpiece has brought big audiences to the MIA since it opened to the public on Oct. 18. The exhibition brings a selection of 62 wisely selected objects from the Musée du Louvre in Paris. The selection included works of art from different mediums ranging from drawings and paintings to sculpture and decorative arts. The exhibition, divided in five sections, exam— ines the definition of “masterpiece” and how it has changed over time; it explains why connoisseurship, the expertise of recognizing a masterpiece when seeing one, is about knowledge and intuition. The exhibition also suggests how taste and the evolu- tion of knowledge are continuously shaping what is regarded as a masterpiece. Finally, the exhibition closes with a selection of treasures to provide the visitor with a visual review on the masterpiece discussion throughout the exhibit. The exhibit explains that the reason the defini- tion of a masterpiece has changed over time can be explained on the basis of the purpose of the art. In ancient times, masterpieces were the works that best fit the gods. Later on, apprenticeship brought technical standards to define what a masterpiece was. However. it was not long before the Royal Academy established a social aspect to the defini— tion, where a piece was regarded as exceptional based on whether or not it demonstrated literate and historic knowledge. The exhibit suggests that “the modern meaning of masterpiece” evolved through artists struggle to say away from convention. Therefore, creating works of art that are different, innovative, or even shocking. When opening the debate about connoisseur- ship the exhibit curators arranged the space to display artworks that were copied from originals, comparing and contrasting them to reaffirm that becoming a connoisseur, an expert, needs a great eye in addition of being widely knowledgeable about art. The diverse selection of objects from the Lou- vre also attempts to illustrate why some works of art are admired by some generations, why some are discarded by the next, and why long-lost treasures become masterpieces. It is suggested that the change of taste causes people to reevaluate, reaffirm, or even discard works of art. The exhibit includes Roman sculpture, a drap- ery study from da Vinci, Adolf Hitler’s favorite Vermeer, a painting by George de La Tour, to name a few. The Louvre and The Masterpiece comes at a great time to Minneapolis to present a carefully designed exhibition. An interesting, thought -pro- voking case on the debate of a masterpiece, even for those of us who have been lucky to visit the Louvre at Paris. The Louvre and The Masterpiece runs through January 10, 1010. For tickets visit http://www. artsmia.0Ig/Iouvre or call (612) 8 70—6323 Show less