or. ,. Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 9 FEATURES 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 -: 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 3o 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 By Molly Dunne Across Down 1. “Famous” cookie name 1. Bustle 5. Son of Abraham 2. French sea 10. Poke 3. The act of... Show moreor. ,. Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 9 FEATURES 1 2 3 4 5 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 -: 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 3o 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 By Molly Dunne Across Down 1. “Famous” cookie name 1. Bustle 5. Son of Abraham 2. French sea 10. Poke 3. The act of being dutiful 14. Money owed 4. Didn’t sit 15. Algerian soccer star Nasri 5. Film speeds 16. Nevada City 6. Vietnam town 17. Sandwich cookie 7. Prayer ending 18. “Marriage of Figaro” genre 8. Light, fluffy l9. Moby D1ck character 9. Word with “king” of “legs” 20. Molly Dunne question part 1 10.Italian designer 23. Theatrical device intended only for the audience 25. Burdened 28. Single 29. Tea Pots 35. Line of sun 36. Actress Olin 38. Spanish queen 39. Fill (as hunger) 40. Molly Dunne question part 2 43. Sh (as wit) 44. Biblical arden 45. Sufiix w1th hero 48. Had been 50. Eucharist plate 52. Where the blackbirds were baked? 56. Molly Dunne question part 3 58. Astronomical “major” 59. Scotch item 60. French milk 62. Teen USA pageant 63. lime periods 64. Memo header 65. Human ancestors 66. Lease 67. Lay down. say 11. 12. ple 13. 21. Drink water again I South Amer1can 1nd1genous peo- Birthday abbr. Just make it .AugSem captains? . Internet Service Provider . “ Peek” . British prep. School . TV Scientist Bill . Time period . Number type (abbr.) . Up to the t1me (abbr.) . Hawaii airport code . Dine . Dined . Barrett of Pink Floyd . Togethemess . Cut with tool again . Juice of a fruit or plant . Anger . Most knowledgeable . Question’s partner (abbr.) . Group of friends . Gather, or assemble . Type of bear . lrrationally angry . Revises . Drop’s partner . Opposite of close . Explosive letters The 1 0th anniversary of the death of Gilbert Toomer JOHN C. CERRITO Department QfBusincss Administration The following article was submitted to and published by the Echo ten years ago this month. The story was about Gilbert Toomer. a former Augsburg student who was shot and killed in the parking lot of a Minneapolis restaurant . Toomer was murdered in the prime of his life. I think that had he lived on. he would have been a good husband to his wife. and a good father to children. I wish that he would have gotten that chance. Had he lived. I think that at the end of it. most would have said that he was a good and decent man. This is a sad story but I am glad the Echo is re-printing this ar- ticle about Gil Toomer on this. the 10th anniversary. of his death. The re-printed Echo article makes reference to Anita Gay Hawthorne. For many years. Anita was the Director ofthe Pan— Afrikan Student Union. She was a _ strong and effective advocate for black students at Augsburg . When I heard that Anita had Lupus disease it set a chill through me. I knew Lupus disease well. Anita fought the good fight. but in the end Lupus took her life just like it took the lives of two of my younger sisters, Joanna and Jan. In the article I also cite my good friend Professor Francine Chakolis of our Social Work De- partment. Francine is still here. In my office, hung behind my desk chair is a framed copy ofthe Echo article along with a picture of the young man the story was writ— ten about ten years ago. Sometimes visitors to my office ask about the framed article and l get to tell Gil‘s story or at least as best I know it. When I leave Augsburg and close my office. I will take down the framed article about the young man. It will always be part ofthat which l carry with me. Tlre/bl/owing article uppeurcrl in the Echo, April 24, 1998. In Memoriam: Gilbert Toomer It would be several years ago now that I received a call from Anita Gay Hawthorne. She said she wanted me to meet and get to know a young man she would be sending to my office. lt didn't take long to agree to the meeting. When Anita asked you to do something. you just did it. Shortly after. a young man did show up and his name was Gilbert Toomer. Gil was from Jersey and he was here to go to school and play some football. He was tall and muscular with a solid athletic build. The color of his skin re— flected his African American father and his Caucasian mother. He was a good-looking kid. We hit it off pretty well. He began to work with me on a study that was investigating the de\ elopment and implementa- tion of self—managed work teams. Gil helped conduct the literature review. assisted in gathering field- based data. organi7ed the data. and helped write the introduction to the study. When the study was com« pleted. Gil‘s name was listed as one of three co—authors of a paper describing our work. The paper was accepted to be presented at a refereed conference in Chicago and was subsequently published in the proceedings. We presented the paper to- gether at a session of the confer- ence that was fully attended by academicians and practitioners. lf Gil was nervous. you couldn't tell. He introduced our work and joined me later to field questions. and at the podium. stood just as straight. tall and proud as a man could be. We drove to the conference in Chicago together. We talked the whole way. 1 had leamed the mea- sure of the man and I liked him. Gil was. after all. a young man. and as such his head was some— times clouded with the dreams of young men. dreams ofyoung men. dreams of fast cars. fancy clothes. chasing girls. and gaining great glory. As a young man. I too had known these dreams. Eventually though. the dreams of young inert give way so that in the end just the man is left. So. it was not that unusual for the distractions ofa young man to complicate the seriousness of life. Overall. Gil produced a checkered record at Augsburg; he demon- strated ability and sometimes he got good grades. but other times he was just somewhere else. Eventu- ally he drifted away. I had not seen Gil for a few years but we had remained friends. Occasionally. we would leave each other voice mail messages and sometimes one of his Augsburg buddies would stop by my office and extend Gil‘s regards. He was doing ().K.. had a good job. was working hard and remodeling a house for himselfand his bride-to- be. He had even completed some college extension classes. Over the weekend. I had skimmed the news about more shootings around Minneapolis. They had become so common that they rarely lead the neWs. You really don‘t think much about it anymore youjust tum the page and read something else. I didn‘t know that the young Black man who was shot to death in the restaurant parking lot was Gil. It was Francine (‘hakolis who first told me that he had been killed. Then a couple ot'days later. one of Gil‘s Augsburg buddies visited me in my office and told me what had happened. Apparently. Gil and two friends went out to (‘hi ('hi‘s for dinner on Saturday night. April 4. One of (jil’s companions run in to another man in the restaurant with whom he had been feuding. When Gil left the restaurant with his friends. a car pulled up and a shooter tired several shots, Gil took a bullet to the temple and died. Nobody else was serioust injured. As the story goes the bullet wasn‘t meant for Gil. but what dill terence does that make anyway. (iil was buried back home. He had come a long way from Jerseyjust to die from a bullet tired in Minneapolis. I couldn‘t help thinking of his mother and how she felt to see her boy come home like this. Ilis spirit is at rest now. comforted within the arms of the One who made him. Still. I wish I could shake his hand. Show less
Minneapolis, Minnesota Friday, April 112008 7 Page 3 NEWS De'arEditor, Mr. Schreiber, with grace you led a talented staff that supplied the campus community with an outlet for dialogue and news. I wanted to publicly commend your and your colleagues work. The Echo covered projects. which many... Show moreMinneapolis, Minnesota Friday, April 112008 7 Page 3 NEWS De'arEditor, Mr. Schreiber, with grace you led a talented staff that supplied the campus community with an outlet for dialogue and news. I wanted to publicly commend your and your colleagues work. The Echo covered projects. which many students and I worked tirelessly on, Focus The Nation in January and recently the wind ; energy Referendum. ' e The Echo provided the campus with an opportunity to become , more informed voters to pass the Wind Energy Referendum. As a c 5' result, Day students raised enough money to convert every dorm to wind energy. That is the equivalent of taking 9.889 cars of the road. planting 14.834 acres of trees. or taking 121.095.791 lbs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Faculty, staff. and administration (most notably Michael Lan- sing. Tim Dougherty and Kevin Myren) supported our student led efforts. This collaborative effort is not over. WEC votes on their own wind referendum this May. The Board of Regents will decide whether or not they will match funds raised by students. If everything falls into place. as I think it will. by this Fall semester. the Echo can proudly inform the Augsburg Community that we no 4‘: "’1' HlS"195 —_— Summer SesSion l ' D May 27 tom 27, TuITh, 8:30 AM to noon H isto r9 of longer use fossil fuel energy to power our noble institution. Sincerely. O§U Drag Show attracts many the amateur drag queens. where he wore a skimpy black dress. knee— high stiletto boots. and a sparkly red wig. He believes that having a drag show on campus is not only fun. but also important for the Augsburg community. “It is always fun seeing oppo- site gender roles portrayed." Gran- zin said. “It raises awareness that QSU is here and we can express ourselves any way that we want. even if we dress up as the opposite sex. It’s really no big deal.“ Monica. (‘ici. Roxie and Ca- mille were the four professional drag queens from the Gay 90s that perfonned at the drag show. “They cotne because they love us here." (jranzm said. "It is so taboo for them to perform at a Lutheran college; they also get free public- ity.“ Hannah Carlson. first-year. also attended the event. “The drag queens were hilarious!" she said. “They totally pushed the envelope. The students that participated were also very entertaining. It was great to see your own peers transform." Although putting the event together was stressful. Granzin found the event itselfto be a huge stress releaser. He was cheered on by his peers when dancing. which made him feel very proud. Granzin also performed in last year‘s drag show. and felt a bit uneasy dress— ing in drag. This year. his view has completely changed. “When 1 did it for the first time last year. I felt like this is really weird. because I‘ve never done anything this extravagant to show off my homosexuality.“ Granzin said. “I don‘t really have a low selfesteem problem. but the problem I thought might happen was gay-bashing. Thankfully it never happened. It wasn‘t as scary as i thought it would be." Lahgrinths Studg labyrinths in ancient 8* medieval art 6* literature. Walk lahgrinths throughout the Twin Cities. build a labyrinth in Augsburg's new communitg garden. For more info, contact Phil Adamo, adamo@augsburg.edu Materials for the labyrinth sponsored by the Goliard Society of Medievaiists graduation Cefehmtion 5" lirri .lllllli.ll launder Graduation will L‘L‘lt‘in'dlt‘ the graduatiun . “tilt-mu at him t'illt'lll.‘ til nur lt-shian, go), hisexual, transgender, tilit“ll-‘llll’l::, iiiterscx, and drt‘Xlldi Silldk‘llir. Wednesday ‘April 2 3, 2608 7 p.111. , :Zitielz'ne ‘M. 5011115011 Conference Room, Oreii Gateway Center Show less
Page 4 OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Minneapolis, Minnesota Let’s not be average DAVID LAPAKKO Dept. of Communication Studia Contrary to popular belief, leadership is not all it is cracked up to be. It has its perks, but the life of a leader can be both lonely and frustrating. It’s lonely because you can... Show morePage 4 OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Minneapolis, Minnesota Let’s not be average DAVID LAPAKKO Dept. of Communication Studia Contrary to popular belief, leadership is not all it is cracked up to be. It has its perks, but the life of a leader can be both lonely and frustrating. It’s lonely because you can feel that no one understands you, yet you are responsible for things, and people think that you can make even more things happen because “you’re in charge.” And it’s frustrating because leaders are not as powerful as they would like to be; as Ledru-Rollin indicates, often you can only take people as far as they are willing to go. Enter President Pribbenow. I don’t know that he feels especially lonely, but I’m sure he can feel the limits to his power. Heading up any organization is a bit like pilot- ing an iceberg, you hope to nudge it a bit in the right direction, but the iceberg can be very obstinate. Yet, in the midst of all this, people must try to lead. In that sense, I do not envy our President; he has a job that is inherently challenging. Part of leadership is providing a vision, a mission, a set of goals. In a March “all hands” meet- ing held in the chapel, President Pribbenow tried to lay out such a vision. It was perhaps a bit much to process in a mere 30 minutes, but his PowerPoint presentation tried very hard to explain where the college is and where he wants it to be many years from now. The President’s audience was not fixated on what the campus might look like in 2020; it’s prob— ably good it was on his mind, but it wasn’t on theirs. The concerns of faculty and staff are much more immediate. People have lost their jobs. Other people worry that they might lose theirs. Others sense that the “corporate” mindset has so overtaken more humane approach— es to organizing that Augsburg will never be the same. And for a college that should be celebrating “abundance,” it‘s not clear how we are going to find enough money to construct a new science building, much less all the other buildings that are dreamt about in the future. These are the concerns of people on campus right here and now. In his presentation. the Presi- dent made more than one refer- ence to his vision that Augsburg be “nimble and entrepreneurial.” Don’t get me wrong, nimble is good. Entrepreneurial is good. But this is modern corporate busi- ness lingo; it’s not geared toward human relations. I can assure you that no one who feels happy and proud to work at’Augsburg is going to say. "I love my job because we are nimble and entrepreneurial.” To his credit. the President does seem to realize that there are some normal and inevitable tensions on campus. and disagree- ments about certain decisions, most notably. the decision to keep the college open between Christmas and New Year‘s. And. he claims to be hearing and even listening to these concerns. The problem. however. is that listening can seem hollow if you aren’t pre- pared to do something meaningful in response. Near as I can tell. the President’s stance seems to be. “I am listening to you. and I respect your concems, but I disagree with you and that’s that.” In the case of our staff. the President missed an opportunity to score a few points. lfhe had started the March meeting by saying he had re-considered the decision to keep the college open the last week of December, many might have felt glad. Symbolically such a move would say, “I listen and care, and I am willing to concede that I didn’t make the best decision.” No community member wants or expects their leaders to be perfect. What they expect, especially at a small Christian school where caritas is supposed to be more than a Latin word, is a culture and climate that truly supports and celebrates those who are here. “Nimble” and “entrepreneurial” can’t be the rallying cry, even if they are corporate virtues. For me, what can and does make Augsburg special has noth- ing to do with being entrepreneur- ial. I feel most proud of this place when I consider the individuals who are here. For example, there is a gregarious fellow who eats in the dining commons every day but is neither a student nor an employee; that he is welcome here makes me proud. Among our students is a woman who was willing to donate a portion of her liver to a total stranger; that makes me proud. In our copy center is a woman who will perform amazing 55-word stories on command; I’m proud to know her, too. In the end, it all comes down to people-not blueprints, floor plans, or an array of PowerPoint slides. The modern world, including Augsburg, is friendly on a super- ficial level. Underneath it is a sort of dysfunction that can be so sup- pressed that we hardly realize it’s there. Rather than try to reflect the standard practices of the corporate world, Augsburg, as an educational institution grounded in the liberal arts and the Christian church, has the opportunity to create a culture and climate that can rise above the rest. We want for people to feel privileged to be in this environ- ment, to feel they are the luckiest employees on the planet. That’s a lofty goal, but one that is’ worth pursuing, right along with tons of money to build the new science building. I would remind the President that when it comes to “human resources," we have a lot of them, and they can be very helpful to him and the college. We have the Department of Business Adminis- tration, staffed with many people with considerable business acu- men. We have an MBA program and an MAL program that prepare graduate students for leadership in the let century. And we have a Department of Communication Studies that devotes itself to the construction and interpretation of symbols and messages, whatever they may be. Although many on campus feel burdened in their work, they would be flattered to be invited to share their perspec— tives on issues facing the college. Nobody has all the answers, but we have helpful resources here on campus. Leadership is seldom easy. Augsburg’s leadership over the years has hardly been inept or mean-spirited. But I am keenly aware of what is possible, and I don’t want the college to settle for “nonnal.” If you want to talk “vo- cation.“ one part should be to feel a calling to transform our world of work and let that transformation be a model for others to admire and to emulate. -ril 11, 2008 Augsburg’s future looks green SEAN STANHILL Contributor I was sitting in my room with my celebrity roommate, Brian Krohn, talking about Augsburg’s environmental concerns, biodiesel, wind energy and the (student-led)~ Green Vehicle Initiative’s work to get a hybrid security vehicle to replace the current Ford Explorer. Krohn is very involved with a lot of campus-wide projects, working with senior-ranking administration members and department heads. Bouncing between subjects, the same name kept coming up much to my surprise: President Pribbe- now. At first I was surprised but soon it started to make sense. I had seen Pribbenow present at many of the environmental concerns events around campus including the very successful Focus the Nation. It’s not so much that I began to piece together Pribbenow’s own environmental politics, but I was struck by his overwhelming sup- port for student-led environmental stewardship. I know that actions speak louder than words but I wanted to know what Pribbenow’s own thoughts and commitments are to Augsburg. In an email com- munication I have obtained offi- cial presidential statements from Pribbenow himself (which was communicated quite expediently might I add) which I would like to include (edited for length). I wanted to know, in general, how Pribbenow saw Augsburg’s commitment to environmental stewardship. In response, he said, “The Augsburg College commu- nity is deeply committed to what it means to build a sustainable urban environment. We are proud of what we do to honor sustain- ability, but also deeply aware of the need for ongoing vigilance and wise stewardship of the gifis of our environment. I am especially pleased with the new Environ- mental Studies major, which il- lustrates that our commitment to sustainability is both about leam- ing and action, right on the mark for what an Augsburg education hopes to achieve education for service.” With such a strong commit- ment as a community, Augsburg has a lot to be proud of but we also have a lot of work to do. I asked Pribbenow what environmental policies he would like to see on campus, to which he responded, “I have signed the President’s Global Climate Commitment, which obliges us to work on many fronts to ensure that we are reducing our carbon footprint and being good stewards of the environment. In particular, I am interested in responsible energy use, using building materials and methods that are environmentally sound, recycling, urban gardening and local food use, and alternative transportation (including subsidiz- ing public transport, supporting bike and pedestrian traffic, the HourCar, etc.) We also will be working to transition one of our maintenance vehicles to bio-diesel fuel in the next couple of months, and we will work with ourpartners at Sartec (the company with which student Brian Krohn has worked to develop the new biodiesel process) to take our cafeteria cooking oil and produce biodiesel fuel for our campus use.” Most impressive is the Presi- dent’s commitment to student group Green Vehicle Initiative. The group is dedicated to getting our Department of Public Safety to replace their Ford Explorer with a fuel-efficient hybrid. Pribbenow states, “I have worked closely with the Green Vehicle Initiative (a student-led group) and with Cam- pus Security director John Pack during the past couple of months to make plans to purchase new campus safety vehicles that are en- vironmentally friendly, including likely a Ford Escape Hybrid and perhaps another smaller hybrid like a Toyota Prius. John Pack is very supportive of these efforts and we hope to make a formal an- nouncement of our plans later this month.” I want to take this time to congratulate Brian Krohn and the Green Vehicle Initiative’s work and President Pribbenow’s sup- port for student concerns. Next time you see Pribbenow walking in the quad or attending many of the environmental concerns events on campus, thank him for his sup- port and commitment. I’m glad to be graduating from a college with such a good environmental head on its shoulders. Iraq and the betrayal of our liberal traditions LUKE MUELLER Contributor We on the lefi‘ have long been the advocates of a foreign policy that advocates responsibility, partnership, and promotion of lib- erty worldwide. The United States induction into the United Nations, the creation of Peace Corps, the Oslo Accords, and the Kosovar intervention were all orchestrated under Democrats. Furthermore, we are traditionally the largest proponents of foreign intervention and those who want an increased foreign aid budget. We support The United Nations, and base our foreign policy on reciprocity. lntemational involvement and fairness to others is our political keystone. We are proud of our views. We understand that the world’s most powerfirl country has certain responsibilities in the world, and that this includes being actively involved in issues of peace, jus- tice, human rights. poverty and democracy, at home and abroad. We understand that isolationism on the part of the world’s only su- perpower in a globally integrated society is not an option. I do find, however, that many of my friends on the lefl have be- trayed their international involve- ment roots in regards to the war in Iraq. Intervention in Darfur is highly advocated, as it is in Myan- mar and Uganda. but not Iraq. Why not Iraq? Why are my friends so keen to leave a situation that we created, but so ready to intervene against Al-Bashir? Because our invasion, Iraq’s infrastructure and economy Was destroyed. Roads were damaged, shops were forced to close due to instability and families had (and still do) no place to call home. The Iraqi Dinar is weak, and outside of Baghdad, Kurdistan, and parts of Anbar a strong economy is hard to find. Because of our invasion, sec- tarian warfare now plagues much of the country. The Iraqi security forces are not capable of doing the job themselves as of yet, but we on the lefi seem to overwhelmingly advocate abandonment. What hap- pens when Coalition forces leave Iraq is what Colonel Mohammed Faiq of the New Iraqi Army told Frontline - “If the coalition forces lefi Iraq that would be the end of Iraq. You could forget about the country called Iraq. There would be massacres in the street.” What about our Kurdish friends to the north? Years ago, our government promised Kurdish leaders that we would support a Kurdish uprising against Saddam. Our promises never were acted on, and thousands of Kurds were killed. Yet, when we invaded in 2003 we were once again given their trust. With a prior commit- ment to the security of the Kurdish region to the north, do we once again let our Kurdish fiiends suffer this time at the mercy of Turkey? DoweleaveSunniIraqtoSaudi Arabia? Do we leave Shia Iraq to Iran? One might argue that we shouldn’t have been there in the first place. I was myself against the initial invasion of the war, and would be if it were 2003 again but it is now over five years later. It is not part of the traditional lefi-wing foreign policy to invade a country for political purposes, ruin the quality of life for the people of that country, open up the floodgates of genocide and violence, destroy an economy, then tell those same people to fix those problems them- selves. Extraordinary security gains have been made in Iraq during the past year; places where US. troops couldn’t walk without being shot at a year ago are now some of the safest areas in Iraq. Since last February, US. troop deaths have fallen by 65 percent (8] to 29), Iraqi security force deaths by 27 percent (150 to 110), and Iraqi civilians by 80 percent (2864 to 564). Actual political progress is finally being made. Since 1968, the US. govern- ment has stood by and watched or encouraged and helped the various forms of abuse that has plagued Iraq for decades. We have a chance to make things right. Those of us on the left have two choices; we do what the lefi has always done, stand by democratically elected governments and take responsibil- ity for our foreign policy bhmders, or, we can abandon Iraq, along with our principles. Sum Show less
TV T gamma ‘gtgwfsdmfieipfitfiww .' much} WW1- 1,2008 I, M— WWW Altamnrs‘OS ' May is upon us and that means one thing for most snidents: sum- mer vacation. Unless. of course, you are a senior and the expectation for you is to become a functioning mem- ber of society. For you English, Philosophy and... Show moreTV T gamma ‘gtgwfsdmfieipfitfiww .' much} WW1- 1,2008 I, M— WWW Altamnrs‘OS ' May is upon us and that means one thing for most snidents: sum- mer vacation. Unless. of course, you are a senior and the expectation for you is to become a functioning mem- ber of society. For you English, Philosophy and Theatre majors, this can be a daunting realization. It was for me. You might leave college and get angry at the school for not helping you transition or giving you the correct tools to get a job. It ’s not true. Forget the cynics, and realize that you are in control of what you really want to do. So do it. ' I left Augsburg and tried to tackle my career head on. The only problem was no one wants to pay you for live entertainment. 1 swept floors, I took actor’s gum from their mouths when they went on stage, I did laundry and I worked 65 hour weeks for no pay. Why would someone do that to them self?Forachancetobeseen? For an opportunity 2,000 miles away? To lose their mind? Afierthatyearandahalfll got a “real” job, worked 40 hours a week and then realized something was missing: my art. So I thought if I was going to work for no pay, I’ll work for myself. And that folks is the reason for this article: 3AM Productions’ Romeo and Juliet. 3AM Productions’ Romeo and Juliet focuses on the theme of a city that has fallen into disrepair through aggression, the civil inat- tention of its people and a thirst to have and wield as much power as blood can buy, two people have risen above the strife, tak- ing a stand through peace and ultimate love. It is a timeless tale reinvented, set within a crumbling industrial era and performed in a revitalized complex that once was a boon of industry, the Grain Belt Brewery Bottling House. What 3AM Productions at- tempts to do is challenge the status quo, question the unquestionable Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 11 ARTS a: ENTERTAINMENT pr umni ' theater, chat and art and mirror society through the greatest works of all time. To accomplish this task we have ac- crued some of the finest talent in the Twin Cities. Fortunately, 14 members of the company came right from Augsburg College. We want Augsburg’s student support to help us keep living our dreams by offering you discounted tickets and making entertainment new, exciting and available to you. All that we ask is when you sit at a computer two years from now with a dream, an alma-mater and a snack wrap, you give some credit to the overwhelming support Augsburg has to offer and not be— come cynical in your young age. Performances are April 18, 19, 24, 25, 26, 28 May 1, 2 and 3 at 7:30 pm. and April 20, 27 and May 4 at 2:30 pm. Tickets are $15, Student/Senior $12, Groups of 10 or more for $10. Augsburg Discount rate is $10 by calling 612-781-3019 and saying the word “cynical.” Check out www.3amprod.org for more information Hunger in an overpopulated music industry DREW DEGENNARO Contributor Across the top left corner of Capitol Jay’s webpage at descrip- tion reads: lndie/Rock/Folk Rock. “0th influences like Wilco, Arcade Fire, and Band of Horses, Capitol Jay is breaking into the Twin Cit- ies music scene and leaving a long awaited impression. “I like to tell people I play epic rock," Jason Wiederin, guitarist and the band‘s lead singer, said. According to Wiederin, who is a junior at Augsburg, the music business is a hierarchy. “Our band is at the very bot- tom," he said. The band‘s debut album, Strangers in the House, is being backed by Limerick Records and is set for release on CD. It will be listed for free on the lntemet very soon. Less populated cities makes life for smaller bands more mane ageable because they can be heard and receive the recognition they deserve. Living in the Minneapolis/ St. Paul area allows local musicians to contact critics and producers with greater “ease. In larger met- ropolitan areas, where the music scene is overpopulated, it is nearly impossible to make money as a struggling band. Capitol Jay’s sound, say many listeners, mimics bands like Mod— est Mouse and Radiohead. In a rather unique way the band does not follow written music, instead the group plays whatever comes out and forms songs from there. “Getting music to the public is key,” Wiederin said. “I have one groupie and she’s my girlfriend,” he chuckles. Websites like MySpace have launched music to a new gen- eration and given Capitol Jay, and others a like, an opportunity to voice their music. _ Lyrically the band calls out to a variety of audiences. There are two sides to Capitol Jay, 3 politi- cally driven one, and another that soothes an acoustic listener’s ear. Musically Capitol Jay has some- thing for everyone. Out of the seven members of the band, a cellist and violinist add a unique sound to the mix. Wiederin expressed future plans after Capitol Jay’s debut release. “If it ends up to flop... I’ll probably go to grad school,” he said. The new album can be found for free at http://www.myspace. com/capitoljaymn. AngsburgA-List MARY LAUREL-TRUE Columnist Last month ofspring semester! State—to-State New York poet Christina Dar www I 0kljf com for more info. Poetry Open Book Monday. April 28 7 :00 pm. 1011 Washington Avenue Sour/1 on-stage interview to inaugurate the exchange. \t‘lllt'll creates opportunitvfor emergin g poet. to connect with a literary community outside their home state. Reception Info/low. F reel Art Exhibit Glass Art Show Glass Endeavors April 15—19 2716 E. 31st Street (Seward Neighborhood) A display ofstained-glass, fused-glass and mosaic pieces cre— ated by non-professional artisans, Mwrwglassendwrvors.com Music lll Minneapolis Cosmic Break Tour Showcase The C abooze April 2 7 8:00 pm. 91 7 Cedar Avenue (Walking distancejorm campus) Audience members will vote to send a local band to the Sixth Annual 10,000 Lakes Festival and Cosmic Tour in Detroit Lakes, July 22-23. 18+ show Poetry Exchange 'is will give a public reading and s in New York City and Minnesota $5 CormS'rAmrm. Contributor I had originally planned to write this review of Gnarls Bark- ley’s new album The Odd Couple about a week ago, alter my first listening. But, for once, procrasti— nation paid ofi‘and I have a much beau understanding of the album afier giving it time to grow on me. To be sure. this is no St. Else- where. and my initial disappoint- ment with the album mostly had todowithmygreatlove ofthat previous release. Once I listened to The Odd Couple on its own terms, however. I realized that Gnarls Barkley had put together an album that is fun. stylish. taut and. most importantly, constantly exploring new artistic territory. not only for the band but for the individual mantras as well. _ Being producer Danger Mouse’s third release this year (after Gorillaz’s D-Sides and The Black Keys’ Attack & Release), it says a lot that he is always creating music unlike anything he has done before. In this case, he has worked with vocalist Cee-Lo Green to create a sound that is decidedly a crossroads of sixties and eighties influences. But rather than layer their songs with clichés and refer- encesfiomtheeras(forthesake of spurious listeners who throw around words like ‘retro’ as if their meaning hadn’t been completely voided by now), they have built a much richer musical concoction that seeks inspiration from bands likeTheByrdsandThe Mamas& the Papas. borrows sounds from Grandmaster Flash and Terminator X. and still maintains their own signature themes and style. This isn‘t to say that the entire albrnn sounds the same. Much like their first album. The Odd Couple features a wide range of themes and moods. The eerie “Would-Be Killer,” which turns a cliché like “hurt people hurt pe0ple” into a haunting exploration of one’s own psyche, can flow seamlessly into the vivid and energetic “Open Book,” a self—exploration of a wholly dif- ferent kind. Then there‘s the first single from the album, “Run,” which indebts itself to both 60’s pop and 80’s hip—hop with a great farce of a music video that presents itself at first as a cheesy TV dance show a la Soul Train called City Vibin’ (hosted by Justin Timberlake in a hilarious 80’s get-up) then, half— way through, explodes into full- blown hypnotic psychadelia. While the single is certainly vi- brant and likely to appeal to large audiences, the real highlights of the album are the tracks “Open Book” and “Blind Mary.” “Open Book” sets its mood right away with sounds from a rainforest accompanied by heavy Gnarls Barkley's The Odd Couple. A Tale of Two Masters breathing and slow chanting. All of the sudden, the tranquility of the song is interrupted by a fast and brilliantly syncopated beat and a strings section that builds as the song unfolds. A few bars and a couple in— struments later, the vocals have begun and the listener is absorbed in a dark musical tapestry brim- ming with energy and Cee—Lo’s cathartic belting at the proverbial abyss. During the extended fade- out, the individual instruments deconstruct and drop out one by one, hermetically sealing oh” the song and making room for what- ever might follow. It wouldn’t be out of the question to call “Blind Mary” the album’s polar opposite of “Open Book,” in tone, subject and style. The song tells the story of an ugly man who has fallen in love with a blind woman, and serves ex~ elusiver as an expression of his unadulterated happiness. The music is upbeat and jovial with silly, kitschy instruments aplenty and bright, bubblegum backup vocals. Were it not for the techno tinge and Cce—Lo’s un- mistakable voice, the song could easily have fit onto one of The Beatles’ later albums. The unself- conscious lightness and gaicty of the track restored my faith that pop music can still serve as a useful medium. The remainder of the album l'alls somewhere between “Open Book” and “Blind Mary.” It covers a variety of topics and tones with- out ever losing cohesion. livery song is worthwhile and while it may not have the same depth and intelligence of Gnarls Barkley’s previous release, The Odd Couple makes up for it by being several notches more playful. Whether you’re a devout music enthusiast or an occasional listener, this al— bum is worthy ofa test run. Show less
FridzyzApril 11,2008 Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 5 OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS ('rinoon by Malena 'l'hosonx'lZCllf) Count/Pointer-Count: The killing joke SAM SMITH AND COLIN STANHILL Columnists Count It has come to my attention that there are those of you (mainly the churchy types) who are op- posed to... Show moreFridzyzApril 11,2008 Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 5 OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS ('rinoon by Malena 'l'hosonx'lZCllf) Count/Pointer-Count: The killing joke SAM SMITH AND COLIN STANHILL Columnists Count It has come to my attention that there are those of you (mainly the churchy types) who are op- posed to euthanasia. Euthanasia is also known as “physician as- sisted suicide,” “mercy killing,” or “what Clint Eastwood did to Hilary Swank at the end of Million Dollar Baby ." This is an issue that should not be trod around; rather, itshouldbeuodupominorderto nunupnwdirt,asitwem.l(un Vonnegut, in God Bless You. Dr Kevorkiau, had a little fun with euthanasia (just like Jack Kev- orkianl). Perhaps not coinciden- tally. Kurt Vonnegut was also the man who said, “if you believe in telekineties. raise my I realize that there are certain religions that have provisions Dal-inst ending life. The Catholics and the Muslims say no. The Protestants say no. The Jews say ‘oy vey.” But the Catholics have rules against eating meat on Fri- day. and I know like. eight people who don‘t follow that rule. And Jewish people are supposed to be circumcised. but I know this one guy who... Did you know that the Neth- erlands is the only nation which currently has legalized euthamia? I personally think that‘s a little dangerous. What if some insecure young college student wandering aromd Amsterdam gets high on gourmet marijuana and a little bit of X and has a sudden urge to “break on through to the other side?” The right to live and die with dignity is something that everyone should be afl'orded. If the will to live is gone, then it is a greater disservice to allow someone to carry on in misery than to break a social or religious taboo. Plus (and for once I’m serious), that person is taking a hospital bed from someone who still wants to live and experience more of this crap-shoot we call “Life.” Essentially, I am in favor of euthanasia because it gets rid of the quitters. It's like social Darwinism without all that nasty “racism.” Pointer-Count Sam, you fool! You beautiful fool! You dazzling, frightening, adverbing, rootin-tootin-fruitin, nailrnetothedoorandcallme Franklin, squeeze my ears and re- spect me in the morning, slap your mother’s butt and call it a night, blithering, babbling, no-good. Puerto Rican, saintly horticultun'st of a fool! 0 Spirit of'l‘akashi Murakami, forgive him as he knows not what he sayeth! [whispered to a mysterious bottle]: But lest my greatestfear be so. So he believe how he hath spake. I beckon that thy seeds doth sew. So he may die before he wake. If I. one Colin the Ballet. am to undade the words of my erst- while esteemed colleague Sam the Lion, then I must admit that l have imbibed from the same metaphori- cal sippy-cup of the worst kind of person. Admit it I must! My co-col— umnist and best pal has revealed himself not only as an encourager of sin (speaking in strictly secular terms, of course), but as a full- blown philistine and panderer to emo and indie kids alike. For what group, worldwide, has influenced more dreadful fashion movements and obnoxious trends than the Setagaya scalawags and the Shin- juku scheisters? None, 1 say. Allow your mind to journey to the west, to consider those who never were... 0 Han Fei Tzu, Wretch of the San Guo, how dost thou corrupt ever still?! Is it with maliciousness (or is that malitia?) or simple cold— ness that you refer so lightly to those slaughtered girls, or those lefl to rot in the woods, given the opportunity for pain but not for bliss. Did you forget about them or do you truly discard the life of one whose only sin (again, to be taken in the least Catholic [or was that catholic?] sense) was to be born with a second chromosome to mark the spot. Regardless of your answer l must disown you as the absolute worst kind of person: the kind who defies taste, the kind who kills baby girls in the morning and wipes his conscience clean around midday.thekindwhoisnotrne.the kind who supports youth in Asia. A last word from Aaron Wells My fellow Auggies, I wanted to write one last piece for this section and offer some parting words afier a year where I have felt honored to have a position where l have been priyy to the ongoing dialogue of our in- stitution. to a certain extent. I can offer no reason why you should lis— ten to what I have to say. I am not a perfect or ideal student. I have certainly made many mistakes at Augsburg. and I am neither the most liked nor the most respected in my graduating class. I am not certain why I am writing this at all. It‘s probably ego. It usually is. l have been a private and vo— cal critic of Augsburg College over many issues during my time here. and it is not a perfect institution by any means. In my opinion. it is actually severely flawed. Never- theless, I am more grateful to and for Augsburg than any institution in my life. I believe that at the foundation of this is one of Augs- burg’s strongest qualities: it is a community of interactions rather than transactions. 1 have never felt l was purchasing an education from Augsburg, but rather that l was part of a collective where everyone is personally dedicated to education, service, and experi- encing one another and the world around us. This strength of our school creates a unique community and a unique group of students. What I would like to offer, for those of you who are miraculously still reading, are pieces of advice based on the insight l have gained attending such a special kind ofschool. They are my thoughts. They are trite, simple, and unoriginal. You‘re welcome. Be honest, genuine, and com- mitted to connecting with people and letting them know who you are. l know that one iteration or another of that suggestion is made on posters and in self-help books and on day-time television on an almost constant basis, but it is still one of the most important and ignored paths to being happy and enjoying life. A lot of those self-help books and television pro— grams will tell you that everyone will like you if you are sincere. l don’t think that‘s true. I think a lot of people won’t like you. Maybe one out of ten won’t. Maybe nine out of ten won’t. The people who remain, though, are people who you genuinely want in your life, and I can’t think ofanything much better than that. It’s wonderful to be able to love the people around you. Experience the world around you. Of course, we are very for- tunate to have old, middle class white men to lecture us about so- cial justice, I mean that. These are some of the best, brightest. most learned old, middle class white men around. and the have a lot to teach you. But please, go see the world for yourself. In a city with as much diversity as ours. there is no reason to take anyone's word for anything. There is no reason to stay home. either. Go to St. Paul. 00 to Jerusalem. Go to Auckland, Berlin. and Windhoek. Go now. Oh, and read a newspaper for crying out loud. Our planet is too exciting to be ignored. Know your language. English is beautiful. It is expressive. It is easier for you to learn than the four billion people who are go- ing to have to leam it as a second language. You embarrass yourself. your school and your ancestors when you can‘t effectively com- municate in your mother tongue. Read. Write. Learn English. Learn English. Learn English. Get what you need to get done. and have fun. In college. this is all the balance you nccd. I don‘t know why this is so hard for some people. Do what you‘re supposed to do. Have fun. That‘s it. Try everything. You have four years to do or be anything you want. Despite what a loud ofcrap all of the vocation stull‘ we talk about can be. this is not a bad timc to think about what you want to do with your life. You probably have more options than you think. There are a lot ofthings you can do or be, and you should try them all before it’s too late. Don‘t kill yourself. Be good to each other. Augs- burg has fewer students than a lot of high schools and wc all live together. Do yourselfa favor. The world is in really. really rough shape. We are inheriting a mess. We are creating a mess. We are a mess. Please. please try to make things better. Most impor- tantly, however, never ever give up. Smiling is free. lfit makes you feel better, I had to make myself throw up after l typed that. It's true. though. Being happy is easy and fun. Showing people rcspcct. however you show it to them, is the right thing to do. More than anything. be sensitive to your fee!- ings and express what you truly feel. But when you have a choice. why not feel good? Mind your own business. There are enough real problems in the world. Don’t go around judging everyone and making more. You know who you arc. I‘m watching you. Learn. There is too much to see and know to cvcr stop being educated and experiencing. Read. See. Listen. Connect. limotc. Grow. Think. Repeat. This has been an exciting, stimulating, and wonderful year to work for the Echo and to at— tend Augsburg. I am grateful to everyone at the school for keeping Augsburg’s commitment to both scholarship and community alive and dynamic. I am sad to see my time here and this year come to an end. I am also blindly, hopelessly. whole—heartedly optimistic. RS. Write for the [ii-ha! It’s the greatest thing a human being can do. Writing l8” not necessarily same— thing to be ashamed of, but do i! in private and wash your hands afterwards. —Robcrt Heinlein Beauty is truth, truth beam). ' that is all ye [than on earth, and all ye need to know. John Keats Show less
Augsburg’s Green Future, pg- 4 Augsburg College CHO Gnarls Barkley The Odd pg.11 The College’s Student—Produced Newspaper Couple, Friday, April 11, 2008 Minneapolis. Minnesota \Ollllttc‘ (:XlVLls‘suc ltl The tent people ANDREA SANOW CopyEdiwr Matt Eller simply wants you to pay attention. After... Show moreAugsburg’s Green Future, pg- 4 Augsburg College CHO Gnarls Barkley The Odd pg.11 The College’s Student—Produced Newspaper Couple, Friday, April 11, 2008 Minneapolis. Minnesota \Ollllttc‘ (:XlVLls‘suc ltl The tent people ANDREA SANOW CopyEdiwr Matt Eller simply wants you to pay attention. After spending a week in New Orleans with Pedalers 4 Peace. Eller. a fourth-year at Augsburg. has decided to spend a month sleeping in the quad to raise aware— ness about homelessness in New Orleans. “l want people to just be aware that this is still happening." he said. “I mean, I went down there and I had no idea that there were still this many people without homes." Through his efforts Eller. hopes to raise money and supplies to bring down to the people of New Orleans who are still without homes. Many of them sleep under the Canal Street bridge. and have been there since Katrina hit in 2005. “I want to give them some- thing that makes them feel hu- man." he said. “Whether it be brushing their teeth or being able to write and draw.“ ' Eller plans to make care pack— ages that he and fellow students can distribute when they return to New Orleans in May. “I ’m asking for toothbrushes. toothpaste. tampons. condoms. pens. pencils. notebooks.“ he said. Over spring break. Eller. along with the other students who traveled to New Orleans with Ped— alers for Peace. really under— stood that the effects of hur- ricane Katrina will be hard to ever repair. “it looks like the hurri- cane hit about a month ago.“ he said. “There is no one in the neighbor- hoods." l n s t e a d of biking to Biloxi. Miss. which was their original plan. the pedalers stayed and volunteered their time in New Orleans. They helped residents with their houses and volunteered at the Green Project. “The Green Project takes building materials and recycles them." Ellcr said. “That way. people who might have not been able to afford housing materials before. can now." Because they had planned on camping on the way to Biloxi. the Pedalers didn‘t have money of plans for a hotel. “We slept in the backyard a house.“ Ellcr said. “The guy who owned it helped other residents with the rebuilding." During their stay at the house. the students met Kenny: a horne- less man. “The first night he stayed on the other side of the fence and l‘liitto ht ( rtlt‘r'i Vt ill:.rr‘.~ it'llt‘ Matt Eller, pictured above, is trying to raise awareness about issues for the homeless. talked to us." Eller said. “But. as the week went on he came around and sat and talked with us." “He gave us everything he had. even the coat offofhis back.” he said. “He told us that we would need it more than he would." This interaction with Kenny sparked the idea for Eller‘s project here at Augsburg. "if you can‘t give money. that‘s ok." he said. “l just want my peers. my friends. to be able to talk about New Orleans and tell the story ofNew Orleans so people don‘t forget about it." “As a history major I can‘t help but wonder what the books will say about all of this." he said. After spending a little over a week outside. Eller says he is still feeling good. even if it has been cold. He plans to stay outside until May 3. and invites anyone to stay out with him. A night of transformations Drag queen "Trixie" (Augsburg student Kevin Granzin) points at Emily Shagg (Levi Dokken) during the OSU Drag show last Thursday night. Also pictured is "Derrek." a Bethel student. KRlSTIN DAmELs 51.21”? ti on" Last Thursday the annual QSL Drag Show entertained stu- dents with drag queens. booming music. and roaring laughter One of the most night} at- tended campUs m cm. second onl} to graduation. brought students of all se\u.il orientations together for .i night ofentenaininent In fact. so man} attended. that the} ran out ofcharrs and students stood at the back of the commons just to take part in the festn ities “\Nell. it is the best da} of the )ear." Ke\ in ciranzrn. senior. said "lt is w hen professional drag queens from (Jd) 9H3 come to Augsburg The professionals and amateurs tstudentsi are able to perfect their skills of acting. and performing as the opposite sex " (iranzm performed as one of See DRAG. page 3 The Echo would like to congratulate seniors Erin Olsen and Ashley Stoffers on earning year-long Fulbright schol— arships. Congratulations! i Scholarship and donor brunch celebrates success 7 " M" "WM "TW‘E'W t Krista Costin, a senior at Augsburg and scholarship recipient, performed at the brunch on Sunday. DAVID MOTT Sttifl' ll'riter One hundred students and one hundred sixty donors gathered in the hast Commons this past Sunday to celebrate the tradition ofgiving that has helped so many Augsburg students retrlr/c their dreams. Hardly a seat was left empty with total attendance ton ping 300. The student speaker for the event was Augsburg senior 'l'inzi Nguyen. an international busir ness major. She is an International President's scholar as well as a US. Buncorp foundation scholar. Nguyen spoke with passion about her desire to burld a school for homeless children after she gradu— ates. "I wanted to open a school for these children and pay them to go to school as an inccrrtrtc for their parents to let them attend school." she said, "I w ant to pro— tide them the lt)\t:. the care and education that l haxe and that the). desene." Speaking drrcctl} to the do- nors present at the etc-iii. Nguyen had heartfelt words of gratitude "\Vhat )ou do is \er). impor- tant." she said. “It does haw an impact on in) life and others. and the world ct entuall} as many of us are going to graduate from Augs— burg and burld a new future Horn the bottom of mg. heart. I smc’crc‘l) thank :iUU.“ President l’rrbbenow dis» cussed his \ ie‘w of the excrit in an intertrcw "The exent brings those whose scholarship support makes an Augsburg cdtrcutiorr litisslltlc' together with those who directly benefit from the support.” l’rrhr benow stud. “'l he c\cirt is ti c‘trll' cr‘etc symbol ol’tlic links belw ccir generations til/\tl‘g'slltlly students. alumni and friends. llre gritlrcrv mg marks the common work of supporting Atrgshtirg‘s mission to make tr lllgll'qttttllly education tic" cessihlc to kill students who seek to pursue an Augsburg cdticritioir.” In attendance w cr‘c tlri‘cc Re gents. Jozrn \"ol/. Andra Adolplrson and led (ii'mdtil. 'I here were ulso sc\crtil Regent lzrirci'ilr zil the brunch. Sixteen new scholarships have been added since the lust brunch. dowccl l’icsidcntitil scholarships 'l he l‘. Milton chtcrr lziinily now has three endowed l’iesrdciitiril scholarships. In all. t)\c‘l Sis irrillioir has been donated since the lust scholarship brunch. w itlr oter 750 people hai mg niudc gifts in the lust IX months. l’i’ihhcirow slurred a pinch cal \ic‘w ol the inc‘rininj,‘ oi the brunch "Scholarship support r-. \c'i‘, personal and iiic‘airrngfiil l)c't,t1|l>c‘ It helps to trial-t; [')U\\ll»lc' the hon ormg of likes ‘Ac‘lhlc‘tl. the pursuit of dreams. and thc‘ opportunrtiu to make a difference in the world.” he said “'lhc c\ cut pro". hit“ 11 great chance for all of u“. to lL‘lti4.:ttilic‘t as well as two new c-ir- that the reason wh; scholar ,hrp support is important 1‘: not .ornc abstract notion. but a '. ct} [)L‘l >Ull31l and often emotional experience of supporting or being supported through generous ‘».cholar‘~.hrp gifts " Show less
Page I 2 Minneapolis, Minnesota THE BACK PAGE Friday, April 1 1, 2008 Studg abroad in Eggpt KARI AANESTAD Features Editor When Napoleon invaded Egypt. he reportedly said: “From these heights. forty centuries of history look down upon you." Augsburg students will soon realize the irony of Napoleon... Show morePage I 2 Minneapolis, Minnesota THE BACK PAGE Friday, April 1 1, 2008 Studg abroad in Eggpt KARI AANESTAD Features Editor When Napoleon invaded Egypt. he reportedly said: “From these heights. forty centuries of history look down upon you." Augsburg students will soon realize the irony of Napoleon's quotation as they have an opportunity to learn firsthand about the expansive and impressive history of Egypt in an upcoming study abroad trip. Phil Adamo. professor of History. and Mohamed Sallam. director of Pan-Afrikan Student Services. will lead Augsburg‘s first trip ever to Egypt in May of 2009. Two courses will be offered in conjunction with this trip: HlS 195 Ethnicity and Identity in Ancient Egypt taught by Adamo. and SOC 195 Ethnicity and Identity in Contemporary Egypt taught by Sallam. According to the official description of the program. “These two courses offer students a unique opportunity to study one of the most important cultures of the ancient world. and to experience how it intersects with important religious, political. and personal issues oftoday‘s world." “Students will learn the methods of His— tory and Sociology to examine how Egyp- tians of the past and present constructed. and continue to construct their identities. In the process. students will examine the construc- tion of their own histories and identities to gain a better understanding oftheir place in another culture. as well as their own.” The two courses are paired together in hopes that the ancient and modem per- spectives will not only enhance a students understanding of the complexity of the Egyptian identity, but also the complexity of his/her own identity in contrast to another culture. “We get stuck in how we think about these things [identity and culture]. and what becomes appropriate gets standardized.“ Sallam said. “I think by tackling issues of diversity without calling it ‘diversity‘ we’ll get a lot more out of it." According to Adamo. the history course will examine “the history of ancient Egypt, including the role of geography (rural, urban. nomadic). language (Egyptian and Nubian), religion (Islamic, Christian. Jew- ish). and other cultural elements” to better understand the construction of the ancient Egyptian identity. Similarly. according to Sallam, the sociology course will also examine geog- raphy, language. religion, and culture but from a sociological perspective in order to “understand both how [modern Egyptian] identity is constructed and the relationship between the various cultures and sub- cultures throughout the country.” » The Egyptian identity is very compli— cated and comprised of many elements. “If you ask an Egyptian, ‘What are you?" he will say, ‘Oh, I’m Egyptian.’ but depend- ing on who is talking, [being Egyptian] could mean 10 different . rue, w. .,.. a, . .., Crossword answers for last week P AL OHA A L UNAR P AC I DS AN SI T R P A MAP L UAU C OL DAS R OD 01 L AS E MO DRAW E NNI AL L E P R AM E A L A MO T T OT I E See you in September. things.” Sallam said. “Egypt has very subtle differences in its culture, and we‘re really interested in exploring it." Adamo said. “Every culture has some idea of “There‘s us. and there‘s them. There‘s me, and there‘s the other.‘ but in ancient Egypt it‘s very clear how the powerful and oppressed are portrayed.“ Students will get a chance to learn from classroom lectures, informal discus- sion, joumaling. and reflective expository writing. They will also leam anthropologi- cal methods. such as participant and non— participant observation in public settings. “Students will get to interact in a difier— ent way than just filling up their 500 giga~ byte digital camera,” Adamo said. “They’ll get to actually live in and experience the place, rather than simply encounter it as consumers." Trip leader and instructor Sallam said another perk of the trip is what a student can get out of it. By taking part in this trip, students get a chance to fulfill liberal arts foundations requirements in the humanities and social sciences. Sallam added, “It's like taking a fiill summer load without being [at _Augsburg]." Both Adamo and Sallam are excited and energetic about the trip and courses. The interdisciplinary approach to the topic of identity combined with the location of the courses both on campus and abroad pro— vides a completely unique program that has never before been offered at Augsburg. For more information about the upcom— ing trip. contact Adamo (adamo@augsburg. edu) or Sallam (sallam@augsburg.edu). Crossword answers for this week A M O S I S A A C P R O D D B T S A M l R R E N O R E O O P E R A A H B D O E S A N Y B O D Y A S I D E L A D E N O N E K E T T L E S R A Y L E N R I N A S A T E A C T O K E E N Show less
Page 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota Friday, April 11, 2008 Augsburg College crime data: accurate arbitrary? BECCA REILLY Contributor Augsburg College‘s cam— pus crime trends are determined by incident totals in the Annual Security Reports, released by its Department of Public Safety each Oct. 2.... Show morePage 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota Friday, April 11, 2008 Augsburg College crime data: accurate arbitrary? BECCA REILLY Contributor Augsburg College‘s cam— pus crime trends are determined by incident totals in the Annual Security Reports, released by its Department of Public Safety each Oct. 2. in Oct. 2006. data in 11 categories of Minneapolis campus crime were altered. Vice President of Student Affairs Anne Garvey works with students‘ incidents ofliquor, drug. and weapons law violations, which changed data for 2003 and 2004, but not 2005. She said that she and administrative assistant Laurel Christianson revised the totals in 2005. but was aware ofalterations in the Annual Security Report. The later 2006 Report with the altered. and now official. data table for the previous three years went online around Oct. 17. but the Augsburg community was not notified ofthe revisions. The relevancy of these num- bers to each student is shown in the change in crimes for every 1.000 students that were on the campus each year. Some categories had higher numbers. and some had lower numbers after the revision of the data table in the 2006 Report. (iarvey first noticed the changes in November in an inter- view about what the data tables meant. Regarding the lack of any emails or alerts about the revised. and now official. 2006 data table with changed numbers for 2003 and 2004 crimes. Garvey said. “Well. that would‘ve been nice.“ Garvey mentioned two revi— sions ofcrime totals that she knew of. in 2002. she and Christianson lost the data for the three catego- ries they work with. They had to rebuild the database of the past years’ drug. alcohol, and weapons violations among students. In 2005. the Director of the Department of Public Safety John Pack told them that they were incorrectly counting violations, according to Garvey. Each viola- tion must refer to the most illegal thing each student does. “pegged at the higher UC R crime category,” -not the gist of each incident that happens. Once they recounted the 2004 and 2005 incidents in this method “the numbers would’ve gone up." Garvey said. “l think we would‘ve cor- rected it and sent it with the rest of the data. in fall 2006. Garvey said. “I don‘t know." She guessed that Pack had revised the data table midway through fall 2006. She could not comment on the eight other crime categories with changed data. which she doesn’t work with. About these. Garvey said. “One possible thought [among the students. faculty and staff] might be. cool. They‘re making sure we get accurate in- fonnation! Even though it’s late. Another thought might be, can‘t these people count?“ The only way to double-check data without looking at confiden- tial incident reports is to ask Pack for print-outs of old reports‘ data tables, which can be retroactively revised. and were. The 2005 and 2004 reports that one can request from Pack now show data consistent with the revised data of2006. Pack writes each year‘s Re- port himself. links them to the Department‘s web site. www. Editor-in—Chicf Curtiss Schreiber Senior News Editor Katie LaGrave A8LE Editor Sean Stanhill Features ngtor Kari Aanesrad Photo Editor E—mail — echo@augsburg.edu l’ltonc — (612) 530-1102 the students. to revision propriate. Augsburg College Echo Spring 2008 Staff Caleb Williams Becki lverson Cgpy Editor Advertising Manager Andrea Sanow Sarah Gillund Faculty Adviser Boyd Koehler 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. alumnirae or the remainder of The Echo does not nn‘essarily promote the products or services it advertises. Adver- tisements can be placed in the Echo by contacting the advertising manager. Submissions are welcome and can be sent to echo@ augsburgedu. All submissions should be between 500-700 words and accompanied by the writer‘s name and con— tact information. All submissions bacome the property of the Echo and are subject The Echo reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limitations. repetitive subrect matter. libelous content or any other reason the editors deem ap— Printed by Pnnt Group Midwest on recycled paper. Managing Editor Linda Huynh News Co—Editor Davis Jones Opinions/Editorials Editor Aaron Wells Sports Editor Adara Bonnell Layout Editor Tips — echotips@gmail.com Fax — (612) 330-1666 augsburg.edu/dps, and uploads the crime totals to the federal Depart- ment of Education’s campus safety website, http://ope.ed.gov/secu- rity/main.asp. He was surprised to see the 2006 Report as released on Oct. 2. “I don’t know... it was a year ago. I don’t recall making changes,” he said. All old Reports are kept in Pack's digital files. They aren’t stored in Augsburg’s library or the offices of its administration. The only independent agency providing accountability is the Department of Education. apply- ing $27,500 fines to colleges for under-reporting. according to the Jeanne M. Clery Act. Once the current year ‘5 report goes online each October. the previous year‘s report is removed. The same goes for the federal De- partment of Education‘s campus crime profile of colleges. Through- out 2006, the federal profile of Augsburg's 2003, 2004. 2005 crime totals was consistent with Augsburg‘s official data table. A student preserved that year’s profile, which can be found at www.augsburg.edu/~reilly/ federalprofile. Since late October 2007, updated data on the site also shows totals consistent with those accepted by Augsburg‘s Depart- ment of Public Safety. But others saved the 2006 report as it was when the link was first emailed to them. Augsburg’s Center for Counseling and Health Promotion saved a digital copy of it. Regarding its data table, with different data than the of- ficial 2006 and 2007 Reports in 11 crime categories and what that might mean, the C enter‘s Direc- tor. Nancy Guilbeault. and stafi” worker. Dianne Detloff. declined to comment. The first and later ver- sions of the 2006 Report can be found at www.wrongway. org/?augsburgrevisions. In her brief Sept. 26 report to administrators. Garvey included the alcohol. drug and weapons law violations totals of the past three years. Looking back, she noted that the 2004 totals of alcohol (176) and weapons (three) viola- tions didn’t match data in the 2007 Security Report. This report can be found at http://web.augsburg.edu/~reilly/ cabinet. . Obstacles to accuracy at Augsburg remain. While Garvey said that she thinks the student crime totals are overestimates. the Student Advocate thinks they are underestimates. The corner office can wait. Some corners of the world can’t. Graduating? Jumpstart your career with the Peace Corps! Find out more: Information Session with Video and Slideshow Tuesday, April 15 ' 7:00 - 8:00 pm. Haltie G. Brown Community Center 270 North Kent Street St. Paul, MN 55102 For more information, call 1-800-424-8580 or visit www.peacecorps.gov g Community Se Off-Campus Housing rvice Opportunity ‘ «we As a College House Tutor/Mentor, you can support two K-8th grade students in south Minneapolis for 4-6 hours week and help them succeed in school and life! For more information, pick up an application packet at Augsburg Office of Service, Work and Learning OR contact Eric Oines at 612.720.8827 e-mail: eric.oines@ggl-inc.org Apply TODAY! q.-. Show less
Friday, Mar 15,2008 WRESTLING Minneapolis, Minnesota ., Page ,r AUGGIE SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING, CONT. SOFTBALL WRESTLING PHOTOS 2007 NCAA III maj. dec. David Penny (Ohio Augsl’mg C0“? National Championships Northern) 144); Mogi Baatar (St. ,. . 3‘ March 6-7, 2008 John's) dec. Rob Miller (Thiel) “... Show moreFriday, Mar 15,2008 WRESTLING Minneapolis, Minnesota ., Page ,r AUGGIE SPORTS REVIEW WRESTLING, CONT. SOFTBALL WRESTLING PHOTOS 2007 NCAA III maj. dec. David Penny (Ohio Augsl’mg C0“? National Championships Northern) 144); Mogi Baatar (St. ,. . 3‘ March 6-7, 2008 John's) dec. Rob Miller (Thiel) “‘“R’V” “"5 (Game 2) Cedar Rapids, Iowa 104; Flodeen dec. Robert Stru- .Mm" 8: 200? us Cellular Center thers (Wartburg) 54; Clayton M'“““P°"" “'“n' Rush (Coe) dec. Bum], 3_2; Edor .Nelson Field Final Top-IS Standings: Baatar dec. David Penny (Ohio I. Wartburg (Iowa) 147; 2. Wis— consin-La Crosse 100; 3. Augs- burg (Minn.) 87; 4. Coe (Iowa) 78; 5. Delaware Valley (Pa.) 64: 6. Luther (Iowa) 45.5; 7. Cornell (Iowa) 40.5; 8. Elmhurst (Ill.) 38; 9. North Central (111.) 37.5; 10. Wisconsin-Stevens Point 33; 11. Olivet (Mich.) 29.5; 12. New York Univ. 23.5; 13. Kings (Pa) 21; 14. Rhode Island College 20; 15t. Lycoming (Pa) 19; 15t. Massachusetts Institute of Tech. 19. Other Minnesota schools: 30. St. John’s 8.5; 37t. Concor- dia-Moorhead 4.5. Individual Results: All MIAC competitors. Saturday: 125 — Seth F lodeen (Augs- burg) dec. Christopher Heil— man (Cornell) 8-2; Jake Oster (E1mhurst)dec. Mogi Baatar (St. John ’5) 10—7. Seventh-place match: Baatar dec. Jon Gregory (Ithaca) 11-7. Championship match: Flodeen pinned Clayton Rush (Coe) 2:07. 133 — Travis Lang (Augsburg) maj. dec. Jestin Hulegaard (Buena Vista) 14—2: Adam Johnson (North Central) dec. Lang 3-]. Fifth-place match: Lang pinned Nichalos Nothem (Cornell) 0:56. 141* Jason Adams (Augsburg) dec. Niles Mercer (Coe) 8-4. Championship match: Michael Bonora (Rhode Island) dec. Adams 5-2. 149 — Elliott Spense (Mt. St. Joseph) dec. Willy Holst (Augsburg) 9-3; Holst dec. Matt Mauseth (Wis.- La Crosse) 2—0. Third—place match: Holst maj. dec. Aaron Cook (Buena Vista) 18-6. 184 — Robbie Gotreau (Augsburg) maj. dec. Eric Fishel (Johns Hop- kins) 9-0; Gotreau dec. Joshua Zabel (Wis-La Crosse) 3-2. Third-place match: Gotreau dec. Gabe Youel (North Central) 6—1. 197 v Rob Kramer (Coe) dec. Anthony Neumann (Concordia) 8-4. Seventh-place match: Ryan Fogliano (Heidelberg) maj. dec. Neumann 10-2. Friday: 125 —» Seth Flodeen (Augsburg) Northern) 7-1 (Penny eliminat- ed). 133 — Travis Lang (Augs- burg) dec. Brandon Clemmer (Delaware Valley) 13-7: Nichalos Nothem (Cornell) dec. Lang 3-1 (OT-5V1); Lang pinned An- thony Gummerson (Centenary) 2:16 (Gummerson eliminated). 141 — Jason Adams (Augsburg) maj. dec. Nicholas Sanzhez (Heidelberg) 9-]; Austin Bautista (Wis-Whitewater) pinned Ben Anderson (Concordia) 3:50: Ad— ams dec. Matt Kelly (Wartburg) 3-2; Dan Hall (Delaware Valley) pinned Anderson 2:51 (Ander- son eliminated). 149 — Willy Holst (Augsburg) pinned Erik Smith (Wilkes) 4:21: Holst tech. fall Johnason Quist (Luther) 18—2 at 7:00. 157 A Takafumi Hashimoto (New York Univ.) dec. Beau Hansen (Augsburg) 9—4; Josh Terrell (Dubuque) dec. Hansen 5-1 (Hansen eliminated). 165 v Trent Zempel (Messiah) dec. Matt Schrupp (St. John’s) 3-2; Schrupp dec. Julian Mancha (Buena Vista) 8—1. 174 — Eric Van Patten (Brockport State) dec. George Lynaugh (Augsburg) 4-2; Michael Reilly (Kings) dec. Phil Moenkedick (Concordia) 11-7; Lynaugh maj. dec. Andre De- Cristo (Hunter) 11-1 (DeCristo eliminated); Gregory Osgoodby (College of New Jersey) pinned Lynaugh 2:44 (Lynaugh elimi— nated); Evan Brown (Dubuque) maj. dec. Phil Moenkedick 15-4 (Moenkedick eliminated). 184 — Robbie Gotreau (Augsburg) dec. Treavor LeBlanc (Cortland State) 6-0; Dustin Baxter (St. John’s) dec. Ben Engelland (Wis—Stevens Point) 5-2 (OT— TBI); Michael Wilcox (Dela- ware Valley) dec. Gotreau 24: Joshua Zabel (Wis-La C rosse) maj. dec. Baxter 9-1: Gotreau dec. James Quinlan (Bridgewater State) 7—4 (Quinlan eliminated): Bryan Lenhardt (Johnson and Wales) dec. Baxter 12-5 (Barter eliminated). 197 7 Anthony Neumann (Concordia) dec. Ryan Fogliano (Heidelberg) 7—4; Craig Bollig (Wis—Stevens Point) pinned Neumann 1:43: Neumann dec. Joe West (Delaware Valley) 6-1 (West eliminated). All-Americans in the MIAC St. John's Mogi Coneordie's In addition to Bauer and Neumann, Concordia and St. John‘s placed 4 wrestter's: Ben Anderson. Matt Schrupp. Dustin Baxter andth Augsburg College 1 (0-6) > w I H RBI 3880 PO 0 0 Player Magnuson 2b Jolene Ross ss Westerrnan c Sarah Green lb Katie Johnson pr Restemayer cf Whittenburg ph Laura Strandell 1f Jennifer Castillo 3b Melissa Larsen p Jessa Hinz rf Totals p. 000000—‘ 'JlJIJ-Nv—‘I‘JO'N'NWUJ ~OOOC‘0—00000 800~00~0—00-—‘ —00—C0000000 0000000000 00 000—0000w’fi0 N A N .— on O N Wis.-River Falls 8 (6—0) > W Z 3: Player RBI BB SO 1: O > () 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 l l 0 ‘ Mindy Rudiger 55 Jessica Lundgren dp Emily Howlett 3b Keri Feller lb Dana Book pr Amanda Peters rf Cassie Peterson 2b Ashley James c Rebecca Troop If Rachel Mathias cl Brittany Rathbun p Totals zoo—- OwwwhwchiD-A o_co—.owmtou OOOOIJO—tJO— b-aOO—b-IOOO'AO'JI '—'OOI‘J'¢JOO C — 0000000-‘000 x oc—ooocouuw \r oom—Aocooo 'w rJ o 9‘ \J \1 Score by Innings R H E 0100000 -14 2 002033X - 8120 Augsburg College Wis-River Falls E - Castillo; Larsen. LOB - Augsburg 2; UW-RF 7. ZB - Restemayer; Rudiger: Feller 2. HR - Rudiger. SH - Peters. SB - Lundgren. CS — Restemayer. Augsburg IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP M Larsen 6.012 8 4 l 2 31 33 96 River Falls IP H R ER BB SO AB BF NP B. Rathbun 7.0 4 l l 0 2 24 24 89 Win - Rathbun (3-0). Loss - Larsen 0. Save - Nonc. WP - Larsen. PB — Westerman. Inherited runners/ scored: None. Pitches/strikes: Larsen 96/63: Rathbun 89/59. Umpires - HP: Roger Cheyse 18: Nate Shan— non Attendance: 100 Below: Junior 125-pounder Seth Flodeen (Cannon Falls, Minn.) puts Coe’s Clayton Rush into a front headlock which turned into a pin. In the tournament, Flodeen was 4-0, claiming 2 decisions and a major decision as well as the pin on Coe. Flodeen finished his junior season 25-7, and is 78-27 in his Auggie career. l’llnln-- l“. ( .ll. lh \\ illumi 1‘ Hi) Top: Augsburg tans celebrate after junior Seth Flodeen captured the 125-pound individual title at the NCAA Division 111 National Wrestling Championships in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on Saturday. Above: Head wrestling coach Sam Barber congratulates Seth Flodeen after his 125-pound class win. Flodeen beat Clayton Flush of 009 College (Iowa) by pin 2:07 minutes into the match. Show less
Page 10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Minneapolis, Minnesota Fish tanked MICHELLE ALIMORADI Columnist “Whatever you missed, we missed too.“ This repeated line poked out at my brain several times during my viewing of F ishtank at Theater de la Jeune Lune last Sun- day evening. I couldn‘t help but feel that... Show morePage 10 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT Minneapolis, Minnesota Fish tanked MICHELLE ALIMORADI Columnist “Whatever you missed, we missed too.“ This repeated line poked out at my brain several times during my viewing of F ishtank at Theater de la Jeune Lune last Sun- day evening. I couldn‘t help but feel that I was missing something from this choreographed sit-com of nada. I was irked threefold by this poten- tially existential line. Could it be that they were repeating the line as a joke and in fact there was nothing to miss? Or was it that I was missing some— thing and they were rubbing my nose in it? Or perhaps the third and most irritating option is true: maybe there was something going on, but neither the creators nor the viewers could tap into it. What if, both of us were miss- ing an unperceivable, but poten- tially profound message and the message itself was making fun of us! It’s exhausting to contemplate really. All this mind—wrestling action put a new spin on the term drama. This lack of story revolves around an unorthodox airport terminal in which three Darjeel- ingites whose names are inter- changeable (Dominique Serrand, Nathan Keepers, and Steven Epp, also co-writers) cause mischief with a quirky, sofi-spoken airport attendant named Coco (Jennifer Baldwin Peden). Their journey begins with a vending machine, makes a right at a gigantic fish tank, hangs a left at an old—school projection “interactive” television, and loops through some mysterious tunnels with no apparent final destination or motivation. The show is com— plete with dancing flowers, a taste of nudity, and the characteristic “Jeune Lune” ending of an isolated dramatic musical number. The creators utilize blocking and sound effects to construct most of the piece. The text is not intended to advance a story or develop stakes. Instead, the words are mostly instructional, intensify— ing or explanatory to the actions taking place. Most notably, they are void of any sort of emotion or contextual cues. The success of this tactic is difficult to determine. It reads as neutral. It just is. The creators are successful, however, at making the text almost irrelevant. At times I found myself ignoring what was being said be- cause my brain established that the actions were most important. Was I correct? Heck, I still don’t know. The text relies heavily on the actions taking place and repeti— tion for its humorous context. The menacing line, “Whatever you missed, we missed too,” is used at the beginning of the show when Keepers announces there will be no intermission. Keepers encourages the audience to still get up during the show to get a drink, smoke a cigarette, or go to the re- stroom if need be during the show. Then, he assures the audience not to worry, “whatever [we] missed, In Bruges SAM SPAFFORD Contributor Irish playwright Martin Mc- Donagh makes his debut on the silver screen writing and directing the must see film In Bruges. McDonagh‘s stays true to his most common genre of dark com- edy beginning the movie with two London hitmen, played by Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson, ar~ riving in the medieval kept town of Bruges. Belgium. McDonagh, well known for his plays, received the prestigious honor of Critics Circle Theater Awards-Best New Playwright in [996 when Martin was only 26. Some of the other awards for his writing include Laurence Olivier best new play. four Tony award nominations for best new play. and an academy award for his short film Six Shooter. The film begins when the two hitmen an'ive in Bruges. Belgium. They are fleeing England because ofa tragic mishap in their last as- sassination of a Catholic Priest. Don’t let the tragic premise fool you, In Bruges is packed full of belly laughs relying heavily on the hitrnan Ray (played by Colin Farrell) who is a sarcastic mess from the start. The much older and more seasoned hitrnan Ken (played by Brendan Gleeson) wants to enjoy the vacation by sight seeing the beautiful old buildings. A scene takes place where Farrell‘s character has had enough sight seeing and refuses to climb the stairs of a medieval look out tower. Gleeson pleads for Farrell to join but gives up telling Far— rell to keep still and climbs the medieval tower alone. Instead of laying low on the ground Farrell attracts the attention of an en— tire courtyard telling three over weight Americans in an English accent, that they can‘t climb the tower because they are a pack of elephants. In Bruges fills gaps of non— humorous scenes with clever plot [they] missed too.” Later on the line’s humor emerges when the actors repeated- ly exit and enter the scene through tunnels on stage. When Keepers returns from one of the tunnels afier a prolonged period of time, Baldwin Peden (Coco) assures him that it’s ok because “whatever [he] missed, [they] missed too.” During this same section of the play, the text takes some more obvious existential turns. There are several lines thrown out about being in one situation, but then “conversely” being on the other side of the same situation, for ex- ample, being on one side of the wall, but then being on the other and the difference between the two perspectives, etc. There are too many “conversely” statements to count. This production proves that when language is vague or am- biguous, its significance is de- moted to the level of mannerism. Also, engaging drama is possible through neutral dialogue; however, not without putting extreme pres- sure on the actors and the director to keep the show afloat. Unfortu- nately, under pressure of this type, there were several points in which this company did, in fact, tank. scheming. The numerous plots of romance, (between Ray and a local girl), as well as the separate tragedies of Ken, Ray, and their employer all collide in the climax of the film. The climax, although written with great intellect, is downplayed by McDonagh’s inexperience as a film director. The final scene is a visually inelegant shot made overly simplistic by misplacing secondary characters. Up until this point the movie, however ridiculous it may seem, is shot in a realistic light. I was let down with professional hitmen running around the streets in a Hollywood like shootout. In Bruges is a must see film for people familiar with McDon- agh‘s masterful crafismenship as a writer and for those who enjoy cunning dark humor. In Bruges is playing thru the 201h of March at the Uptovm theater. Tickets are available online. gsurg A-Lés Frida , March 15, 2008 I II . r w Where to go from here.... Cultural events just a stone’s throw away from Augsburg College and often free-of-charge. These suggestions come to you from Kerry Morgan (Director, Art Galleries & Exhibi- tions). THEATER 9 Parts of Desire Through March 23 $18-$34 Twin Cities actress Kate Eifi'ig stars in this acclaimed solo work celebrating the extraordinary (and ordinary) stories of nine women — eight Iraqi, one American — and their searches for per- sonal freedom from a country overshadowed by war. Guthrie Theatre, Dow/ing Studio 818 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis wwwguthrietheatre. org ART MINNEAPOLIS 55408 Opening Night Reception: Friday, March 14, 2008: 7-11:30p.m. Free This annual multimedia, multi-artist exhibition displays new works from Minneapolis ’most creative zip code! Join us for an evening of community dialogue, excellent art. wine. beer, appeti.- ers and dancing. Special guest and 55408 curator alum, Mike Hoyt brings the noise as DJ and the host of the 2nd Annual Kara- oke Blowout. Show will be on view through May I 0. Intermedia Arts 2822 Lyndale Ave. S., Minneapolis 612-871-4444 www. intermediaarts. org EVENT St. Patrick ’s Day Irish Celebration & Day of Dance Saturday, March 15, 10 a.m. — 5 p m. & Sunday, March I 6, II a.m. — 5 pm. $5 Adults; $3 Kids 6—12 & Seniors," Free for kids 5 and under Two days ’worth of festivities celebrating everything Irish—food, music, & dancing. Wear green. Landmark Center 75 W. Fifth St., St. Paul www. irishmusicanddanceassociation. org <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><> More fun than a barrel of these. The Echo. Show less
Friday, April 117, 2008 ‘ Minneapolis. Minnesota 7 Pch " fl? lfi ‘, l ‘h- Above: Senior Jolene Ross (Arden Hills, Minn/Mounds View HS) watches a hit during a game April 5. This season, Ross is hitting 320 over 75 at-bats. Below: Junior Sarah Green (Winnebago, Minn/Blue Earth Area HS) pitches during... Show moreFriday, April 117, 2008 ‘ Minneapolis. Minnesota 7 Pch " fl? lfi ‘, l ‘h- Above: Senior Jolene Ross (Arden Hills, Minn/Mounds View HS) watches a hit during a game April 5. This season, Ross is hitting 320 over 75 at-bats. Below: Junior Sarah Green (Winnebago, Minn/Blue Earth Area HS) pitches during a game April 5. This season, Green has an ERA of 4.17, appearing 18 times over 90 2/3 innings. imam I“ I .Ilu- \\ IIII. l“, H iii) Above: First-year Jessa Hlnz (Richfield, Minn.) celebrates her first collegiate home run during a game April 5. Below: First-year Jennifer Castillo (Minneapolis, Minn/Washburn HS) make a throw to second base during a game April 5. Echo Sports wishes all l HERL ARE No Excuses FOR MISSING Our ON THE SPRING teams success with the F H 4 A Write for the Echo. BRING HEW WITH iF V()U HAVE TO iHEARD SHE. LIKES RAP (-Unlinu MUSIC PERFLC T For: OUR OPENING ACT ’ i ’7 rest of their seasons. KANSER 401 (k), health, dental, life insurance" I“, W, W W, W m MW W 20 weeks vacation” hm I.;.,,I,II.....I.I~; we are lookin for, This sIIIIIIIII‘I. “ml/v IALso HEARD THAT SHE LIKES . 9 ' SWM/WWL,’ (“H-M To SHAKE HER A“. PERFECT FOR SPECIAL GUEST DJ: wnters, ( l” H H” '. J J" THE GHOST OF JANE SEYMOUR PhOtographe'i gnu. m w mu I. and more. and mu) FRIDAY. APRILiB‘rH. 2008 8PM —12AM ’ «m Mir-l «(A'- '-‘ I» 30 NI; .nr 7"! :I .I,I:,;I;:II, BRING A SpAne CHANGE OF UNDERWEAR I‘Wfik' 3‘: ‘iG‘s 5"” YWF‘. En‘r TO You s~ v 3.1:: FS‘EY‘DS ASAC AND VAUG 'Awn as» w- n An" a' t‘c'—‘- Va; ()12'310'6170 " among. blew gym; b'tm ",avIugw-I. Show less
Page 10 Minneapolis, Minnesota ARTS a: ENTERTAINMENT Middle Eastern Psychedelic Rock Comes to Minneapolis ALIA SCHEIRMAN Columnist Who is Haale? I didn’t know until last Wednesday evening. After I was finished working, I decided to see what was going on at the Cedar Cultural Center which is a few... Show morePage 10 Minneapolis, Minnesota ARTS a: ENTERTAINMENT Middle Eastern Psychedelic Rock Comes to Minneapolis ALIA SCHEIRMAN Columnist Who is Haale? I didn’t know until last Wednesday evening. After I was finished working, I decided to see what was going on at the Cedar Cultural Center which is a few doors down from where I work. Seeing Haale’s description, I was intrigued by this New York native. born of Persian parents. She combines Farsi and Eng— lish and old Persian proverbs to her rock-infused songs. In my opinion. Farsi is a beautiful language to listen to, so I could not pass this concert up. It is always fascinating when two distinct styles of music come together. Haale‘s lyrics are heavily influced by her two favorite poets: Allen Ginsberg and Rumi. In talk- ing about her experiences writing music. Haale mentioned the fact that Americans often view Iran as a completely different planet, populated with people with ab- solutely nothing in common with Americans. In 2003, when she visited Iran, she heard music like Tupac and Nirvana on cars’ speakers, and said, “They can’t buy it in stores, but they’re burning it for each other, and it just comes down to human beings waking up and trying to have a nice day, playing some music and getting to work or whatever.“ This was a reason Haale wanted to merge the sounds of traditional Middle Eastern rhythms and harmonies with rock and roll, to make the statement that there are plenty of things in common with all humans. regardless of what part of the world we each come from. Haale describes the musical elements of her work as being products of her years growing up having listened to Bob Dylan, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, and Bjork. Hendrix especially made an impression on her, not only his music, but his written reflections of his music. During the concert, Haale recounted a story of Hendrix’s that she read, describing his time in the military. Even on military duty, he had his guitar with him, and he would tum the daunting sounds of the plane’s engine into music, and incorporate those sounds into his songs. Haale’s song “Floating Down” stems from this story, with lyrics such as: “Falling towards the shimmering waters and the lands where I will be a fighter on com- mand, still my love blooms like the parachutes above me...” Performing on guitar, Haale focused the concert’s program on her most recent album, “No Ceiling” which was released last month. With cello and percussion ac- companiment, her dark, soft voice was captivating. Between songs, she would tell a brief story (such as the one about Jimi Hendrix) or recite a piece of Rumi poetry. One of her songs, “Mast,” used the Farsi word for “mysti- fied” or “enchanted” as the title. The lyrics described her admira- tion for children’s mentality that everything is exciting and new, and as people grow older, it is more and more difficult to be satisfied or impressed by something. The music and the stories behind each one of Hale’s songs during the concert made the expe~ rience of seeing her live amazing. She obviously put a lot of thought into the meaning behind her mu- sic, which makes it very personal and relatable to the audience. If Haale makes a reappearance in Minneapolis someday, I encourage people to make an effort to go. ,A ril 11,2008 Big screen broadcast of ’ Metropolitan Opera’s La Bobeme: A case in contradictions BRIAN HALAAS Columnist When Peter Gelb and Franco Zeflirelli shared the Metropolitan Opera stage after a the curtain fell on a performance of Zeffirelli’s legendary production of “La Boheme,” there certainly must have been a confusing sense of contradiction in the air. Zeffirelli’s numerous pro- ductions of opera classics fol- low a pretty simple formula: enormous and stunning sets filled with hordes of chorus members (and usually some live animals) with a strict respect and atten- tion to the music in its purest form results in giddy audience members and appalled critics. This tradition that started with Zeffirelli’s first production of Falstaff in 1964 has essentially come to define The Met’s entire approach to opera. When Gelb took the post of New York’s flagship opera company a few years ago, he was seen by many as setting out on a conquest to completely revitalize that un- derstanding. Recently, the Met has seen a surge of exciting new produc- tions by theater directors and in the coming years the opera will commission a handful of new operas by unlikely composers such as music—theater composer Adam Guettel, singer-songwriter Rufus Wainright and jazz musi- cian Wynton Marsalis. Probably the most publicized and successful endeavor that Gelb initiated was the move to broadcast live opera perfor- mances in movie theaters across the country. Now, if you live in the Twin Cities, it only takes $22 and a quick drive out to a movie theater in the suburbs to experi- ence what is happening on the Met stage through HD visuals and full audio. This effort has been almost unan- imously lauded by people who are thrilled by the new dramatic depth that arises thanks to well- directed close-ups of world—class performers while also chowing down on a box of popcorn. When John Doyle’s fresh produc- tion of “Peter Grimes” hit the big screens last month, many critics noted that the production was a little limp in real life but was breathtakingly engaging on the big screen. When Franco Zeffirelli’s lavish production of “La Boheme” did the same this month, the result seemed to be the opposite. The problem with the HD broadcast of “La Boheme” comes from the same root cause that made Peter Gelb’s public cel- ebration of Zeffrrelli’s contri— bution to the Met so awkward weeks earlier. I’m not the only one who was struck by the obvi- ous contradiction here. Zeffirelli himself noted in a New York Magazine interview that “[the event] had the smell of ashes. I didn’t feel really at ease in that funeral parade. I felt, I am here for my commemoration, not my celebration.” While Gelb is making an efi‘ort to exalt Zeffirelli’s work, he is at the same time planning to slowly phase out the Zeffirelli productions that are still a part of the Met’s repertory. It was this tension between the old and the new that plagued ‘La Boheme’s movie theater broadcast. The lack of dramatic depth and character complexity that audiences have grown used to forgiving in the context of beautifiil stage designs and out- standing singing, suddenly isn’t forgivable when the soprano’s face occupies an entire movie screen. Certainly Zeffirelli never intended his production to be shared with audiences in this kind of intimate setting, but to the Met that setting is one that has not only brought opera to new audiences but it has flung the door wide open for opera artists to what seems like endless opportunities. It’s probably unfair and equally unlikely that the Met will abandon Zeffirelli’s productions altogether any time soon, but if nothing else. seeing “La Bo— heme” on the big screen is proof enough that the two men are at odds with each other. And, it‘s hard not to side with Gelb over Zeffrrelli on this debate. You could be diplomatic about it and say that the two are simply head- ing in different directions, but as I see it Gelb has a pretty specific direction and Zeffirelli simply isn’t going anywhere anymore. The deadly depressing silence ADRIAN MORAVEC Columnist It has now been two years since I began my stay at the moth- cial post of‘movie reviewer‘ in the Echo. With a great sense of regret (I‘ve made so many mistakes!) and a greater sense of gratitude (I‘ve made so many mistakes and yet life goes quietly on!). this is my last Echo article. I’ve thought long and hard about what to say. Should I go out with a bang? Perhaps I could write a diatribe against current cinema. Or perhaps, I should leave with a whimper. Just write a review of Leatherheads and leave with something like, “If only George C looney knew what he was do- ing.” But both of these approaches seem wrong. and I‘ve decided in- stead to take the middle ground. Yet. this middle ground ap— proach is. oftentimes. what I fear constitutes my greatest sin as ‘film critic.‘ What could be worse than a critic who neither loathes nor loves something? Even worse, what could be more boring to read? As I‘ve consciously thought of. and attempted to deal with this personal dilemma, I’ve found myself avoiding reviewing movies that are, in the simplest of words, mediocre. As such, it is in an ocean of mediocrity that I believe we swim in today. To extend the metaphor further, I think we are drowning in it. While it is extremely rare to leave a theater and say, “That movie was fantastic!“ it is quite ofien that audiences today leave the theater in silence. Of course, it is easy to blame this silence on audiences them- selves, they’re all separated/dis— connected by the airport-like mul- tiplex. they constantly complain about other theatergoers and even stop going to theaters because of them. so obviously they would avoid contact with others. These sons of statements are excuses that don‘t connect with me. When a movie is truly alive today. the audience reflects it. Of course, it is rare that this happens, but the audience isn’t to blame. In fact. there have been many times when I have seen a movie that is quite dead, and yet, in a desperate in the area (music, sports, galleries, theatres, etc.), and there is simply no time at all to do everything. That said, I believe. I truly struggle, the audience tries to be alive to it anyway. This leads me now to that in— evitable point where I, as a movie reviewer, try to convince you as to why film criticism is absolutely essential to achieve an important, meaningfiil, and influential cinema that, at its forefront, feels alive and gives life to the world we live in. This is never a simple task, and I leave little room to do it here, so I’ll be brief. Today, as we drown in cin- ematic mediocrity, we face a film crisis of epic proportions. The sea that is cinema is bigger than ever. In the summer, a new must—sec blockbuster comes out at least once a week. In the winter, there are perhaps three or four must—see ‘award movies’ released weekly. Add to that the constant deluge of DVDs both old and new. the spec- tacle of television (both live and on DVD), and the great number of other artistic ventures that happen believe, that cinema is absolutely worthwhile in this crowded world. Perhaps (and only perhaps), in rare moments, it’s even essential. That is my belief. As such, I ask you to let the movie reviewer be your guide. Beyond this, we must see movie reviews not as the conclusive statement of a film’s merit (just because that movie has a rotten tomato-meter does not mean it‘s bad), but instead as the beginning of a conversation. It is in this conversation that I think a powerfiil cinema hides. When critics begin to connect with audiences then movies will begin to connect with audiences. Now I don’t pretend to have achieved this sort of connection with anyone. In fact. writing in the Echo some- times has felt as if I‘m writing in a journal, as if I’m speaking to a wall. But I sense these same issues in the larger world of film criticism and I can’t help but wonder if it’s at least partially the reason cinema seems so unaffecting and plain today. So I ask a favor of you. If you love movies, take some time and find a critic or two out there in the world that you enjoy reading. The blessing of the lntemet is that you don’t have to buy the New York Times or the New Yorker or any other magazine or newspaper to read the best weekly criticism available. It is all at the tips of your fingers and it is all free. It’s my belief that once you start to read the opinions of people you respect and see a movie now and again with larger ideas in mind, you’ll realize that you start to magically have a dialogue with someone you’ve never met, some- one you’ve never talked to. This is the conversation that’s missing today. I can only wonder what the world of cinema would be like if we lived in that conversation rather than the seemingly inevi- table silence of that theater-leaving crowd. Show less
Page 6 SPORTS Minneapolis, Minnesota After a short stint as your Echo Sports Editor, I would like to thank everyone at the Echo for tak- ing me in and also thank the sports department and athletes for their great interviews and information. And of course, I would like to thank my loyal readers... Show morePage 6 SPORTS Minneapolis, Minnesota After a short stint as your Echo Sports Editor, I would like to thank everyone at the Echo for tak- ing me in and also thank the sports department and athletes for their great interviews and information. And of course, I would like to thank my loyal readers because without you, there would be no sports section (well, there would, it just may be a bit smaller and Athlete focus: loyal fans.’). obviously unread, but I know you are out there oh I have had a great time and I hope the Auggies blow all the other MIAC teams out of the water next year: Good luck! Athlete focus: Jolene Ross ADARA BONNELL Sports Editor Jolene Ross is a Senior in- fielder for the Augsburg Softball team. From Arden Hills, MN, Ross has had for strong years on the team and hopes that softball will continue to be a part of her life. She will be graduating this year but has a bit of advice for those continuing on in the sport of softball. When did you start playing soft- ball? I started playing softball when I was five years old playing coach pitch, and then started playing fast pitch when l was eight years old. But, in reality I was going to the softball field since day one watching my sister's play and dad coach. Did you have any influences? My father, Bill Ross, has been my number one influence he has been coaching softball since 1982 and l have been playing catch and practicing with him since I have been three years old. What has kept you in the sport? The love for the game. I never would have gone to college for four years without playing soft- ball. What are your goals for your final year? My team goal is to make the playoffs for the first time of my college career and to surprise teams in our conference because we have a talented team this year. With hard work and practice my personal goals will take care of themselves. Any advice you would want to pass on to players returning next year? Always go 100 percent be- cause your four years go by really fast. What is your major? My major is health and physi- cal education What do you hope to do in the future? I hope to be a teacher and a coach, but I would also like to be a college sofiball coach. Do you see softball as a part of your future? Of course I see sofiball in my future with coaching and maybe someday if I have daughters they will definitely play. What is your best advice to a colle- giate athlete? How did you handle the pressure? My advice is to have fun and to play loose. Manage your time well, and always keep a smile on your face. I handled pressure by staying confident in myself, and being coachable. Overall, what is your main feeling toward your four years playing collegiate softball? I would not trade it for any- thing because it has been awe- some! I love to play and I love to compete. Auggie softball succeeds ADARA BONNELL Sports Editor Spring is in the air and here at Augsburg, it also seems to be our time of year when there are few sporting events to attend. This year however, the Augsburg softball team has been keeping us intrigued and giving us a great spring season. Currently 7—] in the MIAC, the softball ladies seem to be pull- ing out all the stops. Beating St. C atherince 6-2 and 13-5, and Gustavus 9-4, the Aug- gies have proved they are putting up a fight. One oftheir biggest feats was sweeping St. Benedict 7-5 and 5-4. According to the Augsburg Athlet- ics page. this has not happened since 1987. Their first MIAC loss was to Gustavus where they couldn‘t come back from a Gusty lead, losing 7-2. The Auggies are ready to rebound this week and weekend with games against Macalester, Hamline, and Concordia College— Moorhead. The team has also received individual recognition this year. Junior Tiffany Magnuson was named MIAC player of the week this past week. And Junior Sarah Green was named MIAC Sofiball Pitcher of the week at the end of March. Their efforts have added to the already flourishing season. With the season end quickly approaching, the softball team has only a few more teams to play before the MIAC playoffs at the beginning of May. Both Augsburg and St. Catherine will co-host the event prior to the NCAA Division III National Playofi‘Regionals and Championships toward the end of May. Attention sports writers: The Echo is looking for writ- ers to write weekly columns for Echo sports next year. If you are interested, contact the new sports editor Kristin Daniels at: daniels1@augsburg.edu Statistics Batting: Tiffany Magnuson. .418 Sarah Mueller .375 Ashley Westerman. .360 Jennifer Castillo .351 Jolene Ross .320 Whitney Restemayer .279 Sarah Green .250 Jessa Hinz .143 Laura Strandell .115 Melissa Larsen .063 Ashley Whittenburg .023 Katie Johnson .000 Other: ERA — Tiffany Magnu- son 2.56. Runs scored — Tiffany Magnuson 22. Hits — Tiffany Magnuson 38. RBI — Ashley Westerrnan 21. Jeff Stromberg ADAM BONNELL Sports Editor Jeff Stomberg, a senior of theAugsburg Baseball team, has played baseball at Augsburg for four years. As co-captain this year, Stomberg will leave behind a legacy of hard work and deter- mination. Below, hear Stomberg discuss how baseball has played a role in his life. When did you start playing base- ball? I started playing baseball at the age of 7. What position do you play? I play center field. Is there anything that influenced you to play? I would always watch the Minnesota Twins with my dad and I wanted to be just like Kirby Puckett. What has been your biggest ac- complishment as a collegiate baseball player? My biggest accomplishment thus far was my freshmen year when l was apart of the first Augs- burg baseball team to qualify for the MIAC tournament and we took second place. What do you most look forward to each season ? Each year I look forward to the next opportunity to try and win the MIAC championship down in Dundas. Any goals since this is your last season? ' My goal this year is to place in the top four in the regular season to qualify for the MIAC tournament and go down to Dundas and win the MIAC championship to qualify for a regional tournament bid. Any advice to pass on to team- mates who will carry on with the team next year? My advice for teammates for next year would be to keep working hard in the off-season so that they are one step ahead of the competition once the season starts. Also, continue to have fun playing baseball. What do you plan on doing after you graduate? Afier I graduate I plan on get- ting a job and I would like to move on to coaching baseball. What is your major? My major is mathematics. Will baseball be in your fitture? I would like baseball to be in my future as a coach at some level. great pictures. A note from the Wrestlers: The Augsburg Wrestling team would like to thank Caleb Williams, photo editor for the Echo, for all his hard work covering the team while at the NCAA Division [II National Championships in Iowa. After realizing he forgot his camera while on the vab, Caleb got dropped ofl in Southern Min- nesota, got his camera from Augsburg, and then headed down to Cedar Rapids, Iowa to make sure the team would be covered. Thank you Caleb for all your hard work and Editor’s note: Caleb would like to thank his aunt, Carrie, his brother; Jacob, and his father, Jerry. Show less
Page 8 Minneapolis, Minnesota FEATURES * Horoscopes Your birthday this week: BY AARON WELLS I’m sorry my fellow Augsburgianites. I know this is a sad day for you. How do I know? Is it because 1 know all? Yes, that’s part of it. But it’s also because I know that this is the last set of horoscopes-... Show morePage 8 Minneapolis, Minnesota FEATURES * Horoscopes Your birthday this week: BY AARON WELLS I’m sorry my fellow Augsburgianites. I know this is a sad day for you. How do I know? Is it because 1 know all? Yes, that’s part of it. But it’s also because I know that this is the last set of horoscopes- the last set, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever. Ever. Ever! Ever. So I was think- ing to myself, “Self,” I thought, “What does a person want to know more than anything?” I went for my weekly acid-aided break-in spree around campus, which, as usual, ended with me on the roof of the sci- ence building conferring with the stars. They told me what you want. This is how you will die. I rule. Aries (March 21 - April 20): Taurus (April 21 - May 21): wait. .._. Everyone you love in this world will conspire to kill you. _ Wham! Wrecking ball. Sorry. Better luck next time. Oh, They will fail. I will succeed. I heard what you said about the horoscopes. Gemini (May 22 - June 22): ‘ .‘tr'f‘ j I ‘r 1' Cancer (June 22 - July 22): Leo (July 23 — August 22): does. George Bush will kill you in your sleep. That’s just what he After a brief, very successful stint as an international singing superstar, an adoring fan will kill you for your skin. ! Judgment Day. Horsemen. Vengeful God. Holy War. Etc. Virgo (August 23 - September 22): it You will have sex on the beach, and later die of complications caused by sand in your butt. Nice job, sand butt. Ha. Ha ha. Libra (September 23 — October 23): . '_'. *. You will die of a curling iron burn afier appearing on the MTV show “Extreme Curling Iron.” Scorpio (October 24 - November 21): C‘ ' e- a.» salute you. You will be the first person ever to OD on marijuana. I Sagittarius (November 22 - December 21): You will do the perfect imitation of Caleb Williams, and then " f you will become Caleb Williams. And there just ain’t enough room in this town for the both of ya’. Capricorn (December 22 - January 19): ? Three words: damn dirty apes. Aquarius (January 20 - February 18): & Pisces (February 19 - March 20): k. ‘01 sun. Weird. Because you’re awesome. You will invent a time machine, but foolishly transport yourself to three minutes afier the Earth crashes into the Colon Cancer. No, just kidding. You’ll live forever. Why? How to lose 15 lbs. in six weeks! . . . without dieting or pills! ANDREW WEBB Contributor Afier a recent checkup and the local clinic in January my doctor told me I weighed 211 lbs and had blood pressure of 138. With ADD and allergies. I didn’t want to take any more pills than I had too. I sat down and thought to myself what 1 was doing that was caused this. I began to realize that all the time I had began to eat myself into a trap. a trap that could have negative effects in the future. I realized that l was over eating on fats. drinking more sodas. and overeating on sugars. I did this be- cause eating late at night felt good. It wasn’t until a friend of mine told me how close I was to having the health of an older person at the age of 24 I realized I had to do something. Regulating what I ate and how much I ate was next. It was really hard for me. At nights I used to order pizza from Dominos or Pizza Hut to make me feel better not to fulfill my hunger. Because of my class schedule, I didn’t eat breakfast. On Mondays, Wednes- days. and Fridays. I had class at 9:00A.M. I just got out of bed. took a shower and purchased something to eat at Nabo or the bookstore. It was quicker for me even though I had a full meal plan to get some- thing to eat. On Tuesdays and Thursdays ANN Lummm Acumm Contributor Walter Gies, Julie Schellack, and Tiffany Ramm have spent the past two months studying in Mexico in a program offered by Augsburg’s Center for Global Edu- cation (CGE), which offers free airfare to Mexico as an incentive to study in the Ausburg programs there. The Augsburg Mexico cam- pus is in Cuemavaca, a city known as the “City of Eternal Spring,” due to its year-round spring-like temperatures (70-80 degrees). Cemavaca is the capital of the state of Morelos. Both the city and the state are important in Mexican his- tory: the palace of the conqueror Heman Cortez borders the central plaza in Cuemavaca and Morelos is known as “the cradle of the Mexican revolution” of 1910 led by Emiliano Zapata, who was born in a small town near Cuernavaca. Although its population is now close to a million, it is a beautiful city with a fascinating colonial and revolutionary his- tory, and is located just an hour and a half south of Mexico City and three and a half hours north of Acapulco. CGE offers programs for Dear Dear Readers, This column is my last “Dear Kari” for the Echo. I have full- heartedly enjoyed these past three years of correspondence with you. Even though I am an amateur ad- vice columnist who is supposed to advise my readership, it is you who have taught me great lessons. I want to take an opportunity to use the next 430 words of the column to thank you, my devoted readers, for the past three years. Thank you for trusting me enough to write to me. I received letters about truly touching, com- plicated, and emotional situations. Your willingness to become vul- nerable to me and to the Augsburg community inspired me to allow myself to be vulnerable to my friends. You taught me that it’s OK to need other people and ask for advice every now and then. Thank you for writing to me. There were numerous Monday evenings before deadline where I panicked because I didn’t know if anyone was going to write in. Then, sure enough, an e-mail from students majoring or minoring in History, Spanish, Sociology, Political Science, International Re- lations, Religion, Youth & Family Ministries, and Women’s Studies. Walter, Julie, and Tiffany are all Social Work Majors par- ticipating in the semester pro- , gram entitled “Social Work in a Latin American Context,” which is offered together with eight other schools of Social Work and is designed to meet the curricular needs of second-semester junior ' Social Work majors. One big advantage of these programs is that they are open to students who’ve had as little as one semester of Spanish to students who are fluent in Spanish since there are both intensive Spanish courses and other courses taught in English. All programs also in- clude internship and independent research options. One of the unique aspects of the program is that most of the learning takes place outside the classroom walls, as the students have participated in numerous excursions to pyramids, museums, rural villages, and indigenous communities. The students travel exten- sively within the country and spend part of the time living with an unidentifi- , able yahoo ac- count showed WD up in my in- box request- ing advice regarding her boyfriend, or roommate, or parents. You saved me from the stress of having to be creative in making up a situation and person to write about. Thank you for being interested in how the column really worked, and asking me nearly every time you saw me in person, “Hey, do people really write into you?” I was always amused at how many people were concerned with either the legitimacy of the column or the severity of Augsburg students’ problems. I half suspect most of the people who asked me if people really write in were just scared they‘were the topic of the column that week. Yes, people really write in to me, but not always. Thank you for giving me op— portunity to utilize my creativity when you didn’t write in. Every issue addressed in this column was real, but not every person was. Sometimes I had to use examples from my own life. I joke that this advice column was the best self- therapy anyone could attempt because I probably helped myself more than anyone else. Mexican host families, both in urban and rural communities. For example, afier the first three weeks of intensive Spanish classes, they spent one week in the' ma! Nabua indigenous com- munity of Amatlan, where they stayed with local families. This gave them a unique opportunity to practice Spanish while leam- ing about indigenous culture and traditions. Next week, the Social Work students will begin a two-week exchange with social work stu- dents at the National Autonomous . University in Mexico City, so they have the opportunity to learn together with Mexican students. After that exchange, many of the students will complete internships in local social service organiza- tions. . The fall programs in Mexico are, “International Business & Global Citizenship” and “Cross- ing Borders: Gender and Social Change in Mesoamerica.” The spring programs are “Social Work in a Latin American Context” and “Migration and Globalization: Engaging Our Communities.” For more information about CGE study abroad programs in Mexico, see http://www.augsburg. edu/global/spa/mexsemhtml. Thank you for reading my column. I can’t express how touched I was whenever I’d walk through Christensen every Friday and overhear people discussing the latest advice, or recognizing me as the columnist, or just reading and enjoying the Echo. The Echo staff worked incredibly hard each week to put out an amazing newspaper, and your interest and support means a lot to all of us. Thank you for bearing with me when I maybe didn’t write the right things or give the best advice. An advice column is sort of a one-way dialogue in which I never really had an opportunity to receive feedback. If I ever wrote something that was either offen— sive or not helpful, please know that I am sorry and was writing with the best intentions. Finally, thank you for being such wonderful people. The Augs- burg community has sincerely been a surrogate home for many individuals. The students, faculty, and staff are what make this in- stitution a family. I have watched you support, encourage, lovingly criticize, hold accountable, and love each other for four years. I look forward to hearing about the great things you all will continue to do in these next years. I will forever be a proud Auggie alum because of who you all are. Thank you. I didn’t wake up at all until 11 in the morning and went to lunch. I was tired of what was happening. For a couple nights I searched for reasons why I was hungry at this time. Then I realized it wasn’t about food, but my body needed water. I immediately cut down my soda intake, by filling up a two- litter coke bottle with water. I used it to trick my mind into thinking I was drinking soda. I also excluded large amounts of fatty grease foods in my diet. There would be nights that I would just sit there just wanting to go to Taco Bell, or order online, but I fought it off. I told myself I’d feel better in the morning. I began eat- ing breakfast, and stopped eating useless calories afier dinner. As weeks went on, I began to include a half hour of cardio exercise afier my five-day a week weightlng program. I rode the bike during at the end of my work out and instead of miles or heart rate; my goal was to reach a certain calorie mark. My mark consisted of 200 to 300 calories in a half an hour. I went back to get my medi— cation and the doctor check up on my vital stats. My blood pressure went from 138 to 129 and my weight went from 211-196le. Now I’m healthier than I’ve been before, and I eat three meals a day. Would my strength-training program suffer from my change of habits? I don’t think it has. In fact before spring break I maxed out at 225lbs on tbebench, and] squatted 3351bs twice. For a person who’s 5fl6 and just barely 2001bs, I think that’s all right. There is a healthy way to loose weight, without taking medi- cation or dieting the solution has to do with ones inner will power to change themselves into healthier people. Show less
"No Country for Old Men’j page 11 "Of Mice The College’s Student-Produced Newspaper Friday, December 7, 2007 Tuition Minneapolis, Minnesota Volume CXIV. Issue 9 expected to increase MICHELLE RICHTER Stafl Writer Last year, Augsburg College raised tuition costs for Day Stu— dents by 5 percent. This... Show more"No Country for Old Men’j page 11 "Of Mice The College’s Student-Produced Newspaper Friday, December 7, 2007 Tuition Minneapolis, Minnesota Volume CXIV. Issue 9 expected to increase MICHELLE RICHTER Stafl Writer Last year, Augsburg College raised tuition costs for Day Stu— dents by 5 percent. This year, it seems, students can expect to see costs increase again. “The Finance Committee of the Board of Regents will be considering a proposal for tuition and fees for each of Augsburg’s academic programs,” Julie Olson, Vice President of Enrollment Man- agement, said. In January, the committee will bring their recommendations to the Board of Regents for approval. This year total costs, including tuition and other fees for Augs- burg’s Day Program, are just over $24,000. The College Board, the group responsible for SATs and AP pro- grams, publishes an annual study about college tuition prices. According to The College Board’s latest study, four-year private institutions charge an aver- age of $23,712 for the 2007—2008 school year. They also found that students enrolled at these schools receive an average of $9,300 in grants and other benefits. These schools had an aver- age increase of 6.3 percent in costs from the previous year. This means that Augsburg is already slightly over the national average for tuition costs. Augsburg to play part in Republican convention CALEB WILLIAMS Photo Editor Augsburg will be playing a key role in the Republican Nation- al Convention next year, according to a press release from CEL Public Relations, who are media repre- sentatives for the RNC. The convention will be held at various locations around the Twin Cities including the Xcel Energy Center and the St. Paul RiverCen- ter from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5, 2008. Augsburg’s primary role for the convention is threefold: to host college students, hold seminars and to supervise internship selec— tion. Tom Morgan, special assistant to the president. helped handle some of the initial contact with Republican National Convention officials. “It’s a great opportunity for students to participate first—hand in the [conventions].“ Morgan said. Students will be doing just that. According to Morgan. student interns will have a chance to work with all parts of the convention process, from participating in meetings to working on the con- vention floor. Some students may even be able to participate in both the democratic and republican con- ventions. First—year Ben Krouse—Gagne, a political science major, doesn’t care which convention he interns at. “I feel that being part of ei- ther the republican or democratic convention would be a huge op— portunity for someone to under- stand the working of politics,” Krouse-Gagne said. “I think that being inside where the decisions are made will allow someone of my background a great insight into the world of politics." Sophomore Joe Brown, also a political science major, is excited about being able to work at a con- vention. "1 plan on attending grad school in Washington [DC] and working with campaign manage- ment." Brown said. “This oppor- tunity would not only fulfill an Augsburg Experience, but give me the experiences needed to further my goals.“ According to the press release, The Washington Center (TWC), a nonpartisan nonprofit group based - See RNC, Page 2 So how do Augsburg’s prices compare to others in the MIAC? According to the Minnesota Office of Higher Education, Augs- burg students fall in the middle compared to other schools. Carleton students will pay the most this year at $36,156, while Concordia-Moorhead and the University of St. Mary’s students will pay the least at $22,350 and $22,398 respectively. Private institutions were not the only ones to increase their cost for this year. Four-year public schools also increased tuition by 6.6 percent, about a total of $6,185 nation- ally. Out-of—state tuition costs at these schools also increased by about 5.5 percent, and public four year schools have raised their costs by about 4.2 percent since last year While it may seem that Augs- burg is asking a lot by raising tuition, some argue that the school is simply following the national trend. “in the full time day under- graduate program, pricing is con- sidered together with our financial aid plan to ensure that students” actual costs remain competitive and affordable,” Olson said. “In our Augsburg for Adults programs, we consider carefully how Augs- burg’s tuition rates compare to key competitors for each program." Additionally, with regard to the Augsburg for Adults program, costs for tuition in the program did not increase this year. While costs at Augsburg stayed at $1 1.805. costs increased across other schools in the con- sortium. as students attending the College of St. Catherine‘s are paying over $12,000. According to Olson. tuition must be increased to accom— modate for rising expenses for things such as salaries. benefits. technology. utilities and program investments. While no decisions have been made regarding the future ot‘Augs— burg‘s tuition, students all over the nation can expect to once again. pay more. Velkommen Jul honors heritage BECK] IVERSON Layout Editor As winter holidays com— mence, Augsburg is finding ways to celebrate the spirit of the sea- son. The college’s Norwegian heri- tage has been especially displayed, with last Friday’s Velkommen Jul celebration offering community members an opportunity to enjoy a Scandinavian tradition to its fullest extent. Thick, patterned wool sweat- ers were in abundance at the cel- ebration and songs could be heard all over campus. Celebrating Velkommen Jul is an Augsburg tradition, one marked by Scandinavian Yuletide music, handcrafted items, Norwegian bunads and much more. Augsburg students and alumni from all walks of life and areas both far and near flocked to the chapel for a service of Scandina- vian carols. Annual favorites such as “Jeg er sa glad hvverjulekvelde," “Deilig er den himmel" and “Silent Night” (sung in lcelandic) were enjoyed by those present at the service. Pastor Sonja Hagander of campus ministry led the Velkom- men Jul service. Pastor Dave Wold also made an appearance as St. Nicholas, preaching a children‘s sermon. See VELKOMMEN, Page 2 ( p . Choir members Patrick Flood (tenor), Daniel Martin (tenor), Tyson Fabyanske (bass) and (bass) recess down the main aile at Central Lutheran Church downtown as part of the 28th annual Advent Vespers celebration Nov. 30. In the background, protessor Peter Hendrickson. music, directs the full choir consisting of the Riverside Singers, the Cedar Singers, Masterworks Charale and the Augsburg Choir. With instrumentalists and a liturgical party, over 300 people participated. '1‘ w {ititi Daniel Volz Show less
Page 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota RNC, Page 1 Republican Convention an anticipated event in the cities in Washington. DC will be han- dling the internship process. Across the country, 250 peo— ple will be selected to participate in each convention. According to Morgan, l00-120 interns will be... Show morePage 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota RNC, Page 1 Republican Convention an anticipated event in the cities in Washington. DC will be han- dling the internship process. Across the country, 250 peo— ple will be selected to participate in each convention. According to Morgan, l00-120 interns will be local, with 20 coming from Augsburg. According to TWC's web site, prospective interns must apply. provide a letter of recom— mendation from their school and pay a $60 application fee. The application deadline is June 1,2008 and those that apply by March 1, 2008 are guaranteed space. If accepted. students will have to pay the program cost of $3995. This cost, however, will not apply to Augsburg students. Ac- cording to professor Joe Under- hill, political science, the cost for Augsburg students will be around $500. In the week preceding the convention, participants will be in seminars led by state senators and journalists and will meet with campaign representatives and candidates. During the convention, in— terns will participate in meetings during the morning and work on the floor of the convention during the afiemoon and night. While the seminars will be at Augsburg, out—of-town interns will be housed in an off-campus hotel that will be specified at a later date. Underhill says that Augsburg students interested should contact him. “Anyone interested in being involved with the Republican Nation Convention — without having to cross police lines ~ this would be your best bet,” Under- hill said. Students can view the appli- cation at TCW’s web site: http:// www.twc.edu/. Caleb Williams. CHO Velkommen Jul celebration participants. M Curtiss Schreiber Senior News Editor Katie LaGrave mam Chris Stedman Features Editor Kari Aanestad Elmo—Editor Caleb Williams 922343432: Andrea Sanow Augsburg College Echo Fall 2007 Staff Mana in 'tor Linda Huynh Nev/QM Davis Jones Opinionsl Mitorials Editor Aaron Wells 54m Sam Spafford M Becki Iverson Advertising Manager Xan Oser VELKOMMEN, Page 1 Celebration features Scandinavian traditions “I think children help cele- brate the meaning of Christmas better than anyone else,” Pastor Dave Wold said. In a rather unconventional way, Pastor Wold plays a larger role 'in the organization of Velkommen Jul; for the past four years, he has tried to break the world record for the most Norwegian sweaters in one place. Professor Franki Shackel- ford, Norwegian, led the Bible readings, speaking from the Danish Bible. “The Norwegian students were so excited for Velkommen Jul that they checked out the Norwegian Bible,” Professor Shackelford said. Many proceeded to the cafeteria following the service to enjoy traditional Scandina- vian foods that included lefse and krumkakka. The food event was hosted by Augsburg alumni, who were dressed in traditional Scandinavian garb and met students with tradi- tional Scandinavian greetings. Scandinavian spirit was also seen in the lobby of the Christensen center, where Scandinavian wares were on sale. Translated, Velkommen Jul means “Escorting the Sea- son.” Each year, the Augs- burg College Associates host Velkommen Jul as a means of simultaneously serving the community while educating about the college’s Norwegian heritage. The Associates are a spe- cial group of volunteers who fundraise for special projects and scholarships to support the college. Since their found- ing, the Associates have given Augsburg more than half a million dollars from their fiind- raising. The spirit of the season continues with a Toys for Tots drive this week, Advent cha- pel services and other festive events. Friday, December 7, 2007 Polar explorer speaksatchapel MICHELLE RICHTER Stafl Writer Recently, chapel-goers were entertained by the brief appear- ance of Katy Jensen. Jensen is known for helping scientists in both the North and the South Poles and holds the unique title of being the first fe- male manager of the Amundson- Scott South Pole Station. As a biology major at Colo— rado College, Jensen started working with hopes of being a scientist. However, she soon real- ized that she was better at helping the scientists do their job. She spent her time as a weather observer and station manager in the Antarctic. Katy worked for ten years in a land with subzero temperatures and in constant sunlight for half the time. The sun does not set from September to March in the Antarctic. Jensen said scientists from all over the world meet at dif- ferent bases in the South Pole to research whales, krill and sea birds. To the north, in the Arctic, scientists are studying the melting ice and how it is affecting plants, animals, and people in and out of the area. Surprisingly, there are nearly four million people living in the Arctic. Despite all of the people working and living there, neither of the Pole’s are “owned” by any one country or nation. There is, however, increasing Corrections: debate over who owns the North Pole, and it isn‘t Santa Claus. Interestingly, there has been an American Flag blowing in the South Pole winds since 1957. Jensen says that one of the nice things about the South Pole is that since no one owns the land, scientists from all different areas in the world work together for the sake of science Jensen also participated in studying the universe and trying to answer what she called an easy question: the composition of the universe? Using telescopes to try and identify what makes up dark energy and dark matter, Jensen said it was then that she found her simple answer. “I don’t know,” Jensen said. Jensen, a current resident of St. Paul, mentioned Augsburg’s own professor Mark Engebret- son, physics, for his experiences leading students on exhibitions to both the North and the South Poles. For those interested in leam— ing more about what is happen- ing in the Arctic and Antarctic, Jensen encourages visiting the International Polar Year website, which is a program designed to focus on the Arctic and the Ant- arctic areas from March 2007 to March 2009. They designated a two-year time span so that equal amounts of time will be spent on both the North and the South Poles. The website is www.ipy.org. The Echo neglected to credit the editorial cartoon last week. "How Pribbenow Stole Christmas From the Staff" was drawn and conceived by Malena Thosen. Be a Goodfella. Faculty Adviser Boyd Koehler 731 let Avenue 3, CB 148 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454 E-mail — echo@augsburg.edu Tips — echotips@gmail.com Phone - (612) 330—1102 Fax - (612) 330-1666 Write for the Echo. Contact Curtiss Schreiber at: The Augsburg Echo is published each Friday — except during vacation periods and holidays W 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’ae or the remainder ofthe 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 submis— sions should be between 500-700 words and accompanied by the writer’s name andcomct M.Aflsubnissiombecqmetthof§cEcho andarc subjed I) revision. ' ' i ‘ g‘ 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 .cschreiber41 87@ gmail.com. appropriate. Printed by Pnnt Group Mid“ est on recycled paper. Show less
Page 1 2 THE BACK PAGE Minneapolis, Minnesota Friday, October 12, 2007 H a 8 D: 646.1 Awmwm MW KARI AANESTAD Features Editor Thirty years ago, Augsburg set high standards for providing accommodations for students who have disabilities, and our college continues to set the bar today. In 1971, 20... Show morePage 1 2 THE BACK PAGE Minneapolis, Minnesota Friday, October 12, 2007 H a 8 D: 646.1 Awmwm MW KARI AANESTAD Features Editor Thirty years ago, Augsburg set high standards for providing accommodations for students who have disabilities, and our college continues to set the bar today. In 1971, 20 years before the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted, Augsburg began making campus accessible for students with physical disabilities. “1 think what’s really unique about the program is that we started disability service before the law told us we had to, which speaks volumes about Augsburg’s vision. . .Twenty years before the law, we were doing curb cuts.” Karena Jones, Director of CLASS said. Since it’s original conception in 1980, the program for accommodating students with disabilities grew so large that it was eventually divided into two programs: the Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services (CLASS), which works with students with cognitive disabilities. and the Access Center, which works with students with physical disabilities. With nearly 200 students utilizing services that CLASS offers alone, it’s no wonder why Augsburg has been such a marked leader in helping people with disabilities. “The number of students who use the facilities has grown exponentially, and this is a national trend,” Jones said. “We see more of it atAugsburg because of the model of service [that we offer]. which is unique.” The CLASS office has a 'r ' model for serving students i N i that is different from the The number of students who “,0ng of many other in_ use the faculltles has grown stlmnons- . . . For example, at many exponentially, and “"5 IS a othercolleges and universi- national trend. We see more of “65' Smdentswi‘hCOgni‘iVe it at Augsburg becuase of the model of service [that we offer], disabilities are subject to a “fee for service.” In other which is unique. KARENA JONES, DIRECTOR OF CLASS words, other institutions charge up to $13,000 for ad- such as time management and organization tips. “Because of the culture and commitment of Augs— burg, we’ve never had a fee for service program,” Jones said. “I don’t think that’d be the case if we didn’t have such phenomenal backing from the administration.” Augsburg, however, employs four Disabilities Specialists, a Director, an Accom- modations Specialist and an Administrative Assistant. Each student is able to meet with a trained specialist at least once a week. The CLASS office provides to accommodations those who are eligible such as note- takers for classes, time extensions for quizzes, tests, and finals, and readers or writers for exams. The oflice definitely meets the standards required by the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires equal accessibility to the educational experi- ditional instruction on areas A Emily Hacker, left, CLASS office worker, speaks with Karena Jones, Director of CLASS. ence without discrimina- tion. The Specialists, also work on skills beyond the academic realm. Working on developing skills in organizing, writing, editing, studying, planning, and managing time are all areas that aren’t commonly provided other disability service of- fices. Students definitely seem to be reaping the benefits. Even though the CLASS office has been around since 1980, many people still don’t know much about what they do or what learning disabilities are. Many people are unclear or mistaken about the definition of a learning disability. “A learning disability requires a clinical diagnosis," Jones said. Students who have learning disabilities have an average or above average IQ. Also, they experience marked impairments in specific diagnostic areas of challenges: reading comprehension, math calculation, math reasoning, written expression, information processing or basic reading skills. Another fact that many don’t immediately recognize is that mental health diagnoses may qualify as a disability at the college level. Medical. diagnoses include schizophrenia, bi-polar, posttraumatic stress syndrome, depression, and general anxiety disorder, other factors that severely affect mood, behavior, reasoning, social understanding, focus, and memory. Many students are affected by these diagnoses, and even more have co—morbidity, or experience more than one of those conditions,” Jones said. “At the college level, if those diagnoses are impacting you in one or more major life activities then you have a disabil— 1ty.” Asperger’s Syndrome is another diagnosis that affects students at Augsburg. Many refer to Asperger’s syndrome as being the same as high functioning autism. Typically, students with Asperger’s syndrome have high IQs because they have an expressed area of expertise. “It’s not the intellect that’s the challenge — it’s the social rules. Figurative language is especially difficult because it isn’t concrete,” Jones said. It truly is a unique learning disability. “[Asperger’s syndrome] varies so greatly from one person to the next. They say when you’ve met one person with Asperger’s, you’ve met only one person with Asperger’s,” Jones said. There are a growing number of students to meet. The number of Augsburg students with diagnosed Asperger’s syndrome has increased 1000% since 1999. “We started with one student and now there are 24,” Jones said. Augsburg hasn’t simply set the bar high for current accommodations offered to students with disabilities; the CLASS office prepares for the future. In August, 3000 Minnesota guard troops returned to the area. It is esti- mated that some of them will suffer from posttraumatic stress syndrome, and may potentially attend Augsburg. “We really need to be prepared,” Jones said. Augsburg is certainly no stranger to people experiencing this syndrome. Currently there are 70 students at Augsburg who are currently receiving benefits as either a veteran or as a child of a veteran who are deceased or disabled vets. St. Thomas, in comparison, only has 23 who receive those benefits. ' “For us to have over three times what they have is pretty remarkable,” Jones said. Even though the CLASS office is located in a tucked-away comer in the basement of FOSS, the office is doing all that it can to celebrate October as disability awareness month. On Friday, October 19 from 3-5pm in Lindell 301 they are hosting an information session on Asperger’s syn- drome for faculty and staff On Wednesday, October 24 the CLASS and Access offices will be hosting prospective high school seniors. On Tuesday, October 30 the CLASS and Access offices will also be hosting an ice cream social in the Groves Lab, Foss 17A to demonstrate the new adaptive technol- ogy for faculty and staff who are interested. “We‘re in the basement — we’re offthe beaten path. but we climb above ground from time to time.” Jones said. At right, Kim Bestler, CLASS office worker, speaks with Rebecca Lund, Accomodations Specialist. Show less
Page 2 Minneapolis, Minnesota NEWS SUSPECT, Page 1 Students should be careful They stressed the fact that this man is considered a person of interest to the investigation, and there is no warrant for his arrest at this time. The following press release on the University of Minnesota Police... Show morePage 2 Minneapolis, Minnesota NEWS SUSPECT, Page 1 Students should be careful They stressed the fact that this man is considered a person of interest to the investigation, and there is no warrant for his arrest at this time. The following press release on the University of Minnesota Police website describes the incident at Wilson Library: “On 10/01/07 at approxi- mately 1:15 pm. a female victim walked into Wilson Library on the West Bank of the University of Minnesota Campus. A male suspect followed her into the building and eventually offered to assist her with finding materials in the library. The suspect led the victim to a remote staircase where he grabbed onto her and briefly held her against her will. . .” Fortunately, the female victim did not give up resisting. Pack explained that there was a good lesson for us all to take from her experience. By screaming and struggling, she was able to attract enough at- tention to herself for witnesses in the vicinity to respond to her. “If you need help, attract attention to yourself any way you can. Cries for help are often assumed to be a joke or people playing around,” Pack said. “If you MCNAIR, Page 1 are in danger, shout “Fire!” to get the attention of others.” Another positive result from the Wilson Library incident was the response of the witnesses. Rather than ignoring the screams for help out of fear, people came to find out what was wrong. If you hear screaming or anything that seems out of place on campus, try to gather more in- formation and call campus security at extension 1717. Pack had two additional safety suggestions to share with the Augsburg community. “We encourage students to walk in groups or two or more, this is particularly important at night,” Pack said. “Anyone including students, staff, faculty, and guests can call for an escort at extension 1717. “In the same way, we encour- age students to walk together; we also encourage them to study together. Whether you are in the library, a studio or a lab, you are safer when you are in a group. If you call x1717 and ask for a welfare check, we will have an officer stop by and check on you periodically”. McNair grant means good things or are enrolled in a program to receive a Masters Degree. Nearly one forth of the alumni are currently working on doc— torates. Alumni attended or are attending institutions such as Berkeley, Harvard. and Yale for graduate work. “This grant will mean great things for Augsburg.” Shafer said, “The list is endless of people who helped us get the grant.” It is definitely true that many people contributed to Augsburg‘s success in receiving the grant. To name a few. Aly Olson, Bob C owgill. Carol Forbes, Dal Liddle, Diane Pike. Frankie Shackelford, and Shafer composed the proposal- writing team. In light of the addition of the McNair Scholars Program, many are wondering if services to all Augsburg students will change. URGO will continue to help all Augsburg students who are inter- ested in achieving post-graduate plans. The program is currently looking for qualifying candidates for the program. Applications are available via e-mail or in person in Science 1 l6 and due on November 6. Please contact Vang (vangx@ augsburgedu) for more informa- tion. hey seniors! if you can read this you should join the EN IOR CLASS GIFTCOM M ITT E EAND LEAVEYOURMARK email truaxm@augsburg.edu to get involved! Michae' ansing Cams WAnNocx Stafl Writer After much pain-staking research, editing and review, Michael Lansing, an Augsburg history professor, has recently had his book, The American West: A Concise History, published. This work, co-authored by Anne M. Butler, is designed as a student textbook for history courses on the North American West. While Lansing expresses a strong preference for the use of primary sources in university-level courses, he believes that this text- book will prove usefirl for students and instructors across the nation. “Blackwell Publishing felt a need for a textbook like this,” Lansing said. “Most of the textbooks on the market are too big, and they were looking for a smaller, more concise history textbook.” The American West: A Can- cise History covers a variety of topics ranging from the early pre- contact era of Native American Indians through the exploration of the West by Europeans up to the most recent history of The West. Butler and Lansing were able to collaborate on this project and synthesize their various areas of expertise. “Anne’s area of study has focused on the role of women in the North American west, and the earlier Colonial period, while I focused on the environmental and political realm and 19th and 20th century history,” Lansing said. “Anne began teaching in the 70’s and brought a great deal of experience to this project, while I was able to bring some newer scholarship the writing of this book.” Lansing described the role of Augsburg professors, which he sees as three-fold, including teach- ing, service, and research. While working on this project, he emphasized that for him, teach- ing came first. He also explained how research can be a tool for bet- ter teaching by staying connected with scholarship. Lansing’s extensive knowl- edge on this topic can be credited to his thorough studying of history on both undergraduate and gradu- ate levels. This knowledge provided the foundation for the textbook. Teaching the history of the American West in the East, Mid- west, and West has also allowed Lansing to witness how differently the West is viewed by students based on their backgrounds and location. . Lansing described how what he learned from student discus— sions, questions, and broader perspectives all fed into his knowl- edge of the topic and ability to know what knowledge students might require in a course on the history of the American West. It was for these reasons that Lansing said he would be a bet- ter teacher in the spring when he teaches North American Western History for the first time since writing the textbook. In light of what Lansing has recently accomplished, he does not plan to stop with this publication. He has started to turn the wheels of two book length projects and another co-editing project. He would also like to write a nar- rative history of his church, Mount Olive Lutheran, highlighting the distinctive set of traditions they maintain. Another work, targeted at a more scholarly audience, would be a book-length project on gen- der in the Non-Partisan League, a movement that traveled from North Dakota and Minnesota to other states. “I am also co-editing a collec- tion of essays, tentatively titled, Midwestemers Abroad, on the transnational experiences of both unknown and famous Midwestem- ers in other parts of the world in the late 19th and 20th centuries,” said Lansing. While .Lansing enjoys re- searching, writing, and teaching, he said he is dually excited about the scholarly work being com- pleted by his colleagues and he believes it is imperative to recog— nize the work of others in various departments. In addition to being a profes- sor in the History department, Lansing serves as faculty advisor for the Augsburg History Society, the Alpha Mu Lambda chapter of Phi Alpha Theta, and the Coali- tion for Student Activism, and acts as a participating member in Augsburg’s Women’s Studies and Metro-Urban Studies programs. Following a national initiative Iosrr LYONS Stafi Writer As concerns over global warming and climate change sweep across the nation, many institutions, including Augsburg, are asking themselves what steps they can take to decrease their environmental impact. Writ! of tire \l’arrioi‘ . I e November 4-, 2007 Hosted by Patricia Loew 6-8 pm. Film Screenirg Augsburg College, Science Hall, Room 125 707 let. Avenue South 8:50-10 pm. Wolves Den, 1201 E. Franklin Ave, Minneapolis, 612—871-6575 AUGSBURG COLLEGE www.augsburg.edu/aislfilmseries Information: Elise Marubbio 612330-1523 0 marubbioeaugsburgedu While organizing reduction efforts on a large-scale community level can prove to be challenging, students and staff of Augsburg are committed to taking steps towards change. On Thursday, Oct. 4, student body President Ricky Ouderkerk and Vice President Alex Hoselton invited the leaders of all student organizations on campus to sit in on a discussion group intended to raise awareness about climate change concerns and examine what steps can be taken to address them. “Ricky and l are intentionally taking student government to new places this year that represent not only student interests on campus but Augsburg student opinions in a global context,” Hoselton said. Hoselton feels strongly that students can play a significant role in positively affecting change. By uniting as college, according to Hoselton, progress can be made. “Students must lead the charge,” Hoselton said. The meeting itself sought to address four questions: what is Focus The Nation; how far are we willing to take Focus The Nation models? what can we as students do; what can Augsburg do as a col- lege; what changes can we make that will last beyond our gradu— ation; and, how can we achieve these lasting changes? The group then brainstormed viable answers. President Pribbenow recently joined a number of presidents from other colleges throughout the na- tion in committing their colleges to climate neutrality. As a signatory of the group—President’s Climate Commitment, Pribbenow has pledged to make Augsburg climate neutral. The President’s Climate Com- mitment, an association of nation- wide college presidents, works towards completing an emissions inventory, setting a target date, within two years for becoming climate neutral, taking immediate steps by making a list of short-term actions that can be taken, incor— porating the idea of sustainability into the curriculum and making each of these actions available to the public. As part of this nationwide initiative, Augsburg is participat- ing in a nation-wide teach-in day called Focus the Nation on January 31, 2008. Politicians are invited from the community from all levels to speak and listen to the students about their concerns about the environment. Also, professors from various departments are asked to speak on how their field pertains to the environment and what we can do to save it. “It’s all about building con- text in education,” Hoselton said, “making the mental change so that we can make changes new to control the damage later.” Students interested in more information about the focus the na- tion initiative may find it at http:// www.focusthenation.org/ or attend a meeting being held Oct. 19, 2007 from 3 to 4 pm. in the Century Room. “With the efforts of many, our opportunity to make lasting change atAugsburg College and beyond is a commitment from the students, faculty and stafi,” Hoselton said. Show less
Page 10 ARTS s: ENTERTAINMENT Minneapolis, Minnesota Steve and Ryan as real srs Frida , Novemr 2, 2007 Dan and Lars in real life with a real girl ADRIAN MORAVEC Columnist There are two movies now playing in the Twin Cities area that. strangely. have similar titles. similar themes. rising male... Show morePage 10 ARTS s: ENTERTAINMENT Minneapolis, Minnesota Steve and Ryan as real srs Frida , Novemr 2, 2007 Dan and Lars in real life with a real girl ADRIAN MORAVEC Columnist There are two movies now playing in the Twin Cities area that. strangely. have similar titles. similar themes. rising male stars. yet remain quite different. “Lars and the Real Girl" stars Ryan Gosling and looks at corn- munity and relationships as per- taining to a sex doll. while “Dan in Real Life“ stars Steve Carell and explores family and relationships through the eyes ofa single father ofthree girls. While both ultimately feel tentative and forced. they also feel like honest attempts to explore relationships we experience in this twenty-first century. Themes and titles aside. the most interesting aspect the two movies share is a sort of awkward comedy that constantly pushes the edges of what is funny and what is not. Ryan Gosling’s character. Lars. an awkward recluse that lives in the garage of his brother and sister-in-law. finds true love in a proportionally correct sex doll he's ordered online. Acting on advice from the town psychologist. all of the neigh- bors play along. This. of course. creates some uniquely strange situations. some thatjust beg to be funny. But at the same time. one can’t help but wonder ifthis particular kind of therapy is only doing harm. On the other hand. Steve Carell‘s character. Dan. is the father of three daughters whose mother has passed away from ill- ness four years prior. While at an annual family reunion. he meets a girl at a book— store and they talk for hours. The comedy lies in the fact that the girl happens to be Dan's brother’s new girlfriend. During the next few days. Dan struggles whether to flirt or not to flirt with this girl whom everyone likes. % , SAM SPAFFORD Sports Editor The Royal Shakespeare Company swept through Min- neapolis with inspiring produc— tions of Shakespeare's King Lear and Chekhov‘s The Seagill Oct. 5—14. The Guthrie was one of three theaters in America to be honored by the five month RSC world tour. Director Trevor Nunn showed off his talent of symbolism utiliz- ing a set that gradually deteriorated as the production progressed, rep- resenting a similar deterioration in King Lear’s psyche as he turned mad. Water fell from the rafters creating a rainstorm in the sold out house seating “00 patrons in the Guthrie's Wurtle Thrust stage. All King Lear productions Consequently. he ends up act— ing very, very strange, both with deliberate comedic effect. and with a terrible tepidness; do we really want him to act like such a jerk? The comedy found in both of these features, while linked with that underlying sense of awk- wardness. stems from different places. Steve Carell is the source of comedy in “Dan” (don‘t worry. Dane Cook. who plays his brother. does a finejob ofstaying out ofthe way). while the comedy in “Lars” is more situational. This difference leads to the roles the two stars play. It has been interesting to see Steve C arell shoot to the top of the A-list (or somewhere near) since he has left “The Daily Show." This ear: sold out before tickets were avail- able to the public due in large part to Sir Ian McKellen playingthe lead roll as the king. McKellen, famously known for his role as Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, returned to RSC for the first time in 17 years. Did the RSC performance meet the expectations of the packed house? Absolutely. The crowd would not let the actors leave the stage giving three standing ovations until the stage manager cued music to disrupt the thunderous clapping. Critics of King Lear attributed the success of the production to McKellen‘s fame. The Star Tri- bune called King Lear the Sir Ian McKellen show. His performance literally took the breath away from the crowd summer. he was supposed to carry “Evan Almighty" to box office glory. but that obviously didn’t work out. Ryan Gosling has chosen his roles with great caution. choosing mostly smaller. independent pic— tures. While Steve was rewarded with his fame with a summer “blockbuster.” Ryan has similarly been noticed by Hollywood. only his reward was an Oscar nomina— tion last year for “Half Nelson.” I find that both of these newer stars are exciting to watch. Without Steve. “Dan” would undoubtedly flounder in its marriage of teary- eyed sentimentality and comedic awkwardness. With him. however. this marriage starts to become. . . normal. somehow. Perhaps the brush numerous times, especially when Nunn decided to exactly follow Shakespeare’s masterpiece by hav- ing McKellen nude in the storm scene. Seeing McKellen in what is considered to be one of the most challenging roles in theatre was an experience of a lifetime. He had over a thousand people in a deep belly laugh and also made tears drop as he. Lear, went insane. The night would have been special seeing the performance alone, but the larger-than-life actor agreed to meet with Laura Cantana and I to share a bit of his time. He was enthused to take a picture with us and make small talk. eager to hear our stories. Perhaps the only thing that matched his incredibly talented performance was his surprising display of humility and amicabil- ity. thick British accent and all. movie as a whole doesn’t quite work, ultimately losing itselfin an awful happy ending. but it is a treat to watch Steve Carell on screen. Similarly, “Lars” doesn’t quite make the mark as a good movie. It spends far too much time trying to show its audience why Lars has the mental problems he has. When it forgets to explain Lars’ problem and just lets Lars date his sex doll. Bianca. it starts to get interesting. but it only starts the process. Just like “Dan,” however, we get to see Ryan Gosling on screen. In Lars. he manages to pull of a mentally troubled guy that we don’t necessarily cheer for (a la Dustin Hoffman in “Rain Man" or Sean Penn in “I Am Sam”). but a guy that we feel sorry for and genuinely want to help. Like Steve Carell. it is a pleasure watching Ryan Gosling work. While I didn’t fall in love with either “Lars” or “Dan.” I did enjoy watching the two movies. They’re both interesting in their own ways. and. as I‘ve mentioned. it’s a de- light watching their stars. Plus. on a side note, we are experiencing a glut of violent mov- ies this season that isn’t going to end any time soon, and it was nice to have a diversion fi'om that. All in all. both movies proved to be pleasant little distractions from the real life we all experience today. with [Eltht‘itp Photo courtesy of Laura Cantana Augsburg students Laura Cantana and Sam Spaflord met with Sir Ian Mckellen before the opening night performance of King Lear. Show less
Samwell entertains, Pages 1 and 1 1 Mitra Rahimi, Au'gsburg’s big scorer, Page 6 The College’s Student—Produced Newspaper Friday, October 19, 2007 Minneapolis, Minnesota Volume CXIV. Issugjf YouTubesensation Samwell performs at Augsburg Ram VAN SICLEN Siajfwmer In celebration of National Coming... Show moreSamwell entertains, Pages 1 and 1 1 Mitra Rahimi, Au'gsburg’s big scorer, Page 6 The College’s Student—Produced Newspaper Friday, October 19, 2007 Minneapolis, Minnesota Volume CXIV. Issugjf YouTubesensation Samwell performs at Augsburg Ram VAN SICLEN Siajfwmer In celebration of National Coming Out Day, YouTube sensa- tion Samwell gave a free concert in the Hoversten Chapel on Thurs- day, Oct. 1 l . Queer and Straight in Unity (QSU) hosted the event. The concert opened with a performance by Mr. Good- bye, an energetic singer whose synthesized background music piped directly from his iPod. Mr. Goodbye fired up the audience by involving them in his show, en— couraging responses, beginning a game of follow—the-Ieader around the chapel. and even inviting audi- ence members up onto the stage to dance. An open space in the middle of the chapel provided a dance circle for those who just couldn‘t stay in their seats. Samwell‘s performance was also very involved with the audi— ence. Instead of staying on the stage. he frequently went into the dance circle to join his fans. At the end of the show. he mingled in the foyer, talking with audience members. giving auto- graphs, and posing for pictures. He even requested some pictures for himself. a move audience members found very personal and genuine. “It was amazing that he want- ed to take pictures with us." senior Natalie Kempf said. “He didn’t want the focus on himself. [During the show]. he was like. ‘Don‘t fo- cus on me. just focus on the music and dance." Samwell 7 who's real name is Sam Norman ~ a Chicago native. is best known for “What What ( In the Butt)“. a provocative and highly suggestive song celebrating Samwell’s homosexual identity. Over 5 million people have viewed the music video on You- Tube. The nature of Samwell‘s lyrics may seem questionable and even repellant. but the pop singer stresses that his intent is not to offend: it is to be open and honest about his sexuality. “If you don‘t like it. there’s the door." he stated at the concert on Thursday. Both the performers and the members of QSU made it clear that anyone who did not like the theme of the songs was free to leave at any time. QSU held a raffle as part of the event. pausing once between the performers and again halfway through Samwell's set to give out prizes which included gift cards. a lava lamp, a board game. and coloring supplies. Preparations for National Coming Out Day began back in June. when QSU booked Samwell for the concert. The group hosts a National C oming Out Day event every year. but attendance has tended to be somewhat lacking. This year. they tried to appeal to a larger audi- ence by inviting an artist who has recently become very we|l~known on campus. “QSU is working hard to bring in new events and ideas this year than those that have been used in the past.“ QSU co-commissioner Teresa Bamhill said. "Samwell definitely drew in a much different crowd than some events in previ- ous years. and we wanted to bring that crowd to an event." Last Thursday marked the 20th annual National Coming Out Day. The tradition began on Oct. 11. 1987. when almost 500.000 people A gay. lesbian. bisexual. transgender, and straight support- ers— participated in a Washing— ton. D.C. march aimed at raising awareness and gaining support for equal rights for the GLBT com— munity. The yearly National Coming Out Day event at Augsburg is a commemoration of that march and of the GLBT community‘s continuing effort to gain equality. "At Augsburg. we celebrate and honor the GLBTQIA commu- nity." Bamhill said. “As a nation. we celebrate to continue moving forward with GLBTQIA rights and a more open and accepting society.” Student senate petitions to change "Augsburg for Adults” )osrt Lyons Stafl Writer Last summer began the inau- gural voyage of the non-traditional college programs under the name of “Augsburg for Adults". The umbrella title includes the week- end. night school and graduate programs. “Augsburg chose the name ‘Augsburg for Adults‘ because it helps to give our nonmaditional students a sense of identity and belonging to the Augsburg com— munity that has sometimes been missing in their educational ex— perience." Julie Olson. the liaison between the administration and the student governing bodies. said. The decision to change the name of this program hm sparked a considerable amount of contro- versy among students. Through this naming, many traditional students have felt that they have had a pan of their iden- tity taken from them. According to the student sen— ate the title “Augsburg for Adults" implies that students that are of the weekday college program are not adults. Because of this. the senate has begun a petition to change this terminology. which they deem of- fensive. Along with this petition. an ultimatum has been issued stating that if these demands are not met by 3:00 pm. on Oct. 26. further steps to amend this language will be taken by the student body. "These further steps will in- clude a strike of the entire student senate or whoever else wants to support them.” Jamie Kmmenauer. a sophomore representative to the day student senate said. Though the day college gov— ernment seems very intent on hav- ing their demands met. some of the students that they represent do not necessarily share their views. “I agree with what they are saying. but I think the way they are going about it is a little excessive." first—year student Ellie Thoni said. "There are better ways to go about solving this problem." The administration claims that the naming of the “Augsburg for Adults" program was not meant to offend “Augsburg. like most other colleges. uses the terms ‘adult students‘ and ‘adult programs‘ when we talk about the distinct See ADULTS, Page 2 LIFE AT AUGSBURG | SAMWELL LIVE Bamhill expressed extreme satisfaction with the way the event turned out. “It seems most concerts. the audience Sits. listens. and watch- es.“ Bamhill said. "This audience was up on the stage dancing. dancing around the Chapel. and dancing and interacting with the artists." Students reported some nega- tive comments regarding the singer. but reactions to the concert Singer Samwell sang at a QSU-sponsored event in Hoversten Chapel on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2007. were mostly llthH'illth. “Some people said. ‘Wliy would pcoplc \Hllll to go scc Ilizit'.’"‘ first-year ls'uzii'cii Wzii’iics suid. “[bnt] there \\;is nothing extreme,” “llc llkCtl lo Intth pcoplc dance that wiis so ritliiiii‘nblc." fellow first—year Sum Siiiitli siiid. “But the best pairt wars the delicious irony of‘ Siiiiiwcll performing in the chapel." Winter holidays in short supply this year DAVID MOTT Stafl Writer Augsburg (‘ollege staff will be working harder than ever this holiday season. In a move that President Paul Pribbenow hopes will serve the interests of our burgeoning student body. employee vacation this winter has been substantially reduced. In years past. staff had an entire week off from Christmas through New Year‘s. This still seems modest com- pared to the 25 days of respite that students have to look forward to. In the future. only three days off will be given to staff over winter break: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day. and New Year's Day. The announcement came iii mid—September and met w itli some degree of unhappiness, Lynda liorjcsson of'tlicf ciitci for Service Work and learning expressed her concerns over the new policy. "I believe this change docs not allow for depaniiieiits to make their own plans to best serve the college." liorjesson said. “I trust the departments know best how to do this. A more flexrhlc approach is better in my opinion". Borjcsson‘s feelings reflect the different workload schedules of departments Within the col- lege. While some may expect a busy holiday season. others could See HOLIDAY, Page 2 Show less