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Title: Murphy Square 2017: Murphy Square Visual Art and Literary Magazine
Collection: Literary Journals
Search Result: MURPHY SQUARE VISUAL ART & LITERARY MAGAZINE ISSUE 42, 2017 EDITORIAL BOARD Malena Larsen, Editor In Chief Abigail Tetzlaff, Associate Editor Audrey Campbell, Art & Layout Editor Cassie Dong, Art Editor Jazmin Crittenden, Art Editor Elisabeth Beam, Prose Editor Abigail Carpenter, Prose Ed...
Show more MURPHY SQUARE VISUAL ART & LITERARY MAGAZINE ISSUE 42, 2017 EDITORIAL BOARD Malena Larsen, Editor In Chief Abigail Tetzlaff, Associate Editor Audrey Campbell, Art & Layout Editor Cassie Dong, Art Editor Jazmin Crittenden, Art Editor Elisabeth Beam, Prose Editor Abigail Carpenter, Prose Editor Ryan Moore, Prose Editor Gabriel Benson, Poetry Editor Danny Polaschek, Poetry Editor Cary Waterman, Advisor 2 WITH THANKS TO Ivy Arts Copy and Print Augsburg College Student Government Augsburg College English Department Augsburg College Art Department The Echo Augsburg Honors Program QPA 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 What Type of Black Girl Are You? Nikkyra Whittaker ........................................................................... 8 Simul Justus et Peccator, Andy Anderson .......................................................................................... 11 Queer, Eve Taft ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Jesus in a Cracker, A.Tetzlaff ................................................................................................................ 14 Grey Cloud Island, David Baboila ......................................................................................................... 17 Saint Paul Airport, David Baboila .......................................................................................................... 18 White Bear Lake, David Baboila ............................................................................................................ 19 Zips Coliseum, David Baboila ............................................................................................................... 20 Bridge, Jacob J. Miller ............................................................................................................................ 21 50 Feet Tall, Emilie Tomas ...................................................................................................................... 25 Meow, Ashley Waalen ............................................................................................................................ 26 Mousetrap, Halle Chambers .................................................................................................................. 27 Faces, Constance Klippen ..................................................................................................................... 29 I Don’t Always Feel Colored, Diamonique Walker ............................................................................... 30 Where I am From, Hannah Schmit ......................................................................................................... 32 Who Am I?, Ashley Waalen .................................................................................................................... 34 2 Gratitude, D.E Green .............................................................................................................................. CSBR, Gabriel Bergstrom ...................................................................................................................... The Fire, Elisabeth Beam ........................................................................................................................ Desert Drums, Abigail Carpenter .......................................................................................................... Colors, Hannah Schmit ........................................................................................................................... Urban Delight, Jazmin Crittenden ......................................................................................................... When Dad Wore Cologne, A. Tetzlaff .................................................................................................... Shitty Christmas Trees, Elisabeth Beam ............................................................................................... Summer Nights, Adam Ruff ................................................................................................................... 36 38 39 41 42 43 44 46 48 The People United, Adam Ruff .............................................................................................................. 49 After the Hike, Adam Ruff ..................................................................................................................... 50 Crumbs, Malena Larsen ......................................................................................................................... 51 Bloomed, Audrey Campbell ................................................................................................................... 55 Pruned, Audrey Campbell ...................................................................................................................... 56 Herman, Danny Polaschek ................................................................................................................... 57 El Barrio Suyo, Chad Berryman ............................................................................................................. 60 The Neighborhood, Chad Berryman ..................................................................................................... 61 Odyssey, Eve Taft .................................................................................................................................... 62 Postcards From My Bedroom, Audrey Campbell ................................................................................. 63 Postcards From My Bedroom, Audrey Campbell ................................................................................. 64 Counting Sheep, Danny Polaschek ...................................................................................................... 65 3 Sky Nights, Keeyonna Fox ...................................................................................................................... 67 Inner Self, Keeyonna Fox ....................................................................................................................... 68 Victory of the People, Petra S. Shaffer-Gottschalk ............................................................................. 69 An Open Letter to the Un-specials, Halle Chambers ...........................................................................76 Sorex Palustris, Emilie Tomas ................................................................................................................. 79 Woodsy Adam Ruff, Gabriel Bergstrom .................................................................................................. 80 Words, Malena Larsen ................................................................................................................................. 81 Malcom, Danny Polaschek ....................................................................................................................... 83 DRIVING AT ZERO ONE, John Herbert ................................................................................................... 85 DRIVING AT ZERO TWO, John Herbert ................................................................................................... 86 Placemakers, Diamonique Walker ........................................................................................................ 87 A Necessary Evil Thing Considered in any Light, Jacob J. Miller ....................................................... 88 1 WHAT TYPE OF BLACK GIRL ARE YOU? Nikkyra Whittaker On the spectrum of being black and female, we can only be what we appear to be. Take this quiz to find out what kind of black girl you really are! 1. You’re listening to the radio on the way to Target. You’re playing… a. Beyonce’s “****Flawless” b. Taylor Swift’s “Fifteen” or “You Belong With Me” or “Wildest Dreams” c. Chris Brown’s “Loyal” d. Keri Hilson’s “Pretty Girl Rock” 2. It’s your day off work. What will you be doing? a. Blowing off steam on Facebook. b. Watching old episodes of One Tree Hill c. Out for drinks and scoping eye candy d. Talking shit with the ladies while drinking Moscato! 3. What’s your dream home like? a. Full of books on systemic oppression b. Beverly Hills penthouse c. Some big shot rapper’s mansion d. Spacious New York Loft 8 4. Your favorite TV show is… a. Docu-series on race b. Sex in the City c. Bad Girls Club d. Love and Hip Hop 5. Finally, who’s your favorite female icon from this list? a. Angela Davis b. Taylor Swift c. New York from I Love New York d. Nicki Minaj Tally up how many of each letter you got and turn the page to find out who you really are! If you got mostly a’s...You’re an Angry Black Girl! Congratulations, you loud-mouthed, anger filled home-girl! I’m guessing there’s always some reason to be mad at someone, isn’t there? Do you just spend your days in a perpetual state of rage, angry at the world for reasons they don’t find important? Do you find yourself constantly snapping your fingers in that z-formation, pursing your lips at anyone who steps in your way? I bet people are telling you to just be quiet, huh? I mean, what issues could you, a black female, possibly have? Why should you care that your high school English teacher gives you a C+ on your essay because she thinks you copied it from the white man online? Why does it matter that your male co-worker at Target constantly teases you about your nappy hair, calling it a “brillo pad,” “cheeto puff,” or some other clever name? None of this should anger you! Be aware, you sassy Sapphire, in this world, your anger means nothing. If you got mostly b’s...You’re an Oreo! You grew up watching Lizzie McGuire and listening to Aaron Carter. You straightened your hair from the moment you were old enough to assert yourself and cried when it wouldn’t lay flat. Your friends were always shocked to see you bring collard greens and jambalaya to lunch so you stopped eating your favorite foods. They didn’t understand why you couldn’t just brush your hair, wash your hair everyday, why it suddenly grew or shrunk inches overnight. I’m certain you’ve heard from many of your friends how they just don’t see you as a black girl. They erase your black skin because it doesn’t fit the images of other black girls they see. You spend most of your time edging away from the loud black girls, the ghetto black girls who ate hot cheetos and drank kool aid and had corn rows and long braids and smelled like a mix of the jungle and your ancestors pain and you wished, maybe for a just a moment, but you did wish that you could be white. But honey, you can never wash off that melanin! It’s a permanent stain. Just because your friends can’t see the black on you, it doesn’t mean the rest of the world can’t. 9 If you got mostly c’s...You’re a Hip Hop Ho! You sexual deviant you! Let me guess—big breasts, small waist, and wide hips? You’ve got that original Betty Boop to you, something in your eyes that say yes to a question no one bothers to ask. You’re the black girl that white guys use as a notch in their belt. You are the exotic sexual being that men love to hate and hate to love. You became a sexual thing at a young age, when your breasts came in at ten years old and became d-cups at fourteen. They started looking at you differently, didn’t they? Your eyes stopped existing. Your words didn’t matter. Your body became the tool used to diminish your worth. How often did you get yelled at in school to put on something less revealing than your shorts? Did you ever wonder why the skinny, flat-assed white girls were never told the same thing? Honey, your wide hips wrapped in chocolate skin were never yours. You will never be yours. 10 If you got mostly d’s...You’re a Ghetto Fabulous Black Girl! You make what little money you can working at Walmart or doing nails. You make people waiting at the bus stop with you uncomfortable with your loud laughter and yellow and pink braids and long, bedazzled nails. You toss your weave around, remove your earrings, and square up to anyone that says shit about you. When you’re out, you are often told to stop yelling, screaming, taking up space. You’ve got baby daddy problems and you’re only 18. You grew up playing double dutch in the middle of the street with old rope. You accept your black, your ghetto, your Ebonics. But you are not supposed to accept yourself, honey! Don’t you see the fashion police spreads in the magazines? You are on all the pages! Don’t show your hips. Put on a shirt that conceals your stomach. Put your breasts away. Don’t wear bright lipstick. Stop standing out, being different. Get smaller, quieter, lesser, as you are supposed to be. You love your black too loudly and it makes others uncomfortable. Your job is to make people comfortable so do your best to limit the loudness of your melanin. simul justus et peccator andy anderson 11 QUEER Eve Taft You think there isn’t a sign on my ribs that says “stonewall inn”? You think Matthew Shepard doesn’t tug at my hair and warn me as I walk the streets of my city? You think I don’t choke on the smoke from the hellfire you spit from your pulpits with sparks that sear and heat branding irons which scar your names on me to mark me as danger? You think my veins don’t shiver when they think of the devastation wracking the cities that some called deliverance while Reagan fiddled as we burned You think that the prisons pink triangles asylums bullets spitting into a nightclub don’t whisper in my head as I make my way through the world? 12 You think that I don’t notice— I kiss her and kiss her —the headline blowing by with a death toll and I kiss her the skyline splashing out behind us the lights on the Washington Avenue bridge flicker on and I kiss her Putin criminalizes us, across the world I kiss her Vigils held too late for young suicides Corrupting, perverted, disgusting, an affront to family values— I kiss her in the rain and the sleet of Minnesota I kiss her, our lips tasting of chants from the protest that shut down I-94 handed down from our grandmothers hearts beating, eyes sparkling, alive I kiss her You think I forget the lists and the candles and the deaths and the pain and all that roars in my ears is a chorus screaming over and over again you were not able to kill us I kiss her and all is still 13 JESUS IN A CRACKER A. Tetzlaff Eucharist I hugged my father’s black, pleated pants while we waited for mass to start. He was beaming proudly and chatting with the rest of our family. I wore the only dress I allowed to touch my body: by then it was a year old and from my uncle’s wedding when I walked down the aisle carrying a bouquet, looking like a blonde deer caught in front of a semi truck. It had a black velvet top connected to a white skirt. All the girls wore white. My parents cut their losses. All the boys, shirt and tie. Eight-year-olds taking their first communion despite the fact that most of us had no idea what was happening. Understanding the sacraments isn’t really necessary when you grow up in a Catholic family. By the time you are aware of your burden, it’s too late anyway. Religion lived at Nativity of Our Lord Parish, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Between church and home, I lived in a realm of contradiction. I came to visit religion, but it never went home with me. On Sundays when the game was in town, God would not judge you for wearing your Packer jersey to church. Sinning was bad, but you could tailgate and drink and carouse to your heart’s content. We should have taken beer at 14 that first communion. We would have appreciated it more than the wine. We took our places in the ritual that had been performed again and again. The time-worn ritual begins anew as I walk to the altar with my hands folded in front of me. I must remember to raise my hands high enough so the rheumatic priest doesn’t have to bend down. Right hand over left. I’m a blonde deer again. “The body of Christ.” This is the part where I say, “Amen,” whether I mean it or not, then put the communion wafer in my mouth. I must cross myself (right hand touching head, then left shoulder, then right shoulder) as I walk back up the aisle and toward my family. They liked to sit in the middle section, never too close to the altar. They didn’t like making direct eye-contact with the priest during his homily. To this day I skip the wine for fear of communicable diseases. It stuck to the roof of my mouth, this first communion wafer. It was stale. There was no substance. Maybe the parched flour and water, mixed with the lingering incense is actually what Jesus tastes like. The absorbent clump lasted into the next hymn. Saliva rushed into my mouth and eventually the wafer, heavy with mois- ture, fell from the roof of my mouth. I swallowed without chewing. Just go with it, I told myself. All these people believe in this, so one day, you will too. But I wasn’t sure. I didn’t get it. The power that kept me from running back up the aisle wasn’t the love of God gently pushing me along, but the ritual itself, and the expectation of my parents and grandparents watching proud and probably dewy-eyed as I joined their ranks. Hugs and smiles and congratulations as my family comes out of the first communion Mass, but I wasn’t sure what was such cause for celebration; I hadn’t had a great epiphany about God, nor had I felt any change at all. It was just like every Sunday late in October. head and tell me I was forgiven. “Sometimes, I’m not very nice to my mom or my brother,” I told him. Navitity didn’t own a confessional booth like the ones in movies. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a confessional booth at any Catholic church outside the movies. We sat quietly in a tiny room. Being small for my age, I circled the air below me with my feet. I sat facing him directly. He crossed his legs under the cassock he wore, clearly annoyed. After a silence and a slow nod, the priest said, “Sometimes, we hurt the people we love the most.” It was the only part I heard or remember hearing; he started talking about God’s forgiveness, I assume. I didn’t pay attention, because I didn’t feel different after admitting such a pitiful sin. Marriage I had no ill-feeling toward the physical place of church. In fact, the ritual, the sounds, the smell of incense, and the light that filtered through the stained-glass windows from an Easterly rising sun became familiar and comforting over the years. The nave, filled with old pews, had witnessed my parents’ wedding and my grandparents’ weddings. The organ towered over the choir. The smell of old patrons and Sunday cologne too liberally applied became a sensory memory of that place. However, religion has never been an inward practice; the practice and the scene never joined together. Anointing of the Sick When times are bad, I’ve pulled the fragments of ritual from my memory and recite the “Our Father.” I did this in the winter of my eighteenth year in days following my grandfather’s funeral. He died of bladder cancer, worsened by a communicable bacterial infection called C.Difficile. I became familiar with the ritual of funeral; I’d been to three or four for close relatives. But this time, the ritual felt different. Before, I was sad. My grandfather’s funeral confirmed that the only sacred part of my world had been ripped mercilessly from my arms. Reconciliation “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”As the words come out of my mouth, they themselves felt sinful. I hadn’t sinned, I was eleven. I barely knew what sin was. I had to stop a moment to think of a sin I had committed, so the priest could nod his Baptism I sat in the shower until the water hitting my face was colder than I could stand, reciting the “Our Father” over and over, sobbing. Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. I hoped, over so many repetitions, that my view 15 of God and heaven would change. Yet, it confused me more. Religion stopped looking like the patron blind to reality and became a place where I didn’t belong. Like I was missing out because I didn’t get that epiphany, and didn’t have that same faith. Confirmation Religion was so stale, that when my Mother would occasionally talk about faith, or God, or divine love at the dinner table I would blush with pity and embarrassment. How can you believe this? I thought, how can you be so blind to the real world? Perhaps, I’m the blind one. I continue to live in an intermediate space between faith and atheism. I can’t commit to either. The fence between atheism and faith is fraught with angst. Most days, I try to laugh away my uncertainty. I tell jokes about my Catholic past, chuckle when I hear of “recovering Catholics,” and tell friends, “It smells like a Catholic church in here,” whenever they burn incense. Religion is still stale to me. Religion has no nutritional value. Stale religion has no holy orders. 16 grey cloud island david baboila 17 saint paul airport david baboila 18 white bear lake david baboila 19 zips coliseum david baboila 20 BRIDGE Jacob J. Miller This was not way back when, as my dad would have you believe. It was more recent than that. If he can’t flat out deny it, which he no longer can, he will at least try to convince you that it was so long ago as to suggest it might have been a different lifetime, and he a different person. He has been, after all, Born Again. Except he was not the only person involved, and to carry along as if he was is an exercise in what I’ve heard philosophers call solipsism. For him, his transgression was between himself and the Holy Ghost: accountable not to those he wronged, only to an invisible spirit. But he doesn’t have sole authority in determining the past’s relevance or irrelevance to our lives today. My mother too pretends the past is only what has happened at a particular point in time, and not a factor in what determines what has happened since then and what is happening now. The slate wiper theory of forgiveness is what allowed them to wear their veneer of innocence and believe in its authenticity, and for that reason I resent their new-leaf turnover. My love for them may not be emergent in my words, I know, but I do love them, regardless of the fucked up traits they passed on to their children, which will become evident as this story unfolds You might be wondering, if you care at all, what could be so terrible. Well, it’s not so terrible, and not even very uncommon, but it happened to me, and my brothers and my sisters, and there was never anything we could really do about it. We watched it unfold almost every night to reveal its rotted pit. What was scariest was not when a half-full beer bottle would be hurled in our direction for us being too noisy, and then being held responsible for wasting the beer, and getting punished even more for that. What was scariest was when they fought with each other, mom and dad, when they were both liquored up. All of us children would be sitting in the living room, on our knees, in a line, with our hands folded and tucked inside our clenched thighs, having hitherto been fulfilling our playful, childish duties who couldn’t expect things to go so suddenly and intensely wrong. They would fight about anything, or nothing, for all we knew or cared. They would yell, swear, slam their fists on various surfaces, throw things across the room at each other as if rehearsed. One time, I remember, and this is what I’m talking about when I talk about how scary things got, my 21 dad had my mom pinned up against the refrigerator—after she threw three or four plates at him, one that hit his arm, but would have hit his face if he hadn’t been blocking, and cut it deep. He had the sharp kitchen knife pressed firmly under her chin. If she gulped too hard in fear, or if dad in his stupor lost balance, she would have been bleeding all over the family pictures held by magnets to the fridge. As we grew older, my big brother and I began working under dad instead of merely living under him. Our prospects in life weren’t substantial at that point. Whatever potential we had, it had never been encouraged, so entering into the family business, if it can even be called that, was the only viable option. I woke dad up most mornings from his typical collapse into a face-down, fetal heap on the kitchen floor, sometimes still wet, sometimes already crusted over. I’d say, “it’s time for work, dad,” and he’d drive me to the site where (drinking coffee with whiskey in it on the way) heavy machinery was waiting to be operated—even though we used hammers and nails whenever we could. Stonehenge-sized slabs of cement, wooden pillars, cinder blocks, and iron rods littered the landscape. It was all so disorderly that if a nomad wandered upon the scene, the indication would be of destruction rather than pre-construction. There were no piles of allocated materials or inventoried supply lists. It could have all been salvaged from past demolitions or by thievery from other project sites. We seemed to accrue it all without any kind of exchange or standard of accountability for use. Everything seemed to just show up wherever and whenever we needed it. Who actually made all this stuff? How did we move it from place to place to use from job to job? Who permitted my sodden father to oversee such potentially hazardous 22 projects? He was a self-made man outside the advent of auditing. What did I care then? I was making my way, fashioning for myself a future out of will power, and holding my breath until I could extricate myself from this grim farce. First day on the job, my dad said to me, don’t fuck up, or he’d make me test the bridge before the support beams were all in place. I believed him. That particular bridge wasn’t connecting two sides over a raging river or anything; more of a convenient pathway over a stream, but it was still a threat coming from dad. Second day on the job, my brother James tore partway through his leg with a chainsaw. I heard him yell, but it sounded more out of frustration than terror and pain. He sat down, ripped his immediately blood-soaked pants from where the initial tear was, delicately unlaced and removed his boot so as not to cause more pain, grunting as if he had done nothing more than step in dog shit, and lifted the nearly severed part of his leg that dangled lifelessly like a tube sock on a clothesline, to close the wound, from which I saw steam rising sacrificially to the wintery heavens. He reached forward to grab the excess of sock which, although bunched up at his toes, had a long, tortuous journey before being completely removed. He screamed as he stretched forward, more circumstantially appropriate this time, and this is when I dropped my— whatever, the thing I was holding, I can’t remember what, but I didn’t hear it land because I couldn’t assimilate anything else that may have been transpiring around me. I almost seemed to float over to him, not even aware of my legs propelling me forward. I saw all the blood, but I wasn’t put off by it as much as I thought I probably should have been, and I thought that as I stared at it pooling out. I observed it dispassionately, coldly, but I may not have been breathing. At first sight, it was just an organic pipe that sprung a leak. I think I asked if he was all right but I meant it more like did he think he was going to die. He said to go get dad and that’s when I became afraid. I stood there for I don’t know how long, until he repeated himself more urgently: “Walt!” he said, “Go! Get! Dad!” I listened that time, but I was still very afraid. I was trembling and began feeling like I might faint, and I almost hoped I wouldn’t find dad, that he’d be off drinking somewhere, but he wasn’t. He was drinking right there, over a small mound of dirt, holding a big piece of wood sturdy for someone to do something with. I saw his breath bellow out into the cold with a cough and evaporate as he took a swig from a bottle before sliding it back into his coat pocket, without so much as a pretense of inconspicuousness.The bottle neck stuck straight out and brushed against his elbow, a cumbersome lump sinking down and throwing off his equilibrium further than the ethanol already had. I slowed my pace, tried to regain some composure, and still hoped he wouldn’t notice me. I could claim an attempt at getting his attention, but he just couldn’t be bothered with me. I tried, I’d tell James, but I’ll carry you. I was sure I could have done that. Part of me still wished I could have avoided involving my dad at all. It was selfish, but I thought I might get slapped with the blame. But I yelled, Dad! Come quick! Dad, I yelled again, skidding on the gravel as I spun around, intent on not letting my dad’s impatient glare lock on me, and from that momentum, nearly ascending at a perfectly horizontal angle in the air before I landed face first on those same tiny rocks, a perfect reenactment of self-humiliation on the school playground at recess. I felt all those multiple points of impact, but wasted no time in catapulting myself back up—no time for embarrassment just yet—clawed off the pebbles that clung gently to the tiny dents they bore into my face and palms, and sped back to my brother who, when I reached the dirt-mound summit again, I could see was lying flat, surrounded by the thick, still-steaming purplish puddle which had, since I left him, at least quadrupled in circumference. Not looking back at all during my return sprint to see how far behind me dad was, or even if he followed me at all, I turned from the sight of my brother completely to see him, Dad, shuffling over the mound, bogged down by beer bottles, which could be heard clanging together in his pockets. He was wheezing inhalations of frozen air. He saw James right away, I know it, but he didn’t say anything until he got right up close to him, planting one clumsy boot in the blood puddle with a squelchy, meager splat, like an old-fashioned letter-sealing stamp on melted wax. He leaned over with outward turned elbows and hands on hips, looked at James’ face. James’ eyes were closed. Dad then scanned down to the butchered leg, grimaced, scanned back up to James’ face. James’ eyes were now open again, frigid with shock, and dad said, “pull yourself together, son,” erupting hysterically at his own clever buffoonery. James turned out to live, no real thanks to our father. I ended up having to run to the nearest phone anyway and call an ambulance. He didn’t even lose his leg. He did require a blood transfusion because he lost gallons of it, or at least it seemed like it when I stood there staring at the mess, but his gristly cheeks had their color restored right in front of me, resupplying and, it almost seemed, re-inflat23 ing him to human shape at the coercion of some stranger’s bodily elixir. It worked like sorcery, but far more astonishing because it was methodologically reliable. The warm fluid surged through his veins, and he was ensconced for a moment in a prodigious glow of newfound vitality. Back then, my dad, laughing, called him a lucky son-of-a-bitch, whereas telling the story now, upon reflection and suspension of rational thought, my brother was “touched by an angel.” Now, whenever this celestial creature of mercy is mentioned, who conveniently remains anonymous for humility’s sake I suppose, instead of our dad drunkenly laughing and mocking the situation, James does. An example of an aforementioned fucked up trait passed on in the family. 24 50 FEET TALL Emilie Tomas I was in 5th grade When my class went To see ‘The Human Body’ and I watched In childhood Horror as A 50 foot grin Unfurled, loomed Large enough To pull me Into orbit Devoured First a sandwich And then my Faith in humanity With deafening Smacks Like thunder If thunder Was made Of jelly and Dismay and I Knew it was a Crime to allow a Person to become This Inflated, With every pore Its own path to Hell and I knew I couldn’t trust Anyone because In our heads We are all 50 feet tall. 25 meow you see ashley waalen 26 MOUSETRAP Halle Chambers Minnie “Mousy” O’Mally knew she was invisible up here on her fire escape. This was her safeplace. With the ladder pulled up as it was now, almost no one could reach her here. Plus, even if someone did make it up here, she could easily get away. If she crawled rough the window, she’d be securely locked in the apartment. There, it was warm and dry and at least sometimes safe when her daddy…no, excuse her, correction, “Father or Sir” wasn’t home. He hated when she called him Daddy. He wasn’t home now, out doing illegal God knows what in the “family business,” but he would be back soon. Hence why she was out here. So, no apartment, not right now. If she dropped the ladder, she could slide down to street level in seconds and be down the block in under a minute. She knew, because she’d practiced and had timed herself. The only way to avoid getting hit in the face was to be quick on your feet. That was the first rule of fighting that Jase, her older brother, had taught her. With the life they lived, it was also a rule of survival. And they didn’t call her “Mousy” for nothing: she was small and fast… very fast. Jase could make a distraction, and Minnie could run. But, Jase was working a job that “Father” had given him out of town till this weekend, and she’d surely get caught if she didn’t have her usual head-start. So,“down” wouldn’t work either. If she scaled up the ladder above her, she’d be on the roof, where their oldest brother, Cobie, had often taken her and Jase to stargaze. She hadn’t known till six years into her still short life that he’d done it to keep his precious baby brother and sister away from their father’s sight when the man would come home satellite high or plastered. She hadn’t known till twelve years in that he’d take their father’s hungover backhand on the mornings after, so she and Jase didn’t. All she’d known as he’d taught her each constellation was that Cobie was braver than Orion and that she and her brothers were more inseparable than the Gemini twins. But, her world went as topsy-turvy as Cassiopeia when her father had sent Cobie away, saying he would not have a queer as a son. When Jase and Minnie hugged him, Cobie swore he’d come back for them in a year or so. Jase had given up when he’d been two years gone. That was two years ago, and now even Minnie 27 was starting to doubt. No, she couldn’t go up to the roo, not alone. She shivered in the October chill as she reviewed her options: “in” would be facing her father’s wrath, “down” would be facing being caught by a cop or a stranger, and “up” would be facing a reminder of the happiness, now heartbreak, brought by a brother who was likely never coming home again. So, maybe she couldn’t escape easily…or at all. She shivered again, this time more in frantic panic than from the frigid, near winter city wind. For not the first time in her life, Mousy felt trapped. 28 faces connie kilppen 29 *I DON’T ALWAYS FEEL COLORED Diamonique Walker Sometimes I find comfort in places I somehow know I don’t belong Never a full day, but hours will pass and I won’t consider my brown skin or kinky hair I’ll let the imminent fear of my black body being made into an example fall back to the depths of my mind My daughter’s safety in mixed company won’t occur to me I won’t juxtapose my blackness with any other’s identity confidence As if one chooses randomly from a pile of stock black girl names when they look at me He asks me if my hair is real I tell him he can’t ask me that He says oh it’s okay, my girlfriend is black I’m a dirty smudge on freshly ironed white linens Trying to blend in, trying to live my life I breathe, momentarily Suddenly, I’ll feel breathless, choked Stabbed in the chest Stung by a white hot micro aggressive slap in the face An unsolicited violation of my personal space A pale hand gently pulls a lock of my hair in white amazement Or a thin pair of lips will say “what’s upppppp” to me and not anyone else I’ll get called a name like Jasmine with such utter 30 *Line borrowed from Claudia Rankine, Citizen WHERE I AM FROM Hannah Schmit I am from the forest. From ruddy Maple and heady Pine. I am from the sunlit dust that refracts the life of the breeze. The rough wood of the trees are my bones, roots firmly planted deep in the depths of the cool black soil. Generations have taught me to live in the sun, tan weathered hands, calloused and worn cover small, break earth and sow seeds. Exhaling with the unfurling of new leaves whose first stretch welcomed life, I learned the importance of patience and nurturing. I am from dirt beneath my nails and gritty sand in my teeth. Sap painted hands and hot tar feet, blackened from short dashes across burning pavement that rippled with summer heat. Sandboxes were my kingdom, the layers of silt and sand familiar to my prodding hands. I climbed turreted towers of twisted bark and branches to survey the world and breath in time with the breeze. Twigs and leaves were my crown and a rusty tractor my carriage. My people were the songbirds and insistent cicadas whose songs filtered lazily together through the woods. Sometimes I called back, matching note for note, melodies and harmonies creating a canopy of familiarity. I am from wildflowers who nodded their velvet, satin, and paintbrush heads as I passed by. From dried grasses whose sweet scent rose from rolling waves that undulated under horse-tail clouds above. The gold-fringed top of the corn is my hair as it turns to brown under the autumn sun. I am from the passing of seasons, each marking the time as brilliant red and orange gave way to pristine white and serene gray. Freckles and sunburn traded for pale skin cold kissed cheeks. My life can be counted in scraped knees and bruises, and band-aids and scars, each a story unique unto itself. I am from the water. Clear and silted, still and rushing it surrounds me. The river courses through my veins, its steady pulse my heartbeat. I am from the muted silence of holding my breath. From letting go in the soft pixelated light that swirls lazily in the haze of a murky river. From the dew that rests in early mists that lay as a blanket over a newly purified earth, protecting the last of the dawn. I am from music. Love-strung tunes of lullabies rock 31 my past to sleep and call forth dog-eared memories. Treasured memories that float fragmented in my mind, I was waltzing with my darling… Goodnight, Irene… Then sings my soul… Black Forest I have come to be in this place. Knit sweaters and hand me downs weave the fabric of my personality. The black ink of the notes is stained on my fingers, the lyrics printed out as a map on my mind. My body is movement, ‘full of grace’ as I danced through recitals and music competitions. My history is composed of the ivory keys of a piano board, the metallic strings of a guitar, and the soft wheeze of a musty accordion. I am from survivors. From broken families and lives I was given the opportunity to begin. Out of the ashes of war and blood, death and pain I was taught compassion. The scars remind me of my privilege. A handful of ink-smeared letters, a fading tattoo, and relentless nightmares that went unspoken. Touched by shadows of heartbreak and longing I have learned the fears of disease and pain, the cruelty of man and the destruction of illness. I am from a legacy. Footsteps preceded my very first and taught me how to stand tall—to walk courageously. When I was tired of walking and needed to fly, strong hands lay behind me as I learned to test my own strength. I am from fading memories. From sweat and ploughs, rough tools and run down sheds. My past is a copper foundation of saved pennies stretched with love and trust. The polished wood of a hunter’s gun and tug of a taut fishing line tie me to the land of a generation gone by. I am from the creaking wood of a ship that ferried dreams. From the fjords and 32 I am from strength. From weary hands that sought to move forward. From songs crooned in different tongues, prayers tucked away from missed lives. I am from the sweet smell of tobacco. From a worn brown pipe laid in the top overall pocket. From tales of Shirley Temple and shiny black shoes. From the canoe as it passes over reeds and the click of a cane keeping time with shuffling shoes. From sterilized rooms and flowers with similarly fated owners. I am from loss and tears. I am from the Mississippi and the Great Lakes, from steam and coal. From concrete jungles and log cabins. I am a piece of the past, I am… The rooms of my mind are wallpapered with snapshots of a younger me. Sayings and phrases are the soundtrack of my life. I carry them with me. Tucked in locked and forgotten rooms they wait patiently, longingly for me to recall. future. I seek not where I am going only exist here, as I am. I am from the past. Shaped by the present I live for the future. I am from wanderlust. An incorrigible desire to explore that cannot be quelled with the stillness between heartbeats. I am from the excitement that teeters on the brink of the inevitable. I am pulled at by the gentle whisper of religions. Called to the beauty of holiness in the world, I am grounded in the church yet growing in the temple and the mosque. I am gentle hands that have learned to be useful—to give back. Well-used fingers taught to survive and protect. I am a collection of places and people that I have encountered. In love with humanity, I exchange comfort for experience. I am at home in the concrete jungles constructed from heat-cracked pavement and in the mudpatched hut of the desert. The mountains and caves call to me like the trees and fields of my youth. I am at home in the grand expanse of a world that knows no limits, understands no boundaries. A world that exists, simply to exist. My feet itch to travel down forgotten paths where the dust of ages can billow out from under me and cloud the clarity of the 33 who am i? ashley waalen 34 2 GRATITUDE: A POEM IN FOUR PARTS D.E. Green 1. Le Chaim 2. In Praise of Delusion Each day, my own sunrise, my own morning star: your red head radiates strange aerial spikes. When he walks down the sloping skyway from Memorial to the Music building on his way to a long evening class, he sees his reflection in the large classroom window at the base of the slope. He loves that mirror. In it, he is about a foot taller than his five-fiveand-a-half and twenty pounds lighter. He is younger than his sixty years. The silver hair is less telling. As he approaches, the Other ways slightly, moves with the elegant gait of an athlete or dancer. This, he imagines, is my Norwegian double—tall and slender and (at least from this distance) good-looking. Of course as man and image converge, his Other shrinks into an eastern-European, Semitic, rather compact, little old man. Perhaps (he wonders) I have seen the inner image of myself. Perhaps (he smiles) I am happy just to have illusions. Our son’s beard and long Hasidic locks on a head never bowed in prayer hover over his guitar and, till he gets it just so, a heavy-metal riff. The picture of Ollie, our old pup,— his face speaks love, love, love. Like the holiday meal you’ll pretend to let me cook. Or when your hand gently strokes my heaving shoulder: I am sobbing silently because the movie has ended well—a good death, timely reconciliation, vows revived, a renewed breath. 36 3. Thanksgiving 4: To My Son This morning, as I drive from Northfield to Hampton past field after barren field, three wild turkeys foraging and gobbling at the edge of the road— their white-splashed wings, black-feathered trunks, It’s Friday, Z—, and (as always) time to say how much I love you (and your mom too, since I don’t say it often enough though I feel it every minute) and how much I miss you and hope you can spend a few hours with us and Grandma the first weekend in November. We worry about you every day, ‘cuz that’s our job, but we also have an abiding sense of how strong you are: How much you have been through, how far you’ve come, and how you face each day with grit—and, I hope, love. The latter is so hard to do: Over breakfast your mom and I sometimes sit around and whine about our work, about grading student papers. But a little later I’ll be walking across campus and the light will be just right and I’ll see a familiar face amid a group of young people and—I don’t know why—I feel love. I think that’s the word. And I felt it last time we picked you up downtown and you were talking to some scruffy stranger on the street. And the fact that you can still be open to such encounters—isn’t that love too?— filled me with wonder. It’s funny: Old people, among whom I am about to number, have proverbially been beyond wonder, such a romantic and old-fashioned word. But I swear that I still feel it—and that you are among the wonders of my world. red combs poking and pecking the gravel and weeds—surprise me. I flinch. The car swerves. I breathe. They range unruffled. 37 work in progress gabriel bergstrom 38 THE FIRE Elisabeth Beam I stood with my back to the crowd watching the house go up in flames. It happened faster than I had expected. It had taken less than a minute for the fire to spread from the kitchen to the living room and even less time for it to make its way upstairs and into the bedrooms where Grandma and the twins had been peacefully sleeping. Joel stood beside me; his face was dark with ash, his mouth tilted upwards in a sickeningly gleeful smile. Momma had never liked Joel. She said he was a troublemaker and I should do my best to stay away from him. Joel hadn’t always been mean. When I first met him he would bring me friends and make me laugh. He gave me my grey tabby cat, Walter, and my small white bunny, Snowy. We used to all run around the garden and play and laugh. I didn’t like it when Walter and Snowy played. Walter always hurt Snowy. Joel loved it. Snowy’s pain filled shrieks always brought a smile to his face. Joel would play tricks on Momma. He’d move the chair she was about to sit in and she’d tumble to the floor with a crash and a scream. He would put dead things in the twins’ crib for Momma to find. Once he brought a live snake into the house and slipped it into the shower when Momma was in it. She screamed something awful and had locked me in my room for a week. I always got blamed for Joel’s wicked tricks. Momma brought a lot of new friends to the house after that. She brought in men wearing long white coats who talked with me and asked questions about Joel and Walter and Snowy. Joel would stand behind them as they questioned me and make faces. I didn’t understand why they didn’t just talk to Joel and grew frustrated with their questions. Once Momma brought home a man in a black suit. He walked around the house mumbling in a strange language, throwing water on the walls and waving his cross around like a baton. I thought he was crazy. I told Momma and she told me to hush and sit down. The man stood in front of me yelling in his strange way and holding his cross on my forehead. It was cold and made me uncomfortable. Joel got upset. He didn’t like the man and the way he was 39 shouting. The next thing I knew the man was on the floor bleeding from a gash in his head and Joel was laughing loudly in my ear. A bunch of police officers showed up and Joel told me not to tell anyone what he’d done. He said I should blame it on Momma and she’d go away for a long time and stop bothering us. Momma shouted and cried and struggled as the police dragged her away to the sound of Joel’s gleeful laughter and the twins’ high pitched screams. Grandma came after Momma. She was mean. She locked me in my room and told me to stay there until I learned my lesson. I watched him stalk around the room at night mumbling darkly to himself. Grandma made me to go church with her every Sunday, she said I had to pray for my soul for what I’d done to that man and to Momma. I didn’t understand why everyone blamed me for Joel’s tricks and was tired of being punished for all the naughty things that he did. One night at supper, Joel made scary faces at the twins who started wailing. Grandma stood up and yelled at me as she tried desperately to calm the twins. She told me to go to my room. I said no. I pointed at Joel and yelled at him with all my might. This was all his fault. Grandma sent me to bed. Joel told me they were going to send me away. They would separate us and I would never be able to see him again. I told him I was fine with that because he was being horrible. That upset him. He got Walter and Snowy and made me watch as Walter ate Snowy. I cried. He laughed. Joel woke me up at midnight. He told me we could stay together. Me, him, and Walter, but we had to do 40 something first. He smelt like gasoline. He led me to the kitchen and pointed to the stove which was covered with a sticky, sweet smelling liquid. He told me to open my hands. I did. He handed me a lighter. I didn’t want to do it but Joel got angry when I tried to say no. He yelled and told me to do it for all the times Momma blamed me for something he did. That if I did this everyone would finally realize it was him doing all the bad things and not me. My hands were shaking so bad it took me five tries to get the lighter to ignite. When it did I froze and stared at the small flame in my hands. It flickered with every shuttering breath that came out of my mouth. Joel grew impatient and slapped the lighter out of my hand and onto the stove. There was a large whooshing noise and a blast of orange light. My arm hair stood on end and sweat trickled down my face. I backed away. Joel stood in front of the fire and laughed. He threw his arms out wide and danced in tune with the flames. He was crazy but his movements were so beautiful and fluid. It was frightening. The fire advanced toward me. I didn’t want to move. I wanted the fire to eat me like it was going to eat Grandma and the twins. Joel grabbed my hand and led me outside. We stood to the side and watched as the fire slowly ate up the house I had grown up in. The house that the priest, the twins, and Grandma had all died in. Sirens and smoke filled the night air. I looked to my side for Joel, but he had disappeared. DESERT DRUMS Abigail Carpenter When my London flatmate, Raoni, suggested we travel to Northern Africa because he was missing the heat of Brazil, we had no intention of visiting the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains. But we quickly made friends with a generous and hospitable Moroccan man, Raxido, who invited us to a local drum circle at the edge of the Sahara Desert. After traveling on camelback against an orange-rayed sunset, we found ourselves among the sand dunes. We parked our camels single file near our camp, and I realized a place that once only existed in my dreams was now before me. I had to close my eyes for a long while. I opened them over and over again until I was sure of it. I had to reach down and let the sand fall between my fingers slowly. I had to breathe in the crisp, evening air. And when I looked up, the stars speckled in the sky like the summer freckles on my face, thousands and thousands of them. When the drum circle began, I let its music fill me up. It started in my toes and moved higher, tickled my fingers and sent goosebumps up my arms and back. The drums vibrated within my chest and when it reached my mouth, I screamed in laughter. My laugh echoed farther and farther across the desert, not meeting any person or town or house until it was miles and miles away. I wrapped my blanket a little tighter and watched my friends dance around the fire to the beat of the drums. Their legs moved up and down as their hands joined the ashes flying through the night air. For many hours, we sat around the fire, told our stories and spoke aloud our dreams. We danced and sang and took turns pounding the drums. We slept under the stars among the silence of the desert for only a few hours until the sun awoke us on the horizon. And moving through the deep sand, the sunrise at our backs, we rode our camels to the bus to escape the desert heat before it swallowed us up whole. 41 COLORS Hannah Schmit If I am a color call me red The color of passion and love Humanity worn on my sleeve The color of my blood, beating heart. Call me red. If I am a season call me fall With baited chilled breath I speak My words on whirlwind breezes fall An omen of changes to come Call me fall. If I am a sound call me silence. The chaos and stillness of calm My words lost yet encompassing In anticipation of something Call me silence If I am a thought call me hope The desire for something more A yearning call deep within me The need to breathe Call me hope. 42 urban delight jazmin crittenden 43 WHEN DAD WORE COLOGNE A. Tetzlaff “Did Grandpa Mike die?” My small voice broke a quiet that Dad and I carry easily between us. A radio frequency connecting our minds that communicates silently, so we don’t have to. Even at the age of three, I knew our sacred, noiseless space well. Dad took me to a park one day, nearby my childhood home. We rarely visited this park unless we intended to use its snowy slope for adrenaline rushes in our bright plastic sleds in the winter time. But it wasn’t wintertime now. My dad wore a blue t-shirt he’d owned since high school. Summer or spring, the season isn’t particularly distinct. The hills rose nakedly as we quietly approached. I’ve come back to the memory time and again; the images are blurred, like a positive photograph that didn’t come out of the darkroom correctly. I can’t recall how my father responded to my question, though I’m sure he patiently and painfully affirmed my query. In that moment I wasn’t shocked. I wasn’t sad. Presently, I regret that I can’t remember a man who loved me and was so dearly loved by others. I don’t know how he looked aside from the pictures I know. How he talked, laughed, 44 yelled, walked, I don’t recall. Did he wear cologne to work like Dad? When I was young, Dad wore cologne to work. He woke up around five in the morning in order to be at work five-thirty, and he still does, despite the fact that no one expects him in the office till eight. I’d hear his alarm from my bed and wait to smell the mix of dewy summer grass and the spicy knives of cologne in my nostrils. The smell lingered and pulled me back to sleep as Dad left the house. On the day at the park, Dad wasn’t wearing cologne. Dad didn’t wear cologne that day because it was either a weekend or he had the day off or had taken time away to grieve. I don’t remember the call to our corded telephone late one night. It was the hospital telling Mom and Dad that my grandfather died of a heart attack while showering. I don’t know if he died immediately or if the attack was slow, painful, cold, and wet. I will never ask. The thought of breaking the stitches grief so tenuously sewed incites trepidation. Was my young face one of his last images? I’m vain enough to assume so––grandparents always think of the grandbabies first. Was it a comfort? I can only hope. At my Grandfather’s funeral, I can’t remember Mom’s grief. I can’t remember the funeral either.She keeps the remnants of her love tended like a flower garden and tells me of her father often. I have nothing but the cemented walkway leading to the park that summer day deep in my mind. Mom tells me that my grandfather lived as long as he did because he was waiting for me. It was a miracle I was even born, but that’s not my story to tell. She calls me “the sparkle in his eye.” Christopher, my younger and only brother, inherited my grandfather’s bright, Anglo-blue irises. He was born the year after my grandfather died. Christopher joined the Army a few weeks ago; my grandfather was a Marine in the 60s. During his service in Asia, my grandfather collected each country’s currency. Grandma keeps the collection in a red leather box in her bedroom closet. I used to step onto a chair and carefully extract the artifact from the top shelf and touch each coin and each bill. Some of those tenders are much extinct now. The souvenirs of my grandfather’s life are far less valuable to me than those of my travels––those, at least, the mugs and the key chains, those have memories attached of the real thing. I’ve spent most of my life scouring photos and objects, trying to resurrect an authentic memory of my grandfather. Trying to find a sensation that brings him back to me like the early morning scent of Dad’s cologne because I only remember the hills and my words and Dad. The solvents of time washed away my grandfather. 45 SHITTY CHRISTMAS TREES AND SECONDHAND DOLLS Elisabeth Beam When I was a kid we didn’t have a lot of money. But we managed to survive. Mom worked a lot at the dingy looking Super 8 Motel just down the street from the elementary school. You know, the kind of motel that charges by the hour instead of night. She hated it but it was close to school and paid just enough. Around November she would start picking up shifts at other hotels in town to save up more money for Christmas. It was hard. The heat bill always went up mid-October when the chill started to set in and the snow began to fall. Presents were always an issue. Getting stuff for just me and Sarah was usually alright, but Mom came from a big family. Six brothers and sisters all of whom had kids. All of whom would be needing presents. That’s a lot of money. Money we just didn’t have. One year there was a huge blizzard and they canceled school for a week. Sarah was only six at the time and she couldn’t be left alone to take care of herself much less a five-year-old as well. So mom had to stay home from work and look after us. She tried to make it seem like she wasn’t stressed out about the money, but I knew she was. She would pace around the kitchen at night and mumble to 46 herself. She’d crouch over her checkbook and shake her head. She tried to hide it from us, but I noticed. I always noticed when she got like that. A week of work missed meant we wouldn’t be able to afford the gas to get to grandma’s house for Christmas. And a week with everyone at home meant that the heat bill was going to be rough. She was too proud to try and get food stamps. So money that would normally go towards presents went to buying our Christmas feast. We didn’t go to my grandma’s house that Christmas but it was probably the best Christmas of my life. The day before school let out our landlord took out all the carpet in the living room. He said it was due to be replaced and that someone would be over before the holiday to put down some new carpet. “Your feet will be so happy and thankful! That’s the best Christmas present you could ask for!” he had happily told us. No one came. The floor was cold and there were nails and sharp staples sticking up at weird angles. It hurt to step on them and small red dots appeared throughout the house as we all made the mistake of stepping in the living room without socks. Mom put down an old ratty green rug, one that our cats liked to pee on. She bought a small fake green tree from the thrift shop downtown. It was the saddest looking tree. Most of the branches were missing so it had random bald spots sporadically around its leaning trunk. A good number of the ornaments that we put on it fell off because it couldn’t support their weight. We made new ones out of paper and glitter. Mom wrapped tinsel she’d taken from work around it and Sarah and I sloppily placed string lights. We put an old family picture at the top of the tree because we were too scared that our expensive Christmas angel would fall and break if we tried to stick her up there. Thinking back on it now it was a pretty shitty looking tree, but back then I thought it was the best thing I’d ever seen in my life. I remember sitting on the floor amongst the nails and staples and looking at it glittering and glistening and thinking that it was a far better tree than anyone else could ever have. I thought that even if we’d spend a million dollars on a tree and all its dressings that it wouldn’t even be able to come close to this masterpiece sitting before me. For Christmas Eve we blasted holiday music and ran around the living room twirling and waving our arms above our heads. Mom had somehow found time to make new flannel pajamas for both me and Sarah and we had immediately put them on. She had also given us each a doll that she’d found at a thrift store. They looked ratty and dirty but I loved them both. Every bit of dust and matted patch of hair was a story waiting to be told. The dolls had character and I loved it.That shitty tree and our thrift store dolls were great but they weren’t what made that night so special. It was that we were all together, making the most out of what we had and not lamenting what we were missing. I think as we grow up we lose the magic in secondhand dolls and shitty Christmas trees. 47 summer nights adam ruff 48 the people united adam ruff 49 after the hike adam ruff 50 CRUMBS Malena Larsen He’s looking for love In the crevices of his couch Like loose change. I saw him lift up the cushions And pull out crumbs His mother’s earring A quarter The spoon he dropped last week After eating ice cream out of the container. It was chocolate cookie dough and he ate the whole thing. I watched him put the quarter in his back pocket and the spoon back in the cushions. I told him I had been in love once And he said I like it when girls call me daddy. I had a dream that night that he was dating somebody and my stomach hurt when I woke up. I became a spoon in the couch cushion Who said words like Daddy And Fuck me And Hard. At the end of every night I was put back with the crumbs, and each day that he came to get me there was more cat hair or lint stuck to me I waited patiently Dirty For him to pick me up. It was 77 degrees the late summer night he stopped getting me from the cushions. He told me that he found somebody to love and we can’t be friends, because if I see you I’ll fuck you. I asked him why he couldn’t control himself if he was in love with somebody. The inside of my ribcage Was being scraped empty 51 Like the chocolate cookie dough ice cream container And my stomach hurt Like it did after the dream Where he wasn’t mine I can’t help it. He told me. I like it when girls call me daddy. When we met he was wearing a suit and it looked like he had spent a lot of time on his hair but I didn’t think he was attractive until the weekend when I was drunk. Across the table On the other side of red cups And puddles of water He stared at me In a grey tank top. His eyes And arms Were strong 52 And dark. Making eye contact felt like sex And he smelled like Fireball And somebody I shouldn’t be alone with And too much cologne. We went swimming at 6 am at the neighbor’s lakefront when everyone else fell asleep. He took off his shirt I kept mine on. The water fell off of him like it didn’t want to keep his body covered for too long. He picked me up and folded me over his right shoulder and threw me into the 6 am summer sweet lake water. He drove me home At 7 am Still drunk and Smitten. It was 88 degrees and my birthday the night I let him kiss me in the back hallway of our friend’s frat. I couldn’t wait anymore He told me In the house that smelled like Liquor and dust And damp wood. The first time we Fucked Was in the front seat of his White Pontiac Grand prix At 11 pm on a Tuesday. I saw him almost As an animal. His fists Were clenched And his eyebrows Like shelves Over his beetle eyes. Do you like fucking daddy? After that night I had to sneak him into my bedroom because he couldn’t do all of the positions he wanted to in his car. He needed to prove to me that he was the best fuck and that he could make me cum and that I should call him Daddy. I had never called fucking, fucking before. Before I was a dirty spoon it had only been called love. His eyes started to remind me Of Tiny Round Black beetles. There’s nobody else anymore We should just keep fucking. And when we fucked It was 66 degrees and almost fall when he came to my house in his white Pontiac Grand Prix and told me I remembered then, the quarter he put in his pants and how he used me to eat his ice cream and then put me back with all the crumbs in the cushions of 53 his couch Where he keeps looking for love Like it’s the loose change In his back pocket. 54 bloomed audrey campbell 55 pruned audrey campbell 56 HERMAN Danny Polaschek Grape juice dribbled down Herman’s chin and landed in scattered droplets down the front of his white T-shirt. He didn’t notice and, after setting down his half-emptied glass, picked up his spoon and started on his bowl of bran flakes. Sitting at the kitchen table, there was nothing in front of Herman —but a bare white wall. It seemed, however, that he wasn’t looking at it, but rather through it like a child looks through a window and, seeing nothing but gray skies and rain, is overwhelmed by disappointment because they will not be outdoors playing that day. As Herman sat there facing the white wall and chomping his cereal, his son entered the kitchen and began his morning ritual. Herman heard the coffee-maker start bubbling from somewhere behind him in the kitchen along with the quick and efficient pitter-pattering of his son’s feet, who Herman assumed had to be walking laps around the center island as some sort of new, trendy morning workout. Once the coffee maker’s burbling came to an end the footsteps stopped as well. Herman focused on the sound of the coffee being poured, the soft sound of liquid filling a ceramic mug. The sound stopped as quickly as it had started and Herman was further drawn from his relaxed, monotonous state by the sound of his son’s voice. “How are the flakes this morning, Dad?” Herman didn’t turn around to face his son, but continued with what he was doing, looking like a cow chewing cud. “Five star quality,” he replied in between spoonfuls. “Flaky as ever.” Herman’s son chuckled a bit and looked up from his fresh cup of coffee but the laugh died away when he noticed that his father was still turned away from him, eyes glued straight ahead. Taking another sip, Herman’s son pondered whether he would keep pursuing his father in conversation or not. He ultimately decided against it and left the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. A sigh escaped Herman’s throat as he set down his spoon, finished with his mushed and soggy cereal. Ain’t this the life, he thought to himself sarcastically. Finally turning away from the wall, Herman scooted himself back from the kitchen table and slowly stood up. He gripped the side of the table for balance and took a few deep breaths in an effort to steady himself. Just a few weeks before, Herman had 57 missed a stair descending to the basement and found himself tumbling clumsily down the rest of the way until crashing to a stop on the last few steps. Herman’s head still felt a bit shaky from time to time, which caused a bit of a tremble in his legs. Instead of walking from place to place, he grew accustomed to maneuvering his way to each destination by leaning on and grabbing anything he could for support and then flinging himself to another sturdy checkpoint, and so on and so forth until he reached his goal. It was much like a monkey swinging from vine to vine, but less precise and much less graceful. With his feet finally under him, legs steady, Herman pushed away from the kitchen table and launched himself to the kitchen counter, which caught him with cold indifference. Hunched over, Herman caught his breath for a few seconds before beginning to shuffle down the length of the marble counter towards the coffeemaker at the other end. “This better be a damn good cup of Joe,” he mumbled to himself, clearly exhausted. Halfway down the counter, Herman stopped. With a steady grip on the counter he reached up to the cupboard above his head and swung it open. He couldn’t see inside but he knew that what he was looking for was in there: his old blue coffee mug— one of the only things worth bringing with when he moved into his son’s house the year before. Feeling around the smooth, wooden interior, Herman eventually got a hold of his mug which distinguished itself by having only half of a handle still attached. With the partial handle hooked onto his ring and middle fingers, Herman pulled out his mug and brought it shakily down over his head, setting it on the counter with a soft “clink.” Herman was beginning to feel dizzy at this 58 point, and wished for a moment that he had listened to the doctor about getting a walker. “Mr. Huckley,” the doctor said, “even if you don’t think you’ll use it, take it anyways. Just in case.” Herman didn’t take the walker, and wouldn’t even let anyone help to walk him out of the hospital, not even his son. “I don’t need your damn help,” he snorted each time someone tried to take his arm to steady him. He was always a stubborn man and old age wasn’t going to change that. Continuing down the counter, Herman felt this same stubborn anger boiling in him. He was almost seventy years old and yet he felt like a child who was just learning to walk. He’d built his own home, and a garage to go with it, and now he could hardly make it to the opposite end of the room without feeling fatigued. Sweat was running hot from Herman’s forehead. He wiped it with a shaky hand and breathed in deeply, closing his eyes as he did so. He only had five or so more steps to go and he braced himself for the final stretch, determined to get there even if it killed him. With a focused balance and patient, shuffling steps Herman managed to get to the end of the counter and the coffee pot. He exhaled in relief, and a satisfied smile tugged the corners of his mouth up ever so slightly. With his blue mug in one hand, Herman picked up the coffeepot in the other, intent on pouring himself a well-deserved cup of coffee after his tiresome journey. His satisfaction was immediately replaced with bitterness as he lifted the pot and felt that it was nearly empty, only a few drops remained rolling around in the bottom. Herman’s minute smile had vanished and his brow hardened, scrunching up his forehead in small, tense knots. Setting the pot back on the counter, Herman hissed repeatedly under his breath, cursing his son for not leaving him any coffee. Herman’s hands were visibly trembling and he was having a difficult time keeping a grip on the edge of the counter. He contemplated making more coffee but dismissed the idea immediately, knowing that he could not remain standing and moving around the kitchen much longer. Herman felt a hot flush come over his face and could feel beads of sweat rolling down his temples and his cheeks. In one swift motion he wound up and threw his coffee mug across the room, where it shattered against the windowless, white wall. Slivers and shards of ceramic bounced all over the kitchen, the blue pieces scattered like shattered glass. Herman heard footsteps drumming down the staircase before his son entered the room,stopping in the doorway to avoid stepping on any of the pieces of blue ceramic. “Dad!” he exclaimed, “What happened? Herman was bent over, hunched with his hands on his knees. He was struggling for breath now, and sweat soaked through his shirt on his back. In between wheezes, Herman said exasperated, “You didn’t leave me any damn coffee, you son of a bitch.” His son stood there eyeing first his father and then the indent in the wall where the mug had hit. He shook his head in disbelief, which quickly turned to anger. With a clenched jaw, he left the room and returned a minute later with broom in hand. He began quietly sweeping the blue bits of coffee mug into a dustpan. After Herman had caught his breath and recomposed himself, he pulled his body back into a standing position, leaning against the counter. He glanced to his son, bent over and sweeping under the kitchen table. “I heard you on the phone last night,” he said. Herman kept his eyes on his son as he stood and turned to face him. His son raised an eyebrow at him but gave no verbal reply. “I heard you,” Herman repeated. His son bit his lip and continued sweeping, eyes trained on the floor. “It’s just not working, dad.” 59 EL BARRIO SUYO Chad Berryman El viento le envolvió al hombre como una manta de hielo. Él andaba por el barrio suyo pero los vecinos no lo saludaron. Caminaba delante de una casa grande con flores y grandes ventanas, y por esas ventanas podía oír una pelea entre dos padres y los lamentos penosos de sus hijos. Él seguía la acera que serpenteaba por un parque lindo donde había un banco solitario. Él Lo saludó con la cabeza. Recordaba unas noches del verano cuando este banco no había ofrecido insultos ni acusaciones, sino un lugar simpático para descansar mientras él le regalaba un uso admirable. Pero en el invierno el banco se congelaba como él, y ambos eran incapaces de ayudarse el uno al otro. Paseaba delante de una casa blanca de arquitectura maravillosa. Un coche altanero llegara la entrada. Un padre sincero apareció mientras acababa de contar los acontecimientos de su día. Su hija miraba su celular, y el silencio suspiró por la expresión herida de la cara del padre. Ellos entraron a la casa sin otra palabra. El hombre nómada seguía caminando, y pronto la nieve dentro de sus venas se derretía por una balada antigua que se tarareaba al ritmo de sus pasos. 60 No pido mucho, no vivo de prisa canto los himnos con risa bendita no tengo nada salvo alma amada y sin despedida no hay la llegada THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD Chad Berryman The frigid air wrapped around the man like a blanket of ice. He was travelling through his own neighborhood, but no neighbors acknowledged him. As he walked in front of a large, picturesque house, complete with flowers and giant windows, he could make out the sound of two parents fighting accompanied by the upsetting cries of their children. The sidewalk snaked its way through a park in which there stood one solitary bench. With a nod of his head, the man greeted it. Nights of summers past filled his mind, nights in which the bench had not offered insults or accusations but rather a consoling place of rest while he presented it with the gift of an honorable purpose. However, the bench froze and shivered in the winter the same as he, and neither could provide the other with any relief. He passed by a white house of grand construction. There, a flashy car had just pulled into the driveway. From it emerged an earnest father finishing the recounting of his day. His daughter, however, simply stared at her phone, and the wounded expression on her father’s face betrayed an unsung sigh. The two entered the house without another word. As the wandering man continued walking, the snow in his veins began to melt due to an old tune he commenced to hum in time with his steps. I don’t ask for much, or live in a rush in my blessed laughter the hymns come alive there’s nothing I own save a soul that is loved for without a farewell one could never arrive 61 ODYSSEY Eve Taft Thank you for the twisted pathways of your mind Which led to the streets and alleyways of Dublin James Joyce, do you understand that you opened floodgates? Your avalanche of babbling sentences, sans punctuation Buck Mulligan tossing form and style into the wind Your catechism, you, Daedalus, gave us sacrament Blood flow to wake up the numb limbs of literature You spoke with your soul to our souls Fearing not the noise in your skull but flinging it down in ink I understand you, “life is many days” I understand you, “god is a shout in the street” I understand you, “I am another now and yet the same” You understand me “everything speaks in its own way” Soon I’ll visit your beloved homeland Walking the streets of Dublin, writing and giving thanks to modernism Now as free of rigid form As Ireland of England 62 postcards from my bedroom audrey campbell 63 postcards from my bedroom audrey campbell 64 COUNTING SHEEP Danny Polaschek What can you do when the world is asleep? Go to sleep too? I’ve counted all my sheep. They jumped through the air gliding for 5 or 6 feet cleared the fence and then flew with not even a bleat. I didn’t focus however on these aerial sheep antics because far away in the distance was a sight oh so fantastic. A blue house, with a single light on in the window sat a girl a beauty no pencil could ever have drawn. I looked up at her and she down at me addicted to the eyesight too distracted to count sheep. 65 3 sky nights keeyonna fox 67 inner self keeyonna fox 68 VICTORY OF THE PEOPLE Petra S. Shaffer-Gottschalk Your worship was my refuge, your clay heart my focal point, your chelsea smile the apple of my eye. We were sick. We poisoned ourselves with amphetamines and pills until we didn’t recognize ourselves in the mirror. We walked miles just to feel accomplished in our space, we turned the cigarettes we shared into sentiments we thought we shared. I must possess the wrong innocence. Souls are fickle things that change when left to die in the cold. ~ He was outrageously tall. He towered over me like the Statue of Liberty and he talked to me as though I was a boat in the harbor. Standing five inches taller than six feet, he was an image of Ukrainian beauty. He stood like someone who knew things you didn’t know and this fascinated me. I was so naive, so optimistic. I saw the lust and want in his eyes and I mistook it for passion.The curve of his jaw and his long eyelashes crept into the screens behind my eyelids and ignited a fire in me that I didn’t know how to put out. I was the new girl in town struggling to keep my loneliness at bay. He was a gleaming light in that summer of darkness. I had just moved to Minnesota months before. After discovering drugs and promiscuous sex I became nothing short of a hurricane. Amphetamines kept me awake, cigarettes kept me skinny, and weed kept me sane. My GPA reflected exactly what they don’t tell you about functional depression: you can feel like a blank page, but as long as you fill it with words people will stop asking questions. He was selling me drugs. He offered me a good price. I had never met him but I figured what the hell, I could stand to meet new people. It was dark, long past sundown. We were meeting in a parking lot by a lake a few blocks away from my house. I was in my mom’s car. I waited and listened to Amy Winehouse until I saw an orange car pull into a parking spot a few yards away from me. The man driving fit the picture I had seen of him before. We 69 made eye contact and he ushered me over to his car. I took a deep breath, grabbed my sweater, and got my money ready. He rolled down the passenger side window. “You Nikita?” I said. He smiled at me. A smile that I would come to know. “You can call me Kita.” ~ He had really good drugs. I’m not sure that they were pure, but at the time I didn’t care. Neither did he. We just wanted to get high. We did his drugs together, sitting in a playground by the lake, talking about life and what we crave. He told me that he was applying to a college in London. I didn’t think anything of it. Before long we saw each other every day. He was a lifeguard who had to be on duty early in the morning, so he would take me out for coffee at eight in the morning. No makeup, sweatpants, my hair in a messy bun. He didn’t care. We would talk about things that we hadn’t shared with anyone else. He told me he struggled with his relationship with his father in Ukraine. I told him that I had struggled with eating disorders since I was thirteen. We would sneak out onto his back porch to smoke cigarettes late at night. His mother hated that we smoked. 70 “You need to quit smoking, love,” she’d tell me. “I smoked for twenty-five years and it took two pregnancies to get me to stop.” His mother loved me. She thought that I was spunky, independent, had a mind of my own. She did not like his last girlfriend. She made that very clear. She, like Nikita, was very tall. She had long curly black hair and eyes so intense that you would lose your appetite. Her Russian accent was thick and powerful. She had run away to the United States when she was twenty-one and seven months pregnant with her first son. Nikita. “Does it mean anything?” I asked him. “Your name.” He smiled when he answered. “My mom told me it means ‘victory of the people,’” he said. Oh Kita, you have no victory. You are the secret I keep from my mother the hidden disease that projectile vomits and digs with fingernails sharpened by teeth. Your fields of sunflowers told me a secret, your secrets so dark and beautiful and I killed myself with your gargantuan sunflowers. His mother was beautiful. She had been a professional figure skater that traveled the world, meeting people as she went. She met Kita’s father in her home country of Ukraine and according to the story, he was immediately drawn to her exuberant personality and her long legs. At twenty-one she was well on her way to continue pursuing a successful skating career until she got pregnant. According to Kita his father did not accompany her to her appointments.He did not send her flowers. He did not ask if she was okay. Instead Kita’s mother made her way to America to create a life of victory and hope. He took me to meet his grandmother. She said hello and came in and that was the last that I understood. The entire time I was there she would ask me questions in Russian and Kita would translate for me. He taught me how to say Hello (Privet) Yes (da) No (net) And thank you, which I don’t remember. We spent almost the entire time we were there trying to help his grandmother set up a new movie streaming program on her computer. I know nothing about computers in English, let alone in Russian. I was overwhelmed. The leather furniture just made my nervous sweat more noticeable. She told me about Ukraine a little bit. She said it was beautiful but troubled. She offered me chocolate and cookies. I sat, sweating, trying my hardest to pay attention. When I said anything to her, Kita would translate for me. I wanted to leave. After we left his grandmother’s house he told me to wait in his car while he talked privately with his grandmother. I thought it was strange but didn’t question it. I played mindless games on my phone while I waited for him. Some part of me knew that they were talking about me, but I continued to deny it. I was hungry, but I wasn’t planning on doing anything about it too soon. I was hungry often then. When he returned to the car I asked what they had talked about and with no hesitation he said, “You.” I paused, then asked him to elaborate. “She likes you,” he said. And that was that. How strange, I thought, to be liked by someone who never explicitly spoke a word to me. ~ Andrevich was Kita’s middle name. Named after his father. Kita’s father was very handsome. In his forties with tan skin and thick hair, he was a heartthrob that would make you look twice. He lived in a nice, expensive apartment in Kiev with his girlfriend who was twenty years younger than him. Apparently that was a theme. Kita had only seen his father a handful of times in his life. He had gone back to Ukraine to spend some time with him as a young boy, but didn’t have too much recollection of it. When he was sixteen he went back to live with his father and his twenty-yearold girlfriend for a while. Kita has always been tall, thin, and handsome. His father noticed this. “So what happened?” I asked him one day. 71 Kita shrugged. “He kicked me out and I came back to the states,” he said without a flinch. He said this as though it was a commonality. “He thought that I fucked his girlfriend,” he said as he lit a cigarette. There was a very long, uncomfortable silence. “Did you?” I asked. He laughed out loud and a cloud of smoke poured out of his mouth. “No, of course not,” he said. “My dad isn’t one to listen to a sixteen year old.” ~ “I’ll take you to Ukraine someday.” “Sunflowers. There are parts of Ukraine where there are endless fields of sunflowers wherever you look. They’re as tall as me and the flowers are bigger than my face.” He pulled me closer as he talked about Ukraine. He insisted that I learn all that I could about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, sending me innumerable articles daily. Through him I learned about the importance of the Ukrainian revolution and fights that had been fought, some as recent as 2011 and 2012. He told me that he wanted to fight for his people if he had to. When my eyes were flushed with concern, he pulled me in close and whispered in my ear, “I’ll survive for you.” His eyes lit up every time he talked about the fields of sunflowers in Ukraine. In the same way, his eyes lit up every time he got angry. Your golden eyes drew miners to starve and fight to abandon their homes. We were in his bed, naked, wrapped up in blankets and speckled by the corner light in his room. It was late, the kind of late that feels early. The air conditioner hummed in the place of our phones which were both off and hidden somewhere in the room. He did no wrong. He could not do any wrong. His eyes were blank but telling like a wall in a foreclosed home. All of his intentions were good. Yes. Good. “Where in Ukraine?” I asked. “Have you been eating?” he asks as he lifts up my shirt. “Kiev, the city squares. And to the huge fields of flowers.” “What kind of flowers?” 72 ~ I squirm away and pull my shirt down. “Yes, I ate just before I came here,” I say. I can still taste the salt in my mouth. “You look skinny,” he tells me with a hint of disdain in his voice. My heart soars. I look skinny. But he’s reaching for my stomach again and once again I’m backing away. We get into the car and drive to the gas station. I say that I need to go use the restroom. While Kita pumps the gas, I make my way into the small Holiday bathroom. I put my sweater on the ground and rest my knees on it, my usual routine. I stick my finger down my throat and vomit into the toilet. As I walk back outside, Kita is getting back into his car. I get in the front seat and sniffle slightly.Kita looks at me quizzically. “You okay?” he asks me. My eyes are watery, my nose is burning, and my breath is putrid. “I’m fine,” I say with a smile. ~ The elevator door was so cold against my cheek. I watched the red numbers blink as they rose. 8...9...10...11. My vision was going fuzzy and grey, my ears started ringing and throbbing. 11...12...13. Ding. The doors opened and my wobbly legs carried me down the seemingly endless hallway. My hands were barely working; as I watched them push my key into my apartment door I could not feel it. The door opened, I could see my living room window. I closed the door behind me and collapsed on the ground. “Why did you faint?” His words echoed behind the screen of my phone. “I just haven’t eaten a lot today.” There was a silence so deafening that it struck fear in my heart. Fear I had not known. “When did you eat last?” He had anger in his voice. I paused. He would know if I lied but he would hate the truth. “I had a little dinner last night,” I said quietly. “What did you eat?” His reply was sharp. I was shaking. “I had a little bit of salad I think,” I said with a quivering voice. I could hear his sigh. I can still hear his sigh. “How many times have we talked about this?” He exclaimed. “I know, I know, I’m sorry…” It didn’t matter. He didn’t listen. I had failed him again. “Do you know what it’s like to have a girlfriend that can’t even take care of herself ?” “What am I going to tell my friends?” “You’re not even trying.” I was sobbing, I was convulsing, I was sweating, all from my bed from which I could not move. My phone was glued to my ear and I had no energy to remove it. “So what are you going to do about this?” There was intense spite in his words. With a shaky voice I said, “I could send you a picture of everything I eat?” He laughed. With his full, angry throat he laughed 73 at my pain. “And do what? Post it on Facebook? Show all my friends that my girlfriend is an anorexic who can’t even feed herself ? You know what, go ahead. Maybe that’ll help you change.” I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to die. My stomach kept whispering “never again, never again, never again.” Opening my mouth made me panic because it reminded me of eating. I hung up my phone and with wobbly legs I walked outside in the snow and smoked an entire pack of cigarettes. ~ Months go by. Months. I watched him pack his bag with clothes that I had never seen him wear. He packed light, only a few shirts and two pairs of pants. “My dad will buy me more when I get to Ukraine,” he said. I sat on the edge of his bed and watched him focus on folding his clothes. His visa sat in the center of the bed, staring at me. I started to cry. “Babe, it’s going to be fine,” Kita said without breaking focus. I watched him form a pile of the shirts that I had grown used to him wearing. They looked like wilted flower petals. 74 “Why aren’t you taking those?” I asked, pointing to the wilted pile. “My father won’t like them,” he said. Later that night, we were drinking red wine in his bed. His room was bare and cold. I was curled against his side, my head on his chest. He stroked my bare back and played with my hair. I sighed, but not the kind of sigh that’s followed with kisses. Kita sighed too. “Petra,” he said, a tone of exasperation in his voice. “If I ever treat you like my father treats women, please leave me.” ~ I still remember how to say “I love you” in Russian. “я люблю тебя.” Ya lyublyu tebya. ~ My fingers were bones. Anything beyond mascara was too much, especially lipstick. He hated lipstick. He thought that it brought too much attention to my mouth. He didn’t like when other people noticed me. He stopped smoking cigarettes and instructed me to do so too. “They’ll make you age faster,”he would say. If I had a bad day and smoked a cigarette, he would tell me he was disappointed. I lived with three men at the time, something that Kita would never let me forget. He asked every few days to be sure I wasn’t sleeping with any of my roommates. If I was spending too much time with a friend, he would tell me that I was neglecting him. He sent me articles outlining how to be a better partner. He reminded me that he just wanted me to be the best that I could be. The screaming and hour-long phone calls were footnotes. You stripped me of my dignity and told me, “This is what you have.” Your monstrous arms crawl into my nightmares Your titanic stature collided with my glacier and though you claim I sank you You were a behemoth and I was a stone. At the end, I fell into the ground. His screams surrounded me in my echo chamber and suffocated me. My knees were bruised from kneeling in front of the toilet all night. How apt for the one accused of dropping to her knees for all men. I was free but I did not know it yet. All I knew was the cold floor of my bathroom and the tales of beautiful but troubled Ukraine. My goodbyes have been said, These addictions fed. It’s the cost that comes with the sickness. And your screams won’t be heeded anymore. 75 AN OPEN LETTER TO THE UN-SPECIALS Halle Chambers When we are little, even before we can speak We are told that we’re special and that we’re unique. That we all are made different and that none are the same Which fits quite nicely in a toddler’s mind frame. And we are told we should treasure what’s different inside, That what makes us different is not something to hide. But then quite soon after, things start to change; The word “different” stops meaning “special” and starts meaning “strange.” We’re sectioned off from our average peers In our own little category and told, “you belong here,” And then different is bad and normal is good, And for the different ones, nothing is working the way that it should The way we’ve been taught or the way we’ve been shown All we know is that we do not like being lost on our own. 76 So once again we are taken away To a place where things makes sense again and we’re ok: Where no one hurts us, Where no one can see, Where no one deserts us, Where we can be free. But because the un-specials can’t see what goes on, They decide to make things up and get so much wrong. And it’s happened for years because they can’t see through that door. So long they don’t even know that it’s wrong anymore. It’s so fixed in their heads that these lies are right; They judge each special kid by their stereotype. But today that will end. So you sit there and you wait, cause it’s about time someone set the dang record straight. You probably think that this poem won’t cut it, But today I’m gonna open the door and don’t you dare shut it! To start, let’s be clear: I am...I was in Special Ed. But just because I was in that room doesn’t mean I’m brain dead! So for Pete’s sake, don’t puppy dog guard me! Just give me a break, it isn’t that hard see: If I need your help, I will tell you I do. Just please, Please don’t mock me. In my place, would you want me to mock you? “Oh come on! Let her get it! Go easy on her!” Help, where not needed, is almost as bad as a slur. I’m not invalid So don’t play that card. Yeah, I’m a little quirky and oversensitive, But I’m not, and I quote, “A little retard.” Yeah, I’ve been called names. And those words? They hurt. They catch in the center, In your pit of self worth. And they tear and they rip, And those words are collective. Soon you start to believe that you are defective. I’ve dealt with them all, and surprisingly, I actually prefer the straight up bullies To those who pretend to like me. Fake friends and two-faces Of all genders and races. They’re only my friends so they don’t have to see me cry. Or they use me, abuse me, Oh, how they confuse me! Cause I can’t tell what’s truth and what’s lie. “Hey! He likes you. Go give him a kiss!” And because I don’t know better, I believe this. But soon I find they’re not playing Cupid, They just wanna make me look stupid. For their entertainment, they make me play the 77 fool; They pretend that they care for me When they’re really just cruel. It takes time and takes work to make you forget; Even now, I’m not quite there yet. I mean, here I am, in what’s supposed to be home, And yet here I am, still feeling alone. I’m still paranoid, it doesn’t just end; I still have to ask if someone’s my friend. I say one thing and mean another; I make a mistake, But you take it verbatim. Can’t you cut me a break? If we’re talking and I look like I’m lost, Don’t blow it off like it’s not worth the cost. Sarcasm and subtlety muddle in my brain, So please just take a minute to explain. Do these quirks make me broken? Is there something wrong with me? The way society has spoken, There would seem to be. 78 Stop poisoning the minds of “different” young women and men. I don’t like being defective.... Can I be special again? SOREX PALUSTRIS Emilie Tomas Did they name you for Your wit, pointed Nose of pointed judgement Who brought us fire; five to seven inches of shrewd truth? Or was it your mischief That Inspired them? Your Presence followed by screams And a three inch tail. I saw your likeness on a stage, Dirt in place of your midnight coat Though she is reformed now. Perhaps it was the gleam in your Eyes; whispered fortunes and A summer of silver birth. Maybe you are a messenger Of God, somehow in your Eighteen months you learned to walk On water, the second coming Of Christ. 79 woodsy adam ruff gabriel bergstrom 80 WORDS Malena Larsen The bathroom wall was covered in words. Words like fuck and love and song lyrics and names with hearts around them. His body looked peaceful, somehow, as he sat propped and slumped against the door. His head hung to his right shoulder and his mouth was open like he was about to say something but was interrupted. There was blood running down his left arm like a river and a needle hung loosely out of his skin. The words that he had heard her say several hours earlier were getting quieter and quieter. “It’s not working,” she had told him. “I’m sorry.” They were smoking cigarettes outside her apartment when she said it. She knew he had been trying to fix himself. After twenty-eight days of treatment and one week in a sober house on Lake and Fifth she barely recognized him. He was twenty-five pounds heavier and his skin looked clean and strong; there was no more grey in his cheeks. It wasn’t just his change in appearance that scared her. Lately, he had been telling her the difference between wrong and right and that she should stay in on the weekends. His family couldn’t stop talking about how proud they were of him and they would ask her, “Doesn’t he just seem so much better?” She would answer with yes but feel guilty because she wished he still liked to make mistakes. His family had a party after he got out of treatment and his grandfather kept saying things like, “Men in this family have always been strong!” and, “Now he can take care of you.” His grandfather didn’t care for her much but he felt that she was the least of the boy’s problems. He didn’t like the way she hung on him like a scarf or the way she agreed with everything he said without a second thought. As he sat on the bathroom floor the words she had said were getting quieter and quieter. They were almost gone. He had been sober for thirty-five days and he didn’t know why. He didn’t feel better or stronger or more loved. His hand lay loosely on the floor, palm up and open like he was waiting for somebody to hold it. Everyone was so proud of him but he couldn’t imagine living his life without her. Long after her words had faded completely, the bathroom door opened. He fell back onto the floor. His head hitting hard against the tile. 81 “Oh my gosh!” The man who opened the door yelled. “Can someone help?” He took out his phone to call 911. A crowd of people rushed over to where the man was dialing. A young man pushed past the group of people. “Move!” The boy got on his knees by the body on the floor. He reached into his pocket and took out something that looked like a pen. He stuck it into the arm of the body that was needle free. People gasped and murmured and watched. Sirens rang in the distance. The boy holding the pen looked up at the bathroom wall that had words like fuck and love and song lyrics and names with hearts around them. He looked up at the group of people. “It’s not working,” he said. 82 MALCOLM AND THE BLUE SIDE Danny Polaschek Brown leaves dragged past Malcolm’s feet in the wind. The bench underneath him felt like a rock and he had to clench his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering. He stared at the empty playground—the tire swing, the slide, the bridge and the fireman’s pole. Nikki rested her head on his shoulder. Each time a breeze swept through, Malcolm could feel her nuzzle slightly closer, her hair scratching and tickling his neck. When he was a kid, Malcolm had sat on this exact same bench many times with his mother. They lived in a little blue house just a few blocks away— “just a hop and a skip,” his mother would say and Malcolm would make it his mission to jump and bunny-hop the whole way there. When they arrived, they’d eat lunch, sitting together on the narrow, wooden bench. After each bite of his sandwich, Malcolm would beg his mother to let him go play, to which she would give in once she herself had
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Title: Murphy Square 2017: Murphy Square Visual Art and Literary Magazine
Collection: Literary Journals
Search Result: MURPHY SQUARE VISUAL ART & LITERARY MAGAZINE ISSUE 42, 2017 EDITORIAL BOARD Malena Larsen, Editor In Chief Abigail Tetzlaff, Associate Editor Audrey Campbell, Art & Layout Editor Cassie Dong, Art Editor Jazmin Crittenden, Art Editor Elisabeth Beam, Prose Editor Abigail Carpenter, Prose Ed...
Show more MURPHY SQUARE VISUAL ART & LITERARY MAGAZINE ISSUE 42, 2017 EDITORIAL BOARD Malena Larsen, Editor In Chief Abigail Tetzlaff, Associate Editor Audrey Campbell, Art & Layout Editor Cassie Dong, Art Editor Jazmin Crittenden, Art Editor Elisabeth Beam, Prose Editor Abigail Carpenter, Prose Editor Ryan Moore, Prose Editor Gabriel Benson, Poetry Editor Danny Polaschek, Poetry Editor Cary Waterman, Advisor 2 WITH THANKS TO Ivy Arts Copy and Print Augsburg College Student Government Augsburg College English Department Augsburg College Art Department The Echo Augsburg Honors Program QPA 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 What Type of Black Girl Are You? Nikkyra Whittaker ........................................................................... 8 Simul Justus et Peccator, Andy Anderson .......................................................................................... 11 Queer, Eve Taft ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Jesus in a Cracker, A.Tetzlaff ................................................................................................................ 14 Grey Cloud Island, David Baboila ......................................................................................................... 17 Saint Paul Airport, David Baboila .......................................................................................................... 18 White Bear Lake, David Baboila ............................................................................................................ 19 Zips Coliseum, David Baboila ............................................................................................................... 20 Bridge, Jacob J. Miller ............................................................................................................................ 21 50 Feet Tall, Emilie Tomas ...................................................................................................................... 25 Meow, Ashley Waalen ............................................................................................................................ 26 Mousetrap, Halle Chambers .................................................................................................................. 27 Faces, Constance Klippen ..................................................................................................................... 29 I Don’t Always Feel Colored, Diamonique Walker ............................................................................... 30 Where I am From, Hannah Schmit ......................................................................................................... 32 Who Am I?, Ashley Waalen .................................................................................................................... 34 2 Gratitude, D.E Green .............................................................................................................................. CSBR, Gabriel Bergstrom ...................................................................................................................... The Fire, Elisabeth Beam ........................................................................................................................ Desert Drums, Abigail Carpenter .......................................................................................................... Colors, Hannah Schmit ........................................................................................................................... Urban Delight, Jazmin Crittenden ......................................................................................................... When Dad Wore Cologne, A. Tetzlaff .................................................................................................... Shitty Christmas Trees, Elisabeth Beam ............................................................................................... Summer Nights, Adam Ruff ................................................................................................................... 36 38 39 41 42 43 44 46 48 The People United, Adam Ruff .............................................................................................................. 49 After the Hike, Adam Ruff ..................................................................................................................... 50 Crumbs, Malena Larsen ......................................................................................................................... 51 Bloomed, Audrey Campbell ................................................................................................................... 55 Pruned, Audrey Campbell ...................................................................................................................... 56 Herman, Danny Polaschek ................................................................................................................... 57 El Barrio Suyo, Chad Berryman ............................................................................................................. 60 The Neighborhood, Chad Berryman ..................................................................................................... 61 Odyssey, Eve Taft .................................................................................................................................... 62 Postcards From My Bedroom, Audrey Campbell ................................................................................. 63 Postcards From My Bedroom, Audrey Campbell ................................................................................. 64 Counting Sheep, Danny Polaschek ...................................................................................................... 65 3 Sky Nights, Keeyonna Fox ...................................................................................................................... 67 Inner Self, Keeyonna Fox ....................................................................................................................... 68 Victory of the People, Petra S. Shaffer-Gottschalk ............................................................................. 69 An Open Letter to the Un-specials, Halle Chambers ...........................................................................76 Sorex Palustris, Emilie Tomas ................................................................................................................. 79 Woodsy Adam Ruff, Gabriel Bergstrom .................................................................................................. 80 Words, Malena Larsen ................................................................................................................................. 81 Malcom, Danny Polaschek ....................................................................................................................... 83 DRIVING AT ZERO ONE, John Herbert ................................................................................................... 85 DRIVING AT ZERO TWO, John Herbert ................................................................................................... 86 Placemakers, Diamonique Walker ........................................................................................................ 87 A Necessary Evil Thing Considered in any Light, Jacob J. Miller ....................................................... 88 1 WHAT TYPE OF BLACK GIRL ARE YOU? Nikkyra Whittaker On the spectrum of being black and female, we can only be what we appear to be. Take this quiz to find out what kind of black girl you really are! 1. You’re listening to the radio on the way to Target. You’re playing… a. Beyonce’s “****Flawless” b. Taylor Swift’s “Fifteen” or “You Belong With Me” or “Wildest Dreams” c. Chris Brown’s “Loyal” d. Keri Hilson’s “Pretty Girl Rock” 2. It’s your day off work. What will you be doing? a. Blowing off steam on Facebook. b. Watching old episodes of One Tree Hill c. Out for drinks and scoping eye candy d. Talking shit with the ladies while drinking Moscato! 3. What’s your dream home like? a. Full of books on systemic oppression b. Beverly Hills penthouse c. Some big shot rapper’s mansion d. Spacious New York Loft 8 4. Your favorite TV show is… a. Docu-series on race b. Sex in the City c. Bad Girls Club d. Love and Hip Hop 5. Finally, who’s your favorite female icon from this list? a. Angela Davis b. Taylor Swift c. New York from I Love New York d. Nicki Minaj Tally up how many of each letter you got and turn the page to find out who you really are! If you got mostly a’s...You’re an Angry Black Girl! Congratulations, you loud-mouthed, anger filled home-girl! I’m guessing there’s always some reason to be mad at someone, isn’t there? Do you just spend your days in a perpetual state of rage, angry at the world for reasons they don’t find important? Do you find yourself constantly snapping your fingers in that z-formation, pursing your lips at anyone who steps in your way? I bet people are telling you to just be quiet, huh? I mean, what issues could you, a black female, possibly have? Why should you care that your high school English teacher gives you a C+ on your essay because she thinks you copied it from the white man online? Why does it matter that your male co-worker at Target constantly teases you about your nappy hair, calling it a “brillo pad,” “cheeto puff,” or some other clever name? None of this should anger you! Be aware, you sassy Sapphire, in this world, your anger means nothing. If you got mostly b’s...You’re an Oreo! You grew up watching Lizzie McGuire and listening to Aaron Carter. You straightened your hair from the moment you were old enough to assert yourself and cried when it wouldn’t lay flat. Your friends were always shocked to see you bring collard greens and jambalaya to lunch so you stopped eating your favorite foods. They didn’t understand why you couldn’t just brush your hair, wash your hair everyday, why it suddenly grew or shrunk inches overnight. I’m certain you’ve heard from many of your friends how they just don’t see you as a black girl. They erase your black skin because it doesn’t fit the images of other black girls they see. You spend most of your time edging away from the loud black girls, the ghetto black girls who ate hot cheetos and drank kool aid and had corn rows and long braids and smelled like a mix of the jungle and your ancestors pain and you wished, maybe for a just a moment, but you did wish that you could be white. But honey, you can never wash off that melanin! It’s a permanent stain. Just because your friends can’t see the black on you, it doesn’t mean the rest of the world can’t. 9 If you got mostly c’s...You’re a Hip Hop Ho! You sexual deviant you! Let me guess—big breasts, small waist, and wide hips? You’ve got that original Betty Boop to you, something in your eyes that say yes to a question no one bothers to ask. You’re the black girl that white guys use as a notch in their belt. You are the exotic sexual being that men love to hate and hate to love. You became a sexual thing at a young age, when your breasts came in at ten years old and became d-cups at fourteen. They started looking at you differently, didn’t they? Your eyes stopped existing. Your words didn’t matter. Your body became the tool used to diminish your worth. How often did you get yelled at in school to put on something less revealing than your shorts? Did you ever wonder why the skinny, flat-assed white girls were never told the same thing? Honey, your wide hips wrapped in chocolate skin were never yours. You will never be yours. 10 If you got mostly d’s...You’re a Ghetto Fabulous Black Girl! You make what little money you can working at Walmart or doing nails. You make people waiting at the bus stop with you uncomfortable with your loud laughter and yellow and pink braids and long, bedazzled nails. You toss your weave around, remove your earrings, and square up to anyone that says shit about you. When you’re out, you are often told to stop yelling, screaming, taking up space. You’ve got baby daddy problems and you’re only 18. You grew up playing double dutch in the middle of the street with old rope. You accept your black, your ghetto, your Ebonics. But you are not supposed to accept yourself, honey! Don’t you see the fashion police spreads in the magazines? You are on all the pages! Don’t show your hips. Put on a shirt that conceals your stomach. Put your breasts away. Don’t wear bright lipstick. Stop standing out, being different. Get smaller, quieter, lesser, as you are supposed to be. You love your black too loudly and it makes others uncomfortable. Your job is to make people comfortable so do your best to limit the loudness of your melanin. simul justus et peccator andy anderson 11 QUEER Eve Taft You think there isn’t a sign on my ribs that says “stonewall inn”? You think Matthew Shepard doesn’t tug at my hair and warn me as I walk the streets of my city? You think I don’t choke on the smoke from the hellfire you spit from your pulpits with sparks that sear and heat branding irons which scar your names on me to mark me as danger? You think my veins don’t shiver when they think of the devastation wracking the cities that some called deliverance while Reagan fiddled as we burned You think that the prisons pink triangles asylums bullets spitting into a nightclub don’t whisper in my head as I make my way through the world? 12 You think that I don’t notice— I kiss her and kiss her —the headline blowing by with a death toll and I kiss her the skyline splashing out behind us the lights on the Washington Avenue bridge flicker on and I kiss her Putin criminalizes us, across the world I kiss her Vigils held too late for young suicides Corrupting, perverted, disgusting, an affront to family values— I kiss her in the rain and the sleet of Minnesota I kiss her, our lips tasting of chants from the protest that shut down I-94 handed down from our grandmothers hearts beating, eyes sparkling, alive I kiss her You think I forget the lists and the candles and the deaths and the pain and all that roars in my ears is a chorus screaming over and over again you were not able to kill us I kiss her and all is still 13 JESUS IN A CRACKER A. Tetzlaff Eucharist I hugged my father’s black, pleated pants while we waited for mass to start. He was beaming proudly and chatting with the rest of our family. I wore the only dress I allowed to touch my body: by then it was a year old and from my uncle’s wedding when I walked down the aisle carrying a bouquet, looking like a blonde deer caught in front of a semi truck. It had a black velvet top connected to a white skirt. All the girls wore white. My parents cut their losses. All the boys, shirt and tie. Eight-year-olds taking their first communion despite the fact that most of us had no idea what was happening. Understanding the sacraments isn’t really necessary when you grow up in a Catholic family. By the time you are aware of your burden, it’s too late anyway. Religion lived at Nativity of Our Lord Parish, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Between church and home, I lived in a realm of contradiction. I came to visit religion, but it never went home with me. On Sundays when the game was in town, God would not judge you for wearing your Packer jersey to church. Sinning was bad, but you could tailgate and drink and carouse to your heart’s content. We should have taken beer at 14 that first communion. We would have appreciated it more than the wine. We took our places in the ritual that had been performed again and again. The time-worn ritual begins anew as I walk to the altar with my hands folded in front of me. I must remember to raise my hands high enough so the rheumatic priest doesn’t have to bend down. Right hand over left. I’m a blonde deer again. “The body of Christ.” This is the part where I say, “Amen,” whether I mean it or not, then put the communion wafer in my mouth. I must cross myself (right hand touching head, then left shoulder, then right shoulder) as I walk back up the aisle and toward my family. They liked to sit in the middle section, never too close to the altar. They didn’t like making direct eye-contact with the priest during his homily. To this day I skip the wine for fear of communicable diseases. It stuck to the roof of my mouth, this first communion wafer. It was stale. There was no substance. Maybe the parched flour and water, mixed with the lingering incense is actually what Jesus tastes like. The absorbent clump lasted into the next hymn. Saliva rushed into my mouth and eventually the wafer, heavy with mois- ture, fell from the roof of my mouth. I swallowed without chewing. Just go with it, I told myself. All these people believe in this, so one day, you will too. But I wasn’t sure. I didn’t get it. The power that kept me from running back up the aisle wasn’t the love of God gently pushing me along, but the ritual itself, and the expectation of my parents and grandparents watching proud and probably dewy-eyed as I joined their ranks. Hugs and smiles and congratulations as my family comes out of the first communion Mass, but I wasn’t sure what was such cause for celebration; I hadn’t had a great epiphany about God, nor had I felt any change at all. It was just like every Sunday late in October. head and tell me I was forgiven. “Sometimes, I’m not very nice to my mom or my brother,” I told him. Navitity didn’t own a confessional booth like the ones in movies. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a confessional booth at any Catholic church outside the movies. We sat quietly in a tiny room. Being small for my age, I circled the air below me with my feet. I sat facing him directly. He crossed his legs under the cassock he wore, clearly annoyed. After a silence and a slow nod, the priest said, “Sometimes, we hurt the people we love the most.” It was the only part I heard or remember hearing; he started talking about God’s forgiveness, I assume. I didn’t pay attention, because I didn’t feel different after admitting such a pitiful sin. Marriage I had no ill-feeling toward the physical place of church. In fact, the ritual, the sounds, the smell of incense, and the light that filtered through the stained-glass windows from an Easterly rising sun became familiar and comforting over the years. The nave, filled with old pews, had witnessed my parents’ wedding and my grandparents’ weddings. The organ towered over the choir. The smell of old patrons and Sunday cologne too liberally applied became a sensory memory of that place. However, religion has never been an inward practice; the practice and the scene never joined together. Anointing of the Sick When times are bad, I’ve pulled the fragments of ritual from my memory and recite the “Our Father.” I did this in the winter of my eighteenth year in days following my grandfather’s funeral. He died of bladder cancer, worsened by a communicable bacterial infection called C.Difficile. I became familiar with the ritual of funeral; I’d been to three or four for close relatives. But this time, the ritual felt different. Before, I was sad. My grandfather’s funeral confirmed that the only sacred part of my world had been ripped mercilessly from my arms. Reconciliation “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”As the words come out of my mouth, they themselves felt sinful. I hadn’t sinned, I was eleven. I barely knew what sin was. I had to stop a moment to think of a sin I had committed, so the priest could nod his Baptism I sat in the shower until the water hitting my face was colder than I could stand, reciting the “Our Father” over and over, sobbing. Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. I hoped, over so many repetitions, that my view 15 of God and heaven would change. Yet, it confused me more. Religion stopped looking like the patron blind to reality and became a place where I didn’t belong. Like I was missing out because I didn’t get that epiphany, and didn’t have that same faith. Confirmation Religion was so stale, that when my Mother would occasionally talk about faith, or God, or divine love at the dinner table I would blush with pity and embarrassment. How can you believe this? I thought, how can you be so blind to the real world? Perhaps, I’m the blind one. I continue to live in an intermediate space between faith and atheism. I can’t commit to either. The fence between atheism and faith is fraught with angst. Most days, I try to laugh away my uncertainty. I tell jokes about my Catholic past, chuckle when I hear of “recovering Catholics,” and tell friends, “It smells like a Catholic church in here,” whenever they burn incense. Religion is still stale to me. Religion has no nutritional value. Stale religion has no holy orders. 16 grey cloud island david baboila 17 saint paul airport david baboila 18 white bear lake david baboila 19 zips coliseum david baboila 20 BRIDGE Jacob J. Miller This was not way back when, as my dad would have you believe. It was more recent than that. If he can’t flat out deny it, which he no longer can, he will at least try to convince you that it was so long ago as to suggest it might have been a different lifetime, and he a different person. He has been, after all, Born Again. Except he was not the only person involved, and to carry along as if he was is an exercise in what I’ve heard philosophers call solipsism. For him, his transgression was between himself and the Holy Ghost: accountable not to those he wronged, only to an invisible spirit. But he doesn’t have sole authority in determining the past’s relevance or irrelevance to our lives today. My mother too pretends the past is only what has happened at a particular point in time, and not a factor in what determines what has happened since then and what is happening now. The slate wiper theory of forgiveness is what allowed them to wear their veneer of innocence and believe in its authenticity, and for that reason I resent their new-leaf turnover. My love for them may not be emergent in my words, I know, but I do love them, regardless of the fucked up traits they passed on to their children, which will become evident as this story unfolds You might be wondering, if you care at all, what could be so terrible. Well, it’s not so terrible, and not even very uncommon, but it happened to me, and my brothers and my sisters, and there was never anything we could really do about it. We watched it unfold almost every night to reveal its rotted pit. What was scariest was not when a half-full beer bottle would be hurled in our direction for us being too noisy, and then being held responsible for wasting the beer, and getting punished even more for that. What was scariest was when they fought with each other, mom and dad, when they were both liquored up. All of us children would be sitting in the living room, on our knees, in a line, with our hands folded and tucked inside our clenched thighs, having hitherto been fulfilling our playful, childish duties who couldn’t expect things to go so suddenly and intensely wrong. They would fight about anything, or nothing, for all we knew or cared. They would yell, swear, slam their fists on various surfaces, throw things across the room at each other as if rehearsed. One time, I remember, and this is what I’m talking about when I talk about how scary things got, my 21 dad had my mom pinned up against the refrigerator—after she threw three or four plates at him, one that hit his arm, but would have hit his face if he hadn’t been blocking, and cut it deep. He had the sharp kitchen knife pressed firmly under her chin. If she gulped too hard in fear, or if dad in his stupor lost balance, she would have been bleeding all over the family pictures held by magnets to the fridge. As we grew older, my big brother and I began working under dad instead of merely living under him. Our prospects in life weren’t substantial at that point. Whatever potential we had, it had never been encouraged, so entering into the family business, if it can even be called that, was the only viable option. I woke dad up most mornings from his typical collapse into a face-down, fetal heap on the kitchen floor, sometimes still wet, sometimes already crusted over. I’d say, “it’s time for work, dad,” and he’d drive me to the site where (drinking coffee with whiskey in it on the way) heavy machinery was waiting to be operated—even though we used hammers and nails whenever we could. Stonehenge-sized slabs of cement, wooden pillars, cinder blocks, and iron rods littered the landscape. It was all so disorderly that if a nomad wandered upon the scene, the indication would be of destruction rather than pre-construction. There were no piles of allocated materials or inventoried supply lists. It could have all been salvaged from past demolitions or by thievery from other project sites. We seemed to accrue it all without any kind of exchange or standard of accountability for use. Everything seemed to just show up wherever and whenever we needed it. Who actually made all this stuff? How did we move it from place to place to use from job to job? Who permitted my sodden father to oversee such potentially hazardous 22 projects? He was a self-made man outside the advent of auditing. What did I care then? I was making my way, fashioning for myself a future out of will power, and holding my breath until I could extricate myself from this grim farce. First day on the job, my dad said to me, don’t fuck up, or he’d make me test the bridge before the support beams were all in place. I believed him. That particular bridge wasn’t connecting two sides over a raging river or anything; more of a convenient pathway over a stream, but it was still a threat coming from dad. Second day on the job, my brother James tore partway through his leg with a chainsaw. I heard him yell, but it sounded more out of frustration than terror and pain. He sat down, ripped his immediately blood-soaked pants from where the initial tear was, delicately unlaced and removed his boot so as not to cause more pain, grunting as if he had done nothing more than step in dog shit, and lifted the nearly severed part of his leg that dangled lifelessly like a tube sock on a clothesline, to close the wound, from which I saw steam rising sacrificially to the wintery heavens. He reached forward to grab the excess of sock which, although bunched up at his toes, had a long, tortuous journey before being completely removed. He screamed as he stretched forward, more circumstantially appropriate this time, and this is when I dropped my— whatever, the thing I was holding, I can’t remember what, but I didn’t hear it land because I couldn’t assimilate anything else that may have been transpiring around me. I almost seemed to float over to him, not even aware of my legs propelling me forward. I saw all the blood, but I wasn’t put off by it as much as I thought I probably should have been, and I thought that as I stared at it pooling out. I observed it dispassionately, coldly, but I may not have been breathing. At first sight, it was just an organic pipe that sprung a leak. I think I asked if he was all right but I meant it more like did he think he was going to die. He said to go get dad and that’s when I became afraid. I stood there for I don’t know how long, until he repeated himself more urgently: “Walt!” he said, “Go! Get! Dad!” I listened that time, but I was still very afraid. I was trembling and began feeling like I might faint, and I almost hoped I wouldn’t find dad, that he’d be off drinking somewhere, but he wasn’t. He was drinking right there, over a small mound of dirt, holding a big piece of wood sturdy for someone to do something with. I saw his breath bellow out into the cold with a cough and evaporate as he took a swig from a bottle before sliding it back into his coat pocket, without so much as a pretense of inconspicuousness.The bottle neck stuck straight out and brushed against his elbow, a cumbersome lump sinking down and throwing off his equilibrium further than the ethanol already had. I slowed my pace, tried to regain some composure, and still hoped he wouldn’t notice me. I could claim an attempt at getting his attention, but he just couldn’t be bothered with me. I tried, I’d tell James, but I’ll carry you. I was sure I could have done that. Part of me still wished I could have avoided involving my dad at all. It was selfish, but I thought I might get slapped with the blame. But I yelled, Dad! Come quick! Dad, I yelled again, skidding on the gravel as I spun around, intent on not letting my dad’s impatient glare lock on me, and from that momentum, nearly ascending at a perfectly horizontal angle in the air before I landed face first on those same tiny rocks, a perfect reenactment of self-humiliation on the school playground at recess. I felt all those multiple points of impact, but wasted no time in catapulting myself back up—no time for embarrassment just yet—clawed off the pebbles that clung gently to the tiny dents they bore into my face and palms, and sped back to my brother who, when I reached the dirt-mound summit again, I could see was lying flat, surrounded by the thick, still-steaming purplish puddle which had, since I left him, at least quadrupled in circumference. Not looking back at all during my return sprint to see how far behind me dad was, or even if he followed me at all, I turned from the sight of my brother completely to see him, Dad, shuffling over the mound, bogged down by beer bottles, which could be heard clanging together in his pockets. He was wheezing inhalations of frozen air. He saw James right away, I know it, but he didn’t say anything until he got right up close to him, planting one clumsy boot in the blood puddle with a squelchy, meager splat, like an old-fashioned letter-sealing stamp on melted wax. He leaned over with outward turned elbows and hands on hips, looked at James’ face. James’ eyes were closed. Dad then scanned down to the butchered leg, grimaced, scanned back up to James’ face. James’ eyes were now open again, frigid with shock, and dad said, “pull yourself together, son,” erupting hysterically at his own clever buffoonery. James turned out to live, no real thanks to our father. I ended up having to run to the nearest phone anyway and call an ambulance. He didn’t even lose his leg. He did require a blood transfusion because he lost gallons of it, or at least it seemed like it when I stood there staring at the mess, but his gristly cheeks had their color restored right in front of me, resupplying and, it almost seemed, re-inflat23 ing him to human shape at the coercion of some stranger’s bodily elixir. It worked like sorcery, but far more astonishing because it was methodologically reliable. The warm fluid surged through his veins, and he was ensconced for a moment in a prodigious glow of newfound vitality. Back then, my dad, laughing, called him a lucky son-of-a-bitch, whereas telling the story now, upon reflection and suspension of rational thought, my brother was “touched by an angel.” Now, whenever this celestial creature of mercy is mentioned, who conveniently remains anonymous for humility’s sake I suppose, instead of our dad drunkenly laughing and mocking the situation, James does. An example of an aforementioned fucked up trait passed on in the family. 24 50 FEET TALL Emilie Tomas I was in 5th grade When my class went To see ‘The Human Body’ and I watched In childhood Horror as A 50 foot grin Unfurled, loomed Large enough To pull me Into orbit Devoured First a sandwich And then my Faith in humanity With deafening Smacks Like thunder If thunder Was made Of jelly and Dismay and I Knew it was a Crime to allow a Person to become This Inflated, With every pore Its own path to Hell and I knew I couldn’t trust Anyone because In our heads We are all 50 feet tall. 25 meow you see ashley waalen 26 MOUSETRAP Halle Chambers Minnie “Mousy” O’Mally knew she was invisible up here on her fire escape. This was her safeplace. With the ladder pulled up as it was now, almost no one could reach her here. Plus, even if someone did make it up here, she could easily get away. If she crawled rough the window, she’d be securely locked in the apartment. There, it was warm and dry and at least sometimes safe when her daddy…no, excuse her, correction, “Father or Sir” wasn’t home. He hated when she called him Daddy. He wasn’t home now, out doing illegal God knows what in the “family business,” but he would be back soon. Hence why she was out here. So, no apartment, not right now. If she dropped the ladder, she could slide down to street level in seconds and be down the block in under a minute. She knew, because she’d practiced and had timed herself. The only way to avoid getting hit in the face was to be quick on your feet. That was the first rule of fighting that Jase, her older brother, had taught her. With the life they lived, it was also a rule of survival. And they didn’t call her “Mousy” for nothing: she was small and fast… very fast. Jase could make a distraction, and Minnie could run. But, Jase was working a job that “Father” had given him out of town till this weekend, and she’d surely get caught if she didn’t have her usual head-start. So,“down” wouldn’t work either. If she scaled up the ladder above her, she’d be on the roof, where their oldest brother, Cobie, had often taken her and Jase to stargaze. She hadn’t known till six years into her still short life that he’d done it to keep his precious baby brother and sister away from their father’s sight when the man would come home satellite high or plastered. She hadn’t known till twelve years in that he’d take their father’s hungover backhand on the mornings after, so she and Jase didn’t. All she’d known as he’d taught her each constellation was that Cobie was braver than Orion and that she and her brothers were more inseparable than the Gemini twins. But, her world went as topsy-turvy as Cassiopeia when her father had sent Cobie away, saying he would not have a queer as a son. When Jase and Minnie hugged him, Cobie swore he’d come back for them in a year or so. Jase had given up when he’d been two years gone. That was two years ago, and now even Minnie 27 was starting to doubt. No, she couldn’t go up to the roo, not alone. She shivered in the October chill as she reviewed her options: “in” would be facing her father’s wrath, “down” would be facing being caught by a cop or a stranger, and “up” would be facing a reminder of the happiness, now heartbreak, brought by a brother who was likely never coming home again. So, maybe she couldn’t escape easily…or at all. She shivered again, this time more in frantic panic than from the frigid, near winter city wind. For not the first time in her life, Mousy felt trapped. 28 faces connie kilppen 29 *I DON’T ALWAYS FEEL COLORED Diamonique Walker Sometimes I find comfort in places I somehow know I don’t belong Never a full day, but hours will pass and I won’t consider my brown skin or kinky hair I’ll let the imminent fear of my black body being made into an example fall back to the depths of my mind My daughter’s safety in mixed company won’t occur to me I won’t juxtapose my blackness with any other’s identity confidence As if one chooses randomly from a pile of stock black girl names when they look at me He asks me if my hair is real I tell him he can’t ask me that He says oh it’s okay, my girlfriend is black I’m a dirty smudge on freshly ironed white linens Trying to blend in, trying to live my life I breathe, momentarily Suddenly, I’ll feel breathless, choked Stabbed in the chest Stung by a white hot micro aggressive slap in the face An unsolicited violation of my personal space A pale hand gently pulls a lock of my hair in white amazement Or a thin pair of lips will say “what’s upppppp” to me and not anyone else I’ll get called a name like Jasmine with such utter 30 *Line borrowed from Claudia Rankine, Citizen WHERE I AM FROM Hannah Schmit I am from the forest. From ruddy Maple and heady Pine. I am from the sunlit dust that refracts the life of the breeze. The rough wood of the trees are my bones, roots firmly planted deep in the depths of the cool black soil. Generations have taught me to live in the sun, tan weathered hands, calloused and worn cover small, break earth and sow seeds. Exhaling with the unfurling of new leaves whose first stretch welcomed life, I learned the importance of patience and nurturing. I am from dirt beneath my nails and gritty sand in my teeth. Sap painted hands and hot tar feet, blackened from short dashes across burning pavement that rippled with summer heat. Sandboxes were my kingdom, the layers of silt and sand familiar to my prodding hands. I climbed turreted towers of twisted bark and branches to survey the world and breath in time with the breeze. Twigs and leaves were my crown and a rusty tractor my carriage. My people were the songbirds and insistent cicadas whose songs filtered lazily together through the woods. Sometimes I called back, matching note for note, melodies and harmonies creating a canopy of familiarity. I am from wildflowers who nodded their velvet, satin, and paintbrush heads as I passed by. From dried grasses whose sweet scent rose from rolling waves that undulated under horse-tail clouds above. The gold-fringed top of the corn is my hair as it turns to brown under the autumn sun. I am from the passing of seasons, each marking the time as brilliant red and orange gave way to pristine white and serene gray. Freckles and sunburn traded for pale skin cold kissed cheeks. My life can be counted in scraped knees and bruises, and band-aids and scars, each a story unique unto itself. I am from the water. Clear and silted, still and rushing it surrounds me. The river courses through my veins, its steady pulse my heartbeat. I am from the muted silence of holding my breath. From letting go in the soft pixelated light that swirls lazily in the haze of a murky river. From the dew that rests in early mists that lay as a blanket over a newly purified earth, protecting the last of the dawn. I am from music. Love-strung tunes of lullabies rock 31 my past to sleep and call forth dog-eared memories. Treasured memories that float fragmented in my mind, I was waltzing with my darling… Goodnight, Irene… Then sings my soul… Black Forest I have come to be in this place. Knit sweaters and hand me downs weave the fabric of my personality. The black ink of the notes is stained on my fingers, the lyrics printed out as a map on my mind. My body is movement, ‘full of grace’ as I danced through recitals and music competitions. My history is composed of the ivory keys of a piano board, the metallic strings of a guitar, and the soft wheeze of a musty accordion. I am from survivors. From broken families and lives I was given the opportunity to begin. Out of the ashes of war and blood, death and pain I was taught compassion. The scars remind me of my privilege. A handful of ink-smeared letters, a fading tattoo, and relentless nightmares that went unspoken. Touched by shadows of heartbreak and longing I have learned the fears of disease and pain, the cruelty of man and the destruction of illness. I am from a legacy. Footsteps preceded my very first and taught me how to stand tall—to walk courageously. When I was tired of walking and needed to fly, strong hands lay behind me as I learned to test my own strength. I am from fading memories. From sweat and ploughs, rough tools and run down sheds. My past is a copper foundation of saved pennies stretched with love and trust. The polished wood of a hunter’s gun and tug of a taut fishing line tie me to the land of a generation gone by. I am from the creaking wood of a ship that ferried dreams. From the fjords and 32 I am from strength. From weary hands that sought to move forward. From songs crooned in different tongues, prayers tucked away from missed lives. I am from the sweet smell of tobacco. From a worn brown pipe laid in the top overall pocket. From tales of Shirley Temple and shiny black shoes. From the canoe as it passes over reeds and the click of a cane keeping time with shuffling shoes. From sterilized rooms and flowers with similarly fated owners. I am from loss and tears. I am from the Mississippi and the Great Lakes, from steam and coal. From concrete jungles and log cabins. I am a piece of the past, I am… The rooms of my mind are wallpapered with snapshots of a younger me. Sayings and phrases are the soundtrack of my life. I carry them with me. Tucked in locked and forgotten rooms they wait patiently, longingly for me to recall. future. I seek not where I am going only exist here, as I am. I am from the past. Shaped by the present I live for the future. I am from wanderlust. An incorrigible desire to explore that cannot be quelled with the stillness between heartbeats. I am from the excitement that teeters on the brink of the inevitable. I am pulled at by the gentle whisper of religions. Called to the beauty of holiness in the world, I am grounded in the church yet growing in the temple and the mosque. I am gentle hands that have learned to be useful—to give back. Well-used fingers taught to survive and protect. I am a collection of places and people that I have encountered. In love with humanity, I exchange comfort for experience. I am at home in the concrete jungles constructed from heat-cracked pavement and in the mudpatched hut of the desert. The mountains and caves call to me like the trees and fields of my youth. I am at home in the grand expanse of a world that knows no limits, understands no boundaries. A world that exists, simply to exist. My feet itch to travel down forgotten paths where the dust of ages can billow out from under me and cloud the clarity of the 33 who am i? ashley waalen 34 2 GRATITUDE: A POEM IN FOUR PARTS D.E. Green 1. Le Chaim 2. In Praise of Delusion Each day, my own sunrise, my own morning star: your red head radiates strange aerial spikes. When he walks down the sloping skyway from Memorial to the Music building on his way to a long evening class, he sees his reflection in the large classroom window at the base of the slope. He loves that mirror. In it, he is about a foot taller than his five-fiveand-a-half and twenty pounds lighter. He is younger than his sixty years. The silver hair is less telling. As he approaches, the Other ways slightly, moves with the elegant gait of an athlete or dancer. This, he imagines, is my Norwegian double—tall and slender and (at least from this distance) good-looking. Of course as man and image converge, his Other shrinks into an eastern-European, Semitic, rather compact, little old man. Perhaps (he wonders) I have seen the inner image of myself. Perhaps (he smiles) I am happy just to have illusions. Our son’s beard and long Hasidic locks on a head never bowed in prayer hover over his guitar and, till he gets it just so, a heavy-metal riff. The picture of Ollie, our old pup,— his face speaks love, love, love. Like the holiday meal you’ll pretend to let me cook. Or when your hand gently strokes my heaving shoulder: I am sobbing silently because the movie has ended well—a good death, timely reconciliation, vows revived, a renewed breath. 36 3. Thanksgiving 4: To My Son This morning, as I drive from Northfield to Hampton past field after barren field, three wild turkeys foraging and gobbling at the edge of the road— their white-splashed wings, black-feathered trunks, It’s Friday, Z—, and (as always) time to say how much I love you (and your mom too, since I don’t say it often enough though I feel it every minute) and how much I miss you and hope you can spend a few hours with us and Grandma the first weekend in November. We worry about you every day, ‘cuz that’s our job, but we also have an abiding sense of how strong you are: How much you have been through, how far you’ve come, and how you face each day with grit—and, I hope, love. The latter is so hard to do: Over breakfast your mom and I sometimes sit around and whine about our work, about grading student papers. But a little later I’ll be walking across campus and the light will be just right and I’ll see a familiar face amid a group of young people and—I don’t know why—I feel love. I think that’s the word. And I felt it last time we picked you up downtown and you were talking to some scruffy stranger on the street. And the fact that you can still be open to such encounters—isn’t that love too?— filled me with wonder. It’s funny: Old people, among whom I am about to number, have proverbially been beyond wonder, such a romantic and old-fashioned word. But I swear that I still feel it—and that you are among the wonders of my world. red combs poking and pecking the gravel and weeds—surprise me. I flinch. The car swerves. I breathe. They range unruffled. 37 work in progress gabriel bergstrom 38 THE FIRE Elisabeth Beam I stood with my back to the crowd watching the house go up in flames. It happened faster than I had expected. It had taken less than a minute for the fire to spread from the kitchen to the living room and even less time for it to make its way upstairs and into the bedrooms where Grandma and the twins had been peacefully sleeping. Joel stood beside me; his face was dark with ash, his mouth tilted upwards in a sickeningly gleeful smile. Momma had never liked Joel. She said he was a troublemaker and I should do my best to stay away from him. Joel hadn’t always been mean. When I first met him he would bring me friends and make me laugh. He gave me my grey tabby cat, Walter, and my small white bunny, Snowy. We used to all run around the garden and play and laugh. I didn’t like it when Walter and Snowy played. Walter always hurt Snowy. Joel loved it. Snowy’s pain filled shrieks always brought a smile to his face. Joel would play tricks on Momma. He’d move the chair she was about to sit in and she’d tumble to the floor with a crash and a scream. He would put dead things in the twins’ crib for Momma to find. Once he brought a live snake into the house and slipped it into the shower when Momma was in it. She screamed something awful and had locked me in my room for a week. I always got blamed for Joel’s wicked tricks. Momma brought a lot of new friends to the house after that. She brought in men wearing long white coats who talked with me and asked questions about Joel and Walter and Snowy. Joel would stand behind them as they questioned me and make faces. I didn’t understand why they didn’t just talk to Joel and grew frustrated with their questions. Once Momma brought home a man in a black suit. He walked around the house mumbling in a strange language, throwing water on the walls and waving his cross around like a baton. I thought he was crazy. I told Momma and she told me to hush and sit down. The man stood in front of me yelling in his strange way and holding his cross on my forehead. It was cold and made me uncomfortable. Joel got upset. He didn’t like the man and the way he was 39 shouting. The next thing I knew the man was on the floor bleeding from a gash in his head and Joel was laughing loudly in my ear. A bunch of police officers showed up and Joel told me not to tell anyone what he’d done. He said I should blame it on Momma and she’d go away for a long time and stop bothering us. Momma shouted and cried and struggled as the police dragged her away to the sound of Joel’s gleeful laughter and the twins’ high pitched screams. Grandma came after Momma. She was mean. She locked me in my room and told me to stay there until I learned my lesson. I watched him stalk around the room at night mumbling darkly to himself. Grandma made me to go church with her every Sunday, she said I had to pray for my soul for what I’d done to that man and to Momma. I didn’t understand why everyone blamed me for Joel’s tricks and was tired of being punished for all the naughty things that he did. One night at supper, Joel made scary faces at the twins who started wailing. Grandma stood up and yelled at me as she tried desperately to calm the twins. She told me to go to my room. I said no. I pointed at Joel and yelled at him with all my might. This was all his fault. Grandma sent me to bed. Joel told me they were going to send me away. They would separate us and I would never be able to see him again. I told him I was fine with that because he was being horrible. That upset him. He got Walter and Snowy and made me watch as Walter ate Snowy. I cried. He laughed. Joel woke me up at midnight. He told me we could stay together. Me, him, and Walter, but we had to do 40 something first. He smelt like gasoline. He led me to the kitchen and pointed to the stove which was covered with a sticky, sweet smelling liquid. He told me to open my hands. I did. He handed me a lighter. I didn’t want to do it but Joel got angry when I tried to say no. He yelled and told me to do it for all the times Momma blamed me for something he did. That if I did this everyone would finally realize it was him doing all the bad things and not me. My hands were shaking so bad it took me five tries to get the lighter to ignite. When it did I froze and stared at the small flame in my hands. It flickered with every shuttering breath that came out of my mouth. Joel grew impatient and slapped the lighter out of my hand and onto the stove. There was a large whooshing noise and a blast of orange light. My arm hair stood on end and sweat trickled down my face. I backed away. Joel stood in front of the fire and laughed. He threw his arms out wide and danced in tune with the flames. He was crazy but his movements were so beautiful and fluid. It was frightening. The fire advanced toward me. I didn’t want to move. I wanted the fire to eat me like it was going to eat Grandma and the twins. Joel grabbed my hand and led me outside. We stood to the side and watched as the fire slowly ate up the house I had grown up in. The house that the priest, the twins, and Grandma had all died in. Sirens and smoke filled the night air. I looked to my side for Joel, but he had disappeared. DESERT DRUMS Abigail Carpenter When my London flatmate, Raoni, suggested we travel to Northern Africa because he was missing the heat of Brazil, we had no intention of visiting the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains. But we quickly made friends with a generous and hospitable Moroccan man, Raxido, who invited us to a local drum circle at the edge of the Sahara Desert. After traveling on camelback against an orange-rayed sunset, we found ourselves among the sand dunes. We parked our camels single file near our camp, and I realized a place that once only existed in my dreams was now before me. I had to close my eyes for a long while. I opened them over and over again until I was sure of it. I had to reach down and let the sand fall between my fingers slowly. I had to breathe in the crisp, evening air. And when I looked up, the stars speckled in the sky like the summer freckles on my face, thousands and thousands of them. When the drum circle began, I let its music fill me up. It started in my toes and moved higher, tickled my fingers and sent goosebumps up my arms and back. The drums vibrated within my chest and when it reached my mouth, I screamed in laughter. My laugh echoed farther and farther across the desert, not meeting any person or town or house until it was miles and miles away. I wrapped my blanket a little tighter and watched my friends dance around the fire to the beat of the drums. Their legs moved up and down as their hands joined the ashes flying through the night air. For many hours, we sat around the fire, told our stories and spoke aloud our dreams. We danced and sang and took turns pounding the drums. We slept under the stars among the silence of the desert for only a few hours until the sun awoke us on the horizon. And moving through the deep sand, the sunrise at our backs, we rode our camels to the bus to escape the desert heat before it swallowed us up whole. 41 COLORS Hannah Schmit If I am a color call me red The color of passion and love Humanity worn on my sleeve The color of my blood, beating heart. Call me red. If I am a season call me fall With baited chilled breath I speak My words on whirlwind breezes fall An omen of changes to come Call me fall. If I am a sound call me silence. The chaos and stillness of calm My words lost yet encompassing In anticipation of something Call me silence If I am a thought call me hope The desire for something more A yearning call deep within me The need to breathe Call me hope. 42 urban delight jazmin crittenden 43 WHEN DAD WORE COLOGNE A. Tetzlaff “Did Grandpa Mike die?” My small voice broke a quiet that Dad and I carry easily between us. A radio frequency connecting our minds that communicates silently, so we don’t have to. Even at the age of three, I knew our sacred, noiseless space well. Dad took me to a park one day, nearby my childhood home. We rarely visited this park unless we intended to use its snowy slope for adrenaline rushes in our bright plastic sleds in the winter time. But it wasn’t wintertime now. My dad wore a blue t-shirt he’d owned since high school. Summer or spring, the season isn’t particularly distinct. The hills rose nakedly as we quietly approached. I’ve come back to the memory time and again; the images are blurred, like a positive photograph that didn’t come out of the darkroom correctly. I can’t recall how my father responded to my question, though I’m sure he patiently and painfully affirmed my query. In that moment I wasn’t shocked. I wasn’t sad. Presently, I regret that I can’t remember a man who loved me and was so dearly loved by others. I don’t know how he looked aside from the pictures I know. How he talked, laughed, 44 yelled, walked, I don’t recall. Did he wear cologne to work like Dad? When I was young, Dad wore cologne to work. He woke up around five in the morning in order to be at work five-thirty, and he still does, despite the fact that no one expects him in the office till eight. I’d hear his alarm from my bed and wait to smell the mix of dewy summer grass and the spicy knives of cologne in my nostrils. The smell lingered and pulled me back to sleep as Dad left the house. On the day at the park, Dad wasn’t wearing cologne. Dad didn’t wear cologne that day because it was either a weekend or he had the day off or had taken time away to grieve. I don’t remember the call to our corded telephone late one night. It was the hospital telling Mom and Dad that my grandfather died of a heart attack while showering. I don’t know if he died immediately or if the attack was slow, painful, cold, and wet. I will never ask. The thought of breaking the stitches grief so tenuously sewed incites trepidation. Was my young face one of his last images? I’m vain enough to assume so––grandparents always think of the grandbabies first. Was it a comfort? I can only hope. At my Grandfather’s funeral, I can’t remember Mom’s grief. I can’t remember the funeral either.She keeps the remnants of her love tended like a flower garden and tells me of her father often. I have nothing but the cemented walkway leading to the park that summer day deep in my mind. Mom tells me that my grandfather lived as long as he did because he was waiting for me. It was a miracle I was even born, but that’s not my story to tell. She calls me “the sparkle in his eye.” Christopher, my younger and only brother, inherited my grandfather’s bright, Anglo-blue irises. He was born the year after my grandfather died. Christopher joined the Army a few weeks ago; my grandfather was a Marine in the 60s. During his service in Asia, my grandfather collected each country’s currency. Grandma keeps the collection in a red leather box in her bedroom closet. I used to step onto a chair and carefully extract the artifact from the top shelf and touch each coin and each bill. Some of those tenders are much extinct now. The souvenirs of my grandfather’s life are far less valuable to me than those of my travels––those, at least, the mugs and the key chains, those have memories attached of the real thing. I’ve spent most of my life scouring photos and objects, trying to resurrect an authentic memory of my grandfather. Trying to find a sensation that brings him back to me like the early morning scent of Dad’s cologne because I only remember the hills and my words and Dad. The solvents of time washed away my grandfather. 45 SHITTY CHRISTMAS TREES AND SECONDHAND DOLLS Elisabeth Beam When I was a kid we didn’t have a lot of money. But we managed to survive. Mom worked a lot at the dingy looking Super 8 Motel just down the street from the elementary school. You know, the kind of motel that charges by the hour instead of night. She hated it but it was close to school and paid just enough. Around November she would start picking up shifts at other hotels in town to save up more money for Christmas. It was hard. The heat bill always went up mid-October when the chill started to set in and the snow began to fall. Presents were always an issue. Getting stuff for just me and Sarah was usually alright, but Mom came from a big family. Six brothers and sisters all of whom had kids. All of whom would be needing presents. That’s a lot of money. Money we just didn’t have. One year there was a huge blizzard and they canceled school for a week. Sarah was only six at the time and she couldn’t be left alone to take care of herself much less a five-year-old as well. So mom had to stay home from work and look after us. She tried to make it seem like she wasn’t stressed out about the money, but I knew she was. She would pace around the kitchen at night and mumble to 46 herself. She’d crouch over her checkbook and shake her head. She tried to hide it from us, but I noticed. I always noticed when she got like that. A week of work missed meant we wouldn’t be able to afford the gas to get to grandma’s house for Christmas. And a week with everyone at home meant that the heat bill was going to be rough. She was too proud to try and get food stamps. So money that would normally go towards presents went to buying our Christmas feast. We didn’t go to my grandma’s house that Christmas but it was probably the best Christmas of my life. The day before school let out our landlord took out all the carpet in the living room. He said it was due to be replaced and that someone would be over before the holiday to put down some new carpet. “Your feet will be so happy and thankful! That’s the best Christmas present you could ask for!” he had happily told us. No one came. The floor was cold and there were nails and sharp staples sticking up at weird angles. It hurt to step on them and small red dots appeared throughout the house as we all made the mistake of stepping in the living room without socks. Mom put down an old ratty green rug, one that our cats liked to pee on. She bought a small fake green tree from the thrift shop downtown. It was the saddest looking tree. Most of the branches were missing so it had random bald spots sporadically around its leaning trunk. A good number of the ornaments that we put on it fell off because it couldn’t support their weight. We made new ones out of paper and glitter. Mom wrapped tinsel she’d taken from work around it and Sarah and I sloppily placed string lights. We put an old family picture at the top of the tree because we were too scared that our expensive Christmas angel would fall and break if we tried to stick her up there. Thinking back on it now it was a pretty shitty looking tree, but back then I thought it was the best thing I’d ever seen in my life. I remember sitting on the floor amongst the nails and staples and looking at it glittering and glistening and thinking that it was a far better tree than anyone else could ever have. I thought that even if we’d spend a million dollars on a tree and all its dressings that it wouldn’t even be able to come close to this masterpiece sitting before me. For Christmas Eve we blasted holiday music and ran around the living room twirling and waving our arms above our heads. Mom had somehow found time to make new flannel pajamas for both me and Sarah and we had immediately put them on. She had also given us each a doll that she’d found at a thrift store. They looked ratty and dirty but I loved them both. Every bit of dust and matted patch of hair was a story waiting to be told. The dolls had character and I loved it.That shitty tree and our thrift store dolls were great but they weren’t what made that night so special. It was that we were all together, making the most out of what we had and not lamenting what we were missing. I think as we grow up we lose the magic in secondhand dolls and shitty Christmas trees. 47 summer nights adam ruff 48 the people united adam ruff 49 after the hike adam ruff 50 CRUMBS Malena Larsen He’s looking for love In the crevices of his couch Like loose change. I saw him lift up the cushions And pull out crumbs His mother’s earring A quarter The spoon he dropped last week After eating ice cream out of the container. It was chocolate cookie dough and he ate the whole thing. I watched him put the quarter in his back pocket and the spoon back in the cushions. I told him I had been in love once And he said I like it when girls call me daddy. I had a dream that night that he was dating somebody and my stomach hurt when I woke up. I became a spoon in the couch cushion Who said words like Daddy And Fuck me And Hard. At the end of every night I was put back with the crumbs, and each day that he came to get me there was more cat hair or lint stuck to me I waited patiently Dirty For him to pick me up. It was 77 degrees the late summer night he stopped getting me from the cushions. He told me that he found somebody to love and we can’t be friends, because if I see you I’ll fuck you. I asked him why he couldn’t control himself if he was in love with somebody. The inside of my ribcage Was being scraped empty 51 Like the chocolate cookie dough ice cream container And my stomach hurt Like it did after the dream Where he wasn’t mine I can’t help it. He told me. I like it when girls call me daddy. When we met he was wearing a suit and it looked like he had spent a lot of time on his hair but I didn’t think he was attractive until the weekend when I was drunk. Across the table On the other side of red cups And puddles of water He stared at me In a grey tank top. His eyes And arms Were strong 52 And dark. Making eye contact felt like sex And he smelled like Fireball And somebody I shouldn’t be alone with And too much cologne. We went swimming at 6 am at the neighbor’s lakefront when everyone else fell asleep. He took off his shirt I kept mine on. The water fell off of him like it didn’t want to keep his body covered for too long. He picked me up and folded me over his right shoulder and threw me into the 6 am summer sweet lake water. He drove me home At 7 am Still drunk and Smitten. It was 88 degrees and my birthday the night I let him kiss me in the back hallway of our friend’s frat. I couldn’t wait anymore He told me In the house that smelled like Liquor and dust And damp wood. The first time we Fucked Was in the front seat of his White Pontiac Grand prix At 11 pm on a Tuesday. I saw him almost As an animal. His fists Were clenched And his eyebrows Like shelves Over his beetle eyes. Do you like fucking daddy? After that night I had to sneak him into my bedroom because he couldn’t do all of the positions he wanted to in his car. He needed to prove to me that he was the best fuck and that he could make me cum and that I should call him Daddy. I had never called fucking, fucking before. Before I was a dirty spoon it had only been called love. His eyes started to remind me Of Tiny Round Black beetles. There’s nobody else anymore We should just keep fucking. And when we fucked It was 66 degrees and almost fall when he came to my house in his white Pontiac Grand Prix and told me I remembered then, the quarter he put in his pants and how he used me to eat his ice cream and then put me back with all the crumbs in the cushions of 53 his couch Where he keeps looking for love Like it’s the loose change In his back pocket. 54 bloomed audrey campbell 55 pruned audrey campbell 56 HERMAN Danny Polaschek Grape juice dribbled down Herman’s chin and landed in scattered droplets down the front of his white T-shirt. He didn’t notice and, after setting down his half-emptied glass, picked up his spoon and started on his bowl of bran flakes. Sitting at the kitchen table, there was nothing in front of Herman —but a bare white wall. It seemed, however, that he wasn’t looking at it, but rather through it like a child looks through a window and, seeing nothing but gray skies and rain, is overwhelmed by disappointment because they will not be outdoors playing that day. As Herman sat there facing the white wall and chomping his cereal, his son entered the kitchen and began his morning ritual. Herman heard the coffee-maker start bubbling from somewhere behind him in the kitchen along with the quick and efficient pitter-pattering of his son’s feet, who Herman assumed had to be walking laps around the center island as some sort of new, trendy morning workout. Once the coffee maker’s burbling came to an end the footsteps stopped as well. Herman focused on the sound of the coffee being poured, the soft sound of liquid filling a ceramic mug. The sound stopped as quickly as it had started and Herman was further drawn from his relaxed, monotonous state by the sound of his son’s voice. “How are the flakes this morning, Dad?” Herman didn’t turn around to face his son, but continued with what he was doing, looking like a cow chewing cud. “Five star quality,” he replied in between spoonfuls. “Flaky as ever.” Herman’s son chuckled a bit and looked up from his fresh cup of coffee but the laugh died away when he noticed that his father was still turned away from him, eyes glued straight ahead. Taking another sip, Herman’s son pondered whether he would keep pursuing his father in conversation or not. He ultimately decided against it and left the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. A sigh escaped Herman’s throat as he set down his spoon, finished with his mushed and soggy cereal. Ain’t this the life, he thought to himself sarcastically. Finally turning away from the wall, Herman scooted himself back from the kitchen table and slowly stood up. He gripped the side of the table for balance and took a few deep breaths in an effort to steady himself. Just a few weeks before, Herman had 57 missed a stair descending to the basement and found himself tumbling clumsily down the rest of the way until crashing to a stop on the last few steps. Herman’s head still felt a bit shaky from time to time, which caused a bit of a tremble in his legs. Instead of walking from place to place, he grew accustomed to maneuvering his way to each destination by leaning on and grabbing anything he could for support and then flinging himself to another sturdy checkpoint, and so on and so forth until he reached his goal. It was much like a monkey swinging from vine to vine, but less precise and much less graceful. With his feet finally under him, legs steady, Herman pushed away from the kitchen table and launched himself to the kitchen counter, which caught him with cold indifference. Hunched over, Herman caught his breath for a few seconds before beginning to shuffle down the length of the marble counter towards the coffeemaker at the other end. “This better be a damn good cup of Joe,” he mumbled to himself, clearly exhausted. Halfway down the counter, Herman stopped. With a steady grip on the counter he reached up to the cupboard above his head and swung it open. He couldn’t see inside but he knew that what he was looking for was in there: his old blue coffee mug— one of the only things worth bringing with when he moved into his son’s house the year before. Feeling around the smooth, wooden interior, Herman eventually got a hold of his mug which distinguished itself by having only half of a handle still attached. With the partial handle hooked onto his ring and middle fingers, Herman pulled out his mug and brought it shakily down over his head, setting it on the counter with a soft “clink.” Herman was beginning to feel dizzy at this 58 point, and wished for a moment that he had listened to the doctor about getting a walker. “Mr. Huckley,” the doctor said, “even if you don’t think you’ll use it, take it anyways. Just in case.” Herman didn’t take the walker, and wouldn’t even let anyone help to walk him out of the hospital, not even his son. “I don’t need your damn help,” he snorted each time someone tried to take his arm to steady him. He was always a stubborn man and old age wasn’t going to change that. Continuing down the counter, Herman felt this same stubborn anger boiling in him. He was almost seventy years old and yet he felt like a child who was just learning to walk. He’d built his own home, and a garage to go with it, and now he could hardly make it to the opposite end of the room without feeling fatigued. Sweat was running hot from Herman’s forehead. He wiped it with a shaky hand and breathed in deeply, closing his eyes as he did so. He only had five or so more steps to go and he braced himself for the final stretch, determined to get there even if it killed him. With a focused balance and patient, shuffling steps Herman managed to get to the end of the counter and the coffee pot. He exhaled in relief, and a satisfied smile tugged the corners of his mouth up ever so slightly. With his blue mug in one hand, Herman picked up the coffeepot in the other, intent on pouring himself a well-deserved cup of coffee after his tiresome journey. His satisfaction was immediately replaced with bitterness as he lifted the pot and felt that it was nearly empty, only a few drops remained rolling around in the bottom. Herman’s minute smile had vanished and his brow hardened, scrunching up his forehead in small, tense knots. Setting the pot back on the counter, Herman hissed repeatedly under his breath, cursing his son for not leaving him any coffee. Herman’s hands were visibly trembling and he was having a difficult time keeping a grip on the edge of the counter. He contemplated making more coffee but dismissed the idea immediately, knowing that he could not remain standing and moving around the kitchen much longer. Herman felt a hot flush come over his face and could feel beads of sweat rolling down his temples and his cheeks. In one swift motion he wound up and threw his coffee mug across the room, where it shattered against the windowless, white wall. Slivers and shards of ceramic bounced all over the kitchen, the blue pieces scattered like shattered glass. Herman heard footsteps drumming down the staircase before his son entered the room,stopping in the doorway to avoid stepping on any of the pieces of blue ceramic. “Dad!” he exclaimed, “What happened? Herman was bent over, hunched with his hands on his knees. He was struggling for breath now, and sweat soaked through his shirt on his back. In between wheezes, Herman said exasperated, “You didn’t leave me any damn coffee, you son of a bitch.” His son stood there eyeing first his father and then the indent in the wall where the mug had hit. He shook his head in disbelief, which quickly turned to anger. With a clenched jaw, he left the room and returned a minute later with broom in hand. He began quietly sweeping the blue bits of coffee mug into a dustpan. After Herman had caught his breath and recomposed himself, he pulled his body back into a standing position, leaning against the counter. He glanced to his son, bent over and sweeping under the kitchen table. “I heard you on the phone last night,” he said. Herman kept his eyes on his son as he stood and turned to face him. His son raised an eyebrow at him but gave no verbal reply. “I heard you,” Herman repeated. His son bit his lip and continued sweeping, eyes trained on the floor. “It’s just not working, dad.” 59 EL BARRIO SUYO Chad Berryman El viento le envolvió al hombre como una manta de hielo. Él andaba por el barrio suyo pero los vecinos no lo saludaron. Caminaba delante de una casa grande con flores y grandes ventanas, y por esas ventanas podía oír una pelea entre dos padres y los lamentos penosos de sus hijos. Él seguía la acera que serpenteaba por un parque lindo donde había un banco solitario. Él Lo saludó con la cabeza. Recordaba unas noches del verano cuando este banco no había ofrecido insultos ni acusaciones, sino un lugar simpático para descansar mientras él le regalaba un uso admirable. Pero en el invierno el banco se congelaba como él, y ambos eran incapaces de ayudarse el uno al otro. Paseaba delante de una casa blanca de arquitectura maravillosa. Un coche altanero llegara la entrada. Un padre sincero apareció mientras acababa de contar los acontecimientos de su día. Su hija miraba su celular, y el silencio suspiró por la expresión herida de la cara del padre. Ellos entraron a la casa sin otra palabra. El hombre nómada seguía caminando, y pronto la nieve dentro de sus venas se derretía por una balada antigua que se tarareaba al ritmo de sus pasos. 60 No pido mucho, no vivo de prisa canto los himnos con risa bendita no tengo nada salvo alma amada y sin despedida no hay la llegada THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD Chad Berryman The frigid air wrapped around the man like a blanket of ice. He was travelling through his own neighborhood, but no neighbors acknowledged him. As he walked in front of a large, picturesque house, complete with flowers and giant windows, he could make out the sound of two parents fighting accompanied by the upsetting cries of their children. The sidewalk snaked its way through a park in which there stood one solitary bench. With a nod of his head, the man greeted it. Nights of summers past filled his mind, nights in which the bench had not offered insults or accusations but rather a consoling place of rest while he presented it with the gift of an honorable purpose. However, the bench froze and shivered in the winter the same as he, and neither could provide the other with any relief. He passed by a white house of grand construction. There, a flashy car had just pulled into the driveway. From it emerged an earnest father finishing the recounting of his day. His daughter, however, simply stared at her phone, and the wounded expression on her father’s face betrayed an unsung sigh. The two entered the house without another word. As the wandering man continued walking, the snow in his veins began to melt due to an old tune he commenced to hum in time with his steps. I don’t ask for much, or live in a rush in my blessed laughter the hymns come alive there’s nothing I own save a soul that is loved for without a farewell one could never arrive 61 ODYSSEY Eve Taft Thank you for the twisted pathways of your mind Which led to the streets and alleyways of Dublin James Joyce, do you understand that you opened floodgates? Your avalanche of babbling sentences, sans punctuation Buck Mulligan tossing form and style into the wind Your catechism, you, Daedalus, gave us sacrament Blood flow to wake up the numb limbs of literature You spoke with your soul to our souls Fearing not the noise in your skull but flinging it down in ink I understand you, “life is many days” I understand you, “god is a shout in the street” I understand you, “I am another now and yet the same” You understand me “everything speaks in its own way” Soon I’ll visit your beloved homeland Walking the streets of Dublin, writing and giving thanks to modernism Now as free of rigid form As Ireland of England 62 postcards from my bedroom audrey campbell 63 postcards from my bedroom audrey campbell 64 COUNTING SHEEP Danny Polaschek What can you do when the world is asleep? Go to sleep too? I’ve counted all my sheep. They jumped through the air gliding for 5 or 6 feet cleared the fence and then flew with not even a bleat. I didn’t focus however on these aerial sheep antics because far away in the distance was a sight oh so fantastic. A blue house, with a single light on in the window sat a girl a beauty no pencil could ever have drawn. I looked up at her and she down at me addicted to the eyesight too distracted to count sheep. 65 3 sky nights keeyonna fox 67 inner self keeyonna fox 68 VICTORY OF THE PEOPLE Petra S. Shaffer-Gottschalk Your worship was my refuge, your clay heart my focal point, your chelsea smile the apple of my eye. We were sick. We poisoned ourselves with amphetamines and pills until we didn’t recognize ourselves in the mirror. We walked miles just to feel accomplished in our space, we turned the cigarettes we shared into sentiments we thought we shared. I must possess the wrong innocence. Souls are fickle things that change when left to die in the cold. ~ He was outrageously tall. He towered over me like the Statue of Liberty and he talked to me as though I was a boat in the harbor. Standing five inches taller than six feet, he was an image of Ukrainian beauty. He stood like someone who knew things you didn’t know and this fascinated me. I was so naive, so optimistic. I saw the lust and want in his eyes and I mistook it for passion.The curve of his jaw and his long eyelashes crept into the screens behind my eyelids and ignited a fire in me that I didn’t know how to put out. I was the new girl in town struggling to keep my loneliness at bay. He was a gleaming light in that summer of darkness. I had just moved to Minnesota months before. After discovering drugs and promiscuous sex I became nothing short of a hurricane. Amphetamines kept me awake, cigarettes kept me skinny, and weed kept me sane. My GPA reflected exactly what they don’t tell you about functional depression: you can feel like a blank page, but as long as you fill it with words people will stop asking questions. He was selling me drugs. He offered me a good price. I had never met him but I figured what the hell, I could stand to meet new people. It was dark, long past sundown. We were meeting in a parking lot by a lake a few blocks away from my house. I was in my mom’s car. I waited and listened to Amy Winehouse until I saw an orange car pull into a parking spot a few yards away from me. The man driving fit the picture I had seen of him before. We 69 made eye contact and he ushered me over to his car. I took a deep breath, grabbed my sweater, and got my money ready. He rolled down the passenger side window. “You Nikita?” I said. He smiled at me. A smile that I would come to know. “You can call me Kita.” ~ He had really good drugs. I’m not sure that they were pure, but at the time I didn’t care. Neither did he. We just wanted to get high. We did his drugs together, sitting in a playground by the lake, talking about life and what we crave. He told me that he was applying to a college in London. I didn’t think anything of it. Before long we saw each other every day. He was a lifeguard who had to be on duty early in the morning, so he would take me out for coffee at eight in the morning. No makeup, sweatpants, my hair in a messy bun. He didn’t care. We would talk about things that we hadn’t shared with anyone else. He told me he struggled with his relationship with his father in Ukraine. I told him that I had struggled with eating disorders since I was thirteen. We would sneak out onto his back porch to smoke cigarettes late at night. His mother hated that we smoked. 70 “You need to quit smoking, love,” she’d tell me. “I smoked for twenty-five years and it took two pregnancies to get me to stop.” His mother loved me. She thought that I was spunky, independent, had a mind of my own. She did not like his last girlfriend. She made that very clear. She, like Nikita, was very tall. She had long curly black hair and eyes so intense that you would lose your appetite. Her Russian accent was thick and powerful. She had run away to the United States when she was twenty-one and seven months pregnant with her first son. Nikita. “Does it mean anything?” I asked him. “Your name.” He smiled when he answered. “My mom told me it means ‘victory of the people,’” he said. Oh Kita, you have no victory. You are the secret I keep from my mother the hidden disease that projectile vomits and digs with fingernails sharpened by teeth. Your fields of sunflowers told me a secret, your secrets so dark and beautiful and I killed myself with your gargantuan sunflowers. His mother was beautiful. She had been a professional figure skater that traveled the world, meeting people as she went. She met Kita’s father in her home country of Ukraine and according to the story, he was immediately drawn to her exuberant personality and her long legs. At twenty-one she was well on her way to continue pursuing a successful skating career until she got pregnant. According to Kita his father did not accompany her to her appointments.He did not send her flowers. He did not ask if she was okay. Instead Kita’s mother made her way to America to create a life of victory and hope. He took me to meet his grandmother. She said hello and came in and that was the last that I understood. The entire time I was there she would ask me questions in Russian and Kita would translate for me. He taught me how to say Hello (Privet) Yes (da) No (net) And thank you, which I don’t remember. We spent almost the entire time we were there trying to help his grandmother set up a new movie streaming program on her computer. I know nothing about computers in English, let alone in Russian. I was overwhelmed. The leather furniture just made my nervous sweat more noticeable. She told me about Ukraine a little bit. She said it was beautiful but troubled. She offered me chocolate and cookies. I sat, sweating, trying my hardest to pay attention. When I said anything to her, Kita would translate for me. I wanted to leave. After we left his grandmother’s house he told me to wait in his car while he talked privately with his grandmother. I thought it was strange but didn’t question it. I played mindless games on my phone while I waited for him. Some part of me knew that they were talking about me, but I continued to deny it. I was hungry, but I wasn’t planning on doing anything about it too soon. I was hungry often then. When he returned to the car I asked what they had talked about and with no hesitation he said, “You.” I paused, then asked him to elaborate. “She likes you,” he said. And that was that. How strange, I thought, to be liked by someone who never explicitly spoke a word to me. ~ Andrevich was Kita’s middle name. Named after his father. Kita’s father was very handsome. In his forties with tan skin and thick hair, he was a heartthrob that would make you look twice. He lived in a nice, expensive apartment in Kiev with his girlfriend who was twenty years younger than him. Apparently that was a theme. Kita had only seen his father a handful of times in his life. He had gone back to Ukraine to spend some time with him as a young boy, but didn’t have too much recollection of it. When he was sixteen he went back to live with his father and his twenty-yearold girlfriend for a while. Kita has always been tall, thin, and handsome. His father noticed this. “So what happened?” I asked him one day. 71 Kita shrugged. “He kicked me out and I came back to the states,” he said without a flinch. He said this as though it was a commonality. “He thought that I fucked his girlfriend,” he said as he lit a cigarette. There was a very long, uncomfortable silence. “Did you?” I asked. He laughed out loud and a cloud of smoke poured out of his mouth. “No, of course not,” he said. “My dad isn’t one to listen to a sixteen year old.” ~ “I’ll take you to Ukraine someday.” “Sunflowers. There are parts of Ukraine where there are endless fields of sunflowers wherever you look. They’re as tall as me and the flowers are bigger than my face.” He pulled me closer as he talked about Ukraine. He insisted that I learn all that I could about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, sending me innumerable articles daily. Through him I learned about the importance of the Ukrainian revolution and fights that had been fought, some as recent as 2011 and 2012. He told me that he wanted to fight for his people if he had to. When my eyes were flushed with concern, he pulled me in close and whispered in my ear, “I’ll survive for you.” His eyes lit up every time he talked about the fields of sunflowers in Ukraine. In the same way, his eyes lit up every time he got angry. Your golden eyes drew miners to starve and fight to abandon their homes. We were in his bed, naked, wrapped up in blankets and speckled by the corner light in his room. It was late, the kind of late that feels early. The air conditioner hummed in the place of our phones which were both off and hidden somewhere in the room. He did no wrong. He could not do any wrong. His eyes were blank but telling like a wall in a foreclosed home. All of his intentions were good. Yes. Good. “Where in Ukraine?” I asked. “Have you been eating?” he asks as he lifts up my shirt. “Kiev, the city squares. And to the huge fields of flowers.” “What kind of flowers?” 72 ~ I squirm away and pull my shirt down. “Yes, I ate just before I came here,” I say. I can still taste the salt in my mouth. “You look skinny,” he tells me with a hint of disdain in his voice. My heart soars. I look skinny. But he’s reaching for my stomach again and once again I’m backing away. We get into the car and drive to the gas station. I say that I need to go use the restroom. While Kita pumps the gas, I make my way into the small Holiday bathroom. I put my sweater on the ground and rest my knees on it, my usual routine. I stick my finger down my throat and vomit into the toilet. As I walk back outside, Kita is getting back into his car. I get in the front seat and sniffle slightly.Kita looks at me quizzically. “You okay?” he asks me. My eyes are watery, my nose is burning, and my breath is putrid. “I’m fine,” I say with a smile. ~ The elevator door was so cold against my cheek. I watched the red numbers blink as they rose. 8...9...10...11. My vision was going fuzzy and grey, my ears started ringing and throbbing. 11...12...13. Ding. The doors opened and my wobbly legs carried me down the seemingly endless hallway. My hands were barely working; as I watched them push my key into my apartment door I could not feel it. The door opened, I could see my living room window. I closed the door behind me and collapsed on the ground. “Why did you faint?” His words echoed behind the screen of my phone. “I just haven’t eaten a lot today.” There was a silence so deafening that it struck fear in my heart. Fear I had not known. “When did you eat last?” He had anger in his voice. I paused. He would know if I lied but he would hate the truth. “I had a little dinner last night,” I said quietly. “What did you eat?” His reply was sharp. I was shaking. “I had a little bit of salad I think,” I said with a quivering voice. I could hear his sigh. I can still hear his sigh. “How many times have we talked about this?” He exclaimed. “I know, I know, I’m sorry…” It didn’t matter. He didn’t listen. I had failed him again. “Do you know what it’s like to have a girlfriend that can’t even take care of herself ?” “What am I going to tell my friends?” “You’re not even trying.” I was sobbing, I was convulsing, I was sweating, all from my bed from which I could not move. My phone was glued to my ear and I had no energy to remove it. “So what are you going to do about this?” There was intense spite in his words. With a shaky voice I said, “I could send you a picture of everything I eat?” He laughed. With his full, angry throat he laughed 73 at my pain. “And do what? Post it on Facebook? Show all my friends that my girlfriend is an anorexic who can’t even feed herself ? You know what, go ahead. Maybe that’ll help you change.” I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to die. My stomach kept whispering “never again, never again, never again.” Opening my mouth made me panic because it reminded me of eating. I hung up my phone and with wobbly legs I walked outside in the snow and smoked an entire pack of cigarettes. ~ Months go by. Months. I watched him pack his bag with clothes that I had never seen him wear. He packed light, only a few shirts and two pairs of pants. “My dad will buy me more when I get to Ukraine,” he said. I sat on the edge of his bed and watched him focus on folding his clothes. His visa sat in the center of the bed, staring at me. I started to cry. “Babe, it’s going to be fine,” Kita said without breaking focus. I watched him form a pile of the shirts that I had grown used to him wearing. They looked like wilted flower petals. 74 “Why aren’t you taking those?” I asked, pointing to the wilted pile. “My father won’t like them,” he said. Later that night, we were drinking red wine in his bed. His room was bare and cold. I was curled against his side, my head on his chest. He stroked my bare back and played with my hair. I sighed, but not the kind of sigh that’s followed with kisses. Kita sighed too. “Petra,” he said, a tone of exasperation in his voice. “If I ever treat you like my father treats women, please leave me.” ~ I still remember how to say “I love you” in Russian. “я люблю тебя.” Ya lyublyu tebya. ~ My fingers were bones. Anything beyond mascara was too much, especially lipstick. He hated lipstick. He thought that it brought too much attention to my mouth. He didn’t like when other people noticed me. He stopped smoking cigarettes and instructed me to do so too. “They’ll make you age faster,”he would say. If I had a bad day and smoked a cigarette, he would tell me he was disappointed. I lived with three men at the time, something that Kita would never let me forget. He asked every few days to be sure I wasn’t sleeping with any of my roommates. If I was spending too much time with a friend, he would tell me that I was neglecting him. He sent me articles outlining how to be a better partner. He reminded me that he just wanted me to be the best that I could be. The screaming and hour-long phone calls were footnotes. You stripped me of my dignity and told me, “This is what you have.” Your monstrous arms crawl into my nightmares Your titanic stature collided with my glacier and though you claim I sank you You were a behemoth and I was a stone. At the end, I fell into the ground. His screams surrounded me in my echo chamber and suffocated me. My knees were bruised from kneeling in front of the toilet all night. How apt for the one accused of dropping to her knees for all men. I was free but I did not know it yet. All I knew was the cold floor of my bathroom and the tales of beautiful but troubled Ukraine. My goodbyes have been said, These addictions fed. It’s the cost that comes with the sickness. And your screams won’t be heeded anymore. 75 AN OPEN LETTER TO THE UN-SPECIALS Halle Chambers When we are little, even before we can speak We are told that we’re special and that we’re unique. That we all are made different and that none are the same Which fits quite nicely in a toddler’s mind frame. And we are told we should treasure what’s different inside, That what makes us different is not something to hide. But then quite soon after, things start to change; The word “different” stops meaning “special” and starts meaning “strange.” We’re sectioned off from our average peers In our own little category and told, “you belong here,” And then different is bad and normal is good, And for the different ones, nothing is working the way that it should The way we’ve been taught or the way we’ve been shown All we know is that we do not like being lost on our own. 76 So once again we are taken away To a place where things makes sense again and we’re ok: Where no one hurts us, Where no one can see, Where no one deserts us, Where we can be free. But because the un-specials can’t see what goes on, They decide to make things up and get so much wrong. And it’s happened for years because they can’t see through that door. So long they don’t even know that it’s wrong anymore. It’s so fixed in their heads that these lies are right; They judge each special kid by their stereotype. But today that will end. So you sit there and you wait, cause it’s about time someone set the dang record straight. You probably think that this poem won’t cut it, But today I’m gonna open the door and don’t you dare shut it! To start, let’s be clear: I am...I was in Special Ed. But just because I was in that room doesn’t mean I’m brain dead! So for Pete’s sake, don’t puppy dog guard me! Just give me a break, it isn’t that hard see: If I need your help, I will tell you I do. Just please, Please don’t mock me. In my place, would you want me to mock you? “Oh come on! Let her get it! Go easy on her!” Help, where not needed, is almost as bad as a slur. I’m not invalid So don’t play that card. Yeah, I’m a little quirky and oversensitive, But I’m not, and I quote, “A little retard.” Yeah, I’ve been called names. And those words? They hurt. They catch in the center, In your pit of self worth. And they tear and they rip, And those words are collective. Soon you start to believe that you are defective. I’ve dealt with them all, and surprisingly, I actually prefer the straight up bullies To those who pretend to like me. Fake friends and two-faces Of all genders and races. They’re only my friends so they don’t have to see me cry. Or they use me, abuse me, Oh, how they confuse me! Cause I can’t tell what’s truth and what’s lie. “Hey! He likes you. Go give him a kiss!” And because I don’t know better, I believe this. But soon I find they’re not playing Cupid, They just wanna make me look stupid. For their entertainment, they make me play the 77 fool; They pretend that they care for me When they’re really just cruel. It takes time and takes work to make you forget; Even now, I’m not quite there yet. I mean, here I am, in what’s supposed to be home, And yet here I am, still feeling alone. I’m still paranoid, it doesn’t just end; I still have to ask if someone’s my friend. I say one thing and mean another; I make a mistake, But you take it verbatim. Can’t you cut me a break? If we’re talking and I look like I’m lost, Don’t blow it off like it’s not worth the cost. Sarcasm and subtlety muddle in my brain, So please just take a minute to explain. Do these quirks make me broken? Is there something wrong with me? The way society has spoken, There would seem to be. 78 Stop poisoning the minds of “different” young women and men. I don’t like being defective.... Can I be special again? SOREX PALUSTRIS Emilie Tomas Did they name you for Your wit, pointed Nose of pointed judgement Who brought us fire; five to seven inches of shrewd truth? Or was it your mischief That Inspired them? Your Presence followed by screams And a three inch tail. I saw your likeness on a stage, Dirt in place of your midnight coat Though she is reformed now. Perhaps it was the gleam in your Eyes; whispered fortunes and A summer of silver birth. Maybe you are a messenger Of God, somehow in your Eighteen months you learned to walk On water, the second coming Of Christ. 79 woodsy adam ruff gabriel bergstrom 80 WORDS Malena Larsen The bathroom wall was covered in words. Words like fuck and love and song lyrics and names with hearts around them. His body looked peaceful, somehow, as he sat propped and slumped against the door. His head hung to his right shoulder and his mouth was open like he was about to say something but was interrupted. There was blood running down his left arm like a river and a needle hung loosely out of his skin. The words that he had heard her say several hours earlier were getting quieter and quieter. “It’s not working,” she had told him. “I’m sorry.” They were smoking cigarettes outside her apartment when she said it. She knew he had been trying to fix himself. After twenty-eight days of treatment and one week in a sober house on Lake and Fifth she barely recognized him. He was twenty-five pounds heavier and his skin looked clean and strong; there was no more grey in his cheeks. It wasn’t just his change in appearance that scared her. Lately, he had been telling her the difference between wrong and right and that she should stay in on the weekends. His family couldn’t stop talking about how proud they were of him and they would ask her, “Doesn’t he just seem so much better?” She would answer with yes but feel guilty because she wished he still liked to make mistakes. His family had a party after he got out of treatment and his grandfather kept saying things like, “Men in this family have always been strong!” and, “Now he can take care of you.” His grandfather didn’t care for her much but he felt that she was the least of the boy’s problems. He didn’t like the way she hung on him like a scarf or the way she agreed with everything he said without a second thought. As he sat on the bathroom floor the words she had said were getting quieter and quieter. They were almost gone. He had been sober for thirty-five days and he didn’t know why. He didn’t feel better or stronger or more loved. His hand lay loosely on the floor, palm up and open like he was waiting for somebody to hold it. Everyone was so proud of him but he couldn’t imagine living his life without her. Long after her words had faded completely, the bathroom door opened. He fell back onto the floor. His head hitting hard against the tile. 81 “Oh my gosh!” The man who opened the door yelled. “Can someone help?” He took out his phone to call 911. A crowd of people rushed over to where the man was dialing. A young man pushed past the group of people. “Move!” The boy got on his knees by the body on the floor. He reached into his pocket and took out something that looked like a pen. He stuck it into the arm of the body that was needle free. People gasped and murmured and watched. Sirens rang in the distance. The boy holding the pen looked up at the bathroom wall that had words like fuck and love and song lyrics and names with hearts around them. He looked up at the group of people. “It’s not working,” he said. 82 MALCOLM AND THE BLUE SIDE Danny Polaschek Brown leaves dragged past Malcolm’s feet in the wind. The bench underneath him felt like a rock and he had to clench his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering. He stared at the empty playground—the tire swing, the slide, the bridge and the fireman’s pole. Nikki rested her head on his shoulder. Each time a breeze swept through, Malcolm could feel her nuzzle slightly closer, her hair scratching and tickling his neck. When he was a kid, Malcolm had sat on this exact same bench many times with his mother. They lived in a little blue house just a few blocks away— “just a hop and a skip,” his mother would say and Malcolm would make it his mission to jump and bunny-hop the whole way there. When they arrived, they’d eat lunch, sitting together on the narrow, wooden bench. After each bite of his sandwich, Malcolm would beg his mother to let him go play, to which she would give in once she herself had
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Title: Murphy Square 2017: Murphy Square Visual Art and Literary Magazine
Collection: Literary Journals
Search Result: MURPHY SQUARE VISUAL ART & LITERARY MAGAZINE ISSUE 42, 2017 EDITORIAL BOARD Malena Larsen, Editor In Chief Abigail Tetzlaff, Associate Editor Audrey Campbell, Art & Layout Editor Cassie Dong, Art Editor Jazmin Crittenden, Art Editor Elisabeth Beam, Prose Editor Abigail Carpenter, Prose Ed...
Show more MURPHY SQUARE VISUAL ART & LITERARY MAGAZINE ISSUE 42, 2017 EDITORIAL BOARD Malena Larsen, Editor In Chief Abigail Tetzlaff, Associate Editor Audrey Campbell, Art & Layout Editor Cassie Dong, Art Editor Jazmin Crittenden, Art Editor Elisabeth Beam, Prose Editor Abigail Carpenter, Prose Editor Ryan Moore, Prose Editor Gabriel Benson, Poetry Editor Danny Polaschek, Poetry Editor Cary Waterman, Advisor 2 WITH THANKS TO Ivy Arts Copy and Print Augsburg College Student Government Augsburg College English Department Augsburg College Art Department The Echo Augsburg Honors Program QPA 3 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 What Type of Black Girl Are You? Nikkyra Whittaker ........................................................................... 8 Simul Justus et Peccator, Andy Anderson .......................................................................................... 11 Queer, Eve Taft ....................................................................................................................................... 12 Jesus in a Cracker, A.Tetzlaff ................................................................................................................ 14 Grey Cloud Island, David Baboila ......................................................................................................... 17 Saint Paul Airport, David Baboila .......................................................................................................... 18 White Bear Lake, David Baboila ............................................................................................................ 19 Zips Coliseum, David Baboila ............................................................................................................... 20 Bridge, Jacob J. Miller ............................................................................................................................ 21 50 Feet Tall, Emilie Tomas ...................................................................................................................... 25 Meow, Ashley Waalen ............................................................................................................................ 26 Mousetrap, Halle Chambers .................................................................................................................. 27 Faces, Constance Klippen ..................................................................................................................... 29 I Don’t Always Feel Colored, Diamonique Walker ............................................................................... 30 Where I am From, Hannah Schmit ......................................................................................................... 32 Who Am I?, Ashley Waalen .................................................................................................................... 34 2 Gratitude, D.E Green .............................................................................................................................. CSBR, Gabriel Bergstrom ...................................................................................................................... The Fire, Elisabeth Beam ........................................................................................................................ Desert Drums, Abigail Carpenter .......................................................................................................... Colors, Hannah Schmit ........................................................................................................................... Urban Delight, Jazmin Crittenden ......................................................................................................... When Dad Wore Cologne, A. Tetzlaff .................................................................................................... Shitty Christmas Trees, Elisabeth Beam ............................................................................................... Summer Nights, Adam Ruff ................................................................................................................... 36 38 39 41 42 43 44 46 48 The People United, Adam Ruff .............................................................................................................. 49 After the Hike, Adam Ruff ..................................................................................................................... 50 Crumbs, Malena Larsen ......................................................................................................................... 51 Bloomed, Audrey Campbell ................................................................................................................... 55 Pruned, Audrey Campbell ...................................................................................................................... 56 Herman, Danny Polaschek ................................................................................................................... 57 El Barrio Suyo, Chad Berryman ............................................................................................................. 60 The Neighborhood, Chad Berryman ..................................................................................................... 61 Odyssey, Eve Taft .................................................................................................................................... 62 Postcards From My Bedroom, Audrey Campbell ................................................................................. 63 Postcards From My Bedroom, Audrey Campbell ................................................................................. 64 Counting Sheep, Danny Polaschek ...................................................................................................... 65 3 Sky Nights, Keeyonna Fox ...................................................................................................................... 67 Inner Self, Keeyonna Fox ....................................................................................................................... 68 Victory of the People, Petra S. Shaffer-Gottschalk ............................................................................. 69 An Open Letter to the Un-specials, Halle Chambers ...........................................................................76 Sorex Palustris, Emilie Tomas ................................................................................................................. 79 Woodsy Adam Ruff, Gabriel Bergstrom .................................................................................................. 80 Words, Malena Larsen ................................................................................................................................. 81 Malcom, Danny Polaschek ....................................................................................................................... 83 DRIVING AT ZERO ONE, John Herbert ................................................................................................... 85 DRIVING AT ZERO TWO, John Herbert ................................................................................................... 86 Placemakers, Diamonique Walker ........................................................................................................ 87 A Necessary Evil Thing Considered in any Light, Jacob J. Miller ....................................................... 88 1 WHAT TYPE OF BLACK GIRL ARE YOU? Nikkyra Whittaker On the spectrum of being black and female, we can only be what we appear to be. Take this quiz to find out what kind of black girl you really are! 1. You’re listening to the radio on the way to Target. You’re playing… a. Beyonce’s “****Flawless” b. Taylor Swift’s “Fifteen” or “You Belong With Me” or “Wildest Dreams” c. Chris Brown’s “Loyal” d. Keri Hilson’s “Pretty Girl Rock” 2. It’s your day off work. What will you be doing? a. Blowing off steam on Facebook. b. Watching old episodes of One Tree Hill c. Out for drinks and scoping eye candy d. Talking shit with the ladies while drinking Moscato! 3. What’s your dream home like? a. Full of books on systemic oppression b. Beverly Hills penthouse c. Some big shot rapper’s mansion d. Spacious New York Loft 8 4. Your favorite TV show is… a. Docu-series on race b. Sex in the City c. Bad Girls Club d. Love and Hip Hop 5. Finally, who’s your favorite female icon from this list? a. Angela Davis b. Taylor Swift c. New York from I Love New York d. Nicki Minaj Tally up how many of each letter you got and turn the page to find out who you really are! If you got mostly a’s...You’re an Angry Black Girl! Congratulations, you loud-mouthed, anger filled home-girl! I’m guessing there’s always some reason to be mad at someone, isn’t there? Do you just spend your days in a perpetual state of rage, angry at the world for reasons they don’t find important? Do you find yourself constantly snapping your fingers in that z-formation, pursing your lips at anyone who steps in your way? I bet people are telling you to just be quiet, huh? I mean, what issues could you, a black female, possibly have? Why should you care that your high school English teacher gives you a C+ on your essay because she thinks you copied it from the white man online? Why does it matter that your male co-worker at Target constantly teases you about your nappy hair, calling it a “brillo pad,” “cheeto puff,” or some other clever name? None of this should anger you! Be aware, you sassy Sapphire, in this world, your anger means nothing. If you got mostly b’s...You’re an Oreo! You grew up watching Lizzie McGuire and listening to Aaron Carter. You straightened your hair from the moment you were old enough to assert yourself and cried when it wouldn’t lay flat. Your friends were always shocked to see you bring collard greens and jambalaya to lunch so you stopped eating your favorite foods. They didn’t understand why you couldn’t just brush your hair, wash your hair everyday, why it suddenly grew or shrunk inches overnight. I’m certain you’ve heard from many of your friends how they just don’t see you as a black girl. They erase your black skin because it doesn’t fit the images of other black girls they see. You spend most of your time edging away from the loud black girls, the ghetto black girls who ate hot cheetos and drank kool aid and had corn rows and long braids and smelled like a mix of the jungle and your ancestors pain and you wished, maybe for a just a moment, but you did wish that you could be white. But honey, you can never wash off that melanin! It’s a permanent stain. Just because your friends can’t see the black on you, it doesn’t mean the rest of the world can’t. 9 If you got mostly c’s...You’re a Hip Hop Ho! You sexual deviant you! Let me guess—big breasts, small waist, and wide hips? You’ve got that original Betty Boop to you, something in your eyes that say yes to a question no one bothers to ask. You’re the black girl that white guys use as a notch in their belt. You are the exotic sexual being that men love to hate and hate to love. You became a sexual thing at a young age, when your breasts came in at ten years old and became d-cups at fourteen. They started looking at you differently, didn’t they? Your eyes stopped existing. Your words didn’t matter. Your body became the tool used to diminish your worth. How often did you get yelled at in school to put on something less revealing than your shorts? Did you ever wonder why the skinny, flat-assed white girls were never told the same thing? Honey, your wide hips wrapped in chocolate skin were never yours. You will never be yours. 10 If you got mostly d’s...You’re a Ghetto Fabulous Black Girl! You make what little money you can working at Walmart or doing nails. You make people waiting at the bus stop with you uncomfortable with your loud laughter and yellow and pink braids and long, bedazzled nails. You toss your weave around, remove your earrings, and square up to anyone that says shit about you. When you’re out, you are often told to stop yelling, screaming, taking up space. You’ve got baby daddy problems and you’re only 18. You grew up playing double dutch in the middle of the street with old rope. You accept your black, your ghetto, your Ebonics. But you are not supposed to accept yourself, honey! Don’t you see the fashion police spreads in the magazines? You are on all the pages! Don’t show your hips. Put on a shirt that conceals your stomach. Put your breasts away. Don’t wear bright lipstick. Stop standing out, being different. Get smaller, quieter, lesser, as you are supposed to be. You love your black too loudly and it makes others uncomfortable. Your job is to make people comfortable so do your best to limit the loudness of your melanin. simul justus et peccator andy anderson 11 QUEER Eve Taft You think there isn’t a sign on my ribs that says “stonewall inn”? You think Matthew Shepard doesn’t tug at my hair and warn me as I walk the streets of my city? You think I don’t choke on the smoke from the hellfire you spit from your pulpits with sparks that sear and heat branding irons which scar your names on me to mark me as danger? You think my veins don’t shiver when they think of the devastation wracking the cities that some called deliverance while Reagan fiddled as we burned You think that the prisons pink triangles asylums bullets spitting into a nightclub don’t whisper in my head as I make my way through the world? 12 You think that I don’t notice— I kiss her and kiss her —the headline blowing by with a death toll and I kiss her the skyline splashing out behind us the lights on the Washington Avenue bridge flicker on and I kiss her Putin criminalizes us, across the world I kiss her Vigils held too late for young suicides Corrupting, perverted, disgusting, an affront to family values— I kiss her in the rain and the sleet of Minnesota I kiss her, our lips tasting of chants from the protest that shut down I-94 handed down from our grandmothers hearts beating, eyes sparkling, alive I kiss her You think I forget the lists and the candles and the deaths and the pain and all that roars in my ears is a chorus screaming over and over again you were not able to kill us I kiss her and all is still 13 JESUS IN A CRACKER A. Tetzlaff Eucharist I hugged my father’s black, pleated pants while we waited for mass to start. He was beaming proudly and chatting with the rest of our family. I wore the only dress I allowed to touch my body: by then it was a year old and from my uncle’s wedding when I walked down the aisle carrying a bouquet, looking like a blonde deer caught in front of a semi truck. It had a black velvet top connected to a white skirt. All the girls wore white. My parents cut their losses. All the boys, shirt and tie. Eight-year-olds taking their first communion despite the fact that most of us had no idea what was happening. Understanding the sacraments isn’t really necessary when you grow up in a Catholic family. By the time you are aware of your burden, it’s too late anyway. Religion lived at Nativity of Our Lord Parish, in Green Bay, Wisconsin. Between church and home, I lived in a realm of contradiction. I came to visit religion, but it never went home with me. On Sundays when the game was in town, God would not judge you for wearing your Packer jersey to church. Sinning was bad, but you could tailgate and drink and carouse to your heart’s content. We should have taken beer at 14 that first communion. We would have appreciated it more than the wine. We took our places in the ritual that had been performed again and again. The time-worn ritual begins anew as I walk to the altar with my hands folded in front of me. I must remember to raise my hands high enough so the rheumatic priest doesn’t have to bend down. Right hand over left. I’m a blonde deer again. “The body of Christ.” This is the part where I say, “Amen,” whether I mean it or not, then put the communion wafer in my mouth. I must cross myself (right hand touching head, then left shoulder, then right shoulder) as I walk back up the aisle and toward my family. They liked to sit in the middle section, never too close to the altar. They didn’t like making direct eye-contact with the priest during his homily. To this day I skip the wine for fear of communicable diseases. It stuck to the roof of my mouth, this first communion wafer. It was stale. There was no substance. Maybe the parched flour and water, mixed with the lingering incense is actually what Jesus tastes like. The absorbent clump lasted into the next hymn. Saliva rushed into my mouth and eventually the wafer, heavy with mois- ture, fell from the roof of my mouth. I swallowed without chewing. Just go with it, I told myself. All these people believe in this, so one day, you will too. But I wasn’t sure. I didn’t get it. The power that kept me from running back up the aisle wasn’t the love of God gently pushing me along, but the ritual itself, and the expectation of my parents and grandparents watching proud and probably dewy-eyed as I joined their ranks. Hugs and smiles and congratulations as my family comes out of the first communion Mass, but I wasn’t sure what was such cause for celebration; I hadn’t had a great epiphany about God, nor had I felt any change at all. It was just like every Sunday late in October. head and tell me I was forgiven. “Sometimes, I’m not very nice to my mom or my brother,” I told him. Navitity didn’t own a confessional booth like the ones in movies. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a confessional booth at any Catholic church outside the movies. We sat quietly in a tiny room. Being small for my age, I circled the air below me with my feet. I sat facing him directly. He crossed his legs under the cassock he wore, clearly annoyed. After a silence and a slow nod, the priest said, “Sometimes, we hurt the people we love the most.” It was the only part I heard or remember hearing; he started talking about God’s forgiveness, I assume. I didn’t pay attention, because I didn’t feel different after admitting such a pitiful sin. Marriage I had no ill-feeling toward the physical place of church. In fact, the ritual, the sounds, the smell of incense, and the light that filtered through the stained-glass windows from an Easterly rising sun became familiar and comforting over the years. The nave, filled with old pews, had witnessed my parents’ wedding and my grandparents’ weddings. The organ towered over the choir. The smell of old patrons and Sunday cologne too liberally applied became a sensory memory of that place. However, religion has never been an inward practice; the practice and the scene never joined together. Anointing of the Sick When times are bad, I’ve pulled the fragments of ritual from my memory and recite the “Our Father.” I did this in the winter of my eighteenth year in days following my grandfather’s funeral. He died of bladder cancer, worsened by a communicable bacterial infection called C.Difficile. I became familiar with the ritual of funeral; I’d been to three or four for close relatives. But this time, the ritual felt different. Before, I was sad. My grandfather’s funeral confirmed that the only sacred part of my world had been ripped mercilessly from my arms. Reconciliation “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.”As the words come out of my mouth, they themselves felt sinful. I hadn’t sinned, I was eleven. I barely knew what sin was. I had to stop a moment to think of a sin I had committed, so the priest could nod his Baptism I sat in the shower until the water hitting my face was colder than I could stand, reciting the “Our Father” over and over, sobbing. Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. I hoped, over so many repetitions, that my view 15 of God and heaven would change. Yet, it confused me more. Religion stopped looking like the patron blind to reality and became a place where I didn’t belong. Like I was missing out because I didn’t get that epiphany, and didn’t have that same faith. Confirmation Religion was so stale, that when my Mother would occasionally talk about faith, or God, or divine love at the dinner table I would blush with pity and embarrassment. How can you believe this? I thought, how can you be so blind to the real world? Perhaps, I’m the blind one. I continue to live in an intermediate space between faith and atheism. I can’t commit to either. The fence between atheism and faith is fraught with angst. Most days, I try to laugh away my uncertainty. I tell jokes about my Catholic past, chuckle when I hear of “recovering Catholics,” and tell friends, “It smells like a Catholic church in here,” whenever they burn incense. Religion is still stale to me. Religion has no nutritional value. Stale religion has no holy orders. 16 grey cloud island david baboila 17 saint paul airport david baboila 18 white bear lake david baboila 19 zips coliseum david baboila 20 BRIDGE Jacob J. Miller This was not way back when, as my dad would have you believe. It was more recent than that. If he can’t flat out deny it, which he no longer can, he will at least try to convince you that it was so long ago as to suggest it might have been a different lifetime, and he a different person. He has been, after all, Born Again. Except he was not the only person involved, and to carry along as if he was is an exercise in what I’ve heard philosophers call solipsism. For him, his transgression was between himself and the Holy Ghost: accountable not to those he wronged, only to an invisible spirit. But he doesn’t have sole authority in determining the past’s relevance or irrelevance to our lives today. My mother too pretends the past is only what has happened at a particular point in time, and not a factor in what determines what has happened since then and what is happening now. The slate wiper theory of forgiveness is what allowed them to wear their veneer of innocence and believe in its authenticity, and for that reason I resent their new-leaf turnover. My love for them may not be emergent in my words, I know, but I do love them, regardless of the fucked up traits they passed on to their children, which will become evident as this story unfolds You might be wondering, if you care at all, what could be so terrible. Well, it’s not so terrible, and not even very uncommon, but it happened to me, and my brothers and my sisters, and there was never anything we could really do about it. We watched it unfold almost every night to reveal its rotted pit. What was scariest was not when a half-full beer bottle would be hurled in our direction for us being too noisy, and then being held responsible for wasting the beer, and getting punished even more for that. What was scariest was when they fought with each other, mom and dad, when they were both liquored up. All of us children would be sitting in the living room, on our knees, in a line, with our hands folded and tucked inside our clenched thighs, having hitherto been fulfilling our playful, childish duties who couldn’t expect things to go so suddenly and intensely wrong. They would fight about anything, or nothing, for all we knew or cared. They would yell, swear, slam their fists on various surfaces, throw things across the room at each other as if rehearsed. One time, I remember, and this is what I’m talking about when I talk about how scary things got, my 21 dad had my mom pinned up against the refrigerator—after she threw three or four plates at him, one that hit his arm, but would have hit his face if he hadn’t been blocking, and cut it deep. He had the sharp kitchen knife pressed firmly under her chin. If she gulped too hard in fear, or if dad in his stupor lost balance, she would have been bleeding all over the family pictures held by magnets to the fridge. As we grew older, my big brother and I began working under dad instead of merely living under him. Our prospects in life weren’t substantial at that point. Whatever potential we had, it had never been encouraged, so entering into the family business, if it can even be called that, was the only viable option. I woke dad up most mornings from his typical collapse into a face-down, fetal heap on the kitchen floor, sometimes still wet, sometimes already crusted over. I’d say, “it’s time for work, dad,” and he’d drive me to the site where (drinking coffee with whiskey in it on the way) heavy machinery was waiting to be operated—even though we used hammers and nails whenever we could. Stonehenge-sized slabs of cement, wooden pillars, cinder blocks, and iron rods littered the landscape. It was all so disorderly that if a nomad wandered upon the scene, the indication would be of destruction rather than pre-construction. There were no piles of allocated materials or inventoried supply lists. It could have all been salvaged from past demolitions or by thievery from other project sites. We seemed to accrue it all without any kind of exchange or standard of accountability for use. Everything seemed to just show up wherever and whenever we needed it. Who actually made all this stuff? How did we move it from place to place to use from job to job? Who permitted my sodden father to oversee such potentially hazardous 22 projects? He was a self-made man outside the advent of auditing. What did I care then? I was making my way, fashioning for myself a future out of will power, and holding my breath until I could extricate myself from this grim farce. First day on the job, my dad said to me, don’t fuck up, or he’d make me test the bridge before the support beams were all in place. I believed him. That particular bridge wasn’t connecting two sides over a raging river or anything; more of a convenient pathway over a stream, but it was still a threat coming from dad. Second day on the job, my brother James tore partway through his leg with a chainsaw. I heard him yell, but it sounded more out of frustration than terror and pain. He sat down, ripped his immediately blood-soaked pants from where the initial tear was, delicately unlaced and removed his boot so as not to cause more pain, grunting as if he had done nothing more than step in dog shit, and lifted the nearly severed part of his leg that dangled lifelessly like a tube sock on a clothesline, to close the wound, from which I saw steam rising sacrificially to the wintery heavens. He reached forward to grab the excess of sock which, although bunched up at his toes, had a long, tortuous journey before being completely removed. He screamed as he stretched forward, more circumstantially appropriate this time, and this is when I dropped my— whatever, the thing I was holding, I can’t remember what, but I didn’t hear it land because I couldn’t assimilate anything else that may have been transpiring around me. I almost seemed to float over to him, not even aware of my legs propelling me forward. I saw all the blood, but I wasn’t put off by it as much as I thought I probably should have been, and I thought that as I stared at it pooling out. I observed it dispassionately, coldly, but I may not have been breathing. At first sight, it was just an organic pipe that sprung a leak. I think I asked if he was all right but I meant it more like did he think he was going to die. He said to go get dad and that’s when I became afraid. I stood there for I don’t know how long, until he repeated himself more urgently: “Walt!” he said, “Go! Get! Dad!” I listened that time, but I was still very afraid. I was trembling and began feeling like I might faint, and I almost hoped I wouldn’t find dad, that he’d be off drinking somewhere, but he wasn’t. He was drinking right there, over a small mound of dirt, holding a big piece of wood sturdy for someone to do something with. I saw his breath bellow out into the cold with a cough and evaporate as he took a swig from a bottle before sliding it back into his coat pocket, without so much as a pretense of inconspicuousness.The bottle neck stuck straight out and brushed against his elbow, a cumbersome lump sinking down and throwing off his equilibrium further than the ethanol already had. I slowed my pace, tried to regain some composure, and still hoped he wouldn’t notice me. I could claim an attempt at getting his attention, but he just couldn’t be bothered with me. I tried, I’d tell James, but I’ll carry you. I was sure I could have done that. Part of me still wished I could have avoided involving my dad at all. It was selfish, but I thought I might get slapped with the blame. But I yelled, Dad! Come quick! Dad, I yelled again, skidding on the gravel as I spun around, intent on not letting my dad’s impatient glare lock on me, and from that momentum, nearly ascending at a perfectly horizontal angle in the air before I landed face first on those same tiny rocks, a perfect reenactment of self-humiliation on the school playground at recess. I felt all those multiple points of impact, but wasted no time in catapulting myself back up—no time for embarrassment just yet—clawed off the pebbles that clung gently to the tiny dents they bore into my face and palms, and sped back to my brother who, when I reached the dirt-mound summit again, I could see was lying flat, surrounded by the thick, still-steaming purplish puddle which had, since I left him, at least quadrupled in circumference. Not looking back at all during my return sprint to see how far behind me dad was, or even if he followed me at all, I turned from the sight of my brother completely to see him, Dad, shuffling over the mound, bogged down by beer bottles, which could be heard clanging together in his pockets. He was wheezing inhalations of frozen air. He saw James right away, I know it, but he didn’t say anything until he got right up close to him, planting one clumsy boot in the blood puddle with a squelchy, meager splat, like an old-fashioned letter-sealing stamp on melted wax. He leaned over with outward turned elbows and hands on hips, looked at James’ face. James’ eyes were closed. Dad then scanned down to the butchered leg, grimaced, scanned back up to James’ face. James’ eyes were now open again, frigid with shock, and dad said, “pull yourself together, son,” erupting hysterically at his own clever buffoonery. James turned out to live, no real thanks to our father. I ended up having to run to the nearest phone anyway and call an ambulance. He didn’t even lose his leg. He did require a blood transfusion because he lost gallons of it, or at least it seemed like it when I stood there staring at the mess, but his gristly cheeks had their color restored right in front of me, resupplying and, it almost seemed, re-inflat23 ing him to human shape at the coercion of some stranger’s bodily elixir. It worked like sorcery, but far more astonishing because it was methodologically reliable. The warm fluid surged through his veins, and he was ensconced for a moment in a prodigious glow of newfound vitality. Back then, my dad, laughing, called him a lucky son-of-a-bitch, whereas telling the story now, upon reflection and suspension of rational thought, my brother was “touched by an angel.” Now, whenever this celestial creature of mercy is mentioned, who conveniently remains anonymous for humility’s sake I suppose, instead of our dad drunkenly laughing and mocking the situation, James does. An example of an aforementioned fucked up trait passed on in the family. 24 50 FEET TALL Emilie Tomas I was in 5th grade When my class went To see ‘The Human Body’ and I watched In childhood Horror as A 50 foot grin Unfurled, loomed Large enough To pull me Into orbit Devoured First a sandwich And then my Faith in humanity With deafening Smacks Like thunder If thunder Was made Of jelly and Dismay and I Knew it was a Crime to allow a Person to become This Inflated, With every pore Its own path to Hell and I knew I couldn’t trust Anyone because In our heads We are all 50 feet tall. 25 meow you see ashley waalen 26 MOUSETRAP Halle Chambers Minnie “Mousy” O’Mally knew she was invisible up here on her fire escape. This was her safeplace. With the ladder pulled up as it was now, almost no one could reach her here. Plus, even if someone did make it up here, she could easily get away. If she crawled rough the window, she’d be securely locked in the apartment. There, it was warm and dry and at least sometimes safe when her daddy…no, excuse her, correction, “Father or Sir” wasn’t home. He hated when she called him Daddy. He wasn’t home now, out doing illegal God knows what in the “family business,” but he would be back soon. Hence why she was out here. So, no apartment, not right now. If she dropped the ladder, she could slide down to street level in seconds and be down the block in under a minute. She knew, because she’d practiced and had timed herself. The only way to avoid getting hit in the face was to be quick on your feet. That was the first rule of fighting that Jase, her older brother, had taught her. With the life they lived, it was also a rule of survival. And they didn’t call her “Mousy” for nothing: she was small and fast… very fast. Jase could make a distraction, and Minnie could run. But, Jase was working a job that “Father” had given him out of town till this weekend, and she’d surely get caught if she didn’t have her usual head-start. So,“down” wouldn’t work either. If she scaled up the ladder above her, she’d be on the roof, where their oldest brother, Cobie, had often taken her and Jase to stargaze. She hadn’t known till six years into her still short life that he’d done it to keep his precious baby brother and sister away from their father’s sight when the man would come home satellite high or plastered. She hadn’t known till twelve years in that he’d take their father’s hungover backhand on the mornings after, so she and Jase didn’t. All she’d known as he’d taught her each constellation was that Cobie was braver than Orion and that she and her brothers were more inseparable than the Gemini twins. But, her world went as topsy-turvy as Cassiopeia when her father had sent Cobie away, saying he would not have a queer as a son. When Jase and Minnie hugged him, Cobie swore he’d come back for them in a year or so. Jase had given up when he’d been two years gone. That was two years ago, and now even Minnie 27 was starting to doubt. No, she couldn’t go up to the roo, not alone. She shivered in the October chill as she reviewed her options: “in” would be facing her father’s wrath, “down” would be facing being caught by a cop or a stranger, and “up” would be facing a reminder of the happiness, now heartbreak, brought by a brother who was likely never coming home again. So, maybe she couldn’t escape easily…or at all. She shivered again, this time more in frantic panic than from the frigid, near winter city wind. For not the first time in her life, Mousy felt trapped. 28 faces connie kilppen 29 *I DON’T ALWAYS FEEL COLORED Diamonique Walker Sometimes I find comfort in places I somehow know I don’t belong Never a full day, but hours will pass and I won’t consider my brown skin or kinky hair I’ll let the imminent fear of my black body being made into an example fall back to the depths of my mind My daughter’s safety in mixed company won’t occur to me I won’t juxtapose my blackness with any other’s identity confidence As if one chooses randomly from a pile of stock black girl names when they look at me He asks me if my hair is real I tell him he can’t ask me that He says oh it’s okay, my girlfriend is black I’m a dirty smudge on freshly ironed white linens Trying to blend in, trying to live my life I breathe, momentarily Suddenly, I’ll feel breathless, choked Stabbed in the chest Stung by a white hot micro aggressive slap in the face An unsolicited violation of my personal space A pale hand gently pulls a lock of my hair in white amazement Or a thin pair of lips will say “what’s upppppp” to me and not anyone else I’ll get called a name like Jasmine with such utter 30 *Line borrowed from Claudia Rankine, Citizen WHERE I AM FROM Hannah Schmit I am from the forest. From ruddy Maple and heady Pine. I am from the sunlit dust that refracts the life of the breeze. The rough wood of the trees are my bones, roots firmly planted deep in the depths of the cool black soil. Generations have taught me to live in the sun, tan weathered hands, calloused and worn cover small, break earth and sow seeds. Exhaling with the unfurling of new leaves whose first stretch welcomed life, I learned the importance of patience and nurturing. I am from dirt beneath my nails and gritty sand in my teeth. Sap painted hands and hot tar feet, blackened from short dashes across burning pavement that rippled with summer heat. Sandboxes were my kingdom, the layers of silt and sand familiar to my prodding hands. I climbed turreted towers of twisted bark and branches to survey the world and breath in time with the breeze. Twigs and leaves were my crown and a rusty tractor my carriage. My people were the songbirds and insistent cicadas whose songs filtered lazily together through the woods. Sometimes I called back, matching note for note, melodies and harmonies creating a canopy of familiarity. I am from wildflowers who nodded their velvet, satin, and paintbrush heads as I passed by. From dried grasses whose sweet scent rose from rolling waves that undulated under horse-tail clouds above. The gold-fringed top of the corn is my hair as it turns to brown under the autumn sun. I am from the passing of seasons, each marking the time as brilliant red and orange gave way to pristine white and serene gray. Freckles and sunburn traded for pale skin cold kissed cheeks. My life can be counted in scraped knees and bruises, and band-aids and scars, each a story unique unto itself. I am from the water. Clear and silted, still and rushing it surrounds me. The river courses through my veins, its steady pulse my heartbeat. I am from the muted silence of holding my breath. From letting go in the soft pixelated light that swirls lazily in the haze of a murky river. From the dew that rests in early mists that lay as a blanket over a newly purified earth, protecting the last of the dawn. I am from music. Love-strung tunes of lullabies rock 31 my past to sleep and call forth dog-eared memories. Treasured memories that float fragmented in my mind, I was waltzing with my darling… Goodnight, Irene… Then sings my soul… Black Forest I have come to be in this place. Knit sweaters and hand me downs weave the fabric of my personality. The black ink of the notes is stained on my fingers, the lyrics printed out as a map on my mind. My body is movement, ‘full of grace’ as I danced through recitals and music competitions. My history is composed of the ivory keys of a piano board, the metallic strings of a guitar, and the soft wheeze of a musty accordion. I am from survivors. From broken families and lives I was given the opportunity to begin. Out of the ashes of war and blood, death and pain I was taught compassion. The scars remind me of my privilege. A handful of ink-smeared letters, a fading tattoo, and relentless nightmares that went unspoken. Touched by shadows of heartbreak and longing I have learned the fears of disease and pain, the cruelty of man and the destruction of illness. I am from a legacy. Footsteps preceded my very first and taught me how to stand tall—to walk courageously. When I was tired of walking and needed to fly, strong hands lay behind me as I learned to test my own strength. I am from fading memories. From sweat and ploughs, rough tools and run down sheds. My past is a copper foundation of saved pennies stretched with love and trust. The polished wood of a hunter’s gun and tug of a taut fishing line tie me to the land of a generation gone by. I am from the creaking wood of a ship that ferried dreams. From the fjords and 32 I am from strength. From weary hands that sought to move forward. From songs crooned in different tongues, prayers tucked away from missed lives. I am from the sweet smell of tobacco. From a worn brown pipe laid in the top overall pocket. From tales of Shirley Temple and shiny black shoes. From the canoe as it passes over reeds and the click of a cane keeping time with shuffling shoes. From sterilized rooms and flowers with similarly fated owners. I am from loss and tears. I am from the Mississippi and the Great Lakes, from steam and coal. From concrete jungles and log cabins. I am a piece of the past, I am… The rooms of my mind are wallpapered with snapshots of a younger me. Sayings and phrases are the soundtrack of my life. I carry them with me. Tucked in locked and forgotten rooms they wait patiently, longingly for me to recall. future. I seek not where I am going only exist here, as I am. I am from the past. Shaped by the present I live for the future. I am from wanderlust. An incorrigible desire to explore that cannot be quelled with the stillness between heartbeats. I am from the excitement that teeters on the brink of the inevitable. I am pulled at by the gentle whisper of religions. Called to the beauty of holiness in the world, I am grounded in the church yet growing in the temple and the mosque. I am gentle hands that have learned to be useful—to give back. Well-used fingers taught to survive and protect. I am a collection of places and people that I have encountered. In love with humanity, I exchange comfort for experience. I am at home in the concrete jungles constructed from heat-cracked pavement and in the mudpatched hut of the desert. The mountains and caves call to me like the trees and fields of my youth. I am at home in the grand expanse of a world that knows no limits, understands no boundaries. A world that exists, simply to exist. My feet itch to travel down forgotten paths where the dust of ages can billow out from under me and cloud the clarity of the 33 who am i? ashley waalen 34 2 GRATITUDE: A POEM IN FOUR PARTS D.E. Green 1. Le Chaim 2. In Praise of Delusion Each day, my own sunrise, my own morning star: your red head radiates strange aerial spikes. When he walks down the sloping skyway from Memorial to the Music building on his way to a long evening class, he sees his reflection in the large classroom window at the base of the slope. He loves that mirror. In it, he is about a foot taller than his five-fiveand-a-half and twenty pounds lighter. He is younger than his sixty years. The silver hair is less telling. As he approaches, the Other ways slightly, moves with the elegant gait of an athlete or dancer. This, he imagines, is my Norwegian double—tall and slender and (at least from this distance) good-looking. Of course as man and image converge, his Other shrinks into an eastern-European, Semitic, rather compact, little old man. Perhaps (he wonders) I have seen the inner image of myself. Perhaps (he smiles) I am happy just to have illusions. Our son’s beard and long Hasidic locks on a head never bowed in prayer hover over his guitar and, till he gets it just so, a heavy-metal riff. The picture of Ollie, our old pup,— his face speaks love, love, love. Like the holiday meal you’ll pretend to let me cook. Or when your hand gently strokes my heaving shoulder: I am sobbing silently because the movie has ended well—a good death, timely reconciliation, vows revived, a renewed breath. 36 3. Thanksgiving 4: To My Son This morning, as I drive from Northfield to Hampton past field after barren field, three wild turkeys foraging and gobbling at the edge of the road— their white-splashed wings, black-feathered trunks, It’s Friday, Z—, and (as always) time to say how much I love you (and your mom too, since I don’t say it often enough though I feel it every minute) and how much I miss you and hope you can spend a few hours with us and Grandma the first weekend in November. We worry about you every day, ‘cuz that’s our job, but we also have an abiding sense of how strong you are: How much you have been through, how far you’ve come, and how you face each day with grit—and, I hope, love. The latter is so hard to do: Over breakfast your mom and I sometimes sit around and whine about our work, about grading student papers. But a little later I’ll be walking across campus and the light will be just right and I’ll see a familiar face amid a group of young people and—I don’t know why—I feel love. I think that’s the word. And I felt it last time we picked you up downtown and you were talking to some scruffy stranger on the street. And the fact that you can still be open to such encounters—isn’t that love too?— filled me with wonder. It’s funny: Old people, among whom I am about to number, have proverbially been beyond wonder, such a romantic and old-fashioned word. But I swear that I still feel it—and that you are among the wonders of my world. red combs poking and pecking the gravel and weeds—surprise me. I flinch. The car swerves. I breathe. They range unruffled. 37 work in progress gabriel bergstrom 38 THE FIRE Elisabeth Beam I stood with my back to the crowd watching the house go up in flames. It happened faster than I had expected. It had taken less than a minute for the fire to spread from the kitchen to the living room and even less time for it to make its way upstairs and into the bedrooms where Grandma and the twins had been peacefully sleeping. Joel stood beside me; his face was dark with ash, his mouth tilted upwards in a sickeningly gleeful smile. Momma had never liked Joel. She said he was a troublemaker and I should do my best to stay away from him. Joel hadn’t always been mean. When I first met him he would bring me friends and make me laugh. He gave me my grey tabby cat, Walter, and my small white bunny, Snowy. We used to all run around the garden and play and laugh. I didn’t like it when Walter and Snowy played. Walter always hurt Snowy. Joel loved it. Snowy’s pain filled shrieks always brought a smile to his face. Joel would play tricks on Momma. He’d move the chair she was about to sit in and she’d tumble to the floor with a crash and a scream. He would put dead things in the twins’ crib for Momma to find. Once he brought a live snake into the house and slipped it into the shower when Momma was in it. She screamed something awful and had locked me in my room for a week. I always got blamed for Joel’s wicked tricks. Momma brought a lot of new friends to the house after that. She brought in men wearing long white coats who talked with me and asked questions about Joel and Walter and Snowy. Joel would stand behind them as they questioned me and make faces. I didn’t understand why they didn’t just talk to Joel and grew frustrated with their questions. Once Momma brought home a man in a black suit. He walked around the house mumbling in a strange language, throwing water on the walls and waving his cross around like a baton. I thought he was crazy. I told Momma and she told me to hush and sit down. The man stood in front of me yelling in his strange way and holding his cross on my forehead. It was cold and made me uncomfortable. Joel got upset. He didn’t like the man and the way he was 39 shouting. The next thing I knew the man was on the floor bleeding from a gash in his head and Joel was laughing loudly in my ear. A bunch of police officers showed up and Joel told me not to tell anyone what he’d done. He said I should blame it on Momma and she’d go away for a long time and stop bothering us. Momma shouted and cried and struggled as the police dragged her away to the sound of Joel’s gleeful laughter and the twins’ high pitched screams. Grandma came after Momma. She was mean. She locked me in my room and told me to stay there until I learned my lesson. I watched him stalk around the room at night mumbling darkly to himself. Grandma made me to go church with her every Sunday, she said I had to pray for my soul for what I’d done to that man and to Momma. I didn’t understand why everyone blamed me for Joel’s tricks and was tired of being punished for all the naughty things that he did. One night at supper, Joel made scary faces at the twins who started wailing. Grandma stood up and yelled at me as she tried desperately to calm the twins. She told me to go to my room. I said no. I pointed at Joel and yelled at him with all my might. This was all his fault. Grandma sent me to bed. Joel told me they were going to send me away. They would separate us and I would never be able to see him again. I told him I was fine with that because he was being horrible. That upset him. He got Walter and Snowy and made me watch as Walter ate Snowy. I cried. He laughed. Joel woke me up at midnight. He told me we could stay together. Me, him, and Walter, but we had to do 40 something first. He smelt like gasoline. He led me to the kitchen and pointed to the stove which was covered with a sticky, sweet smelling liquid. He told me to open my hands. I did. He handed me a lighter. I didn’t want to do it but Joel got angry when I tried to say no. He yelled and told me to do it for all the times Momma blamed me for something he did. That if I did this everyone would finally realize it was him doing all the bad things and not me. My hands were shaking so bad it took me five tries to get the lighter to ignite. When it did I froze and stared at the small flame in my hands. It flickered with every shuttering breath that came out of my mouth. Joel grew impatient and slapped the lighter out of my hand and onto the stove. There was a large whooshing noise and a blast of orange light. My arm hair stood on end and sweat trickled down my face. I backed away. Joel stood in front of the fire and laughed. He threw his arms out wide and danced in tune with the flames. He was crazy but his movements were so beautiful and fluid. It was frightening. The fire advanced toward me. I didn’t want to move. I wanted the fire to eat me like it was going to eat Grandma and the twins. Joel grabbed my hand and led me outside. We stood to the side and watched as the fire slowly ate up the house I had grown up in. The house that the priest, the twins, and Grandma had all died in. Sirens and smoke filled the night air. I looked to my side for Joel, but he had disappeared. DESERT DRUMS Abigail Carpenter When my London flatmate, Raoni, suggested we travel to Northern Africa because he was missing the heat of Brazil, we had no intention of visiting the Sahara Desert and the Atlas Mountains. But we quickly made friends with a generous and hospitable Moroccan man, Raxido, who invited us to a local drum circle at the edge of the Sahara Desert. After traveling on camelback against an orange-rayed sunset, we found ourselves among the sand dunes. We parked our camels single file near our camp, and I realized a place that once only existed in my dreams was now before me. I had to close my eyes for a long while. I opened them over and over again until I was sure of it. I had to reach down and let the sand fall between my fingers slowly. I had to breathe in the crisp, evening air. And when I looked up, the stars speckled in the sky like the summer freckles on my face, thousands and thousands of them. When the drum circle began, I let its music fill me up. It started in my toes and moved higher, tickled my fingers and sent goosebumps up my arms and back. The drums vibrated within my chest and when it reached my mouth, I screamed in laughter. My laugh echoed farther and farther across the desert, not meeting any person or town or house until it was miles and miles away. I wrapped my blanket a little tighter and watched my friends dance around the fire to the beat of the drums. Their legs moved up and down as their hands joined the ashes flying through the night air. For many hours, we sat around the fire, told our stories and spoke aloud our dreams. We danced and sang and took turns pounding the drums. We slept under the stars among the silence of the desert for only a few hours until the sun awoke us on the horizon. And moving through the deep sand, the sunrise at our backs, we rode our camels to the bus to escape the desert heat before it swallowed us up whole. 41 COLORS Hannah Schmit If I am a color call me red The color of passion and love Humanity worn on my sleeve The color of my blood, beating heart. Call me red. If I am a season call me fall With baited chilled breath I speak My words on whirlwind breezes fall An omen of changes to come Call me fall. If I am a sound call me silence. The chaos and stillness of calm My words lost yet encompassing In anticipation of something Call me silence If I am a thought call me hope The desire for something more A yearning call deep within me The need to breathe Call me hope. 42 urban delight jazmin crittenden 43 WHEN DAD WORE COLOGNE A. Tetzlaff “Did Grandpa Mike die?” My small voice broke a quiet that Dad and I carry easily between us. A radio frequency connecting our minds that communicates silently, so we don’t have to. Even at the age of three, I knew our sacred, noiseless space well. Dad took me to a park one day, nearby my childhood home. We rarely visited this park unless we intended to use its snowy slope for adrenaline rushes in our bright plastic sleds in the winter time. But it wasn’t wintertime now. My dad wore a blue t-shirt he’d owned since high school. Summer or spring, the season isn’t particularly distinct. The hills rose nakedly as we quietly approached. I’ve come back to the memory time and again; the images are blurred, like a positive photograph that didn’t come out of the darkroom correctly. I can’t recall how my father responded to my question, though I’m sure he patiently and painfully affirmed my query. In that moment I wasn’t shocked. I wasn’t sad. Presently, I regret that I can’t remember a man who loved me and was so dearly loved by others. I don’t know how he looked aside from the pictures I know. How he talked, laughed, 44 yelled, walked, I don’t recall. Did he wear cologne to work like Dad? When I was young, Dad wore cologne to work. He woke up around five in the morning in order to be at work five-thirty, and he still does, despite the fact that no one expects him in the office till eight. I’d hear his alarm from my bed and wait to smell the mix of dewy summer grass and the spicy knives of cologne in my nostrils. The smell lingered and pulled me back to sleep as Dad left the house. On the day at the park, Dad wasn’t wearing cologne. Dad didn’t wear cologne that day because it was either a weekend or he had the day off or had taken time away to grieve. I don’t remember the call to our corded telephone late one night. It was the hospital telling Mom and Dad that my grandfather died of a heart attack while showering. I don’t know if he died immediately or if the attack was slow, painful, cold, and wet. I will never ask. The thought of breaking the stitches grief so tenuously sewed incites trepidation. Was my young face one of his last images? I’m vain enough to assume so––grandparents always think of the grandbabies first. Was it a comfort? I can only hope. At my Grandfather’s funeral, I can’t remember Mom’s grief. I can’t remember the funeral either.She keeps the remnants of her love tended like a flower garden and tells me of her father often. I have nothing but the cemented walkway leading to the park that summer day deep in my mind. Mom tells me that my grandfather lived as long as he did because he was waiting for me. It was a miracle I was even born, but that’s not my story to tell. She calls me “the sparkle in his eye.” Christopher, my younger and only brother, inherited my grandfather’s bright, Anglo-blue irises. He was born the year after my grandfather died. Christopher joined the Army a few weeks ago; my grandfather was a Marine in the 60s. During his service in Asia, my grandfather collected each country’s currency. Grandma keeps the collection in a red leather box in her bedroom closet. I used to step onto a chair and carefully extract the artifact from the top shelf and touch each coin and each bill. Some of those tenders are much extinct now. The souvenirs of my grandfather’s life are far less valuable to me than those of my travels––those, at least, the mugs and the key chains, those have memories attached of the real thing. I’ve spent most of my life scouring photos and objects, trying to resurrect an authentic memory of my grandfather. Trying to find a sensation that brings him back to me like the early morning scent of Dad’s cologne because I only remember the hills and my words and Dad. The solvents of time washed away my grandfather. 45 SHITTY CHRISTMAS TREES AND SECONDHAND DOLLS Elisabeth Beam When I was a kid we didn’t have a lot of money. But we managed to survive. Mom worked a lot at the dingy looking Super 8 Motel just down the street from the elementary school. You know, the kind of motel that charges by the hour instead of night. She hated it but it was close to school and paid just enough. Around November she would start picking up shifts at other hotels in town to save up more money for Christmas. It was hard. The heat bill always went up mid-October when the chill started to set in and the snow began to fall. Presents were always an issue. Getting stuff for just me and Sarah was usually alright, but Mom came from a big family. Six brothers and sisters all of whom had kids. All of whom would be needing presents. That’s a lot of money. Money we just didn’t have. One year there was a huge blizzard and they canceled school for a week. Sarah was only six at the time and she couldn’t be left alone to take care of herself much less a five-year-old as well. So mom had to stay home from work and look after us. She tried to make it seem like she wasn’t stressed out about the money, but I knew she was. She would pace around the kitchen at night and mumble to 46 herself. She’d crouch over her checkbook and shake her head. She tried to hide it from us, but I noticed. I always noticed when she got like that. A week of work missed meant we wouldn’t be able to afford the gas to get to grandma’s house for Christmas. And a week with everyone at home meant that the heat bill was going to be rough. She was too proud to try and get food stamps. So money that would normally go towards presents went to buying our Christmas feast. We didn’t go to my grandma’s house that Christmas but it was probably the best Christmas of my life. The day before school let out our landlord took out all the carpet in the living room. He said it was due to be replaced and that someone would be over before the holiday to put down some new carpet. “Your feet will be so happy and thankful! That’s the best Christmas present you could ask for!” he had happily told us. No one came. The floor was cold and there were nails and sharp staples sticking up at weird angles. It hurt to step on them and small red dots appeared throughout the house as we all made the mistake of stepping in the living room without socks. Mom put down an old ratty green rug, one that our cats liked to pee on. She bought a small fake green tree from the thrift shop downtown. It was the saddest looking tree. Most of the branches were missing so it had random bald spots sporadically around its leaning trunk. A good number of the ornaments that we put on it fell off because it couldn’t support their weight. We made new ones out of paper and glitter. Mom wrapped tinsel she’d taken from work around it and Sarah and I sloppily placed string lights. We put an old family picture at the top of the tree because we were too scared that our expensive Christmas angel would fall and break if we tried to stick her up there. Thinking back on it now it was a pretty shitty looking tree, but back then I thought it was the best thing I’d ever seen in my life. I remember sitting on the floor amongst the nails and staples and looking at it glittering and glistening and thinking that it was a far better tree than anyone else could ever have. I thought that even if we’d spend a million dollars on a tree and all its dressings that it wouldn’t even be able to come close to this masterpiece sitting before me. For Christmas Eve we blasted holiday music and ran around the living room twirling and waving our arms above our heads. Mom had somehow found time to make new flannel pajamas for both me and Sarah and we had immediately put them on. She had also given us each a doll that she’d found at a thrift store. They looked ratty and dirty but I loved them both. Every bit of dust and matted patch of hair was a story waiting to be told. The dolls had character and I loved it.That shitty tree and our thrift store dolls were great but they weren’t what made that night so special. It was that we were all together, making the most out of what we had and not lamenting what we were missing. I think as we grow up we lose the magic in secondhand dolls and shitty Christmas trees. 47 summer nights adam ruff 48 the people united adam ruff 49 after the hike adam ruff 50 CRUMBS Malena Larsen He’s looking for love In the crevices of his couch Like loose change. I saw him lift up the cushions And pull out crumbs His mother’s earring A quarter The spoon he dropped last week After eating ice cream out of the container. It was chocolate cookie dough and he ate the whole thing. I watched him put the quarter in his back pocket and the spoon back in the cushions. I told him I had been in love once And he said I like it when girls call me daddy. I had a dream that night that he was dating somebody and my stomach hurt when I woke up. I became a spoon in the couch cushion Who said words like Daddy And Fuck me And Hard. At the end of every night I was put back with the crumbs, and each day that he came to get me there was more cat hair or lint stuck to me I waited patiently Dirty For him to pick me up. It was 77 degrees the late summer night he stopped getting me from the cushions. He told me that he found somebody to love and we can’t be friends, because if I see you I’ll fuck you. I asked him why he couldn’t control himself if he was in love with somebody. The inside of my ribcage Was being scraped empty 51 Like the chocolate cookie dough ice cream container And my stomach hurt Like it did after the dream Where he wasn’t mine I can’t help it. He told me. I like it when girls call me daddy. When we met he was wearing a suit and it looked like he had spent a lot of time on his hair but I didn’t think he was attractive until the weekend when I was drunk. Across the table On the other side of red cups And puddles of water He stared at me In a grey tank top. His eyes And arms Were strong 52 And dark. Making eye contact felt like sex And he smelled like Fireball And somebody I shouldn’t be alone with And too much cologne. We went swimming at 6 am at the neighbor’s lakefront when everyone else fell asleep. He took off his shirt I kept mine on. The water fell off of him like it didn’t want to keep his body covered for too long. He picked me up and folded me over his right shoulder and threw me into the 6 am summer sweet lake water. He drove me home At 7 am Still drunk and Smitten. It was 88 degrees and my birthday the night I let him kiss me in the back hallway of our friend’s frat. I couldn’t wait anymore He told me In the house that smelled like Liquor and dust And damp wood. The first time we Fucked Was in the front seat of his White Pontiac Grand prix At 11 pm on a Tuesday. I saw him almost As an animal. His fists Were clenched And his eyebrows Like shelves Over his beetle eyes. Do you like fucking daddy? After that night I had to sneak him into my bedroom because he couldn’t do all of the positions he wanted to in his car. He needed to prove to me that he was the best fuck and that he could make me cum and that I should call him Daddy. I had never called fucking, fucking before. Before I was a dirty spoon it had only been called love. His eyes started to remind me Of Tiny Round Black beetles. There’s nobody else anymore We should just keep fucking. And when we fucked It was 66 degrees and almost fall when he came to my house in his white Pontiac Grand Prix and told me I remembered then, the quarter he put in his pants and how he used me to eat his ice cream and then put me back with all the crumbs in the cushions of 53 his couch Where he keeps looking for love Like it’s the loose change In his back pocket. 54 bloomed audrey campbell 55 pruned audrey campbell 56 HERMAN Danny Polaschek Grape juice dribbled down Herman’s chin and landed in scattered droplets down the front of his white T-shirt. He didn’t notice and, after setting down his half-emptied glass, picked up his spoon and started on his bowl of bran flakes. Sitting at the kitchen table, there was nothing in front of Herman —but a bare white wall. It seemed, however, that he wasn’t looking at it, but rather through it like a child looks through a window and, seeing nothing but gray skies and rain, is overwhelmed by disappointment because they will not be outdoors playing that day. As Herman sat there facing the white wall and chomping his cereal, his son entered the kitchen and began his morning ritual. Herman heard the coffee-maker start bubbling from somewhere behind him in the kitchen along with the quick and efficient pitter-pattering of his son’s feet, who Herman assumed had to be walking laps around the center island as some sort of new, trendy morning workout. Once the coffee maker’s burbling came to an end the footsteps stopped as well. Herman focused on the sound of the coffee being poured, the soft sound of liquid filling a ceramic mug. The sound stopped as quickly as it had started and Herman was further drawn from his relaxed, monotonous state by the sound of his son’s voice. “How are the flakes this morning, Dad?” Herman didn’t turn around to face his son, but continued with what he was doing, looking like a cow chewing cud. “Five star quality,” he replied in between spoonfuls. “Flaky as ever.” Herman’s son chuckled a bit and looked up from his fresh cup of coffee but the laugh died away when he noticed that his father was still turned away from him, eyes glued straight ahead. Taking another sip, Herman’s son pondered whether he would keep pursuing his father in conversation or not. He ultimately decided against it and left the kitchen, coffee mug in hand. A sigh escaped Herman’s throat as he set down his spoon, finished with his mushed and soggy cereal. Ain’t this the life, he thought to himself sarcastically. Finally turning away from the wall, Herman scooted himself back from the kitchen table and slowly stood up. He gripped the side of the table for balance and took a few deep breaths in an effort to steady himself. Just a few weeks before, Herman had 57 missed a stair descending to the basement and found himself tumbling clumsily down the rest of the way until crashing to a stop on the last few steps. Herman’s head still felt a bit shaky from time to time, which caused a bit of a tremble in his legs. Instead of walking from place to place, he grew accustomed to maneuvering his way to each destination by leaning on and grabbing anything he could for support and then flinging himself to another sturdy checkpoint, and so on and so forth until he reached his goal. It was much like a monkey swinging from vine to vine, but less precise and much less graceful. With his feet finally under him, legs steady, Herman pushed away from the kitchen table and launched himself to the kitchen counter, which caught him with cold indifference. Hunched over, Herman caught his breath for a few seconds before beginning to shuffle down the length of the marble counter towards the coffeemaker at the other end. “This better be a damn good cup of Joe,” he mumbled to himself, clearly exhausted. Halfway down the counter, Herman stopped. With a steady grip on the counter he reached up to the cupboard above his head and swung it open. He couldn’t see inside but he knew that what he was looking for was in there: his old blue coffee mug— one of the only things worth bringing with when he moved into his son’s house the year before. Feeling around the smooth, wooden interior, Herman eventually got a hold of his mug which distinguished itself by having only half of a handle still attached. With the partial handle hooked onto his ring and middle fingers, Herman pulled out his mug and brought it shakily down over his head, setting it on the counter with a soft “clink.” Herman was beginning to feel dizzy at this 58 point, and wished for a moment that he had listened to the doctor about getting a walker. “Mr. Huckley,” the doctor said, “even if you don’t think you’ll use it, take it anyways. Just in case.” Herman didn’t take the walker, and wouldn’t even let anyone help to walk him out of the hospital, not even his son. “I don’t need your damn help,” he snorted each time someone tried to take his arm to steady him. He was always a stubborn man and old age wasn’t going to change that. Continuing down the counter, Herman felt this same stubborn anger boiling in him. He was almost seventy years old and yet he felt like a child who was just learning to walk. He’d built his own home, and a garage to go with it, and now he could hardly make it to the opposite end of the room without feeling fatigued. Sweat was running hot from Herman’s forehead. He wiped it with a shaky hand and breathed in deeply, closing his eyes as he did so. He only had five or so more steps to go and he braced himself for the final stretch, determined to get there even if it killed him. With a focused balance and patient, shuffling steps Herman managed to get to the end of the counter and the coffee pot. He exhaled in relief, and a satisfied smile tugged the corners of his mouth up ever so slightly. With his blue mug in one hand, Herman picked up the coffeepot in the other, intent on pouring himself a well-deserved cup of coffee after his tiresome journey. His satisfaction was immediately replaced with bitterness as he lifted the pot and felt that it was nearly empty, only a few drops remained rolling around in the bottom. Herman’s minute smile had vanished and his brow hardened, scrunching up his forehead in small, tense knots. Setting the pot back on the counter, Herman hissed repeatedly under his breath, cursing his son for not leaving him any coffee. Herman’s hands were visibly trembling and he was having a difficult time keeping a grip on the edge of the counter. He contemplated making more coffee but dismissed the idea immediately, knowing that he could not remain standing and moving around the kitchen much longer. Herman felt a hot flush come over his face and could feel beads of sweat rolling down his temples and his cheeks. In one swift motion he wound up and threw his coffee mug across the room, where it shattered against the windowless, white wall. Slivers and shards of ceramic bounced all over the kitchen, the blue pieces scattered like shattered glass. Herman heard footsteps drumming down the staircase before his son entered the room,stopping in the doorway to avoid stepping on any of the pieces of blue ceramic. “Dad!” he exclaimed, “What happened? Herman was bent over, hunched with his hands on his knees. He was struggling for breath now, and sweat soaked through his shirt on his back. In between wheezes, Herman said exasperated, “You didn’t leave me any damn coffee, you son of a bitch.” His son stood there eyeing first his father and then the indent in the wall where the mug had hit. He shook his head in disbelief, which quickly turned to anger. With a clenched jaw, he left the room and returned a minute later with broom in hand. He began quietly sweeping the blue bits of coffee mug into a dustpan. After Herman had caught his breath and recomposed himself, he pulled his body back into a standing position, leaning against the counter. He glanced to his son, bent over and sweeping under the kitchen table. “I heard you on the phone last night,” he said. Herman kept his eyes on his son as he stood and turned to face him. His son raised an eyebrow at him but gave no verbal reply. “I heard you,” Herman repeated. His son bit his lip and continued sweeping, eyes trained on the floor. “It’s just not working, dad.” 59 EL BARRIO SUYO Chad Berryman El viento le envolvió al hombre como una manta de hielo. Él andaba por el barrio suyo pero los vecinos no lo saludaron. Caminaba delante de una casa grande con flores y grandes ventanas, y por esas ventanas podía oír una pelea entre dos padres y los lamentos penosos de sus hijos. Él seguía la acera que serpenteaba por un parque lindo donde había un banco solitario. Él Lo saludó con la cabeza. Recordaba unas noches del verano cuando este banco no había ofrecido insultos ni acusaciones, sino un lugar simpático para descansar mientras él le regalaba un uso admirable. Pero en el invierno el banco se congelaba como él, y ambos eran incapaces de ayudarse el uno al otro. Paseaba delante de una casa blanca de arquitectura maravillosa. Un coche altanero llegara la entrada. Un padre sincero apareció mientras acababa de contar los acontecimientos de su día. Su hija miraba su celular, y el silencio suspiró por la expresión herida de la cara del padre. Ellos entraron a la casa sin otra palabra. El hombre nómada seguía caminando, y pronto la nieve dentro de sus venas se derretía por una balada antigua que se tarareaba al ritmo de sus pasos. 60 No pido mucho, no vivo de prisa canto los himnos con risa bendita no tengo nada salvo alma amada y sin despedida no hay la llegada THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD Chad Berryman The frigid air wrapped around the man like a blanket of ice. He was travelling through his own neighborhood, but no neighbors acknowledged him. As he walked in front of a large, picturesque house, complete with flowers and giant windows, he could make out the sound of two parents fighting accompanied by the upsetting cries of their children. The sidewalk snaked its way through a park in which there stood one solitary bench. With a nod of his head, the man greeted it. Nights of summers past filled his mind, nights in which the bench had not offered insults or accusations but rather a consoling place of rest while he presented it with the gift of an honorable purpose. However, the bench froze and shivered in the winter the same as he, and neither could provide the other with any relief. He passed by a white house of grand construction. There, a flashy car had just pulled into the driveway. From it emerged an earnest father finishing the recounting of his day. His daughter, however, simply stared at her phone, and the wounded expression on her father’s face betrayed an unsung sigh. The two entered the house without another word. As the wandering man continued walking, the snow in his veins began to melt due to an old tune he commenced to hum in time with his steps. I don’t ask for much, or live in a rush in my blessed laughter the hymns come alive there’s nothing I own save a soul that is loved for without a farewell one could never arrive 61 ODYSSEY Eve Taft Thank you for the twisted pathways of your mind Which led to the streets and alleyways of Dublin James Joyce, do you understand that you opened floodgates? Your avalanche of babbling sentences, sans punctuation Buck Mulligan tossing form and style into the wind Your catechism, you, Daedalus, gave us sacrament Blood flow to wake up the numb limbs of literature You spoke with your soul to our souls Fearing not the noise in your skull but flinging it down in ink I understand you, “life is many days” I understand you, “god is a shout in the street” I understand you, “I am another now and yet the same” You understand me “everything speaks in its own way” Soon I’ll visit your beloved homeland Walking the streets of Dublin, writing and giving thanks to modernism Now as free of rigid form As Ireland of England 62 postcards from my bedroom audrey campbell 63 postcards from my bedroom audrey campbell 64 COUNTING SHEEP Danny Polaschek What can you do when the world is asleep? Go to sleep too? I’ve counted all my sheep. They jumped through the air gliding for 5 or 6 feet cleared the fence and then flew with not even a bleat. I didn’t focus however on these aerial sheep antics because far away in the distance was a sight oh so fantastic. A blue house, with a single light on in the window sat a girl a beauty no pencil could ever have drawn. I looked up at her and she down at me addicted to the eyesight too distracted to count sheep. 65 3 sky nights keeyonna fox 67 inner self keeyonna fox 68 VICTORY OF THE PEOPLE Petra S. Shaffer-Gottschalk Your worship was my refuge, your clay heart my focal point, your chelsea smile the apple of my eye. We were sick. We poisoned ourselves with amphetamines and pills until we didn’t recognize ourselves in the mirror. We walked miles just to feel accomplished in our space, we turned the cigarettes we shared into sentiments we thought we shared. I must possess the wrong innocence. Souls are fickle things that change when left to die in the cold. ~ He was outrageously tall. He towered over me like the Statue of Liberty and he talked to me as though I was a boat in the harbor. Standing five inches taller than six feet, he was an image of Ukrainian beauty. He stood like someone who knew things you didn’t know and this fascinated me. I was so naive, so optimistic. I saw the lust and want in his eyes and I mistook it for passion.The curve of his jaw and his long eyelashes crept into the screens behind my eyelids and ignited a fire in me that I didn’t know how to put out. I was the new girl in town struggling to keep my loneliness at bay. He was a gleaming light in that summer of darkness. I had just moved to Minnesota months before. After discovering drugs and promiscuous sex I became nothing short of a hurricane. Amphetamines kept me awake, cigarettes kept me skinny, and weed kept me sane. My GPA reflected exactly what they don’t tell you about functional depression: you can feel like a blank page, but as long as you fill it with words people will stop asking questions. He was selling me drugs. He offered me a good price. I had never met him but I figured what the hell, I could stand to meet new people. It was dark, long past sundown. We were meeting in a parking lot by a lake a few blocks away from my house. I was in my mom’s car. I waited and listened to Amy Winehouse until I saw an orange car pull into a parking spot a few yards away from me. The man driving fit the picture I had seen of him before. We 69 made eye contact and he ushered me over to his car. I took a deep breath, grabbed my sweater, and got my money ready. He rolled down the passenger side window. “You Nikita?” I said. He smiled at me. A smile that I would come to know. “You can call me Kita.” ~ He had really good drugs. I’m not sure that they were pure, but at the time I didn’t care. Neither did he. We just wanted to get high. We did his drugs together, sitting in a playground by the lake, talking about life and what we crave. He told me that he was applying to a college in London. I didn’t think anything of it. Before long we saw each other every day. He was a lifeguard who had to be on duty early in the morning, so he would take me out for coffee at eight in the morning. No makeup, sweatpants, my hair in a messy bun. He didn’t care. We would talk about things that we hadn’t shared with anyone else. He told me he struggled with his relationship with his father in Ukraine. I told him that I had struggled with eating disorders since I was thirteen. We would sneak out onto his back porch to smoke cigarettes late at night. His mother hated that we smoked. 70 “You need to quit smoking, love,” she’d tell me. “I smoked for twenty-five years and it took two pregnancies to get me to stop.” His mother loved me. She thought that I was spunky, independent, had a mind of my own. She did not like his last girlfriend. She made that very clear. She, like Nikita, was very tall. She had long curly black hair and eyes so intense that you would lose your appetite. Her Russian accent was thick and powerful. She had run away to the United States when she was twenty-one and seven months pregnant with her first son. Nikita. “Does it mean anything?” I asked him. “Your name.” He smiled when he answered. “My mom told me it means ‘victory of the people,’” he said. Oh Kita, you have no victory. You are the secret I keep from my mother the hidden disease that projectile vomits and digs with fingernails sharpened by teeth. Your fields of sunflowers told me a secret, your secrets so dark and beautiful and I killed myself with your gargantuan sunflowers. His mother was beautiful. She had been a professional figure skater that traveled the world, meeting people as she went. She met Kita’s father in her home country of Ukraine and according to the story, he was immediately drawn to her exuberant personality and her long legs. At twenty-one she was well on her way to continue pursuing a successful skating career until she got pregnant. According to Kita his father did not accompany her to her appointments.He did not send her flowers. He did not ask if she was okay. Instead Kita’s mother made her way to America to create a life of victory and hope. He took me to meet his grandmother. She said hello and came in and that was the last that I understood. The entire time I was there she would ask me questions in Russian and Kita would translate for me. He taught me how to say Hello (Privet) Yes (da) No (net) And thank you, which I don’t remember. We spent almost the entire time we were there trying to help his grandmother set up a new movie streaming program on her computer. I know nothing about computers in English, let alone in Russian. I was overwhelmed. The leather furniture just made my nervous sweat more noticeable. She told me about Ukraine a little bit. She said it was beautiful but troubled. She offered me chocolate and cookies. I sat, sweating, trying my hardest to pay attention. When I said anything to her, Kita would translate for me. I wanted to leave. After we left his grandmother’s house he told me to wait in his car while he talked privately with his grandmother. I thought it was strange but didn’t question it. I played mindless games on my phone while I waited for him. Some part of me knew that they were talking about me, but I continued to deny it. I was hungry, but I wasn’t planning on doing anything about it too soon. I was hungry often then. When he returned to the car I asked what they had talked about and with no hesitation he said, “You.” I paused, then asked him to elaborate. “She likes you,” he said. And that was that. How strange, I thought, to be liked by someone who never explicitly spoke a word to me. ~ Andrevich was Kita’s middle name. Named after his father. Kita’s father was very handsome. In his forties with tan skin and thick hair, he was a heartthrob that would make you look twice. He lived in a nice, expensive apartment in Kiev with his girlfriend who was twenty years younger than him. Apparently that was a theme. Kita had only seen his father a handful of times in his life. He had gone back to Ukraine to spend some time with him as a young boy, but didn’t have too much recollection of it. When he was sixteen he went back to live with his father and his twenty-yearold girlfriend for a while. Kita has always been tall, thin, and handsome. His father noticed this. “So what happened?” I asked him one day. 71 Kita shrugged. “He kicked me out and I came back to the states,” he said without a flinch. He said this as though it was a commonality. “He thought that I fucked his girlfriend,” he said as he lit a cigarette. There was a very long, uncomfortable silence. “Did you?” I asked. He laughed out loud and a cloud of smoke poured out of his mouth. “No, of course not,” he said. “My dad isn’t one to listen to a sixteen year old.” ~ “I’ll take you to Ukraine someday.” “Sunflowers. There are parts of Ukraine where there are endless fields of sunflowers wherever you look. They’re as tall as me and the flowers are bigger than my face.” He pulled me closer as he talked about Ukraine. He insisted that I learn all that I could about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, sending me innumerable articles daily. Through him I learned about the importance of the Ukrainian revolution and fights that had been fought, some as recent as 2011 and 2012. He told me that he wanted to fight for his people if he had to. When my eyes were flushed with concern, he pulled me in close and whispered in my ear, “I’ll survive for you.” His eyes lit up every time he talked about the fields of sunflowers in Ukraine. In the same way, his eyes lit up every time he got angry. Your golden eyes drew miners to starve and fight to abandon their homes. We were in his bed, naked, wrapped up in blankets and speckled by the corner light in his room. It was late, the kind of late that feels early. The air conditioner hummed in the place of our phones which were both off and hidden somewhere in the room. He did no wrong. He could not do any wrong. His eyes were blank but telling like a wall in a foreclosed home. All of his intentions were good. Yes. Good. “Where in Ukraine?” I asked. “Have you been eating?” he asks as he lifts up my shirt. “Kiev, the city squares. And to the huge fields of flowers.” “What kind of flowers?” 72 ~ I squirm away and pull my shirt down. “Yes, I ate just before I came here,” I say. I can still taste the salt in my mouth. “You look skinny,” he tells me with a hint of disdain in his voice. My heart soars. I look skinny. But he’s reaching for my stomach again and once again I’m backing away. We get into the car and drive to the gas station. I say that I need to go use the restroom. While Kita pumps the gas, I make my way into the small Holiday bathroom. I put my sweater on the ground and rest my knees on it, my usual routine. I stick my finger down my throat and vomit into the toilet. As I walk back outside, Kita is getting back into his car. I get in the front seat and sniffle slightly.Kita looks at me quizzically. “You okay?” he asks me. My eyes are watery, my nose is burning, and my breath is putrid. “I’m fine,” I say with a smile. ~ The elevator door was so cold against my cheek. I watched the red numbers blink as they rose. 8...9...10...11. My vision was going fuzzy and grey, my ears started ringing and throbbing. 11...12...13. Ding. The doors opened and my wobbly legs carried me down the seemingly endless hallway. My hands were barely working; as I watched them push my key into my apartment door I could not feel it. The door opened, I could see my living room window. I closed the door behind me and collapsed on the ground. “Why did you faint?” His words echoed behind the screen of my phone. “I just haven’t eaten a lot today.” There was a silence so deafening that it struck fear in my heart. Fear I had not known. “When did you eat last?” He had anger in his voice. I paused. He would know if I lied but he would hate the truth. “I had a little dinner last night,” I said quietly. “What did you eat?” His reply was sharp. I was shaking. “I had a little bit of salad I think,” I said with a quivering voice. I could hear his sigh. I can still hear his sigh. “How many times have we talked about this?” He exclaimed. “I know, I know, I’m sorry…” It didn’t matter. He didn’t listen. I had failed him again. “Do you know what it’s like to have a girlfriend that can’t even take care of herself ?” “What am I going to tell my friends?” “You’re not even trying.” I was sobbing, I was convulsing, I was sweating, all from my bed from which I could not move. My phone was glued to my ear and I had no energy to remove it. “So what are you going to do about this?” There was intense spite in his words. With a shaky voice I said, “I could send you a picture of everything I eat?” He laughed. With his full, angry throat he laughed 73 at my pain. “And do what? Post it on Facebook? Show all my friends that my girlfriend is an anorexic who can’t even feed herself ? You know what, go ahead. Maybe that’ll help you change.” I couldn’t breathe. I wanted to die. My stomach kept whispering “never again, never again, never again.” Opening my mouth made me panic because it reminded me of eating. I hung up my phone and with wobbly legs I walked outside in the snow and smoked an entire pack of cigarettes. ~ Months go by. Months. I watched him pack his bag with clothes that I had never seen him wear. He packed light, only a few shirts and two pairs of pants. “My dad will buy me more when I get to Ukraine,” he said. I sat on the edge of his bed and watched him focus on folding his clothes. His visa sat in the center of the bed, staring at me. I started to cry. “Babe, it’s going to be fine,” Kita said without breaking focus. I watched him form a pile of the shirts that I had grown used to him wearing. They looked like wilted flower petals. 74 “Why aren’t you taking those?” I asked, pointing to the wilted pile. “My father won’t like them,” he said. Later that night, we were drinking red wine in his bed. His room was bare and cold. I was curled against his side, my head on his chest. He stroked my bare back and played with my hair. I sighed, but not the kind of sigh that’s followed with kisses. Kita sighed too. “Petra,” he said, a tone of exasperation in his voice. “If I ever treat you like my father treats women, please leave me.” ~ I still remember how to say “I love you” in Russian. “я люблю тебя.” Ya lyublyu tebya. ~ My fingers were bones. Anything beyond mascara was too much, especially lipstick. He hated lipstick. He thought that it brought too much attention to my mouth. He didn’t like when other people noticed me. He stopped smoking cigarettes and instructed me to do so too. “They’ll make you age faster,”he would say. If I had a bad day and smoked a cigarette, he would tell me he was disappointed. I lived with three men at the time, something that Kita would never let me forget. He asked every few days to be sure I wasn’t sleeping with any of my roommates. If I was spending too much time with a friend, he would tell me that I was neglecting him. He sent me articles outlining how to be a better partner. He reminded me that he just wanted me to be the best that I could be. The screaming and hour-long phone calls were footnotes. You stripped me of my dignity and told me, “This is what you have.” Your monstrous arms crawl into my nightmares Your titanic stature collided with my glacier and though you claim I sank you You were a behemoth and I was a stone. At the end, I fell into the ground. His screams surrounded me in my echo chamber and suffocated me. My knees were bruised from kneeling in front of the toilet all night. How apt for the one accused of dropping to her knees for all men. I was free but I did not know it yet. All I knew was the cold floor of my bathroom and the tales of beautiful but troubled Ukraine. My goodbyes have been said, These addictions fed. It’s the cost that comes with the sickness. And your screams won’t be heeded anymore. 75 AN OPEN LETTER TO THE UN-SPECIALS Halle Chambers When we are little, even before we can speak We are told that we’re special and that we’re unique. That we all are made different and that none are the same Which fits quite nicely in a toddler’s mind frame. And we are told we should treasure what’s different inside, That what makes us different is not something to hide. But then quite soon after, things start to change; The word “different” stops meaning “special” and starts meaning “strange.” We’re sectioned off from our average peers In our own little category and told, “you belong here,” And then different is bad and normal is good, And for the different ones, nothing is working the way that it should The way we’ve been taught or the way we’ve been shown All we know is that we do not like being lost on our own. 76 So once again we are taken away To a place where things makes sense again and we’re ok: Where no one hurts us, Where no one can see, Where no one deserts us, Where we can be free. But because the un-specials can’t see what goes on, They decide to make things up and get so much wrong. And it’s happened for years because they can’t see through that door. So long they don’t even know that it’s wrong anymore. It’s so fixed in their heads that these lies are right; They judge each special kid by their stereotype. But today that will end. So you sit there and you wait, cause it’s about time someone set the dang record straight. You probably think that this poem won’t cut it, But today I’m gonna open the door and don’t you dare shut it! To start, let’s be clear: I am...I was in Special Ed. But just because I was in that room doesn’t mean I’m brain dead! So for Pete’s sake, don’t puppy dog guard me! Just give me a break, it isn’t that hard see: If I need your help, I will tell you I do. Just please, Please don’t mock me. In my place, would you want me to mock you? “Oh come on! Let her get it! Go easy on her!” Help, where not needed, is almost as bad as a slur. I’m not invalid So don’t play that card. Yeah, I’m a little quirky and oversensitive, But I’m not, and I quote, “A little retard.” Yeah, I’ve been called names. And those words? They hurt. They catch in the center, In your pit of self worth. And they tear and they rip, And those words are collective. Soon you start to believe that you are defective. I’ve dealt with them all, and surprisingly, I actually prefer the straight up bullies To those who pretend to like me. Fake friends and two-faces Of all genders and races. They’re only my friends so they don’t have to see me cry. Or they use me, abuse me, Oh, how they confuse me! Cause I can’t tell what’s truth and what’s lie. “Hey! He likes you. Go give him a kiss!” And because I don’t know better, I believe this. But soon I find they’re not playing Cupid, They just wanna make me look stupid. For their entertainment, they make me play the 77 fool; They pretend that they care for me When they’re really just cruel. It takes time and takes work to make you forget; Even now, I’m not quite there yet. I mean, here I am, in what’s supposed to be home, And yet here I am, still feeling alone. I’m still paranoid, it doesn’t just end; I still have to ask if someone’s my friend. I say one thing and mean another; I make a mistake, But you take it verbatim. Can’t you cut me a break? If we’re talking and I look like I’m lost, Don’t blow it off like it’s not worth the cost. Sarcasm and subtlety muddle in my brain, So please just take a minute to explain. Do these quirks make me broken? Is there something wrong with me? The way society has spoken, There would seem to be. 78 Stop poisoning the minds of “different” young women and men. I don’t like being defective.... Can I be special again? SOREX PALUSTRIS Emilie Tomas Did they name you for Your wit, pointed Nose of pointed judgement Who brought us fire; five to seven inches of shrewd truth? Or was it your mischief That Inspired them? Your Presence followed by screams And a three inch tail. I saw your likeness on a stage, Dirt in place of your midnight coat Though she is reformed now. Perhaps it was the gleam in your Eyes; whispered fortunes and A summer of silver birth. Maybe you are a messenger Of God, somehow in your Eighteen months you learned to walk On water, the second coming Of Christ. 79 woodsy adam ruff gabriel bergstrom 80 WORDS Malena Larsen The bathroom wall was covered in words. Words like fuck and love and song lyrics and names with hearts around them. His body looked peaceful, somehow, as he sat propped and slumped against the door. His head hung to his right shoulder and his mouth was open like he was about to say something but was interrupted. There was blood running down his left arm like a river and a needle hung loosely out of his skin. The words that he had heard her say several hours earlier were getting quieter and quieter. “It’s not working,” she had told him. “I’m sorry.” They were smoking cigarettes outside her apartment when she said it. She knew he had been trying to fix himself. After twenty-eight days of treatment and one week in a sober house on Lake and Fifth she barely recognized him. He was twenty-five pounds heavier and his skin looked clean and strong; there was no more grey in his cheeks. It wasn’t just his change in appearance that scared her. Lately, he had been telling her the difference between wrong and right and that she should stay in on the weekends. His family couldn’t stop talking about how proud they were of him and they would ask her, “Doesn’t he just seem so much better?” She would answer with yes but feel guilty because she wished he still liked to make mistakes. His family had a party after he got out of treatment and his grandfather kept saying things like, “Men in this family have always been strong!” and, “Now he can take care of you.” His grandfather didn’t care for her much but he felt that she was the least of the boy’s problems. He didn’t like the way she hung on him like a scarf or the way she agreed with everything he said without a second thought. As he sat on the bathroom floor the words she had said were getting quieter and quieter. They were almost gone. He had been sober for thirty-five days and he didn’t know why. He didn’t feel better or stronger or more loved. His hand lay loosely on the floor, palm up and open like he was waiting for somebody to hold it. Everyone was so proud of him but he couldn’t imagine living his life without her. Long after her words had faded completely, the bathroom door opened. He fell back onto the floor. His head hitting hard against the tile. 81 “Oh my gosh!” The man who opened the door yelled. “Can someone help?” He took out his phone to call 911. A crowd of people rushed over to where the man was dialing. A young man pushed past the group of people. “Move!” The boy got on his knees by the body on the floor. He reached into his pocket and took out something that looked like a pen. He stuck it into the arm of the body that was needle free. People gasped and murmured and watched. Sirens rang in the distance. The boy holding the pen looked up at the bathroom wall that had words like fuck and love and song lyrics and names with hearts around them. He looked up at the group of people. “It’s not working,” he said. 82 MALCOLM AND THE BLUE SIDE Danny Polaschek Brown leaves dragged past Malcolm’s feet in the wind. The bench underneath him felt like a rock and he had to clench his jaw to keep his teeth from chattering. He stared at the empty playground—the tire swing, the slide, the bridge and the fireman’s pole. Nikki rested her head on his shoulder. Each time a breeze swept through, Malcolm could feel her nuzzle slightly closer, her hair scratching and tickling his neck. When he was a kid, Malcolm had sat on this exact same bench many times with his mother. They lived in a little blue house just a few blocks away— “just a hop and a skip,” his mother would say and Malcolm would make it his mission to jump and bunny-hop the whole way there. When they arrived, they’d eat lunch, sitting together on the narrow, wooden bench. After each bite of his sandwich, Malcolm would beg his mother to let him go play, to which she would give in once she herself had
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Title: Augsburg Now Fall 2004
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: A P U B L I C AT I O N Fall 2004 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 67, No. 1 EEditor’s DITOR’Snote NOTE What is an Augsburg education? Joan Griffin, Augsburg’s director of general education, writes that an Augsburg education is an education for a...
Show more A P U B L I C AT I O N Fall 2004 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 67, No. 1 EEditor’s DITOR’Snote NOTE What is an Augsburg education? Joan Griffin, Augsburg’s director of general education, writes that an Augsburg education is an education for action. It is an education to prepare students to become effective, informed, and ethical citizens. It asks students to explore answers to the big questions within the context of values and beliefs that matter. At Augsburg students are challenged to discover the very best in themselves. The new Augsburg Core Curriculum, highlighted in this issue, truly gives distinction to an Augsburg education. The result of several years of thoughtful and deliberate collaboration, the new core curriculum offers a blueprint for a learning community that connects each and every element of the College’s mission with its vision. It respects and reflects the College’s heritage, including its vital role in the community, working in partnership to prepare students for responsible citizenship. Augsburg has long believed, before many other colleges around the country, that students learn best when combining their classroom learning with experience outside the classroom. In the Augsburg Core, every student is required to complete an Augsburg experience— through internships (and student teaching, practica, cooperative education, etc.), faculty-student research, service-learning, study abroad, or other off-campus immersion activities. Augsburg’s leadership role in this area has been affirmed repeatedly—most recently and importantly by the honor bestowed upon sociology professor Garry Hesser as Minnesota’s Professor of the Year, from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Hesser has also received national awards for his pioneering work in developing experiential education and continuing national presence in promoting it. Augsburg’s Center for Global Education and service-learning program have also received national and regional awards for their excellence in programs. The new Augsburg Core has good reason to make all Augsburg alumni proud of their Augsburg education. Enjoy reading about it, as well as about some important events in our campus life—Homecoming 2004, Advent Vespers 25th anniversary, and the upcoming Nobel Peace Prize Forum and Festival in February. Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. Editor Betsey Norgard Assistant Editor Lynn Mena Graphic Designer Kathy Rumpza Class Notes Coordinator Sara Kamholz ’04 Photographer Stephen Geffre President William V. Frame Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Amy Sutton Director of Public Relations and Communication Dan Jorgensen Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058–1545 Postmaster: Send address corrections to: Advancement Services Augsburg College, CB 142 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 healyk@augsburg.edu E-mail: now@augsburg.edu Telephone: 612-330-1181 Fax: 612-330-1780 Betsey Norgard Editor Greetings of the season Augsburg College, as affirmed in its mission, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, or disability in its education policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and/or school administered programs, except in those instances where religion is a bona fide occupational qualification. Augsburg College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to its employees and its students. www.augsburg.edu A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS Fall 2004 Vol. 67, No. 1 Features FEATURES 15 The Augsburg Core Curriculum: Educating for work, educating for life This special issue introduces readers to the new Augsburg Core Curriculum—the broad general education that forms the foundation for an Augsburg education. Signature elements of the Augsburg Core draw on the College’s heritage, values, and mission. 11 Vision The newsletter for Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College 4 Advent Vespers celebrates 25th anniversary year DEPARTMENTS Departments 2 Around the Quad 6 Sports 8 Homecoming 2004 Awards 27 Alumni News 30 Homecoming 2004 Photos On the cover: 34 Class Notes 40 In Memoriam inside back cover Calendar 50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post—consumer waste) Over 300 first-year students begin their educational journey through the Augsburg Arch, the visual representation of their Augsburg education, at the Opening Celebration, where they are welcomed into the Augsburg community. Photo by Stephen Geffre. AROUND QUAD Around THE the Quad Notes in brief Namibia center celebrates 10 years Convo series explores social justice themes PA students excel on exam The May graduates in the Physician Assistant Program received among the highest scores in the country on the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants board examination. The Class of 2004 received a mean score of 613, ranking in the 99th percentile, as compared to the national mean score of 510. Augsburg’s program is Minnesota’s only PA training program; in 2002 it became a graduate program and received full accreditation. The Class of 2004 is the first to graduate at the master’s level. Augsburg moves up in college rankings Once again, U.S.News & World Report has included Augsburg in the top tier of its annual ranking of best universities, tied for 20th place—a move up from 24th place last year. The College is ranked among 142 institutions in the category “Best Midwestern Universities-Master’s” and is compared with other area colleges and universities that offer both undergraduate and graduate degrees. Also, The Princeton Review has once again included Augsburg among the 170 colleges named “Best in the Midwest,” based on student responses as well as on recognition by the media, other institutional leaders, and educational organizations. Augsburg was recognized for its dedication toward diversity. THE 17TH ANNUAL NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM February 11–12, 2005 www.peaceprizeforum.org 2 Center for Global Education Namibia director Pandu Hailonga welcomed guests of the center’s 10th anniversary celebration, with associate dean Orv Gingerich and President William Frame looking on. “Justice for All,” the theme of the 2004-05 Augsburg Convocation series, challenges consideration of how issues of justice bring into focus one’s gifts, interests, desires, and passions; and connects them with diverse careers, occupations, and ministries that benefit others and selffulfillment. The remaining presentations are: New MBA program in full swing Forty-four students filled two cohorts to launch the new Master of Business Administration program this fall, and additional cohorts will begin in winter and possibly spring. About 30 percent of the first class is made up of Augsburg alumni. The 20-month MBA program includes several cross courses with the Master of Arts in Leadership program and a strong emphasis on application of classroom learning to the business environment. Garry Hesser is prof of the year in Minnesota Nov. 18 was designated “Dr. Garry Hesser Day” in the state of Minnesota in honor of the announcement that Hesser had been named Professor of the Year in Minnesota by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Hesser was lauded in the citation for his pioneering efforts in developing experiential education, a hallmark of an Augsburg education. See the next issue of Augsburg Now for the full story. • JAN. 17—Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, with speaker Victoria Jackson Gray Adams, a spiritual, social, political, and civil rights activist. • FEB. 11—In conjunction with the 2005 Peace Prize Forum, former United Nations high commissioner for human rights and former president of Ireland Mary Robinson will speak about security in an unsecure world. • FEB. 16—Jane Jeong Trenka ‘95, award-winning author, will speak on transracial adoption and memory/writing as a site of resistance. • MARCH 4—Craig Kielburger, children’s rights activist and founder of Free the Children, in the 2005 Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics. • APRIL 11—2005 Sverdrup Visiting Scientist lecture, to be announced. For further information, call 612-330-1180 or visit <www.augsburg.edu/convo>. Fall 2004 Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College Fourth annual Scholastic Connections celebration Goal: $55 million $33 million Read more campaign news in Vision, the campaign newsletter, on p. 11. Welcome, Class of 2008! WELCOME TO 343 NEW FRESHMEN … • 10 states represented, with 81% from Minnesota Five new scholarship recipients and six returning scholars were honored along with their mentors at the fourth annual Scholastic Connections dinner and program in October. This program pairs student leaders of color with alumni mentors of color. The emcee for the evening was Vineeta Sawkar, news anchor at 5 Eyewitness News. The welcome was presented by actor and vocalist T. Mychael Rambo. Front row (L to R): Xia Xiong ‘05, Eloisa Echávez ‘94, ‘98 MEL, Melat Woldegebriel ‘05, Vineeta Sawkar, and Renzo Amaya Torres ‘05. Back row (L to R): Franklin Tawah ‘83, Alex Gonzalez ‘90, Nhia Lee ‘02, Saroja Thapa ‘06, Robert Amaya ‘05, Chris Adams ‘07, Maria R. Johnson ‘94, Adela Arguello ‘05, Jim Genia ‘87, Diane Love-Scott ‘98, Leah Carlson ‘01, and Audra Johnson ‘06. Forging exchanges with a Polish university Courtesy photo News: • 3M is partnering with Augsburg to raise $600,000 in support of the Science Center that will come through a combination of gift and challenge match. • 89% live in residence halls on campus • 37% are Lutheran • 11.3% are students of color • 2,600 hours of service-learning in the community given by first-year students as part of the Augsburg Seminar ACROSS ALL PROGRAMS … • 3,375 students (1,826 day, 1,090 weekend, 459 graduate) • Average age is 21 in day, 34 weekend, 33 graduate • Students from 40 states and 33 countries • Students of color—10.2% Fall 2004 Amidst their European and African travels last summer, President and Mrs. Frame, along with business professor Magda Paleczny-Zapp, visited the Cracow University of Economics in Poland, an institution of 20,000 students, to discuss exchanges of faculty and students in business and the social sciences. The university is also interested in starting a program similar to Augsburg’s CLASS program to support students with learning disabilities. (L to R): President William Frame; Anne Frame; Chancellor Ryszard Borowiecki; Professor Magda Paleczny-Zapp; Professor Janusz Teczke, vice chancellor for scientific research and cooperation; and Agnieszka Nawrocka, head, Office of International Relations. 3 Around the Quad ADVENT VESPERS celebrates 25th anniversary year ‘With Peaceful Wings’ offers theme of peace and comfort Augsburg College’s Advent Vespers program celebrates its 25th anniversary around the theme “With Peaceful Wings.” The four services, this year held Friday and Saturday, Dec. 3 and 4 at 5 and 8 p.m. at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, usually draw over 8,000 people. Advent Vespers combines more than 300 participants from choirs, instrumental ensembles, readers, and a full liturgical party. Through the majestic celebration of music and word, the message of Christ’s coming to the world is conveyed. Augsburg’s annual advent program began in 1979 around the vision of Larry Fleming, then-director of choral activities, to offer a service of meditation and prayer as a gift to the community during the advent season. The tradition continues today under the direction of Peter Hendrickson ’76, director of choral activities, and the Rev. David Wold, College pastor and director of ministries, with active support from Augsburg College students, faculty, and staff. “With Peaceful Wings” focuses on the message of assurance that in the wings of the Savior Jesus Christ rest and comfort 4 Fall 2004 SPECIAL BROADCAST Add this special 25th anniversary Advent Vespers broadcast to your holiday plans. can be found through all good and ill. The wings of the Savior provide the strength and shelter to live in the unconditional grace of God, and the strength and comfort to know the peace of God that passes all understanding, the peace of God that keeps hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. The service provides an opportunity to reflect first on the coming of Jesus, initially announced by John the Baptist; second, on living in the promise that Christ will come again; and third, in knowing that Christ comes through people constantly and regularly, even now. To mark this special 25th anniversary, Augsburg College collaborated with Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) to produce a onehour program to be broadcast during Christmas week. The majesty of Central Lutheran Church and the intimacy of the service are captured by a multiple-camera production crew that followed the drama of the processions and recorded the splendor of the sounds from the choirs scattered through the sanctuary. The program is also offered statewide to the stations of the Minnesota Public Television Association, and nationwide, via satellite, to public broadcast services. Commemorative DVD, VHS, and CD recordings of this production will be available following the event. For more information about Advent Vespers, call 612-330-1444 or go to <www.augsburg.edu/vespers>. ■ Fall 2004 The service will be aired in Minnesota on Twin Cities Public Television: December 22, 8 p.m. on TPT2 December 23, 2 a.m. on TPT2 December 25, 10 a.m. on TPT2 and 7 p.m. on TPT17 Check local listings for broadcast times on public television stations. The 25th anniversary Advent Vespers broadcast is made possible through a major gift from the 11 Hoversten families who have supported Augsburg worship, music, and education programs for generations, and with additional support from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. TWIN CITIES PUBLIC TELEVISION 5 Sports Women’s hockey celebrates 10 years ugsburg College has played a major role in the growth of women’s hockey, one of the fastest growing sports in recent years. As the first college or university in the Midwest to sponsor the sport on the varsity level in 1995, Augsburg was a leader in sparking major interest and impacting the lives of thousands of young girls and women. This year Augsburg celebrates its 10th season of varsity women’s hockey—an achievement that speaks volumes to the College’s commitment to the sport’s growth. Over the past decade, 97 young women have donned an Augsburg uniform, for a team that has gone 131-86-13 entering this season under Jill Pohtilla, the only head coach in the program’s history. “What I’m most proud of is that, year-in and year-out, the types of individuals who play here have great character and great motivation,” Pohtilla said. “They work hard, and they care a lot about the legacy they are going to leave behind.” When Augsburg announced in February 1995 that it was going to field a varsity women’s hockey program for the 1995-96 season, there were only 15 varsity teams nationally—all on the East Coast (members of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference) and none in the Midwest. Girls’ hockey was just starting at the high school level in Minnesota—the first state to sponsor a girls’ hockey high school state championship tournament —even before it became an Olympic sport. Both location and funding made Augsburg’s situation unique. In its announcement, Augsburg was believed to be the first collegiate team to fund its women’s hockey program on a level equal with the men’s program, in terms of equipment, uniforms, ice time, training, games, publicity, and awards. A Highlights from Augsburg’s first decade include: • 1995-96—Augsburg went 16-5 in its first season against club and women’s adult teams in the Midwest, including three games on the East Coast against varsity teams. • 1997-98—Augsburg faced the University of Minnesota in the Gophers’ first varsity contest. The crowd of 6,854 in Mariucci Arena remains the largest-ever crowd for a U.S. collegiate women’s hockey game. by Don Stoner • Winter 2003—Members of the team traveled to Italy and Austria to play and win three games against local club teams. A 10th anniversary dinner and program was held in November. For more information about women’s hockey, go to <www.augsburg.edu/athletics>. Don Stoner is sports information coordinator in the Office of Public Relations and Communication. • 1998-99—Augsburg won a share of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) title, which was the first Division III conference to sponsor the sport at championship level. • 1999-2000—Augsburg won the MIAC play-off to go to the Division III national championship, where they lost the national title series to Middlebury (Vt.). • 2003-04—The playoff semifinal game against the University of St. Thomas, a 6-5 loss, was the longest women’s hockey game in conference history, a two-overtime, 96-minute, 9-second marathon. A plaza in front of Augsburg’s Ice Arena was dedicated as “JC’s Place,” in honor of James “JC” Carey, athletic facilities director for 30 years. New seating and memorial plaques honor Carey, who died of heart failure in 2003 at the age of 54. The 1999-2000 women’s hockey team posed, following the Division III national championship, where they lost to small-college power Middlebury (Vt.). 6 Fall 2004 17 AUGSBURG COLLEGE HOSTS T H A N N UA L N O B E L P E AC E P R I Z E F O RU M Around the theme “Striving for Peace: Uniting for Justice,” Augsburg College will host the 17th annual Peace Prize Forum, Feb. 11-12, 2005. This forum honors the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer and human rights activist who was recognized for her efforts for democracy and human rights. In cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, five Midwestern colleges of the ELCA—Augsburg College, Augustana College (Sioux Falls, S. Dak.), Concordia College (Moorhead, Minn.), Luther College (Decorah, Iowa), and St. Olaf College—host the annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, the Norwegian Nobel Institute’s only such program or academic affiliation outside Norway. The colleges, all founded by Norwegian immigrants, sponsor the forum to give recognition to Norway’s international peace efforts and to offer opportunities for Nobel Peace Prize Fall 2004 by Betsey Norgard laureates, diplomats, scholars, students, and the general public to engage in dialogue on the dynamics of peacemaking and the underlying causes of conflict and war. The first Nobel Peace Prize Forum took place in 1989 at St. Olaf College, and rotates each year among the five ELCA colleges. Augsburg last hosted the forum in 1999, and honored Peace Prize laureates Jody Williams and the International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Over the years, more than 21,000 participants have become involved in the forum, which has received an even broader audience through national and regional media coverage. The Peace Prize Forum program also includes a series of seminars and discussions of issues around the theme. Plenary speakers scheduled for the 2005 forum include: • Mary Robinson, the first woman president of Ireland and more recently United Nations high commissioner for human rights; • Davar Ardalan, a producer for National Public Radio based in Washington, D.C., who has lived in Iran under both the shah’s reign and that of the ayatollah’s; • Sima Samar, pioneer for almost 20 years in the cause for women’s rights in war-stricken Afghanistan; and • Frances Moore Lappé, author and global citizen who started a revolution in the way Americans eat. Her most recent book is You Have the Power: Choosing Courage in a Culture of Fear. For more information about the 17th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, go to <www.augsburg.edu/ppf> or call 612-330-1383. Children celebrate peace at the Nobel Peace Prize Festival More than 700 students from 27 Peace Site schools and youth groups across the Twin Cities will gather at the 10th annual Nobel Peace Prize Festival at Augsburg on Feb. 10. This year’s festival will honor Shirin Ebadi, the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. The festival was first organized in 1998 as an expansion of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum and in response to the growing interest to involve children and youth of all ages. The event is designed to connect students in grades K-12 with Nobel laureates. Students study a laureate or peace theme, create a related interactive exhibit or performance of their subject, and bring it to the one-day festival. Along with the Peace Prize Forum, the festival has the endorsement of the Norwegian Nobel Institute. The 2004 festival honored Nobel laureate Jimmy Carter, who visited the J.J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul, Minn., along with the former first lady. ■ 7 HOMECOMING 2004 TWO HONORED AS 2004 DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI T wo alumni join 164 others as Distinguished Alumni of Augsburg College. Recipients are recognized for significant achievement in their vocations and outstanding contributions to church and community, through years of preparation, experience, dedication, exemplary character, and service. Brian J. Anderson ’82 Dr. Brian J. Anderson graduated from Augsburg in 1982 with a B.A. in physics, mathematics, and religion. From 1983-1987, he served as a research associate at the University of Minnesota, where in 1987 he earned a Ph.D. in physics. In 1986 he returned to Augsburg as a visiting lecturer in physics, and in 1987 as an assistant professor of physics. During his two years on the Augsburg faculty, he was instrumental in securing a grant from the National Science Foundation for the establishment of a vacuum technology laboratory for advanced physics students. In 1988, Anderson relocated to the East Coast to serve as a postdoctoral associate at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, where he is currently a senior physicist. He also supervises the magnetic fields section of the APL’s Space Physics Group, and is a member of the science team for NASA’s Messenger mission to Mercury, among others. Anderson is internationally recognized in space physics for his innovative and wide-ranging contributions to the understanding of the dynamic particle and magnetic field environment of near earth space. In addition to his duties at Johns Hopkins, Anderson also serves as president of Division III (Magnetospheric Phenomena) of the International Association of Geomagnetism and Aeronomy, the international scientific association that brings together space scientists worldwide for biennial scientific congresses. He recently completed service as an editor for Geophysical Research Letters, the premier international journal of earth and space sciences. He was also a member of a panel convened by the National Academy of Sciences to provide guidance over the next 10 years to all U.S. government agencies in the areas of solar and space physics. Anderson is an active member of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Frederick, Md., where he serves on the church council and on various committees. He also serves as an assisting minister in worship and is a regular participant in other congregational events. His wife, Dr. Leeann Rock, is a 1981 graduate of Augsburg. 8 by Lynn Mena Fern L. (Hanson) Gudmestad ’41 As a child growing up in Seattle, Wash., Fern L. (Hanson) Gudmestad learned about Augsburg from her uncle, the Rev. Frederick Iversen, an early 1900s graduate of Augsburg College and Seminary. Although she enrolled at the University of Washington—where she ultimately received a B.A. in art in 1941—she convinced her parents to send her to Augsburg for her sophomore year. Gudmestad’s time as a student on the Augsburg campus produced numerous lifelong bonds—particularly to one alumnus, the Rev. Lawrence Gudmestad ’39 (1983 Augsburg Distinguished Alumnus), whom she married. Three of their four children also attended the College—one graduating in 1965 and the other in 1968—as well as a daughter-in-law and a grandson, making theirs a four-generation Augsburg family. Gudmestad has remained a loyal and active alumna of the College, having served as an adviser to the College of the Third Age, as a longtime member of the Augsburg Associates, and on the committee assisting with the recent Lutheran Free Church celebration held on campus in June. In addition, she has been a regular contributor to The Augsburg Fund and a member of the president’s Maroon & Silver Society. She generously funded a pipe in Hoversten Chapel’s new organ for each of her children, and after her husband’s death in 1986 she directed memorial gifts to Augsburg. As a young woman in the 1940s and ’50s, Gudmestad answered the call to serve along with her husband during his years as a parish pastor in both Washington and North Dakota. As his partner, she managed a myriad of responsibilities, and in the 1970s and ’80s she held successive and increasingly comprehensive leadership positions in the American Lutheran Church Women (ALCW) organizations, beginning as president of her local ALCW, later as president of the ALC’s Southeast Minnesota District ALCW Board, and ultimately as president of the national ALCW. Recognized as a wise and quietly powerful woman, Gudmestad’s special combination of faith and skills in leadership continues to bring many invitations to speak at events and participate on committees and boards. Fall 2004 HOMECOMING 2004 FIRST DECADE AND SPIRIT OF AUGSBURG AWARD RECIPIENTS NAMED FOR 2004 by Lynn Mena A ugsburg is pleased to announce the 2004 recipients of the First Decade and Spirit of Augsburg awards. The First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of the past 10 years who have made significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community, and in so doing exemplify the mission of the College: to prepare future leaders in service to the world. Graduates from the day, weekend, and graduate programs are eligible. The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni and friends of the College who have given exceptional service that contributes substantially to the well being of Augsburg by furthering its purposes and programs. FIRST DECADE AWARD SPIRIT OF AUGSBURG AWARD Susan Arntz ’94 Arthur V. Rimmereid ’53 Susan (Horning) Arntz graduated from Augsburg in 1994 with a B.A. in political science and a minor in metrourban studies. In 1999, she earned a master’s degree in public administration from Hamline University. Despite her young age, Arntz possesses a vast amount of knowledge and leadership skills related to public affairs and government, and has utilized these for an exemplary career in public service. Following her graduation in 1994, she served as an intern to Commissioner Peter McLaughlin of Hennepin County, Minn. During that same time period, she served as assistant administrator and economic development coordinator of the City of Chaska (Minn.), and from 1998–2001 as the assistant city manager of New Brighton, Minn. Over the last several years, she has served as the city administrator of Waconia, Minn. She has skillfully managed increasingly larger city projects, and has directed major projects in the rapidly growing community of Waconia. Clearly, Arntz is driven to excel in her chosen field of city management; she approaches the responsibilities and call of public service with tremendous enthusiasm and dedication. She has worked tirelessly to construct an innovative and successful partnership between the city and the development community and other agencies. Since 2001, Arntz has served as a member of Augsburg’s Alumni Board of Directors, contributing a valued voice of vision, reason, and influence. In addition to sharing her time with the College, Arntz is also a member of Augsburg’s Century Club. A woman of deep faith and Christian values, Arntz is an active member of her church and community. She and her husband, Jonathan ’95, have two children. The Rev. Arthur V. Rimmereid graduated from Augsburg College and Seminary in 1953 and 1956, respectively. His first call was to a parish in north central North Dakota—Bisbee Lutheran Church— where he served as pastor from 1956–1962. He then served as pastor of Advent Lutheran Church in Coon Rapids, Minn., where he was asked to develop a new mission congregation. From 1967–1983, he served first as assistant pastor and then as senior pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Brainerd, Minn. Rimmereid’s 27 years of distinguished parish ministry—in a rural community, in a mission congregation, and in a larger established congregation—served as excellent preparation for his next call to serve as assistant to the bishop of the Northern Minnesota District, ALC, from 1983–1987. He served in that capacity until the merger and was called to a like position in the new Northwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA, serving again as assistant to the bishop from 1988–1991. In 1991, he was elected bishop and served until his retirement in 1995. A strong supporter of his alma mater, Rimmereid often and proudly encourages others to attend the College and also to provide financial donations to support its programs and its mission. In addition, he is a regular participant and speaker at College events—particularly in chapel, where he shares his spirit of dedication, his love of people, and his message of faith. Rimmereid has distinguished himself as an active member of Kiwanis International for a number of years. He and his wife, Charlotte (Kleven) ’52, reside in Maplewood, Minn., where in addition to church activities, they are active volunteers in the community. A person of compassion and integrity, Rimmereid’s achievements and service exemplify the ideals and mission of Augsburg. Fall 2004 9 HOMECOMING 2004 THE NYDAHL FAMILY honored with the Distinguished Service Award by Lynn Mena T Courtesy photo he Distinguished Service Award recogizes “formative families” who have made a substantial and continuing contribution to Augsburg and to its mission in the world through their vocations, their philanthropy, and their citizenship. This year’s recipient is the family of Johannes and Tabitha Nydahl, honoring their Norwegian and Lutheran heritage and their generations-long connection to the College. Over the years, many descendents of Johannes and Tabitha have attended Augsburg, including their three sons, Theodore, Malvin, and Harold. The Nydahl family members, through their careers and avocations, have long illustrated Augsburg’s mission of “education for service,” and it is a great honor to recognize them with this special award. Johannes Ludvigson Nydahl was born Feb. 20, 1863, at Sondfjord, Norway, to Ludvig Olson Nydahl and Nille Johannesen Holsen. As the oldest son, Johannes stood to inherit the family farm. However, he relinquished this right in order to realize his dream of exploring the world. He considered going to South Africa or the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii), but chose instead the United States, emigrating in 1882. When Johannes arrived in the United States, he first worked as a lumberjack in northern Minnesota and then as a stonemason in Minneapolis—the First Baptist Church was one of his masonry projects. By these jobs he earned enough money to attend Augsburg. Johannes’ wife, Tabitha, was born to immigrants on a southern Minnesota farm. She was the daughter of Torger T. Rygh, who arrived in America in 1845 along with several siblings and their parents. Johannes Nydahl Johannes graduated from both the College and the Augsburg Seminary, attending from 1883–1891. Although he was never ordained, he was deeply involved with the Lutheran community, and served as a vicar in Watertown, S.Dak., in 1891. He then served the College as a professor of history and Norwegian from 1891–1920, before beginning in 1920 as Augsburg’s head librarian, a post he held until his death in 1928. During his years at Augsburg he also served as an instructor at Deaconess Hospital in Minneapolis from 1909–14. Among his many community and church activities were serving as Sunday school superintendent at Trinity Church, as president of the Minnesota Total Abstinence Society, secretary of the Folkebladet Publishing Company, treasurer and then president of the Board of the Deaconess Home, and secretary of the Lutheran Free Church, being listed as one of the 10 prominent men in the church’s development. An outstanding musician, too, Johannes was a member of the Augsburg Quartette, which toured throughout the 10 Johannes and Tabitha Nydahl pose with their six children. Pictured from L to R are: Ragna, Tabitha, Malvin, Agnes, Harold, Theodore, Johannes, and Valborg. upper Midwest and Michigan through the late 1880s and early 1890s. In 1895, the Quartette toured Norway, the first concert tour by Norwegians in America back to the fatherland. The Nydahls also were members of the Saga Hill community, a colony established in the 1880s by Augsburg professors, ministers, bankers, and professional men, most of them being members of Trinity Tabitha Nydahl Church who were deeply interested in the College and its success. They purchased 40 acres from a farmer in the Lake Minnetonka area where they built summer cabins. Johannes and Tabitha—who lived on the Augsburg campus for more than 30 years in what was to become known as West Hall when it became a girls’ dormitory—raised a family of six children. Ted became a history professor at the University of MinnesotaMankato, and later head of their Humanities Department; Mally became an orthopedic surgeon in Minneapolis after a standout athletic career in football, basketball, and baseball at the University of Minnesota. Harold became a pastor and counselor, and Ragna, Agnes, and Valborg all married Lutheran pastors and Augsburg graduates—Melvin Olson, Clarence Carlsen, and Torgney Kleven, respectively. All six children were great musicians, the three sisters singing in a much sought-after trio, and the three brothers being both singers and choir directors. This award celebrates the contributions and legacy of Johannes and Tabitha and the extended Nydahl family. Fall 2004 BY PAUL S. MUELLER, M.D. ’84 Scientific inquiry will reveal truth and lead to more questions “Where truth is, there is God.” —Miguel de Cervantes I give thanks and praise for my years at Augsburg. I am grateful for the knowledge I learned, the skills I acquired, and the experiences I had. But I am especially grateful for the professors, fellow students, and other individuals at Augsburg who encouraged me to think about science and the physical universe in the context of the Christian faith. Faculty members like John Holum, Earl Alton, Ralph Sulerud and others patiently spent countless hours with students like me, helping us not only to understand the universe, but also the relationship between the universe and God. Kermit Paulson and Mark Engebretson, persons of faith, encouraged my wife Nancy (Mackey) ’85 to pursue a degree in physics, an advanced degree in engineering, and ultimately careers in engineering and science teaching. To me, these teachers made physics understandable and God’s universe more spectacular. The desire for truth at Augsburg continues today. I am awed by the innovative education and research programs conducted by the science faculty. Seeking scientific truth at Augsburg is not simply memorizing and reciting facts. Instead, it is learning Fall 2004 methods of scientific inquiry that reveal truth and lead to more questions. The cycle of hypothesis, inquiry, discovery, and generating new questions and hypotheses about the universe leads to new knowledge and understanding. Whereas ignorance leads to fear and conflict, knowledge and understanding lead to comfort, joy, and peace. In other words, the truth makes us free. A tour of the current science building reveals how innovative and vital the science faculty is. This education is made complete by the Augsburg experience, a liberal arts education that places scientific truth in the context of other truths such as spiritual, humanistic, and philosophical truths. This milieu encourages the Augsburg science major not to seek just a job, but a true vocation, which Frederick Buechner describes as “the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.” A major focus of the current campaign, Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College, is a new Science Center. It is widely acknowledged that the current Science Hall is inadequate to fulfill and sustain the vision for science education and research at Augsburg College. Despite the limitations of the current facility, the sciences at Augsburg have grown. In addition, the number of science majors, education opportunities, and research programs has grown. Indeed, the College and the science faculty have been very creative in using and modifying the current facility, which is now more than 50 years old, to meet new challenges as they arise. For example, the site of an active living coral reef on the second floor of Science Hall in the Biology Department is truly amazing. Yet, this example of creativity reflects the enthusiasm the Augsburg science faculty has for teaching and research irrespective of the facility. This enthusiasm has undoubtedly played a crucial role in the growth and success of the science departments. Nevertheless, the time has come for a new Science Center at Augsburg College. This center will provide an environment conducive to teaching and mentoring science students and conducting research (SCIENCE continues on page 12) Vision is published by Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. Editor Lynn James Graphic Designer Kathy Rumpza Photographer Stephen Geffre Contributing Writers Lynn James Paul Mueller, M.D. ’84 www.augsburg.edu/campaign 11 3M Foundation partners with Augsburg in gift and matching grant challenge The 3M Foundation has announced a partnership with Augsburg College to raise $600,000 in support of its new Science Center. For every dollar donated by a 3M employee or retiree, the 3M Foundation will contribute three dollars. Under this 3:1 challenge, the foundation will match up to $100,000 in contributions from employees or retirees with a $300,000 gift. Additionally, the foundation itself is contributing $200,000 to the Science Center. The grant challenges the College to raise up to $100,000 in gifts and pledges from 3M employees and retirees between Oct. 15 and Dec. 10, 2004, according to Alex Cirillo, Jr., vice president for the 3M Foundation. “This is a tremendous gift that provides Augsburg the opportunity to raise $600,000 in new funding for our campaign’s top priority—the new Science Center,” noted Sue Klaseus, Augsburg’s vice president for institutional advancement. “We are excited about the 3M Foundation leadership commitment.” Gifts toward the 3M Foundation challenge grant can come from any of its employees or retirees, Klaseus said, but the College’s primary effort will be geared toward the hundreds of Augsburg alumni and parents who work for the company. SCIENCE continued from page 11 at 21st-century standards. It will, in part, preserve and grow opportunities to explore science at Augsburg. Finally, the Science Center will be a major focal point of the Augsburg campus, where faith and reason are reconciled, where truth is loved and sought, and God is found. What can you do? • Keep Augsburg leadership, faculty, staff and students in your prayers. • Be an ambassador of Augsburg. Share with others, especially family, friends, and potential students, the good things that are happening at Augsburg, especially in the science departments. Encourage them to partake in the Augsburg experience, a place where the search for truth is encouraged and 12 nurtured, where science meets and honors God, and where seeking and finding the truth makes one free. • Get involved. Visit the campus and see what is happening at Augsburg. Attend alumni events. • Give generously to Augsburg. Consider joining the Maroon & Silver Society. Prayerfully consider committing to Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College. Include Augsburg in your estate plan (e.g., will, insurance policy, annuity). ■ Paul S. Mueller ’84, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.P., is a consultant at the Mayo Clinic Rochester and a member of the Science Advisory Board. He is a former president of the Augsburg College Alumni Association Board of Directors. 3M hosted a campaign “event” at its headquarters in November to help raise awareness for both the campaign and this special matching gift opportunity. Joining Klaseus at the event was Augsburg President William V. Frame, Provost Christopher Kimball, Professor Nancy Steblay, science faculty, students, and alumni. For additional details on this challenge, contact Sherry Jennings-King at 612-338-4823 or <jenningk@ augsburg.edu>. ■ SAVE THE DATE JANUARY 7, 2005 Friday Forum—noon-1 p.m. Featured speaker Senator Dave Durenberger Brown bag luncheon, Christensen Center Call 612-338-4821 for details JANUARY 29, 2005 Women’s Connections,Thrivent Financial 625 4th Ave., Minneapolis FEBRUARY 4, 2005 Friday Forum—noon-1 p.m. Brown bag luncheon, Christensen Center Call 612-338-4821 for details FEBRUARY 10, 11, and 12, 2005 17th Annual Nobel Peace Prize Festival and Forum, Augsburg College campus MARCH 4, 2005 Friday Forum—noon-1 p.m. Featured speaker Senator Mark Dayton Brown bag luncheon, Christensen Center Call 612-338-4821 for details MAY 16, 2005 Second Annual Healthcare Conference Details to follow www.augsburg.edu/healthcare Fall 2004 Director of development named After a national search, Stephen Preus assumed his role as director of development in October. “Preus brings a strong background of corporate and community experiences to the role,” said Sue Klaseus, vice president for institutional advancement. “Stephen articulated well his passion about Augsburg’s mission and vision. We feel confident that his expertise and external perspective will continue to enhance the success of Augsburg’s current capital campaign and our long-term advancement program,” she continued. Preus succeeds John Knight, who left Augsburg in May to pursue opportunities with his church, and interim director Richard J.Weiland, of Northfield. Prior to joining Augsburg, Preus owned CM IT Solutions in Edina, Minn., and was a longtime employee and officer of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and its predecessor company Lutheran Brotherhood. Preus is active in numerous community organizations and lives in Burnsville with wife, Martha, and their two children. ■ CAMPAIGN CORNER • An anonymous endowment gift of $2 million was given this fall. • Thrivent Financial Services is offering alumni, friends of the College, faculty, and staff the opportunity to join Thrivent’s GivingPlus charitable/matching gift program. For details, contact Stephanie Malone, director of The Annual Fund, at 612-338-4825. • Broadcasting of Advent Vespers nationwide this year was made possible by generous lead gifts from the extended Hoversten family,Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and a number of other friends and alumni of Augsburg College. (Read about the broadcast on p. 5.) If you’d like to consider a gift to the Advent Vespers broadcast, funding is still needed. Contact Sherry Jennings King at 612-338-4823 by December 31 for this year’s pledge form. WE’VE MOVED Institutional Advancement moved from Smiley’s Point recently when Fairview Health Services exercised its option on Augsburg’s lease to house the Fairview Foundation. Vice President Sue Klaseus, administrative assistant Kathryn Croyle, and the Institutional Advancement and Alumni and Parent Relations departments are located in Science Hall 152. Development, Government and Community Relations, and Advancement Services are in downtown Minneapolis in the Crown Roller Mill Building next to the former Whitney Hotel, just off Washington Avenue near the new Guthrie Theater site. All email addresses are the same, but to contact individuals in the Crown Roller Mill building, please call the phone numbers listed. Fall 2004 KAY AHLSTROM 612-338-4818 STEPHANIE MALONE 612-338-4825 MELISSA BAWEK 612-338-4819 DONNA MCLEAN 612-338-4826 TRACY BECKMAN 612-338-6536 KIM OLMSTED 612-338-4827 DAVE BENSON 612-338-6539 STEPHEN PREUS 612-338-4828 JEROY CARLSON 612-338-4820 PHIL QUANBECK, SR. 612-338-6539 CHRISTIN CRABTREE-MCWETHY 612-338-4821 PATRICK SHEEHY 612-338-6533 KEVIN HEALY 612-338-6537 BARBARA HUTSON 612-338-4822 STEPHANIE STUART 612-338-6534 GEORGE SVERDRUP 612-338-6539 SHERILYN YOUNG 612-338-6535 SHERRY JENNINGS-KING 612-338-4823 JENNIFER KAHLOW 612-338-6540 SUE KLASEUS 612-338-6538 FAX 612-338-6542 MAIN OFFICE NUMBER 612-338-0002 RON MAIN 612-338-4824 13 Superb results through Class Challenge Strides to increase annual giving continue as “alumni participation for the past five years has increased to 20 percent,” said Stephanie Malone, Augsburg Fund director. For fiscal year ending May 2004, $825,000 was raised to support the lives and education of Augsburg students. New this year was the Class Challenge. “We issued a Class Challenge in hopes of involving more individuals in supporting their alma mater.” The criteria used included individuals who could be located within each class year and who held a day student status. Using the aforementioned criteria, the Class of 1937 had 100 percent participation. The Class of 1946 was the top giver, with an average gift size of more than $13,000 and a class participation rate of almost 81 percent. The class of 1985 also significantly increased their participation from past years. “We really appreciate the efforts of each of the Class Challenge participants,” said Malone. “The Augsburg Fund touches every aspect of the College at every moment of a student’s educational experience. It offers financial aid through scholarships and programs that transform students’ lives.” There are many stories of individuals giving to the Class Challenge who have never given to the College or who haven’t given on a consistent annual basis. Richard Koplitz ’48 has given to the College’s athletic programs in the past, but liked what he saw with the College expansion and wanted to support The Augsburg Fund. “Our annual fund support also was made possible by leadership donors, many of whom are Maroon & Silver Society members. Their gifts of $1,000 or more accounted for 75 percent of the annual fund goal this past year,” reported Sue Klaseus, vice president of Institutional Advancement and Community Relations. Augsburg’s goal is to nearly triple annual fund giving by 2006 to reach a 30 percent alumni participation rate. “This is a vibrant, evolving college,” said Malone. “Alumni giving to enhance the institution makes an Augsburg degree more meaningful. There are so many ways to support Augsburg, and contributing to the annual fund to support scholarships is one meaningful way.” ■ Contact Malone at 612-338-4825 or by e-mail at <malone@augsburg.edu>. Dorothy and Richard Koplitz ’48 CLASS CHALLENGE RESULTS (as of May 31, 2004) Class of Class Part. Class of Class Part. ’30 33.33% ’69 21.50% ’33 16.67% ’70 24.82% ’34 28.57% ’71 21.28% ’35 22.22% ’72 19.93% ’36 40.00% ’73 16.33% ’37 100.00% ’74 20.28% ’38 83.87% ’75 10.50% ’39 41.94% ’76 29.80% ’40 43.90% ’77 16.49% ’41 22.81% ’78 20.14% ’42 32.73% ’79 27.71% ’43 38.60% ’80 14.33% ’44 20.69% ’81 24.73% ’45 97.78% ’82 12.61% ’46 80.95% ’83 15.76% ’47 60.00% ’84 24.91% ’48 55.68% ’85 31.67% ’49 44.80% ’86 6.93% ’50 51.58% ’87 11.62% ’51 50.68% ’88 17.97% ’52 51.91% ’89 11.73% ’53 63.03% ’90 11.07% ’54 30.97% ’91 8.45% ’55 21.51% ’92 7.43% ’56 55.65% ’93 9.94% ’57 40.00% ’94 13.47% ’58 53.97% ’95 7.47% ’59 42.96% ’96 4.94% ’60 25.63% ’97 10.54% ’61 32.45% ’98 11.95% ’62 23.21% ’99 11.80% ’63 41.71% ’00 2.70% ’64 35.96% ’01 2.70% ’65 33.93% ’02 4.69% ’66 37.67% ’03 1.21% ’67 22.12% 27.27% ’04 0.29% ’68 14 TOTAL 20.57% Fall 2004 THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM Fall 2004 THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM core curriculum T H E A U CORE G S B UCURRICULUM RG THE AUGSBURG THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM is designed to E D U C AT I N G F OCURRICULUM R WORK, THE AUGSBURG CORE THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM prepare students to become effective, informed, and SM E D U C AT I N G F O R L I F E ethical citizens through their engagement in a THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM curriculum that: provides a liberal arts foundation and CURRICULUM promotes the THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE ▼ acquisition of intellectual and professional skills; THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM calls for common inquiry into questions of Christian ▼ faith and the search for meaning; and, THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM ▼ cultivates the transformative discovery of, and appreciation for, the student’s place ofCURRICULUM leadership THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE and service in a diverse world—vocatio and caritas. THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG CORE CURRICULUM THE AUGSBURG core curriculum E D U C AT I N G F O R W O R K , E D U C AT I N G F O R L I F E BY BETSEY NORGARD ▼ DESIGN BY KATHY RUMPZA When students look at colleges, one of the first areas they ask about is the list of majors or academic disciplines offered. Seldom are they as interested in other required courses, usually called the general education or core curriculum. What they don’t realize, however, is that this part of their college study is recognized within the higher education community to be as important as their major or area of specialization in preparing them for an increasingly technical, complex, and diverse workplace. Following extensive study, a national panel of the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AAC&U) issued a report in 2002 that makes the case for a “liberal” education, meaning one that will “help college students become intentional learners who can adapt to new environments, integrate knowledge from different sources, and continue learning throughout their lives.” A liberal education prepares students with skills beyond the theory and depth of a specialization that they will need to meet the challenges of a global society— critical thinking and communicating, the knowledge of how to learn, and the preparation for responsible citizenship. One hallmark of a liberal education is the integration of classroom learning with practical application through internships, community service, and other forms of experiential learning. A liberal and practical education educates students for responsible citizenship as well as for 16 ▼ work and careers. The good news for Augsburg is that educating for citizenship has always been part of an Augsburg education. Joan Griffin, Augsburg professor of English and director of general education, wrote in a recent discussion paper, “Education for citizenship may be trendy now, but as many of us discovered … it’s been in the bones of this College at least since September 1874 when the faculty approved a science division that would provide ‘a practical general education’ to prepare Norwegian immigrants to flourish as citizens of their new world.” In the area of experiential education, and especially in servicelearning where community service is integrated into classroom learning, Augsburg has been a national leader for many years. In 2003, U.S.News & World Report, in its “Programs to Look for,” included Augsburg among 20 schools nationwide as a “stellar example” of a service-learning program. PHOTOS BY STEPHEN GEFFRE previous general education course requirements spread over eight liberal arts “perspectives,” and—most importantly—that aligns it more closely with Augsburg’s vision document, Augsburg 2004: Extending the Vision. LAUNCHING THE AUGSBURG CORE In fall 2003, Augsburg launched the Augsburg Core Curriculum, or Augsburg Core, a new general education curriculum that incorporates the best practices from national research, that streamlines the At Opening Celebration, new first-year students process into Hoversten Chapel through the ballooned arch and through a line of welcoming faculty and staff. Fall 2004 For more than two years, several committees involving over 25 faculty and students worked to define the underlying principles of general education at Augsburg. Then, over several months a design team collaborated to construct the new curriculum. The full faculty discussed the proposal in open hearings and finally voted its approval. The Augsburg Core Curriculum Design Team CORE PRINCIPLES A number of key principles make up the heart of the Augsburg Core. Augsburg believes that students learn best in community. Thus, “learning communities” are at the center of the Augsburg Core. Students begin their college careers in the Augsburg Seminar learning communities, and they complete their careers in their major keystone communities. Both connect students with faculty and with fellow students. In the first year almost all courses are taught by full-time faculty, not adjuncts, to encourage these connections. The community of learners is strengthened by having all students share educational experiences at several places during their studies where common questions are considered and continually revisited. This is accomplished through common readings, through required courses, and through required experiences to which students apply their classroom learning. At the heart of the Augsburg Core are Joan Griffin, chair . . . . . . . .English Lori Brandt Hale . . . . . . . .Religion Dal Liddle . . . . . . . . . . . . . .English Merilee Klemp . . . . . . . . . . .Music Diane Pike . . . . . . . . . . .Sociology Ambrose Wolf . . . . . . . . . .Physics The result of this work over these several years is a carefully crafted, cohesive education that blends broad, general learning with depth in one or more specific areas and prepares students with tools to succeed. The Augsburg Core combines hallmarks of the College’s Lutheran (and, specifically, Lutheran Free Church) heritage, its long-standing commitment to educating students for service in the world, its commitment to provide access to a diverse learning community, and its location in the center of an urban area. Woven throughout are the themes of Christian faith, exploration of vocation, the city, diversity, and global awareness. It is an education distinctive to Augsburg College, and it offers a life-changing journey for students, truly a transforming education. Fall 2004 In their Augsburg Seminar, first-year students begin learning about the city in which they will study, live, and work by exploring its resources and opportunities and engaging in community service projects. Sociology professor Diane Pike (right) leads an AugSem group as they explore downtown Minneapolis streets. 17 the two signature courses called Search for Meaning that are required of all Augsburg students. In these courses, the themes most important to Augsburg’s mission and vision—vocation, identity, and Christian faith—are introduced and revisited as students begin to reflect in more substantive ways about these issues. The Core Curriculum is designed to be developmental. From the first year onward, the curriculum introduces shared themes through common experiences, engages students in the city, builds skills in the major, broadens perspectives through the liberal arts, requires application of learned theory, and, finally, pulls everything together in a keystone course before graduation. Augsburg students continually have Becoming an orientation leader is one way in which students can grow as leaders on campus. Here, during summer orientation, Laura Prasek ’05 helps a new student figure out his academic schedule for the first semester. 18 opportunities to develop leadership skills for service in society: through knowledge gained from the breadth of their liberal arts courses, through the embedding of skills development in their major courses, and through the many forms of experiential education in the Twin Cities or elsewhere where they can apply their classroom learning to practical situations. An Augsburg education places emphasis on the whole student, both in academic classroom study and activities outside of the classroom. Working in tandem with the academic curriculum is the co-curriculum, i.e., the rich variety of college life that includes support services such as advising, tutoring services, and accommodations for physical and learning disabilities, as well as student government, sports, residence life, campus ministry, and many other social organizations. All of this helps students build the confidence and skills they need to become leaders. Two significant aspects of an Augsburg education—the commitment to a diverse learning community and the importance of global awareness—are intentionally infused throughout both the core curriculum and the major, rather than being targeted in specific courses. Students will encounter these themes inherent in Augsburg’s identity throughout their studies. In several cases the themes are imprinted in a common experience. For example, the Effective Writing course, required of first-year students, includes a common text chosen for its culturally, racially, and ethnically diverse content. Throughout the core curriculum, students will encounter opportunities to experience and discuss the nature of human differences. The Augsburg Core is designed for all undergraduate students and is required of all, including those in the traditional day program, in Weekend College, and the Rochester program, albeit with some adjustments and slightly altered format for weekend and transfer students. While weekend and Rochester students do not participate in the firstyear program, they must fulfill all other requirements of the curriculum. For the most part, adult working students value the Augsburg Core for its emphasis on liberal arts, and they understand its application to their work or life situation. They often use their own workplace as the setting for a project to fulfill the Augsburg Experience. Many students also take advantage of shortterm study seminars to experience another country or culture. Augsburg’s Honors Program is rooted in the Augsburg Core and offers an enriched and interdisciplinary environment in which students explore the many dimensions of ideas and uses of knowledge. Its courses lead students through a specially-designed core curriculum for academically-qualified students. IMPLEMENTING THE AUGSBURG CORE In 2003, Augsburg’s Center for Teaching and Learning received a three-year grant from the Bush Foundation to help faculty implement the new Augsburg Core. During the past year, faculty have met in learning collaboratives to address best teaching and learning practices. The grant has also funded workshops, materials, and research collaborations. For faculty, the new core curriculum has resulted in a significant shift. Formerly, faculty members generally designed, taught, and evaluated their own courses within departments. The new curriculum calls upon faculty to Fall 2004 collaborate across departments and disciplines, since all courses now serve the broader goals of an Augsburg education, including embedded skills, service-learning, and other kinds of learning beyond the specific subject matter. “It’s work that will have as much payoff for faculty, if we do it well,” comments Diane Pike, professor of sociology and director of the Center for Teaching and Learning. “Faculty gain a much better understanding of how the curriculum meets its goals; it gives us an intentionality and explicitness that we didn’t have before.” The Augsburg Core’s distinction has not gone unnoticed. While higher education is clearly moving towards the “liberal education” called for in AAC&U’s national report, Augsburg shows clear leadership with its emphasis and commitment to service-learning and the development of learning communities. The College is actively participating in this national discussion and is being recognized for the distinctiveness and coherence of the new core curriculum. Representing the Augsburg Core graphically as an arch becomes an effective tool to explain the comprehensiveness of the curriculum as well as to help students navigate through the courses to graduation. Creating the Augsburg Core has been a self-examination of the most fundamental values of Augsburg’s heritage, mission, and vision. An Augsburg education is now more closely aligned with the vision of “transforming education” the College understands itself called to offer, helping students to find their place in the world and reach their potential. Provost Christopher Kimball sums it up on Augsburg’s Web site, “We are one college with one mission, offering one unique experience.” Fall 2004 The Augsburg Arch The Augsburg Arch visually demonstrates the structure, relationships, and coherence of the Augsburg Core Curriculum. It shows how the liberal arts, academic majors, and general education intersect, and how the liberal arts are foundational, both in content and skills. The keystone brings it all together and supports the whole as an integrated education. The Augsburg Core has three major components: ▼ The Signature Curriculum ▼ The Liberal Arts Foundation ▼ Skills Requirement The Signature Curriculum sets Augsburg apart from others. It includes both specific courses and elements of courses that engage students with the core values inherent in Augsburg’s mission and heritage. 1. THE SIGNATURE CURRICULUM Augsburg Seminar (first-year program) helps first-year weekday students make the transition to college in “learning communities” based on their major or other academic interests. In these courses students learn what it means to become a citizen of an academic community. Many of these courses also include an Engaging Minneapolis component, which introduces them to life in the Twin Cities—by exploring the local arts scene, studying environmental issues on the Mississippi, bicycling the downtown riverfront, tutoring neighborhood immigrant children, sampling the local ethnic cuisine, and much more. Search for Meaning 1 and 2—These two religion courses present Christian theology as well as non-Christian faiths and guide students in exploring and reflecting on Augsburg’s concept of vocation—discovering and using one’s own talents and passion in service in the world. Augsburg Experience—All students will complete a required experience that links their academic study to involvement in the broader community, either locally or globally. This experience can be study abroad, an internship, research with a professor, community service-learning, or an offcampus immersion experience. Senior Keystone—The required senior keystone course revisits conversations on vocation, now within the context of the major, and builds on the cumulative combining of theoretical classroom knowledge with experiential applications of it. It also reflects the developmental nature of the Augsburg Core—beginning with Augsburg Seminar, Search for Meaning, and Engaging Minneapolis; then adding growth in major skills and practical application in the Augsburg Experience; and, finally, a uniting of everything in the keystone. 2. THE LIBERAL ARTS FOUNDATION In order to learn and appreciate different ways of knowing and modes of inquiry, students take two courses from different departments in each of the four academic domains. Students may take “connections” courses that are team-taught and examine the liberal arts around themes and across disciplines. 3. SKILLS REQUIREMENTS Courses throughout the four years provide skills beyond the specialization that responsible citizens and successful employees need in the global workplace—in critical thinking, speaking, writing, and quantitative reasoning. Entrance assessments prepare students to take the courses that fulfill graduation requirements in these areas. Core skill requirements include writing, modern language, and lifetime fitness. 19 core curriculum Augsburg Seminar THE FIRST-YEAR PROGRAM BECOMING AN AUGGIE For most first-year students, college is a big change. It may be the first time they have left home or have lived in a city. Many will find that high school did not prepare them for the demanding work load of a college schedule or the cognitive challenges and skills that they will need to flourish in their new academic environment. Augsburg recognizes that first-year students need support as they make the transition to college and successful academic careers. Because of the attention that it pays to the experience of first-year students, Augsburg was named as one of 12 Founding Institutions in the Council of Independent Colleges’ Foundations of Excellence™ in the First College Year Project. Augsburg’s first-year program, Augsburg Seminar, introduces first-year weekday students to the Augsburg learning community. It helps them become intentional learners as they develop the skills and strategies that will lead to success in college. It introduces them to the signature themes of an Augsburg education: vocation, caritas, and community. It introduces them to what it means to be an educated person: an effective, informed, and ethical citizen. From their first day on campus, everything is geared to helping students get off to the right start. Augsburg Seminar courses join students, professors, peer leaders (AugMentors), and campus staff together in “learning communities” based on a student’s major or other academic interests. In these communities, students may work on joint projects, getting to know the Twin Cities cultural scene, meeting and tutoring newly-arrived immigrants in the neighborhood, and writing reflections on these experiences. On the day before classes actually begin, AugSem sections spend the afternoon in community service projects, mostly in the neighborhoods around campus. This year, Kristin Snartland is one of the AugSem students who rode the new lightrail from near campus to downtown, finding out how easy it is to get around. 20 first-year students worked a total of more than 1,000 hours on their AugSem community service projects. In the process they become acquainted with each other, explore the resources of the College community, get connected with the city—and have fun. Many students find college-long (and life-long) friends in their Augsburg Seminar. They get to know their professors—and their professors get to know them, both in class and outside the classroom in AugSem activities. Biology professor Bill Capman’s AugSem section is paired with the Introductory Organismal Biology course, which also includes a service-learning field project. This fall, his students visited a local nature preserve, Dodge Nature Center, to learn about and work to remove invasive plant species from their grounds. As part of their AugSem curriculum, Capman’s group spends time on broader topics—developing good study skills in the sciences, exploring biology and medical-related careers, and, for biology The AugSem/Biology 103 class spent time at the Dodge Nature Center, studying invasive plant species and helping to remove them from the preserve. Professor Bill Capman points out differences between the buckthorn to be removed and ash trees to Brittany Grudem (left) and Jennifer Moe (right). Fall 2004 A Somali community leader, Abdirizak Bihi, introduces an AugSem group to a Somali shop in the Cedar-Riverside area. The class was getting acquainted with Somali culture to prepare them for their later visits in the neighborhood to give people information about voting and registration. majors, getting to know upperclass biology majors and becoming involved in department activities. In Professor John Shockley’s Augsburg Seminar section with its paired Political Patterns and Processes course, students took advantage of the events around the presidential election to study the challenges and opportunities people face in trying the make the world safer and more peaceful. On the AugSem city service projects day this group visited shops and businesses around campus owned by Somali immigrants to learn about their culture. During the semester they met with people in the neighborhood about voting and voter registration. Getting off to the right start Over the past decade, Augsburg has intentionally developed a first-year program that helps incoming students ease the transition to both college life and to the city in which they’ll live, work, and find many kinds of opportunities. Because of this commitment and a readiness to evaluate and improve its program, Search for Meaning All freshman students are required to take the first of two Search for Meaning courses, Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning. This course explores the broad questions of existence—who we are, why we’re here, etc.—and examines the Christian notion of vocation as a lens through which one’s own life can be considered, informed by faith within the context of these larger questions. Some of the Search for Meaning Fall 2004 sections are paired with Augsburg Seminars, and some have community service-learning components. Religion professor Russell Kleckley’s Search for Meaning section is paired with music professor Merilee Klemp’s Introduction to Music and the Fine Arts, and together they co-teach the Augsburg Seminar. These two courses will jointly study larger questions of meaning in the context of the Judeo-Christian musical tradition—from medieval chanting to today’s rap music. The second Search for Meaning course invites students to think about the role that religion, the Bible, and their own beliefs play in the vocational choices they make in their lives. Students who are not Christian will consider their own religious and spiritual beliefs and how they affect their vocation and place in the world. Augsburg was named one of 12 “Founding Institutions” to participate in a national project to develop a model first-year program that can be used by small, private colleges to help their students reach graduation. The project, Foundations of Excellence™ in the First College Year, is co-sponsored by the Policy Center of the First Year of College and the Council on Independent Colleges. Funding for the two-year project is provided by Lumina Foundation for Education and The Atlantic Philanthropies. 21 core curriculum Engaging Minneapolis “MEETING” THE CITY The first-year orientation booklet tells incoming day students, “When you come to Augsburg, you arrive at the heart of a vibrant city.” While most students have probably visited the Twin Cities before, it was most likely while visiting family or as a tourist, which gave them little knowledge about studying, living, and working in this area. Engaging Minneapolis highlights the importance of Augsburg’s urban location and introduces new students to the resources, issues, opportunities, and diversity of the city. This is the urban context that enables Augsburg to fulfill its mission to prepare students as responsible citizens and leaders in service to the world. Engaging Minneapolis is not the name of a single course, but rather an added course component that makes intentional and substantial use of city resources. Courses with Engaging Minneapolis components are not about the city, but engage the city as a learning laboratory in which students study their particular liberal arts or general education subject matter. Activities in Engaging Minneapolis courses can vary widely— attending concerts and other cultural events, exploring the ethnic restaurants in the neighborhood, tutoring immigrant children or adults preparing for citizenship tests, helping care for community gardens, or discovering the many bike and walking paths along the Mississippi River near campus. Some of the Engaging Minneapolis courses also include courseembedded service-learning—an Augsburg signature. In these classes service experiences and reflective learning are integrated Bicycling Minneapolis is a lifetime fitness course that fulfills Engaging Minneapolis by exploring the history and culture of the city along its bikepaths and trails. 22 As part of her Search for Meaning course, Ashley Boyd helps Somali high school students with their homework and has opportunity to learn about their religion and culture. into the students’ coursework, and the community experience becomes a “text” for the course. Both the students and the community partners learn from each other. Very few colleges include service-learning in first year courses. Mary Laurel True, director of community servicelearning, says that community service is “part of who we are,” and that it’s important for new students right away to get a taste of what it means to be engaged in the community. Several of the AugSem paired classes work with new immigrants in the neighborhoods surrounding the College. In Professor Janelle Bussert’s Religion 100 class, students spend 15 hours at Trinity Lutheran Church in the CedarRiverside neighborhood helping Somali high school students with their homework in Safe Place, an afterschool program. The students study Islam in their religion class, and then find opportunities to talk further and ask questions of the Somali high school students about their religious traditions. Bussert says that some wonderful conversations have arisen while they work together. English professor Bob Cowgill’s Effective Writing students spend 15 hours during the semester working with adult immigrants, mostly from East Africa, at the Franklin Learning Center in the Phillips neighborhood near campus. The students review English lessons or help with flash cards as the adult learners study for citizenship tests. Cowgill’s English course investigates how one knows and accounts for identity through language. He says that his students benefit from meeting and working with the immigrants, and have remarked about how hard the immigrants work to learn English and become Americans. Fall 2004 core curriculum A LESSON IN COMPUTERS AND CULTURE Business/MIS professor Lee Clarke student wrote. “He handed me teaches a first-year course, MIS 175 a piece of paper that said, Principles of Computing for Business. ‘Thanks for helping me.’ It It’s an introductory course for was typed in real big, bold management information systems (MIS) letters. He then looked at me students to learn Microsoft Office and said, ‘Look, I learned how programs and how they are used in to use Word.’ ” business to reach goals and solve A disabled student business problems. thought he would not be able The course is designed to include an to help, but later wrote, Engaging Minneapolis component. That “Little did I know that I was part of the course, which Clarke calls about to prove myself wrong, the experience “text,” involves a very wrong.” The computer partnership with the Cedar-Riverside instructor told him that since Plaza Residents Resource Center. There, he was not able to actually do Augsburg students work 15 hours per Freshman business student Jerrad Honstad helps a Somali woman the computing for the at Riverside Plaza learn computer skills. semester as assistants in the computer residents, it was more class or open lab. The residents are beneficial for them, since mostly Somali refugees; many have they had to listen to the student’s One student wrote, “This experience limited English skills and some have never explanation and do the work themselves. helped me to meet [new immigrants], and touched a computer. For the young business students in I can look at the world and America in a Clarke requires three assignments that his class who have always had computers whole new light. … I feel that you can connect the subject matter with the in their lives, Clarke knows they are now learn more in the short 15 hours I worked service experience. In one, students reflect more aware of the disparities of wealth there than you can in some classes you go on the digital divide with its issues of and technology in the world. The to daily for a whole semester.” technology “haves” and “have-nots” and experience of working with new Another student talked about an talk about how the Resource Center helps immigrants, many of them close to the unforgettable moment after helping an the residents overcome these barriers. The students’ grandparents’ ages, also gave older man learn to use Microsoft Word. last assignment asks the students to reflect them a greater appreciation of culture “Then one day he came in quite as usual personally—what they learned at the and citizenship. but with a huge smile on his face,” the center and how it relates to their course. Keystone PUTTING IT TOGETHER If Engaging Minneapolis is the bookend on the front end of an Augsburg Fall 2004 education, the keystone experience is the final bookend. During the years in between, students delve into a major, build professional as well as life skills, apply their classroom learning, explore faith, and experience the city. The keystone course usually occurs in the senior year, close to graduation. The keystone in the Augsburg Core, as in architecture, provides the shape and support to the structural elements of the arch. It connects the broad liberal arts foundation with the professional skills and the in-depth study in the major. It helps students begin the transition to their after-college life. Learning goals include a revisiting of the critical conversations about vocation that were begun in the first Search for Meaning course. Attention is paid to reflection on vocation, leadership, and service in a diverse world. The value of the keystone, says MIS professor Nora Braun, who piloted an MIS keystone course, is that it’s time focused on thinking about all the pieces in an Augsburg education and what the student has done with them. “It’s a reflection and a pulling together of the total experience in and out of the classroom.” Braun asks her students to write an “education autobiography” that reflects on the identified outcomes of their Augsburg education. 23 core curriculum Augsburg Experience CONNECTIONS TO COMMUNITY Augsburg recognizes that today’s citizens need new kinds of competencies— abstract and complex problem-solving, systems thinking, and collaboration, among others. These are skills that cannot be learned in normal classroom activity alone, but are enhanced with direct experience in the workplace and community. In the Augsburg Core all students are required to complete an approved Augsburg Experience, one of the signature elements in the core curriculum that adds value to an Augsburg education. The Augsburg Experience can be completed in one of five ways: ▼ internships, cooperative education, practica, fieldwork, and clinicals ▼ faculty-student research ▼ community service-learning courses and experiences ▼ study abroad ▼ off-campus immersion experiences The Augsburg Experience, in short, links the theoretical with the practical, and links on-campus experience to the wider community. Every approved “experience” must engage the student in the community away from campus. To help them tailor an experience to their studies and interests, students work with faculty; the staff and resources of the Center for Service, Work, and Learning; and the Office of International Programs (OIP). Internships and cooperative education have traditionally been the most common choices for work-based 24 experiential education. Several professional studies majors already require student teaching, practica or fieldwork, and internships. Some Weekend College students who are working full time find they are able to develop an Augsburg Experience in their own jobs by compiling a formal plan, approved by the Center for Service, Work, and Learning, identifying a minimum of three learning outcomes that make deliberate connections between their education and work. Augsburg offers outstanding opportunities, especially in the sciences, for student-faculty research. Students work with their professors on original research that is usually more common at the graduate level. Through this, students learn to apply knowledge from their major and engage in the research process and in the discoveries, both successes and failures, that contribute to the body of knowledge in their discipline and benefit the wider community. Augsburg’s Physics Department collaborates on a number of ongoing research projects with major universities and government agencies, giving its students original research opportunities from their freshman year forward. The department enjoys an international reputation for research excellence, and its students have won several awards for outstanding presentations. Students can also meet the Augsburg Experience through courses with servicelearning components. A portion of course time is spent in service at the site, reflection, discussion, and related activities. Or, students can work at approved sites and carry out reflection activities with Augsburg faculty or staff members. Augsburg has built partnerships with more than 30 community organizations and is a recognized national leader and awardwinner. Students have a variety of choices for study abroad through the Center for Global Education’s study centers in Sociology and metro-urban studies students visited U.S. Rep. Martin Olav Sabo ’59 on their study trip to Washington, D.C., last spring to talk with people in public service about their vocations and working “on the hill.” (R to L): Lois Olson, Center for Service, Work, and Learning; Jennifer Nacey; Jessica Howard; Lori Cain; Amanda Froiland; Ray McCoy; Ted Arrindell; Maria Belen Power; Adela Arguello; Krista Dahlke; Kendra Kahlow; Kate Loyd; and Garry Hesser, professor of sociology and metro-urban studies. Fall 2004 Central America, Mexico, and southern Africa. Also, the International Partners program offers opportunities in European countries where Augsburg has formal university partnerships and internship opportunities. Other programs are available with approval from OIP. The fifth possibility for an Augsburg Experience is through off-campus immersion. These are typically weeklong experiences away from campus where students are engaged in learning that helps them understand, apply, and appreciate their Augsburg education in a diverse, global society. One example of off-campus immersion includes the visits made by Weekend College nursing students to the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. There they meet with public health nurses, shadow them in their daily work, and learn about Lakota culture. An English major looks at rap music by Keme Hawkins It was the summer before my senior year and I knew I wanted to apply to graduate school. It was important for me to get some research experience and quick. The University of Minnesota’s McNair Summer Research Program accepted me, and I worked with the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community under the mentorship of Dr. Oliver Williams from the College of Human Ecology, School of Social Work. It seemed a strange home for an English major, but my McNair adviser assured me that it would be a valuable experience. The Institute holds annual conferences that focus on specific aspects of domestic violence and this year’s conference theme was “Domestic Violence and the Hip-Hop Generation.” In keeping with the theme I tailored my research to complement the research already in progress and formulated a study that looked at whether or not people are influenced by the suggested gender identities in rap music and how that affected their dating and marital relationships. The scholar’s group reported weekly to the seminar, where we would be debriefed on each aspect of the research process: developing an introduction, explaining the significance of the study, forming a hypothesis, doing a literature review, forming methodology, compiling results, creating a discussion, and making recommendations for further study. The dispensing of our stipend was contingent upon completing each research step by a certain time, while also doing work to help prepare us for graduate school, like writing a personal statement, putting together a curriculum vitae, and making Fall 2004 a list of graduate schools to apply to. My research concluded with the Domestic Violence and the Hip-Hop Generation conference at York College in Queens, N.Y. Because my professor thought so highly of my work and was impressed with my knowledge of hiphop music and culture, I was invited to take part in a plenary session where I discussed the impact of sexist rap lyrics with the rap group Holla Point and practitioners who work to combat domestic violence. As an English major, entering the world of social science was not as unnatural or discomforting as I would have imagined. While the social sciences study human behavior, literature is a study of the human condition through non-fiction accounts and human imagination. Having the opportunity to do interdisciplinary work has not only given me another perspective on how to think more broadly within my own field, but it has also allowed me to get better focus on the kind of graduate program for my interest. African-American literature can offer me the best of those worlds—having a definite house or genre or body of literary work to study based in a social science is the ideal place for me. Keme Hawkins is a Weekend College senior English major and a McNair Scholar. Weekend College senior English major Keme Hawkins used her knowledge of hip-hop music and culture in research on domestic violence that she carried out last summer with a professor in the Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Family at the University of Minnesota. 25 Meet Joan Griffin PROFESSOR OF ENGLISH D I R E C T O R O F G E N E R A L E D U C AT I O N Joan Griffin has lived and breathed the mission and values of Augsburg College. She is the co-author of the College’s vision document, Augsburg 2004: Extending the Vision, that was approved in 1999, and has also co-authored its update and revision, presented to the Board of Regents for approval in January 2005. Augsburg Now posed the following question to her: What are the most important core values from the College’s mission and vision that are now imprinted in the new Augsburg Core Curriculum? One, of course, is vocation … the idea that each student brings a unique set of talents and abilities and potential. We need to cultivate all of these abilities, not just the academic ones, but all the talents that students bring with them. Certainly, also important is citizenship, or “the city.” We tried to expand the notion of city, so that it’s not just an urban studies requirement, but it really has to do with providing an education for citizenship. The College has always done that; it’s part of why the College is a college rather than a seminary—early leaders were concerned with how to prepare Norwegian immigrants to become citizens. Right away we want students to know they they’ve come to a terrific place and that they can learn here, both inside and outside the classroom. We introduce this theme in Engaging Minneapolis and repeat it in the Augsburg Experience, where once again we ask them to go beyond the classroom and actually put into practice what they’ve learned in the classroom. For the first time we have overall goals in our curriculum—we want students to become effective, informed, and ethical citizens. The emphasis on ethics comes from our Lutheran heritage, but we want it to pervade the entire curriculum. Effective citizens need the skills of knowing how to write, to read, to think critically. Those skills should be addressed intentionally throughout the curriculum, but general education can be particularly accountable. We know too that effective citizens will need to function in a diverse society. Although we explicitly introduce the theme of diversity through the Many Voices Project in the first year, the new Augsburg Core calls for an infusion model of diversity whereby we’ll ask the entire curriculum—especially majors— to think about the skills and knowledge that their students will need to be responsible citizens of an increasingly global society. The Signature Curriculum does really hit these distinctive parts of an Augsburg education. The two Search for Meaning courses address vocation through the lens of our Lutheran heritage. The city, of course, we address within our metropolitan setting through the Engaging Minneapolis requirement. There is also the notion of caritas, the demand for God’s love to be enacted in the world. An Augsburg education is an education for action. We see this throughout the curriculum—in Augsburg Seminar, in Engaging Minneapolis, and in the Augsburg Experience. Contact information Office of Undergraduate Admissions Weekend College Admissions 612-330-1001 or 1-800-788-5678 admissions@augsburg.edu www.augsburg.edu/day 612-330-1101 wecinfo@augsburg.edu www.augsburg.edu/weekend 2 2 1 1 26 R i v e r s i d e A v e n u e , M i n n e a p o l i s , M N 5 5 4 5 4 For information about Augsburg’s Core Curriculum: Barbara Edwards Farley Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs 612-330-1024 farley@augsburg.edu w w w. a u g s b u r g . e d u Fall 2004 AAlumni LUMNINews NEWS From the Alumni Board president’s desk… ello Augsburg alumni! As the first Weekend College graduate to serve as Alumni Board president, I’ve been spending some time considering both the similarities and the differences among our alumni and their experiences. Augsburg has done an incredible job of creating educational programs that fit the contrasting needs of students. In years past, the College was smaller and offered fewer programs. Today, our students may choose from the weekend, Rochester, graduate, or traditional day programs. They may live on campus or they may commute from home. It’s only natural, then, that graduates of 20 or more years ago are likely to have very different memories from those who graduated more recently. In turn, this H also means that the “Augsburg experience” will mean different things for our alumni—their memories are unique and the connection each feels toward Augsburg varies. For example, many adult learners do not feel the same long-term association and affection for the College as do those students who live on campus. However, we all share in the traditions and events that have been treasured to this day, like Advent Vespers and Homecoming. One important goal of the Alumni Board is to help create meaningful relationships between all Augsburg students and alumni. We want everyone to share a deep “Augsburg experience” and a continuing connection with the College—which we believe will help to spread Augsburg’s educational and vocational values throughout the community. All alumni have one thing in common: the great benefit of an Augsburg degree, which does not differentiate between student types. Five alumni appointed to Alumni Board he Augsburg Alumni Board of Directors appointed five new members and elected Bill Vanderwall ’93 WEC as president and Karina Karlén ’83 as president-elect. To view the complete list of board members, visit the Alumni/Parent Relations Web site at <www.augsburg.edu/alumni>. The new members are as follows: T Buffie Blesi ‘90, ‘97 MAL Blesi graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in business administration and a Master of Arts in Leadership. She is senior vice president and director of operations for TCF Investments. Andy Fried ‘93 WEC Fried graduated from Augsburg Weekend College with a B.A. in management information systems. He is operations Fall 2004 and systems support manager for WindLogics, Inc. Calvin Hanson ‘98 Hanson graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in history. He is a senior admissions counselor at Augsburg. Joyce Miller ‘02 BS Nursing, Rochester Miller graduated with a Master of Arts in Nursing from Augsburg’s nursing program in Rochester, Minn. She is a registered nurse at the Mayo Clinic and an adjunct instructor at Augsburg. Elizabeth “Liz” Pushing ‘93 Pushing graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in business administration. She is director of financial services at Providence Place. Of special note in this issue of the Augsburg Now is the article on page 28 about the newly formed Weekend College Alumni Network (WECAN). This group is already developing some great strategies on how we can better connect with current Weekend College students in order to establish a strong alumni relationship later. We value your input on how to accomplish this, so please call the director of Alumni/Parent Relations, Amy Sutton, at 612-330-1525, or e-mail <suttona@augsburg.edu>. You may also e-mail me at <bvanderwall@lssmn.org> with your ideas. I look forward to serving as your new Alumni Board president! Bill Vanderwall ’93 WEC President, Alumni Board Alumni Board elects first WEC alumnus as president ugsburg’s Alumni Board of Directors is pleased to announce the election of Bill Vanderwall ’93 to serve as the 2004–2005 board president. Vanderwall is the board’s first Weekend College alumnus to serve as its president. “I am honored to bring in some new ideas to further connect Augsburg to nontraditional students,” says Vanderwall. “Personally, my degree from Augsburg has had great impact in helping me discern my vocational direction and in setting a course of action on how to get there—ultimately enabling me to work and live in a way that is consistent with my values.” Vanderwall was recently promoted to vice president of family services at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. He previously served as LSS’s senior director of housing services. A 27 Alumni News Augsburg student and alumni win legislative and judicial seats by Lynn Mena n November 2, an Augsburg graduate student and three alumni won seats in various legislative and judicial races, while two alumni—Sandy (Voss) Wollschlager ’94 and Kathryn Ness ’02 (both DFL)—were narrowly defeated by Republican incumbents for seats in the Minnesota House of Representatives. O Larry Hosch, MSW student Hosch (DFL) won a seat in the MN House, District 14B. He has served as mayor of St. Joseph for four years, and at 27 is the second youngest mayor in Minnesota history. He is also coowner of Lamar Homes & Remodeling, LLC, and is enrolled in Augsburg’s Master of Social Work program. LaJune Thomas Lange ‘75 The honorable LaJune Thomas Lange retained her seat as a judge on the Hennepin County 4th Judicial District Court. She has held this seat since 1986, previously serving as a judge on the Hennepin County Municipal Court (1985–1986) and as an assistant public defender for Hennepin County (1978–1985). She is also an adjunct professor at William Mitchell College of Law, where she teaches international human rights and civil rights. She is an Augsburg Distinguished Alumna (2002) and a former member of the Board of Regents. Diane Loeffler ‘75 Loeffler (DFL) won a seat in the MN House, District 59A. A lifelong resident of Northeast Minneapolis, her career has been spent in public service. She has worked as a budget and policy analyst on education issues for state and local government. She currently works for Hennepin County in healthcare policy analysis on issues of services to seniors and persons with disabilities, health promotion and protection, and how to ensure more persons have access to affordable and effective health coverage. Martin Olav Sabo ‘59 Sabo (DFL) was elected to a 14th term in the U.S. House of Representatives, MN District 5. He has held this seat since 1979, previously serving as a representative of the MN House before his election to Congress. In 2003, he became the ranking member of the newly created Homeland Security Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. Sabo also serves on the Defense Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee, where he is known on Capitol Hill as one of the leading voices on arms policy. An Augsburg Distinguished Alumnus (1976), he served for 12 years on the Board of Regents, and also received the College’s first honorary degree—the Doctor of Humane Letters (Honoris Causa)— in 2000. Weekend College Alumni Network (WECAN) established by Amy Sutton lumni of Augsburg Weekend College have established a group to represent and advocate for WEC students and graduates. Although initially launched a few years ago, the Weekend College Alumni Network (WECAN) has been reinvigorated in recent months. “The Weekend College program is such a vital part of Augsburg, and we want to bring attention to that,” said Andy Fried, a 1993 graduate who also serves on the Alumni Board of Directors. “We believe that a group of alumni who have actually experienced the unique challenges of WEC students can be strong advocates for positive changes that will enhance the Augsburg experience for current WEC students.” A 28 WECAN members also hope to bring visibility to the value that WEC alumni and students bring to the College, as well as to develop programs and communications that provide support and encouragement to current WEC students. “Our opportunities to attend Augsburg have had a tremendous impact on our lives and we want to give something back,” says Fried. If you are interested in joining WECAN or have suggestions for the group, please e-mail Members of the newly established Weekend College Alumni Network (WECAN) gathered recently to strategize ways to represent and advocate for WEC students and alumni. Pictured here are (L to R, front row) Heather Birch ‘96 and Anne-Marie de Jong ‘01, and (L to R, back row) Andy Fried ‘93, Jeff Gilbertson ‘04, Bill Vanderwall ‘93, and Meri Pygman ‘93 (not pictured are Pete Hespen ‘92 and Terry Marquardt ‘98). Fall 2004 Alumni events calendar Please join us for these upcoming alumni and parent events (see also the college-wide calendar on the inside back cover for additional events): January April 11 Auggie Hour celebrating Augsburg authors, Shelly’s Woodroast (I-394 & Louisiana in Golden Valley), 5:30 p.m. 12 Auggie Hour on campus for graduates of the Honors Program (meet current students in the program and learn about the changes to the curriculum), 5:30 p.m. 18 Parent Association gathering, Augsburg House, 6-8 p.m. February 8 Auggie Hour luncheon on campus for alumnae business owners (pleas
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Title: Augsburg Now Spring-Summer 2004
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: A P U B L I C AT I O N Spring/Summer 2004 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 66, No. 3-4 LLetters ETTERS Editor’s note I n 1924, at a time of many changes brought by the expansion of Augsburg’s academic program and the introduction of women stud...
Show more A P U B L I C AT I O N Spring/Summer 2004 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 66, No. 3-4 LLetters ETTERS Editor’s note I n 1924, at a time of many changes brought by the expansion of Augsburg’s academic program and the introduction of women students, Augsburgian editor Caleb Quanbeck wrote, “Now that we are increasing in numbers and have developed more comprehensive curricula will we be willing to assume the responsibilities which come with the greater Augsburg?” (See Auggie Thoughts, p. 44.) Over the years there is little doubt that the response has always been a resounding “yes.” As readers 80 years from now look back to this day and what is being written about the launching of the largest fundraising campaign in Augsburg’s history, I surmise they will note the same sense of watershed in the College’s life. Augsburg’s tradition of excellence and vision for educating in the sciences necessitates a new center and upgrade to the existing half-centuryold facilities. Our men’s and women’s athletic programs have no further capacity to stretch their space. We seek the addition of facilities on campus to help us nourish and grow the partnerships we’ve built in our neighborhood and community. And, to continue to make an Augsburg education available to many students, the endowment must grow. Through Augsburg Now, news and stories about the campaign, Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College, will be featured in a newsletter called Vision. In this issue, a special edition of Vision presents an overview of the campaign as well as stories about the generosity of donors who have already made significant contributions and about students who benefit from it. This year also marks a change in leadership on Augsburg’s Board of Regents. The six-year tenure of board chair Kathy Tunheim provided vision and direction for Augsburg to leap into national limelight as an innovator in education. For the first time in 40 years a graduate of Augsburg, Jean Taylor ’85, takes over the reins of leadership. Their perspectives on the College, its mission, and their roles are included in this issue. Other features offer different glimpses of service reflected in Augsburg’s motto, Education for Service. Jean Housh, wife of regent emeritus Allen Housh, brought to us a story she wrote about “Major” Bowen, a remarkable high school student and current Augsburg student, who has faced the greatest of challenges in recovery from a devastating brain injury. With the compassion and commitment of Augsburg staff and faculty working with his family, he was able to begin a college career. Stephanie Quick, an Augsburg graduate and seminary student, is also featured. Her efforts to collect donated prom dresses—that most likely would never be worn again—from parishioners at her home church in the Twin Cities and through her sister here at Augsburg, brightened the lives of Native Alaskan teenage girls who could not afford to buy a dress for their special evening. Editor Quanbeck wrote in 1924 that he hoped The Augsburgian would be “an instrument in helping people to realize that our school is doing a great work, an important work.” Augsburg continues this great work, and we take pride in sharing it with you in Augsburg Now. Betsey Norgard Editor Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. Editor Betsey Norgard A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS Spring/Summer 2004 Vol. 66, No. 3-4 Features Assistant Editor Lynn Mena Graphic Designer Kathy Rumpza Class Notes Coordinator Sara Kamholz ’04 Photographer Stephen Geffre President William V. Frame 6 18 Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058-1545 Postmaster: Send correspondence, name changes, and address corrections to: Augsburg Now, Office of Public Relations and Communication, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454. E-mail: now@augsburg.edu Telephone: 612-330-1181 Fax: 612-330-1780 Augsburg College, as affirmed in its mission, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, or disability in its education policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and/or school administered programs, except in those instances where religion is a bona fide occupational qualification. Augsburg College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to its employees and its students. www.augsburg.edu by Dan Jorgensen and Lynn Mena Major Bowen: a story of courage and determination by Betsey Norgard Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Amy Sutton Director of Public Relations and Communication Dan Jorgensen A change in leadership A Major inspiration by Jean Spielman Housh 24 A Quick connection to prom dresses 16 Fourth Annual International Photo Contest 21 From Flatanger to Augsburg: A century apart by Betsey Norgard 23 Seeing abilities instead of disabilities by Judy Petree 27 Commencement 2004 by Judy Petree insert Vision 1–20 The newsletter for Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College Departments 2 Around the Quad 10 Sports 12 Faculty/Staff Notes 34 Alumni News 36 Class Notes 43 In Memoriam On the cover: 44 Auggie Thoughts inside back cover Homecoming Preview 50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste) Incoming first-year students in the Summer Bridge program (see p. 3) lined up in front of the wall measuring progress for the new $55 million campaign. In part, this campaign ensures the availability of an Augsburg education to a wide variety of students. (Photo by Stephen Geffre) AROUND QUAD Around THE the Quad Augsburg launches $55 million capital campaign Augsburg News Service New Science Center needed to continue excellence in the sciences O n April 18 Augsburg kicked off a $55 million capital campaign—the most ambitious fund-raising effort in its 135year history—to seek funding for two new buildings, a major addition to a third, and support for the endowment to help fund scholarship opportunities for its students. Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College seeks $37 million for the three building projects, $13 million for growth to the endowment, and $5 million in growth to the annual operating fund. Nearly $30 million already has been raised. Individual gifts of at least $1 million have come from James and Kathy Haglund of Golden Valley, Minn.; Kinney L. Johnson ’65, of Boulder, Colo., Jean Taylor ’85 and Roger Griffith ’84 and the Glen A. Taylor Foundation; and Alan Rice of St. Paul. The centerpiece in the campaign will be a new Science Center and renovation of the College’s existing Science Hall, built in 1949. The project will both strengthen Augsburg’s tradition of excellence in the sciences and help expand science learning for both its own students and the community. The 58,000 square-foot Science Center will include teaching and research laboratories and three multi-use halls that will be used for classes, guest speakers, and community events. Renovation of the existing Science Hall, which will connect via skyway to the new building, will bring all of the science and mathematics programs together into one dynamic and interactive facility. “This new facility will be extremely important to Augsburg’s commitment to the health sciences,” noted President 2 William Frame. The center will provide space to help K-12 students explore careers in health science and solidly support Minnesota’s biomedical technology sector through the high quality education of talented science and math majors steeped in Augsburg’s liberal arts tradition. And, thanks to a planning grant from the State of Minnesota, architectural planning for the facility incorporates multiple “green” features in an environmentally responsible structure. The second major campaign project is the construction of a Gateway Building on Riverside Avenue. The building will serve as headquarters for both the College’s Alumni Center and its award-winning Center for Service, Work, and Learning. It also will house StepUP, Augsburg’s program for students in recovery, providing both residential and counseling space for the program. And, it will have space for retail opportunities to serve both the campus and the surrounding CedarRiverside community, including the University of Minnesota—in a model of public and private economic development for the neighborhood. A third building project is a major addition to Melby Hall, the College’s main athletic facility. The project will address pressing space shortages for Augsburg’s academic, intercollegiate, and recreational programs; it will provide classroom, workout, and competitive space, including a new Greco-Roman wrestling center, funded in part through a $1 million gift from Alan Rice of St. Paul. Funding for the endowment will focus on four key areas: several new faculty chairs and professorships, new endowed scholarships to provide access to students from a wide range of backgrounds, program support, and staff development. Augsburg’s first endowed chair, initiated through the campaign, will be named in memory of Bernhard M. Christensen, president of the College from 1938-62. Growth in The Augsburg Fund, the unrestricted annual giving fund, will be used by the College to meet its most pressing day-to-day needs. The five-year campaign, which began its “quiet phase” in fiscal year 2001 will run through 2006, the same year the College hopes to break ground on the new Science Center and Gateway Building. Giving toward the campaign has been broad-based with nearly 70 gifts of more than $100,000 already pledged. The campaign was kicked off— literally—on the Edor Nelson Athletic Field by College officials and hundreds of alumni, staff, and friends at a community festival on April 18. The festivities included a basketball youth clinic led by University of Arizona head coach Lute Olson ’56, a hockey clinic led by Minnesota Wild Wes Walz, music and theatre performances, children’s book readings, and science demonstrations. The evening prior to the festival, donors were entertained at a gala dinner. Augsburg’s last major campaign, the 21st Century Fund, raised $64 million from 1989 to 1997, with the $15 million James G. Lindell Family Library as its centerpiece. Read about Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College in Vision, the campaign newsletter, beginning after p. 22. Campaign goal—$55 million Capital projects . . . .$37 million • Science Center and renovation • Gateway Building • Melby Hall expansion Endowment . . . . . . .$13 million Annual Fund . . . . . . .$5 million Spring/Summer 2004 Around the Quad Dennis Barker—coach to world-class runners Congratulations, faculty! Promotion to professor by Betsey Norgard A ugsburg’s head track and crosscountry coach Dennis Barker spent two weeks in California this summer, but hardly on vacation. His trip took him to Sacramento for the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in track and field where 10 of the runners he coaches hoped to earn a place in the Athens games. As a head coach for Team USA Minnesota, Barker has garnered national attention for the caliber of elite athletes who come to Minnesota to train with him—among them Carrie Tollefson, a native of Dawson, Minn., who became an NCAA-champion at Villanova, and is close to being an Olympian. In an article published in the Minneapolis Star Tribune prior to the trials and distributed nationally by the Associated Press, Barker is noted for his holistic approach to training, focusing Team USA Minnesota head coach Dennis Barker checks the time for one of his elite runners during training. 4 on bringing together all of a runner’s “physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual resources.” Barker coaches Team USA Minnesota at the University of Minnesota track facility and crafts the training to fit each runner’s strengths and needs. His runners trust him implicitly, and the notice being taken of him in the running world attests to this. In Sacramento, Tollefson failed to qualify in her best event, 5,000 meters, but won the qualifying trials in the 1,500 meters. She has one more “trial,” however, since Olympic rules require a minimum qualifying time, which she will have to meet by early August in order to compete in Athens. Another of Barker’s runners, Katie McGregor, came in fourth in the 10,000 meters, but may reach the top three team if one of them chooses not to compete in that event. During the spring, Team USA’s training sometimes overlapped with Augsburg’s track team practices. “It’s really not much different from coaching our athletes at Augsburg,” says Barker. “All the basic things apply. I think this has really helped the Augsburg runners, because they see what these levels of athletes do, how they apply their training, and how they believe in themselves and what they can accomplish.” For the Augsburg athletes, the elite runners were an inspiration. “We often shared training time together and were able to see how hard work and dedication pay off at whatever running level you are,” said Becky Welle ’05, a member of Augsburg’s cross country and track and field teams. “Each runner is unique with different goals and expectations, and Dennis does an amazing job in challenging all of his athletes to be their best, whether they compete at Division III level or for the Olympics.” Joseph Erickson Education Beverly Stratton Religion Promotion to associate professor Nicholas Coult Mathematics Susan Nash Nursing Tenure and promotion to team associate professor Jeanine Gregoire Education and Physics Robert Groven Communication Studies Ashok Kapoor Business Administration Joseph Underhill-Cady Political Science Tenure granted Cheryl Leuning Nursing Spring/Summer 2004 Ron Palosaari retires from long tenure R onald Palosaari, professor of English, began 39 years of distinguished service to the College in 1965, when he joined the English faculty as an instructor. He obtained bachelor’s degrees in both English and divinity from Bethel College and Bethel Seminary, respectively. After three years as a pastor he returned to graduate school, completing a master’s degree in English and a doctorate in American studies with an emphasis on American literature at the University of Minnesota. Prior to coming to Augsburg, he was a college instructor in Wisconsin and Minnesota. Over the years, Palosaari successfully merged his professional fields of English and theology with an interest in society and social change. His sabbatical research in 1994 was also the topic of a lecture he presented at the Augsburg Associates’ 1994 spring seminar: “Jesus and Women.” It was Palosaari’s opinion that Jesus was a revolutionary: “He was very different from the typical Middle Eastern male of his time, an area which continues to be one of the most gender-bound regions of the world,” said Palosaari. Palosaari has remained an active member of several professional organizations and has served as a consultant for area businesses—always making use of his community contacts to enhance his teaching. He has read papers and conducted workshops at state, regional, and national conventions. In addition, Palosaari has shared his love of travel with the Augsburg community, hosting Alumni Association tours such as the “Spectacular Scandinavia” tour in 1995 in honor of the College’s 125th anniversary. He has also traveled to London on four occasions to teach drama. Palosaari has long been a favorite professor among students. He has received the Outstanding Faculty Award multiple times, an award given by graduating seniors to honor classroom teaching. “Ron Palosaari’s extensive knowledge brought to life not only literary works but the periods in which they were written, offering students a more complete sense of an author’s challenges, triumphs, and place in history,” said Kathy Fagen, an Augsburg Weekend College admissions assistant/counselor and current student. Farewell to Ginger Currey A fter working for 15 years in the Department of Business Administration as office manager and administrative assistant, Virginia “Ginger” Currey retired from Augsburg in January. Currey was the first full-time office manager in the department, the largest academic department at the College, that graduates over 200 students per year. She worked under three department chairs— Spring/Summer 2004 by Lynn Mena “Lectures were delivered with a passion that reflected his love for the academic discipline to which he devoted his life. For students fortunate enough to have taken one of his classes, this passion for literature was nothing short of contagious.” English professor Douglas Green fondly recalls Palosaari’s “Ask Ron” column in the Echo. “Ron’s column in the Echo was certainly essential to his enormous contribution to the life of the College over the years,” said Green. “In this column, he satirized just about every aspect of College life and of Augsburg’s various crises, as well as his own character, during his long tenure as an English professor.” Palosaari’s future plans include to “grow much older” and to “continue playing tennis without a backhand, bridge without a clue, and Scrabble despite being the weakest speller in the English department.” “I loved teaching students who were brighter and harder working than I ever was—and I always had some of those,” said Palosaari. “I got a special pleasure when students admitted they were starting to really like poetry, usually against their better judgment.” by Betsey Norgard Amin Kader, Milo Schield, and John Cerrito. On January 29, at her retirement reception, she was presented with a plaque that summarizes the appreciation of her colleagues. “As business department office manager, Ginger established administration procedures that each academic year set the standards for serving the needs of over 40 faculty members and hundreds of business administration students,” the plaque reads. “Over her many years of services to Augsburg College, Ginger earned the admiration of students, staff, and faculty. For 15 years, Ginger was the mainstay of the Business Administration Department. She was a dedicated colleague and a good friend.” The plaque doesn’t list the myriad other duties that Currey took on to assist the faculty, e.g., proctoring tests at the last minute, meeting visiting professors at the airport, and taking the extra steps to help students get the classes they need. Currey was also honored by the College as an Outstanding Employee in 2000, nominated by her department. Her commitment to community service included collecting pop can tabs from across the campus to benefit the Ronald McDonald House. 5 A CHANGE IN LEADERSHIP AT ITS SPRING MEETING ON MAY 1, THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE BOARD OF REGENTS ELECTED JEAN TAYLOR ’85 AS THE NEW CHAIR, TO SERVE A TWO-YEAR TERM. SHE SUCCEEDS KATHRYN H. TUNHEIM, WHO IS RETIRING FROM A 12-YEAR BOARD TENURE, THE LAST SIX OF WHICH SHE SERVED AS CHAIR. TAYLOR IS A CO-CHAIR OF THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN CABINET THAT OVERSEES THE CURRENT $55 MILLION CAMPAIGN. SHE HAS ALSO SERVED AS CHAIR OF THE BOARD’S MARKETING COMMITTEE AND A MEMBER ON THE REGENTS’ COMMITTEE. OTHER OFFICERS ELECTED TO TWO-YEAR TERMS ARE H. THEODORE GRINDAL ’76, VICE CHAIR; JOAN VOLZ ’68, TREASURER; AND TRACY ELFTMANN ’81, SECRETARY. IN THESE STORIES, THE OUTGOING AND INCOMING BOARD CHAIRS SHARE PERSPECTIVES ON BOARD LEADERSHIP, GOALS FOR AUGSBURG, AND THE AGENDA FOR THE COMING TERM. A LEGACY OF INSPIRED GOVERNANCE athy Tunheim likes to say that serving as the chair of a board of a college like Augsburg is a lot more like being a shepherd than a boss. And that, she adds, has been the key to helping shape a shared governance model that Augsburg has embraced, and that she believes other colleges and universities across the nation will strive to emulate in the decade ahead. Tunheim has just completed six years as chair of the Augsburg Board of Regents during a period that has seen the College erupt from what President William Frame once termed “militant modesty,” onto the regional and national scene as an innovative, forward-moving institution. And, despite Tunheim’s own modesty in describing her leadership of the board, Frame said it has been Tunheim’s vision and leadership that can be ascribed to much of the impetus of the College’s movement. K Kathryn H. Tunheim by Dan Jorgensen “Kathy Tunheim is, in the language of one of her admirers, ‘prismatically excellent’,” he said. “That is certainly apt as a description of her work as counselor to me, especially in respect to the Augsburg 2004 vision.” Tunheim said the feeling is mutual. “Those of us serving on the Board of Regents have learned that one of the most important things a college governing board can do is to take very seriously the role we play in the selection and performance of the president. I’m proud of the work of the president and pleased by the board’s partnership with the administration. But another less visible challenge has been transforming the work of the board itself. An institution’s lifeblood is its faculty and students—management, great staff, and volunteer leadership, in general, are critical. But so, too, is effective governance. BUILDING A SHARED GOVERNANCE “During these years of my chairmanship, I feel that our board, the faculty, and the administration have come to terms with our commitment to a healthy shared governance model. It gives the board a better sense of ‘who’s in charge here?’— because now we know that at a college everybody is! Bill Frame has been masterful in helping all of us—board, administration, and faculty—understand this shared governance model. It’s what makes colleges really work; it’s unlike the governance work that occurs in business, so it’s been a great learning experience for all of us as regents.” Just prior to becoming chair, Tunheim served on the search committee that brought not only Bill but also Anne Frame to the College. “We got a wonderful, dynamic duo in the Frames,” she said. “Anne’s professionalism and understanding of the needs and functions of the school make her not only a great partner for Bill, but a great asset for this institution.” continued on page 8 6 Spring/Summer 2004 AN ALUMNA’S CALL TO LEADERSHIP Jean Taylor ’85 s the newly elected chair of the Augsburg Board of Regents, Jean Taylor, president of Taylor Corporation, brings to the seat not only a broad base of knowledge and enthusiasm, but also the valuable perspective that comes with being an Augsburg alumna—an association that distinguishes her from the past several chairs, and which clearly fills her with equal measures of pride, purpose, and calling. “I approach this opportunity not as something that I sought, for indeed I did not,” says Taylor, who received a B.A. in business administration in 1985. “Rather, I truly believe that I was called to do this. It will for me be a tremendous challenge in many, many ways. At the same time, I am convinced that it will be one of the most rewarding and enriching things I will ever do. “I believe that in the coming two years I will discover much more about my own gifts, as well as how to strengthen their use,” continues Taylor. “I am humbled to have this opportunity to return the favor to Augsburg through A Spring/Summer 2004 by Lynn Mena my leadership—this place has changed my life in so many positive ways and I will always be indebted to this college. The history of Augsburg is rich, storied, and full of successes, and I will focus my energy on making the next two years the best ever in this college’s history.” Taylor, who has served on the board since 1994, is also co-chair of Augsburg’s Capital Campaign Cabinet, which oversees the College’s newly announced $55 million campaign—Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College. During her board tenure, she has chaired the Marketing Committee, and served on both the Regents’ and Executive committees. She also holds an M.B.A. in management support systems from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota, earned in 1988. In addition to her board leadership at Augsburg, she is active in a number of other community and nonprofit organizations—all while raising a one- and a three-year-old with her husband, Roger Griffith ’84, who serves as chief financial officer of the Minnesota Timberwolves and chief operating officer of the Minnesota Lynx professional basketball teams. “This is a wonderful ‘fit,’ not only from my point of view, but from our— the College’s—point of view,” says President William V. Frame. “Having Jean Taylor as the next chair feels right, seems right, and is right. “Jean has grown remarkably in management acumen during her 10 years as an Augsburg regent,” continues Frame. “This growth was recognized by her peers as a solid supplement to her notable collegiality and personal commitment to her alma mater. I am very glad of the prospect of serving with her over the next two years to accomplish the work to which we have agreed—to clarify and extend the College vision and to strengthen the integrity of the Augsburg brand.” SERVING THE COLLEGE Taylor organizes her goals as board chair under the framework of two distinct paths—those that serve the College, and those that serve the regents. “Looking at it from this perspective, I see three critical things that the College needs from me as board chair to accomplish over the next two years,” says Taylor. “One is to continue to extend Augsburg 2004 [the College’s vision document], not only in a way that supports the work that professors Mark Engebretson and Joan Griffin are doing in terms of refining that vision and taking it farther into the future. But also in terms of taking Augsburg 2004 deeper within the Augsburg community, so that as a whole we can all enjoy greater ownership and understanding of that strategy, and so that we’re able to share this strategy more broadly with our larger community. “When I talk about community, I believe Augsburg’s community has many layers,” continues Taylor. “There’s certainly the immediate and very important campus and Cedar-Riverside community that surrounds us, but there’s also the Minneapolis community, the Twin Cities community, and the Minnesota and Upper Midwest community. And I think as one considers Augsburg’s vision, we really also think about ourselves as part of the world community.” Taylor’s second goal is to steer the capital campaign toward a successful continued on page 9 7 A LEGACY OF INSPIRED GOVERNANCE (CONTINUED…) During Tunheim’s three terms as chair, the institution successfully added many new programs and partnerships, established a branch campus in Rochester, embarked on its first major capital campaign, reached new highs in enrollment at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, and more fully engaged its alumni—something she has worked toward from the moment she took a seat on the board. “It should not be lost on our alumni, by the way, that up until Jean Taylor’s recent election as board chair, the past six chairs have all been non-alumni,” Tunheim said. RAISING E X P E C TAT I O N S O F AUGSBURG “When I first joined the board, I think the College was ranked lowest among the ELCA colleges in terms of alumni philanthropy. So my goal was to find a way to help change attitudes and set a collective expectation of ourselves as stewards of the school. I wanted alumni to think in terms of giving back: serving on the board, being partners in all that we needed and wanted to do. “I remember having breakfast in 1998 with the woman who was then chair of the College’s alumni association. I could clearly see she was frustrated, so I asked her, ‘What is it that you want from the College?’ Her answer was clear and immediate: ‘We want a degree from Augsburg to be more valuable in the future than it was when we got it.’ Together, I think we’ve been committed to ensuring that we create that future— and we all agree how important the College’s alumni are to making it happen.” Tunheim noted that when people look across the nation and point out the strongest higher education institutions, they are always the ones that have engaged, passionately loyal alumni. 8 “Augsburg has a lot of passionate and loyal alums,” she said, “but in the past we didn’t always find a way to engage them. But now, especially with Jean’s election, there are some great role models in terms of what alumni can and should do for their school. AT T R A C T E D B Y MISSION AND VISION “Having said that, I also want to point out that non-alums like me have seen something in Augsburg that attracted us to the mission and vision. That’s a tribute to Augsburg and its past leadership. My message about Augsburg to the marketplace is this: Augsburg College will be more important in the future landscape of higher education than it has ever been, because its strengths will serve the future needs of the community so well. But institutionally, we’re not ready to meet all the needs that will come to us—financially, or in terms of buildings and infrastructure. Our responsibility is to make sure that the College IS ready to serve as it is called to serve.” Tunheim, who is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and CEO of Tunheim Partners, a leading Twin Cities public relations firm, first came to Augsburg in the late 1980s to talk about how the College might improve its relationship with the city of Minneapolis. At the time, the city seemed to be courting institutions like St. Thomas, while Augsburg, already well-established and involved in the city, was being ignored. “I was struck by the many fine programs the College had and how little was known about them. As a professional in public relations, I was intrigued by what might be done to share that story. That’s what first attracted me to the board.” When President Charles Anderson decided to step down due to an illness, she was asked to lead the search committee for the new president, but declined initially, citing business obligations. But neither Anderson nor Barbara Gage, who was then board chair, would take ‘no’ for an answer. “Barbara told me that this is what I needed to do, that when you’re asked to do something for which you’re a good fit, you need to respond to the call.” Other highlights of her three terms, she said, were developing a better understanding and working relationship with members of Augsburg’s Corporation—the four Lutheran synods that “own” the institution; establishing the Regents’ Committee, a group that has been key to evaluating who is on the board, what their expectations are, and how new board members are recruited; and working with the president on setting a clear vision of what the College is and where it wants to go. “I was honored to be asked to serve on this board, and then to serve as chair, but I’m also extremely excited about where this College is now heading,” she said. “While other schools are working to discern their uniqueness or their future, Augsburg is already there. The light coming from Augsburg is inspiring already—I have no doubts about its strength and constancy.” ■ Spring/Summer 2004 AN ALUMNA’S CALL TO LEADERSHIP( CONTINUED…) conclusion, and third, to start the search for the next Augsburg president. “It is so critical to find the right leadership for the College,” says Taylor. “Augsburg has been absolutely blessed with incredible leadership in terms of its presidents, and I think Bill Frame has done a remarkable job during his tenure. So, we really need to establish a process to make sure that we find a new president who is truly called to be the next president of Augsburg and continue the legacy that has been created.” “And this goal is about helping board members to really understand their role and to understand more about the College, and putting each regent in appropriate leadership positions, so that not only two years from now, but five years from now we’ll have a group of regents able to utilize their talents to their highest capability.” SERVING THE BOARD Professionally, Taylor has an outstanding track record in leadership development. At Taylor Corporation, where she served first as vice president of development before becoming president in 2001, she has led several successful initiatives to revitalize and restate the organization’s core purpose and core values, formalize leadership development, alter its approach and philosophy to the role and use of information technology, and encourage and promote women in leadership roles. In 1998, CityBusiness magazine cited Taylor’s commitment to networking opportunities for women in business When Taylor looks at how her election as board chair can specifically serve the regents, she cites two main goals, beginning with a pledge to continue the work of outgoing chair Kathy Tunheim. “Kathy has done incredible things with this board,” says Taylor. “One aspect that she has undertaken that I would like to continue is to refine the governance roles at the College. I see three components to that leadership—the regents play a key role, as do both the administration and the faculty. I think there’s still critical work to do in terms of refining how these three leadership components work together—where do each of us take the lead responsibility, and where do we stand alongside the others in order to ensure that the College achieves its vision? “The second piece relative to the regents that I’ll focus on over the next couple of years is determining how we can most effectively utilize the talents of our regents,” continues Taylor. “We have an incredibly active and engaged group of regents; every time I’m in a full board meeting, I look around the room and I am just amazed and blessed that I’m sitting in this room with these incredible people whom I learn from all the time, and who put all this time and devotion into the College. Spring/Summer 2004 O U T S TA N D I N G BUSINESS LEADERSHIP when it selected her as one of its “40 under 40,” a prestigious group of 40 business professionals who have achieved distinction and risen quickly in their fields—and who are all under the age of 40. Prior to joining her father, Glen Taylor, at Taylor Corporation in 1994, Taylor was senior vice president of E.W. Blanch Co., a global reinsurance intermediary. As Taylor embarks on her two-year term as chair of the Board of Regents, it also represent her final years of a 12-year tenure as a board member. “Over the last 10 years I’ve learned so much about the history and the foundation of the College and where it came from,” says Taylor. “It’s incredibly satisfying for me to see the linkage between what the founders of Augsburg envisioned and all that Augsburg has accomplished over the ensuing 135 years—and then to witness how we’re currently extending that vision. “I am so impressed by the history of the College, and at the same time I am so excited about its future, because I think that Augsburg is positioning itself to have an even greater impact on its community. I’m incredibly proud to be an alumna of the College, and my pride continues to grow because I know that this college is just going to get better and better—our diamond is really going to shine.” ■ 9 Sports Wrestlers, track, and women’s hockey lead a solid year for Auggie athletics by Don Stoner A Division III second-place finish by the wrestling team, which tied both NCAA and school records with four individual champions and nine AllAmericans, respectively, and standout seasons for the track and field and women’s hockey teams paced a solid year for Auggie athletics. Senior Joe Moon earned the Outstanding Wrestler honors after scoring a 13-6 upset of top-ranked and four-time All-American Eduard Aliakseynka of Montclair State (N.J.) in the 174-pound national finals. Sophomore Marcus LeVesseur extended his school-record winning streak to 84 straight matches, finishing 40-0 and winning his second straight national title at 157. Juniors Mark Matzek, at 133, and Matt Shankey, at 125, each claimed a first national crown. The Auggies also finished third in the NWCA Scholar All-America Team program with a 3.39 team grade point average, the seventh straight top 10 ranking. Augsburg leads the nation with 81 NWCA Scholar All-Americans since 1983. Augsburg’s women’s hockey team, under coach Jill Pohtilla, finished 15-10-2 overall, 10-6-2 in MIAC play, earning a spot in the playoffs for the second season in a row. The Auggies closed with an eightgame unbeaten streak, going 9-2-2 in their final 13 games before ending with a 6-5, double-overtime loss to St. Thomas in the MIAC semifinals, a game played in a conference-record 96:09. Senior Annie Annunziato led the team with 36 points and was named to the Division III JOFA All-American West Region team, joining juniors Lauren Chezick and Melynda Kleewein on the AllMIAC first team. Freshman Stacy Anderson earned honorable-mention and All-Rookie recognition. And track and field, led by sprinters Mathew Shannon, Tonnisha Bell, and Alana Carter; hammer-thrower Jon Dahlin; and distance runners Ellen Waldow, Hannah Dietrich, and Angie Bergeson had 10 two All-American honors, eight MIAC titles, and 24 school records. At the MIAC indoors, Shannon, a senior, and Bell, a sophomore, earned Most Outstanding Performance honors. Shannon also earned MIAC Most Outstanding Indoor Track Athlete and USA Track and Field Minnesota Athlete of the Month honors, winning the men’s 400meter dash in a record :48.78. He also won the 55-meter dash and set or tied school records in the 55 and 200. Bell, Waldow, Dietrich, and Bergeson combined on the All-American distance medley relay team, finishing seventh nationally, and Bell set school and MIAC records in the 200 (:25.52 ), shattering the meet record by nearly a half-second. Senior Jon Dahlin won the hammer throw title and set a school record at 54.01 meters (177-feet, 2-inches). Waldow won the 800 in a school-record 2:16.36, breaking a mark set earlier by Bergeson. Waldow and Bergeson joined teammates Amy Mackner and Dietrich in winning the 3200-relay. In other 2003-04 sports highlights: • Augsburg finished with a 5-5 record (4-4 in the MIAC) in football, and 13-year head coach Jack Osberg became the alltime win leader with 60. Osberg’s teams have had seven .500-or-above seasons, second only to Edor Nelson’s eight .500or-above seasons. Auggie runner since 2001 to earn AllMIAC honors, with a 5,000-meter time of 19:24. • Under co-coaches Troy Nygaard and Laura Levi, Augsburg produced its finest women’s golf season in history. The Auggies tied their previous best-finish at the Minnesota Women’s Collegiate Golf Association championships—10th against all of the state’s Division II and Division III programs. Freshman Marisa Navarro blistered school records with a 85.63, 18-hole stroke average, and a 12th place finish in the MWCGA meet. • The men golfers—with just one senior—finished with a 314 spring stroke average, under 16th-year head coach Brian Ammann. The team was fifth in the MIAC, led by freshman Erik Helgerson, who earned all-MIAC with a 36-hole total of 154. • In women’s basketball, center Selina Theisen led both scoring and rebounding at 17.1 and 10, respectively, and was the only freshman selected to the 16-player All-MIAC first team. Theisen also was selected to the conference’s All-Rookie team, was named to the D3hoops.com All-West Region third team, and was named to the Freshman All-American team by Women’s DIII News. • Head coach Mike Navarre’s women’s soccer team finished 11-5-2 overall (5-42 in the MIAC), tied for the second-best record in school history. Sophomores Millie Suk and Nora Austin were named to the All-MIAC team. Senior Laura Hoffman closed her career as one of the school’s best goalkeepers, recording a 114-2 record, seven shutouts and a 0.95 goals-against-average. • Under first-year coach Keith Bateman, the young Augsburg baseball squad finished 16-22 (7-13 in the MIAC), nearly doubling its overall victory total from each of the previous two seasons. Sophomore pitcher Jeremy Nelson (allMIAC) had a 5-4 record and 2.91 earned-run average, throwing six complete games, striking out 33, and allowing only 15 walks and a .269 opponent batting average. • Augsburg’s cross country teams logged 29 personal-best times (19 women and 10 men). Ellen Waldow became the first Don Stoner is sports information coordinator in the Office of Public Relations and Communication. Spring/Summer 2004 Five senior athletes are honored F ive senior student-athletes received Augsburg athletic awards for the 2003-04 school year. Three Auggies were named Honor Athletes, the highest honor the College gives its senior student-athletes—Melissa Lee, Brandon Fox, and Mathew Shannon. Earning Augsburg Senior Athlete of the Year honors were Kristen Lideen and Joe Moon. Lee was also given the Julie Ellingson Leadership in Women’s Athletics award, an honor given periodically to female athletes who have displayed qualities of outstanding leadership and service to Auggie athletics. The award is named for Julie Ellingson ’98, a softball catcher who was a devoted worker in many aspects of Augsburg’s athletic department. 2003-04 HONOR ATHLETES Brandon Fox A three-year starter and four-year letterwinner in football, Fox earned All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference second-team honors in both his junior and senior seasons. His senior year, he led the Auggies in tackles with 103. In 2003, he had the second-most tackles in the MIAC and led both the conference and team in tackles for loss. He added 2.5 sacks, two interceptions and two fumble recoveries his senior year. He was named the team’s Outstanding Player on Defense, Most Valuable Player, and earned the Edor Nelson Auggie Award in 2003. A business management major with a 3.63 GPA, Fox earned Academic All-MIAC honors twice and was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District second team in 2003. Melissa Lee Lee was a four-year starter in softball and also played basketball for two seasons at Augsburg. In softball, Lee will Spring/Summer 2004 go down as one of the “ironwomen” of Auggie softball history. Augsburg’s third-baseman played in every inning and started every game of her four-year career—141 games, 141 starts, and 964 innings. She closed her career with a .296 batting average and a.962 fielding percentage. A health and physical education major with a 3.507 GPA, Lee has earned Academic All-MIAC and National Fastpitch Coaches Association Scholar Athlete honors three times. She is a Student-Athlete Mentor, copresident of the Augsburg College Education Students (ACES) program, and has been active as a student worker in many aspects of Augsburg’s athletics program. Mathew Shannon A 17-time All-MIAC performer, Shannon became the first Augsburg men’s track and field athlete to earn All-American honors in both indoor and outdoor events in the same year in 2003 at the NCAA Division III national championships. This season, Shannon placed fifth in the indoor 400 at the national meet, and qualified for the outdoor national meet in the 400. A three-time MIAC titlist, Shannon earned both the Outstanding Indoor Championships Performance and Indoor Track Athlete of the Year honors from MIAC coaches this season. He also was named USA Track and Field Minnesota Co-Athlete of the Month in April. A business and communication major with a 3.155 GPA, Shannon has earned Dean’s List honors. Shannon is also a recipient of a Scholastic Connections scholarship, which pairs students of color with alumni mentors in the community. by Don Stoner 2003-04 SENIOR ATHLETES Kristen Lideen Lideen emerged as a two-sport star at Augsburg. In soccer, Lideen earned AllMIAC honorablemention honors three years in a row as one of the top sweepers in the conference. In softball, Lideen became one of Augsburg’s best shortstops, holding career school records in three different categories—batting average (.444), hits (175) and doubles (38)—while sitting in the top 10 in school history in seven other career listings. Lideen is one of four players in school history to ever go through a single season without a strikeout. She earned All-Region and All-MIAC first-team honors each of her first three seasons in an Auggie uniform, and earned All-MIAC honors her senior year. In 2003, she earned NFCA AllAmerican honors. Lideen is a philosophy major at Augsburg. Joe Moon Moon won his first national title in wrestling this season with a dramatic upset performance at the Division III national championships, earning the meet’s Outstanding Wrestler honors in the process. Moon finished 392 his senior season and 105-14 in his three-season career at Augsburg. A twotime All-American in wrestling, Moon finished fifth nationally last season at 174 and earned the team’s Outstanding Freshman honors his first season at Augsburg. A marketing major, Moon was also a member of two academic national wrestling teams at Augsburg. Don Stoner is sports information coordinator in the Office of Public Relations and Communication. 11 Faculty/staff notes Creating learning communities at Augsburg F rankie Shackelford, associate Learning Community that dean for teaching and learning took a group of 12 students enhancement, is a national and the two professors to resource leader in promoting the museums in the Twin Cities, concept of “learning Chicago, and Baraboo, Wis. communities,” and a key player The subject matter was not the in Augsburg’s development of content of the museums, but curricular learning communities. rather how the museum In 2000, Shackelford was designed and arranged the named one of 58 fellows of the content and how that reflects National Learning Communities the society that created it. Project (NLCP), funded by the Their study was based around Pew Charitable Trusts and a text on this subject and administered by the Washington discussion with its author. Center for Improving the Quality Associate dean Frankie Shackelford brings best practices from national Shackelford’s continuing learning community resources to Augsburg’s first-year program. of Undergraduate Education at commitment as a fellow of the The Evergreen State College. NLCP is to make site visits to Since then, she has twice served institutions who are community links classes together for a as a core resource person at NLCP’s experimenting with learning communities. common group of students often across summer institutes and presented at Thus far she has held workshops and academic disciplines and usually around a professional meetings. evaluated programs at Wofford College and theme. Besides the faculty and students in Last October, as part of a Midwestern Cottey College. At Augsburg she is active these classes, a learning community often network of learning community leaders, in the faculty-staff task force on includes academic advisers, residence life Augsburg hosted one of 10 day-long “Foundations of Excellence™,” whose staff, student peer leaders, and staff from Open Houses, where Shackelford and work will lead to a strengthening of campus support programs. other Augsburg faculty and staff learning communities in the first-year While serving as co-director of presented Augsburg’s first-year learning curriculum. Augsburg was selected as one professional development, Shackelford was community program, helping others to of 12 colleges in the Council of instrumental in the design and understand the concepts. Independent Colleges (CIC) to participate development of the eight-week Augsburg As associate dean, Shackelford oversees in this national study of ways to improve Seminar for all incoming first-year seven programs that promote student the first college year. More information on students, which was rolled out in fall 1998. academic development and faculty/staff this project is available at This orientation seminar for new day professional development. <www.brevard.edu/fyfoundations>. students is linked to one or two other The concept of learning community courses and includes student leaders as coinvites practices that bring together people teachers to help answer students’ questions NOTEWORTHY and programs on campus to help students about college life. The goal is to help find more meaning in the curriculum, she students transition to college life, connect Tony Bibus, social work, was resays. The approach is an intentional them to the larger campus community, and appointed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty to a restructuring of students’ time, credit, and help them become self-reflective learners. four-year term on the Minnesota Board of learning experiences to build community Augsburg’s new Core Curriculum, Social Work, which is responsible for and to foster greater connections among licensing and disciplining social workers. launched last year, was inspired by the students, students and their teachers, and learning community model. “Learning Trena Bolden, Pan-Afrikan Center, and among disciplines. The learning communities provide the impulse to make Kenneth Turner, Student Support community movement has broad reach meaning across a student’s four years of Services, attended the 28th Pan-African across many kinds of educational learning,” says Shackelford. Leadership Conference at Minnesota State institutions with over 500 colleges and Co-curricular learning communities University in Mankato in February, along universities now registered at the (outside of academic classes) have also with students Hanna Habtemariam, “Learning Commons” Web site developed at Augsburg. Last year, under Hamza Yusuf, Anthony Schaden, (http://learningcommons. the leadership of professors Phil Adamo Robert Jones III, Dega Ali, and Audra evergreen.edu). and Lars Chrisiansen, the History and Johnson. In the curricular sense, a learning Sociology Clubs formed a Museum 12 Spring/Summer 2004 The art of making events shine by Betsey Norgard J odi Collen admits she belonging that Augsburg alumni, can’t go anywhere parents, and donors feel as they without noticing displays, return to campus—including the ways materials are used, current students. “I want current and how decorations are students to feel connected, and to arranged—in short, she walk away feeling that they were can’t turn off her job. part of the event,” Collen says. Collen is events She seeks to work more coordinator at Augsburg, closely with faculty and staff working in the Office of from the get-go, offering ideas to Events and Classroom creatively plan the event from Services. It’s her job—and the beginning, to gain greater her passion—to help make consistency across all campus every Augsburg event look events. professional, run efficiently, Collen considers herself Jodi Collen mixes a combination of inspiration, creativity, and purpose in and communicate the right lucky to know that events planning major events at Augsburg. messages. planning is truly a calling and Since coming to part of her vocation. She can While she entered the program for career Augsburg two and a half years ago, she trace that awareness to a keynote speech development, she has found that her feels lucky to say that she loves what she by David Merrill, a leader in her field own personal development has been does—and she knows she can do it well. (who has since become a friend and more rewarding than prospects of career Last year, Minnesota Meetings & mentor), at the first special events advancement. Her goal is someday to Events magazine named her the 2003 conference she was invited to attend. continue on for a Ph.D. and teach in the “Up-and-Coming Special Events “The minute he started speaking, I industry. Planner”; and the year before that, she knew this is what I’m supposed to do,” At Augsburg, she is responsible for was named one of the top five women to she says. Merrill connected her to the planning and managing summer watch in the Minnesota events business. right people and resources, and her conferences, weddings and receptions, She is currently president-elect of the career took off. and working with faculty and staff to Minneapolis-St. Paul Chapter of the During the summer, in addition to plan major campus events. International Special Events Society. managing summer events, Collen is Collen looks forward to working What put her over the top in working with the alumni office to plan more closely with Augsburg faculty and becoming noticed and in giving her Augsburg’s 2004 Homecoming, “Spark staff to plan the College’s major events. confidence was the opportunity to plan a Your Spirit,” to take place Oct. 2-9. Her goal is to increase the sense of major event last summer for her events industry colleagues. With only months to go before the annual conference of the International Special Events Society to be held in Minneapolis, Collen stepped in to plan one of the major evening events—a beach party. With the help of four dumptruck-loads of donated sand and lots of ingenuity, conference-goers partied with hula hoops and parasoled drinks on a sandy beach, with palm trees and beach cabanas—all downtown in Peavey Plaza. Collen recently completed a Master of Tourism and Administration degree at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., specializing in conference and events management. Spring/Summer 2004 13 Faculty/staff notes Postcards from Italy During February and March in the Christensen Center Gallery, art professor John McCaffrey exhibited 34 oil paintings of the sultry Italian landscape in the show “Postcards from Italy.” The paintings are evocative recollections of a visit McCaffrey made to the country several years ago. Though small in size, the works are bold interpretations of some of Italy’s most remarkable scenery and monuments. Captured in the brushwork are narrow streets and sun-baked cobblestones of old towns, the glory of Roman ruins, and the verdant beauty of the rolling Tuscan hills. Even in these small sizes, McCaffrey’s use of light to sculpt form, establish space, and construct volume is revealed upon close observation. John McCaffrey, art, measures to hang one of the 34 small oil paintings in his “Postcards from Italy” exhibit. “Vernazza” (2004) is one of the “postcards” that brought the Italian landscapes to life in the Christensen Center Gallery during the winter. Honors/awards Congratulations to the 2004 faculty and staff who received Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning Awards. Mark Engebretson, professor of physics, for teaching; Ann Klamer, director of residence life, for direct service to students; and Garry Hesser, professor of sociology and metro-urban studies, for advising/mentoring. Carol Barnett, music professor and composition instructor, was awarded the 2003 Nancy Van de Vate International Composition Prize for Opera from the Vienna Masterworks for her work, Snow, based on a short story by Konstantin Paustovsky. Janna Caywood ’04, social work, was inducted into Alpha Kappa Delta, international sociology honor society. 14 Su Dorée, mathematics, received the Mathematical Association of America North Central Section’s Award for Distinguished College or University Teaching of Mathematics, presented in April. It is presented for extraordinarily successful teaching, influence beyond their own institutions, and fostering of curiosity and excitement about mathematics to students. Garry Hesser, sociology and metrourban studies, was honored by the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs (HECUA) for his 25 years of service. Ann Klamer, residence life, received the 2003 Linda Schrempp Alberg Outstanding Contribution to Minnesota Higher Education Award, presented by the Minnesota College Personnel Association in May. Alberg was director of student life and associate dean of students at Augsburg until her death in 1996. Cheryl Leuning, nursing, received an Alumni Achievement Award in 2003 from Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.Dak. In the award nomination, she was described by her students and colleagues as “a superb teacher, an inspirational leader, and mentor.” Sports information coordinator Don Stoner, public relations and communication, was named CoWrestling SID/Publicist of the Year by the National Wrestling Media Association, an organization representing journalists who cover amateur and college wrestling. Jeff Swenson ’79, assistant dean for athletics and head wrestling coach, was inducted in March into the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association/David Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame. Spring/Summer 2004 Presentations/publications David Apolloni, philosophy, presented “Puzzles Concerning False Judgment in Plato’s Theatetus” at the 10th Annual Minnesota Conference on Ancient Philosophy in May. Tony Bibus and Rosemary Link, social work, and Michael O’Neal, sociology, presented a paper, “Analysis of Welfare Reform Using a Global Perpsective and Locally Mapped Conditions” at the 50th annual meeting of the Council on Social Work Education in March. Nora Braun, business administration/ MIS, published “Critical Thinking in the Business Curriculum,” in the March/April issue of The Journal of Business Education. Grace Dyrud and Bridget RobinsonRiegler, psychology, along with psychology senior Matthew Plitzkow, presented a poster session, “Lucky Next Time: The Effects of Luck Inducement and Delay on Predictions of Future Wins and Luck Ratings,” at the Midwestern Psychology Convention in April. They also presented at the American Psychological Society in May. Orv Gingerich and Kathy McBride, Center for Global Education, co-presented a session, “Experiential Education: Theory and Practice in Latin America,” at the 15th annual international conference of the Association of Academic Programs in Latin America and the Caribbean (AAPLAC) in February. Shakespeare Bulletin published Douglas Green’s review of Joe Dowling’s production of Othello at the Guthrie Lab in the spring issue (22.1); his review of Ethan McSweeney’s Romeo and Juliet appeared in the summer issue (22.2). In April, at the annual Shakespeare Association of America meeting, Green participated in a dramatic reading of Antony and Cleopatra. (His drunken Lepidus was well received.) Spring/Summer 2004 Gretchen Irvine, education, participated on a panel on international travel experience at the National Society for Experiential Education conference in November. She also presented “Value Added to Global Study/Travel through the Use of Technology,” at the Hawaii International Conference on Education in January. Kenneth Kaminsky, mathematics, published Financial Literacy: Introduction to the Mathematics of Interest, Annuities, and Insurance, with a manual to accompany it, by University Press of America, Inc. in 2003. Jason Kemp, residence life, published “Ally Rally: Problem Solving with GLBTQ Allies on Campus,” in the spring 2004 UMR-ACUHO (Upper Midwest Region, Association of College and University Housing Officers) News. Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Center for Global Education-Mexico, published “Educating about a Diversity and Global Issues Experientially: A Review of Simulations Games for Use in Community-Based Learning Programs,” in the fall 2003 issue of Transformations: The Journal of Inclusive Scholarship and Pedagogy. Dave Matz, psychology, co-authored “Social Norms and Identity Relevance: A Motivational Approach to Normative Behavior,” in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin. He also co-authored an article in Current Psychology, 21. Regina McGoff, Center for Global Education, presented, “Study Abroad for Students in a Weekend College Program,” at the Student Abroad Curriculum Integration Conference in April. Susan O’Connor, education, co-authored a chapter about her five-month faculty exchange in Trondheim, Norway, in Sosialt arbeid: Refleksjon og handling (Social Work: Action and Reflection). Ron Petrich, education, has a selection in Teaching with Fire: Poetry That Sustains the Courage to Teach, published by Jossey Bass. Petrich finished the first two-year Courage to Teach retreat series for K-16 educators and began a second series in May. Bruce Reichenbach, philosophy, contributed “Explanation and the Cosmological Argument,” to Contemporary Debates in Philosophy of Religion, edited by Michael Peterson and Raymond Vanarragon, and published by Blackwells in England. Bridget Robinson-Riegler and Greg Robinson-Riegler published two texts: Cognitive Psychology: Applying the Science of the Mind (along with an instructor’s manual) and Readings in Cognitive Psychology: Applications, Connections, and Individual Differences,” both published in 2004 by Allyn & Bacon. Nancy Steblay, psychology, co-authored “Eyewitness Accuracy Rates in Police Showups and Lineup Presentations: A Meta-Analytic Comparison,” in Law and Human Behavior, 27. Andrew Tix co-authored “The Relational Context of Social Support: Relationship Satisfaction Moderates the Relations between Enacted Support and Distress,” in Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 29. He also co-authored an article in the Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51. Sean Truman, psychology, with students Francis Rojas, Danielle Banaszak, and Janessa Baier, presented “Maternal Substance Abuse and Ratings of Parent Behavior: Do Drugs Matter?” at the Midwestern Psychology Convention. Truman also co-authored “What Are They Thinking? The Mediating Role of Parental Cognitions in the Parenting Processes of Drug-Dependent Mothers and Fathers,” in the NIDA Research Monograph Series in 2003. 15 AUGSBURG’S FOURTH INTERNATIONAL ver 100 entries were submitted in O the fourth annual photo contest for international and off-campus studies. Winners were selected in three categories: scenic landscapes, local people in a cross-cultural setting, and Augsburg students in a host setting. All winning photos were displayed in Christensen Center. Entries were judged on the following criteria: cross-cultural content, artistic and technical quality, and reproducibility. To see all the winners, visit <www.augsburg.edu/international/ photocontest04>. A 1st Place A B B 16 Scenic landscapes. First place. “Prague from the Castle Wall,” Erik Helgeson ’05. Czech Republic Augsburg students in host setting. First place. “Dancing with Locals (Mike Boyle),” Erik Helgeson ’05. Cuba C Local people in a cross-cultural setting. First place. “Lunchtime,” Deb Olson, MA Nursing. Namibia Spring/Summer 2004 OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES PHOTO CONTEST C D D Augsburg students in host setting. Second place. “Namibian Dunes,” Jenna Bracken ’05. Namibia E Scenic landscapes. Second place. “On the Other Side of the Fence: Auschwitz,” Ariann Russ ’05. Poland F Augsburg students in host setting. Third place. “Candomblé,” Ana Gabriela Power ‘05. Brazil. E F Spring/Summer 2004 17 MAJOR BOWEN: a story of courage and determination by Betsey Norgard As Jean Housh (left) coped with surgery to remove a brain tumor, her strength and inspiration came from “Major” Bowen (right), whose brain tumor left him near death and in a coma. She helped direct his path to Augsburg. eople are brought together in unpredictable ways. The friendship between Augsburg freshman Edward “Major” Bowen and Jean Housh, wife of Augsburg regent emeritus Allen Housh, began one day in physical therapy at the Sister Kenny® Rehabilitation Institute, where both were recovering from brain surgery. Because of the friendship that developed from that day in the hospital, the Houshes are largely responsible for Major Bowen enrolling at Augsburg. Three years ago last January, Bowen was an All-State junior goalie on The Blake School’s hockey team. The night he and the team shut out Stillwater High School, he felt sick with what he thought was the flu. By the next evening he was fighting for his life as a tumor blocked the flow of cerebrospinal fluid through his brain. Emergency surgery to relieve the pressure, followed by another surgery a week later to remove the cyst, left him in a coma for six weeks. P 18 “The nurses told us his brain was injured like in a 60-mph crash through a windshield,” recalls Bill Bowen, Major’s father. Miraculously, on Major’s grandmother’s birthday, he began to awaken. Weighing only 95 lbs., he was unable to walk, talk, or eat. Thus began a long rehabilitation at the Sister Kenny Institute, at a clinic in Florida, at Courage Center, and at other out-patient facilities. At Sister Kenny, as he worked to take a few steps, then a few steps more, Jean Housh was also recovering from elective surgery to remove the same kind of cyst before it became the emergency that Major faced. She was undergoing therapy to regain balance, strength, and memory. Excerpts from her story about getting to know Major are on p. 20. By the fall, Bowen was able to return home, but was plagued by short-term memory loss, facial droop, and some balance difficulty. His father tells of how Rod Anderson, a former Blake teacher and hockey coach “unretired” and devoted his time to tutoring Major in the Bowens’ home. During winter semester, Bowen returned to Blake, with Anderson continuing to tutor him at the school. Bowen also began practicing Tae Kwan Do as part of his therapy, and has achieved a second degree purple belt. He is now in training to test for his red belt. Major Bowen graduated with his Blake class in June 2002, but his real achievement came earlier, during Blake’s final hockey game of the year. After weeks of incredible determination and hard work to get back on the ice, he skated out to tend the goal for the last 53 seconds as his team beat Minnehaha Academy. For this, City Pages in their 2002 Best of the Twin Cities, named him the Best High School Athlete. The following year the Bowens began exploring options for college. Sara Kyle, associate director of college counseling at Blake, suggested Augsburg. “[Augsburg] Spring/Summer 2004 for the class. is one of the best (if not the best) Bowen’s determination also impacted colleges in the nation for bright students Maurer. “One of the biggest lessons I with learning and/or physical learned from Major,” Maurer said, “is to challenges,” said Kyle. “I thought it never give up. … I think Major’s refusal would be a natural place for Major to to stop until he had accomplished his continue his education.” She connected best can be inspirational to us all. The the Bowens with Sally Daniels, whole experience was a great honor and Augsburg’s director of undergraduate will remain one of my fondest memories admissions. from my time at Augsburg.” Jean and Allen Housh were also During the second semester, Bowen instrumental in the decision to consider was scheduled for several surgeries and Augsburg. “While Augsburg was in the would miss a considerable number of back of my mind,” Bill Bowen says, “90 school days. He arranged with Gustafson percent of it was the encouragement of to do a directed study in history, centered Allen and Jean.” around the question of genocide and Daniels and the Houshes introduced focusing on Nazi Germany and the Pol Major and his parents to President Pot regime in Cambodia. William Frame and to Augsburg’s Center A highlight of the semester was a field for Learning and Adaptive Student trip to Washington, D.C., to the Services (CLASS), a premier program in Holocaust Museum. While in providing comprehensive support to Washington, the Bowens met with students with disabilities. Minnesota Senator Mark Dayton, a friend Major enrolled in the fall as a partof the family, who had been Major’ s time student with two classes—Spanish baseball coach and who had also been a and history. Bill Bowen credits both hockey goalie at Blake. professors—Kate Reinhardt in Spanish The year proved incredibly difficult, and Don Gustafson in history—with but rewarding, for Major. Bill Bowen being “absolutely wonderful” to Major. recounts that virtually every Gustafson wondered at first how he person at Augsburg “gave would manage to teach someone with 102 percent”—nothing was short-term memory problems in the just average concerning detail-laden discipline of history. “It Major’s experience. He will worked,” he said, “partly because Maj return to classes in the fall came with some excellent high school part-time and then evaluate background; partly because his father what the right course will spent hours and hours going over the be for the future. material with Maj, and Maj on his part The friendship between was not about to give up; and partly Jean Housh and Major because one of our very remarkable remains strong; Bill Bowen students, Eric Maurer, agreed to tutor. talks of how they spend “It was in our weekly meetings (and time reading together—a Eric often was part of them) on a one-topractice that began during one basis that I got a much better therapy to improve their understanding of Major, of his difficulties, and of his incredibly dogged determination.” Gustafson says that Bowen Major Bowen and Jean Housh ended up “at the top of the class in remain good friends and continue terms of effort and hours,” and to read together, a practice that earned a “very creditable 3.0” grade started in rehabilitation. Spring/Summer 2004 enunciation. While her story speaks to the strength she gains from Major, Bill Bowen says that Major thinks Jean is “one of his angels.” It’s clear that Bowen could not have succeeded at Augsburg without the CLASS program and without faculty and staff who became entirely engaged in helping him learn, as they also learned from him. Even outside of class, in one small but significant gesture, President Frame relinquished his reserved parking space to the Bowens so that Major’s shortterm memory loss could not prevent him from always knowing exactly where their car was parked. “Augsburg has been a wonderful experience for me,” says Major. “Each professor has been different, but also the same in being caring, kind, and understanding. They have each also been demanding, requiring me to work hard, complete my assignments on time, to push myself, and to learn the subject matter. Professor Don Gustafson worked with me extensively to become more self-reliant, to trust myself, to think, and to respond. I can never thank him enough.” ■ 19 A M A J O R I N S P I R AT I O N I owe my life to a young m a n n a m e d M a j o r. H e is a guy I’d only heard about in the neurosurgeon’s office. I was being examined and scheduled for brain surgery. But I had the luxury of setting a surgery date, calling family to Minneapolis to help out and bracing myself beforehand. Major, however, did not. According to my neurosurgeon, the 17-year-old hockey player was nearly brain dead the January night he was brought to Children’s Hospital. Imagine playing goalie for your hockey team and near death one day later. I couldn’t. … Eager to read all I could about my condition or anyone else who’d experienced it, I combed back issues of the Minneapolis Star Tribune sports section at the library until I found it. There it was in bold type across five columns of the January 9, 2001, sport page. ‘Blake Goalie Faces Surgery for Brain Tumor.’ Edward “Major” Bowen was his name and his story would change my life. … I wish I could say my surgery was easy. Although I did not feel a thing, my family and friends suffered greatly. It is only through God’s grace and mercy that I am here. … One cold March day [at Sister Kenny Institute], I saw the name Major Bowen handwritten on a label of a headrest on a wheelchair. Could it be the same Major Bowen? I wondered aloud to [my husband] Allen. If he’s here, I have to meet him. After all, he is the reason I went ahead with my surgery. I asked Matt, my OT therapist, if that was Major Bowen, the hockey player. Yes, it was, but due to confidentiality concerns, I couldn’t just walk up and start talking. Matt had to arrange it for us after getting Major’s parents’ approval. The next day, I was introduced to Major, and his parents, Bill and Pat. … The common denominator between Major and me was the same colloid cysts in our brains. A rare and benign tumor, colloid cysts reside in the third left ventricle and restrict the flow of cerebral spinal fluid. In my case, it caused considerable swelling and chronic headaches. by Jean Spielman Housh Major, however, experienced no warning signs or headaches. … After six weeks in Children’s Hospital, Major was released to the Sister Kenny Institute for therapy and rehabilitation. That’s where our paths finally crossed. I was a bit tentative about meeting him. I was concerned his parents might measure me against their son’s progress. Boy was I wrong. I have never been so warmly received. Behind Major’s wheelchair in the computer lab at Sister Kenny Institute, Major’s dad, Bill, shook my hand and thanked me for initiating our meeting. “It’s nice to know someone who had the same surgery as Major and who’s come out so well,” he told me. I tried to tell him that his son was my inspiration. Tears rolled down my face and I couldn’t get the words out. “I cry a lot,” I told him. He smiled, knowing exactly what I meant. Around the corner came Major’s mom, Pat. Awkwardly I began my story again. Lost in my tears were all the words I’d hoped to say. Words like ‘thank you for your son. Thank you for being such loving parents. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to meet my life’s inspiration.’ … During a follow-up visit last year, Dr. Nagib’s nurse practitioner, Therese O’Fallon, told me, “One day, maybe not soon, but one day, you’ll look back on this surgery experience as a gift. Some good will have come from it.” Brain surgery—a gift? Yeah, right. I brushed it off. But today, more than two years later, I’m beginning to see what she means. God has given me a gift of true inspiration in Major. Through him and my surgery, I’ve learned patience, determination, and what family really means. Today, the balance of good days and bad days clearly tips toward the positive. I’ve recovered most, if not all, of my short- and long-term memory. Although, I still lose my car in the Target parking lot and often have trouble remembering how many strokes I had on the golf course. Major and I read Lance Armstrong’s book It’s Not about the Bike last summer. We read it aloud to one another to improve our enunciation. Armstrong’s story of victory over cancer and winning the Tour de France is an inspiring and powerful one. But one no less inspiring than Major’s story of faith, courage, and strength. Jean Spielman Housh is a writer and wife of Augsburg regent emeritus Allen Housh. 20 Spring/Summer 2004 F R O M F L ATA N G E R TO A U G S B U R G : A C E N T U R Y A PA R T by Betsey Norgard THE SMALL coastal town of Flatanger, Norway, has sent two students to Augsburg College, almost exactly 100 years apart. While Ingwald Rosok may not have received a diploma in the spring of 1895 when he left Augsburg, Monica Dahle marched proudly across the stage in spring 2004. Dahle is a senior at Molde University College in central Norway and came to Augsburg as part of International Partners. This program, based on reciprocal agreements between Augsburg and European institutions that offer the equivalent of bachelor’s degrees, allows students from both Europe Norwegian student Monica Dahle stands in front of Old Main, built just three years after Ingwald Rosok, another student from her hometown, attended and Augsburg to take part Augsburg. of their study program at Ingwald Rosok, who attended partner schools. This preparatory class at moved to Arizona and lived there the rest Augsburg in 1894-95, left his enables them to Augsburg Seminary for of his life. small village of Flatanger 100 experience studying years before current student nearly five months until his Although Rosok’s mother was from Monica Dahle. abroad without money ran out. the Sverdrup family, there is no apparent interrupting or delaying In his memoir, Retrospect, Rosok tells close connection to Georg and George their studies. of wanting to go to school and learning Sverdrup, Augsburg’s second and fourth Because of International Partners and about Augsburg from a Norwegian grocer presidents, respectively. the scholarship that participants receive, in Minneapolis. He describes Augsburg’s When Dahle arrived at Augsburg last Dahle chose to come to Minneapolis and location as “in the block between Seventh winter, she recognized Old Main from Augsburg. When she began researching and Eighth Streets, and between 21st and photos she had seen in a history book. information about Augsburg, to her 22nd Avenues South.” He lists the faculty She was one of 34 Norwegian students in surprise and excitement she discovered a that year as six professors. book about Ingwald Rosok, also from Rosok did not want to be a minister Flatanger. He had come to the U.S. in Photo of Ingwald Rosok from Retrospect: An and chose to study engineering at the 1891, worked at a number of jobs in the Autobiography, by I. A. Rosok, edited by O. M. University of Minnesota instead of Norlie, copyright 1957 and printed by Lund Press, Upper Midwest, and attended the second returning to Augsburg. He eventually Minneapolis. Spring/Summer 2004 21 A C E N T U R Y A PA R T International Partners during the academic year, and took social work courses. For her internship, she learned about an agency in downtown Minneapolis offering a needle exchange program, and applied to work there. Her tasks included meeting with drug addicts, homeless people, and prostitutes—work and issues she had never encountered. “I learned so much,” Dahle said, “about nonjudgemental attitudes, about how to treat clients, and about the U.S.” She had not expected the level of culture shock she experienced. Her biggest challenge was language. Dahle said the people who came there often used street slang, but that she simply asked them what it meant. She loves to work with people, and dreams of finding similar ways to work with drug addicts in Norway. During spring semester, two events stood out for Dahle as highlights. In February, when Augsburg hosted the Peace Prize Festival for schoolchildren, she was one of two Norwegian students who greeted and escorted special guests Gro Harlem Brundtland, former prime minister of Norway and director general emerita of the World Health Organization; and Knut Vollebæk, Norwegian ambassador to the U.S. 22 The second highlight was participation in Augsburg’s commencement ceremony. In Norway, college graduates are hosted at a dinner, but without the pomp and circumstance of an American ceremony. Because of the reciprocal agreements between colleges, International Partners students are granted special permission to participate in Augsburg’s graduation. EXCERPTS FROM Monica Dahle (right) and Beate Fjellanger (second from right) greeted Gro Brundtland, former Norwegian prime minister, and Knut Vollebæk, Norwegian ambassador to the U.S., at the Peace Prize Festival in February. “It was amazing, with all the people there,” Dahle remarked. “It’s a really big deal, and I’ve seen it on TV.” Her cap and gown went back to Norway with her as mementos. Dahle has her four-hour final exam to finish at Molde University College. Then she hopes to work for a year or so before possibly returning to the U.S. and Augsburg for a master’s program. ■ RETROSPECT: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY By Ingwald Andreas Rosok Edited by O.M. Norlie; copyright 1957 by I.A. Rosok. Minneapolis: Lund Press, Inc. 16 ATTENDING AUGSBURG We called on the Norwegian grocer. He advised me to go to Augsburg Seminary, which, at that time, was not only a theological seminary but also a college and an academy. It was a Norwegian Lutheran church school and was located in the block between Seventh and Eighth Streets, and between Twenty-first and Twenty-second Avenues South. I went there, and they took me and accepted my check without any question. … As already stated, Augsburg Seminary had three departments: The Preparatory (Academy) Department which took two years to finish; the College Department which took four years, and the Theological Department which took three years, a total of nine years. When this was completed one was ready to be ordained as a full-fledged Lutheran minister and to be assigned to some congregation as its pastor. The professors that year were: George Sverdrup, president; Sven Oftedal, vice president; John H. Blegen; Edward Hovde; J.L. Nydahl and T.S. Reimestad. When I told them what previous schooling I had had, I was assigned to the second preparatory class. It was a very good school and I enjoyed it very much. It certainly was much better for me than working in the woods in Wisconsin. I studied very hard, never missing any classes and spending all my waking hours in my room doing my homework. I started school at Augsburg Seminary December 7, 1894 and attended until April 13, 1895 when my money was all gone. Spring/Summer 2004 SEEING ABILITIES instead of disabilities Seeing the abilities of people rather than their disabilities has given Cilje Nybord Mosand a dream and a plan, which she has taken back to her native Norway this summer. Mosand, a social work student in the International Partners program at Augsburg, interned during the spring at a non-profit organization called Interact Center for the Visual and Performing Arts, based in Minneapolis. Interact, a multidisciplinary arts center for adult artists with disabilities, features a large art studio and public gallery, rehearsal and performance space, a fulltime faculty of professional artists, a performing arts training program, and a theater company. Mosand was so impressed with Interact that she hopes to start a similar organization in the Scandinavian countries. “We have nothing like this in Norway,” Mosand said. “This has been such a wonderful experience. You don’t see the disabilities of these people, rather the abilities they possess.” During her internship, Mosand assisted the professional artists who work with the disabled artists in all aspects of the theater, from writing the script and by Judy Petree music, to acting. She even took part in the theater performance, playing the part— aptly enough—of a young woman named “Celia,” who is Norwegian. “We really liked having Cilje here,” said Eriq Nelson, performing arts instructor at Interact. “She gave our ‘artists’ individual support and always had time for listening to them. Many times the staff doesn’t have this kind of time.” Nelson added that when Mosand first came, they envisioned her as support staff, doing odd jobs such as filling out paperwork. But, she became so involved with the artists the original plans quickly flew out the door. “We have a large Norwegian population at the center and some have even been to Norway on tour, so they were excited about Cilje being from Norway. She liked being with the artists and they liked being with her.” Nelson said it was also fun to watch Mosand grow during her internship. “We even got her to be a part of the show. It was fun to see Cilje embrace that side of it. She was always willing to do whatever was needed to be done. She’s missed.” Actually, this is not Augsburg’s first encounter with Interact. A few years ago, education professor Susan O’Connor Top photo: At Interact, Cilje Mosand supported and worked with artists with disabilities, and joined them to perform in their production. Spring/Summer 2004 introduced Karl-Johan Johansen, an instructor from Sør Trøndelag University College in Trondheim, Norway, and Per Frederiksen, with PROFF, an organization serving people with disabilities, to Interact while they were visiting Minneapolis. As a result of that visit, Johansen and Frederiksen secured funding in Norway for a group from Interact to travel to Norway and Denmark to give performances. The artists that went on this tour were the same ones who formed a bond with Mosand. “What fascinated me about Interact is it’s so diverse,” Mosand said. “The mix of people from a rainbow of ethnic, age, and disability groups gives one the impression of being in an inclusive Garden of Eden.” The artists help the community understand that gifts are given to all people, Mosand said, and that vision is not lost nor even impaired by a disabling condition. “There are no superiors, inferiors; no staff versus clients. There is only the collegial mix of diverse people who are all focused on the same goals—the creation of beauty, the making of art.” ■ Judy Petree is media relations manager in the Office of Public Relations and Communication. 23 A QUICK CONNECTION PROM DRESSES TO by Judy Petree Stephanie Quick’s passion for working with children and youth, especially those who struggle with lives of poverty and abuse, has taken her to a place far from her Midwestern roots in Mendota Heights, Minn.—to Nome, Alaska, a place so beautiful it’s hard to imagine life could be anything but ideal. Quick, a 2001 Augsburg graduate with a major in youth and family ministry, is currently working on a four-year Master of Divinity degree at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago. She is in year three of seminary, which consists of an internship. Beauty surrounded by poverty The road to Alaska and her internship at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Nome came after she was accepted into a special ELCA program called Horizon. This program offers 22 unique internship sites across the world, including cross-cultural ministry, mission start congregations, and others at rural, urban, and international sites. Quick said that many of these sites, including her current one, cannot afford a second pastor, and provide excellent learning opportunities. Quick said Nome is a beautiful place, surrounded by ocean and tundra. She has seen wildlife from bears to reindeer to seals, eaten a variety of Eskimo foods including Eskimo ice cream (berries mixed with reindeer fat), muktuk (whale blubber), black meat (seal), reindeer, caribou, dried fish, greens, and herring eggs. But, she added, the stark reality is that all of this beauty surrounds a town plagued by alcohol abuse and poverty. “While this town of 3,000 people is in a unique setting, it is also very sad. You can find only two small grocery stores, yet the street is littered with bars and liquor stores. Alcohol abuse is a terrible factor in the community.” In fact, Quick said, it has gotten so bad that alcoholism in Nome and surrounding villages has nearly Above: Stephanie Quick, Class of 2001, is destroyed the Native American (Eskimo) traditional lifestyle. “Sadly, as a pastor, you hear using her seminary internship to work with many stories of family violence, sexual abuse, young people in an impoverished Nome, and substance abuse. There is so much tragedy here it is almost unbelievable.” Alaska church. She brought joy to the high Quick is called to many areas while serving school girls there, as 60 prom dresses she as an intern pastor. Some of her duties include preaching, leading worship, teaching, pastoral collected from family and friends back counseling, home visitations, serving as home were donated for Nome’s big dance. chaplain at the local jail, eating lunch with elders at the senior citizen’s center, and holding 24 Spring/Summer 2004 worship service at the nursing home. However, there is one area where her passion is strong. Quick is concentrating her efforts on working with youth in Nome, even starting a youth group at the congregation, which now draws more than 25 youth. “I have formed some pretty strong connections with some of the high school girls,” Quick said. “These girls have confided a lot of things to me. Recently they told me they couldn’t go to the prom because they couldn’t afford a dress.” While the town is plentiful with bars and liquor stores, Quick said there is not a clothing store to be found. The only way for these girls to get a dress would be to spend $343 on a plane ticket to Anchorage or make a dress. “None of these girls can afford a prom dress let alone fly to Anchorage to buy it. And many of the girls are being raised by their grandparents who just don’t have the time to make a dress.” Quick came up with an idea and she quickly enlisted the help of her sister, Rachel, who is a junior at Augsburg; her parents; and her hometown congregation, St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church in West St. Paul. “I thought, well, I still have my prom dresses, so I called up my mom and asked her to send them here. Unfortunately, she had just given them away to the Goodwill, but my sister, Rachel, still had hers.” Rachel was more than happy to not only ship her prom dress to Alaska, but to send out a campuswide e-mail asking others for their dresses and other prom accessories, such as shoes and purses. When Quick’s pastor at St. Stephen’s found out what she was doing, he made an announcement in church. Her plea was so successful, she received 60 dresses, the majority coming from Augsburg and St. Stephen’s Church in West St. Paul. After the shipment arrived in Nome, Stephanie Quick opened up a “Prom Shop” in the church basement. The ladies’ sewing circle at Our Savior’s Church volunteered to make alterations on the dresses. Quick said the girls were Spring/Summer 2004 “thrilled” with the dresses. “I’m really proud of my sister,” Rachel said. “She is such a kind person and she’s really grown attached to these girls in Nome. She was able to give them something we take for granted—a pretty dress and a really special night.” Quick said she wanted to do this for the girls “simply because I care about them, and feel that their opportunities shouldn’t be limited just because of their finances.” Reaching out Quick followed her passion and calling one step further when she volunteered to travel to a remote village in the wilderness, without running water or plumbing. She spent 10 days in a place called Shishmaref, a tiny island Eskimo village located 20 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The village is entirely Lutheran and is the northernmost ELCA congregation. Most people there still speak their native language of Inupiaq. Quick said the pastor there had resigned in the fall, and it has been difficult to even get an interim pastor, much less a permanent pastor. It is a very rustic place with honeybuckets for toilets and Ladies in Our Savior’s Lutheran Church snow or rainwater for volunteered their time to alter the drinking water. The only donated dresses for the girls. place to shower is at the “washeteria,” which costs money, she added, so obviously people don’t shower much. The roads are all dirt and the houses are primitive. Children, she said, run around very dirty, many visibly with lice. The town is filled with flies, and garbage and raw sewage leak from bins. “It looked straight out of a ‘Save the Children’ commercial,” Quick said. “It was a moving experience just driving down the street.” The only modes of transportation, she added, are fourwheelers; snowmobiles, which the Alaskans call snow machines; and dog sled teams. “I had some amazing visits with the people there,” Quick said, “including a group of elders who showed me some of their sewing. It was a neat experience sitting on the floor watching the Eskimo women sew things like slippers, mukluks, and Eskimo yo-yos out of seal 25 A QUICK CONNECTION TO PROM DRESSES skin and reindeer fur.” Quick’s love and passion for children took center stage there as well, in this remote village. She said the children were excited to see her and she organized many youth activities for them, including baking for elders and confirmation classes. Some days there were more than 50 children that showed up in the basement of the parsonage, which is used for a youth center. “We had a Sunday School turnout of 75 children which is great considering there are only 600 people in the village.” The church services were similar to the ones she helps out with in Nome, part of it being in their native language and part in English. “I have to brag a little that I’m doing quite well on the Inupiaq. The elders tease me that I am becoming an Eskimo!” Quick said because of the lack of a pastor or interim pastor, she was given special permission by the bishop and seminary to administer the sacraments. She presided over Holy Communion and performed her first baptism. The baptism, she added, was especially moving. “I had asked a woman in the congregation to present the candle and recite a special verse. She has cerebral palsy and told me she has trouble reading, so when she came up, she had the verse memorized. It was moving and a true moment of grace.” Augsburg’s transforming education Quick credits the encouragement she received from faculty and staff in the religion department while she was a student at Augsburg for steering her toward the path she is now following. In particular she remembers a lecture she heard about being called to serve God. “I still remember that lecture, and that confirmed my call from God. I began to look for a place to serve the church and I felt not only an internal call to the ministry, but an external call to serve God.” Quick said she wasn’t sure at that point what direction in ministry she wanted to pursue, but she loved the Youth and Family Ministry program and being involved in Campus Ministry, so that excited her about ministry with families. Quick will return to Chicago in the fall to finish her education. Where she will go from there is still a question, but she has many goals, one being a pastor in an inner city church working with families, children and youth; another opening an orphanage or working at an existing one, perhaps in Thailand; or even teaching religion, “especially if it was at Above: A stitch here and there to the Augsburg!” donated dresses made the high school “The education I received at Augsburg helped shape my life in a very positive way. Augsburg girls feel like queens of the prom. helped me realize that all things are possible through God.” ■ Judy Petree is media relations manager in the Office of Public Relations and Communication. 26 Spring/Summer 2004 Students celebrate after receiving their honors cords from academic dean Christopher Kimball at the Honors Convocation on Friday, April 30. The Augsburg Chamber Orchestra performs at the Commencement concert on Friday, April 30, which featured solos by each of the four 2004 Concerto Aria winners: Miya Kunin ’04, violin; Maja Lisa FritzHuspen ’04, soprano; Nicholas White ’05, bass; and Keely Holcomb ’04, soprano. DR. SHIRLEY ANN JACKSON DELIVERS COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS A graduate pays homage to her home state by taping a cutout of Texas to her mortarboard. Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, president of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, spoke at the 2004 Augsburg College Commencement ceremony Saturday, May 1. It is said that Jackson has a “career distinguished by many historic firsts.” Jackson, a theoretical physicist, holds a Ph.D. in theoretical elementary particle physics from M.I.T. and an S.B. in physics from M.I.T. She is the first AfricanAmerican woman to receive a doctorate from M.I.T., and is one of the first two African-American women to receive a doctorate in physics in the United States. Jackson is also the first African-American to become a commissioner of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and is now the first woman to lead a national research university. Jackson has held senior positions in government, as chairperson of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); in industry and research, as a theoretical physicist at the former AT&T Bell Laboratories; and in academe as a professor at Rutgers University. While at the NRC, Jackson represented the United States as a delegate to the General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna, Austria. Among the number of professional organizations Jackson belongs to, she is president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Physical Society. Visit <www.rpi.edu/web/President/profile.html> for more information about Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson. Barbara Lehmann, assistant professor of social work, hugs a student during the procession from Foss Center to Melby Hall. 28 Spring/Summer 2004 COMMENCEMENT 2004 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS URGES EXCELLENCE, LEADERSHIP, AND COMMUNITY Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, president of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in New York, delivers the keynote Commencement address. Lois Bosch, associate professor of social work, places a master’s hood on a Master of Social Work student. Barbara Forshier, Weekend College Class of 2004 representative, addresses the crowd at the Commencement ceremony. Spring/Summer 2004 Following are excerpts from Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson’s Commencement address; read the complete address at <www.rpi.edu/web/President/speeches/augsburg.html> … A simple message from my own father has always motivated me. … He always would say to us: “Aim for the stars, so that you will reach the treetops, and at any rate, you will get off the ground.” In other words, if you do not aim high, you will not go far. He also believed that it was important to help somebody else along the way. I have taken my father’s advice throughout my career, and woven it into a common thread with three basic strands. They are excellence, leadership, and community. It was Aristotle who said, “Excellence is an art won by training and habituation. We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.” After all, if you are going to spend precious time doing something, why not do it well? And, when you do things well, it becomes your habit. Secondly, leadership is a fundamental responsibility we all own. … Leadership encompasses a clarity of vision, an understanding of the broader context, as well as the articulation to share that vision with others. It takes perseverance, and requires very hard work, but an effective leader sets an example by working hard, by being ethical, and by inspiring others to do the same. … The final strand is community. What I mean by community also might be termed inclusiveness. In the global community in which we live, inclusiveness is key, because it is the estrangement of individuals, or of groups, or of peoples, or of nations that is responsible for the divisiveness that haunts us—that makes the world a more dangerous place. … Optimism also is part of my father’s legacy. As a result, I am determinedly optimistic about the future. Optimism and hope are contagious. … Indeed, it is a force for change, and it can move people to take positive action. … So, give generously. Aim high. Lead with your gifts. Stay positive. Look forward. Do not be discouraged. Lead with optimism. Challenge yourselves. Find joy in everyday life. If you do all of these, I am confident that you can lead us to a future of peace, a future of greater safety, security, and health for all—a future in which hope prospers, and love and service guide us. Now is your time. Be that future, and you can change the world. Three graduates smile for the camera during the ceremony in Melby Hall. 29 Gregory McKusky, who received a B.A. in physics, joins family and faculty in Murphy Park after the Commencement ceremony. A graduate poses for a picture following the ceremony. THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE 623 Candidates for graduation 347 Day program candidates 152 Weekend College candidates 83 Graduate program candidates (12 Master of Arts in Leadership, 30 Master of Social Work, 14 Master of Arts in Nursing, 24 Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, 3 Master of Arts in Education) 33 Rochester program candidates
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Title: Augsburg Now Summer 2005
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: A P U B L I C AT I O N Summer 2005 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 67, No. 4 EEditor’s DITOR’Snote NOTE Staying connected I t seems the talk everywhere is about being “connected.” There’s the daily media buzz about camera phones, text messagi...
Show more A P U B L I C AT I O N Summer 2005 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 67, No. 4 EEditor’s DITOR’Snote NOTE Staying connected I t seems the talk everywhere is about being “connected.” There’s the daily media buzz about camera phones, text messaging, chat rooms, etc., but here on campus the conversations focus more on meaningful ways to help our alumni stay connected to the College. While I was thinking about all of this, we received the sad news of the death of Augsburg’s President Emeritus Oscar Anderson. It was a quote included in a newspaper article that sparked more thinking about connections. In 1983, while speaking about liberal arts education, Anderson said that students needed to be as familiar with Captain Ahab in Moby Dick as with the computer HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey. “The computer is an extension of the brain, not a substitute for the mind.” To me, this really tells us that as we become more proficient in maintaining the technological connections, we should remember that it’s the fostering of deeper relationships that make people want to stay involved in the life and future of Augsburg. It’s the difference between being brain-connected and being heartconnected. Like family members who grow up and move away, we hope our students will leave us wanting to stay involved in what goes on at this place. We hope this relationship begins with the very first impression a high school junior gets as he or she is led around campus, and with each stop increasingly thinks, “This is the place I really want to be.” Or, when a full-time nurse or a stayat-home mom hangs up the phone, excited about the prospect of finishing college after receiving lots of encouragement from an admissions counselor. Once students are on campus, they discover many opportunities to forge this kind of relationship—with classmates, with athletic teammates, with professors in classrooms and labs, with academic advisers, and with people they meet as they explore the world off campus. Each year at Commencement, we send off our graduates confident that they’ll take their learning in directions that bring meaning to their lives. We fervently hope they stay in touch. After that the connections become more tenuous. Work and family life take over, and again we hope that somehow Augsburg fits into their careers and activities. This summer issue of the Now speaks to this whole process of building Augsburg relationships and keeping the “family” connected. You’ll share the excitement of the 600 graduates we sent off in May with Augsburg diplomas. You’ll be encouraged to return to campus for Homecoming festivities to catch up with old friends and connect with our current students. In the feature stories, you’ll meet bright, young music scholars who have graduated and followed their hearts and talents to places far and near. You’ll also meet students and faculty in our Mathematics Department, and learn how math studies and career exploration go hand-in-hand in a very personal process. And, you’ll read about some very remarkable donors to our Access to Excellence campaign—both Augsburg alumni and others—who are committed to building exceptional opportunities for future students. Alumni president Bill Vanderwall sums it up at the end of his column, “Be connected—stay connected!” And I’ll add, “Stay heart-connected!” Betsey Norgard Editor Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. Editor Betsey Norgard Assistant Editor Lynn Mena Graphic Designer Kathy Rumpza Class Notes Coordinator Sara Kamholz ’04 Photographer Stephen Geffre President William V. Frame Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Amy Sutton Director of Public Relations and Communication Dan Jorgensen Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058–1545 Postmaster: Send address corrections to: Advancement Services Augsburg College, CB 142 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 healyk@augsburg.edu E-mail: now@augsburg.edu Telephone: 612-330-1181 Fax: 612-330-1780 Augsburg College, as affirmed in its mission, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, or disability in its education policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and/or school administered programs, except in those instances where religion is a bona fide occupational qualification. Augsburg College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to its employees and its students. www.augsburg.edu 12 A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS Summer 2005 Vol. 67, No. 4 FEATURES 21 Finding the right career formula by Betsey Norgard 25 Following the Hognander Scholars by Jessica Brown 10 12 16 2005 Fifth Annual International Photo Contest Commencement 2005 Vision, news from Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College DEPARTMENTS 21 2 Around the Quad 8 Sports 28 Alumni News 30 Class Notes 35 In Memoriam 36 Auggie Thoughts inside back cover Homecoming 2005 Preview On the cover: Three education students enjoy the serenity of the Quad to study after their summer school class. 25 Photo by Stephen Geffre. 50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post—consumer waste) AROUND QUAD Around THE the Quad President Frame announces retirement in 2006 Augsburg News Service W illiam V. Frame, who has served as president of Augsburg College since the summer of 1997, has announced plans to retire in the summer of 2006 following completion of his current term. In letters to regents and colleagues and in a talk before a gathering of staff and faculty on the campus, Frame said that he and his wife, Anne, have found the work both rewarding and demanding, with the principal rewards being a deeper understanding of the Lutheran idea of vocation and of the educational regimen that it requires. He saluted faculty, staff, regents, and other supporters of the College as “true partners” in his presidency. “Our work together has helped us draw Augsburg to new levels of recognition for advancing the cause of Lutheran higher education in the city and in the global society of the 21st century,” he said. “Together, we have brought new life and utility to Luther’s idea of vocation, and have organized our general education curriculum and now our graduate programs around this grand idea of the ‘called life of service.’ “Augsburg plays a unique role in the world of Lutheran education. Its service to the city, to the provision of accessibility to first-class educational opportunities for both traditionally-aged students and working adults, and its regard for faith and reason as interactive and mutually reinforcing modes of understanding gives us a special mission which you have helped us to see and pursue. No doubt my successor will rely as heavily upon your counsel and support as have I.” Jean Taylor ’85, president of Taylor Corporation and chair of the Augsburg Board of Regents, said she expects the search for the new president to occupy most of the next year. She has appointed H. Theodore Grindal ’76, partner in the law firm of Lockridge Grindal Nauen P.L.L.P. and vice-chair of the Augsburg board, to lead the search. Frame, who is the 10th president in Augsburg’s 136-year history, said that while much has been accomplished, he expects his final year to be filled with projects and opportunities. Among those is his continuing work on the College’s $55 million Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College, kicked off in April 2004. Some $41 million has been raised toward that goal, the largest in the College’s history. Prior to joining Augsburg, Frame was vice president for finance and operations at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash. He has been a strong proponent of William V. Frame the tradition of Lutheran higher education, which he believes is based on the ideas of vocation and service and requires ongoing dialogue between faith and reason. His advocacy for vocation also has led to his national leadership among college presidents, currently serving as project director for the Council of Independent Colleges’ program designed to guide both current and prospective presidents in reflection about each leader’s sense of calling and its intersection with institutional mission. He also has taken leadership roles with the Minnesota Private College Council—as chair during the 2004-05 academic year—and the Minnesota Campus Compact. A L U M N I A S K E D T O S U B M I T N A M E S O F P R E S I D E N T I A L C A N D I D AT E S The Augsburg College Presidential Search Committee is continuing to seek names of potential candidates for the presidency and especially wants to hear from Augsburg alumni, parents, and close friends of the College during this process. Names of suggested candidates should be sent to Dr. Thomas B. Courtice of the Academic Search Consultation Service, Washington, D.C., who is assisting with the search. Nominators or prospective candidates may contact Courtice at <tom.courtice@academic-search.org> or at 614-405-9209. 2 Summer 2005 David Tiede named to first endowed chair D avid Tiede, president of Luther Seminary for 18 years, has been named to the Bernhard M. Christensen Chair in Religion—the first endowed chair in Augsburg’s history. Known as one of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s preeminent theologians and educators, Tiede was selected following a nationwide search by the College. He earlier had announced his intention to retire from the Luther presidency in May 2005. His appointment to Augsburg begins in the 2005-06 academic year. The chair honors Bernhard M. Christensen ’22, the seventh president of Augsburg College and Seminary from 1938-62 and a central figure in drawing Augsburg fully into the study of liberal arts. Augsburg Seminary was later merged with Luther Seminary. In announcing the selection, Augsburg President William V. Frame noted, “David Tiede is a champion of the Augsburg ideals of vocation and service to the city. These ideals, along with Augsburg’s increasing attention to its role as a college of the church and in a global society—including the formation of a new Center for Faith and Learning under the auspices of our Lilly Endowment grant—were keys in attracting him to this new position.” As the Christensen professor, Tiede will carry out research and writing, including focus on Christensen’s legacy and work. He also will lecture and conduct on-campus workshops, represent the College at various events sponsored by the Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment Fund, work with Augsburg students who have been designated as “Lilly Scholars” and who have demonstrated an interest in studying for ministry, and will seek ways to strengthen the College’s ties to key Christian leaders and communities. In accepting the position, Tiede noted, “Since the days of President Bernhard Christensen, Augsburg College has had a vision of academic excellence for the sake of vocation in the world. Summer 2005 Now faculty, graduates, and administrative leaders are bringing renewed focus, discipline, and strength to this vision. I am grateful the Christensen Chair will allow me to join them in helping make it happen.” Inez Schwarzkopf, former Augsburg regent and chair of the College’s Christensen Endowment Fund Committee, said Tiede graces the Christensen chair with a wide reputation as a scholar, a leader, and a churchman. “We are delighted that he has accepted this new challenge,” she said. “At the same time, the appointment honors Dr. Tiede by association with Augsburg’s solid legacy of scholarship, Christian spirituality, service, diversity, and ecumenism as embodied in the life and work of Bernhard M. Christensen.” Christopher Kimball, provost and dean of the College, who co-chaired the search committee with Schwarzkopf, said, “Tiede provides the College with a voice in the national conversation about the importance of church-related—in particular Lutheran—higher education. So, we are fortunate to have someone of that stature join the faculty.” Tiede’s teaching career began in 1967 as a summer instructor in Greek at Harvard Divinity School, where he became a teaching fellow in New Testament in 1969. Ordained in 1971, he served as associate pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Minneapolis, from 1972-75. In June 2000 he was elected vice president of the Association of Theological Schools (ATS) in the U.S. and Canada. Two years later, he was elected president of ATS. He serves on the board of directors for In Trust magazine. Courtesy of Luther Seminary Augsburg News Service David Tiede, retiring president of Luther Seminary, is Augsburg’s first Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion. Tiede earned the B.A. degree from St. Olaf College, attended Princeton Theological Seminary, and received the B.D. degree from Luther Seminary in 1966. He earned the Ph.D. degree from Harvard in 1971 and began his career at Luther that same year, teaching New Testament, his specialty. In addition to ten books and textual notes, he has written dozens of scholarly articles and book chapters, done a number of audio and video productions, and served on numerous boards and committees for the church, in national and international religious organizations, and throughout the Greater Twin Cities. For the past three years he has been the initial chair of the new consortium, Faith in the City, composed of seven Lutheranbased organizations working collectively and with others to contribute to the wellbeing of the community. Oscar Anderson dies at 89 As Augsburg Now goes to press, we sadly report the death of President Emeritus Oscar A. Anderson, Augsburg’s eighth president, from 1963-80. Read the news release at <www.augsburg.edu/news/news-archives/2005/oscaranderson.html> and see the complete story in the next issue. 3 Around the Quad Larry Crockett recognized for Honors Program leadership omputer science professor Larry Crockett, who directed the Honors Program from 1988 through this past academic year, was honored by the College for his service and vision for the program over 16 years. Crockett will be on sabbatical leave during spring 2006 and return in the fall to teach in the Honors Program and computer science department. “His vision for the Honors Program has shaped its curriculum and the intellectual lives of its students,” said academic dean Barbara Edwards Farley at the April recognition gathering. “Establishment of the Honors Suite gave students a place to call their own; and Larry’s work on the Honors Web page and contributions to the National Collegiate Honors Council have brought the College national recognition,” she continued. For several years, Augsburg’s Honors Program Web site was the top-ranked honors page at both Google and Yahoo. Christopher Kimball, provost and dean of the College, said that Crockett “cares deeply about ideas, particularly those that should shape and be shaped by a liberal arts education.” Kimball recalled a conversation in which Crockett lamented that faculty only gather to take care of questions of governance and legislation, and no longer to converse about ideas. “We never talk about the important stuff,” Kimball recalled Crockett saying. “Those are the things that got all of us into academia.” Crockett’s teaching crosses disciplinary boundaries—computer science, philosophy, history of science, theology, and history. He has served in the clergy of the Lutheran church, and is currently a priest in the Episcopal church. Both former and current students testified to the impact that Crockett’s sometimes unorthodox, but always challenging, teaching made in their education. Erica Huls ’01 recalled the first day of Honors 101 when students were asked to 4 Staff photo C Larry Crockett catches up with former Honors Program students Erica Huls ’01 (left) and Stephanie Lein Walseth ’00 (right) at the reception honoring his leadership and service to the program. count the ceiling tiles in the classroom, before pondering why it was that people don’t sit around all day doing that. She said that Crockett’s goal was to teach them how to think, to make and defend arguments, and to find fallacies in others. “The program wanted us to look at subjects like religion, science, and technology, and see how they could live and work together, just as they live and work together in Dr. Crockett’s person,” she said. Senior Eric Dunens spoke about community. “[Crockett] created a program that surrounds its participants with the best Augsburg has to offer. He’s created an honors community that challenges its participants to reach their potential. He’s also created an honors community that encourages students to interact with other students and create a real community on campus.” Crockett participated on the Honors Program Design Team to develop a new proposal for the Honors Program. The proposal was approved by the faculty, and Crockett has worked with the team implementing the program, along with Robert Groven, the new Honors Program director. Bob Groven named Honors Program director Augsburg News Service R obert Groven, associate professor of communication studies, has been named to a threeyear term as director of the Honors Program. Groven holds a Juris Doctorate from the University of Minnesota Law School and a Master of Arts in speech communication from the University of Minnesota. He is a 1989 graduate of Concordia College-Moorhead, where he participated in the honors program in humanities. Groven, who has been a member of the faculty since 1997, also is director of Augsburg’s award-winning forensics program and has led it to national prominence in recent years. In announcing the appointment, Christopher Kimball, provost and dean of the College, said, “Dr. Groven’s philosophy of education, his vision for an honors program education at Augsburg, and his commitment to student development and community building make him an excellent choice to assume leadership of the program.” Kimball noted that an Honors Program Council will be established this year to work with the new director to guide the development of the recently revised program. Kimball said that the Honors Program—as noted in its operational statements—both celebrates and enhances the signature elements of Augsburg’s Core Curriculum: Christian vocation, global citizenship, the importance of service, the value of diversity, and the role of the city in framing the College’s beliefs and values. About 115 students participate in the program each year. Summer 2005 Making room for mental illness P rofessor Dan Hanson’s family has struggled for a decade to understand and care for their mentally ill son and brother, Joel. The road has been difficult and, at times, seemingly hopeless. Hanson has transformed that journey into a book that aims to give hope and support to countless other families who also never expected to find themselves in this situation. At age 20, Joel Hanson was diagnosed with severe schizophrenia, and believes that he is God. He lacks the insight to understand why others can’t share his delusion and why he must inhabit his different reality alone. If he discontinues his court-ordered medication, he stops eating and drinking, and becomes severely ill and dehydrated. Dan Hanson explains that his book, Room for J: A Family Struggles with Schizophrenia, evolved in several ways. The simplest is that it started out as a personal journal. “Writing is often my way of dealing with difficult situations,” he says. “[My books] always emerge out of my own struggle.” As Hanson and his wife, Sue, sought care and support for Joel, they also began to consider a book that would help other families navigate the social services system, as well as deal with the sense of loss for a loved one who has become a totally different person. And, thirdly, Hanson wanted to include Joel’s own voice, his own writing about his self-identity, to demonstrate how he, too, Professor Dan Hanson struggles with family and others who don’t acknowledge or understand him for the person he believes he is. The book presents journal entries of the Hanson family members. They talk about good times, even during Joel’s illness, when the Joel they know shines through while out fishing or playing with a nephew. But there are also the most difficult times, when they fear for Joel, when he becomes psychotic, when they must confront him to force commitment, or when they discover he’s gone off medication and disappeared. What the Hansons and other families learn and face is that society does not deal adequately with mental illness. Many institutions and asylums were closed in order to mainstream the mentally ill into society, but the reality is that the programs by Betsey Norgard and support to accomplish this are severely underfunded and understaffed. Some end up reinstitutionalized in nursing homes, prisons, or state hospitals not designed to treat them—or they end up on the street and helpless. Ultimately, Hanson says, Room for J is about making room for Joel in the family, as well as challenging society to make room “for all our Js, and to find ways to do a better job of providing community-based programs that integrate people who cope with severe mental illness back into the community so they feel respected, yet are given the right kinds of program to survive and even thrive in the social structure.” Room for J has been welcomed and critically acclaimed. It was recognized as a “highlighted title” on an independent publisher’s Web site. Hanson appreciates hearing from others who find comfort in understanding that they need not face their challenges alone. Dan and Sue Hanson spoke about the book and insights the family has gained on Minnesota Public Radio’s “Speaking of Faith” program on July 17. That program can be heard at <speakingoffaith. publicradio.org>. Room for J: A Family Struggles with Schizophrenia was published last year by Beaver’s Pond Press. Augsburg gains a provost and three new deans Christopher Kimball Summer 2005 Barbara Edwards Farley Ann Garvey Julie Olson Last September, as part of a restructuring of the College administration, Christopher Kimball became Augsburg’s first provost, as well as continuing as dean of the College. In further changes to the Academic and Student Affairs division, three positions of dean were created. Barbara Edwards Farley became academic dean, while Ann Garvey is now dean of students. Formerly, both positions were associate deans. Julie Olson ’98, ’05 MAL , formerly director of the Enrollment Center, is the new dean of enrollment management, with responsibility for the Enrollment Center; day, weekend, and graduate admissions; and public relations and communication. 5 Around the Quad Music therapy celebrates past, present, and future by Jessica Brown F aculty, alumni, and friends of Augsburg’s music therapy program gathered in April to celebrate its 30th anniversary. They reflected on the growth of the program, affirmed a leading role for music therapy across many careers and vocations, and proposed a vision for its continued growth. The original vision for music therapy at Augsburg was that of longtime music department chair Leland Sateren ’38, who asked Prof. Robert Karlén to attend a national conference in this emerging field. Karlén was impressed, and invited Roberta Kagin to teach the first music therapy courses. She was eager. “As a college student,” she said, “I saw a demonstration by a talented composer and pianist who asked handicapped children to walk across the room to the beat of her piano music. If music had the power to influence the way these children could move, what else might lie in its power?” Today, Augsburg’s more than 100 music therapy graduates live around the world and work in a wide variety of careers and fields that serve people of all ages and needs—working with disabled children to maximize their learning potential, helping elderly people remain active and engaged, and combining music with many forms of treatment and therapy to promote healing and wellness. Keynote speaker Cheryl Dileo, from Temple University, recounted personal experiences from her career in which music therapy is introduced in situations of death and dying, i.e., of aiding people in the transition from life to death. Where communication can be difficult among family members, Dileo says, “songs help families express all the love they hold in their hearts to the dying patient,” as well as provide spiritual affirmation, healing, and a musical legacy. Speaker Bill Bowen spoke personally about the value of music therapy to 6 people with physical and cognitive challenges. He told of the instrumental role that music therapy and Professor Roberta Kagin played in the remarkable progress of his son, Edward “Major” Bowen, following surgery to remove a brain tumor. Kagin, honored as one of the original architects of the program and its current director, presented a slide presentation and oral history of Augsburg’s music therapy program and affirmed its place in Augsburg’s curriculum. “The music therapy major is firmly and without apology steeped in a liberal arts education,” she said. Students study a four-year liberal arts course, followed by an intense six-month internship with a music therapist. Above all, music therapy touches a very basic human need for creative expression. Kagin also spoke about music therapy within a Center for Creativity and Transformational Learning envisioned at Augsburg. In addition, a master’s degree in music and medicine is under consideration. Augsburg remains the Each year Augsburg music therapy students join with VSA Arts of Minnesota in a music festival for developmentally disabled children. only music therapy program among Minnesota’s private colleges. For information about music therapy at Augsburg, contact the Music Department at 612-330-1265. Jessica Brown is a communication specialist in the Office of Public Relations and Communication. 2005 teaching and learning distinctions The 2005 awards for Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning have been announced by the Center for Teaching and Learning and the Office of the Provost. TEACHING— Kristin Anderson (standing), associate professor, art ADVISING/MENTORING— David Wold (seated, left), College pastor and director of ministries, and Sonja Hagander (seated, right), associate College pastor SERVICE TO STUDENTS— Wendi Wheeler (seated, center), Weekend College academic coordinator Summer 2005 Terry Lewis retires from PA program T erry Lewis, clinical site director and faculty member of Augsburg’s physician assistant program, retired from Augsburg at the close of the 2004-05 academic year. He joined the PA program in 1995 as clinical coordinator, having spent several years prior as a physician assistant in the military. Lewis received his initial PA training in 1977 from the U.S. Army/Baylor University PA Program in Texas. He went on to receive his bachelor’s degree in 1983 from Siena Heights University in Adrian, Mich., and his Master of Physician Assistant Studies in 2002 from the University of Nebraska. “Terry and I [joined Augsburg] when this program was new,” says Dawn Ludwig, PA program director. “Terry’s wisdom has been invaluable to me as this program was molded into the premier program it is today. … He is a kind and patient person and I will miss him greatly.” Over the course of his career in the physician studies field, Lewis has received numerous honors and awards, including the U.S. Army PA of the Year in 1990, presented by the surgeon general, as well as 40 additional military honors. He has presented numerous presentations around the world, and his work has been published in several PA reference works. Not one to stand still—even in retirement—Lewis has signed a one-year Getting the project done right P roject management is carried out in all kinds of organizations; and across the board, advances in computer technology and globalization of the workforce have required everyone to become smarter about managing work and resources. Within information technology, it has become a highly specialized field that others are beginning to notice. Business Administration professor Kathy Schwalbe has published a textbook, Information Technology Project Management, now in its fourth edition, that incorporates the guidelines of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK), information that the Project Management Institute (PMI) uses as the basis for its certification. Even while the book is aimed at IT students, it is not so advanced to preclude others who could benefit from principles of good planning and management. After teaching a project management course for several years, Schwalbe decided to tackle the project of writing a book the way she would like it, using the PMBOK Guide as a basis and Summer 2005 by Lynn Mena Professor Terry Lewis contract with a small rural health clinic in Melba, Idaho (population 497). by Betsey Norgard advances in the field and updating Microsoft Project software. At her publisher’s request (Course Technology, a branch of Thomson Learning), she is also working on a new project management textbook, not geared toward Professor Kathy Schwalbe information technology projects, to be published including many examples in late 2005. and exercises to help Within the past two students understand and years, the second edition apply project management. Information Technology of Schwalbe’s book has Project Management, In every chapter, case been translated into translated into Japanese studies—both successes Chinese and the third and failure—feature actual edition into Japanese, applications of the project management reflecting the growth and interest framework. A companion Web site worldwide in the project management includes template files for creating profession. various project management documents, A senior project manager for IBM notes, quizzes, case studies, and links. In Germany commented that global IT five years sales of the book have companies—especially in Japan, China, exceeded 120,000 copies. and India—are creating career models On her Web site, Schwalbe explains for project managers based on PMI her intent to release a new edition of the certification credentials. book every spring, continually adding 7 Sports Augsburg nets record number of academic All-Americans by Don Stoner A Charles Walbridge ugsburg student-athletes set a new milestone for academic performance this season, as a record four athletes earned ESPN The Magazine Academic AllAmerica honors from the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Senior wrestler Mark Matzek and junior Ryan Valek earned Academic AllAmerica men’s at-large honors, while junior baseball player Darren Ginther and track and field/cross country senior Riley Conway earned Academic AllAmerica honors in their respective sports. Four Auggie All-Americans represents the most ever in a single year. Since 1981, Augsburg student-athletes have earned 17 Academic All-America honors from CoSIDA. Matzek, a first-team men’s at-large Academic All-America honoree, is profiled in the story about honor athletes on page nine. Ginther, a first-team Academic AllAmerica selection in baseball, is a secondary education/social studies major with a 3.81 grade point average (GPA). He also earned All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference honors as well as American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings AllMidwest Region second-team honors in 2005. As the Auggies’ No. 2 starting pitcher, he finished as one of the top hitters in the MIAC this year, and was Darren Ginther Ryan Valek Riley Conway Augsburg’s fourth .400 hitter since 1988. Conway, a second-team Academic Cross Country Coaches Association All-America honoree, was the Auggies’ top Scholar All-America honors his senior year. runner in all seven cross country Valek was a third-team men’s at-large competitions in 2004, earning all-region Academic All-America honoree. He earned honors at the 2004 NCAA Division III wrestling All-American honors for the Central Regional in November. At the second time in 2004-05, finishing second MIAC championships in October, he nationally at 165 pounds. earned all-conference honorable-mention Valek is an accounting major with a honors. 3.789 GPA. He has earned National In track and field, Conway earned Wrestling Coaches Association Division III All-MIAC honors at the outdoor Scholar All-America honors in both 2004 conference championships in May. In the and 2005. indoor season, Conway set a school Top student-athletes from non-Division record as part of the distance-medley I programs, who have already earned relay squad. Academic All-District first-team honors, Conway had a perfect 4.000 GPA and are eligible for inclusion in the ESPN The graduated in May summa cum laude with Magazine Academic All-America program. an English major. He was an Academic They must have a GPA above 3.20 (4.0 All-MIAC selection his junior and senior scale) and have outstanding athletic years in both track and field and cross credentials. The Academic All-America country, and earned NCAA Division III ballot is voted on by a committee of CoSIDA members. In addition to the four Academic AllAmericans, Augsburg had three other student-athletes earn ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V honors, saluting the top student-athletes in a four-state area of the Midwest. Senior women’s hockey players Lauren Chezick and Laura Prasek were named to the Academic All-District V women’s at-large second team, and junior Millie Suk earned Academic All-District V first-team honors in women’s soccer. For a full list of Augsburg 2004-05 athletic award-winners, go to <www.augsburg.edu/athletics/sportsnews/ 0405athleticawards.html>. Augsburg wrestler Mark Matzek controls Wartburg’s Tyler Hubbard en route to a 4-2 win in a dual meet in February at Si Melby Hall. Matzek repeated as NCAA Division III national champion at 133 pounds in 2004-05. 8 Don Stoner is sports information coordinator. Summer 2005 Eight senior athletes are honored A ugsburg College honored eight senior student-athletes for 2004-05. Athletic awards are voted on by coaches in Augsburg’s men’s and women’s athletic departments. Five Auggies were named Honor Athletes, the highest honor the College gives its senior student-athletes for accomplishment, leadership, and character on the playing field and in the classroom. Three Auggie student-athletes were named Men’s Athletes of the Year. 2004-05 AUGSBURG HONOR ATHLETES Lauren Chezick rewrote the record book in women’s hockey at Augsburg. A three-year captain on teams that qualified for conference playoffs in three seasons, Chezick earned MIAC Player of the Year and American Hockey Coaches Association Division III All-American honors. Chezick was named to the Dean’s List five semesters and graduated with a 3.562 grade point-average (GPA) and a prelaw/communications major. She volunteered for Habitat for Humanity and served as a student-athlete mentor. Joe Cullen earned honors in both football and wrestling. In football, Cullen earned All-MIAC first-team honors in 2004 after honorable-mention honors in 2002 and 2003. In wrestling, Cullen earned NCAA Division III All-American honors in the 2003-04 season. He earned the wrestling team’s Auggie Award his senior season. Cullen was a mathematics major with a 3.500 grade-point-average. He has also earned numerous national and conference academic honors in both football and wrestling. Hannah Dietrich was a four-year member of both Augsburg’s cross country and track Summer 2005 and field teams and played women’s hockey two years. In cross country, Dietrich was a team captain and No. 3 runner her senior season. In track and field, Dietrich was a top middle-distance runner, earning three MIAC championships. In 2005, she qualified and competed at the national outdoor meet in the 1,500-meter run. A psychology major with a 3.672 GPA, she graduated with departmental honors in psychology, national honor and leadership society recognition, and numerous academic athletic and leadership awards. In 2004, she was voted Homecoming Queen. Adam Hoffmann, a three-year offensive line starter in football, was named to the Division III Preseason AllAmerica team by the D3football.com Web site in 2004, and was named to the Football Gazette Division III All-West Region third team at the conclusion of his senior campaign. A two-year captain, Hoffmann was voted the team’s top lineman by his teammates for three years, and earned the team’s highest honor, the Edor Nelson Auggie Award, in 2004. Hoffmann graduated with a 3.770 GPA as a finance major. He was an Augsburg Presidential Scholar and a student-athlete mentor. Mark Matzek, one of the top lightweight wrestlers in school history, won national titles at 133 pounds his junior and senior campaigns, while earning NCAA Division III All-American honors three times. Finishing his collegiate career with a 42-match winning streak, Matzek dominated his weight class in the 2004-05 by Don Stoner campaign. He earned the team’s Coaches Award his senior season, was the team’s Auggie Award winner his junior season, and earned the team’s Most Improved Wrestler award his sophomore season Matzek graduated as a mathematics and secondary education major with a 3.408 grade-point-average. 2004-05 AUGSBURG ATHLETES OF THE YEAR Mike Elcano has been a team leader throughout his career for Augsburg’s men’s soccer team. In 2004 he led the conference in overall scoring. He finished his career with Augsburg’s all-time record for goals with 35, and earned MIAC honors in two years. He graduated with a major in finance. Jeremy Nelson emerged as one of the top pitchers in recent years for Augsburg’s baseball team. He was Augsburg’s No. 1 starter throughout his four seasons, and earned MIAC and regional honors over two years. He graduated with a marketing major, was on the Dean’s List, and served as a studentathlete mentor. Jamell Tidwell was a four-year starter on the varsity squad and a fourtime qualifier for the NCAA Division III national championships. He earned All-American honors three times and finished his career with a 155-17 record, second best in wins in school history. A health and physical education major, he was one of 10 members of an Augsburg academic national team that finished sixth nationally in team GPA this year. Don Stoner is sports information coordinator. 9 Augsburg’s fifth INTERNATIONAL OFF-CAMPUS STUDIES PHOTO CONTEST 1 Scenic landscapes, first place. “MY CHAIR,” Jamie Schiller ’05. Venice, Italy. 2 Scenic landscapes, second place. “STRENGTH, SWEAT, AND SOUL,” Lindsay Plocher ’06. Cuernavaca, Mexico. 3 Scenic landscapes, third place. “BUILDING BRIDGES,” Lindsay Plocher ’06. Cuernavaca, Mexico. 4 Local culture, second place. “SAWADEE CROP,” Rachel Schuette ’03. Bangkok, Thailand. 5 Local culture, first place. “LUK LUK,” Rachel Schuette ’03. Chiang Mai, Thailand. 6 Augsburg students in a host setting, second place. “ON WATCH,” Sari Gallagher ’08. U.S. Virgin Islands. 1 3 2 10 4 Summer 2005 7 5 8 6 7 Augsburg students in a host setting, first place. “A TROPICAL MINNESOTA NIGHT,” Maria Roots Morland ’05. Minneapolis, Minn. 8 Augsburg students in a host setting, third place. “LAST DAY,” David Nash ’04. Edinburgh, Scotland. 9 Local culture, third place. “GAMBLING DURING RAMADAN,” Jake Renze ’05. Morocco. Summer 2005 9 11 COMMENCEMENT 2005 The 136TH YEAR of Augsburg College photos by Stephen Geffre (except as noted) TONY SCHADEN RECEIVES MARINA CHRISTENSEN JUSTICE AWARD The Augsburg campus provided fresh spring blooms as a backdrop for family photos. REPRESENTATIVES FOR THE CLASS OF 2005 ❚ Glenda C. Holste, representing graduate students ❚ Gretchen M. Hemmingsen, representing day students ❚ Nicholas J. Schumm, representing weekend students 12 Tony Schaden, a history major from Minneapolis, was selected as the 2005 recipient of the Marina Christensen Justice Award. Each year, this honor is presented to the graduating senior who best exemplifies Augsburg’s motto “Education for Service.” The student must have demonstrated a dedication Tony Schaden, a history major from to community involvement as Minneapolis, was honored with the 2005 characterized by the personal and Marina Christensen Justice Award during the Commencement ceremony. professional life of Marina Christensen Justice, who courageously and effectively reached out to disadvantaged people and communities. Schaden grew up in the Cedar Riverside neighborhood and was a member of Trinity Congregation, where he has been a longtime volunteer with the Safe Place Tutoring Program. At Augsburg he has held numerous leadership roles, including serving as chaplain for the Pan-Afrikan Student Association for the past two years, as organizer of Peace Day in the Park, and as a member of the Outreach Ministry Team through Campus Ministry. He has done service-learning at Women against Military Madness, as well as volunteered with Campus Kitchens and mentored youth at the Wednesday Night Out program in the neighborhood. Among his numerous awards and honors are the Dean’s Award for student leadership, the Pan-Afrikan Ambassador of the Year Award for commitment to campus and community, the Win Wallin Scholarship, and the Bilkie Scholarship. Paul Cummings, president-elect of Augsburg’s student body, wrote this about Schaden: “Giving back to the community is part of Tony’s very nature. The courageous example he is setting within his community and family has given many people hope that they too may succeed in college. Tony is a role model in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. His actions in service to his family and community speak volumes about his true character.” In the coming year he will expand his work with youth mentoring and counseling, serving in Brazil and Africa under the auspices of the Wapagasset Luther Bible Camp. Students processed from Foss Center to Melby Hall for the Commencement ceremony. Summer 2005 “ON OUR OWN—AGAIN” Excerpts from the Baccalaureate Address William V. Frame, President, Augsburg College May 7, 2005—Ascension Sunday … The thing that Graduation has in common with the Ascension is separation. You are leaving us today and are henceforth and in a new way “on your own;” Jesus leaves the Disciples at Ascension. They are “on their own.” And so—What is the good news in this Separation—either yours from the College or the Disciples from Christ? Staff photo The Commencement concert featured performances by the Augsburg Choir and Augsburg Chamber Orchestra. If we stick with the relationship between you and us, a preliminary and happy interpretation is quite possible. Not that we’re glad to be rid of you … but your separation from the College is a necessary condition of your full engagement with the world. However successfully we have introduced you to the city and to the global society of which it is so much and evidently a part, Augsburg College remains a refuge and a training ground, a harbor ringed round by our core general education curriculum; an open cloister in which we can talk “… of many things: Of shoes—and ships—and sealing wax—of cabbages—and kings … .” All that talking, and especially about such things as these, yields self-knowledge at exactly the rate at which it yields knowledge of the world. … But when we turn to the Easter Story itself, the good news lies deeper and is harder to detect. According to the lectionary passage from Acts, the first consequence for the disciples of their separation from Jesus is the loss of their special access to the Divine Plan. They ask: “Is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” Jesus responds: “It is not for you to know the time or period that the Father has set by his own authority.” Kathy Rumpza, advertising and graphic design manager for Augsburg’s public relations department, posed with her husband, Matt Rumpza, manager of Augsburg’s Central Support Services, prior to receiving her Master of Arts in Leadership. You can sense their stunned reaction. “After giving up everything of our own to follow you; after all that we've been through together-you leave! And at the same time cut us off from the very knowledge you’ve been so anxious to reveal to us. You've left us on our own in this world after pointing us time and again, especially recently, at the other world.” Before they have time to register this complaint with their ascending Lord, he imposes upon them a task—to be performed in his absence. For the sake of this task, he expects them “to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” … Both the good news and the good sense in this is camouflaged by the pathos of the separation. Just behind the fact that the disciplesand, through them, we—have been left on our own by the ascension, lies the fact that we were prepared for this independence by the whole of the Easter story—including the part of it here at issue. Christ’s refusal to answer the disciples’ request for knowledge of the Divine Plan—indeed, his general refusal to give us any detailed portrait of heaven-keeps our attention where the Gospel focuses it-not on the next world but this. The Easter story—all of it, including the ascension-gives us the tools (including a carefully confined ignorance) to take up, for the first time, life on our own. To read the complete address, go to <www.augsburg.edu/president/bacc05.pdf>. Christopher Kimball, provost and dean of the College, handed out honors cords during the Honors Convocation. Summer 2005 13 COMMENCEMENT 2005 COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS: “IF YOU CAN'T GET OUT OF IT…” Dawn Ludwig, director of the Physician Assistant Program, placed a master’s hood on Patricia Rodriguez. Nicholas Schumm, Weekend College Class of 2005 representative, addressed the crowd at the Commencement ceremony. Following are excerpts from Parker J. Palmer’s Commencement address; download the complete address at <www.augsburg.edu/president/palmer05.pdf> … I was raised by a father who gave my two sisters and me the perfect graduation speech at breakfast every school day. Dad had a thousand aphorisms, brief and pithy sayings designed to point us kids in the right direction. Well, it seemed like he had a thousand, but he probably only had 50, which he recycled constantly. We’d be almost finished with breakfast, my sisters and I, when Dad would look at us and say, “Just remember kids, add a little ‘oomph’ to ‘try’ and you get ‘triumph.’ Now off you go!” Or on another day he’d look at us and say, “Just remember kids, there’s only one-letter’s difference between hero and zero. Now off you go!” … Now, if I had any sense I’d say “Off you go!” and sit down, having delivered succinct advice from a highly reliable source, my father. But there are a few more things I’d like to say … First, we never outgrow our need for teachers … as you go down the road called life after college, stay alert for your next teacher, and the next, and the next. It may be a family member, a friend, a child, a stranger, it may even be a socalled enemy. If the teacher does not appear, reach out for him or her. Your need for a teacher will draw that person to you if you make your need known. … A second lesson is this: whatever good and true thing you want to do, go ahead and take the first step … of course the big enemy of trust and risk-taking is fear. But here we can take good counsel from the religious tradition in which this college is rooted: “Be not afraid.” Those words do not say that you should not have fear, which we all do (at least I do); instead they say you need not be your fear. Right alongside our fear we have other places within us, places with names like hope, and faith, and trust. We can look at the world from those places instead of from our fears. … Here’s the third lesson: when you face into that fear as you step off the cliff … seek out people with whom you can tell it like it is. … A fourth lesson is this: know that you have an inner guide, an inner teacher, a true self who will be there for you when all else fails. … And finally, a fifth lesson … “If you can’t get out of it, get into it.” Of course there are some things that you can get out of, and you should: a relationship that kills your spirit, a job that contradicts your most basic values … but there are other things that we can’t get out of, so we had better get into them. And one of them is to fully inhabit ourselves, which means making the most of our gifts and being honest about our shadows. … So congratulations to all of you, and many blessings for your journey. And, as my father would surely say, “Now off you go!” Parker Palmer (center), Commencement ceremony keynote speaker, was presented the Augsburg Medal by President Frame and Jean Taylor ’85, chair of the Board of Regents. 14 Summer 2005 Staff photo THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE Twin brothers Robert Amaya (left) and Renzo Amaya Torres (right) celebrated the day with their mother, who flew to Minnesota from Colombia to watch her sons graduate. 630 Candidates for graduation 355 Day program candidates 144 Weekend College candidates 85 Graduate program candidates (20 Master of Arts in Leadership, 35 Master of Social Work, 6 Master of Arts in Nursing, 16 Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies, 8 Master of Arts in Education) 33 Rochester program candidates 9 United Hospital candidates 4 3M candidates 20-65 10 Jubilant students celebrated after the Commencement ceremony. Summer 2005 CLASS OF 2005 Age range of graduates in the Class of 2005 Countries other than the United States represented (Belarus, Bolivia, China, Colombia, Ethiopia, Mexico, Norway, Philippines, Sweden, and Vietnam) After the Commencement ceremony ended, students exited Melby Hall to join their families at the reception in Murphy Square. 15 Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy donate $2 million to Melby Hall expansion by Dan Jorgensen The proposed addition to Si Melby Hall, as shown from the southwest corner, is adjacent to Edor Nelson Field, facing 23rd Avenue South. All-American his senior year. He also was a two-time Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion, and twotime MIAC Tournament Most Valuable Player. In dual-meet competition, he lost only one match during his career and had 53 victories his junior and senior seasons. In 1996, he was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. He credits the discipline instilled in him by his coaches and mentors, particularly Mike Good ’71 (a current Augsburg regent) and John Grygelko (Augsburg’s head coach from 1973-80), as keys to his success. Good preceded Kennedy at both Fridley High School and Augsburg where he, too, was a champion wrestler. He went on to a successful business career in New York and has served on Continued on page 19 16 Dean Kennedy ’75 shared a moment of honor with his wife, Terry, when he was inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 1996 for his career as an Auggie AllAmerican wrestler. Thanks to the generous gifts from Augsburg alumni and friends, the ceremonial groundbreaking for the south wing addition is scheduled for Oct. 29. Ground cannot be broken, however, until the remaining $1.5 million in gifts and pledges is secured. Contact the Development Office at 612-338-0002 or 1-800-273-0617. Summer 2005 David Santos/H. Larson Photography A former All-American wrestler and his wife have contributed $2 million to Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College in support of a major addition to the College’s athletic center, Si Melby Hall. The gift, made by Fridley natives Dean Kennedy ’75, and his wife, Terry, was announced recently by Augsburg President William V. Frame, who said the gift not only is “a magnificent gesture of support for the campaign, but also significant recognition for the work of coaches and others who shape the lives of those of our students and colleagues who are engaged in athletics.” Kennedy, an independent businessman, was the first four-time AllLutheran Tournament champion in the tournament’s history. And he was at the front end of what has been built into the most successful small-college wrestling program in the nation. In his senior year as co-captain, Kennedy led Augsburg to a runner-up spot in the NAIA national finals with a third-place finish at 142 pounds. In the ensuing 30 years, Augsburg has consistently finished among the top 10 in the nation, winning a record nine NCAA Division III national titles and taking second place seven more times. A four-year varsity wrestler for Augsburg, Kennedy was a 142-pound The Augsburg Fund annual goal of $1 million reached again Significant growth in alumni giving to The Augsburg Fund made an aggressive goal of $1 million reachable for the fiscal year ending May 31. The annual fund primarily supports student financial aid through scholarships and grants. Since this is unrestricted annual giving, gifts also may be used to provide for the critical needs of the College such as technology advancement and other strategic operations. “This is the second time in Augsburg’s history that $1million has been raised in one year for The Augsburg Fund,” said Stephanie Malone, director of the fund. “The standard has been set, so it should be an achievable goal in the future.” Significant giving this year came from the Alumni Board with 100 percent participation, the Board of Regents, and two class challenges generated by Alumni Board members and volunteer leaders, including the “Decade of the ’70s Challenge.” Ken ’74 and Linda (Bailey) ’74 Holmen provided the lead gift to the challenge, followed by more than 200 fellow alumni from the decade of the ’70s. Five alumni families from the 1970s—Rick Colvin ’74, Mark ’79 and Pamela (Hanson) ’79 Moksnes, Robert ’74 and Andrea (Johnson) ’75 Strommen, Philip ’79 and Julia (Davis) ’79 Styrlund, and Thomas Peterson ’70—issued a $50,000 challenge and 1:1 dollar match to ensure new levels of support and gifts of $100,000 to the College. “The Decade of the ’70s Challenge was a dollar-focused challenge that matched new and increased gifts to The Augsburg Fund,” said Malone. “We are pleased with the results and hope that next year other individuals will come forward and think of creative ways to sustain the College. “It was a highly successful year in terms of participation levels. First time donor giving rose 100 percent, and alumni giving increased from 20 percent to a participation rate of 25 percent.” Repeat and increased giving also were noticeable. All donors at the $10,000 level renewed their gifts, and new donors were added to the $25,000+ level, currently the top tier for gifts to The Augsburg Fund. Reunion year activities and volunteer involvement this year also sparked the growth of annual giving, led by Alumni Board initiatives. Class agents, who engaged their classmates through letters and contacts, were also extremely beneficial in helping to meet annual fund needs. “We will especially miss the efforts of class agent Wes Sideen ’58 who passed away earlier this year,” said Malone. He affected many Augsburg families by his vigor for life and commitment to his alma mater.” Giving to The Augsburg Fund is an important component of the $55 million capital campaign, Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College. “We hope alumni and friends of the College will continue to make The Augsburg Fund a priority,” Malone said. “We hope they continue to offer prayers and gifts of support and that the first gift they make every year is a gift to The Augsburg Fund as a way to ‘check in’ annually with their alma mater,” she continued. “After that we hope they will consider special opportunities based on the College’s priorities, like building and endowment initiatives. Gifts to Augsburg offer a future of access and excellence to our students.” For information on how to contribute to The Augsburg Fund, contact Stephanie Malone at <malone@augsburg.edu> or 612-338-4825. ■ Campaign progress $41.1M of $55M goal as of 7-31-05 Summer 2005 17 What is your dream job? For many of us, travel would play a part in our dream. The Reverend Dr. Arne Markland ’49, and his wife, Jean (Swanson) ’52 Markland, have lived their dream of seeing the world. Their gift for storytelling has landed them on the lecture circuit for a number of cruises—162 and counting. Arne first starting working on cruise ships as a chaplain and history lecturer and has amassed a repertoire of 156 lectures on countries and islands around the world. Jean shares her knowledge and expertise of how nutrition affects the brain. They have acted as destination art lecturers and have been fortunate to collect art on their travels. Their cruise travel has taken them mainly overseas. “We’re waiting to cruise to Sri Lanka, India, Havana, New Orleans, and Lake Wobegon,” said Arne. The Marklands have spent their lives encouraging people to enthusiastically embrace learning. Since graduating from Augsburg, Arne became a campus and parish pastor in Georgia, South Dakota, and Utah. He also served as a military chaplain for four years. Jean used her skills as a teacher and taught many different subjects in the public school system as a secondary school educator for 30 years. Recently the Marklands established an endowed scholarship to help support students who want to attend Augsburg from two high schools: Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls, Minn., and Oak Grove Lutheran School in Fargo, N.Dak. Arne grew up in the Norwegian section of Brooklyn, N.Y., but his parents sent him to Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls for high school. Jean is from Bemidji, Minn., and has had an interest in Oak Grove Lutheran School. The scholarship is structured so if there are no students accepted to Augsburg from these high schools in a given year, the scholarship will be given to a current Augsburg student who will attend Luther Seminary or one who has an interest in secondary education. “We have always been interested in Christian education,” said Jean. “I liked the spiritual values of Augsburg when I was attending college. Augsburg has Courtesy photo Marklands endow a scholarship as they cruise into retirement Rev. Dr. Arne ’49 and Jean (Swanson) ’52 Markland are enjoying second careers as cruise ship lecturers while staying connected with Augsburg through an endowed scholarship. always stressed the values of serving and giving to others.” Perhaps like the Marklands you want to make student dreams a reality. After all, 85 percent of Augsburg’s students receive financial aid and scholarship support. Contact the Development Office at 612-338-0002 or 1-800-273-0617 to offer encouragement and significant financial assistance for students. ■ Ellingers support Science Center through student-faculty research Albert Einstein’s words, “It is high time that the ideal of success should be replaced by the ideal of service,” reflect the giving spirits of Patricia (Olson) ’71 and Mark ’71 Ellinger. The Ellingers, both biology majors at Augsburg, have enjoyed success in their careers and are now giving back in ways that will serve others. 18 Last year, they established an endowment, the Ellinger Faculty Scholar, to provide support for faculty research to include student collaboration. “We really appreciated how the research program was developed,” said Pat. “It is our way to support the new Science Center and faculty research because of the positive experiences we had at Augsburg.” “We were both drawn to Augsburg because of the strong science and biomedical programs and its Lutheran heritage,” continued Pat. Mark, who transferred to Augsburg during his junior year, echoed that: “I had a deep and continuing interest in the relationship of Summer 2005 Dean and Terry Kennedy, continued Augsburg’s board for the past three years. Just out of college in 1971, Good convinced Kennedy to come to Augsburg and then coached him his freshman year. Grygelko was Kennedy’s coach for his final three years. “I was fortunate to be on the varsity for four years and take my lead from good leaders who remain my lifelong friends,” Kennedy said. “It was such an important part of my life at the time, and it molded me and shaped my values as a person. “Terry and I have been blessed to be in the position to do this. We’re doing it for Jeff Swenson ’79, Mike Good, John Grygelko, and all the outstanding young men for whom the Augsburg wrestling program has meant so much. And now that we’ve thought it through and made the commitment, we’re feeling very good about it, both of us.” Swenson is current wrestling coach and assistant dean for athletics and recreation. Kennedy said he is a great admirer of Swenson’s coaching, but more importantly how he has shaped his team members into outstanding men who excel in the classroom and in society. “Augsburg has done a very good job in working with its student-athletes. I took great pride in the program when I was there, and 30 years later I’m still able to take pride. When I was at this year’s national tournament (in Northfield, Minn.) I was very impressed by Jeff’s work with these young men. They were articulate and, even with all their success, very humble. I attribute that to Jeff and his coaches. “You see a lot of successful ‘sports’ programs, but you don’t hear them talk about their graduation rates or inclassroom successes. But you do hear that at Augsburg. This is a college that teaches its students how to think critically and care about the world. I wanted to be supportive of that.” Kennedy said he also was spurred into making his gift by an earlier gift science and religion, which continues to captivate me.” Both of them enjoyed learning in smaller classes and taking a wide array of liberal arts in addition to the required biology courses for their majors. Taking Professor Robert Herforth’s Developmental Biology course influenced Mark significantly: it’s where he and Pat met, and it convinced Mark to pursue a Ph.D. Pat has never regretted following a career in medical technology suggested by her chemistry professor Courtland Agre. She went on to specialize in blood banking and obtained a master’s degree in health education. For many years both Mark and Pat Ellinger have mentored students about the importance of science careers and research. The Ellinger scholarship will further those efforts; and for its first recipient, biology professor Mark Strefeler, it will provide enhanced resources for his research and support for a student assistant. Summer 2005 made by Twin Cities wrestling legend Alan Rice—a non-Augsburg alum who donated $1 million to the campaign just a year ago. Kennedy said he had long known and admired Rice, and when he saw that kind of commitment from him, he knew that he, too, needed to step forward to insure that good facilities were available for future generations. The goal for the new facility is about $5 million, and nearly $4 million has now been raised. The College hopes to bring in the last of the money by fall and have a ceremonial groundbreaking soon thereafter. “I hope that Terry’s and my gift will not only spark interest in other generations of Augsburg athletes whose lives have been shaped by the College, but also by Augsburg alumni in general in support of the many other important projects, such as the new Science Center, that will serve so many students in so many different ways,” Kennedy said. ■ The Ellinger Faculty Scholarship has supported the collaborative research of biology professor Mark Strefeler and student assistant Andrea Carlson ’05. 19 Seed family endows StepUP to affirm others SM Adam Seed’s life changed when he attended Augsburg. “It took Hazelden and Don Warren, former StepUP SM director, to jumpstart me,” said Seed. “Don Warren saw my potential and made me believe in myself. He was always available to me and the other students.” Seed was one of the first students in Augsburg’s StepUP program, which supports students in recovery to achieve academic success. Now it’s Seed’s turn to share his passion for the program and offer his unique insight as co-chair of the StepUP Alumni Board. “His leadership, wisdom, and strong recovery are necessary assets for the Alumni Board,” said Patrice Salmeri, StepUP director. “I want to make a connection with others and come up with unique solutions to common problems,” Seed said. “I’d also like to help re-establish alumni connections and contribute to the decisions concerning StepUP’s present and future. StepUP is a major part of who I am today and its health and possibility for the future are very important to me. Augsburg’s part in my Vision is published by Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. Editor and Writer Lynn James Contributing Writer Dan Jorgensen Graphic Designer Kathy Rumpza www.augsburg.edu/campaign 20 Jim and Adam Seed development was crucial. It’s my hope that students take the opportunity to get uncomfortable and grow in areas that typically don’t occur naturally.” Seed’s family also continues to be involved with StepUP because of the impact it had on his life. In 2003 the Seed family received the Toby LaBelle Award as the StepUP Family of the Year. Recently, they showed support for the program by answering the Parent/Family and Friend Challenge. “By endowing the StepUP program— both as a physical and financial resource—we hope to create more certainty for its future,” said Jim Seed, Adam’s father. “We appreciate what was available to Adam and to others. I’d also like to commend [President] Bill Frame on his dedication to this program and to Augsburg,” said Jim. “I appreciate the commitment and loyalty to the program shown by the Seeds,” said Salmeri. “Since its inception in 1997, when Adam was in the class of founding students, the program has grown from 23 students to 53 students. Our new home, [the] Gateway [Building], will house 84 students.” “The original model for the StepUP program evolved over the last eight years,” Jim Seed said. “Young people are living in a small community and supporting each other. Prior to StepUP it was something that was impossible for them to do on their own. It’s a transformational environment where students break through the memories of failure and then come back into that environment. “It’s a wonderful program. It will be affirming and visionary if this program is constructed and transported to other colleges and universities. StepUP is a paradigm for life. As a collective group we have to help each other.” ■ GATEWAY CONSTRUCTION FURTHERED BY CHALLENGE GIFTS Thanks to the generous support by the Seed family and others, StepUP’s Parent/Family and Friend Challenge met its goal. The challenge, set by Jim Johnson in the spring of 2004, raised $425,000 toward construction of the Gateway Building that will house the StepUP program. Johnson, a former CEO of Fannie Mae, likes the urban village concept of the planned mixed-use office/retail/residential Gateway Building. He also appreciates the collaboration between the University of Minnesota and Augsburg, with both institutions serving the neighborhood and addressing needs for retail and housing. Johnson has been supportive of education and a strong proponent of higher education. At Augsburg, Johnson honored his mother, Adeline (Rasmussen) ’31 Johnson, by establishing a scholarship in her name. Summer 2005 FINDING THE RIGHT CAREER F O R M U L A by Betsey Norgard TRYING OUT THE OPTIONS Senior Jennifer Geis has shaped her own career goals in just this way. She came to Augsburg having been turned on to math in the eighth grade and having studied two years of college math as a postsecondary student. But, she really didn’t have a career focus, and hadn’t even settled on a math major. After two years of Summer 2005 Staff photo S On one of the first nice days in spring, students in Professor Rebekah Dupont’s (second from left) class enjoyed solving their math problems outside on the Quad. Stephen Geffre tudying mathematics can open doors to increasing numbers of varied careers and jobs for students. Often called the “language of science,” mathematics provides a structure and the tools to solve many kinds of problems, especially within the increasing complexity of today’s sciences and technology. In the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ 2002 Jobs Rated Almanac, eight of the 10 “best jobs”—biologist, actuary, financial planner, computer-systems analyst, software engineer, meteorologist, statistician, and astronomer—all require complex understanding and interpretation of numbers. Even more telling of how mathematics is becoming “cool” is the popularity of the new CBS-TV show, Numb3rs, in which a mathematician helps the FBI solve crimes through mathematical modeling—constructing formulas to reveal patterns and predict behavior. Using mathematics as a complementary skill to a variety of disciplines makes it a valuable second major or minor. Augsburg students combine math with physics, computer science, biology, psychology, economics, as well as music, English, Spanish, and religion. While some students know they want to pursue a degree in mathematics, many students generally don’t enter Augsburg intending to major in math, or even to study it. So, how does the mathematics faculty help students sort out the possibilities for math in liberal arts, for teaching, for research, for graduate school, and for using math in both theory and application? “We encourage them to pursue opportunities for out-of-class experiences such as community service, undergraduate research, paper presentations, and internships,” said department chair Rebekah Dupont. “Then, as part of our advising, we talk about what they liked best, and what perhaps they didn’t. “Our focus is really on helping students to activate their potential by connecting them to opportunities they might not have known about.” Senior Jennifer Geis has taken advantage of internships, tutoring, and research to help her pursue a career in statistics. mathematics courses at Augsburg, she knew she was hooked. “When my professors realized I was spending more time in the math department than anywhere else, they encouraged me to improve my teaching and tutoring skills,” said Geis. She began assisting with grading and tutoring in calculus, linear algebra, statistics, and courses for non-majors. It was a course in actuarial science that really sparked her interest and led to her work with Professor Ken Kaminsky on the textbook he had just completed. While giving the textbook a trial run in one of his classes, Kaminsky asked Geis to help him proofread, review the ease of layout, and 21 Stephen Geffre Stephen Geffre Professor Ken Kaminsky tried out his new textbook with classes over several semesters, and tests his math cartoons with the readers of Augarithms, the bi-weekly department newsletter. Rhythm and ‘Rithmetic—Music professor Bob Stacke ’71 (left) and math professor Matt Haines (right) presented an interactive seminar for Augsburg faculty, staff, and students to demonstrate how counting beats in a measure is really mathematics. verify the accuracy of the answers— while also gaining a bird’s-eye view into how a professor engages in academic scholarship. Kaminsky encouraged Geis to pursue a double major in mathematics and actuarial science, which she is able to do through the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities (ACTC) consortium, allowing students to take courses at four other private colleges when they’re not learned how to communicate clearly and how to explain myself carefully.” This summer, she left the business world to accept a research internship in statistics at North Carolina State University, funded through the National Science Foundation. This gives her an introduction to the wider application of statistics than actuarial science offers. Mathematics major Tim Bancroft, who is now at Iowa State University T E A C H I N G Mathematics professors Tracy Bibelnieks and Matthew Haines usually focus on helping college math majors head to graduate school or other careers. Recently, though, they have spent considerable time together with education specialists across the country studying the mathematical knowledge needed by college students who are preparing to become teachers. This is important because everyone is learning mathematics differently now than how it was taught years ago—even only five years ago. Starting in early grades, children begin playing games with numbers—tossing pennies and making charts to learn about probability, for instance. In each succeeding year, their classroom learning builds on and expands the knowledge and skills they already have. It means that elementary teachers need to develop a deeper understanding of numbers than just how to add two 22 available on the home campus. Geis put her skills into practice for a year as an intern at Allianz Life Insurance. She became part of a team implementing a major, new actuarial reserving system and feels fortunate to have been given a role and responsibility. Plus, she learned more. “Some of the most important things I’ve learned working at Allianz have nothing to do with math,” she said. “I’ve M A T H E M A T I C S T O numbers, or divide, or multiply. High school calculus teachers must understand how their students learned mathematics as they progressed through the grades—how their thinking developed and how they communicate mathematical concepts. Bibelnieks and Haines focused their research on mathematics content for students preparing to be elementary teachers who have neither a strong background in math nor an interest in teaching it. Already, together with Augsburg’s K-6 mathematics education specialist Linda Stevens, they’ve made content revisions in two mathematics courses. It has been a more difficult assignment than they imagined. “How you teach pre-service teachers [education majors] is different from how you teach somebody who’s going on to graduate school in math, says Bibelnieks. “You have to go out of your comfort zone T E A C H E R S and learn what it means to be an elementary teacher in some sense.” Bibelnieks, Haines, and Stevens received Minnesota State Education Department funding to work with current teachers on acquisition of content knowledge in mathematics and its application to classroom learning. An in-service workshop first focused on mathematics content; Bibelnieks, Haines, and Stevens then advised the teachers during the school year in class activities. The project goal was to develop a “professional continuum,” in which knowledge gained from current teachers informs how future teachers learn, who then go into the field, etc. This summer Bibelnieks and Haines presented papers at an international conference in Brazil outlining Augsburg’s new curriculum as well as Haines’ participation in a wider longitudinal study looking at where education students learn their mathematics. Summer 2005 Staff photo working on a master’s degree in statistics, was able to enter graduate school with solid research experience. He took a project from his Discrete Mathematics Structures class with Professor Su Dorée and developed a research project in combinatorics, which studies the arrangement of objects. For the cointrading game called Bulgarian Exchange, Bancroft took results from the solitaire version of this game and generalized the patterns and repetitive cycle of twoperson play. Together with Dorée, Bancroft presented his research at a national mathematics conference. Stephen Geffre Tim Bancroft began grad school with solid research and presentation skills from a project he carried out with Professor Su Dorée involving prediction of patterns in a coin-trading game. S T U D E N T S AT T H E CUTTING EDGE Professor Tracy Bibelnieks considers herself an applied mathematician, which in her words involves “using theoretical mathematics in innovative ways to solve rich business problems.” She previously worked as a consultant, applying mathematics to the analysis of huge customer databases to help companies address problems or maximize revenue in their marketing and promotional strategies. Bibelnieks is seeking to develop partnerships with local firms that would provide benefit to both the business world and to her Augsburg students. She is looking for rich business problems and projects that will engage students in research beyond the standard classroom theory and models. The mathematical theory involved has to be exacting and validated—risky for a company to undertake—but invaluable for students wanting to get their feet wet in the field. The research generated by such a business/academic partnership gives students an edge as they look for career opportunities in the marketplace. Moreover, it may give the business an edge in the marketplace through the development of new tools, techniques, and solutions for a wide range of business problems. In September, Jennifer Geis begins to work with Bibelnieks on a business partnership research project. Geis is excited because it will require her to learn more about applied mathematics in the business sector, including the use of programming and software, that will hopefully give her that extra edge as she pursues an advanced career in statistics. ENGAGED STUDENTS Professor Tracy Bibelnieks is developing business partnerships to provide problems and projects for students to research and gain experience in applied mathematics. Summer 2005 The mathematics department makes it easy for students to feel connected to R E A D P I — T H R O W P I E ! On 3-14 (March 14, that is), students in Unbounded, Augsburg’s math club, hosted a pi(e) fest, in honor of Pi Day. The event benefited Augsburg's “Ride the Wave” tsunami relief project. From noon until 3:14:15 p.m., students took turns reading the digits of pi— 24,401 at final count. Also, faculty and staff signed up to be “pied,” i.e., to have a whipped-cream minipie tossed at them for a donation— the larger the donation, the closer the pie subject would stand. faculty. Several years ago, a study room was set up in the department to encourage students and faculty to get to know each other. Students spend time there using the telephone or computers, or researching something in the small library. “I practically live in the math suite with the workroom and the study areas,” said Geis. “It’s great just having the professors there. They come in to eat lunch and help you through your homework right then and there.” Dupont adds that it also encourages a supportive environment in which upperclass students can help newer students. The department also brings students together in bi-monthly colloquia where they meet professionals in various fields of mathematics, learn about applications, and hear research presentations. Often the presenters are Augsburg alumni who enjoy keeping in contact with their former professors and getting to know current students. Augarithms, the department’s biweekly newsletter, complete with department news, colloquia information, puzzles, and even math cartoons provided by editor Kaminsky, keeps the department in touch. All of this is to encourage students to connect what they learn in classrooms 23 K E E P I N G A L E G A C Y A L I V E T H E G E O R G E S O B E R G S C H O L A R S H I P Professor George Soberg graduated from communicate to our students that we Augsburg in 1926, and then spent the think they show real potential in next four decades of his life teaching mathematics. As a department, we mathematics at his alma mater. For 32 believe in honoring the level of years he served as chair of the accomplishment seen in junior or senior Mathematics Department. mathematics majors, and also celebrating The 1965 Augsburgian dedication the strong performance and enthusiasm calls out his “constant concern for of a freshman in calculus. In addition, students and his ever-ready willingness since they are named scholarships, they to help them individually.” connect our current students with alumni Donald G. Murphy ’43 and Kenneth A. Gilles ’44 were two of Soberg’s and faculty emeriti. “A named scholarship is one of the students who wanted to keep his legacy many ways alumni give back to our alive and inspire future students to department. Mathematics alumni also achieve their educational dreams. In speak in our colloquia, connect students 2004, Murphy and Gilles endowed a with internship opportunities, serve on scholarship in Soberg’s name to be Augsburg’s alumni board, and participate awarded to a math major or minor. in programs such as the alumni “The value of such gifts to the mentoring program (funded by the Lilly department is immeasurable,” Endowment), which brings together commented Rebekah Dupont, alumni, current students, Mathematics Department chair. “The and faculty.” scholarships funded by these gifts Archive photo Professor George Soberg, who graduated from Augsburg and stayed to teach and chair the Mathematics Department for over 30 years, now has an endowed scholarship in his honor. 24 with real-world mathematics. Last year, Dupont and other faculty and staff from Augsburg attended the Engaged Department Institute in Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science, and Related Fields. Co-sponsored by Campus Compact and 3M Corporation, the institute aimed to help departments develop strategies to include communitybased work in both their teaching and scholarship and to seek ways to integrate service-learning, community-based research, and civic engagement into the curricula. For example, one of the first-year mathematics courses last fall that was part of the Augsburg Seminar student orientation included service-learning at the Cedar-Riverside Community School. Augsburg students worked with the elementary children to create a store, helping them understand what kinds of data they needed to make decisions about stocking the store, setting prices, etc. All in all, the department seeks to encourage students to explore the possibilities and to help them understand what it means to be successful in the sciences. It’s part of introducing them to the notion of vocation—helping them discover the opportunities within their own interests and abilities. Bibelnieks talks about helping them open doors, which they can leave behind if they wish, but supporting them toward success, not failure. For Geis, it’s made the difference. “All my professors have encouraged me to try things I didn’t think I could do,” she says. “I didn’t think I could get my internship this summer, but I was accepted. I didn’t think about pursuing a master’s or Ph.D. in statistics, but here I am prepping for my GREs. It’s been a lack of self-confidence, and they’ve always encouraged me to push myself from the limit to the next level, and I think that’s the most important thing.” ■ For information about Augsburg mathematics, go to <www.augsburg.edu/ mathematics>. Summer 2005 Music after Augsburg R FOLLOWING THE HOGNANDER SCHOLARS by Jessica Brown adio variety shows … opera … film scores … high school teaching … music education outreach … electronic music … jazz composition … Augsburg’s Hognander Scholars are out making their marks in music around the world. In 1998, the Orville ’36 and Gertrude (Lund) ’36 Hognander Family Fund was established to support Augsburg’s music department. Principally, it establishes the Hognander Scholars, juniors and seniors who receive merit awards for exceptional music performance and academic achievement. The award is based on a résumé, essay, and audition. Here is an update on the Hognander Scholars, now Augsburg alumni, from the past seven years. Stephen Geffre Aaron Gabriel ’00 (below), tenor, graduated with majors in both English and music performance. He is now director of cultural arts at the Sabes Jewish Community Center in Minneapolis, where he supervises the music, theatre, dance, art, literary, and cinematic arts programs. Center Playhouse, the youth theatre program he created does six productions a year and includes a Holocaust outreach program, touching 3,000 middle school age students; a classics series for teens interested in classic playwrights; and two summer musical theatre institutes based on the Wesley Balk training he received at Augsburg. In addition, Gabriel performs regularly with a number of local Twin Cities theatre companies, including the Minneapolis Musical Theatre, which won the Star Tribune Best Small Theatre Award in 2004 for Bat Boy, a musical in which Gabriel played five characters. Qiuxia (Hu) Welch ’99, French horn, was “recruited” to Augsburg by Professor Emeritus Robert Karlén, who met her while teaching at the Sichuan Summer 2005 Conservatory in China. After Augsburg, she studied in the graduate program of the University of Minnesota School of Music and has spent three summers teaching high school horn and performing at the Kendell Betts Horn Camp in New Hampshire. She and her husband, Kevin, are moving to China for several years to continue their teaching and performing careers. Chiho Okuizumi ’00 (above), euphonium, earned an Augsburg degree in music therapy, but also pursued an instrumental career. At Montclair State University she completed a master’s 25 FOLLOWING THE HOGNANDER SCHOLARS degree in euphonium performance, and she continues to play in the New York metropolitan area. She is currently pursuing a second degree at Montclair State University in music therapy. Okuizumi directs the REACH (Resources for Education And Community Harmony) program for the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and produces orchestra concerts throughout the state. As a one-person production unit for the NJSO, she manages 120-150 concerts each year, serving 20,000 people. Jaime Kirchofner ’00, oboe, has carved out a busy performance and teaching career since graduating from Augsburg. She plays second oboe in the St. Cloud (Minn.) Symphony and regularly appears with the Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra, Amadeus Symphony, Great River Chorale, Minnesota Center Chorale, and chamber groups throughout central Minnesota. She currently has 40 piano and oboe students. Nicole (Warner) Simml ’01 (left), mezzo-soprano, has performed for audiences in the U.S. and abroad. In her junior year at Augsburg, she brought home top division honors in a regional voice competition. After graduating, she completed a master’s degree in classical voice from the Manhattan School of Music and moved to Germany. In December, she sang Bach’s Christmas Oratorio. “Without overflowing emotion, [Simml] convincingly uses the opportunity to sing unpretentiously and stylefully,” read a German newspaper in translation. 26 She is also an active member of the Gächinger Kantorei under the direction of Helmuth Rilling. She teaches voice and piano, and conducts a small community choir. Anna Brandsoy ’01, soprano, studied in Germany at the Mozarteum and the Münchner Singschule with Edda Moser on a scholarship from the Voices of Vienna. She is currently a doctoral candidate at the University of Minnesota where she has performed in numerous operas. Last December, she won the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, South Dakota Region. Joe Tucker ’01, piano, is director of instrumental music at Como Park High School in St. Paul, where he has established an orchestra program which now boasts 40 members, has expanded the band program to two ensembles with a total of 85 students, and has led ensembles to top honors at state contests for four consecutive years. From Augsburg, he earned a master’s degree in music education from the University of Minnesota. He was recently recognized as an “outstanding teacher” in the 2005 edition of “Who’s Who in American Teaching.” Brendan Anderson ’02 (top right), saxophone and composition, made a name for himself as a composer even before leaving Augsburg. In his senior year, he led the Augsburg Choir and Concert Band in the premiere “I Believe,” his interpretation of the Apostles’ Creed in word and music. The work was later performed at the Crystal Cathedral in California during the Concert Band’s spring tour in 2003. In the past two years he has completed coursework in the UCLA film scoring program, and been commis- sioned to compose an arrangement of part of the Lutheran liturgy, as well as a piece for the Lutheran High School of Orange County (Calif.) Handbell Ensemble and Hollywood Brass Ensemble. This spring Anderson was nominated for Best Original Score at the 168 Hour Film Festival in Pasadena, Calif., for his score to the short film, Picket Guy. He lives in Arizona and works in the administrative offices of the Phoenix Symphony while continuing to compose both concert and film music. Lindsay Bonner ’02, soprano, sang in the Augsburg Choir, performed with the Gospel Praise ensemble, and appeared on the theatre stage. In 2002, she studied on scholarship at the Wesley Balk MusicTheater Institute and performed with Nautilus Music-Theater. For two years she has been in Austin, Texas, where she is a featured performer with the Lillian Kaufman Radio Drama and teaches voice lessons at Westlake High School. Bonner has also performed on Eklektikos, an Austin Public Radio variety program. Daniel Luedtke ’02, piano, is exploring the potential for creative expression Summer 2005 Stephen Geffre found in the experimental and electronic genre. He currently works on electronic music and sound design projects, as well as the post-production video editing for the Pilot Chicago Queermedia Conference 2004. In July he began work with the Video Data Bank in Chicago, Ill., a resource for videotapes by and about contemporary artists. Visitors and is performing the part of La Ciesca this summer in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. FritzHuspen is a teaching assistant and will begin to coach private vocal lessons in the fall. Mark Abelsen (’04), piano, has plans for graduate school in the near future, majoring in either piano or musicology. He currently works for the Schubert Club in St. Paul as a museum docent in the organization’s keyboard and manuscript museums, as well as assists with various recital series, scholarship competitions, and office duties. In addition, he serves as director of music ministries for Epiphany Lutheran Church in Minneapolis and has a piano studio of 12 students. Gertrude Hognander with the 19992000 Hognander Scholars Jaime Kirchofner ’00 (left) and Chiho Okuizumi ’00 (right). THE HOGNANDERS: SUPPORTING MUSIC EXCELLENCE Orville ’36 and Gertrude (Lund) ’36 Hognander created a legacy in Augsburg’s music department that will encourage and support students for years to come. Emily Gerard ’03 (above), harp, studied harp at Augsburg with Kathy Kienzle, principal harpist with the Minnesota Orchestra. She went on to Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, where she studied with Gretchen Van Hoesen, principal harpist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. During her time there, she was able to participate in numerous master classes and perform repertoire with the Carnegie Mellon Philharmonic, and play second harp with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. In May she earned her Master of Music degree in harp recital. Upon completing this degree, she returned to Minneapolis to join the faculty of the MacPhail School of Music. Maja Lisa FritzHuspen ’04 (top center), soprano, currently studies at the University of Iowa with Rachel Joselson and opera director Gary Race. Last fall she performed the lead role as the mother of Amahl in Amahl and the Night Summer 2005 While a student at Augsburg in the 1930s, Orville Hognander sang in the male quartet and the Augsburg Choir. He created and produced “The Hour Melodious,” a weekly radio program that brought the choir to a national audience. Gertrude (Lund) ’36 Hognander, studied music at Augsburg and went on to a career as a church organist and choir director. Andy Peterson ’05 (above with Professor Angela Wyatt), piano and saxophone, will complete his bachelor’s degree in music education following student teaching at Henry Sibley High School this fall. He is currently working on his composition Sound Carei's, a piece for saxophone and piano which was inspired by the music of Minneapolis jazz musician Carei Thomas. ■ Jessica Brown is a communication specialist in the Office of Public Relations and Communication. Together, they provided leadership support to Augsburg music. In 1994, they matched a $25,000 challenge to refurbish pianos and purchase equipment for the music department. The Hognander Scholar awards, aim to attract gifted students and to encourage current students. Orville Hognander died in 1997, and Gertrude Hognander in January 2005. They are survived by their son, O.C. Hognander, Jr. 27 AAlumni LUMNINews NEWS From the Alumni Board president’s desk… I n May I had the opportunity to attend Augsburg’s Commencement ceremony in Si Melby Hall. I also had the privilege to welcome new graduates into the ranks of over 19,000 alumni. Surveying the crowd, I was reminded that Augsburg graduates are prepared to lead and make a difference—wherever their community is and however defined. Augsburg graduates understand that the phrase “values proposition” goes beyond the business marketing context to include living out one’s life in service to community and others. Representatives from each graduating class spoke of their experiences and perspectives as learners. Glenda Holste, representing graduate-level students, shared a story that revealed the important value she places on her education. However, she didn’t mention her career as a member of the Pioneer Press Editorial Board. Her role at the Pioneer Press newspaper exemplifies the Augsburg spirit of leadership and service to others. Holste’s editorial responsibilities and op-ed writing reach many thousands of people each day—and her work ensures that readers have the opportunity to be informed on many viewpoints of important issues of the day. Another example of exemplary service is Dr. Jeanette Vought ’77, profiled on page 31 of this issue. Vought founded the Christian Recovery Center in Brooklyn Center, Minn., which helps many people get the mental health care they need. In today’s world of A-Club making connections with new look and Web site A n old Augsburg tradition has a fresh new face! Earlier this year, the A-Club Executive Committee approved a new logo for the organization that supports Augsburg athletics and physical education. “We hope the bold, clean look will increase awareness of A-Club events as well as our mission of helping today’s student athletes,” said John Harden, A-Club president. The block “A” is just the first step aimed at improving A-Club’s brand. Visitors will see the logo on the debut Web site (www.aclub.org). For the first time, A-Club members and friends can get the latest information on events, activities, fundraising efforts, and newsletters online. “It is critical to stay connected with all our members, and this Web site will help us take giant steps toward improved 28 communication,” Harden said. By browsing the site, visitors will also discover an exciting line of A-Club apparel featuring the block “A.” Hats, shirts, windbreakers, and even stadium blankets are now available online with proceeds benefiting Augsburg athletics and physical education. diminishing access for mental health services, particularly for lower income people, Vought’s service approach is particularly needed and inspiring. Each of us as alumni have the spirit of vocation and leadership potential of Vought and Holste. We are all at a starting point of some kind or another. If you haven’t already, I invite each one of you to connect or re-connect with Augsburg College. Along the way your life experience will grow and be enhanced, your community will benefit, and Augsburg will be enriched many times over. Be connected—stay connected! Bill Vanderwall ’93 WEC President, Alumni Board A-Club 5K Run/Walk The Augsburg College Athletic Alumni Club (A-Club) requests your participation in the Second Annual A-Club 5K Run/Walk. Join us for a fun morning of fellowship and running or walking in the crisp autumn air while helping to support student athletes at Augsburg. The event will take place Sunday, September 18. Check-in begins at 9 a.m. at Melby Hall; race begins at 10 a.m. For more information or to register, please contact A-Club President John Harden at <jharden@hardeninc.com>. Second Annual A-Club 5K Summer 2005 Attention Auggies: Do you have the time and desire to help today’s student-athletes become tomorrow’s leaders? The Augsburg A-Club is looking for women and men who are willing to be active participants on the A-Club Executive Committee. The A-Club is a volunteer organization of former men and women athletes that depends on members to do what they can to help provide today’s student-athletes with opportunities for a quality athletic experience. We are looking for individuals who are dedicated to supporting the College, Augsburg athletics, and physical education. Most important, they must be willing to put in time as a volunteer. The time does not have to be significant, but they do need to be able to follow through on their commitment (we’re big on people doing what they say they will). Members must be able to attend brief quarterly Executive Committee meetings at the College and be willing to work on at least one A-Club committee: Golf, Hall of Alumni tour to China Centennial Singers Fall Schedule Enjoy fellowship, comfort, and enriching educational opportunities on the May 2006 Augsburg Alumni Association China tour: Sights and Spirits. Hosted by Brad Holt, professor of religion, this 15day tour scheduled for May 11–25, 2006, begins in Beijing and includes Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, the Terra Cotta Warriors, and a boat cruise down the Yangtze River past the Three Gorges, which will be flooded by a dam project at the end of this decade. The international city of Shanghai concludes this travel experience. In addition to visiting famous sites in China, the tour will include an investigation of the religions of China, including Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam, with special attention to the churches of China. Spaces are filling quickly; to add your name to the waiting list, call or e-mail the alumni office at 612-330-1178 or <alumni@augsburg.edu>. Summer 2005 Fame, Membership, Fundraising, Communications, Special Events, 5K Run/Walk, etc. Are you interested in joining our team? Do you know of someone who would be a good fit on a winning team? If you would like to know more, e-mail A-Club President John Harden (jharden@hardeninc.com), or Jane Helmke (jhelmke@kare.gannett.com). Thanks for your interest! September 25, 4 p.m. Hope Lutheran Church Moose Lake, Minn. October 22, 7 p.m. Salem Covenant Church New Brighton, Minn. October 1, 6 p.m. Augsburg Awards Banquet Christensen Center October 23, 7 p.m. Christ the King Lutheran Church Bloomington, Minn. October 2, 7 p.m. Golden Valley Lutheran Church Golden Valley, Minn. October 29, 7 p.m. Lakeville Arts Center Lakeville, Minn. October 9, 9 and 10:45 a.m. House of Prayer worship services Richfield, Minn. October 30, 7 p.m. Community of the Cross Lutheran Church Bloomington, Minn. October 9, 4 p.m. Westwood Lutheran Church St. Louis Park, Minn. October 17, 7:30 p.m. Wayzata Community Church Wayzata, Minn. November 6, 4 p.m. Our Savior's Luthera
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Title: Augsburg Now Winter 2003-04
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 A 4/5/04 7:28 AM P U B L I C AT I O N Winter 2003-04 Page 1 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 66, No. 2 Peter Agre ’70 2003 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/5/04 7:28 AM Page 2 LLetters ...
Show more Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 A 4/5/04 7:28 AM P U B L I C AT I O N Winter 2003-04 Page 1 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 66, No. 2 Peter Agre ’70 2003 Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/5/04 7:28 AM Page 2 LLetters ETTERS Editor’s note I t is said that good things come to those who wait. This winter issue of Augsburg Now is all about both good things and waiting. You, the readers, are the ones who have been waiting for the winter Now (at least, editors always hope you are), even as we have already entered into early spring. On our part, it’s the good things that have caused us to wait on its production. About mid-winter, when the issue is usually mailed, we learned that Peter Agre, Augsburg Class of 1970 and 2003 Nobel Prize winner in chemistry, was coming to campus in late February. Since our winter issue already included a story about Agre and the awarding of his Nobel Prize, we made the decision to delay production so that we could expand the article to include his memorable days with us here. It’s a rare and wonderful moment when a college can celebrate with one of its own, especially one whose vocation so richly embodies the mission of the College. For Agre, his time at Augsburg was a time of discovery and connections—exploring the subjects that piqued his interest and connecting with professors who made these subjects come alive and speak to him. While in medical school Agre turned to research, where he realized his talents in research could serve to greater benefit in seeking the causes of illness. And now, while he has the ear of the scientific world, he is a strong advocate for adequate funding in science education to enable all citizens to make responsible decisions about ourselves, our society, and our environment. The College also revels in the recognition our partnership with Cedar-Riverside Community School received, as Augsburg was lauded by the Carter Foundation and Campus Compact as an outstanding community partner. Read about that in Around the Quad. Plus, we feature the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg, a new community partnership program that has already brought us local media attention. Students and volunteers transform surplus food from the College’s dining service and a local food shelter into tasty meals that are delivered to several neighborhood community agencies. Last fall the College celebrated the 10th anniversary of the Hispanic/Latino Student Services program, which provides support and encouragement to help these students succeed at Augsburg. You’ll read about the impact this program has in strengthening the appreciation of cultural richness within Augsburg’s learning community. So, good things keep happening. And, we move into spring with this winter issue—fully aware that in Minnesota there could well still be some wintery snowflakes falling as you read this in April. The next issue will be a combined spring and summer issue to bring you exciting news about Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College that Augsburg kicks off on April 18 with a community festival. Join us! Betsey Norgard Editor JIMMY CARTER IS HONORED AT THE NINTH ANNUAL PEACE PRIZE FESTIVAL AND VISITS CHILDREN AT J.J. HILL SCHOOL The Ninth Annual Peace Prize Festival at Augsburg brought together more than 700 area school children to honor President Jimmy Carter, the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Displays and performances were presented around the lives of past peace laureates. Carter was not able to participate, but special guests included Gro Bruntland, former prime minister of Norway; Knut Vollebæk, Norwegian ambassador to the U.S.; and Professor Geir Lundestad, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute. On Feb. 21, while attending the 2004 Peace Prize Forum at St. Olaf College, President Jimmy Carter squeezed in a visit to a special “mini-Peace Prize Festival” at J.J. Hill Montessori School in St. Paul, where children prepared skits about Nobel Peace Prize laureates. Carter was accompanied by his wife, Rosalynn, and President William Frame. Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. Editor Betsey Norgard 11:50 AM Page 4 A PUBLICATION FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS Winter 2003-04 Vol. 66, No. 2 Features Assistant Editor Lynn Mena Graphic Designer Kathy Rumpza Class Notes Coordinator Sara Kamholz 8 Photographer Stephen Geffre President William V. Frame Director of Alumni and Parent Relations Amy Sutton An enormous honor for discovery of tiny proteins by Betsey Norgard 14 Dishing up recipes for learning and serving by Betsey Norgard Director of Public Relations and Communication Dan Jorgensen 16 Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058-1545 by Betsey Norgard Postmaster: Send correspondence, name changes, and address corrections to: Augsburg Now, Office of Public Relations and Communication, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454. E-mail: now@augsburg.edu Telephone: 612-330-1181 Fax: 612-330-1780 Augsburg College, as affirmed in its mission, does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, or disability in its education policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, athletic and/or school administered programs, except in those instances where religion is a bona fide occupational qualification. Augsburg College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to its employees and its students. www.augsburg.edu Connecting on campus— a home for Hispanic/ Latino students 19 Augsburg—a Keto family affair by Rebecca Welle ’04 Departments 2 Around the Quad 6 Sports 20 Alumni News 22 Homecoming 2003 Photos 26 Class Notes 35 In Memoriam 36 Auggie Thoughts inside back cover Calendar 50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste) On the cover: Peter Agre, Class of 1970, is congratulated by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden upon receiving the 2003 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. © 2003, The Nobel Foundation. Photo by Hans Mehlin. Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:50 AM Page 5 AROUND QUAD Around THE the Quad NOTEWORTHY Augsburg launches MBA program In fall 2004, Augsburg will launch the charter class of its new MBA program. The 21-month program will meet in small cohort format, encouraging close collaboration with faculty as well as fellow students. For information, e-mail <mbainfo@augsburg.edu> or call 612-330-1101. Math student teams place high An Augsburg three-person math team finished fourth among 65 teams in November in the North Central Section Team Problem-Solving Contest sponsored by the Mathematical Association of America. Another Augsburg team finished in the top half of the competition. Team members were Tim Bancroft, Andrew Held, Hung Nguyen, John Staton, David Wallace, and Dan Wolf. Physics student chapter is honored Augsburg’s chapter of the Society of Physics Students was selected as an outstanding chapter for 2002-03. The award letter highlights depth and breadth of “physics research, public science outreach, physics tutoring programs, hosting and representation at physics meetings, and providing social interaction for chapter members.” This is the second time in four years that Augsburg’s chapter has been among the top 10 percent recognized. New and continued physics grants Augsburg has received funding from the National Science Foundation and NASA for three multi-year research projects, each of which will provide funds for undergraduate student research. Professor Mark Engebretson heads up both NSF projects: the first, a five-year, $600,000 grant to support continued studies using the MACCS array of magnetometers in Arctic Canada; and the second, a threeyear, $426,000 grant with Dartmouth College to continue similar studies using data primarily from Antarctica. Professor Ken Erickson heads up Augsburg’s efforts to use data from NASA’s polar satellite to study magnetospheric substorms, and subsequent auroral displays. This $252,000 project is shared with Princeton University’s Plasma Physics Laboratory. Augsburg speech team scores top points at tourney C ompeting at the state and national levels against schools of all sizes, Augsburg Speech Team members have compiled a string of impressive victories. At the 22nd Annual Novice National Speech Tournament, held in early March at the Heather Nystrom ’05 and Ryan Sobolik ’05 Crystal Harles ’04 University of Houston, junior Ryan Sobolik Harles’ speech deals with international placed fourth in the nation in slavery and she said she tried to make the Extemporaneous Speaking, while the issue personal to help people understand Augsburg team garnered sixth place in the that their actions can make a difference in limited sweepstakes division. combating this situation. “There were so many excellent Junior Heather Nystrom took sixth speakers, I was proud just to make it to place in the same competition, with what the finals,” said Sobolik, of Fargo, N.Dak. she calls a “tough sell … trying to More than 50 colleges and universities, convince people to learn more about with over 1,000 competitors, participated statistical literacy, and apply it to their in the tournament. daily lives.” Through humor she tried to Earlier, at the Minnesota College keep people’s attention. Forensic Association’s annual state Augsburg’s team won a second place tournament, senior Crystal Harles won sweepstakes award in the limited entry second place in Oratory. This gives her a division at this state tournament. Coach bid as one of two Minnesota students to and communication studies professor Bob compete in the Interstate Oratory Groven says that this carries special weight Competition, the nation’s oldest and most since Minnesota’s state tournament prestigious oratory tournament, to be held presents some of the toughest competition in Phoenix in April. in the country. “Transforming the Profession of Health Care” Distinguished Alumnus Dr. Paul Batalden ’63 (left), Dartmouth Medical School, and Dr. David Leach, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education, presented the 2004 Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics, “Transforming the Profession of Health Care.” This coincided with the twoday conference, “Building Minnesota’s Healthcare Workforce through Diversity,” sponsored by Augsburg, Minnesota Hospital Association, Fairview Health Services, and UnitedHealth Group at which presenters included Minnesota senator Sheila Kiscaden and former U.S. senator Dave Durenberger. 2 2 Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:50 AM Page 6 Augsburg neighborhood partnership is honored Alumni, Friends, and Families— Come Celebrate! Augsburg Community Festival T he long standing relationship between Augsburg College and the Cedar-Riverside Community School was honored as one of six finalists for the new Carter Partnership Award that was presented by President Jimmy Augsburg and Cedar-Riverside Community School staff were Carter and his wife, honored at the Carter Partnership awards banquet. Rosalynn, as part of the Campus Compact director. “A president of the United States 10th anniversary event in February. The now knows who we are and what we’ve purpose of the award is to provide become. And Augsburg College has been recognition for outstanding campusthere for us all these years. They are what community partnerships. makes a true community school.” The award was presented to the Mary Laurel True, associate director of Grant Community School Collaborative of the Center for Service, Work, and Duluth. But, Mrs. Carter added, “Every Learning, said it was wonderful to be single one of the nominated partnerships recognized for a true, long-term, vital deserves recognition. It doesn't matter partnership. “It meant the world to us to who wins.” be able to let others know about our “It was a grand night for Cedarneighborhood and the immigrants who Riverside Community School,” said live here, and all the great work that we Stephanie Byrdziak, the school’s assistant do together.” Sunday, April 18, 2004 Noon–4:30 p.m. Campus-wide activities 12:30 Campaign kickoff, free food, and giveaways—on the Augsburg campus 12:45-4:30 Free activities for all ages • Free food, music, exhibits, reading corner • Science demonstrations • Lute Olson basketball clinic for boys and girls • Hockey clinic/open ice skating • Health screenings • Theatre production—Machinal • Art exhibits • Celebration service …and much, much more. You don’t want to miss it! Come back and join us on campus! Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College Three new regents elected to board T he Augsburg Board of Regents welcomed three new members at its January meeting. Dan Anderson ’65, Dr. Marshall Stanton, and Emily Anne Tuttle were elected to six-year terms. Dan Anderson ’65 Dan Anderson was an All-American basketball player at Augsburg, and went on to play professional basketball with the Minnesota Pipers and as a charter member of the New Jersey Nets. He is now president of Swenson Anderson Financial Group in Minneapolis, with a network of planners across Minnesota and neighboring states. He is also regional director for Financial Network Investment Corporation, and a Winter 2003-04 general agent for a number of insurance companies. He serves on the board of Metro Hope Ministries. Marshall Stanton, M.D. Marshall Stanton is vice president, medical affairs for Cardiac Rhythm Management at Medtronic. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology and is chairman of the Fellowship Committee of the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and the Medical College of Virginia. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Mayo Medical School; he returned there to join the faculty and became director of the Cardiovascular Training Program. He also completed a fellowship in cardiology at Indiana University School of Medicine. Emily Anne Tuttle Emily Anne Tuttle was the first Democratic woman elected to the Minnesota Senate and specialized in healthcare policy. She was also elected to the Hennepin County Board of Commissioners. She currently serves on the Minnesota Humanities Commission and the boards of the Guthrie Theater, Abbott Northwestern Hospital, and the Minnesota Community Foundation. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and earned her master’s degree in public administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. 3 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:50 AM Page 7 Around the Quad A single book and black robes—a medieval experience by Dan Jorgensen T hirty-two Augsburg first-year students are already wearing their graduation robes, but they won’t be participating in graduation ceremonies in May. The students are part of an experiment that not only is teaching them about life in medieval times but also is blending seven disciplines into one exciting new crosscurricular program. The experiment, titled “Medieval Connections,” not only has both exceeded its professors’ broadest expectations, but it soon could serve as a model for other Augsburg courses and for liberal arts institutions across the nation. “When the College embarked on a new general education curriculum this academic year, faculty were encouraged to seek ways to present courses that were interdisciplinary in nature,” noted Phil Adamo, assistant professor of history and leader of the new program. Adamo has been so pleased with the results of the course that he plans to prepare a paper on it for possible publication in several national journals. A core group of Augsburg faculty, including Adamo; Kristin Anderson, art; Phil Quanbeck II, religion; Joan Griffin, Students in Medieval Connections learn from a single book chained in the library. 4 English; and Merilee Klemp, music, met and put together the basics for the course. Philosophy colleague Bruce Reichenbach, and Darcey Engen, theatre, joined them to form the seven disciplines represented by the course itself. “The key idea that stuck with us is that the In the Medieval Connections class, students wear robes, as university/college that students did in the Middle Ages. we know today comes out of the 12th century,” Adamo said. help teach but also to respond to one “Faculty and students wore robes another and students’ questions. In somewhat similar to those that they do addition, a wide range of faculty and today, although today, of course, they’re others who have learned about the primarily used in ceremonies like course have been “dropping in” to share graduation.” their knowledge and expertise on The students are both taught and everything from medieval armor to what it learn in a style reminiscent of the was like to be a “traveling Sophist.” educational experience faced by students One recent guest professor was a monk from the “High Middle Ages”—the years from St. John’s University who talked 1100-1300 A.D. To learn in this fashion, about monastic life, the Gregorian chant, both students and faculty attend class and how the Bible was written by hand, garbed in robes—the faculty members using a project to write a new Bible wearing the robes that signify their currently underway at his school as an academic background and highest degree example. earned; the students wearing the robes Students begin each class with a prayer that they ultimately will again wear on to the medieval “saint of the day,” working graduation day. While students do have in teams to prepare the prayers and access to modern learning devices, such as presentations on the saints. Thomas papers and ballpoint pens, they all have to Aquinas, for example, was selected learn from one single book—a large because he is the patron saint of all volume that was “constructed” by the students. There are also long-term projects professors in cooperation with art for each student, and the final class will be instructor Tara Christopherson, and is a medieval feast where some will cook, chained in the library where the students some will play or sing music, some will must go to read it. As students read, they juggle, and some will debate—all the can write “marginalia” (comments) in the kinds of things students might have done book’s margins about what they have read, in a big medieval feast of the time. thus providing reading help for their “I think it’s a bit of genius here,” classmates and others who follow. This is Quanbeck noted. “Thanks to Professor similar to what would have happened in Adamo, we’re combining the theatrical, the Middle Ages, Adamo said. experiential, and academic and turning it Sometimes a single professor teaches into something that makes it very for the three-hour class, but usually two memorable. It changes students’ habits or three professors come, not only to and how they learn.” Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:50 AM Page 8 Basketball in a different league Vern Maunu by Betsey Norgard W Vern Maunu here might you find a thousand Twin Cities middle school and high school students on Sunday afternoons during the winter months? A logical answer might be the ski slopes or the malls, but in this case the answer is in church gyms playing in the AugsburgCongregational Youth Basketball League. Thirteen years ago, Augsburg College Pastor Dave Wold had concerns about young people and their connection to churches. Many dropped out of church after confirmation, and many young people in city neighborhoods had no connection to a church. Wold was interested in addressing these issues, as well as getting the word out about Augsburg College. Wold’s idea of a basketball league took shape when he realized how many church gyms in the metro area were not being used, and especially in thinking about how many students enjoy playing basketball but had no team to play on if they weren’t able to make their school teams. Wold and a group of youth directors and pastors developed the mission of the More than 100 Augsburg students, led by Pastor Dave Wold (right) help with various tasks during the Congregational Youth League Tournament at Augsburg in March. Winter 2003-04 Every game in the 70-church Congregational Youth Basketball League starts with devotions and ends with prayer, shared by both opposing teams. league “to provide relaxed yet structured games in a Christian setting, allowing kids an opportunity for fun and exercise while building relationships with teammates, opponents, and God.” Now, more than 70 churches and as many as 1,000 students play in church gyms on Sunday afternoons in the months of January and February. The season climaxes on the first weekend in March at a tournament on Augsburg’s campus. More than 100 Augsburg students help out at the tourney as referees, photographers, concessions workers, security people, etc. Wold, along with league director David Wrightsman and other youth professionals who run the league, seek to keep the tournament as low cost as possible. If churches can’t afford the full participation fee, which pays mostly for uniforms and referee fees, they find ways to subsidize them. As in any athletic division, there are rules. Each game begins with devotions and ends with prayer, shared by both opposing teams. During the game, there must be equal playing time for all team members. And, each team is strongly encouraged to take on service projects— in the church’s gym, in food programs, or in projects like Habitat for Humanity. The league has succeeded in bringing youth to the church. Half of the 70 teams last year were made up of senior high boys, and half or more of these players were not members of the churches for which they played. Some youth choose to play for a church team instead of their school team. Wonderful friendships form through the games. Teams from city and suburban churches get to know each other, and players build relationships with teammates, coaches, youth workers, and pastors. The story of Noah, an adopted Filipino high school student, is one example of the faith and love in this league. Noah has faced challenges all his life from a birth defect in his brain. He learned to love basketball and found tremendous support and friendship in his church team. His strength is in shooting, especially long shots. About five years ago in the tournament, the two finalist teams remained locked in a close game. In the final seconds, it was Noah who sank the ball from a long, half-court shot to win the tournament for his team. “That shows how great sport can be and how great people can be,” says Wold. For information on the Congregational Youth Basketball League, contact Pastor Dave Wold at 612-3301732 or <wold@augsburg.edu>; or David Wrightsman at the Urban Youth Ministry Project, 612-599-6911. 5 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:50 AM Page 9 Sports Auggie women skate and tour in Italy, Austria Staff photo by Don Stoner M embers of the Augsburg College women’s hockey team took a trip of a lifetime during the Christmas holiday break, as they traveled to Italy and Austria, playing three games against local club teams and experiencing the beauty of the two countries. Ten Auggie players made the trip, along with head coach Jill Pohtilla, assistant coaches Barb Halbrehder and Bill Halbrehder, Augsburg staff, and several family members. The eight-day trip took the Auggies through the heart of northern Italy and to the historic cities of Florence and Rome. Members of the team raised money for two years to pay for the journey. “Having an opportunity to learn about another culture, first hand, is something the players will never forget,” Pohtilla said. “I had a similar opportunity playing hockey in Finland in 1980, and I will never forget some of the experiences I had.” On Dec. 29, after a day-long series of flights across the Atlantic, the Auggies arrived in Milan, met Marc Smith, their tour manager from GoPlay Sports Tours, and immediately began a day of sightseeing to help counteract the effects of jetlag. In Milan, Italy’s largest city, the team toured the Duomo, a stunning baroque cathedral with 3,400 statues and 135 spires, and walked across the city square to a huge downtown shopping area, the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. After a night of needed rest in the nearby city of Bergamo, Augsburg was set to play its first game, against the Halloween Como team in the small town of Zanica. Women’s hockey in Italy is still in relative infancy, with only a handful of teams in the northern part of the country. So, with only nine skaters and a goalie, Augsburg was competitive against all of its opponents. In fact, Augsburg dispatched of 6 Members of the Augsburg women’s hockey team and others pose in front of the Colosseum in Rome. Front row (L to R) Jana Ford, Corrie Krzyska, assistant coach Barb Halbrehder, Kristin Johnson, Annie Annunziato, Maggie McDonald, Calla Lundquist, Britt Pennington, tour manager Marc Smith. Back row (L to R) Dale Ford, Jacob Ford, Molly Ford, Dottie Gilkerson, Christina Hughes, assistant coach Bill Halbrehder, head coach Jill Pohtilla, Kristin Opalinski ‘03; sports information coordinator Don Stoner, Stacy Anderson, Laura Prasek, athletic trainer Missy Strauch, Mari Johnson, Heidi Ford. Halloween Como by a 14-0 count. Freshman Stacy Anderson had a sixpoint day, with three goals and three assists, while senior Christina Hughes also had a hat trick (three goals). Senior Dottie Gilkerson, juniors Corrie Krzyska and Laura Prasek, and sophomores Calla Lundquist and Britt Pennington each scored two goals, while senior Annie Annunziato contributed assists. The team then moved on to the Alpine city of Bolzano, little city where the Auggies were then headquartered for three days. New Year’s Eve provided an incredible day and night of new experiences, including a two-hour bus ride deep into the Austrian Alps. As the team rode to Austria, jaws dropped at the stunning scenery of the Brenner Pass, one of Europe’s most famous trade routes. The team’s second game also provided a unique experience—a semi-outdoor rink in the small town of Kundl, Austria. The rink was enclosed, but two of the four sides were open to the elements. Many players said it was the first time they had played on an outdoor rink, which made for an interesting game. Like Italy, women’s hockey in Austria is also relatively new, but the Kundl Crocodiles provided some strong competition. The team even recruited other players from its league to play the Auggies, but in the end, the Minnesota players’ years of experience proved too much, as Augsburg won 6-0. Pennington was the star of the game, with a three-goal hat trick, with Gilkerson, Hughes, and Annunziato adding markers. Junior Jana Ford also got on the board for the Auggies with an assist. Augsburg outshot Kundl by a 2910 margin, with junior goalie Kristin Johnson getting her second straight shutout. “One of the funniest moments for me was when the Austrian team hosted a Winter 2003-04 4/1/04 11:50 AM Page 10 the famed Trevi Fountain, you will Italy, the Bolzano Eagles. The return to Rome someday, and every game was played at the member of the Augsburg group threw Bolzano civic arena, the largest some coins in the water. hockey arena in the country, Augsburg’s final full day in Italy was with seating for more than a whirlwhind day of sightseeing across 7,000 spectators. Rome. Starting early, they toured the Augsburg scored three Colosseum, the fabled arena where goals in the first eight minutes gladiators battled before the emperors, of the game and claimed a 6-2 and traveled up the hill to the Roman victory to complete the trip. Forum, an archeological wonder from Anderson had her second hat ancient times. trick of the trip, with Prasek, From there, the group went to the Annunziato, and Krzyska Pantheon, the oldest complete structure adding goals. The Auggies Dottie Gilkerson (left) and Kristin Johnson (right) pose in Rome, a church of immense size and dominated from start to finish, with a member of the Kundl Crocodiles after Augsburg’s beauty. The day ended in the holiest of not allowing Bolzano’s goals 6-0 win in Kundl, Austria, on Dec. 31. sites, St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, until the final two minutes of followed by a pizza dinner and a trip to the game. brief get-together after our game. The a gelato shop for some authentic Italian With the hockey complete, the language barrier was evident, and it ice cream. Auggies became tourists, as the journey took a line from Finding Nemo to break It was a trip filled with exciting went south into the fabled province of through. The players from both teams hockey, memorable sights, once-in-aTuscany. A night in the small city of knew the lines, ‘Keep swimming, keep lifetime moments, and an incredible Montecatini was followed by a day of swimming’ along with ‘Mine...mine... opportunity to come together as a team sightseeing in Florence, the city that mine.’ We all laughed hard about it,” in the process. spawned the Renaissance. Pohtilla said. From the Duomo church with its On the trip back to Bolzano, the Don Stoner is sports information unique “dome within a dome” design to team stopped for a couple of hours in coordinator and accompanied the team on the beautiful plazas, the Ponte Vecchio the Bavarian winter sports mecca of their trip. bridge and the stunning churches and Innsbruck, host city for two Winter public spaces, the day Olympic games. As the team arrived, a in Florence, while running race was taking place as part of short, was still the city’s New Year’s Eve celebration, memorable. And providing a unique detour. several of the players Arriving back in Bolzano, the showed off their Auggies joined thousands of Italians at “power-shopping” the city’s soccer stadium for a grand skills as well. New Year’s Eve party, complete with Back on the bus bands, fireworks, and plenty of and the four-hour celebrating. journey to Rome New Year’s Day provided some of the where, yet again, the most incredible scenery of the trip, as scenery was the team traveled deep into the craggy outstanding at every high peaks of the Dolomite mountains, turn. The evening unique among the splinter ranges of the was spent in two of Alps. The cable car rides to the top of the most famous the mountain at a local ski area gave the places in Rome, the Auggies plenty of stunning views for Spanish Steps and the photo opportunities and time for Trevi Fountain. Jana Ford (2) and a Bolzano player pursue the puck during playing in the snow. Augsburg’s 6-2 victory over the HC Bolzano Eagles. Augsburg won According to legend, The next day, Augsburg had its last if you throw a coin in all three of its games against opponents from Italy and Austria, outscoring the foes by a 26-2 margin. game of the trip against the best team in Winter 2003-04 7 Staff photo Staff photo Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:50 AM Page 11 AN ENORMOUS HONOR FOR DISCOVERY OF TINY PROTEINS PETER AGRE ’70, THE NOBEL PRIZE IN CHEMISTRY by Betsey Norgard Augsburg’s focus on vocation centers on listening for and responding to a call in one’s life. Peter Agre’s illustrious career has exemplified this process of understanding one’s passions and talents, and discerning the work that would best use them in service to others. Last fall, Agre’s life was unexpectedly and dramatically changed by another call—a single telephone call that came at 5:30 in the morning on October 8. The voice on the other end spoke politely with a Swedish accent and informed him that he had won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for 2003. Since then, Agre’s life has been a whirlwind of travel, interviews, ceremonies, speeches, and thousands of e-mails. Highlights have been the Nobel week in Stockholm, honors at the White House, and, most recently, a hometown tribute befitting a high school and college hero. Agre is a Minnesota native, born in Northfield where his father taught chemistry at St. Olaf College. In 1959, Courtland Agre came to Augsburg as chemistry department chair, and within three years, with the help of new professors John Holum and Earl Alton, rebuilt and refurbished the department. Augsburg’s chemistry program then received the prestigious approval from the American Chemical Society. In his senior year at Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, Peter Agre was voted one of two most likely to succeed. He was not a focused student, however, and took more interest in the underground student newspaper than in his academic subjects. He refers to himself as a “handful” for his teachers. Already in his last year of high school, Agre began taking classes at Augsburg and then enrolled full time. Here he truly connected with several 8 Nobel winner Peter Agre returned to campus and visited the chemistry labs where he spent considerable time as a student in the late 1960s. Here, he chats with student Mike Starner about the day’s project. professors, most especially with John Holum in chemistry, and was able to complete a major in chemistry in twoand-a-half years, culminating in the decision to became a medical doctor. During medical school at Johns Hopkins University, Agre began gravitating toward research. “I wanted the kind of career where I could help people and do useful work that helped people—both as individual patients and by working on disease mechanisms,” Agre explains. “That’s what really got me into the science.” In his senior year in medical school, he began working in laboratories, rather than pursuing the advanced training of a specialty. After a three-year medical residency at Case Western Reserve University and a clinical fellowship at University of North Carolina, he returned to Johns Hopkins for a research fellowship in cell biology. In 1984 he joined the faculty and is now professor of biochemistry. It was his roommate in medical school who first connected him with a “hot” research lab on campus staffed by an international group of researchers, with whom he remains close. “It was actually the people doing science as much as the science that caught my interest,” Agre explains. “I never felt so excited about being with a group of individuals as with the people in this laboratory.” Some of these researchers traveled to Sweden to be with him at the Nobel ceremony. Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 12 Prize-winning research Agre was honored for his work in discovering the existence of proteins that he named “aquaporins,” that are responsible for the passage of water across cell membranes, a process essential to all living things. Agre’s discovery was a result of research serendipity—or “luck favoring the well-prepared,” as it was described in a Johns Hopkins press release. In 1991, while engaged in other research, his lab noticed a small, ubiquitous protein, which they isolated and cloned—and which later proved to be the longsought-after regulator of water movement across cells. (See sidebar on page 11). Agre shares the $1.3 million prize with Roderick MacKinnon, of Rockefeller University in New York, whose research studied similar questions of cell transport involving ions. Across the ocean and seven hours earlier, Augsburg students, staff, and faculty watched via live webcast the formal proceedings of the Nobel Prize Ceremony in Stockholm on Dec. 10. Nobel Peace Prize, awarded in Oslo, Norway), on Dec. 10, the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel, who bequeathed the endowment that funds the annual awards. For a week around this date, the 2003 laureates presented lectures, spoke at press conferences, made visits to academic and medical institutions in Scandinavia, and enjoyed the Nobel collegiality. Agre describes the week as “Cinderella-like, except at midnight everyone kept partying.” Agre received his gold medal at the The Nobel Prizes are awarded in highly formal prize ceremony, presented Stockholm, Sweden (except for the to him by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, surrounded by the royal family and prestigious academics. At the gala banquet, Agre presented a short “thank-you” speech on behalf of MacKinnon and himself (see p. 11). The Augsburg community was able to share in the festivities via a live webcast from Stockholm. In Christensen Center, a crowd gathered around a large computer Don Shelby (right), host of the afternoon show on WCCO radio, enjoyed a radio interview with Peter Agre and President Frame. monitor, under a A week in December Winter 2003-04 banner congratulating Agre, and cheered and clapped even while watching a very fuzzy screen image. Back home in Minnesota In February Agre returned to the Twin Cities for several days to visit his family, as well as to engage in yet another week of whirlwind activities and talks. His first stop in Minneapolis was at his high school alma mater, something he says he wanted to do for himself. His message to students there is one he repeated several more times during the week: “Whatever it is that captures your interest—you should go for it. There’s no limit in life. You can do whatever you want.” At Augsburg, to a filled Hoversten Chapel, Agre presented the same lecture about his research that he gave in Stockholm during Nobel Week. He likened the chance discovery of aquaporin water channels to that of driving along a gravel road in the middle of nowhere in northern Minnesota and suddenly coming upon a city of 200,000 people. “You think to yourself, ‘now this is really interesting,’ ” he quipped. While on campus, Agre had a chance 9 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 13 Agre and President William Frame testified before the Minnesota Senate Higher Education Budget Committee about the need for adequate funding for education. sequence of his findings that led to the aquaporin discovery and describing extensive research others have carried forward in expanding the knowledge and seeking medical applications. Courtland Agre was a chemist at 3M before and after his teaching career, working with a team of scientists to develop synthetic adhesives, and Peter Agre acknowledged that connection. Later, at the State Capitol, Agre appeared with President Frame before the Senate Higher Education Budget Committee to plead the need for science education and adequate funding for research and education. “Research is what lifts us,” Agre told the senators, and “no one is willing to pay for excellent research.” Without it, for example, he said, no new antibiotics can be developed to combat the growing immunity to current drugs. This critical research, especially in Third World countries, is not the kind of profitable research drug companies seek. With the image projected on a large screen beside him, Peter Agre presented his research on “aquaporins” to over 600 employees as part of Tech Forum series at 3M. to greet several of his former Augsburg professors—chemistry professors John Holum and Arlin Gyberg, math professor Henry Follingstad, and biology professor Ralph Sulerud, among others—and reiterated their contribution to shaping his science interests and career direction. During the week the Agre family also gathered on campus, a homecoming for 10 a number of Agre Auggies. Of Courtland and Ellen Agre’s six children, four are Augsburg graduates: Annetta Agre Anderson ’69; Peter ’70; James ’72, who serves on the Science Advisory Board; and Mark ’81. Courtland Agre died in 1995. At 3M’s Tech Forum, Agre spoke to a crowd of 600 or more, presenting the Cheerleading for science Agre enthusiastically talks about using his public forum this year to advocate for science education and the necessity for every person to be educated in science. With science an integral part of 21stcentury life, he stresses the importance Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/5/04 8:21 AM Page 13 PETER AGRE’S ‘THANK-YOU’ REMARKS ✷ DECEMBER 10, 2003 Your Majesties, Your Royal Highnesses, Distinguished Guests: AQUAPORINS Written in 1895, Alfred Nobel’s will endowed prizes for scientific research in physics, chemistry, and medicine. At that time, these fields were narrowly defined, and researchers were often classically trained in only one discipline. In the late 19th century, knowledge of science was not a requisite for success in other walks of life. Indeed, the 19th century painter James McNeil Whistler achieved artistic immortality despite failing chemistry at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, an experience which he remembered with amusement saying, “Had silicon been a gas, I would have been a major general.” But the depth of science has increased dramatically, and Alfred Nobel would be astonished by the changes. Now in the 21st century, the boundaries separating physics, chemistry, and medicine have become blurred, and as happened during the Renaissance, scientists are following their curiosities even when they run beyond the formal limits Peter Agre, Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry, used the opportunity when speaking on behalf of the two chemistry of their training. At the same winners, to laud and praise science teachers for their role in time, the need for general creating interest for their students. scientific understanding by the public has never been larger, and the penalty for scientific illiteracy never harsher. In his masterpiece, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, winner of the 1982 [Nobel] literature prize, describes the isolated village of Macondo where the inhabitants suffer from their own naiveté, trading their hard-earned gold to gypsies for what they believe to be amazing inventions—a magnet, a magnifying glass, and even an enormous, transparent crystal that fascinated them being so cold it was painful to touch. What they regarded as the greatest invention of their time was only a block of ice. In a way, the inhabitants of Macondo resemble contemporary individuals without any background in science. Lack of scientific fundamentals causes people to make foolish decisions about issues such as the toxicity of chemicals, the efficacy of medicines, the changes in the global climate. Our single greatest defense against scientific ignorance is education, and early in the life of every scientist, the child’s first interest was sparked by a teacher. Ladies and gentlemen: please join Dr. Roderick MacKinnon and me in applauding not the Nobel laureates but the heroes behind past, present, and future Nobel prizes— the men and women who teach science to children in our schools. Tack så mycket. © The Nobel Foundation, 2003 Winter 2003-04 a chance discovery © 2003, The Nobel Foundation. Photo by Hans Mehlin. NOBEL BANQUET Water comprises about 70 percent of the human body and is constantly passing across cell walls. Peter Agre was the first to identify the particular protein that serves as the channel through which the water passes. It was a discovery of chance for Agre’s lab team. While researching blood cells, they noticed a commonly reoccurring mystery protein. It was a colleague of Agre’s who suggested that this might be the long-soughtafter water channel. By isolating, cloning, and introducing this protein into frog eggs, Agre’s team was able to confirm that it, indeed, allowed passage of water—and Agre named it Aquaporin-1. Since then, research around the world has explored the presence of additional aquaporins—or “water pores”—and extensively documented their existence in bacteria, plants, and mammals. Not all are equally understood, however. Agre quips that a particular one, Aquaporin-6, was “sent by God for our hubris in saying that we understand these proteins.” While Agre’s research does not yield immediate cures or treatments for disease, it has exploded the understanding of what he dubs this “molecular plumbing system” and provided explanations for physiological processes at sub-disease states. As Agre says, “We have the answer—now what is the question?” From here, research will focus on application of this information in studying a wide variety of diseases— kidney diseases, cystic fibrosis, diabetes, Sjogren’s Syndrome, among them. Beyond that, Agre says that the research can also benefit biotechnology, and even agriculture. 11 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/5/04 8:21 AM Page 14 receiving something in translation. In his banquet speech at the Nobel Ceremony, Agre stated that “Our single greatest defense against scientific ignorance is education.” He then applauded the role of teachers, whom he called the “heroes behind past, present, and future Nobel prizes.” (See the full text of this speech on p. 11.) When talking with young people, he also encourages them to identify their heroes. One of Agre’s heroes he enjoys talking about is Nobel chemistry and Peace Prize laureate Linus Pauling, the eminent scientist whose unwavering opposition to nuclear testing led the fight to pass the limited test ban treaty. Pauling stayed with the Agre family while speaking in Minneapolis when Agre was a teenager, and the strong social conscience of the renowned scientist profoundly impacted Agre. Agre is taking advantage of his Nobel stature to speak out on issues affecting science research, especially against restrictions placed on research as a result of the war on terrorism. Together with other Nobel laureates, he has advocated on behalf of a former professor, Thomas Butler, who faced 69 felony charges and massive fines for the mishandling that he voluntarily reported of plague samples used in bioterror research. of being able to evaluate the validity of daily news, statements from government officials, and so on. People without science background are “totally at the mercy of the government or big companies that tell them a particular pollutant is not dangerous,” Agre says. Equally worrisome to Agre is the situation where decisions about foreign policy, such as signing the Kyoto Accord, are made by lawyers with no scientific background. Even though there are scientific advisors, he sees it as similar to 12 Learning for life In summing up, Agre believes that although science is important, liberal arts are critical to educate people in many different areas for a lifetime. He told the Senate higher education committee, “All the good in my life happened because of my education.” He believes that “part of being educated is learning that we learn our whole lives, and we need to … have some background in different cultures, study abroad.” Agre told the press that “the difference between laureates and the general public is that when we get up in the morning we really long to be at work.” That’s a statement of calling. ■ Courtland Agre taught chemistry at Augsburg for 17 years, from 1959 to his retirement in 1976. He also enjoyed an illustrious career in industry at both DuPont and 3M in the early research around synthetic adhesives. Agre revitalized Augsburg’s chemistry department and was recognized for his programs that brought high school students to campus. Under his leadership, Augsburg’s department received initial approval from the American Chemical Society. Agre’s last visit to campus was at Homecoming in 1995 when Peter Agre was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus. Courtland Agre died a few weeks later, in October 1995, from cancer. His wife, Ellen, when interviewed about Peter’s Nobel Prize, told Minnesota Public Radio her daughter said that before his death, Courtland had stated that one day Peter was going to win the Nobel Prize. “Courtland would be rejoicing,” Ellen Agre told the interviewer. Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/5/04 8:22 AM Page 15 1 5 2 6 3 7 1 E. Milton Kleven ’46 and his daughter, Barbara Kleven Birky, are among the attendees at the dinner in honor of Peter Agre. 2 Bill and Kathy Urseth posed for a photo with Agre. 3 Augsburg regent James Haglund and his wife, Kathy, exchanged greetings with the Nobel Prize laureate. 4 Proud mother Ellen Agre enjoys the light moments of Peter’s presentation in the campus convocation about his research. 5 After his convocation in Hoversten Chapel, a throng of people waited to greet the Nobel laureate, including Philip Quanbeck Sr., to Agre’s left. 6 Agre reminisced with Professor Henry Follingstad, his former mathematics teacher, as members of the Department of Chemistry looked on. Clockwise, from lower left: Professor Joan Kunz, chair of the Division of Natural Sciences and Mathematics; Professor Arlin Gyberg, who taught Agre as a student; Professor Sandra Olmsted ’69, chemistry department chair; chemistry student Monica Koukal; and Follingstad. 4 Winter 2003-04 7 Dean Malotky ’71 (center) and Peter Agre were a year apart in the chemistry department. Cheryl (Rogalla) Malotky ’72 (left) looks on as they talked. 13 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 17 DISHING UP RECIPES FOR LEARNING AND SERVING by Betsey Norgard photos by Stephen Geffre Winter 2002-03 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 18 AS ANYONE WHO COOKS KNOWS, finding creative ways to combine ingredients is a challenge. In the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg, students receive surplus food from the College’s food service and other local food banks and transform these various ingredients into healthy and tasty meals for neighborhood residents in shelters and community programs. Augsburg is one of six campuses in the country to join The Campus Kitchens ProjectSM, a leadership development program of DC Central Kitchen. The project focuses on making use of recycled food, students in servicelearning, and teaching food preparation skills to the unemployed. It is also a great opportunity for volunteers from the campus and the community to combine talents. The Campus Kitchen at Augsburg opened in October with President and Mrs. Frame cooking the first meals under the direction of Augsburg’s Sodexho food staff. About 60 volunteers have been involved weekly since then, serving 100 to 300 meals—a total of more than 2,400 meals in the five months. Two or three nights a week, a team of LEFT PAGE, TOP—Freshman Nicholas Stuber (center) is one of the Augsburg Seminar (AugSem) students who worked in the Campus Kitchen as part of his religion and history classes. LEFT PAGE, CENTER—First-year students learn about the new Campus Kitchen at Augsburg. Front row (L to R): Chelsea Hosch, Megan Christensen, and Emily Squadroni. Back row (L to R): Micah Lenthe, Ted Toborg, Tayton Eggenberger, and Marisa Navarro LEFT PAGE, BOTTOM LEFT—Campus Kitchen supervisor Abby Flottemesch (right) and volunteer Bill Ogren ‘73 spoon out browned meat for the recipe being cooked up that evening LEFT PAGE, BOTTOM RIGHT—Senior Josh Reichow scoops out cans of chili as part of the meal he is making in the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg, with senior Rhia Gronberg working in the background. Up to 300 meals per week are delivered to neighborhood community programs. Winter 2003-04 Doug Klunk (center), Sodexho food service director at Augsburg, explains the kitchen facilities to the first-year Augsburg Seminar students who will be working in the Campus Kitchen program. volunteers assesses the food ingredients available that day, and cooks up meals of entrees, desserts, soups, etc. The next day another volunteer team delivers the food to one of three neighborhood agencies— Safe Place at Trinity Lutheran Church, the Brian Coyle Center Kids College, Catholic Charities’ Secure Waiting Place, and Peace House. “One thing I will never forget is just the look on their faces when they see that we have brought them some food,” said freshman Jennifer Ramos. “Along with being happy about the food, they are excited to see us.” Volunteers spend time at the centers after delivering the meals to get to know the people being served. One of Augsburg’s first-year seminars, or AugSem, included a service-learning component in the Campus Kitchen into paired religion and history classes. History professor Phil Adamo teaches Beginning of Western Culture, where students study how resources are collected, distributed, and controlled. Preparing and delivering the meals gave his students some first-hand understanding of how the process works. Project director Abby Flottemesch also helps the students organize additional activities—clothing drives, special events, and projects. In February, the student volunteers prepared a Valentine’s Day meal for teen parents and their children at the Division of Indian Work in Minneapolis. The Campus Kitchen at Augsburg developed from the collaboration of the Center for Service, Work, and Learning and Sodexho, the College’s food service provider. “It’s a natural extension of our community service-learning interests,” President William Frame recently told the Minneapolis Star Tribune, adding that it fit Augsburg’s mission to be an “active citizen in the neighborhoods.” In addition to fulfilling their AugSem requirements, first-year students learn the broader lessons embodied in the Campus Kitchens motto—“Teach, Reach, Feed, Lead.” “At the end of the day I feel better knowing that I have made an impact on someone’s life,” says Ramos. ■ 15 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 19 CCO ONONCNANE CMTNPI NUGSE C T I N G —a home for Hispanic/Latino students by Betsey Norgard • photos by Stephen Geffre IN 2003, Augsburg’s Hispanic/Latino Student Services program celebrated its 10th anniversary. Established in 1993, it is the newest of the four programs that provide services for ethnic populations at the College. During its first decade, the program grew from the initial 13 students served to over 40 students who now receive assistance and academic support in areas of admissions, financial aid/scholarships, registration procedures, academic advising, personal counseling, and advocacy. The students also receive help to obtain internships, employment, and community referrals. While most activity in the program involves the day students, weekend and graduate students also take advantage of services on campus and community networking. Augsburg’s program is growing at the same time the Hispanic/Latino population in the state of Minnesota is experiencing a triple-digit percentage increase, according to the 2000 census data. The College’s location in the heart of the Twin Cities makes it accessible to Hispanic/Latino youth of both Minneapolis and St. Paul, and Augsburg’s commitment to a diverse student body enables it to offer the financial and academic resources to reach these students. Of the more than 40 students served this year, 12 are international students, while more than double that number come from the Twin Cities metro area. Eloisa Echávez, who received her 16 Dulce Monterrubio, from Mexico City, is both a senior international relations major and an enrollment counselor in the Enrollment Center. bachelor’s degree in 1994 and master’s degree in educational leadership in 1998, was the program’s founder and director for its first six years. She is now executive director of La Oportunidad, Inc., a St. Paul community agency. “During this time, I witnessed first hand how the support that Hispanic/ Latino students received made a great impact,” Echávez states. “I saw [them] grow in every area of their lives, carrying proudly Augsburg’s mission and becoming leaders in their respective communities.” For three years, Hispanic/Latino students have participated in Scholastic Connections, a College scholarship program that pairs students of color with alumni of color in mentoring Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 20 relationships. Adela Arguello, a junior from Nicaragua, double-majoring in finance and economics, is one of three students currently “connected” to an alumni mentor. ”This scholarship has been one of the instruments that has made possible the great experience of having a college education in the U.S.,” she says. “My mentor, Diane Love-Scott, and her husband, Rick, have both been great mentors and great friends in the past two years.” Love-Scott, who graduated in 1998 and now is a social worker for Hennepin County, was one of the first students involved in the program and speaks about its impact. “Getting connected to the Latino program and being part of its development was an honor. … Since there only were a handful of Latino students, it felt like we were a family. The Latino program allowed for a group of students to be heard and recognized that otherwise would simply just have ‘blended’,” she says. Plus, becoming active in the Latino group helps students connect with other activities on campus. “My involvement with campus life was greatly attributed to my participation in the Hispanic/Latino SCHOLASTIC CONNECTIONS Students Renzo and Robert Amaya Torres (second and third from left) and Adela Arguello (second from right) and mentors (left to right) Franklin Taweh, Eloisa Echávez, Maria R. Johnson, and Diane Love-Scott are part of the Scholastic Connections program, pairing students of color with alumni mentors. Hispanic/Latino program director Emiliano Chagil stands at the right. Student Association,” says Juliana Martinez, who graduated last year with an MIS major and business minor. “As a transfer student, it can be difficult to approach other organizations and find common grounds with its members. By founding this student organization, the Hispanic/Latino Student Services [program] opened the doors to host and support events together.” In 2001, Augsburg was recognized as a “2001 Educator of Distinction” by Saludos Hispanos, a Los Angeles-based career and education magazine and Web site for its efforts in outreach and Speaking on behalf of the mentors at the annual Scholastic Connections dinner, Diane Love-Scott ’98 commented that “a lot of the people sitting at these tables are a big part of what I am today.” Winter 2003-04 recruitment. Included in that are the College’s efforts to provide financial aid and scholarships above and beyond what is available through normal state and federal sources. Senior Victor Acosta received federal funding and academic support that are helping him excel as a physics major. He is the recipient of a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship for math and science students and has spent two summers engaged in research funded by the National Science Foundation. Part of the College’s and program mission is to help students prepare for Juniors Renzo and Robert Amaya Torres, twin brothers from Colombia, spoke on behalf of scholarship recipients at the Thanksgiving reception for scholarship donors last November. 17 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 21 jobs in the workplace. Martinez found a position as a technology coordinator at a St. Paul community development center. Charles Barton, a 2003 graduate in education, who has been featured in a continuing series in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, has decided to bide his time until the right teaching job opens up. In the meantime, he mentors at-risk kids and manages a before- and after-school program at a metro-area school. Students from the various Hispanic/Latino countries bring their cultural traditions to Augsburg’s campus life. During Hispanic Heritage Month, mid-September to mid-October, a series of community speakers and presentations focused on cultural traditions and social issues in Mexico, and Central and South America. Each year in Chapel during Advent, the Hispanic/Latino students present Las Posadas, a reenactment of Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem and search for lodging. The campus community joins in singing the procession along, and then celebrates with the festive breaking of a piñata. Program director Emiliano Chagil believes that Augsburg will grow as a resource to the burgeoning Hispanic population. Augsburg’s weekend program is especially suited to help working adults in the Hispanic community complete an undergraduate education— the dream of many immigrants seeking better lives for their families. He credits ABOVE—Hispanic/Latino students and others in Augsburg’s chapel joined to sing the traditional songs of the celebration of Las Posadas that reenacted Mary and Joseph’s journey to find lodging for the Christmas night. LEFT—Emiliano Chagil, Hispanic/Latino Student Services director, congratulates Charles Barton as he graduated with a major in education last May 18 the support of the administration, especially that of Ann Garvey, associate dean for student affairs, in helping shape the direction of the ethnic programs. Chagil, a native of Guatemala who came to the Twin Cities in 1980, has a master’s degree in theology from the University of St. Thomas School of Divinity and considers himself a testament to what is possible. “The world is a wonderful world, but one must have faith, and believe in one’s self and trust others that our mission on Earth to better creation can only be accomplished with a community,” Chagil says. “Education is the right guidance for the journey. Our nation is waiting for leadership and one must consider the challenge. As commonly said in Spanish, ‘Dios primero,’-— ‘Let God be first.’ ” ■ CONNECTING ON CAMPUS CONNECTING ON CAMPUS CONNECTING ON CAMPUS CONNECTING ON CAMPUS CONNECTING Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 22 AUGSBURG A K E T O F A M I LY A F F A I R Winter 2003-04 many of his games, and is already looking forward to next year’s season. Outside of basketball, although Alex and Kevin attend classes on the same campus they hardly see each other. Alex’s MAL classes meet every other weekend, and Kevin studies during the week. Even so, they still find time to meet or talk every now and then—as when they needed to clear a mix-up on their e-mails. One of Kevin’s professors, unaware that Charles Walbridge When considering their options for higher education, this father and son duo from Forest Lake, Minn., had no intention of attending the same college. However, the educational paths of Alex and Kevin Keto led them both down different roads to Augsburg College. Alex, who is currently a marketing manager for Wendy’s International, Inc., came to Augsburg in September 2002 to enroll in the College’s Master of Arts in Leadership (MAL) program. He had been planning to pursue graduate education after his son completed high school, and wanted something different than an M.B.A. Augsburg’s MAL focus on leadership intrigued him as different from other comparable college programs. Believing that “you can never stop learning,” he felt he had found a “perfect fit” at Augsburg. He feels the leadership aspect of the program will benefit him in his job and give him a competitive edge. “I hope to take what I know,” he says, “and add some leadership to incorporate mentoring to develop some kind of leadership program.” Alex’s son, Kevin, choose a different road to Augsburg, which was in no way influenced by his father. Kevin entered Augsburg as a freshman last fall. A graduate of Forest Lake High School, he was involved in community service through the National Honor Society (NHS) and was the point guard on the varsity basketball team. As a team member and co-captain, he helped run basketball camps for younger players. Kevin’s college selection pointed Augsburg’s way because he wanted to attend a school that had diversity, that was in the city, and where he could continue to play basketball. To his great joy, he made the varsity team in his first year and found that college basketball was a new experience he really enjoyed. He also enjoyed having Alex in the stands at Stephen Geffre by Rebecca Welle ’04 Father and son Alex and Kevin Keto enjoy a rare moment together on campus. Both are Augsburg students, but their class schedules rarely overlap. Freshman guard Kevin Keto was drawn to Augsburg as a school in the city where he could continue playing basketball—and have his father in the stands for many games. Kevin was not the only Keto on campus, e-mailed him with praise for a paper he wrote, asking if it could be shared with the class. Much to the professor’s surprise, the e-mail went to Alex, who wrote back explaining the confusion. The professor than e-mailed Alex back thanking him for setting everything straight and complimenting the work of his son. Although Alex plans to complete his degree in the next year, Kevin will not be far behind. Because of advanced placement courses in high school, he is on an accelerated pace in his college studies. He has continued his service work from high school and is currently volunteering as a tutor for Somali children as part of his Christian vocation class. Kevin has already accepted a position for next year as a resident assistant in Urness Hall, where he will help new freshman find their way around new classes, a new campus, and new experiences. ■ Becky Welle is a senior communications major and intern in the Office of Public Relations and Communication. 19 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 23 AAlumni LUMNINews NEWS From the Alumni Board president’s desk… T hese are exciting times for Augsburg College and Augsburg alumni. Several months ago, the College launched the “Transforming Education” marketing campaign. Billboards, radio and magazine advertisements, and the Augsburg Web site reflect that which all Augsburg alumni know: “Be yourself at Augsburg, and leave completely changed.” One alumnus who exemplifies the transforming nature of an Augsburg education is Peter Agre ’70. Shortly after the campaign was launched, the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences announced that Peter was one of two winners of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry (see the feature story on p. 8 for details). Peter’s award is a fantastic honor and all Augsburg alumni can be proud of his achievement. Peter’s honor has personal meaning for me. While a senior at Augsburg, I traveled to Baltimore in the spring of 1984 to visit the Johns Hopkins University where I would matriculate in the School of Medicine that fall. Peter, early in his career at the time, warmly welcomed me to the city and into his home. He gave me an exhaustive tour of the city and the medical school and introduced me to many of his colleagues. Later, Peter was my teacher and mentor on the clinical wards. Despite his busy schedule, Peter always had time to talk and reminisce (especially about Minnesota and Augsburg). He was a terrific mentor and later a good friend and colleague. Congratulations, Peter! In Alumni Board news, Dan Anderson ’65, who joined the Alumni Board last year, recently accepted appointment to the Augsburg Board of Regents. One of Dan’s primary roles on the Board of Regents will be to represent the Alumni Board and alumni. Dan is a dedicated supporter of the College, and this appointment will surely benefit the entire Augsburg community. These truly are exciting times for Augsburg and its alumni. Within a Christian context, the College remains committed to an education that is academically excellent and “transforming.” One measure of the “transforming” nature of an Augsburg education is alumni participation in the affairs of the College. Indeed, alumni have not only increased their participation in alumni events, but have also increased their giving of time, talents, and financial gifts to Augsburg. On behalf of the Alumni Board, I thank you for your generosity! Paul S. Mueller ’84, M.D. President, Alumni Board A ugsburg alumni are invited to explore Lutheran heritage in Germany and Eastern Europe in a tour sponsored by the Alumni Association, October 15-27. This custom created travel program features the places of Martin Luther’s life and ministry in the German cities of Wittenberg and Eisleben, as well as a special worship service at the American Church of Berlin, where Augsburg alumnus Rev. Ben Coltvet ’66 is currently pastor. The itinerary also includes visits to Dresden and Leipzig, as well as to two of Europe’s most beautiful capital cities, Prague and Budapest. In addition, tour participants will have an opportunity to interact with the local Lutheran community in 20 Bratislava, Slovakia, where the Lutheran church dates back to the 16th century. Augsburg professor Dr. Mark Tranvik and his wife, Ann, will host this tour from the Twin Cities. Tranvik has taught reformation history at Augsburg for 10 years and has recently visited the places of Martin Luther’s life in Germany. Pre-registration is required by June 15. A tour information and education meeting will be held May 16 at 2 p.m. in the Christensen Center (Century Room). A tour brochure is available for download in the Alumni News section of the Now Online at <www.augsburg.edu/now>. For further Czech Tourist Authority Alumni tour features Lutheran heritage in Germany and Eastern Europe information, contact Alumni/Parent Relations at 612-330-1178 or <alumni@augsburg.edu>. Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 24 Second annual Connections event a success T SUMMER AUGGIE HOURS Auggie Hours are held the second Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Please join us! Staff photo he second annual Connections—A Women’s Leadership Event, cosponsored by Augsburg College and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, was held January 31. It was an inspirational morning for over 130 participants including more than 25 current Augsburg students. “What makes this women’s event unique compared to others is that we invite students to participate in this leadership development opportunity so The second annual Connections—A Women’s Leadership Event in January was a successful and they may network and be encouraged inspiring morning for over 130 participants. The by the experiences and stories of the presenters, pictured above, were: Front row (L to amazing women who attend,” said Sue R): Annette Minor, Tammera Ericson ’93, Julie Sabo ’90 (Back row): Anne Frame, Jennifer Martin, Klaseus, vice president of Augsburg’s I. Shelby Andress ’56, Jennifer Grimm ’99. Institutional Advancement and Community Relations. challenges of working in traditionally Presenters included Jennifer Grimm ’99, male-dominated industries, finding balance international recording artist; Jennifer between work and parenting, living a life Martin, senior vice president for corporate of service, igniting your passion to follow administration at Thrivent and an your dreams, achieving financial security, Augsburg Board of Regents member; Anne dealing with grief after caring for a Frame, a financial consultant and Augsburg terminally ill loved one, and more. leader; Annette Minor, attorney and In addition, participants were given the consultant with HD Minor, LLC; Tammera opportunity to break into smaller groups Ericson ’93, attorney and member of the for networking at roundtable conversations Columbia Heights City Council; Julie Sabo led by a host committee made up of ’90, former MN senator; and I. Shelby women leaders throughout the community, Andress ’56, consultant and owner of I. many of whom were Augsburg alumnae. Shelby Andress, Inc. Watch for details of the third annual Presentations were wide-ranging and event in upcoming issues of the Augsburg included motivational discussions of the Now! A-Club and AWAC merge A ugsburg’s two alumni athletics organizations—A-Club and the Augsburg Women’s Athletic Club (AWAC)—merged in November. This new joint venture unites all resources, talent, and passion into a single cause directed at supporting the success of Augsburg athletics. On the immediate horizon, the new A-Club will be a major fundraising force for the proposed South Wing expansion of Si Melby Hall. The project is an important and necessary step in upgrading facilities for all students, staff, Winter 2003-04 physical education majors, and intercollegiate athletes. Look for an expanded story about the merger in the spring/summer issue of the Augsburg Now. The new A-Club’s first joint golf tournament is June 28 at the 27-hole Pebble Creek course in Becker, Minn. Proceeds from this annual event underwrite various A-Club activities, including the Hall of Fame banquet. Contact the Athletics office at 612-330-1249 for more information. May Toby’s on the Lake, Oakdale June Solera, Downtown Minneapolis July Dock Café, Stillwater August Bar Abilene, Uptown Minneapolis 2004 Alumni Directory T he 2004 Augsburg Alumni Directory is underway. Have you returned your questionnaire or contacted the publisher (Harris) toll-free to verify your information? If you did not receive your questionnaire or have questions, contact Alumni/Parent Relations at 612-330-1178 or 1-800-260-6590 or e-mail <alumni@augsburg.edu>. Lutheran Free Church celebration A celebration of the tradition and heritage of the Lutheran Free Church is planned for Sat., June 12. All alumni are welcome to attend this special day of worship, “singspiration,” testimonials, lectures, and conversation. Preregistration is required by June 1; contact Alumni/Parent Relations for more information at 612-330-1178 or <alumni@augsburg.edu>. 21 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 25 HOMECOMING 2003 photos by Stephen Geffre Robert Stacke ’71, Augsburg associate professor of music, led the pep band at the Homecoming football game. Stan Waldhauser Members of the Class of 1993 gathered before the football game for a tailgating party to celebrate their 10-year reunion. The Augsburg Spirit Squad cheered the Auggies on to their victory over Carleton College. Fans expressed their Auggie pride at the Homecoming football game. 22 Knut Hoversten ’30 (right) and his family were honored with the 2003 Distinguished Service Award. Since Knut’s graduation from Augsburg in 1930, more than 40 members of the extended Hoversten family have also attended, including the family’s most recent Augsburg graduate, Kari Lucin ’03 (left). Students, alumni, faculty, and staff gathered for the second annual Homecoming reception celebrating Augsburg’s four ethnic programs: the American Indian, Pan-Asian, Pan-Afrikan, and Hispanic/Latino student service areas. Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 26 Charles Walbridge Brenda Henrickson Capek ’63 gathered with fellow alumni and faculty at the psychology department’s 40th anniversary celebration and reunion. Staff photo Jeremiah Knabe and Katie Scheevel were crowned 2003 Homecoming King and Queen. Senior Jamie Smith, Auggie wide receiver, helped lead Augsburg to a 19-0 victory over Carleton College. Joel Nelson ’85 joined fellow alumni and faculty of biology, chemistry, math, physics, and psychology at the science alumni gathering. Staff photo Jane Jeong Trenka ’95 and Aaron Gabriel ’00 read their work at the English department’s wine and cheese reading and reunion. Trenka’s book, The Language of Blood: A Memoir (Borealis Books), is nominated for two Minnesota Book Awards and was chosen by the Barnes & Noble Discover New Writers Program as a fall 2003 selection. Ertwin Jones-Hermerding ’69 (pictured above) and the Rev. Hans G. Dumpys ’56 were honored at Homecoming Dinner as recipients of the 2003 Distinguished Alumni Award. Other honorees included Tammera Ericson ’93 with the First Decade Award and both John Benson ’55 and Sigvald V. Hjelmeland ’41 with Spirit of Augsburg awards. Winter 2003-04 The Rev. Hans G. Dumpys ’56 (right), 2003 Distinguished Alumnus, enjoyed conversation following the Homecoming chapel service, which celebrated the golden anniversary Class of 1953 and featured guest speaker Rev. Arthur Rimmereid ’53. 23 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 27 2003 HOMECOMING 1953 GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CLASS OF 1953 (L to R) Row 1 (seated): Beverly Nystuen Carlsen, Gloria Parizek Thorpe, Darlyne Deem Lamb, Ruth Ringstad Larson, Marilyn Elness Froiland, Gloria Ostrem Sawai, Ruth Aaskov, Erland E. Carlson. Row 2: Don Dillon, Dorothy Strommen Christopherson, Dorothy Skonnord Petersen, Betty Manger Anderson, Helen Lodahl Amabile, Eleanor Baker Dahle, Phyllis Vik Swanson. Row 3: Leroy (Roy) Petterson, Donovan Lundeen, Jerome Engseth, Donald Oren, Dave Rykken, Joseph Vahtinson, Lorne Hill, James Hamre. Row 4: Duane Christensen, Quentin Goodrich, Bill Oudal, Art Rimmereid, Roy Dorn, Herman Egeberg, Mark Raabe, Arthur Shultz, Howard “Howie” Pearson. 1963 CLASS OF 1963 (L to R) Row 1 (seated): Diane Lindberg Lee, Joyce Gustafson Hauge, Barbra Beglinger Larson, Brenda Henrickson Capek, Paul Rasmussen, Jerelyn Hovland Cobb, Stephen “Gabe” Gabrielsen, Nancy Joubert Raymond. Row 2: Marilyn Peterson Haus, Sara Halvorson Strom, Karen Tangen Mattison, Mary Jo Cherne Holmstrand, Mary Lower Farmer, Judy Hess Larsen, Faith Bakken Friest, Linda Johnson Merriam. Row 3: William Kallestad, Janet Evenson Potratz, Ron Starkey, Roger Bevis, Ellen Vlede Meliza, Brad Holt, Carol Anderson McCuen. Row 4: John Wanner, Glenn Peterson, Morris Bjuulin, Donald Gjesfjeld, David Steenson, Wayne Christiansen. 24 Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 28 1978 CLASS OF 1978 (L to R) Row 1 (seated): Kevin Hoversten, Dennis Meyer, Jennifer Abeln Kahlow, Ellen Wessel Schuler, Debbie Zillmer Hoppe, Donadee Melly Peterson, Noreen Walen Thompson, Louise Dahl Wood. Row 2: Jonathan Moren, Bonnie Lamon Moren, Amy Jo Thorpe Swenson, Cindy Peterson, Lora Thompson Sturm, Susan Shaninghouse, Bev Ranum Meyer, Paula Winchester Palermo, Holly Crane Smith, Cynthy Mandl. Row 3: Tom Wingard, John Karason, Roberta Aitchison Olson, Dawn Heil Taylor, Kim Strickland, Julie Rasmussen, Kris Iverson Slemmons, Joel Hoeger, Steve Thompson. Row 4: Rick Swenson, David Backman, Eric Spore, David Wilhelm, Richard Swanson, Connie Lamon Priesz, Jerry Wood. Recipients of Augsburg’s DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD HOVERSTEN FAMILY (bottom left, L to R) Row 1 (seated): Chris Busch, Weston Busch, Tim Larson, Holly Mell, Janet Reily, Katelyn Mell, Megan Mell, Craig Mell. Row 2: Sister Mary Colleen Hoversten OSF, Garfield Hoversten, JoAnn Downing Osborne, Julianne Melll, Knut Hoversten, Chrestena Fixen, Marguerite Haster Hoversten, Phyllis Hoversten. Row 3: Lenice Gadmundson Hoversten, Joan Novy Hoversten, Kermit Hoversten, Ruth Hammer Hoversten, Jill Nafstad, Wendy Larson, Clara Amundson, Bernice Digre, Elizabeth Bade, Karina Peterson, Linda Singer, Chester Hoversten, Loretta Pletan Hoversten. Row 4: Allen Hoversten, Peter Hoversten, Francis Hoversten, Norman Mell, Kevin Hoversten, Chet T. Hoversten, Clenora Hoversten, Marjorie Hoversten, Paul Larson, Vincent Hoversten, Clifford Digre, Annette Hoversten Hanson, Clarence Hoversten, Lorna Hoversten, Roger Larson, Elise Larson, Tom Hoversten. Row 5: Kari Lucin, Gregg Nafstad, Andrew Busch, Laurie Busch, Kyle Hoversten, Shannon Swanson Hoversten, Tim Hoversten, Karla Singer, Pattie Sausser, Philip Hoversten, Jon Hoversten. Winter 2003-04 25 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 29 CLASS NOTES Class Notes Raymond Klym, Bloomington, Minn., was inducted into the Minnesota Softball Hall of Fame and will be inducted into the Minneapolis South High School Wall of Honor in April. He can be reached at <rklym@netzero.net>. 1948 Clarence “Bobb” L. Miller, Coral Gables, Fla., was elected to the Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1995 and the YMCA Volleyball Hall of Fame in 1997, both in Holyoke, Mass. 1953 Leland Fairbanks and his wife, Eunice, were honored by the mayor of Tempe, Ariz., when he declared August 16, 2003, as “Dr. Leland and Eunice Fairbanks 50th Anniversary Day” in tribute of their golden anniversary and their service to Tempe. Gloria (Ostrem) Sawai received the Distinguished Alumni Award at Canada’s Augustana University College 2003 Homecoming celebration in October. 1954 John “Jack” E. Seaver, Edgerton, Wis., is enjoying retirement with his wife, Lois. He can be contacted via e-mail at <loisseaver@msn.com>. 1957 Stanley B. Baker, Raleigh, N.C., published the fourth edition of School Counseling for the Twenty-First Century (co-authored by Edwin R. Gerler Jr.) by Pearson Prentice Hall publishers. The new edition features online 26 lessons and an Internet site. Baker is a professor of counselor education at North Carolina State University. 1959 Don C. Olson traveled to San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala, in August; it was his seventh year traveling as a mission worker. 1961 Kenneth J. Manske, Asheville, N.C., is a retired professor of chemistry from Mars Hill College. He and his wife, Janet, can be reached at <kjm39@charter.net>. Nellie Jones von Arx, Farmingville, N.Y., retired in June from Sunrise Medical Labs where she was a microbiology supervisor for 16 years. Prior work included 15 years as microbiology supervisor at North Shore University Hospital in Glen Cove, N.Y.; 10 years in medical technology at Mt. Sinai Hospital, Minneapolis; and over two years in U.S. Peace Corps, Sabah, Malaysia. 1968 Frank Lawatsch, Benson, Minn., is hospital administrator at Swift County-Benson Hospital, which was recently honored as one of the top 100 rural hospitals in America. Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and president of the Lutheran World Federation, wrote a commentary published in the Oct. 18, 2003, St. Paul Pioneer Press (“Pope has been a fighter for Christian unity”) celebrating the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II. Hanson met with the pope last spring. Diane Tiedeman, Richfield, Minn., is enjoying her retirement from teaching for Bloomington Public Schools. She likes spending time with family and friends, planting flowers, and taking care of her lawn. 1970 Ray Hanson, Sterling, Va., received a “Lightning Award” from ITT Industries AES Division. He also celebrated the marriage of his daughter in June. 1971 Barbara (Lien) Nordaune, Glenwood, Minn., was elected to serve as associate grand conductress of the Order of Eastern Star at its 2003 Grand Chapter meeting in St. Cloud. In addition to her many duties, she will be traveling throughout the state and to other jurisdictions to represent the Grand Chapter of Minnesota. Barbara is a member of the Minnewaska Chapter #129 in Glenwood, and works as a computerized embroidery operator at Cowing Robards in Alexandria. Her husband, Lyndon, owns and operates MTM Marine. Mark Saari, Rush City, Minn., is principal of Rush City High School. 1965 Neil Sideen, Howard Lake, Minn., is public television coordinator for the City of Howard Lake and is involved in affiliated marketing on the Internet. He can be reached at <cable@howard-lake.mn.us>. ALUMNI ON THE ROAD Courtesy photo 1947 1966 Rodger T. Ericson, an Air Force lieutenant colonel, was deployed oversees to a forward operating location to support the mission of Operation Iraqi Freedom. 1967 Stuart Utgaard, Star Prairie, Wis., owns Sportsman’s Warehouse, a national chain of hunting, fishing, and camping stores that was featured in the December 2002 issue of Fishing Tackle Retailer Magazine. Clinton Peterson, Tracy, Minn., participated in the National Festival of the States Concert Series in Washington D.C. in July as director of the Tracy Community Band. Forty band members presented concerts at the Navy Memorial, the Fairfax Retirement Village for military officers, and the Lincoln Memorial. The Tracy Community Band was Minnesota’s representative in this festival. Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 30 Rev. Arvid Dixen ’52 brings a Memorial Day message of peace by Jen Hass Reprinted by permission of Quad Community Press in White Bear Lake, Minn. Arvid “Bud” Dixen is convinced that most people think of Memorial Day as simply a sign of summer’s arrival. And he’d like to change that. Courtesy photo ALUMNI PROFILE The Korean War veteran and Circle Pines, Minn., resident said people could best spend their time this holiday weekend by visiting gravesites or war memorials. Even better, the 73-year-old Dixen suggests, is to get involved with the peace movement. His own history as a political activist is a long one, kindled by his war experiences and his religious training. After graduating from Augsburg College in 1952, Dixen was drafted into the military and was a combat engineer in the Korean War. He said the experience fighting at the tender age of 21 for more than a year—and his religious views about how Christians should react to war—changed his mind about the necessity of such conflict. “If people could live in dignity and basic peace, they’re not going to war,” he said. Dixen returned home a changed man, not unlike other soldiers who came back from the so-called “forgotten war.” He became a preacher after attending Luther Seminary and worked during the next three decades at churches across the Midwest. But it isn’t just peace that drove him into the streets and powered his sermons. Dixen was jailed for three days with Martin Luther King, Jr., in 1962 for demonstrating against Rev. Arvid “Bud” Dixen ’52 has worked to segregation in Albany, Ga. He helped promote the country’s first female Lutheran parish promote peace ever since his service as a pastor through the ranks at combat engineer in the Korean War. Edina Community Lutheran Church in the ’70s. Around that same time, he rallied church members to raise money for Dennis Banks and Russell Means, members of the American Indian Movement, who were arrested for taking control of Wounded Knee in South Dakota. “All of these things are tied together, to recognize the dignity and worth of every person,” he explained. Today, Dixen has kept busy as a member of Veterans for Peace, People of Faith Peacemaking, and the St. Paul Affinity Group, which is made up of volunteers with the international Nonviolent Peaceforce organization. He has continued being a minister on a part-time basis for a small ELCA Lutheran ministry called Kairos. And he still speaks out about basic human rights and how they apply to the modern day—though he’s just as likely to be enjoying classical music and reading with his cats, Mozart and Socrates, at his feet. “We’re audacious enough to think we can stop people from starting war,” he said. “But it isn’t just an effort being made by white people—this is a worldwide effort.” It’s a mission that has sent Dixen across the country to speak at political rallies and faith forums, to write cabinet members in President George W. Bush’s administration, and to contact reporters about how to best cover wars, speaking with local establishments like the Star Tribune and KARE-11. It has also sent him to protest locally, primarily at the intersection of Lexington Avenue and Lake Drive in Circle Pines, where protesters gathered for the latest Iraqi conflict. Dixen isn’t a pacifist but believes in questioning all American military action. He emphasizes caring for other nations, keeping the peace, and obeying the Christian dictate to “Love your enemies.” “I consider myself a patriot,” he said, “but that doesn’t mean I’m uncritical.” Winter 2003-04 27 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 31 Class Notes ALUMNI PROFILE David Cheung ’73: Tissue transplant pioneer Staff photo by Lynn Mena Peter Agre ’70 isn’t the only Auggie making news in the science community. Agre’s discovery of aquaporins and his resulting Nobel Prize in Chemistry (see p. 8) is but one very public example of the research and accolades enjoyed by many of Augsburg’s esteemed science alumni. In fact, alumnus David Cheung ’73 is currently engaged in groundbreaking research that could very well lead to a Nobel Prize of his own. Cheung, a tissue transplant researcher, has successfully developed new tissue treatment methods that allow nonliving animal tissue to be rebuilt in humans as living tissue. This is remarkable because not only has Cheung demonstrated that non-living animal tissue can become living tissue in humans—but he has also demonstrated that non-living animal tissue has the potential to actually grow once it has been transplanted into another species. “Ultimately, my goal is to reduce the need for allograft (human to human) transplant tissues or human living cells (such as fetal cells) used in other popular tissue engineering techniques,” said Cheung. David Cheung ’73 (center) a tissue transplant researcher, has successfully developed new tissue treatment methods that allow non-living animal tissue to regenerate and grow in humans as living tissue. He stopped by the Augsburg campus in December for a visit with chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg (left) and Sandra (Larson) Olmsted ’69, associate professor of chemistry (right). “I would never have dreamt that such a thing was possible when I was a chemistry major at Augsburg,” added Cheung, reflecting upon his journey from Augsburg to his current professional research and success. “Augsburg provided me with an environment of integrity and a value system that is consistent with the basic faith of the Lutheran church,” continued Cheung. “Along with academic training, guidance, and encouragement, this value system made me what I am today. It prepared me to face a world full of people who often compete with no rules, principles, or integrity. For that, I am so thankful to Augsburg.” After graduating from Augsburg in 1973 with a B.A. in chemistry, Cheung received a master’s degree in biochemistry from the University of Minnesota. He received his doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Southern California, where he first started working on tissue transplant research under Dr. Marcel Nimni (Nimni helped develop the Hancock Valve—an artificial heart valve made from pig heart valves mounted on plastic frames wrapped in Dacron cloth). Cheung stayed on at USC and joined the faculty at the USC School of Medicine (now called the USC Keck School of Medicine). In 1995, Cheung left USC to join the International Heart Institute of Montana Foundation (part of the University of Montana and St. Patrick Hospital and Medical Sciences Center in Missoula) as director of the Cardiovascular Tissue Engineering Laboratory and as an adjunct associate professor of pharmaceutical sciences and biological sciences. In 2000, Cheung founded a medical device company called Philogenesis, Inc., located in Monrovia, Calif., a few miles from his home in Arcadia, where he has been working on the commercialization phase of his current research (he has been traveling back and forth between Montana and California every month for the past seven years). In addition, Cheung is a consultant to numerous medical device industries, as well as a volunteer associate professor in surgery and cardiology back at USC. Cheung and his wife, Chuane-Chuane, have two children: Rebecca, a pharmacist and fellow at the VA Medical Center in Loma Linda, Calif.; and Philip, a junior majoring in bioengineering. Cheung’s sister, Pearl (a 1971 Augsburg alumna) is a researcher with Cheung at Philogenesis (coincidentally, Pearl and Peter Agre were chemistry lab partners as Augsburg students). “Science is about being able to think logically and creatively, an ability given by God,” said Cheung. “It is by God’s grace that I had an opportunity to receive my undergraduate education at Augsburg and continue on to a career in biomedical research after further graduate training. “I hope that Augsburg’s current students can be encouraged to hold on to their faith long after their years at Augsburg,” continued Cheung. “I hope they are inspired to challenge the world and become future leaders.” 28 Winter 2003-04 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 32 1972 1974 Tim Nelson and Karen (Brien) ’72 moved to Colorado in January 2003 to be closer to their grandchildren. Both of their granddaughters are redheads, in honor of greatgrandfather LuVerne “Red” Nelson ’43. Tim works in Broomfield as a real estate broker/consultant for Redhorse Real Estate, Inc. Larry Walker, Minneapolis, who writes under the name Lars Walker, is author of Blood and Judgment, a fantasy novel published in December (Baen Books). This is Walker’s fourth book for Baen Books. Larry was a guest lecturer last summer on the Royal Princess cruise ship during a cruise from England to Norway. He lectured on the Vikings, sharing information he has gathered in his book research. 1973 Cheryl Paschke was named Educator of the Year by Young Audiences of Minnesota. Cheryl has been an advocate of Young Audiences for many years, and most recently worked as their partner in the award-wining “Classical Initiative Project.” She is a K-12 fine arts specialist for Minneapolis Public Schools, working as an orchestra conductor, music teacher, and arts coordinator. Gary Anderson, Minneapolis, is a systems development manager at Traveler’s Express in St. Louis Park. He can be reached at <ganderson@temgweb.com>. Rev. Michael F. Nelson, Cokato, Minn., is pastor of North Crow River, Grace, and Redeemer Lutheran churches in the rural Cokato-Dassel area. He previously served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran in Cass Lake and Our Savior Lutheran in Federal Dam, both in Minnesota. His wife, Sue, teaches music at St. Peter’s Elementary School in Delano. Joyce (Catlin) Casey and her husband, Paul, recently relocated to Waconia, Minn., to be closer to Waterbrooke Fellowship in Victoria, where Paul is worship pastor. Joyce is a second grade teacher at Albertville Primary School, where she has taught for 25 years. Winter 2003-04 1975 Steven Walen, Lino Lakes, Minn., is a teacher for the Anoka-Hennepin ISD #11. 1976 Shari (Simonson) Hanson, Delavan, Minn., works at Winnebago Elementary. She recently helped move her daughter into the ninth floor of Urness for her freshman year. Shari can be reached at <shhanson@blueearth.k12.mn.us>. Marjorie Miller, Minneapolis, is executive director of Southeast Seniors, a living-at-home block nurse program. 1977 Andrew Stevens & Associates in Phoenix, as well as president of Women in Healthcare, an organization serving executive women involved in healthcare or healthcare related services. She received a graduate degree in organizational development and has been working as a career consultant for over seven years; she was previously a flight nurse for 15 years. Phil Olson, Bloomington, Minn., works at General Mills, Inc. He and his wife, Carol, have two daughters attending Augsburg. He can be reached at <meant2b1@mn.rr.com>. Rev. Jon Schneider, Minneapolis, is senior hospice staff chaplain at North Memorial Medical Center. He and his wife, Carol, have four children. 1978 David Wilhelm, River Falls, Wis., is a physician at Western Wisconsin Medical Associates. 1980 Paul B. Kilgore, Duluth, Minn., was featured in the November issue of Minnesota Monthly magazine. His short story, Roeschler’s Home, was a winner of the magazine’s 18th annual Tamarack award. 1981 Roselyn Nordaune, Plymouth, Minn., was featured in the “Super Lawyers 2003” section of the August issue of Minneapolis/St. Paul magazine. She has practiced family law since 1980 and is a founder of Nordaune & Friesen in St. Louis Park. Dennis Gilbertson, Rochester, Minn., is general manager of the Saturn dealership in Rochester. He has been a sales manager at three other Rochester dealerships over the past 16 years. He and his wife, Colette (Kehlenbeck) ’79, can be reached at <dennisgi@lupient.com>. Jean M. Herges, Phoenix, Ariz., was recently named Career Consultant of the Year by the International Association of Career Consulting Firms (IACCF). Herges is vice president of consulting at 1982 Judy (Bodurtha) Dougherty and her husband, Chuck, own the Cover Park Manor, a bed and breakfast in Stillwater, Minn. HOMECOMING 2004 Spark Your Spirit October 5–9 Football Game vs. Gustavus Adolphus Saturday, October 9, 1 p.m. Homecoming Dinner Saturday, October 9, 5:30 p.m. Reunion Celebrations Classes of 1954, 1964, 1979, and First Decade, 1999-2004 Watch your mail and upcoming issues of the Augsburg Now for complete details. You can also stay up-to-date by visiting the alumni Web site at <www.augsburg.edu/ alumni>. 1983 Laurie (Bennett) Halvorson ’99 WEC, St. Paul, is in her fourth year teaching fifth grade at Como Park Elementary School. 1984 Lisa (Rykken) Kastler and her husband, Brent, live in Champlin, Minn. Brent, who designed the magazine format for the Augsburg Now, has a new line of greeting cards called Fun Cards, which are available at local Kowalski stores. 1985 Irwin James Narum Silrum, Bismarck, N.Dak., became the new deputy secretary of state for North Dakota. He worked for 18 years for the ELCA, most recently as executive director for Camp of the Cross Ministries near Garrison, N.Dak. His wife, Marci, is a producer and anchor for a new 5 p.m. statewide newscast for the CBS affiliate in Bismarck. 29 Augsburg Now Winter 04.3 4/1/04 11:51 AM Page 33 Class Notes ALUMNI PROFILE Courtesy photo It all started at Augsburg by Naomi (Christensen) Staruch ’81 Following is a story submitted by Naomi (Christensen) Staruch ’81, in which she recounts how a gathering she planned in 1998 to reconnect with Augsburg friends has led to frequent, ongoing get-togethers. We came from various parts of Minnesota and Wisconsin, mostly. I hadn’t seen many of these people in ages. We were still good friends but we had, over time, lost touch as we became embroiled in our individual lives. As the days and years passed, our paths crossed only occasionally. This wasn’t right! We had been together on the journey that transformed us into adults—there were so many precious memories that shouldn’t be lost on heavily scheduled calendars, professional obligations, or family responsibilities. I needed to see these people. So I decided to throw a party. I picked the day, time, and place—it would be in my backyard in south Minneapolis. I sent invitations to about 25 folks, and asked them to RSVP so I could plan food and beverages. I had heard from a few that they couldn’t make it, but I pretty much assumed that everybody else would. Hah, we have a good laugh at that today! Thanks to a get-together she planned in 1998, Naomi (Christensen) Staruch ’81 (front row, far right) succeeded in reconnecting with several Augsburg friends; the group now meets on a regular basis. Pictured here from a gathering in November are: Front row (L to R): Sally (Hough) Daniels ’79, David Soli ’81, Richard ’81 and Jean Ann Buller, Naomi (Christensen) Staruch ’81 (Back row): David ’79 and Susan Cherwein, Katherine Skibbe ’79, John and Lori (Labelle) ’82 Bartz, Paul Daniels ’79. At the prime time of the party, only two people had arrived, Paul ’79 and Sally (Hough) ’79 Daniels, and they called a few blocks from the house to see if it was still okay to show up as they hadn’t returned their RSVP. It turned out that they were the lucky ones; they were the first to meet my husband-to-be, Steven. That was the “real” reason for that first party. I wanted to introduce the man I was about to marry (a native of Butler, Pa., of Slovakian heritage, a graduate of Oberlin College and the Eastman School of Music, a Minnesota transplant), to my good friends from college days. Paul, Sally, Steven, and I had a great evening together. That could have been the end but instead it was just another beginning. I was confident that this idea of reconnecting Augsburg friends was a good idea. Steven and I tried again a few months later and this time the backyard was full of college chums. We talked and laughed and told stories and talked and laughed some more. Even the non-Augsburg spouses were quickly inducted into the Auggie family. Amazingly, it seemed as though we had never been apart. Then someone mentioned the ages of their children, or someone else revealed that they had held the same job since college, and even a few were approaching their 20th wedding
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Title: Augsburg Now Winter 2006-07
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: Augsburg Now MAKING CONNECTIONS P. 18 DOG ROBOTS IN CLASS P. 22 GLOBAL BUSINESS P. 24 A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS WINTER 2006-07 VOL. 69, NO. 2 A president is inaugurated page 12 Editor Notes from President Pribbenow on… The richness and wond...
Show more Augsburg Now MAKING CONNECTIONS P. 18 DOG ROBOTS IN CLASS P. 22 GLOBAL BUSINESS P. 24 A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS WINTER 2006-07 VOL. 69, NO. 2 A president is inaugurated page 12 Editor Notes from President Pribbenow on… The richness and wonder of human diversity S o God created humankind in God’s image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them … God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was very good. (Genesis 1: 27, 31a, NRSV) I once heard a presentation from a nursing student who was part of a community health practicum course in a homeless shelter, who commented that before she went to her assignment at the shelter, her general feeling was that homeless people had done something to “deserve” their fate—she had no sense of how she could interact with these “people.” She was frightened. Once she had begun her assignment, however, she recounted how the residents of the shelter became her fellow citizens, her friends even. She learned their stories, grieved with them about bad decisions, unfair circumstances, sad and distressing experiences. She stood side by side with them in their struggles to find a home and set a new course for their lives. And she rejoiced in the role she could play in listening, empathizing, offering a word or hand or whatever might help. In her experience in that service-learning course, she learned about otherness and difference in ways that would make her a better nurse, a better citizen and neighbor, a better friend. This story is why I will never give up in our efforts to make diversity a core value of our academic and common work and why I am so pleased that this issue of Augsburg Now illustrates some of our efforts to promote diversity on campus and beyond. Creating, sustaining, celebrating, and supporting diversity is an abiding challenge for our college. Whether it is diversity of perspective, religion, ethnicity, race, social class, and so forth, there are critical voices from all sides pressing us to make the case for our philosophy, commitment, experience, policies, and practices related to diversity on campus and beyond. Here at Augsburg, we have the distinct gift of at least three compelling mission-based reasons for intentionally engaging the diversity of our world. Betsey Norgard norgard@augsburg.edu Staff Writer Bethany Bierman bierman@augsburg.edu Design Manager Kathy Rumpza rumpza@augsburg.edu Class Notes Designer Signe Peterson petersos@augsburg.edu • Theologically, we believe that God has created humankind in all its diversity in God’s own image. • Educationally, we believe that a liberal arts approach to learning and teaching is fundamentally committed to engaging otherness and difference so that we might genuinely understand and embrace the richness of human experience and creativity throughout the ages. • Civically, we are persuaded that educating for democracy is at least in part about preparing our students for lives in society that will require them to have the knowledge, skills, and values needed to negotiate their ways with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences. This past summer, I had the privilege of visiting Augsburg’s study site in Cuernavaca, Mexico, where I, too, learned to face my fears and stereotypes of other cultures and life experiences. We all are still learning to admit our privilege, to embrace the wonder of difference and other experiences, to live as neighbors here on campus and in our community, where the world is becoming our neighbor in very concrete and real ways. Our work to educate students for democracy cannot be uncoupled from this commitment to diversity. This is why diversity on campus, in the neighborhood and city, in the church, and in the world is important—it is the heart of a healthy democracy. Yours, Photographer Stephen Geffre geffre@augsburg.edu Augsburg Now Intern Erin Kennedy kennedy1@augsburg.edu Media Relations Manager Judy Petree petree@augsburg.edu Sports Information Director Don Stoner stoner@augsburg.edu Director of Alumni Relations Heidi Breen breen@augsburg.edu www.augsburg.edu Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minn., 55454. Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058-1545 Send address corrections to: Advancement Services, CB 142, Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 healyk@augsburg.edu E-mail: now@augsburg.edu Telephone: 612-330-1181 Fax: 612-330-1780 Paul C. Pribbenow, president 22 Winter 2006-07 Contents Features 11 A Change in Reference—Librarian to Volunteer by Betsey Norgard For nearly 15 years in retirement, Margaret Anderson has continued to volunteer in the library she once headed. 12 Ages of Imagination: The Inauguration of Paul C. Pribbenow Around themes of abundance, generosity, engagement, and service, Augsburg inaugurates its 11th president. 18 Making Connections by Betsey Norgard After five years, the Scholastic Connections program has proven a winner for both mentors and mentees. 22 See AIBO Walk … and Sit … and Wiggle Its Ears by Betsey Norgard Sophomore Jesse Docken finds both fun and challenge in “training” dog robots. 24 12 On the Cover: At his investiture as Augsburg’s 11th president, the seal of the College is placed around the neck of Paul C. Pribbenow by Board of Regents chair Ted Grindal ’76. Global Business by Bethany Bierman Augsburg business classes have built-in global experience from a very international faculty. Departments 2 Around the Quad 5 2006 Alumni Awards 6 Supporting Augsburg 8 Sports 28 Alumni News 40 Views Inside back cover Calendar All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated. AROUND THE QUAD NOTEWORTHY Three new regents elected to board Three new members were elected to four-year terms on the Augsburg College Board of Regents at the annual meeting of the Augsburg Corporation in October. In addition, Michael O. Freeman and Philip Styrland ’79 were re-elected to second six-year terms. Freeman is a partner at Lindquist & Vennum, P.L.L.P., and Styrlund is president of The Summit Group, an international education and development firm. Richard C. Hartnack Since the beginning of his banking career in 1971, Hartnack has held positions in corporate banking at First Interstate Bank of Oregon, and in community banking at First Chicago and Union Bank of California. He currently is vice chairman and head of consumer banking at U.S. Bancorp. Hartnack has a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University. He is a graduate of the Strategic Marketing Management program at the Harvard Business School. Congratulations to Jacki Brickman ’97 Augsburg alumna Jacki Brickman ’97 was one of two teachers in the Minneapolis and St. Paul school districts who were awarded a Milken National Educator Award in October. This award, from the Milken Family Foundation, recognizes teachers and principals across the country for their effectiveness in the classroom, accomplishments outside the classroom, leadership, and ability to inspire students, teachers, and the community. It carries a cash award of $25,000. Brickman, a 10-year teacher, is a teacher mentor at Hall International Elementary School in Minneapolis, working with other teachers at the school to test new techniques. Brickman, who also is an adjunct instructor in Weekend College, is the second Augsburg graduate to receive a Milken Educator Award. Margaret Knutson ’91, fifth-grade teacher at Orono Intermediate School, received the same award in 2004. Read about both teachers in the Augsburg Now spring 2006 article, “Teachers who Lead, Leaders who Teach,” at www.augsburg.edu/now. André Lewis ‘73 Since 2002, Lewis has served as director of marketing and community affairs and president of the RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation. Previously he held a similar position at Honeywell. His background in education includes serving as principal at both Washburn and South high schools. Lewis graduated from Augsburg and earned a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He has been active in Augsburg’s Corporate Connections program. Rev. Norman Wahl ‘75 Since 1996, Wahl has been executive pastor of Bethel Lutheran Church, the site of Augsburg’s programs in Rochester, Minn., and served on the task force that led to the formation of the Rochester campus. He has also been part of the alumni board, campaign cabinet, and on staff at the College. After Augsburg, Wahl graduated from Luther Seminary and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the seminary in 1997. 2 AUGSBURG NOW MBA consulting firm to start Small businesses and non-profits in Rochester can qualify for probono consulting services from Augsburg’s Rochester MBA students and graduates. This new service, Augsburg Alumni Consulting Team (AACT), extends the MBA field service program, in which all students work with a client in the community on business issues and applications. A “full-team” consultation by AACT on critical strategic or management issues will be staffed by four to eight volunteers. A “fast track” for focused issues will involve one to three volunteers in two or three client meetings. And, a “board match” program will help nonprofits build their board leadership. Additional support services—database design, Web design, research, etc.—may be added by Augsburg undergraduate business and computer science students. This College-sponsored consulting service will offer both experience and exposure to the students and alumni, and include a review process to build case studies. While beginning in Rochester, AACT hopes to also expand the program to the Twin Cities. For information, contact William Aguero at aguero@augsburg.edu. The “greening” of Augsburg Augsburg imagines environmental stewardship as central to its mission as a Lutheran college in the city. President Paul Pribbenow says, “The Augsburg College community is deeply committed to what it means to build a sustainable urban environment. … Our relationships with our diverse neighbors, with the Mississippi River, and with other neighborhoods in our vibrant city are opportunities for learning, for civic engagement, and for faithful service.” The institutional committee that grew out of a learning community seven years ago is now named the Environmental Stewardship Committee and provides leadership for the College in areas addressing sustainability. The committee’s growing website offers information and resources in the following initiatives: • Recycling/waste reduction—Recycling bins have risen to nearly 75% capacity in the last year and new equipment across campus reduces water consumption and energy usage. The College recycles household items to community organizations and established a re-use table. A number of measures adopted reduce storm water run-off from campus, which, perhaps more than anything else, has had an impact on water quality in the Mississippi River. • Transportation—Two light rail stations within walking distance and reduced fare bus-rail passes help the Augsburg com- munity increase its use of public transit, freeing up parking spaces. Accessible bike trails provide alternatives to driving. • HOURCAR—Augsburg is the newest neighborhood hub for HOURCAR—a hybrid vehicle that can be rented. • Curriculum—Across the curriculum, courses address sustainability issues, and study abroad is available in metrourban studies. A new environmental studies program is scheduled to launch in fall 2007. • River stewardship—Augsburg is an official “steward” of a portion of the Mississippi River near campus and regularly hosts “clean-ups” to prevent pollution. The Environmental and River Politics course explores issues related to restoration of the river ecosystem and ways in which our relationship to the river reflects the health of our community. • Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College—In its three years, Campus Kitchen has kept more than 35,000 pounds of food out of landfill and turned it into over 37,000 meals for the community. In the next year, Augsburg plans to launch a community garden to bring neighbors together and provide food for community organizations. • Building a green campus—The Environmental Stewardship Committee has a voice in the ongoing planning for the new Science Center, which includes a “green” roof and maximal use of sustainable architecture and products. Michael Lansing, assistant professor of history, wrote in the Augsburg Echo about Christensen Symposium speaker Douglas John Hall’s comments on “stewardly vocations.” Hall argued that everyone must make stewardship of the environment both a personal and collective priority. Lansing wrote that stewardly vocations “push us all toward recognizing and caring for the many other forms of life that we depend on for sustenance and comfort.” To learn more about sustainability at Augsburg, go to www.augsburg.edu/green or contact Tom Ruffaner, chair of the Environmental Stewardship Committee, at ruffaner@augsburg.edu. —Betsey Norgard Fond farewell to ‘Mr. Augsburg’ On Sept. 30 Jeroy Carlson ’48 officially retired from the campus and community he first came to more than 60 years ago. During that time, he served Augsburg as a student, volunteer, alumni director, and development officer. At a packed reception in his honor, Carlson was presented with a baseball jersey bearing his No. 10 and a “Jeroy Carlson” baseball card. He was also presented with framed photos of the Augsburg campus, as he knew it and as it is today. Known as “Mr. Augsburg” by his classmates and colleagues, Carlson excelled as a student-athlete in baseball, basketball, and football, and was part of four MIAC championship teams. He continued to work with the A-Club and helped establish the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1991, after serving on the alumni board and as director of alumni relations, the alumni office was dedicated as the Jeroy C. Carlson Alumni Center. See the winter 2005-06 Augsburg Now for a feature story on “Mr. Augsburg.” Vice President Tracy Elftmann ‘81 presents Jeroy Carlson with a baseball jersey bearing his no. 10. WINTER 2006-07 3 AROUND THE QUAD COMMENCEMENT Two commencements at Augsburg Beginning this year, Augsburg will offer two commencement ceremonies, in order to recognize the different academic calendars followed. A May 5 ceremony will be held for day students and physician assistant students who are on semesters; a June 24 ceremony will honor Weekend College, Rochester, United Hospital, and the other five graduate program students who follow trimesters. This year’s Commencement speakers are Eboo Patel on May 5, and Rev. Martin E. Marty on June 24. With a national fellowship in microbiology and an interest in infectious diseases, senior Richard Birkett is studying the genes encoding streptococcal bacteria. Senior Richard Birkett wins research fellowship Biology senior Richard Birkett is one of 43 students across the country to receive a 2006 Undergraduate Research Fellowship from the American Society for Microbiology. Its stipend funded his summer research with biology professor Beverly Smith-Keiling. The project, applied for jointly by Birkett and Smith-Keiling, looks at the characteristics of streptococcal bacteria and the genes that encode them. They study a particular streptococcal protein, discovered by SmithKeiling, that binds a human immune system protein, and its role in causing infections, especially in immuno-weak people 4 AUGSBURG NOW (neo-natal babies, elderly, and others who are immuno-compromised). The research involves manipulating the protein’s DNA in the laboratory to create mutants for further study. “We were thrilled to receive this ASM Fellowship,” says Smith-Keiling. “It is a prestigious award and played a significant role as a feather in our cap as one of several steps that Augsburg is taking to secure external funding, build our undergraduate research program, and move toward more scientific research at our institution.” Birkett’s interest in infectious diseases began in summer 2005 when he traveled to Tanzania with a microbiology study abroad course through Hamline University. He visited labs and small villages, and found the experience “eye-opening” in terms of lifestyle and conditions he encountered. To gain background in research, Birkett took a pilot course at Augsburg, Introduction to Research, designed to prepare second-year students for facultyled research. He credits that course for teaching him the discipline, motivation, and critical thinking needed for scientific study. The course was repeated this past fall, and Birkett served as a peer mentor. Birkett has thrived in the microbiology laboratory, and is interested in pursuing work in the health field with infectious disease, possibly attending medical school. He, along with Smith-Keiling and other students, will present their research at the American Society for Microbiology general meeting in the spring. “Richard has been the model for what we hope to continue, as students progress from their early years without research skills to excelling as independent researchers, and the fellowship played a key role,” says SmithKeiling. “It has been a privilege and joy to work with him.” Birkett came to Augsburg from Boston as a student in the StepUP Program, which supports students in chemical recovery. He says that Augsburg has been great for him. “I came to Augsburg for StepUP; I’m staying for science and the people.” —Betsey Norgard HOMECOMING 2006 Two honored as Distinguished Alumni Augsburg’s Distinguished Alumni are recognized for their significant achievement in vocation, for outstanding contribution to church and community, and for lives that exemplify the ideals and mission of Augsburg College. Glen Person ’47 A native of Minneapolis, Glen Person grew up in Augsburg’s neighborhood. He graduated with degrees in mathematics and business, and was one of the first students in Augsburg’s new business administration department. His college studies were interrupted by World War II, where he served in the U.S. Navy. Person’s vocational career involved two 20-year employments in the insurance industry. In 1948 he started as a bookkeeper at Fidelity and Casualty Co., and left in 1968 as its bond manager. From 1969 until his retirement in 1989, he was an accounting manager and bond vice president at W.A. Lang Company. From 1993 to 2005, Person served on Augsburg’s Board of Regents, as a member of the Finance Committee and as board treasurer. Over the years, he has been one of the most active members of Augsburg’s A-Club, and a frequent spectator and loyal Auggie athletic booster. He serves on the Claire Strommen Golf Tournament Committee. Person has also contributed financial expertise to numerous boards of directors, and as treasurer of Prairie Lutheran Church in Eden Prairie, Minn. Lois (Peterson) Bollman ’69 Lois Bollman graduated in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in English education from Augsburg, and went on to earn a master’s degree in reading. In 2001 she earned a doctorate in educational policy and administration of higher education. For the past 30 years, she has worked in a number of areas within the Minnesota community college system and is a recognized leader and administrator in areas of student assessment, college readiness, and developmental education. Her strengths lie in strategic planning, institutional research, and evaluation of academic programs. Currently she is vice president of strategy, planning, and accountability at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. Here, she developed the Urban Teacher Education Program, in collaboration with secondary and postsecondary institutions, that aims to inspire and educate students from urban schools to become teachers in their own communities. In 2003, Bollman led the faculty development work that received one of five national Theodore Hesburgh Awards from TIAA-CREF. Bollman has served as a class agent and is active at Edina Community Lutheran Church. First Decade Award The First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of the past 10 years who have made significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community, and in so doing, exemplify the mission of the College. Spirit of Augsburg Award The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni or friends of the College who have given exceptional service that contributes substantially to the well being of Augsburg by furthering its purposes and programs. Herald Johnson ‘68 Milana (Gorshkova) Pirogova ’96 Milana Pirogova graduated magna cum laude from Augsburg with a bachelor’s degree in economics and international relations, and went on to earn a master’s degree in international economics from George Washington University. In 1998 she began working for the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, in Washington, D.C. She is now an investment officer in the Global Financial Markets Department and posted in Russia, her homeland. Two of her significant projects have included working with privatization projects in Bosnia and drafting the Mortgage Securities Law with the Russian national parliament. In her current work she is able to promote awareness and resources for the much-needed economic and educational development in Russia. She also has been an eager promoter of Augsburg College to prospective students in Murmansk, St. Petersburg, and Moscow. After graduating, Herald Johnson first became an admissions officer, then Augsburg’s first financial aid officer when new federal programs required administrative oversight. Over the nearly 40 years since, he became a pioneer, leader, and mentor among all of Minnesota’s financial aid officers. He is respected both for helping students understand and access financial resources to make college possible and for mentoring young professionals in the field. He is the only person to have been twice elected president of the Minnesota Association of Financial Aid Administrators (MAFAA). Johnson collaborated with Julie Olson ’90, ’04 MAL, now vice president of enrollment management, to create and implement the Enrollment Center, which brings together several student service offices into a one-stop shop for students. Johnson retired last summer, but continues to serve as a consultant on scholarship programs and with Augsburg’s government relations office concerning financial aid issues. —Betsey Norgard WINTER 2006-07 5 Photo courtesy of Martha Gisselquist AROUND THE QUAD SUPPORTING AUGSBURG The Clement A. Gisselquist Endowed Scholarship— an Augsburg family’s music legacy 6 AUGSBURG NOW All six of Clement and Borghild Gisselquist’s children graduated from Augsburg, and most of them were choir and band members during their college years. (L to R): James ’68, Joel ’77, Rebecca ’67, Borghild, Martha ’87, John ’72, and Miriam ’83. Gisselquist extended family includes 17 relatives with Augsburg connections. Clement’s brother, professor emeritus Orloue Gisselquist, attended Augsburg, as well as two sons, Richard and David. His wife, Marilyn, came to Augsburg and completed her bachelor’s degree in 1973. Clement and Orloue’s sister Grace E. Gisselquist ’49 married the Rev. Oliver Johnson ’50. Another sister, Marilyn, attended science classes at Augsburg as part of her nurses’ training and married Vardon Quanbeck ’44. While at Augsburg, Orloue, like Clement, sang in the choir and Grace belonged to the Music Club, both sharing their brother’s love for music. Another brother, John Irving, did not attend Augsburg, but his son, John E. Gisselquist, graduated in 1984. Even more telling is the musical legacy Clement left his six children, all of whom graduated from Augsburg. The youngest, Miriam (Gisselquist) Jensen ’83 was a music major and is now an organist and piano teacher— something her mother knows would have pleased her father. John, Class of 1972, sang in the Augsburg Choir and for many years has been a member of the National Lutheran Choir, performing in concerts throughout the U.S. Judy Petree The Rev. Clement A. Gisselquist enjoyed a lifelong love of music. He graduated from Augsburg College in 1941, and during his college years he sang both in the Augsburg Choir under Henry P. Opseth and in the Augsburg Quartet as its second bass when they toured in 1940. Following Augsburg, Gisselquist graduated from Luther Seminary, and he and his wife, Borghild, served churches in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Iowa. Throughout his life, he always actively promoted his churches’ music programs. Borghild recounts how especially pleased he was when his church in Sioux City, Iowa, purchased a new organ. After Clement died in 1979, the family decided to establish a scholarship endowment in his memory and designed it to benefit students “of organ and/or choral music who desire to serve, professionally or otherwise, in the ministry of music of the Lutheran Church.” “Augsburg was close to his heart and we knew that music was something he was always interested in,” comments Borghild, recalling the family discussions. The scholarship just seemed a fitting way in which they could honor their brother, husband, father, and uncle. The remarkable fact is that the Nicole (Warner) Simml ’01 (left), who performs and teaches music in Germany, joined Krista Costin ’07 (right) as soloist with the Augsburg Choir’s concert in Leipzig, Germany last May. Both Simml and Costin are recipients of the Clement A. Gisselquist Church Music Scholarship. Rachel Olson ’08 Photo courtesy of Orloue Gisselquist The Rev. Clement A. Gisselquist (far right) sang second bass in the 1940 Augsburg Quartet. His love of music is passed on to students through an endowed scholarship Five of the Gisselquist women enjoyed meeting the current student scholars at the in his name. Photo taken from The Augsburg Quartets: A Mission-Driven Tradition, by annual Scholarship Brunch in November. (L to R): Martha Gisselquist, Becky Lien, Merton P. Strommen and David M. Larson. Borghild Gisselquist, Marilyn Gisselquist, and Miriam Jensen. Joel, Class of 1977, played tuba in the Concert Band for two years and sang in the Augsburg Choir during his senior year. The two oldest children, Rebecca (Gisselquist) Lien ’67 and James ’68, also sang in the choir. James is married to fellow Auggie Jane (Eidsvoog) ’73. Martha, a nurse, came to Augsburg to complete her bachelor’s degree in 1987. The Clement Gisselquist Scholarship keeps the extended family connected to Augsburg. A number of the relatives continue to grow the endowment by making gifts to the scholarship a part of their regular giving—in lieu of exchanging gifts within the family on special occasions. In the fall, Borghild said of her immediate family, “We’ve already talked about this Christmas, that we’ll make gifts to the scholarship instead of to each other.” The Gisselquists enjoy meeting the Augsburg students who receive the scholarship each year. The 2006-07 recipient, junior music major Krista Costin was studying abroad in Ghana during the fall and regrets missing the Scholarship Brunch. She fondly remembers meeting members of the Gisselquist family at last spring’s Music Scholarship High Tea. Costin sings in the Augsburg Choir and toured with the choir last May to the Czech Republic and Germany. Last year’s scholarship recipient, senior Nikki Lemire, is a harpist and a section leader in the choir at Central Lutheran Church. The 1998-99 scholarship holder, Nicole (Warner) Simml ’01, now lives in Germany and is enjoying a career performing and teaching voice. Last May she joined the Augsburg Choir in Leipzig on their tour in Germany, and joined Costin as a soloist. An earlier Gisselquist recipient, Melissa (Wieland) Bergstrom ’97 has been organist and choir director at Edina Community Lutheran Church, in addition to teaching and serving as director of choral activities at AnokaRamsey Community College. Several of the Gisselquist scholarship recipients have sub- sequently been chosen as Orville and Gertrude Hognander Music Scholars. With many of the Gisselquist Auggies making regular gifts to grow the scholarship endowment, future students—and per- haps additional Gisselquists— join Rev. Clement A. Gisselquist’s legacy to Augsburg’s music program—something that surely would please him. —Betsey Norgard Making a gift to Augsburg It’s easy to make a donation to Augsburg College. All donations are tax-deductible. Gifts online Go to www.augsburg.edu/giving to make a secure credit card donation. You can use the form to make a one-time donation or to set up recurring gifts. Gifts by phone To make a donation by phone, call Kevin Healy, director of advancement services, at 612-338-6537 or 800-273-0617. Gifts by mail You can mail your gift to: Developement Office, Campus Box 142 Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454 For complete information about making a gift, including the types of giving and giving programs, go to www.augsburg.edu/giving. WINTER 2006-07 7 AROUND THE QUAD SPORTS Brothers in soccer Vinnie Brooks and Ryan Kitzman are like brothers. Brothers united by soccer. For all but one year of the last dozen, the two have played on the same soccer teams—the same club teams, elementary school team, junior high team, high school team, and the same college team. Ever since they were each eight years old, growing up in Maple Grove, Minn., and attending schools in Osseo, the duo could be found on the same fields—Brooks on defense, Kitzman in the midfield. Best friends and players with similar competitive personalities, the two split for just one year— their freshman years in college, when Kitzman attended Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minn., and Brooks enrolled at Augsburg. But the pair reunited their sophomore years, became roommates, and helped to lead a renaissance in the Augsburg men’s soccer program. “I wanted to be back in the city,” Kitzman said. “I talked to Vinnie pretty much all my freshman year. I came to visit Augsburg a couple of times, and he said they were getting a new coach and a new field, so I came for another visit. Once I met [coach] Greg [Holker], it was a done deal.” So Kitzman transferred, and the pair was reunited. “We have the same style of play. We practice against each other and just go at it. It’s like we 8 AUGSBURG NOW hate each other when we’re practicing. It gets pretty intense,” Brooks said. “He’s pretty much like my replica on the field. We have some minor differences, but overall, the competitiveness and our work ethic, we just relate to each other. It just clicks. We both respect each other.” Both were starters throughout their Auggie careers and were key elements of the dramatic growth of the men’s soccer program. In Brooks’ freshman year, 2003, the Auggies finished 5-11-2 overall, 09-1 in league play. In the 2006 season under third-year head coach Greg Holker, the Auggies finished 13-3-3 overall and 5-2-3 in conference play, winning a place in the conference’s postseason playoffs. In four seasons at Augsburg, Brooks played in 67 games, starting 57, with eight assists from his defensive position. As a midfielder during his three years at Augsburg, Kitzman started 49 of 54 contests, with five goals and six assists for 16 career points. As two of only three seniors on this year’s Auggie squad, the pair acknowledges that they have been a part of a new beginning for the men’s soccer program, which they hope continues to succeed. “It’s just awesome to have this kind of success in our last year playing here,” Brooks says. “It’s like leaving a legacy behind. It’s one of the things we wanted to do. We had the first winning season here in 20 years and made the [conference] playoffs.” But the end of their senior seasons will not mean the end of soccer, or friendship, for Brooks and Kitzman. The two play on the same adult-league team and coach a youth team together in Plymouth, Minn. Brooks, a health and physical education major Auggie teammates Vinnie Brooks (left) and Ryan Kitzman (right) have played soccer together since elementary school. and business management minor, and Kitzman, a marketing major, have talked about starting a business together. “It’s almost natural for us,” Brooks said. “Some people hear about it and think it’s pretty weird. But we had the same group of friends growing up, from elementary school to junior high and high school. We were always in the same group.” “We don’t think of it as being weird,” Kitzman added. “It’s just normal for us.” —Don Stoner An amazing soccer year For the Augsburg College men’s and women’s soccer teams, the 2006 season was a history-making one. The Auggie women captured a third straight berth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference playoffs and finished 106-2 overall, 7-3-1 in league play—the team’s fourth double-digit victory season in the past five years. Augsburg’s 15 points in conference Greg Holker, named MIAC play this season were the most for an Auggie Coach of the Year squad in the 21-season history of the program. Meanwhile, the Auggie men reached the league’s four-team postseason playoffs for the first time, finishing the season 13-3-3 overall, 5-2-3 in conference play. Augsburg finished with its most victories (13) since its MIAC championship season of 1975 (15-2-1), and claimed its most points in league play (13) since its last MIAC title season of 1980 (11-1-3 overall, 9-0-3 MIAC, 21 points). Head coach Greg Holker was named MIAC Coach of the Year this season. Augsburg was the lone school to have both its men’s and women’s soccer teams qualified for the MIAC postseason playoffs this year. Both teams set school records along the way. Both teams were unbeaten and did not give up a goal until the women were scored upon on Sept. 20—Augsburg went the farthest among all NCAA Division III soccer teams in having both its men’s and women’s teams unbeaten and unscored upon. For both the Auggie men’s and women’s teams, the future looks bright. The men lose just three senior regulars to graduation, while the women lose only five. —Don Stoner Marathoner extraordinaire Mary Croft ’79 didn’t catch the running “bug” until she was in her late thirties, a relatively late start for a serious athletic career. But that bug has taken the Augsburg alumna around the world and earned her numerous unique distinctions in the world of distance running. Croft is one of only 67 people—including just eight women—to have run in every Twin Cities Marathon over the 25 years of its existence. She has run a marathon in each of the 50 states—a feat that only 285 individuals have accomplished. And over the past quartercentury, she has run in about 140 marathons and 30 ultramarathons—races ranging from 30 to more than 100 miles in length. She credits her running career to her return to Augsburg as an adult learner to complete her bachelor’s degree in the late 1970s. She was an Augsburg student in the mid-’60s before starting her career in nursing. “One of my friends was a runner, and she was running five miles a day for her mental health. I was impressed with that, but I didn’t start running until I graduated in 1979,” Croft said. That year, she went to Duluth to watch a friend compete in Grandma’s Marathon, and was encouraged by her husband, David, to try a marathon herself. Later that year, the first Twin Cities Marathon appeared on the running calendar, and her running career kicked into high gear. “I trained for my first marathon in just 12 weeks,” said Croft, who noted that she had As a Charter Club member, Mary Croft ran her 25th Twin Cities Marathon in October, with a track record of 170 marathons in 50 states and several countries. only run a 10-kilometer race competitively before trying a 26mile, 385-yard marathon. Since then, she has run in each Twin Cities Marathon over the past 25 years, a race considered the most scenic urban marathon in the country. According to Twin Cities Marathon officials, Croft, at age 60, is the third-oldest woman of the eight to have run in each of the 25 races. She has also completed Grandma’s Marathon, a race along the Lake Superior shoreline from Two Harbors to Duluth, eight times. She has also run in two of the most famous marathons in the country, the Boston and New York races. She has competed in the Boston Marathon— a race in which runners have to achieve a qualifying time in another marathon to compete—three times, including the 100th running of the race in 1996. “It was just such a historic event,” Croft said. “Boston is the epitome of marathoning in the country.” In 2004, she accomplished the feat of running a marathon in each of the 50 states (and the District of Columbia)—becoming the 162nd person at the time to be able to make that claim. Since then, the list has grown to nearly 300 members nationwide. She has also run in marathons in Russia and Spain. In addition to her marathoning, she has also competed in long-distance ultramarathons, which brought her the most meaningful moment in her sport. In 2000, she ran in the 75th Comrades Marathon, a 56-mile race in South Africa, considered one of the top ultra-distance events in the world. “It’s the biggest sporting event in South Africa. It was the most amazing thing,” she said. “They were so wonderful. They greeted us and welcomed us to their country.” She even incorporated running into her work. As a nurse at the Minnesota state prison in Stillwater, she organized inmates and members of a local running club to run a marathon inside the prison walls each year for a decade. “We ran 112 laps around the prison yard, about 15 to 20 runners,” she said. “It was pretty well received by the prison administration.” Her best time ever was a 3hour, 18-minute effort in 1985 at the Grandma’s Marathon. Now, she runs in the 4:20 to 4:30 range; her time in the 2006 Twin Cities Marathon was 4:28.34, good enough for third place in her age group. “I just run for the health benefits and I enjoy it. If I place in my age group, it’s an added benefit,” she said. “It’s the adventure, the travel, seeing other parts of the country, which is fun.” She noted that she has been fortunate not to have suffered significant injuries during her career, which she credits to leading a lifestyle of fitness and training in moderation. She now runs about seven or eight marathons a year—“I’m always in training,” she notes— and has been involved in organizing volunteers for the marathon in Tucson, Ariz., where she and David spend their winters. The Crofts live in Bayport, Minn., during the summers. —Don Stoner WINTER 2006-07 9 AROUND THE QUAD MOVING FORWARD Kennedy Center now open The Kennedy Center for Sports and Recreation has opened for classes, with health and physical education staff and coaches moving into their new offices. It will be formally dedicated on May 4. The three-story addition to Melby Hall features a new wrestling training facility, increased classroom space, expanded locker-room facilities and expanded fitness facilities, as well as hospitality, meetingroom, and office space. The new Alan and Gloria Rice Wrestling Room provides a spacious training area for the champion Auggie wrestlers. It also provides a training facility for Greco-Roman wrestling. The Kennedy Center, the new three-story south wing added to Melby Hall, is open for classes, athletic teams, intramural teams, and fitness. In the left back corner of the photo, the roof of Lindell Library provides context to the construction of the Oren Gateway Center, scheduled for completion in the fall. Oren Gateway Center Scheduled to open in fall 2007, the four-story Oren Gateway Center will be the home of the StepUP program and other residential students in substance-free housing. The administrative section of the center will house the Institutional Advancement staff and an alumni relations conference center. On the street level, a Barnes & Noble bookstore will serve as a welcoming place in the neighborhood for books, readings, and coffee. The Gateway Center will anchor a new circular entrance to the College, flanked by Lindell Library and Foss Center. The illustration on the sign in the photo shows the orientation of the new center, facing the circular entrance to the College. 10 AUGSBURG NOW After 23 years at Augsburg, Margaret Anderson retired as head librarian in 1990. She had just spent several years studying and documenting the need for a new library building, and then convincing the College to build it. Now, 16 years later, she continues to work in Lindell Library one day a week as a volunteer— in the new building she labored to justify. In the first two years following her retirement, she took time off. But then, she couldn’t turn down a phone call asking her to help troubleshoot problems the librarians were facing in creating barcodes for all materials. There were lots of problems—“books without barcodes, and barcodes not connected to books,” Anderson says. Once that process was straightened out, she began working on a series of long-term special projects that, without additional staff and a meticulous eye, probably never would have seen the light of day. For one project, Anderson classified videotapes from many years of College events that had been turned over to the library— which meant that she first had to view each tape for content and date, and then write a short description. Another similar project involved classifying a collection of sound recordings, for which her music minor in college proved extremely helpful. With history and knowledge of the Dewey Decimal System, Anderson has also aided in classifying and cataloging fiction, the only books in the library to use the Dewey system. Her current project tops all others. In 1994, writer and activist Meridel LeSueur donated her personal library of more than 4,500 items to Augsburg College. A change in REFERENCE— from LIBRARIAN to volunteer BY BETSEY NORGARD It’s housed in the library’s Special Collections Room, but has not been easily searchable. After working for more than two years, literally from book to book, Anderson hopes next year to complete an extensive spreadsheet index that will enable the collection to be searched by title, author, and subject. In reflecting on her 40 years of library work, Anderson says that the heart of the work has not changed. “It still means connecting readers and scholars with sources,” she says, “but now, both in print and online.” What has changed dramatically is the way librarians fulfill that role, and the different tools they use. One of the tools that made a huge difference in students’ (and librarians’) lives was the development of the CLIC (Cooperating Libraries in Consortium) system, making materials from more than a dozen college libraries available on loan. In the 1960s, Anderson was a cataloguer, and she tells of how librarians phoned each other to check on availability by looking at catalog cards for all the books. She recalls that Karlis Ozolins, her predecessor as head librarian, often would track down students with cars to pick up the materials from other locations. Two decades later, catalog cards became relics and library collections became housed on a database, introducing new physical requirements for technology in libraries. Already Anderson had fought for improvements to the aging Sverdrup Library, including carpeting to replace the loose asbestos tiles she continually removed. Upstairs, it was so cold that the case for a new building became obvious when students were seen studying in mittens. In 1982 the new Weekend College increased the College’s enrollment and brought new demands on the librarians. At the time, Anderson recalls, the library staff was 4.75 full-time equivalents. Over the next few years, Anderson detailed and documented what would be required to meet College needs and help it remain competitive. In the process, she studied and visited many libraries. She made her case before retiring, and then— as a volunteer—helped supervise the move into the new building. While it’s rewarding to work in the new library, it’s really the people, she says, who keep her coming back each week. “The people I worked with have been among my best friends and they were a big reason why I wanted to stay in touch.” Since her retirement 16 years ago, Margaret Anderson has continued to volunteer in the library to stay connected with the staff she enjoyed during her career. “We just think of her as one of us,” current library director Jane Ann Nelson says about Anderson. Current cataloging coordinator Betty Joyce talks about what a wonderful mentor Anderson has been to her. Anderson’s career at Augsburg has been part of an Augsburg family affair, dating back to 1949, when her husband, Ray, was appointed to teach speech and theatre. He retired in 1990, the same year as his wife. All three of the Andersons’ sons graduated from Augsburg— Dean ’77, Stuart ’78, and Brian ’82. Stuart teaches in the Department of Physics, but also worked in the new library for several years in information technology. He still spends some time there as assistant director for instructional course design in the Center for Teaching and Learning. Ⅵ WINTER 2006-07 11 The Inauguration of Paul C. Pribbenow October 18-21, 2006 Ages of Imagination Over four days in October, Augsburg College inaugurated its 11th president, Paul C. Pribbenow. The days were filled with activities connecting its own community of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents with city neighbors, church leaders, and colleagues from across higher education. Events included discussions on civic engagement, roundtables on public education, service projects, and celebrations filled with music, art, and good conversation. Each day at the “Abundance” lunches, those who attended donated food and money to fill the food shelves at the nearby Brian Coyle Community Center. Inauguration Day, October 20, began with a Festival Service and Holy Communion, officiated by Mark Hanson ’68, ELCA presiding bishop, with the sermon presented by Rev. Dr. Robin W. Lovin, Southern Methodist University. The investiture ceremony was held in the afternoon. Completing the inauguration was a morning of service in the community, preceding outdoor family activities and an Auggie football game against Carleton College. For additional information and photos from the inauguration, go to www.augsburg.edu/inauguration. In a lighter moment, Paul and Abigail Pribbenow, with daughter Maya, enjoy festivities in the tent during inauguration week. Ages of Imagination The theme of the inauguration, “Ages of Imagination,” was drawn from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, one of the most influential works of British poet and artist William Blake (1757–1827). From The Marriage of Heaven and Hell: The Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel dined with me, and I asked them how they dared so roundly to assert, that God spoke to them; and whether they did not think at the time, that they would be misunderstood, and so be the cause of imposition. Isaiah answer’d, “I saw no God, nor heard any, in a finite organical perception; but my senses discover’d the infinite in every thing, and as I was then perswaded, & remain confirm’d; that the voice of honest indignation is the voice of God, I cared not for consequences but wrote.” Then I asked: “does a firm perswasion that a thing is so, make it so?” He replied, “All poets say that it does, and in ages of imagination this firm perswasion removed mountains; but many are not capable of a firm perswasion of any thing.” (Top) The newly-invested President Paul C. Pribbenow greets his colleagues in higher education following the ceremony. From right to left, he greets Kathryn Jeffrey, president of Hennepin Technical College; Linda N. Hanson, president of Hamline University; Lois (Peterson) Bollman ’69, vice president of strategy, planning, and accountability at Minneapolis Community and Technical College; James L. Peterson, As Augsburg College celebrated the inauguration of its 11th president, it also celebrated its calling as a college, and imagined itself in future ages, using “AGES” to remind it of the four themes of this new era: Abundance, Generosity, Engagement, and Service. In moving these four “mountains,” Augsburg College, under the leadership of Paul Pribbenow, will continue to demonstrate how the power of imagination can transform the lives of its students and its community. 14 AUGSBURG NOW president of Gustavus Adolphus College; and (tallest, with mortar board) the president’s brother, Dean Pribbenow, dean of the School of Integrative Studies at Edgewood College. (Above) Student Government president Maria Mitchell led the responsive prayer during the Inauguration Ceremony. Excerpts from the sermon for the inauguration of Paul C. Pribbenow The Rev. Dr. Robin W. Lovin Cary Maguire University Professor of Ethics Southern Methodist University (Left) Rev. Robin Lovin, from Southern Methodist University, preached about moving mountains at the Festival Service on Inauguration Day. (Right) ELCA presiding bishop … I greet you on behalf of all of us who have known and worked with Paul Pribbenow over the years and benefited from his leadership in many different places. … I am also welcoming you to your own future, because those of us who have worked with Paul Pribbenow in the past know what you can expect in this new phase of the history of Augsburg College that we inaugurate today. … as I looked at the [Inauguration] program with its multiple events and its common themes, I spotted the Pribbenow imprint of energy and organization. … And I suppose that what you want to know about the future from my knowledge of the past is whether it is really true that this guy can move mountains. I’m here to tell you that he can, and I’m also going to tell you how he does it. … The way [he] moves mountains is to figure out what everybody else is already doing and tie those activities together into a single mission with a unified message, so that when the mountain moves, it’s because you moved it. … Education is supposed to be about expanding our vision of the world and changing the way we see our own place in it. It is about asking new questions, and questioning familiar answers. It should change us in fundamental ways, not just fill our heads with facts. Education is inseparable from change, personal and social, change in ideas, goals, and priorities. … and Augsburg parent Mark Hanson ’68 presided at the service. The word of greeting I bring you from the past is that great things are possible for Augsburg College, beginning today, because you have a leader who will listen to you, who can see the possibilities that you see, and who can bring them together in new ways that will empower you and energize all these people who want a future of abundance, generosity, engagement, and service for this institution. But the word I bring from the Lord, the word that cuts across past, present, and future, comes to you today in the form of a question. It is addressed equally to students, faculty, and staff, addressed to alumni, supporters, and to the church. And it is addressed to the president. The question is, “Do you really want to move the mountains?” I think you recognize the opportunity, and I pray that you will enjoy the blessings that come with accepting the vocation: That through humility and even sorrow, your hunger for truth and justice will be satisfied; that through integrity and generosity in judgment, you will see God; and that through the knowledge you create and share, the world will find peace, and you will be called the children of God. (Left) President Pribbenow gets a hug from his father, Rev. Jerome Pribbenow, who read from the gospel during the service. (Right) Associate Dean Frankie Shackelford stands amid a sea of academic vestments as the faculty line up for the inauguration processional. WINTER 2006-07 15 Excerpts from “Thanksgiving” Inaugural address by Paul C. Pribbenow October 20, 2006 Thank you for being here today for this celebration of Augsburg College. I am inspired by your faithful lives, and I accept the call to be your partner in service to Augsburg with gratitude, resolve, and humility. … Authentic life—especially a life of faith—begins and ends in gratitude and in thanksgiving. We come together with the humility of thanksgiving, the recognition that life is a gift and a privilege not to be misused or misled, and, I might add, not to be missed. The late Henri Nouwen once wrote that “Gratitude … goes beyond the ‘mine’ and ‘thine’ and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift.” All of life is a pure gift. Let these words of mine, then, become my thanksgiving to God and to all of you, my psalm of gratitude for this college, for its mission and values, and for the cloud of witnesses gathered here today and scattered across time and space that hold Augsburg College in their hearts and minds. … “In ages of imagination,” [the poet William] Blake tells us, the power of the imagination, the power of belief, the power of a ‘firm persuasion’ can move mountains. We must decide, today, to live in one of those ages of imagination, in fact, to use our imaginations to create a new era for the College. … (Above) Augsburg Board of Regents chair Ted Grindal ’76 places the seal of the College around the neck of Paul C. Pribbenow, who is invested as the 11th president of Augsburg College. (Below) To conclude inauguration week, the College gathers in community service to clean up along the Mississippi riverbank. (Right) Paul and Abigail Pribbenow lead the recessional out of Hoversten Chapel after the Festival Service. 16 AUGSBURG NOW For the complete texts of Rev. Robin Lovin’s sermon and President Pribbenow’s inaugural address, go to www.augsburg.edu/president (Left) Sounds of the big band organized and led by music professor Robert Stacke ’71 fill the tent during inaugural week festivities. (Below) Student Government public relations officers Rachel Forsberg (left) and Kati Welt (right) present a giant card with inauguration congratulations from students to President Pribbenow. There are four themes to my presidency. … These four themes are Abundance, Generosity, Engagement, and Service. Think of them as the “AGES” in Ages of Imagination. … Augsburg is already blessed to have all of these things, though we sometimes don’t recognize these great gifts—gifts that God has given us, and gifts that we were meant to care for and pass on. … During my short time here at Augsburg, I have been challenged to think again about the role of colleges and universities in an urban setting. I am committed to the mutual dependency of colleges and the city. The paradigm for the relationships between cities and higher education must be less about extracting benefits from each other, less dependent on incidental impact, and more focused on the various resources that can be shared in the pursuit of a more robust, healthy, and meaningful urban life. … I know that you share with me this deep sense of thanksgiving for this college and its remarkable commitments. What we do here matters—to our students, our neighborhood, our city, the church, and the world. What we do here is significant—because our work is grounded in a deep and confident faith, because it enjoys a history of love in a community of memory and tradition, because it believes deeply in intellectual curiosity and personal courage, and because it is full of hope. What we need now is imagination—and faith, and fearlessness—to hear and follow the call to be a college committed to the liberal arts in all that we learn and teach; a college grounded in faith and values that are the source of our firm persuasion; a college located in a place full of life and urgency that draws us out of our insular selves; a college engaged with a creation rich in difference that constantly surprises us. What fun we’re going to have! Ⅵ WINTER 2006-07 17 Many of the mentors and mentees in Scholastic Connections, including both day and weekend students, gathered in November to celebrate the program’s five-year anniversary. (L to R) Jim Genia ’87, Chris Adams ’07, Natalia Pretelt ’03, Nhia Lee ’02, Luis Lopez Monterrubio ’09, Purity Ouma ’08, Mary Murzyn ’08, Killa Martinez-Aleman ’08, Eloisa Echavez ’94, ’96 MEL, Georgette Christensen ’96 MSW, Bernice Arias-Sather ’97, Julianne Lynum Leerssen ’00, Ami Nafzger ’94, Sama Sandy ’08, Ashley Stoffers ’08, Miguel Sotamba ’08, Derek Francis ’08, Alex Gonzalez ’90. MAKING connections BY BETSEY NORGARD SCHOLASTIC CONNECTIONS—THE NAME SAYS IT ALL. It’s about making connections. In November, this scholarship-mentorship program marked the beginning of its sixth year. At the annual dinner, senior Chris Adams spoke on behalf of the students. “Through this program, I’ve learned to connect with many different kinds of people,” said Adams. “This program has helped me understand the fundamentals. And these fundamentals have helped me understand the connections between hard work, talent, commitment, and their relationship to good grades, lifelong friends, engaging teachers, and a lot about life in general.” Each year, five Day College students of color—African-American, American Indian, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino—are selected by Augsburg’s four ethnic services directors for a $5,000 scholarship. They are also paired with a mentor who is an Augsburg alumnus/a of color, with the idea being to connect leaders of today with leaders of tomorrow. Most students are paired with mentors of their own ethnic group. The scholarships are renewable annually, so students can remain connected with their mentors as long as they are at Augsburg. Thirty students have participated in the program since its inception in fall 2001. 18 AUGSBURG NOW Having a mentor like Noro Andriamanalina (right), who is also an African woman and has achieved a successful career, inspired Melat Woldegebriel (left) to set higher goals for herself. Scholastic Connections was the creation of columnist, playwright, and consultant Syl Jones ’73 and was designed to assist students of color to succeed at Augsburg, while engaging our alumni of color in the College’s commitment to an intentionally diverse community. This concept of combining financial aid and mentoring garnered national notice for the program when it began. Vivian Jenkins Nelsen, president and CEO of the INTER-RACE Institute, a diversity think tank based at Augsburg, has been instrumental in implementing and sustaining Scholastic Connections. She says that while mentoring is common within community organizations and in the corporate world, she is convinced that it is vastly underrated at the college level. With Scholastic Connections, students can pursue their careers already connected with mentors, who are able to network within their own communities on behalf of their mentees. The pairs of alumni and students create their own styles of relationships. Some are largely career-driven with specific goals planned out, while others focus around personal issues, self-confidence, and life decisions. Mathew Shannon says about his mentor, Chad Jackson, “I was looking for a friend who could be supportive enough to keep me encouraged and real enough to hold me accountable to the high expectations I set for myself and the company I keep.” Attorney Jim Genia’s career has been a big factor in his mentorship with Chris Adams. Adams says that in addition to learning how Genia has been a successful lawyer, Genia has been helping him network to find an internship in a local law firm before entering law school. Xia Xiong also worked on career planning. “I definitely feel that my mentor had an impact on what I am doing with my life today,” says Xiong. “She guided me in figuring out what I wanted to do upon graduation and helped me find resources in order to get where I wanted to go. I think having someone who has gone through the same path makes it so much easier.” In some cases, cross-mentoring occurs to also connect mentees with other mentors who match their interests. Culture was an important factor in the partnership of Melat Woldegebriel, from Ethiopia, and Noro Andriamanalina, from Madagascar. Woldegebriel says, “Knowing that my mentor is from Africa and seeing her as a successful person makes me realize that I can be like her if I work hard like her. On top of her responsibility at her work, [she] takes part in church and community activities. I learned a lot from that and increased my extracurricular activities.” Andriamanalina adds, “You don’t have to be in the same discipline or line of work to have a positive and rewarding mentoring relationship. Melat and I were able to connect on many levels. We are both African women balancing different roles and expectations within and outside of our communities.” “It’s clear that although the match did not seem perfect at first, as I am in education and she is in accounting,” Andriamanalina continues, “we had so much more in common than we ever imagined and learned from one another in the process.” The value of the program to students is obvious: needed financial assistance, plus the experience of having role models who have already been through the challenges and pitfalls of college and career who can serve as guides. For the mentors, their learning often includes the satisfaction of helping others maneuver these challenges. For mentor Eloisa Echavez it is “to be energized and contribute to the development of a young professional who has many dreams and plans for the future.” Mentor Chad Jackson says, “For me it was a way to connect with an African-American student … who had gone through the same things I did. It showed me the importance of investing in youth.” The four ethnic services directors recommend alumni of Augsburg to be invited as mentors, and Jenkins Nelsen serves as the guiding force in making the mentorship connections. She provides training to both mentors and mentees on how to work together to get the most from their relationships. WINTER 2006-07 19 In addition to the individual mentoring activities, Jenkins Nelsen brings the entire group of mentors and mentees together at various times during the year for cultural celebrations and other social and community activities. Both Genia and Adams have found these gatherings to be times when the group can learn about each others’ cultures and appreciate the differences and similarities. The creation of Scholastic Connections came about in response to a difficult situation in Augsburg’s history. In 1986, alumnus Elroy Stock ’49 gave a $500,000 campaign naming gift to Augsburg. When it was discovered that he was the author of thousands of letters sent to interracial couples and adoptive parents urging “racial purity,” the College decided it would not put Stock’s name on the building. Charitable gift regulations prevented the return of the money, which led to a lawsuit by Stock that was later dismissed. In 2001, Syl Jones (himself a victim of Stock’s mail campaign) proposed an endowment in the same amount of Stock’s gift to offer scholarships for students of color and mixed race. The program supports them in achieving academic success and developing leadership skills. President Paul Pribbenow, in remarks at the annual dinner, commented that Scholastic Connections is “an example of the College at its best,” supporting its mission and commitment to provide access to college for all students. Overall, there is little doubt that the program is successful. So far, more than half of the former students have gone on to complete higher degrees. Echavez says the program enables Augsburg “to make a greater impact on the lives of the students of color going beyond the academics, extracurricular activities, and financial aid.” Woldegebriel believes that more international students of color will be attracted to Augsburg, knowing that through Scholastic Connections they can be paired with a mentor of similar cultural background. At the annual dinner, Genia, an attorney and lobbyist, spoke of the fact that among Minnesota’s 201 state legislators, there are only five or six senators Although Xia Xiong (left) comes from a different cultural background than her mentor, she appreciates the guidance that Eloisa Echavez (above) was able to give her to plan for the next steps in her studies and career. Since Echavez had never mentored anyone outside of Latino culture, she enjoys learning from Xiong and helping her pursue her dreams. 20 AUGSBURG NOW and representatives of color, with no American Indians. “The legislature is making decisions every day that affect all Minnesotans’ lives,” Genia said. “If some groups are under-represented, … then life-changing decisions are potentially being made without taking into account the unique perspectives and cultural beliefs of these groups. “Until all races are represented in the halls of government, in the business world, or in the academic world at the same rate at which they’re represented in the general population,” he concluded, “we’ll need programs like Scholastic Connections.” Ⅵ (Left) Through Scholastic Connections, Chris Adams learned to connect with different kinds of people—something that helps him in his current real estate work, and as he prepares for a law career. Jim Genia’s (far left) work as an attorney and lobbyist provides the networking to assist Adams with internships and law school in planning for that career. SCHOLASTIC CONNECTIONS Mentees and Mentors interviewed for this story: CHRIS ADAMS ‘07 (sociology) Real estate broker Vilana Realty MELATEWORK WOLDEGEBRIEL ’05 (accounting) Moving back to Addis Ababa JIM GENIA ’87 (sociology) Lobbyist/Attorney Animiki LLC NORO ANDRIAMANALINA ’91 (English, religion) Program Adminstrator in The Graduate School and Faculty Fellow at the Center for Teaching and Learning, both at University of Minnesota XIA XIONG ’05 (sociology) Graduate program: Counseling and Student Personnel Psychology, University of Minnesota Intern—Multicultural Center for Academic Excellence, University of Minnesota ELOISA ECHAVEZ ’94 (computer science), ’98 M.A. Educational Leadership Executive Director La Oportunidad, Inc. MATHEW SHANNON ’04 (business, communication arts) Administrative Assistant Soft Computer Consultants CHAD JACKSON ’97 (elementary education) Account Executive Bluewater Direct WINTER 2006-07 21 Jesse Docken has enjoyed the companionship of four AIBO dog robots that he has used to help beginning students learn basic programming as well as to provide him challenges for more complex programming. F See AIBO walk … and sit … and wigg le its ears BY BETSEY NORGARD 22 AUGSBURG NOW our black-and-white dogs have taken up residence in Augsburg’s computer science lab, and sophomore Jesse Docken has become their keeper, trainer, and researcher. The dogs are called AIBO, for Artifical Intelligence roBOt, and were created by Sony Corporation in 1999. Designed as futuristic pet robots, thousands of them with price tags of $1,500-2,000 have been purchased and taught to play games, shake their legs, wiggle their ears, say their names, and let their owners know when they’re happy, angry, and bored. There is even a “four-legged league” of AIBOs that compete around the world in RoboCup, an international robotics competition. Last fall, computer science professor Karen Sutherland took the AIBOs to her Introduction to Computer Science, a course required for all computer science, mathematics, and management information systems (MIS) students. As far as robots go, the AIBOs are quite complicated crea- tures, capable of highly-advanced programming. Their best feature, however, is that their basic programming is relatively easy—much of it is self-contained and doesn’t require proficiency in a programming language. The task in the AIBO lab is for student teams of mostly freshmen and sophomores to write an easy program, transfer it to a memory card, plug it into the AIBO dog robot, and see if it goes through its routine correctly. “The code is easy to read because it uses commands that you would use for a real dog,” says sophomore Brietta Schluender. “When working with the code you are able to change the commands and numbers to see how the dog reacts; then you can easily conclude how the changes in the code make the dog’s actions differ.” The students turn on the switch and watch cautiously as their dog slowly comes to life. First a stretch, and then one, two, three, and four shakes of a paw—so far so good! After making several turns, AIBO ends with “an amazing amount of ear wiggles,” as one student describes it. Sutherland introduced the AIBOs into her class as part of a collaborative grant—with Berea College and the University of Minnesota—from the National Science Foundation. Her goal is to engage and attract more students, especially women and minority students, to computer science study. The AIBOs offer an easy way to teach the basics of programming and robotics while having fun. “It’s easy for the students to see how the AIBO reacts to their program, and it does cute things,” Sutherland says. “If they can see the program physically happen, they understand it better.” Docken, a computer science major, works with Sutherland in the class, lending a hand when students run into programming glitches or when the AIBO’s routine doesn’t work. In his own research, in addition to making the AIBOs perform various tasks, he has studied different means of programming to ascertain which methods are easier and harder. These results will inform how robots might be used in future class projects. He has enjoyed working with his new robotic pets. “I’ve been fascinated with learning how to make them do certain things, for instance, how to change which lights come on [to show emotional responses], how to make them walk, or how to make them play sounds to music.” Working with the AIBOs will help him move into more complex robotics. Docken’s primary interest is artificial intelligence (AI). “I’ve had a few ideas I’ve played around with,” he says, “and I hope to begin AI research to make algorithms that Sophomore Jesse Docken (second from left) helps junior David Yanagisawa and sophomore Alex Garver with their programming to make the AIBO dog robot perform its routine, while computer science professor Karen Sutherland looks on. Freshman Melissa Moberg (left) and sophomore Brietta Schluender joke with Docken about the tricks they can make the AIBO dogs perform. could provide a more sophisticated means of handling emotions and simulate primitive emotional responses to external stimuli.” This could be applied, he says, in many ways—to robotics for entertainment, e.g. AIBOs that can react in more real ways, to games where characters can respond to events, and to simulation. Docken has written a paper on his research that he will present at a regional conference in the spring. Sutherland is using his work plus student feedback from class labs at all three institutions involved in the NSF grant to develop a course curriculum that will appeal to a broad spectrum of students with varied career goals. And, yes, Docken says their AIBOs have been given names—Sirius, Snoopy, Scooby-Doo, and Spike. Ⅵ WINTER 2006-07 23 Polish-born Magdalena Paleczny-Zapp, associate professor in marketing, brings her experience as an international business consultant to her students in class. global MEET THE INTERNATIONAL FACULTY Associate professor Magdalena Paleczny-Zapp (management coordinator) was born and raised in Krakow, Poland, and taught in several European institutions before coming to Augsburg. Associate professor Amin Kader (international business coordinator) is from Egypt. A past president of the Islamic Center of Minnesota, he teaches Islamic Studies in addition to business. Before coming to the United States in 1970, associate professor and finance coordinator Ashok Kapoor worked at the American Embassy in his home country of India. He has brought this international experience into his Augsburg classroom since 1998. Master of Business Administration (MBA) director Bob Kramarczuk was born in western Ukraine. At the age of five, his family escaped and hid in the forest for five months keeping ahead of the front during World War II. His business Experience is a powerful teacher. In addition to study abroad programs, Augsburg’s business students have opportunities to experience global perspectives in their classrooms every day. BY BETHANY BIERMAN family was later shipped to a work camp in Bavaria before immigrating to the U.S. Associate professor Fekri Meziou, Tunisian by birth, has taught at Augsburg since 1987. “Having faculty of diverse backgrounds is important to the richness of the academic programming offered in our department,” says Meziou. “For instance, I am teaching an international marketing course that is approached from a globally diverse background. We analyze the challenges of marketing products and services in different regions around the world. This course can only be taught by someone who has traveled extensively and has immersed himself/herself during an extended stay in the life of the foreign countries.” “I grew up on a farm outside a small town,” says Jamie Schiller ’05, who currently serves as MBA program coordinator. “Most of my experience with diversity was through the business department.” Reflecting back on her undergraduate experience, Schiller remembers, “[Zapp] helped us understand global differences as well as learn to make culturally sensitive business decisions. … [Meziou] changed my life and drove me to seek out opportunities to broaden my perspective of marketing and business on a global level. He continuously brought cases to his courses that had global business challenges. … With the help of the business faculty, I was able to customize a study abroad program in England. … I have Associate professor Fekri Meziou brings case studies from his own cultural experience From his years of working at the American Embassy in India, associate professor to his international marketing course. Ashok Kapoor can teach finance, drawing on extensive knowledge of both cultural contexts. 24 AUGSBURG NOW Trading Places grown to appreciate international differences in other country’s beliefs, norms, and value sets.” “Students leave the place more openminded than the day they came,” Zapp asserts. John Cerrito, assistant professor and department chair, says, “The course descriptions are broad enough so faculty members can bring in their own flavor and expertise.” “In the current context of globalization,” says Kapoor, “my international experience comes in handy in all my classes, but especially in the international finance classes. My work experience overseas provides many examples to my students and helps them keep an open perspective leading to better decisions both professionally and in their personal lives.” Senior Dulce Monterrubio is a perfect example of this. She came to Augsburg from her hometown of Mexico City. She says, “It was Magda’s own experience as an international business consultant that made me understand that being an international student here at Augsburg was just the first step, but that successfully adapting to a second, third, or fourth culture would be what truly would make me the international educator/professional I wanted to become.” Monterrubio is using her cultural experiences, which include studying abroad in Spain, in her current role as a program assistant in Augsburg’s Center for Global Education. Along with representing differences in ethnic backgrounds, there is significant religious diversity represented in the department. “The department really does have an interesting diversity of faith expressions,” comments assistant professor Lee Clarke, who also happens to be a former ELCA minister. “For some, it’s very clear to students because of culture and nationalities. Ashok [Kapoor] is very upfront talking about his Hindu faith, and Amin [Kader] and others are Islamic. For others, it’s not as intentional… Because religion is so close to culture, it gives students a taste of some of the challenges in global business.” Cerrito agrees. “The College goes out of its way to be diverse. In 1983 when I came, I did not represent the faith, culture, or ethnic background the culture [of Augsburg] represents, and I’ve never been anywhere where I’ve felt more accepted.” (Cerrito is Roman Catholic and of Italian descent.) Kapoor says, “Both my cultural and religious background allows me to bring a very different perspective to issues of the day that we discuss both among colleagues and with our students.” Consider two college students in 1980—one, a student at the University of Minnesota; the other, studying at the University of Tunis. Both had the desire to see the world through a new culture. The two are allowed to exchange places through the International Reciprocal Exchange Program. After her time in Tunisia, the American returns to Minnesota; the Tunisian young man decides to stay in America to pursue his academic objectives. The two meet while serving as cochairs for a selection committee to choose and orient another student exchange. Years later, the two cross paths again, this time at Augsburg College, where they both now work. Their names? Regina McGoff, associate director of the Center for Global Education, and Fekri Meziou, associate professor of business. Meziou says the exchange “was a wonderful opportunity to share experiences and academic ideas with international students from a number of countries around the world… International exchanges enable students to immerse LAYER IN CORPORATE EXPERIENCE A different kind of culture—corporate culture—is also something faculty add to the international mix. Prior to coming to Augsburg in 1995, David Schwain, assistant professor, served on Assistant professor Lee Clarke combines both his cor- themselves in the cultural, social, political, and economic life of another country. The learning outcomes are tremendous and the personal growth opportunities are immeasurable.” It’s a small world, after all. porate perspectives from software design and programming with his background as a Lutheran minister in Augsburg’s MIS classes. WINTER 2006-07 25 ALUMNI NEWS From the Alumni Board president … Greetings fellow Auggies, As I write this, fall is settling in and the transition to winter is in the air. Homecoming week was a great set of events—I hope you could attend some of them. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to learn more about our Distinguished Alumni and Spirit of Augsburg and First Decade awardees. Their recollections of what life was like at Augsburg 30-40-50 years ago reminded me of how much has changed and is changing around us all the time. Homecoming also set a great stage for President Pribbenow’s inauguration. I was honored to represent the alumni in the Inauguration Ceremony and the four days of events surrounding it. The theme of AGES—Abundance, Generosity, Engagement, and Service—is one we can all be proud of and take part in as we live our lives in service to the broader world. If you want to learn a little more about Augsburg’s year of transition I highly recommend the inauguration webpage, www.augsburg.edu/inauguration, and the President’s office page, www.augsburg.edu/president. By the time you read this, Advent Vespers, Christmas, and the new year have come and gone, and before too long, Easter will arrive. Then, in May, another commencement arrives. I’m starting to deeply appreciate my grandmother’s insight when, at 90, she told me that the years never seem to go by more slowly. It’s always faster and faster. As your new year unfolds, I wish you all the best in your transitions. Barry M. Vornbrock ’96 MAL Alumni Board President 28 AUGSBURG NOW Auggies at the State Capitol Alumni calendar Congratulations to the following Auggies who were elected to the Minnesota Legislature in November: February 20 Alumni Board meeting— 5:30 p.m., Minneapolis Room, Christensen Center Sandy Wollschlager ’94 (DFL), elected to her first term in House District 28A, representing Cannon Falls and Red Wing March 14 Join members of the Alumni Board Events Committee to volunteer at Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen from 7-9 p.m. For more information or to sign up as a volunteer, contact Liz Pushing at lpushing@provplace.com. Learn more about Campus Kitchen in the GET INVOLVED section at www.augsburg.edu/alumni. Diane Loeffler ’75 (DFL), elected to her second term in House District 59A, representing Northeast Minneapolis Rod Skoe ’77 (DFL), elected to his second term in Senate District 2, representing Northwest Minnesota. He had previously served two terms in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Sport an Auggie license plate Auggie license plates are available from the Minnesota Department of Transportation for a $10 plate fee and a minimum annual contribution of $25 when renewing registration. The plates can go on passenger class vehicles carrying not more than 15 persons; this includes pickup trucks and vans with a three-quarter-ton or less gross weight and one-ton passenger vans. For information, go to www.dps.state.mn. us/dvs/PlBrochure/CollegiatePla tes.htm. April 17 Alumni Board meeting— 5:30 p.m., Minneapolis Room, Christensen Center Check the online calendar at www.augsburg.edu for a complete schedule of campus events. Send in your nominations Is there someone you believe is deserving of a Distinguished Alumnus/a, Spirit of Augsburg, or First Decade award? Nominations are being received by the Alumni Relations Office from now until March 1. For instructions about nominating and the nomination form, contact Becky Taute at 612-330-1085 or tauter@augsburg.edu. The forms are also available on the alumni webpage at www.augsburg.edu/alumni. Please consider making a nomination! Centennial Singers head to the Southwest Following a successful series of concerts in Florida in 2006 and their annual fall concert season in Minnesota, the Augsburg Centennial Singers will reprise their 2005 tour in Arizona in February 2007, with additional concerts in Nevada and Utah. Directed by Alfred (Al) Reesnes ’58, the Singers reflect the gospel quartet tradition at Augsburg. Formed in 1993 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Augsburg gospel quartet that traveled to Norway, the Singers have toured Norway twice, most recently in 2001. “Seeing alumni and other friends of Augsburg is a wonderful part of the touring,” says Reesnes. “Our guys love to sing songs of praise and we are looking forward to returning to the Southwest.” Also featured in the concert are songs by a quartet, led by Paul Christensen ’59, and including Norm Anderson ’60, Paul Mikelson ’70, and Jon Lueth, husband of alumna Marilyn (Buschbom) ’71. This group recalls Augsburg’s strong gospel quartet tradition over many years. In addition, a second quartet now presents songs from a more Southern gospel tradition. February concerts/appearances February 6, 7 p.m. Eccles Concert Hall, Dixie College, St. George, Utah February 7, 7 p.m. Community Lutheran Church, 3720 Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas, Nev. February 8, 7 p.m. Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church, 15820 Clearview Blvd., Surprise, Ariz. February 9, 7 p.m. Vista de la Montana United Methodist Church, 3001 E. Miravista Lane, Tucson, Ariz. Alumni reception, 6–6:45 p.m. February 10, 4 p.m. Chaparral Christian Church, 6451 Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, Ariz. February 11, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. Worship Services at American Lutheran Church, 172 Del Webb Blvd., Sun City, Ariz. Alumni reception between services. February 13, 7 p.m. Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, El Lago Blvd. and Fountain Hills Blvd, Fountain Hills, Ariz. Alumni reception, 6–6:45 p.m. February 14, 7 p.m. King of Glory Lutheran Church, 2085 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, Ariz. Alumni reception, 6–6:45 p.m. A special highlight in the concerts of the Centennial Singers, who number more than 50, is a smaller group of four who keep alive Augsburg’s longstanding gospel quartet tradition. (L to R): Jon Lueth, Paul Christensen ’59, Paul MIkelson ’70, and Norm Anderson ’60. February 15, 7 p.m. Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, Ariz. NOTE: Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow will be the guest preacher at services on Feb. 17 and 18 at the American Lutheran Church in Sun City, Ariz. (see address above): Sat., Feb. 17—4 p.m. Sun., Feb. 18—8:30 and 10:30 a.m., with a coffee reception between services. For information, contact the alumni relations office at 612-330-1085. Join the Augsburg Online Community It’s designed just for you— • Keep in touch with classmates • Find out what’s happening on campus • Send class notes about what you’re doing • Change/update your address and e-mail • Update your profile so others can find you • Make an online gift to Augsburg It’s fast and easy. Already, more than 500 alumni have registered. Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni—have you signed up? If you have questions, e-mail healyk@augsburg.edu. WINTER 2006-07 29 HOMECOMING 2006 Homecoming 2006 brought students and alumni together in record numbers. Fireworks at the pep rally pumped up the crowd, and seniors Grant Hemmingsen and Sari Gallagher were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. While the football game against Concordia-Moorhead went into overtime, the Cobbers edged out the Auggies, 34-28, for the win. 30 AUGSBURG NOW WINTER 2006-07 31 HOMECOMING REUNIONS Class of 1956 (L to R) ROW 1 (front): Dorothy (Floistad) Benson, Carolyn (Lower) Bliss, Elizabeth (Mortensen) Swanson, Chris (Munson) Main, Ron Main. ROW 2: Augsburg president Paul Pribbenow, Louise Jones, Laurayne (Helgerson) Solberg, James Nordling, Bonnie (Bieri) Vaagenes, Marilyne Dahl, Wanda (Warnes) Olson, Farolyn (Johnson) Gehring, Ruth (Borchardt) Ysteboe Engelstad, Hans Dumpys, John Haynes. ROW 3: Ted Berkas, Harvey Lundin, Roger Ose, Chuck Evavold, Glen Thorpe, Jim Pederson, Harold Stoa, Rodney Erickson, Tom Hofflander, Tom Benson, Chuck Howard, Tom Hoversten. ROW 4: Bob D. Larson, Bob Gjengdahl, John Thompson, Bill Anderson, Ardell Moen, Richard Thorud, Gary Fitch Class of 1966 (L to R) ROW 1 (front): Sylvia (Steinbeck) Torstenson, Lila (Lee) Salls, Mary Lynn (Larson) Leff, Rhoda (Lindekugel) Vandervoort, Grace (Estenson) Fladeboe, Judith (Erickson) Coppersmith, Jeanne (Wanner) Morreim. ROW 2: Karen (Torkelson) Leverentz, Douglas Johnson, John Andreasen, Beth Torstenson, Karen Johnson, Kathleen (Davis) Jacobsen, Kay (Swensson) Cerkvenik. ROW 3: Kathryn (Wall) Johnson, Sharen (Muehlenthaler) Schornstein, Vernice (Ring) Bishop, Karen (Langseth) Oelschlager, Marcia (Thimsen) Noble, Susan (Joesting) Propst, Joan (Alden) Blomlie. ROW 4: Jerry Maas, Maggi (Ahlson) Tjaden, Judith (Erickson) Pittelkow, Kathleen (Kalpin) Franson, Heidi (Degen) Shurtleff, Ed Huseby, Richard Mork, Allan Kristenson. ROW 5: Kathleen (Popp) Boggess, Joy Klemp, Smokey (Wyckoff) Nielsen, Gracia (Nydahl) Luoma. 32 AUGSBURG NOW Class of 1981 (L to R) ROW 1 (front): Ruth Muschinski, Karla (Morken) Thompson, Janna (Wallin) Haug, Mary Beamish, Molly Olson-Blomgren. ROW 2: Susan (Dahlgren) Sackrison, Kirsten Schwappach, Maureen Webster, Kristine Johnson, Gaynelle (Webb) Buckland, Leann Rock, Barbara Gilbert, Janis (Blomgren) Aune, Naomi (Christensen) Staruch. 35th Anniversary of Metro-Urban Studies Alumni enjoyed reuniting with former faculty and classmates at the 35th anniversary of Augsburg’s Metro-Urban Studies program. Paula (Brookins) Pentel ’78, warmly greets Fran Torstenson, with professor emeritus Joel Torstenson ’38 looking on. In the background, professor emeritus Myles Stenshoel talks with Bruce Shoemaker ’81. WINTER 2006-07 33 CLASS NOTES 1942 Chester and Ebba (Johnson) Brooks, Duluth, Minn., celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in June at Gloria Dei Church in Duluth, surrounded by family and friends. After more than 32 years with the National Park Service, they moved to Duluth in 1983. campuses, when the church grew from 525 to 7300 members. He and his wife, Bonnie (Bieri) ’67, have four children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. 1957 Jeanette (Olson) Locke, Inver Grove Heights, Minn., has been awarded a grandfather clock after 35 years of service as an H&R Block employee. She and her husband, Peter ’60, have lived in both St. Paul and Scottsdale, Ariz. children, reading, and golfing. Lois is director of nursing at the Burnett Medical Center. Lowell “Zeke” Ziemann, Phoenix, Ariz., met up with fellow Auggie Hall-of-Famer Lute Olson ’56 at the booksigning for Olson’s new autobiography, Lute! The Seasons of My Life. Olson is head basketball coach at the University of Arizona. 1968 Janet Letnes Martin and Suzanne (Johnson) Nelson were awarded the Gold Pen Award by Metro Lutheran newspaper at their annual dinner in October, recognizing distinguished service to Christ and the church through significant contribution to public communication. Their book, Growing Up Lutheran, is the basis for the currently-running play Church Basement Ladies. In August, Janet suffered the loss of her husband, Neil, who died following a four-year battle with cancer. 1959 1943 The Rev. LuVerne “Red” Nelson, ’46 Sem, New Hope, Minn., celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination as a Lutheran pastor on August 4. He served parishes in North Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Red was married to Grace (Carlsen) ’45 and established a scholarship for voice students in her memory. He also set up a scholarship for tuba players. Gail Castor, Redwood Falls, Minn., played one season of Auggie football while a student. In the Homecoming alumni football game this year, as the oldest player on the field at age 75, he made two plays towards the end of the game, one of which ended in a touchdown. His efforts were showcased on several local television stations as well as in ESPN’s Top Ten Plays of the Day. He has every intention to play again next year. 1948 Jeroy Carlson, Burnsville, Minn., celebrated his retirement on September 30 after 44 years of service and was honored at a reception in October. (See page 3.) 1951 1960 The Rev. Morris Vaagenes, Shoreview, Minn., recently published Baptism: God’s Activity of Grace at Kirk House Publishers. For 38 years, he served as the senior pastor at North Heights Lutheran Church and played an active role in the development of the Roseville and Arden Hills The Rev. Myron Carlson, Grantsburg, Wis., celebrated his retirement after 37 years as the pastor of Grantsburg Faith Lutheran Church. He also served congregations in Clayton, Wis., and rural Clear Lake. Myron is looking forward to traveling with his wife, Lois, visiting their three 34 AUGSBURG NOW 1976 Jane Stritesky, Georgetown, Ky., has taken a new position at Northern Elementary School as elementary music specialist for grades K through 5. She also coordinates after school courses in choir, piano, and guitar. 1963 Carol Ann (Erickson) Zwernik, Minnetonka, Minn., was named the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America’s 2006-07 Director of the Year, an award based on professional achievements and work in implementing programs for students, their families, the congregation, and community. She is the pre-kindergarten director at Calvary Lutheran Church. 1979 Linda Sue Anderson, Minneapolis, received rave reviews in the Star Tribune for her performance as Big Mama in Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the Minneapolis Theatre Garage. The show sold out in July and was extended into September. 1982 Diane (Peterson) Kachel, Woodbury, Minn., has become assistant director for the newlyestablished Center for Lung Science and Health at the University of Minnesota. For nearly 25 years she has been actively engaged in lung-related research and administration across the academic industry and government sectors. In her new role she will focus on lung research, education, and public service for the prevention and treatment of lung cancer. 1985 1991 Tom Terpening, Minneapolis, appeared on TV’s Deal or No Deal. Unfortunatly, he didn’t win the big money, but says he and his family enjoyed a wonderful four days in Hollywood for the taping. Betty Christiansen, La Crosse, Wis., became a published author this fall. Her book, Knitting for Peace, contains stories about charity knitting organizations around the United States, selfhelp knitting groups in countries recovering from war, and other folks who are using knitting to help others around the world. She hopes the book will inspire others to pick up their needles and knit one of the 15 projects in the book for someone in need. 1986 Debra Balzer-Plagemann, Roanoke, Va., and her husband, Rob, welcomed a new daughter, Sophia, in August. Lisa Baumgartner, Sycamore, Ill., recently received tenure and promotion at Northern Illinois University to associate professor in the counseling, adult, and higher education department. 1987 Barbara Blomberg, Princeton, Minn., is one of four people inducted into the Princeton High School Activities Hall of Fame this year. She teaches in the Princeton district and served several years as the head volleyball coach. Patricia (Noren) Enderson, Elk River, Minn., recently joined Deloitte Services LP, a division of the Deloitte & Touche LLP firms, as a marketing manager. She can be reached at pjend@aol.com. 1994 Michelle (Eaker) Steever, Cranston, R.I., and her husband, Frank, welcomed a son, Gavin, on July 27. He joins big sister Genevieve, 2. “PSI House Girls,” graduates of 1982 and 1983, celebrate a girls’ getaway weekend in June at Izatys Resort. (L to R) Lisa (Salmonson) Weatherhead, Marlene (Sorensen) Carr, Cindy (Winberg) Sisson, Janice (Haselhorst) Hostager, Linda (Dibos) Graslewicz, Terry Swanson (U of M graduate), Kris (Alexander) Korby, Jean (Lucas) Horton, Terese (Borgstrom) Almquist. Auggies at Jellystone 1989 Mark Limburg, St. Paul, has been published by Concordia Publishing House of St. Louis, Mo., for his piano arrangements, which have appeared in many collections. Carols for Piano is his 12th published piece. Mark has been named of one “Today’s Top Writers” and “Today’s Top Arrangers.” In 1999, he toured England with David Soul and Hugh Burns, the guitarist for Paul McCartney and George Michael. Mark is currently completing a CD of original contemporary compositions. You can email Mark at rachoven63@aol.com. This group of Auggies (Classes of 1995, ’96, and ’97) and their families celebrated their ninth annual summer outing at Jellystone Park in Warrens, Wis. All living in the Twin Cites, they are able to get together often and continue to add “future Auggies” to the clan. Their shirts read, “First Annual Auggie 5K Walk, Run, & Crawl.” (L to R) Jodi Monson ’96, Gene Louie ’95, Dave and Natasha (Solberg) ’96 Sheeley and daughter Kaia, Brian ’95 and Jennifer (Cummings) ’96 Ackland and children Ellie and Lucas, Brittany (Lynch) ’96 and Mike Jakubiec, Brooke (Manisto) ’96 and Erik ‘97 Reseland and daughter Elsa, Tom Shaw ’95 and Stephanie Harms ’96 and daughter Madeline, Nate Markell (fiancé of Jodi Monson), Dylan Nau ’97 and Wendy Laine ’96 and daughter Lydia, Andy and Connie (Arndt) ’96 Clausen and children Adam and Aaron. WINTER 2006-07 35 CLASS NOTES Kari (Schroeder) Prescott, Minneapolis, and her husband, Scott, welcomed their second child—a son, Soren Theophilus. He was born on June 28 and joins big brother Simon, 6. Kari is a physician with a private practice downtown and Scott is a middle school music teacher in Chaska, Minn. 1995 Tiffany Lynn (Peterson) Garzone, Rocky Mount, N.C., and her husband, Steven, have adopted their first daughter, Natalie, from China in May 2005. Tiffany and Steven are both chiropractors and business partners at Rocky Mount Chiropractic. 1999 Devean George, Dallas, Tex., signed a two-year contract worth $4.2 million with the Dallas Mavericks. In his first three years in the league, he became the seventh player in the NBA to win three championships. He leaves the Los Angeles Lakers to join the Mavericks. Victoria Sadek, New Brighton, Minn., teaches Honors Humanities, 20th-Century American Literature, and Creative Writing in the English Department at Mounds View High School. She also directs the fall and spring plays and just finished a production of It’s a Wonderful Life, presented as a radio broadcast, complete with sound effects. For it, marketing students created real “commercials” for local businesses that benefited the theatre program. Torma-Agrimson Wedding Jenell Torma ’00 married Erick Agrimson ’98, on May 20 at Hoversten Chapel. Jenell is currently a training facilitator at East Suburban Resources in Stillwater and Erick is an assistant professor in the Department of Physics and Sonography at the College of St. Catherine in St. Paul. The couple lives in Roseville, Minn. (Front row, L to R) Prof. Mark Engebretson, Prof. Ken Erickson ’62, Drew Monteith ’99, Kevin Wipf ’98, and Larye Pohlman ’98. (Middle row, L to R) Matt Klatt ’01, Justin Walker ’98, Jenell Torma ’00, Erick Agrimson ’98, and Eric Klatt ’98. (Back row, L to R) Kaydee Kirk ’98, Jessica Rivera ’01, Rachel Oldfather ’02, Conie Borchardt ’98, Jennifer Warner ’98, Katie Bodurtha ’99, Lois Bordurtha ’73, Lois Agrimson ’60, and Melissa Pohlman ’00. 2001 Leah Carlson, Minneapolis, has recently moved to Chicago, Ill., to become operations specialist for Dominium Inc. Because the company has properties in 14 different states, she will be traveling most of the time. Bonner-Pavelka Wedding Jessica (Norman) Hafemyer, Northfield, Minn, and her husband, Eric, welcomed a daughter, Lauren Ann, on October 15. Lauren weighed in at 9 lb., 4 oz. and is 22 in. long. 1996 Anna (Lalla) Johnson, Shoreview, Minn., and her husband, Todd, welcomed a daughter, Kate Morgan, on July 28. She joins big brother Evan, 4. 36 AUGSBURG NOW Rachel L. Oldfather, Fargo, N. Dak., graduated from Luther Seminary in May with a Master of Divinity degree and was ordained June 10. She is now serving at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, Minn., as part of the Transition into Ministry Program. She can be reached at: Rachel@trinitymhd.org. Lindsay Bonner ’02 married Matthew Pavelka ’02 on August 27, 2005, at First United Methodist Church in Dallas, Tex. Matron of honor was Solveig (Grafstrom) Harren ’02, and best man was Jacob Pavelka. Beth Scott and Sara Seekins ’02 were bridesmaids, and groomsmen were Jason Pavelka and Devin Fitzsimons. Flower girl was Madison Pavelka. Ushers were Ryan Bonner ’08, Matthew Brutsche ’00, and Andrew Gordon ’02. Matthew is a first-year medical student at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Tex., and Lindsay is a voice teacher on faculty with the Galveston Island Arts Academy, and is currently performing in the East-End Theatre Company’s production of The Full Monty. Emily Maeder (left) Beatrice and Benedick Deanne McDonald ’04 played the feuding Beatrice to Andrew Kraft’s Benedick in Much Ado about Nothing, a production of the Traveling Players, a troupe formed by McDonald. (far left) Monster of Phantom Lake (L to R) Josh Craig (as Professor Jackson) and Deanne McDonald (as Elizabeth), in a scene from The Monster of Phantom Lake (2005). Actor, director, costume designer Deanne McDonald graduated in 2004 with a degree in theatre arts. In the not-quite-three years since then, she has appeared in a surprise hit indie b-movie; started her own acting company, starring in its premiere production; and directed her high school alma mater’s theatre productions—in between other theatre projects and working a full-time job. A
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Title: Augsburg Now Spring 2006
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I Spring 2006 & F R I E N D S Vol. 68, No. 3 OUR CITY … OUR CLASSROOM page 10 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Spring 2006 Vol 68, No. 3 FEATURES 10 17 DEPARTMENTS Our city ... our classroom 2 Around the...
Show more A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I Spring 2006 & F R I E N D S Vol. 68, No. 3 OUR CITY … OUR CLASSROOM page 10 T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S Spring 2006 Vol 68, No. 3 FEATURES 10 17 DEPARTMENTS Our city ... our classroom 2 Around the Quad by Betsey Norgard 5 Sports Teachers who lead, leaders who teach 6 Faculty-Staff notes 22 compiled by Betsey Norgard Supporting Augsburg— Access to Excellence: (The Campaign for Augsburg College) 25 32 inside back cover Alumni News Auggie Thoughts Calendar A college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg College is an equal education/employment institution. Editor Betsey Norgard Assistant Editor Lynn Mena Graphic Designer Kathy Rumpza Photographer Stephen Geffre Media Relations Manager Judy Petree Sports Information Coordinator Don Stoner www.augsburg.edu On the cover: Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg College, From the beginning of her classes, first-year student Beckie Jackson begins to explore the opportunities around campus as an extended classroom. 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058–1545 On this page: Augsburg’s Enrollment Center is the one-stop shop for all the “business” of the College— registration, financial aid, transcripts, accounts, and more. Send address corrections to: Advancement Services Augsburg College, CB 142 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 healyk@augsburg.edu E-mail: now@augsburg.edu Telephone: 612-330-1181 Fax: 612-330-1780 50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste) AROUND QUAD Around THE the Quad Paul Pribbenow is chosen as Augsburg’s next president Augsburg News Service P aul C. Pribbenow, president of Rockford College in Rockford, Ill., has been elected as the 11th president of Augsburg College by its board of regents. “We are confident that Dr. Pribbenow has all the qualities of leadership and passion needed to continue Dr. [William] Frame’s work at Augsburg College,” said Jean Taylor ’85, chair of the Board of Regents. “He has already demonstrated that he is an accomplished communicator, a person who can demonstrate his own sense of Christian vocation, a skilled administrator, and a visible leader, actively participating in the life of the campus and surrounding community.” Presidential search committee chair and regent Ted Grindal ’76 expressed his thanks and gratitude to the entire Augsburg community for their participation in the search process. “After a very thorough and successful search, we are pleased to welcome Dr. Pribbenow as Augsburg’s next president,” Grindal said. “In Paul Pribbenow, we feel we have found a successor who will not only carry on Augsburg’s commitment to being a college committed to a Christian understanding of vocation, but will maximize its exciting potential for the future.” “This is the work I believe I was called to do, and I look forward to serving as Augsburg’s next president,” Pribbenow said. “I firmly believe that my experiences and commitments are a remarkable fit for the mission and needs of the College.” Paul C. Pribbenow was born in Decorah, Iowa, in 1957. He received his bachelor’s degree in sociology/political science from Luther College, and his master’s degree in divinity and his doctorate in social ethics from the University of Chicago. He has served as president of Rockford College since 2002. Since his arrival there, Pribbenow has launched several new educational initiatives, including working with faculty and staff to develop the Jane Addams Center for Civic Engagement. This program’s primary responsibility, according to Pribbenow, “is to find ways to work with students to integrate their education, co-curricular activities, spiritual experiences, and service to the community as part of an intentional vocational formation initiative.” He has also been an integral part of expanding Paul C. Pribbenow opportunities for the campus and its community to join together in a variety of collaborative efforts. He and his wife, Abigail, an arts administrator, have two young children. Pribbenow succeeds retiring president William V. Frame, and will take office on July 1. To read more, go to <www.augsburg.edu/news>. NEWSNOTES Agre to speak at commencement—two honorary degrees to be awarded Peter Agre ’70, Nobel Prize laureate for chemistry in 2003, will speak at the College’s 137th commencement on May 6. Agre is vice chancellor of science and technology at the Duke University School of Medicine. He will receive one of two honorary degrees approved by the Board of Regents to be conferred on that date. James A. Johnson will receive the second honorary degree. He has enjoyed a distinguished career in finance and lending, formerly with Fannie Mae and now as vice chairman of Perseus L.L.C. Johnson has been active in supporting the Gateway Building and development of the urban village concept along Riverside Ave. Johnson was Augsburg’s commencement speaker in 2002. 2 Outstanding physics students For the third time in six years, the Society of Physics Students (SPS) has named Augsburg’s chapter as an Outstanding SPS Chapter, this time for 2004-05. Fewer than 10% of the chapters nationwide receive this honor; Augsburg’s chapter was also named in 19992000 and 2002-03. Professor Mark Engebretson is chapter adviser. Jim Haglund honored Regent Jim Haglund was honored with the Hall of Fame award by the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC), a 1,000-member international organization. Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty lauded Haglund as characterizing the “best of Minnesota.” Pawlenty also drew attention to Haglund’s leadership on the Augsburg Board of Regents. Spring 2006 Mexico social work consortium receives award Courtesy photo by Betsey Norgard A Spring 2006 Students in the 2004 spring semester program in Mexico visited the pyramids of Xochicalco to learn how pre-Hispanic cultures regulated the solar calendar. is noteworthy in several regards beyond the challenges of satisfying the needs and criteria of nine different institutions. Foremost, it makes possible a study abroad experience for social work students at colleges that can’t sustain their own individual programs. Also, because the program is ongoing, issues of social work in developing countries are constantly part of department discussions and curriculum. Returning students readily talk about the program as life transforming. “Students who return from Mexico have a window into the lives of Hispanic and Latino communities impossible to gain domestically,” commented social work professor Nancy Rodenborg. She said the department hopes to take advantage of this experience in working with Twin Cities’ Spanish-speaking populations. Also cited in the award is the program’s shared ownership and governance among the partner institutions in Minnesota and South Dakota—both public and private— allowing social work students equal access to study abroad. Rodenborg stated that a large part of the success of the program is due to the Center for Global Education’s expertise in offering international education and the resources available at its Mexico center. Courtesy photo ugsburg is part of a social work consortium that has been honored for its semester study program in Mexico. The consortium was awarded the 2006 Global Commission Partners in Education Award by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) in recognition of “the contributions of individuals, organizations, and others as partners in advancing education for international social work.” The development of the BSW Mexico Consortium of the Minnesota/South Dakota Area, which includes both private and public institutions, was more than two years in the making and is remarkable for the complexity of issues it negotiates. The study courses meet all the schools’ curricular needs and allow social work students to participate without delaying their graduation date. Financial costs were worked out so that students pay only their home-school tuition (plus airfare), regardless of which partner institution they attend. The program, “Social Work in a Latin American Context,” is based at the Center for Global Education (CGE) study center in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and includes study of Mexican culture, intensive Spanish language instruction, a social work course, and either a field practicum or comparative social policy course. A several-week homestay gives students a chance to experience living with a Mexican family. There is also a two-week exchange with students in the School of Social Work at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) in Mexico City. Cultural content courses are taught by CGE staff, and the social work content is taught by a rotating visiting faculty member from one of the partner schools. Augsburg social work professor Barbara Lehmann is currently in Cuernavaca, teaching for the second year. The BSW Mexico Consortium model Social work students visited Tlamacazapa, a rural village where Claudia (in red, above) helped them learn to weave. Schools belonging to the BSW Mexico Consortium are Augsburg College, Bemidji State University, Bethel University, College of St. Catherine/University of St. Thomas, Metropolitan State University, St. Cloud State University, St. Olaf College, University of Sioux Falls, and Winona State University. For more information on the Mexico study semester, go to <www.augsburg. edu/global/swksem.html>. 3 Business students seek stronger connections through ABO by Betsey Norgard international presence and do a thorough analysis of its marketing department. It meant making the contacts, meeting with corporate officials, and following up on the research. Sometimes it’s even possible to tie ABO activities into coursework for some extra credit. A ugsburg business students realize the importance of stepping out of the classroom to gain “real-world” experience, and the Twin Cities offers them plenty of opportunities. The Augsburg Business Organization (ABO) aims to provide them a platform to do this. Students join ABO to learn more about the business world, to meet corporate leaders, and to network in search of opportunities for projects, internships, and future employment. Since ABO is student-run, they gain leadership and professional skills as they brainstorm, contact, and arrange for speakers and trips. Founded five years ago by business major Rod Gonzalez ’04, ABO currently has about 15 active students, with a number of others who participate in various events. In January, 12 ABO students traveled to Chicago for an activities-packed three days of visits to CEOs and businesses, following up on contacts from Augsburg’s Development Office. While there they visited three businesses—Chase Bank, Hydrotech Manufacturing Co., and the H&K law firm; plus, they met with executives and toured the Mercantile Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank. “The Chicago trip was a unique opportunity,” said senior business major and ABO member Nii Mensah, “in that it gave us an opportunity to see many different aspects of the city in both a business and urban sense.” Building a portfolio of experience Anthony Haupt, a senior from Red Wing, Minn., and the current president of ABO, has taken good advantage of opportunities in ABO for his own leadership growth. Last year after arranging for Greg Smith ’72 to be a guest speaker at ABO, he kept in contact with Smith, who is chief operating officer of Walden Automotive. It led to a summer internship at the Denny Hecker 4 Anthony Haupt, senior international business management major and president of the Augsburg Business Organization, hopes to involve more business professionals and Augsburg business alumni in the student organization. Automotive Group where Haupt did financial analysis and project management work. He and Smith still keep in touch, and Smith continues to suggest other contacts from whom Haupt can learn. “ABO has opened many doors for me, like the summer internship,” Haupt says, “and has put me in leadership roles with responsibility.” Haupt also strengthened his major in international business management with a semester study program in Barcelona, Spain, that included courses in international business and Spanish. He hopes his minor in Spanish will support future work with a company that has an international presence. He also completed an internship in a healthcare organization, and will seek opportunities to gain training in project management and/or account management after he graduates in May. Even as a part of their coursework, the business administration faculty push students to connect with the business community. Haupt cites his international marketing class in which students had to choose a Minnesota company with ABO seeks business contacts Haupt’s vision for ABO is for the organization to build a network of Twin Cities business professionals, especially Augsburg business alumni. What students hope to gain, he says, are relationships with the business community and access to business expertise, experience, and information. Business professionals should be assured, Haupt says, that Augsburg students are well-educated and eager to get their feet wet in the business world. He cites several examples of past student leaders, like the ABO presidents, who have transformed internships into job opportunities, and used their experiences as springboards into a career. How to connect with ABO ABO offers these ideas for connecting Augsburg business alumni and other business professionals with students: • Volunteer as a guest speaker at an ABO event • Participate in a resource network for business students • Host Augsburg business students at your company or workplace • Join the Take an Auggie to Lunch program • Help ABO with fundraising to support trips and other activities To learn more or participate in ABO activities, contact Anthony Haupt at <abo@augsburg.edu> with your name, class year (if you are an alumnus/a), title and place of work, and e-mail and/or telephone number. Spring 2006 Sports For current sports information, scores, and schedules go to <www.augsburg.edu/athletics>. Auggies inspire hoop dreams in neighborhood kids by Don Stoner H elping young members of the CedarRiverside neighborhood learn about the game of basketball was a “slamdunk” proposition for the Augsburg College men’s basketball team. In January, the Auggies invited 50 boys and girls from the Cedar-Riverside Community School, which primarily teaches immigrant children, to attend a morning basketball clinic at Si Melby Hall. Head coach Aaron Griess and members of the Augsburg squad showed children the basics of the game, then broke up into smaller groups to work individually with them. Each group took part in fun games with the Auggie players, where they were able to put their newly-learned skills into practice. The clinic ended with an impromptu dunking exhibition from members of the Augsburg squad, to the cheers of the youngsters watching. “We’re proud to be able to make a difference in the lives of young people who haven’t had the same opportunities that other children have, and we’re committed to helping build the community we live in,” said Griess, in his first season as Augsburg’s head coach. The clinic was organized by Griess and Mary Laurel True, associate director of Augsburg’s Center for Service, Work, and Learning. “Spending time with the kids, watching them laugh, and teaching them some basketball skills was a tremendous joy,” Griess said. “Each and every one of our students put their hearts into the short period of time they spent with the kids, and we’re all looking forward to the next opportunity.” ade h gr a, 4t Laur Fadum o, 4th grade Thank you, Auggies! “I had fun learning with you guys. It was important to me because when I grow up I will be a good basketball player.” —Abdullahi, 3rd grade “I learned basketball is not easy; it's hard, but it just looks easy.” —Sagal, 6th grade “Thank you for giving me inspiration to play basketball.” —Karina, 6th grade “In the summer I will love to show all of my friends what you have taught me. It really meant a lot to me when you taught me a lot of tricks.” —Muna, 4th grade The Cedar-Riverside kids yell “41, 41, 41…” to pull no. 41 Auggie junior Tait Thomsen to the floor. “I’ve learned new tricks and so much more. I felt like a professional basketball player. This is one of the best days of my life.” —Nasra, 4th grade Fifty-plus students from the Cedar-Riverside Community School watch in awe as Auggie senior Aaron Benesh dunks the ball. Spring 2006 5 Faculty and Staff PRESENTATIONS Tony Bibus, social work, presented a poster, “Working with Involuntary Clients in Slovenia,” about a study with Ljubljana University, at the Council on Social Work Education meeting in February. Bill Capman, biology, co-presented “Reef Aquaria in the Classroom and Teaching Laboratory: Learning Activities, Organisms, and Logistics” at the Marine Aquarium Conference of North America (MACNA) in Washington, D.C. Emiliano Chagil, Hispanic/Latino Student Services, presented “Higher Education and Acculturation: The Contradictions Involved in Improving Your Life through Education while Sustaining Your Cultural Self,” at the annual Breaking Barriers Conference at the University of St. Thomas. Su Dorée, mathematics, led a paper session, “Countering ‘I Can’t Do Math’: Strategies for Teaching Underprepared, Math-Anxious Students,” at the annual joint meetings of the American Mathematical Society and the Mathematical Association of America. At the same conference, Rebekah Dupont, mathematics, co-organized a panel discussion, “Firefighting, Paper Trailing, and Cat Herding: Everything You Wanted to Know to Be an Administrator but Were Afraid to Ask.” Teachers meeting teachers in Namibia by Gretchen Kranz Irvine F or over five years, my life has been exponentially enriched, professionally and personally, from my experiences in Namibia, Africa. I have been the trip leader for three summer study trips in 2000, 2003, and most recently last summer, July 1-22, 2005. I gathered a group of educators—classroom teachers, a preservice teacher, and teacher educators—to travel to Namibia to learn about the country and her people, focusing on the education system. In collaboration with the Center for Global Education, my goals for the trip were to introduce Namibia by visiting various locations; by hearing from Namibians working in a variety of sectors, especially teachers, principals, and faculty from the University of Namibia and teachers’ colleges; by accessing local media; and by being immersed in a culture so different from ours, and yet the same. I was pleased that our group bonded easily as a community and blended like a fine-tuned melody. We benefited from the two University of Namibia students preparing to be teachers who joined us and added depth to our understanding of schools and the influence of culture. A highlight for this trip was a oneday conference for teachers in the Windhoek area hosted by our group, with the help and facilitation of many others. We gathered at the Rossing Conference Center in Khomasdal, a suburb of the capital city, Windhoek— 50 people interested in schools, teachers, learners, and all areas related to education—for sessions titled “The Important Role of Teachers in NationBuilding.” The speakers, facilitators, and organizers were both Namibians and the members of our group. The results far exceeded what could be stated here. We explored large issues impacting all teachers. We built professional links—both individual and group—that would sustain relationships after we returned to the U.S. And we Courtesy photo Garry Hesser, sociology and metrourban studies, co-presented “Toward the Public Good: Maps, Lenses, and Models of Civic Engagement,” at the Association of American Colleges and Universities conference in November. Hesser also presented, with Ann Lutterman-Aguilar and Merrie Benasutti, “Crossing Borders: Exploring Vocation in a Multicultural/Global Context,” at the Nov. meeting of the National Society for Experiential Education. Marc Isaacson, MIS, presented “Statistical Literacy—Online at Capella University” at the American Statistical Association meeting. Cheryl Leuning, nursing, and Pandu Hailonga, CGE Namibia, co-authored and presented, “Transforming What is Known about HIV, AIDS, and Tuberculosis into Culturally Appropriate Protective Practices in Namibia and Tanzania,” at the July Tumaini conference in Tanzania. 6 A group of educators from Minnesota spent three weeks with teachers and educators in Namibia, based at Augsburg’s Center for Global Education. Augsburg participants are: Melinda Stockmann (front row, left), CGE-Namibia intern; Pandu Hailonga (back row, fourth from left), CGE-Namibia trip leader; Carol Knicker (back row, fifth from left), assistant professor of education; and Gretchen Irvine (back row, second from right), assistant professor of education and Augsburg trip leader. Spring 2006 Courtesy photo On a visit to the Haganeni Primary School in Walvis Bay, Namibia, the educators enjoyed meeting the students, or “learners.” Courtesy photo helped to respond to the need of all teachers to discuss important issues, realizing how vital it is for people involved in the process of educating our children and youth to have opportunities for dialogue and reflection. Because of the cultural differences unfamiliar to me, I appreciated working with the Namibians who helped to make the conference relevant and meaningful for everyone. It will be months and years before we can realize what this trip has meant to us as individuals. We have tried to spread the word about Namibia, a very silent country on the world stage. Our worldviews have been forever changed by images of Namibian teachers, of the children and youth, and of the life we witnessed in the coastal cities as different from the villages in the north. We heard the voices of Namibians telling of their past, and we learned about the current struggles toward the constitutional goals of their 16-year-old nation. We witnessed the joy of people together, and enjoyed being in the company of a youth group building their lives. And we read about the hopes and dreams of people looking toward the future. Our global vision has expanded as a result of this experience. I am grateful to the Center for Global Education staff—both here and in Namibia—whose expertise helped us create the best learning environment for our experience. In our own group, individuals acted beyond any expectations in caring for each other, challenging thinking, and with kindness to all. I have been a teacher for 38 years. The experiences I’ve enjoyed are true gifts to me as a teacher, and, also, to my students at Augsburg. Gretchen Irvine is assistant professor of education. Professor Gretchen Kranz Irvine presents an Augsburg folder to Augsburg alumna Fredericka Uahengo ’90, rector of the Ongwediva Teachers College in northern Namibia. Spring 2006 Read more about this travel seminar and conference on the participants’ blog at <web.augsburg.edu/~irvine/Namibia>. PRESENTATIONS Dallas Liddle, English, presented “Bakhtinian ‘Journalization’ and the MidVictorian Literary Marketplace,” at Oxford University’s First Annual Conference on the History of the Book, sponsored by their English faculty, in Nov. Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Center for Global Education-Mexico, presented a theological perspective on the rights of women at the International Women’s Day conference in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in March 2005. She and Judy Shevelev, also with CGE-Mexico, along with five former students, co-presented two papers at the National Women’s Association conference in June. Diane Pike, sociology, presented the keynote, “Not Rocket Science: Teaching, Learning, and Engagement,” at the Oct. joint meeting of the Wisconsin and Illinois Sociological Associations and the Wisconsin Political Science Association. Marc Skjervem, student affairs, and Keith McCoy, residence life, presented a session, “Developing a Seamless FirstYear Experience on a Small Campus,” at the National Orientation Directors Association regional conference in April. NOTEWORTHY Markus Fuehrer, philosophy, is preparing a translation and commentary of Albertus Magnus’ Liber de homine (Treatise on Man). He is currently preparing an entry on Albertus Magnus at the invitation of the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Brad Holt, religion, was elected to the national board of the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality (SSCS), an international organization of people who teach Christian spirituality in colleges, universities, and seminaries. Patrice Salmeri, StepUP® program, was elected chairperson of the executive board of the Association of Recovery Schools (ARS). Milo Schield, business administration and the W.M. Keck Statistical Literacy Project, completed a textbook on statistical literacy, which is being used in Augsburg classes this spring. 7 Lynn Bollman, art, participated in the Third Biennial Printmaking Exhibition, in November, showcasing the work of 40 professors of printmaking at 22 Minnesota colleges and universities. History professor Jacqui DeVries’ article, “Rediscovering Religion after the Postmodern Turn,” was published in the spring 2005 issue of Feminist Studies and will also appear in the fall 2005 issue of the online History Compass. Pandu Hailonga, Center for Global Education-Namibia, published an article, “Violence, Rape, and Murder: Symptoms of Societal Disease,” in The Namibian in March 2005. Garry Hesser, sociology and metrourban studies, co-authored a chapter, “Liberal Learning and Internships in Sociology, in The Internship Handbook, edited by Richard Salem and published in 2005. Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Center for Global Education-Mexico, published a chapter, “La reconstrucción de la iglesia,” in Los derechos humanos al interior de nuestra iglesia, edited by Guadalupe Cruz Cárdenas, published by Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir (CDD) in 2005. Phil Quanbeck II, religion, contributed to a collection, Teaching the Bible, published in October by the Society of Biblical Literature. An article by Quanbeck “Preaching Apocalyptic Texts” was published in the summer issue of Word and World. Department of Public Safety— Augsburg’s 411 by Betsey Norgard L ocked out? … Too hot in your room? … Need a jump for a dead battery? … Want to know when the hockey game starts? … Need a ride from the lightrail station? These are just samples of the questions fielded by the Department of Public Safety. Headed by John Pack, who came to Augsburg nearly three years ago after 13 years at the University of Minnesota, this office operates 24/7 and oversees the College’s switchboard communications, facilities management requests, campus security, and communications and emergency management. Pack tries to get the word out about their services, especially about campus safety. Each summer at orientation, he enjoys talking with new students and their parents. “The message is that Augsburg is in the heart of the city,” Pack says, “which brings tremendous opportunities, but also some challenges, mostly parking and security.” Public Safety strives to ensure that everyone in the Augsburg community feels safe. Escort services are available to any of the parking lots and for students who go back and forth from internships or service projects in the neighborhood. Security officers also provide rides to and from the nearby lightrail stops. A phone call from two stops away gets students a quick ride back to campus. Pack has initiated regular meetings of security personnel from Augsburg, the University of Minnesota, FairviewRiverside, College of St. Catherine, and the Minneapolis police to share information and coordinate prevention efforts in order to decrease incidents overall. A recent incident illustrates this cooperative relationship. At a building near the edge of campus, an intoxicated person, not part of the Augsburg community, slipped, fell, wedged his head between two pipes, and went into respiratory distress. Augsburg security officers on routine patrol noticed him and called 911. Officer Annie DeYoung stayed with the injured man, monitoring his medical condition, until rescue personnel arrived. Firefighters needed the Jaws of Life to free the man and rush him to the emergency room. The firefighters credited DeYoung with saving the man’s life—for assessing the situation quickly and applying the medical treatment that kept his airway and breathing clear until they arrived. Staff photo PUBLICATIONS/EXHIBITIONS/ PERFORMANCES HONORS/AWARDS/GRANTS Mark Strefeler, biology, received a $57,500 grant from Beckman Coulter’s matching grant program for a genetic analysis system to aid research in plant genetics and microbiology. It allows for gene sequencing, DNA fingerprinting, and molecular genetics. In his research with students, he carries out DNA barcoding for species identification and identification and isolation of genes for disease resistance in plants. John Pack, director of public safety, accepts a Certificate of Appreciation from Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak (left) and police chief William McManus for the College’s cooperation and for support to the Minneapolis Police Department. 8 Spring 2006 Photo illustration by Stephen Geffre Office space: or how I spent 18 years in the closet at Augsburg by Doug Green W hy I didn’t move out of my little hole in the wall of an office when I had the chance, I’ll never know. It’s one of the smallest spaces in the maze that is Memorial Hall, a former dormitory and the second oldest surviving building on campus. The room can’t be more than 6 x 6 and would be more suitable as a walk-in closet—or perhaps a very large coffin. My office desk, an old metal one of modest size and a rosy beige hue, faces the wall beneath an enormous Saul Steinberg print of America as viewed from Manhattan. Before I got my laptop, Manhattan was unfortunately hidden behind my computer, just as Minnesota has blotted out most of my New York past over the last 20 years. On the wall behind me as I sit at my desk, the floor-to-ceiling shelves are overflowing with books, papers, knickknacks (mostly mementoes from past students and pictures of my wife and son), and last year’s posters for campus events. The filing cabinet next to Spring 2006 the door obscures some of the shelves and is buried under debris. Confidential student records are now filed on top of the cabinet for easy access—even to passers-by in the hallway: It’s my version of the Freedom of Information Act. Behind the door and next to the desk is another freestanding bookcase, also overflowing and surmounted by stacks of texts and paper—for creative writing, I think. The walls and the hallway side of the door are plastered with notices, reminders, pictures drawn by my son, and posters of events I had a hand in— like the first GLBT alumni reunion and art show: “Out and About.” The window, however, I love best. When I sit at my desk and look out, it’s like Rear Window; I can spy on a whole set of neighboring offices. But if I push back just a little and face the outside, I see Augsburg’s little quad, an Edenic version of my little closet. Maybe that’s why I can’t leave: because this little cubby across the floor from an old dormitory bathroom that sports mold from the era of Warren G. Harding and College President George Sverdrup is the quintessential professorial space. Like the brain in Dickinson’s poem, my office “is wider than the sky.” My little cabinet contains a world of thoughts—from the books behind and beside me to the computer on my desk to the many visiting colleagues and students who come to share their inner lives with me. I need their stifling and stimulating proximity. My office is certainly no “proud, ambitious heap” nor “built to envious show,” but a place in which, like the Sidneys at Penshurst in Jonson’s famous poem, I can “dwell.” Doug Green is professor of English. This story first appeared in Augsburg Echo in September. 9 10 1 THE NEW GUTHRIE Only a mile away, the Guthrie Theater’s new home makes it even easier for actors and technicians to visit Augsburg seminars and teach as adjunct faculty. 1 3 2 Downtown Minneapolis 4 8 5 9 Augsburg College 6 7 2 CORPORATE DOWNTOWN Internships downtown with non-profits, Fortune 500, and other companies are but a quick lightrail or bus ride away for students and often lead to future career opportunities. Saint Paul 3 MEETING HIS CONSTITUENTS City Hall is his home base, but Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak enjoys getting out to meet the new students on campus. 4 PLAY BALL! The Twins, Vikings, Gophers—and the Auggies, for one game per season—compete several blocks away at the Metrodome. OUR CITY … OUR CLASSROOM 10 BY BETSEY NORGARD ➶ WHAT EXACTLY DOES BEING A COLLEGE OF THE CITY MEAN FOR AUGSBURG? WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DOES IT BRING TO THE AUGSBURG LEARNING COMMUNITY—TO STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF? If one were to look at just a TWO-MILE RADIUS AROUND AUGSBURG, what would be found? 5 HIGH-RISE MELTING POT Riverside Plaza is the hub of the most diverse neighborhood in Minneapolis—and a partner with Augsburg in its community programs and school. The answer is A LOT … the most diverse neighborhood in Minneapolis … the downtown business district … a Super Bowl pro-sports dome … a brand-new home for a world-class theater … a Big 10 university and teaching/research medical center… a quick train ride to the largest shopping mall in the country… miles of running, walking, and biking trails along the Mississippi River. Staff photo 6 A JUMP ON THE LIGHTRAIL Just a few blocks away, the lightrail train is a quick ride to downtown, the airport, and the Mall of America. 7 LEARNING FROM LIVE CORALS Biology professor Bill Capman lends expertise and some live corals to help teachers at Seward Montessori School set up and maintain a coral reef aquarium for their science classes. 8 WORSHIP IN THE CITY Central Lutheran Church is the majestic setting for Augsburg’s Advent Vespers, an annual celebration of word and music that begins the holiday season. Spring 2006 Here, we highlight some of the myriad opportunities our location offers to learn, serve, volunteer, intern, experience, shop, compete, perform, keep fit, have fun, and so much more! Teach. Reach. Feed. Lead. That’s the motto of the Campus Kitchens Project, based in Washington, D.C., that combines preparing and delivering meals, partnering in the community, training for employment opportunities, and providing service learning for students. Since opening on campus in 2003, the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg has served more than 25,000 meals to community organizations. The program, which is student organized and run, is based in the College’s food service facilities, and works with surplus food from the food service and local food banks. Two shifts of student volunteers each week prepare meals and deliver them to six locations the next day. The students spend time in each location, getting to know and talking with the people being served. Above, at Peace House in the Phillips neighborhood, junior Jeanette Clark talks with a visitor. She and other students deliver meals on Thursdays to the 30-50 people who drop in to Peace House for conversation, fellowship, and nourishment. During the summers, Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen operates a job training program to train and certify unemployed people in food management culinary skills to help them find jobs. 11 Trick or treat—dorm style Targeting a career Each Halloween, ghosts, goblins, and other costumed characters wander the halls of Urness and Mortensen Halls, going from door to door trick-or-treating. They’re neighborhood children invited to campus by LINK, the student service organization, for fun, games, treats, and, sometimes, a haunted house. LINK provides the candy, and students provide the fun for the kids. Tim Benson ’00, graduated with a business administration/marketing major and a minor in management information systems. Benson picked up his first downtown corporate experience at a summer internship with Accenture (then Andersen Consulting). He found it to be great preparation for the business world that he couldn’t have learned in a classroom— “protocols, unwritten rules, and business speak”—that helped him get a foot in the door at Target Corporation. He started as a business analyst and was eventually promoted to a supply chain expert. Now he is manager of an eight-person team in the kitchenware department, which is responsible for about 1,000 items and hundreds of millions of dollars in sales annually in all 1400+ Target stores. A day at the Soap Factory (map #10) As part of AugSem, their first-year seminar, students in ART 102 Design spent an afternoon at the Soap Factory. This turn-ofthe-century wood and brick warehouse, which formerly housed the National Purity Soap Factory, has been turned into an art gallery featuring work by emerging artists, and offering available studio space. The afternoon was part of City Service Projects Day, which started with a 20-minute walk to the gallery through the historic flour mill district. At the gallery, the students helped take down one show and prepare to install another. They cleaned floors, scrubbed and squeegeed walls, and moved furniture. The students got first-hand experience in what a gallery is—or not, i.e. it’s not just clean floors and bright lighting. Since a number of these students intend to major in art-related fields, this gave them an opportunity for a service project in something that really interested them. Plus, the gallery director told them that what they were able to do for the gallery in three hours would have taken the staff all week to complete. 12 (map #2) Staying connected with kids (map #9) Kristy Bleichner graduated from Augsburg in 2002 with a major in social work. While a student, she began to volunteer for Wednesday Night Out, a program sponsored by Trinity Lutheran Church. For this, Trinity partners with community organizations, including Augsburg, to provide suppers for neighborhood families, giving them a place to gather and talk. After supper, Bleichner and other student volunteers take the children to a nearby gym for games, making it more convenient for their parents to talk with each other about family and community issues. Even after graduating nearly four years ago, Bleichner has wanted to stay connected with these families and continues to devote time to the Wednesday Night Out program. Spring 2006 A school of many cultures (map #5) Around-the-world food Five blocks from Augsburg lies the only school in the country located in a high-rise apartment building. The Cedar-Riverside Community School, a K-8 charter school sponsored by Minneapolis Public Schools, is in the midst of Minneapolis’ most diverse neighborhood, largely Somali and East African. The school serves mostly immigrant children, from nearly a dozen different countries, some of whom never had any formal education before arriving in the U.S. Each week nearly 30-40 Augsburg students tutor and mentor at the school, and provide instruction or support during the year in music, art, piano lessons, physical education, science, and health. Augsburg elementary education students in Professor Jeanine Gregoire’s science methods class teach hand-on science units at the school. In the photo, Pa Kou Yang ’05 is working with two second-graders. When Augsburg moved to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in 1872, it was home to a thriving community of Scandinavian immigrants. Again, it is a center for many people recently arriving in the U.S., primarily from Somalia and East Africa. The neighborhood has more than 20 restaurants, most of which serve ethnic foods; as well as ethnic clothing stores, grocers, and art galleries; and a Lutheran church and a mosque. As part of the first-year AugSem group, students visited area businesses and tried out some of the nearby restaurants. In this photo, a group sits around the table at Addis Ababa, an Ethiopian restaurant down the block from campus. Helping women stay fit at FOLC Caring for the mighty Mississippi (map #5) Eilidh Reyelts ’06 (facing front at right in photo), a senior biology and premedical major, began volunteering last year with Rachel Domier ’05 (left) at Family Opportunities for Living Collaboration (FOLC) at Riverside Plaza. This center encourages community members to work together at meeting the needs of neighborhood residents, many of whom are immigrants or refugees with little understanding of English or of American customs and health practices. Reyelts and Domier were both Lilly Interns and designed internships to explore areas within their vocational interests. Twice a week at FOLC they taught exercise to immigrant and refugee women, and helped them monitor their weight and blood pressure. Reyelts also is a Citizen Scholar through the Campus Compact program. As an AugSem leader, she took new students on a tour of the neighborhood and to FOLC. Reyelts’ vocational goals include a career in medicine or public health. Spring 2006 With the Mississippi River within a stone’s throw, Augsburg has joined the network of “river stewards” and has “adopted” a section of the river just downstream from campus. Planned activities involve students in litter clean-up, trail monitoring, placing stenciled warnings on storm drains to prevent pollution into the river, monitoring invasive species, and trail monitoring. In the summer, political science professor Joe Underhill-Cady teaches Environmental and River Politics, a course that looks at the challenges of balancing economic development, social justice, and environmental stewardship. Students spend time on the river and meet with people involved in river-related issues. 13 Courtesy photo H U R R I C A N E K AT R I N A : R E S P O N D I N G F R O M T H E H E A RT Medicine for both patient and doctor The days were long, the work was physically exhausting. What Augsburg alumni Paul Mueller ’84, M.D., and Rick Seime ’70, Ph.D., encountered in the hurricane-devastated areas of southern Louisiana was far worse than news reports could show. But, Mueller describes returning to Minnesota rejuvenated and thankful for the opportunity to help. Seime says he would do it again in a heartbeat. Mueller, an internist with a public health background, and Seime, a psychologist, both at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., served on different medical relief teams. They were a part of Operation Minnesota Lifeline, a collaboration of healthcare volunteers from Mayo Clinic, University of Minnesota, College of St. Catherine, and the American Refugee Committee. Sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Health, their work helped to 14 by Betsey Norgard bridge the crisis period by treating immediate medical needs and connecting people to resources until more permanent public health clinics were set up. For two weeks each, Mueller’s and Seime’s teams operated from a base in Lafayette, La., and were housed at a Baptist church. Each day they set out in vans supplied with medicines, supplies, and vaccines, to treat people in the field, most of whom were either Hurricane Katrina evacuees from New Orleans or residents of the areas ravaged by Hurricane Rita. The medical teams were multidisciplinary, including physicians, nurses, social workers, and others. But, everyone served as a mental health counselor because the need was so great. Many people had lost everything they owned, had lost contact with family members, and had lost their medications and medical providers. Many simply just needed to talk. Despite their adversities, Seime was “impressed with their resiliency, in the faith they had, and in the way they came together to help each other out.” Both Mueller and Seime remark about the gratitude expressed by hurricane victims for the care they received from the medical teams. In Johnson’s Bayou, La., a coastal town almost totally destroyed by Hurricane Rita, Mueller met Rhonda, “a salt-of-the-earth person” and one of a very few who had returned to her home. Above: Mayo Clinic internist Dr. Paul Mueller ’84 (left) and Sr. Romana Klaubaus (right), a nurse from the College of St. Catherine, posed with residents of Johnson’s Bayou (La.). There they met Rhonda (second from right), a local emergency medical technician, who helped them find and treat the residents who had moved back. Spring 2006 Courtesy photo left Lafayette at 4:45 a.m. and worked until 10 p.m. that night. The team consulted all day, but still could not meet with everyone seeking help. His most vivid memory is of Miss Cindy, who came to be vaccinated in Eunice, La. He listened to her story of riding out the storm in her apartment building in New Orleans. When the levees broke, she told of trying to get help to rescue the other tenants in her building, and of wading in the water to get to boats. Not all survived, and she told of an elderly man who had to turn back. They saw him drown without being able to offer assistance. Miss Cindy was so grateful for the medical team’s help that she baked a Cajun meal to thank them and drove it 35 miles to the church where Seime and his colleagues were staying. Drawing on his background in both internal medicine and public health, Mueller felt “called” to respond to the medical needs in Louisiana. Seime considered it a privilege to serve and was glad for the opportunity, even taking into account the 21 hours each way on the bus. Paul Mueller ’84, M.D., is a member of the Augsburg Board of Regents and serves on the Science Center Task Force. Rick Seime ’70 is a Distinguished Alumnus and member of Augsburg’s Science Advisory Board. Mueller’s medical team set up shop in a FEMA trailer park, where many evacuees were living in tents. Courtesy photo Donald Mattison ’66, M.D., a senior adviser at the National Institutes of Health and a U.S. Public Health Service (USPHS) medical officer, led a team to Louisiana on Aug. 31, just after Hurricane Katrina struck, for a two-week deployment. Emergency medicine in a field hospital by Donald Mattison ’66, M.D. Mayo psychologist Rick Seime ’70 (right) and internist Dr. Daniel Hartigan (left) from the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., pack the van with medical supplies and vaccines for the day’s assignment in the field. Even though the local gas station her husband owned had been destroyed, Mueller says she was “amazingly happy and optimistic, and determined to re-build.” He tells of how Rhonda knew everybody—those who had returned to town, their ages, what medicines they took, etc. She was a volunteer emergency medical technician and rode with the team in their van, taking them to each of the homes where returning residents could be vaccinated and treated. Seime spent one day on a team sent to New Orleans, where they treated people in a FEMA resource center. They Spring 2006 I was part of the second team of Public Health Service (PHS) officers deployed into Baton Rouge, La. Our initial assignment was staffing and coordination of a temporary hospital established in two buildings on the Louisiana State University campus—an acute care “emergency room” with intensive care unit (ICU) containing about 150 beds, and a lower acuity hospital containing 200-500 beds (depending on need). While both were operating as hospitals over about a 15-day period, approximately 15,000 individuals were “triaged” and about 3,000 admitted, cared for, and discharged. When the demand for acute care diminished, the smaller facility was closed and the lower acuity facility converted to a special needs shelter. At that point additional PHS officers were available to participate in needs assessment and establishment of surveillance systems with the state health department. Teams were also assigned to manage medical and mental health needs of first responders from New Orleans. Missions Donald Mattison ’66, M.D., was honored on campus last fall as a Distinguished Alumnus. during the “public health” period of the deployment included assessment and surveillance of hospitals, clinics, schools, public wells, food processing facilities, and shelters. The PHS officers I worked with during the deployment were dedicated, highly professional, and went far beyond what would be expected to meet the needs of Louisiana. I was honored to lead these officers and extremely proud of all of them. 15 Hurricane Katrina, a personal perspective by Shira Hussain I was recruiting in Wisconsin when Hurricane Katrina was set to hit the Gulf Coast. My dad was determined not to leave and actually held my family back from evacuating as soon as they wanted to. I even called home and was crying because I just didn’t have a good gut I just didn’t have a good gut feeling about this hurricane. feeling about this hurricane. Frequently people in New Orleans do not evacuate for hurricanes because they are so common, and people fear their houses will be looted if they leave. My parents, sister, and brother evacuated to Lake Charles, La., the day before the storm hit. I watched the news and was happy to see that the storm came and went. Then disaster struck on a whole new level. The minute the levees were declared breached, I knew things were going to get a lot worse. I saw the city under water and couldn’t stop crying. I didn’t hear from my family and friends and cried even more. I was finally able to reach my mom two days after the ordeal and cried for more positive reasons. Eventually, I got in touch with the rest of my family and also my hometown friends. Although I couldn’t explain why all of this happened, I did have the choice to find something positive out of all of it. Although I couldn’t explain why all of this happened, I did have the choice to find something positive out of all of it. The fact that my family and friends were alive is what kept me going. A few weeks later, my parents returned to the 16 Shira Hussain was on the road attending college fairs when she heard the news that her New Orleans neighborhood was under water. house, which was completely destroyed. Fortunately, my mom was able to get our family Bible and photos. They plan to rebuild in the same area. I, too, took a hard hit with all of this. I lost the house I grew up in and the schools I went to. Most of my hang-out of things as we think we are. (My parents, like so many others, are still waiting for their insurance checks and their trailer from FEMA). This whole experience gives us all so many reasons to be thankful. And it emphasizes that minor problems, petty grudges, and bad Helping my fellow “N’awlins” neighbors in any way I could was in turn helping me deal with everything. spots were gone, and the worst part was being so far away from my family during all of this. So I did what I could. I got advances on my checks and sent money home. I headed up fundraising efforts at Augsburg for hurricane evacuees. I even passed out my number as a resource to Minnesota locals who were hosting, donating to, and/or aiding evacuees. Helping my fellow “N’awlins” neighbors in any way I could was in turn helping me deal with everything. From all of this, I’ve truly accepted that nothing material lasts forever. I’ve also learned that we are not as in control intentions are really things we shouldn’t hold on to, because major things beyond our control will happen—both good and bad, easy and challenging. A family friend of ours did drown in her house while waiting for her nephew, who never came to get her. My mom took it particularly hard because she had wanted Miss Gerdy to evacuate with them. I just trust that she died peacefully in the house as I believe many people did who were stuck behind. Shira Hussain is senior admissions counselor in the Office of Undergraduate Admissions. Spring 2006 Teachers who lead, leaders who teach EDITED BY BETSEY NORGARD Vicki Olson describes how teachers as leaders must be willing to take risks and to become positive influences in schools. O OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS I’ve been reading about a topic dear to my heart—teacher leadership. At Augsburg, this concept undergirds our teacher licensure programs at both the undergraduate and graduate levels. What teacher leadership means to Augsburg’s Education Department is that the teachers we prepare have both the right and the responsibility to exercise leadership within their classrooms, schools, districts, and communities. Recognizing that teachers lead within the classroom is not difficult; it is accepted enough to seem like common sense. But once you get beyond the classroom walls, the concept of teacher leadership is less well established. Some would say “teacher leadership” is an oxymoron. Principals lead, not teachers. They would go on to say that teachers carry out the will of the school district by teaching the designated curriculum, following the standards determined by the state, and upholding the expectations of the community. Teachers, in other words, follow the Spring 2006 direction of others who make the decisions, creating classrooms, in turn, where students learn what they are required to learn. This philosophy exists, but it isn’t the one we believe in or work from. Certainly our vision incorporates the idea that teachers have a responsibility to the school district, the state, and the community to educate students in the best ways possible. That’s a given. But rather than simply doing what they are told, we believe teachers must— truly must—see themselves as active participants in deciding what should be taught and how to teach it. In our vision, teachers come to the table with administrators, parents, other community members, and sometimes students to define what it means to be an educated person and then to map out how that education will happen within a given setting. Teachers count themselves among the grown-ups and accept the responsibility and risks from making the decisions they make. This conceptualization of “teacher” that includes an element of leadership frightens some. Responsibility and risk bring with them accountability, but along with that they also can bring a fine sense of exhilaration, energy, and eminent satisfaction in a job well done. Roland Barth, in Learning by Heart, says, “I think of a teacher leader as one who has a positive influence on the school as well as in the classroom … all teachers have the capacity to lead the enterprise down a more positive path, to bring their abundant experience and wisdom to schools.” Like Barth, at Augsburg we believe all teachers can be teacher leaders and share in leading the collective “enterprise” of making schools positive places with learning at the heart. Teachers who understand their role in this way—risks and all—are more likely to define teaching as their vocation rather than simply their job. Vicki Olson is associate professor of education. 17 Teachers who lead, leaders who teach M MARGARET KNUTSON ’91 Fifth-grade teacher at Orono (Minn.) Intermediate School Education is the second largest major at Augsburg, with approximately 500 students across undergraduate and graduate programs. How do Augsburg students carry the qualities of teacher leadership into their classrooms? Augsburg Now invited a number of alumni and faculty who have been recognized as leaders to reflect about their careers and how they have seen themselves both as teachers who lead and as leaders who teach. Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award in 2004 My goal is to inspire students to find the learner in themselves, to challenge themselves and to find meaning in their education. To that end I have always yearned to try new things in order to find ways to more effectively connect students to learning on a real and personal level. When I discover or create methods I find successful, I share these with colleagues at my school as well as lead workshops for schools around the state. So, being a teacher leader involves keeping your mind and eyes open for new methods, being a risk taker and pioneer in applying new methods, and then not being shy about sharing your successes with others ... and to humbly educate other teachers. Above: Maggie Knutson tries to keep her students engaged in ways that challenge and inspire them to find learning meaningful. 18 Spring 2006 J JOSEPH ERICKSON Professor in Augsburg’s Education Department, and chair of the Minneapolis Board of Education My personal philosophy of teaching is based on the assumption that my primary role is to motivate learners to gather information and develop themselves—I don’t make them learn. I think that’s a kind of leadership; sparking curiosity and motivating learners. I think that is central to good teaching. In my role on the school board, I’m constantly meeting people who have opinions about what should and should not be done in Minneapolis Public Schools. It’s hard to underestimate how much rumor and gossip is out there. My role is to help educate the public when I meet people who hold information that is wrong or misleading. More importantly, I try to make sure that I take every opportunity I can to inspire optimism and confidence in MPS’s future. Sometimes inspiring confidence is even more important than competent administration. Joe Erickson brings his school board leadership experience into his classrooms at Augsburg to help future teachers understand the issues affecting school districts. J JACKI BRICKMAN ’97 Mentor at Elizabeth Hall International Elementary School, Minneapolis From my second year of teaching, my classroom has been a public place— to current and new teachers, to district officials, politicians, and parents. Teachers are at their best in their classrooms facilitating learning, and when teachers open their doors to one another and make their classrooms a public place, we are able lead and teach at the same Teachers in Jacki Brickman’s school meet regularly in study groups to share their practices and strategies in order to help each other grow. J time. Both the teacher observing and the teacher being observed can grow in their practices if they engage in reflective conversation after this shared experience. JUDY SCHAUBACH ’68 President of Education Minnesota Being a teacher and a leader are for me inseparable. In my early years as a teacher I was a strong voice for ensuring a positive work environment that included advocating for professional development opportunities, insisting on compliance with state and federal laws, and working together with the administration to insure a safe and respectful learning environment. The more I took responsibility for these issues the more I grew as a professional. Being involved at the local level and gaining a sense of empowerment was what prompted me to get Spring 2006 involved at the state and national level. As a union leader I rely on my teaching experience to help policy-makers understand what needs to be done … I believe that teachers should not be passive bystanders to what is occurring in their classrooms, schools, or communities, nor should they be silent about policies and laws that have a direct impact on their profession and the students they teach. This philosophy has been the impetus for my leadership, even when it is sometimes difficult and may be controversial. 19 Teachers who lead, leaders who teach A ADAM THRONSON ’99 Social studies teacher at Coon Rapids (Minn.) High School 2005 Anoka-Hennepin School District Teacher Outstanding Performance (TOP) award Teachers are leaders by researching and implementing new strategies into their classroom. It means you take a risk. Teachers usually try methods that other teachers have found success with, but leadership comes when you blaze a new trail by trying something new. B BRUCE PALMQUIST ’84 Professor of physics and science education at Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Wash. Washington State Professor of the Year, named by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). I started teaching while I was a student at Augsburg. I tutored first-year physics students. This taught me that it takes more than good grades in a subject to be a good teacher. I learned that I needed to understand what the students knew and didn’t know before I could help them. … In general, a good teacher is one who leads by example. I try to make my science teaching methods courses relevant by developing interesting opportunities for my students to interact with children. My teaching methods students have been among the first at my university to teach science lessons in the local schools, to develop after-school science clubs, and to provide children with practice items for the Washington state science assessment. (To become better acquainted with Bruce Palmquist, see Auggie Thoughts on p. 32) 20 I have been a leader who teaches when I’ve accepted and encouraged the work of other teachers. This could be new programs like Link Crew or just cooperation dealing with the same student. I have been a teacher who leads by staying positive, supporting administration, and trying new things in my classroom. A ALLEN TRIPP ’69 English teacher at Rush City (Minn.) High School 2005 Leadership in Educational Excellence Award, selected by peers After 35 years of teaching English, I can look back and see many times where I have been both a teacher and a leader. The teacher role is six classes a day September through May. However, the leader role has grown on me over the years as I became more experienced in my profession and familiar with the people in the community. … Teaching ability and leadership skills are a necessary combination for any successful teacher. When I look back at my first year of teaching, I see I had the knowledge to teach effectively, but at times lacked the confidence to lead. By talking to experienced teachers and gaining experience in the classroom, the leadership skills evolved. When you demonstrate confidence in yourself as a teacher, you will clearly communicate goals to the students; and they gain confidence in themselves as learners. It’s a win/win situation. Spring 2006 A ALYSSA SNYDER ’98 President, Bethany Lutheran College, Mankato, Minn. It is in the classroom where we have the most direct impact on our students; however, it cannot end there. As educators we must challenge one another’s ideas and philosophies through professional dialogue in order to gain insight into how to better meet the needs of our learners. My top priority is having high standards for all my students. This is why I feel fortunate to be an instructor in the Weekend College program. I want to influence potential educators to advocate for all of their students, not just the smart and well behaved. A true teacher leader is willing to do this by going against the status quo knowing the student must come first. When I can influence future teachers, I can impact more students positively. D DAN BRUSS ’75 Adjunct instructor in Augsburg’s Education Department J I have been connected to the teaching enterprise of higher education nearly 25 years. As a professor I saw myself not just as a champion of my area of expertise, but primarily as a role model, an individual concerned with the wide variety of struggles students have during their college experience. For me life in the classroom was seamlessly interwoven to the life outside of it. As a college president I still see my chief function as a role model, although now my teaching crosses constituency boundaries. As an administrator I look for the professor who can have the biggest impact on students’ lives. They generally have more lasting influence than programs or buildings. JOHN-MARK STENSVAAG ’69 Charlotte and Frederick Hubbell Professor of Environmental and Natural Resources Law at the University of Iowa College of Law University of Iowa 2005 President and Provost Award for Teaching Excellence All of my great teachers led by example. Every day, I try imperfectly to emulate what my greatest teachers showed me; every day, I expect my students to outshine me in their future endeavors. The enterprise is driven by love: love of learning, love of the subject matter, and love of the students. My greatest teachers led by illustrating such love. For me, “leading” is nothing more than striving to reflect their love to a new generation of students. A POSTSCRIPT: After this story was completed, announcement came of the appointment of Augsburg history professor Bill Green as interim superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools. As he steps from the classroom into a leadership role in a difficult situation, Green has been quoted as saying that he is “first and foremost a teacher.” Spring 2006 21 Paulson family makes major gift to the Science Center Courtesy photo In December, John Paulson, together with Norma Paulson, pledged a $1 million gift on behalf of his family to name the front entrance and atrium of the new Science Center. This is the Paulson family’s second major capital gift to Augsburg. In 2001, the family provided major funding to complete the enclosed skyway link from Lindell Library to the two-story atrium between Memorial and Sverdrup Halls. “One does not have to be on campus long to see what an important need was met by the Paulson Link,” said Stephen Preus, director of development. “This new, special gift by the Paulsons will provide for an equally important and highly attractive space.” While Paulson is not an Augsburg alumnus, three of his children and a sonin-law graduated from the College—Mary Jo (Paulson) Peterson ’80, Laurie (Paulson) Dahl ’76 and David Dahl ’75, and Lisa Paulson ’80. The motivation behind the Science Center gift, however, may date back much farther than his family’s education. Paulson served in the Second Infantry Division during World War II and was part of the Allied invasion landing on D+1 at Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, in June by Betsey Norgard Cory Ryan $1 million gift will name the new atrium John and Norma Paulson pledge $1 million for the Science Center atrium. (L to R) Dick Adamson, vice president for finance and administration; Jeroy Carlson, senior development officer; and Norma and John Paulson. 1944. He was a frontline soldier until July 28, 1944, when he was wounded during the St.-Lo breakthrough. Among the awards Paulson received were the Combat Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart. In June 2004, Paulson and his wife, Norma, traveled to France to take part in the 60th anniversary commemoration of the event that proved to be the turning point of the war. The festivities brought together thousands of people—war veterans, military officials, local people and tourists, as well as Hollywood celebrities whose acting roles had recreated the battles on movie screens. Standing in his Army uniform, wearing medals depicting D-Day service, Paulson enjoyed the commemoration. Following the ceremony, however, he noticed lines of French citizens forming to At the 60th anniversary commemoration of D-Day, Norma and shake hands and request John Paulson met and talked with actor Tom Hanks. 22 autographs from the U.S. veterans. Puzzled, Paulson finally asked someone why he wanted a soldier’s autograph. “Don’t you understand,” the Frenchman told him, “you saved our country.” Paulson recounted how vivid an impression these words made. When he thought about the statistics—the staggering numbers of soldiers who were killed or wounded during the invasion— he realized that he was, in fact, a survivor. And with that realization also came the insight that he had been blessed with many gifts in his life that should be shared with others. “I believe it is important to leave this world in better condition than it was when we arrived,” Paulson said, “so contributing to Augsburg and other worthwhile organizations is part of this process.” The Science Center atrium girft is provided in memory of Lois V. Paulson, Rose E. Paulson, and Johnny E. Paulson, by the Paulson family—John R., Sr., and Norma Paulson, John Reid Paulson, Mary Jo Peterson ’80, Deborah Stansbury, Laurie Dahl ’76, and Lisa Paulson ’80. Spring 2006 Naming the ‘Doc’ Johnson A-Club Office Office in Doc’s memory. Their gifts, with additional gifts from Louie Morseth ’51, Roger Stockmo ’54, Leroy Nyhus ’52, and Virg Gehring ’57 have made it possible. In his senior year at Augsburg, Doc Johnson was elected president of AClub. Now, it is the A-Club vice president from that year, Ron Main, helping to perpetuate Johnson’s legacy as an Auggie. Archive photo Donnis “Doc” Johnson ’52, an Auggie who died at the age of 23, well before his time, will not be forgotten by his friends. Five of his classmates and friends have joined together to name the A-Club office in the new Si Melby South Wing in his memory. Raised in the small town of Newman Grove, Nebraska—the only Lutheran Free Church congregation in that state— Johnson followed his sister, LaRhea, and several relatives to Augsburg College, 400 miles away. He enrolled in 1948, majored in physical education, and became center on the football team. After graduation in 1952 and two years in the U.S. Army at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., Johnson returned home to a teaching and football coaching position at the Elgin (Neb.) High School. This was to be his only year of teaching, as he died of bulbar polio in November 1954. Members of his high school football team served as pallbearers. Early last year, Doc’s cousin, Mark Johnson ’54, together with Augsburg development officer Ron Main ’56, proposed a plan to name the new A-Club by Betsey Norgard “Doc” Johnson (top row, no. 28) played on the 1951 football team, along with teammate, and now development officer and donor, Ron Main ’56 (middle row, no. 38). Connections Augsburg meets Thrivent challenge Augsburg received bonus funding of $5,415 from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for successfully meeting the GivingPlus program challenge. About 450 Lutheran schools and social service agencies were awarded portions of an $800,000 grant from Thrivent for significantly improving participation in Thrivent’s GivingPlus program, which matches contributions to Lutheran institutions by its members. In order to qualify, Augsburg needed to increase GivingPlus by 588 member donors before December. It exceeded that with a total of 693, thereby also earning $78,805 in matching funds from Thrivent under the program. The bonus funds will be used for student scholarships, curriculum development, student-oriented activities, and campus improvements. Spring 2006 Barbara Gage, president of the Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation, was honored with the 2006 Leading Leaders award for lifelong commitment to family, career, and service to community. (L to R) Emily Anne Tuttle, Augsburg Board of Regents; Barbara Carlson Gage; and Tracy Elftmann, Augsburg vice president for institutional advancement. The Connections event, co-sponsored by Augsburg and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, also included speakers Janice Aune ’88, chairman/CEO of Onvoy, Inc.; Augsburg regent Gloria C. Lewis, president/CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities; and Shira Hussain, Augsburg senior admissions counselor. 23 Sig Hjelmeland led fundraising efforts for 30 years Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41 was the second of four generations of Augsburg graduates and spent three decades at Augsburg leading fundraising efforts that made possible a number of major capital projects. He died on Dec. 25 at age 90. Hjelmeland returned to Augsburg in 1952 to serve as the College’s first director of development. Major campaigns he headed led to the completion of the George Sverdrup Library, Christensen Center, Urness Hall, and Foss Center. He is best remembered by colleague Jeroy Carlson ’48 as “meticulous.” In the late 1950s, as donor and giving programs were being created, Hjelmeland drew on his expertise and passion for detail to create a manual accounting system and bookkeeping procedures for donor gifts. This included the use of a bank book to help donors track their monthly pledge payments. In 1963, as the College moved through the transition from the Lutheran Free Church (LFC) into the American Lutheran Church, Hjelmeland, with his Norwegian LFC background, served a valuable role in helping many of Augsburg’s longtime LFC families stay part of and feel connected to Augsburg. “He spoke Norwegian and had a great sense of humor,” Carlson says, “not just American humor, but Scandinavian humor as well.” Hjelmeland’s relationships helped to foster a culture of philanthropy that has nurtured many of Augsburg’s current donors. In 1986, Hjelmeland, with his wife, by Betsey Norgard Three generations of Hjelmeland Auggies: Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41, who is survived by his wife, Helen; (back row, L to R) James Clarke and daughter Laurene (Hjelmeland) Clarke ’64; son John ’70 and Lynn (Benson) ’69 Hjelmeland; and granddaughter Jennifer (Hjelmeland) Stewart ’00. Helen, and son and daughter-in law John ’70 and Lynn (Benson) ’69, established a scholarship in the name of his father, John Hjelmeland, who graduated from Augsburg Academy, College, and Seminary. In 2003, Sig Hjelmeland received the Spirit of Augsburg award for his dedication and long service to the College. Hjelmeland is survived by his wife, Helen; two children, Laurene and John; seven grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren. The family has directed memorial gifts to the Rev. John Hjelmeland Scholarship Fund. Faculty-staff giving boosts campaign From September through December, guided by a faculty-staff campaign committee, employees of Augsburg raised the bar on giving and encouraged awareness of a philanthropic culture. A generous matching fund, matches from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans for its members, and contacts from committee members helped to significantly increase both the dollar amount and the rate of giving within the Augsburg community. 24 Through December 31, an additional total of $133,000 was given or pledged by employees of the College, beyond the $635,000 since the campaign’s launch. Even more important, however, was the increased rate of participation in the campaign—to more than doubling the overall rate of 17% in 2004-05. By the end of the year, the giving rate for full-time faculty and staff exceeded 50%. Spring 2006 AAlumni LUMNINews NEWS From the director of Alumni Relations… A ugsburg College is in the midst of many exciting changes this spring. Our first group of MBA students will graduate in May, along with candidates from our other master’s programs in leadership, education, nursing, physician assistant studies, and social work—plus our undergraduates from the day, weekend, and Rochester programs. Congratulations to you all! The campus face is changing, too. I hope that you have had an opportunity to view the artist renderings of the planned Science, Gateway, and Si Melby additions. We welcome you back to campus to tour the grounds this spring and summer—our grounds crew does an amazing job beautifying the campus! In Alumni Board news, three members will end their terms this spring. We would like to thank Beth Torstenson ’66, Andy Morrison ’73, and Paul Mueller ’84 for their dedication and hard work during their tenures. We hope to see them at many events in the future. Thank you! Alumni Relations, along with Advancement Services and Information Technology, are pleased to announce the newly launched Augsburg Online Community, which will help you stay informed and involved with Augsburg via the Internet. See the information below for details. Planning for Homecoming 2006 is well underway. This year’s theme is “Watch Us Soar,” and events are scheduled this September 25-30. Watch your mailbox for your Homecoming brochure in August. We have made changes to the usual Saturday activities, and we encourage all alumni, family, and friends to join us. We look forward to hosting you at an Augsburg event in the near future. Please let the Office of Alumni Relations know if you will be in the metro area this summer—we would love to show you the campus! Heidi Breen Director, Office of Alumni Relations Introducing Augsburg’s new online community A ugsburg’s online community has been developed just for you— alumni, friends, parents, and donors of the College. The new online community will help you stay informed and involved with Augsburg via the Internet. This is a great way to stay connected! Visit the site and register today so that you can take advantage of the great new features to keep you connected to your Augsburg friends and classmates. You’ll find: Alumni Directory • Learn where your classmates and friends are, and what they’ve been doing since graduation • Connect with other alumni in your area of the country • Update your personal profile so your classmates can get in touch with you Spring 2006 Class Notes Tell us what you’ve been up to! As part of your personal profile you can now submit class notes online for possible publication in Augsburg Now. programs, and of course, Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College. Giving online is easy and secure—and there’s no need to be a registered user to donate. Events Wondering what events are taking place for Augsburg alumni? The online community is the place to search and register for events specifically for alumni and friends of the College. Check back often to learn about upcoming Auggie Hours, parent events, or just to find out the most up-to-date news around the Augsburg campus. It’s EASY Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni Online Giving You asked, and we listened! Making a contribution to Augsburg has never been easier. Simply visit Augsburg’s online community and click on the “Give Now” link to donate online. Otherwise, click on “Giving at Augsburg” to learn about planned giving, our various giving It’s FAST Moving? Changing your e-mail address? New addition to your family? Let us know instantly by logging in and updating your information. QUESTIONS? If you have any questions, first read through the information on the Augsburg online community website. If you still have questions, send an e-mail to <healyk@augsburg.edu>. 25 Alumni Events SUMMER AUGGIE HOURS Please join us for these upcoming alumni events (see also the college-wide calendar on the inside back cover for additional Augsburg events); unless otherwise noted, call 612-330-1178 or 1-800-260-6590 or e-mail <alumni@augburg.edu> for more information. March May 16 5 Graduation reception for all undergraduate and graduate business students, Marshall Room, Christensen Center, 4-6 p.m. April 9 Alumni tour to China departs 18 Alumni Board meeting, Christensen Center, 5:30 p.m. 18 27 Senior reception hosted by the Alumni Board in honor of the Class of 2006, East Commons, Christensen Center, 4:30-6 p.m. WECAN meeting (Weekend College Alumni Network), 6-8 p.m., Riverside Room, Christensen Center WECAN meeting (Weekend College Alumni Network), 6-8 p.m., Riverside Room, Christensen Center April Join a variety of alumni who are actively involved in the Twin Cities theatre community; location TBA. May W.A. Frost & Company, Historic Cathedral Hill—Dacotah Building, 374 Selby Ave., St. Paul, 651-224-5715 June Maynard’s Restaurant, 685 Excelsior Blvd, Excelsior, Minn. (located in the southeast corner of Excelsior Bay on Lake Minnetonka), 952-470-1800 August Campiello, 1320 West Lake St., Uptown Minneapolis, 612-825-2222 June 20 Alumni Board meeting, Christensen Center, 5:30 p.m. 25 Rochester Weekend College graduation banquet, Rochester Country Club, 5-8 p.m. Commencement 2006 Augsburg Associates Spring Seminar Softball and baseball alumni receptions The Augsburg Associates invite you to their 20th Annual Spring Seminar, Saturday, April 1, 8:30-11:30 a.m. at Foss Center. This year’s guest speakers include Augsburg professor of religion Brad Holt ’63, Tsehai Wodajo, and Ann (Tjaden) Jensen. Wodajo emigrated from Ethiopia 15 years ago and received her MSW from Augsburg in 1997. Jensen served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia after graduating from Augsburg in 1964. They are founders of REAL (Resources for the Enrichment of African Lives). Registration is $15 per person, payable in advance (this includes refreshments and materials). Call your old teammates and join us at these upcoming receptions! Softball alumni are invited to gather at 5 p.m., Thursday, April 20, prior to the game against Carleton College; for more information, contact Carol Enke at 612-330-1250 or <enke@augsburg.edu>. Baseball alumni are invited to gather at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 29, prior to the game against Macalester College; contact Keith Bateman at 612-330-1395 or <bateman@augsburg.edu>. 26 Auggie Hours are held the second Tuesday of each month from 5:30-7 p.m. Please join us! Reunion celebrations Attention Auggies from the classes of 1956, 1966, 1981, and Young Alumni 1990-2006: this is your reunion year! Plan now to join your classmates this September 25-30 for the annual Homecoming festivities and your reunion reception. Watch your mail and upcoming issues of Augsburg Now for complete details; please let us know your current e-mail address at <alumni@augsburg.edu>. You can also stay up-to-date by visiting the alumni website at <www.augsburg.edu/alumni>. Spring 2006 CLASS NOTES Class Notes 1956 Richard Thorud, Bloomington, Minn., has pursued a hobby of writing, illustrating, publishing, and marketing books since his retirement as a research and development engineer. His seventh book, Mette Marie’s Homestead Journal, is based on his mother’s childhood memories of living in a sod hut in North Dakota; for more information, go online to <www.amazon.com>. 1967 Rev. Harley J. Refsal, Decorah, Iowa, is a professor of Scandinavian folk art and Norwegian at Luther College. He has earned national and international acclaim for his figure woodcarving— including a St. Olav Medal in 1996 from the king of Norway. Besides teaching at Luther, he has written four books and numerous magazine articles. He’s also the star of an instructional video, Scandinavian Style Figure Carving with Harley Refsal, which earned a prestigious 2005 Telly Award. John N. Schwartz is serving as interim president and chief executive officer of St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center in Missoula, Mont. He previously served as interim president of Providence Medford Medical Center in Medford, Ore., and has 30 years of experience in the healthcare field and a long history in management. 1969 Allen C. Tripp was one of four Rush City, Minn., teachers selected by their peers for the Leadership in Excellence Award, which honors their teaching quality and commitment. The awards were presented in October at a banquet in St. Cloud. Tripp has been an English teacher at Rush City High School since 1970. In addition to teaching English, he has directed class plays and all school plays for 14 years and has been a junior high speech coach for 15 years. He has also served as an assistant track coach for 20 years. His wife, Linda, teaches first grade at Jacobson Elementary School. They have two sons, Ryen, 29, and Justin, 23. See more about Allen on p. 20. AUGGIES AT CARNEGIE HALL 1977 Timothy Strand was elected mayor of the City of St. Peter (Minn.) in November in a landslide victory. Strand, who by election time had served two years of a four-year term as a Ward II council member, was anxious to start his new role. “I’m very excited, and the first thing that comes to my mind is that I’m proud to have been elected,” he said in a postelection article in the St. Peter Herald. Patricia Clausen Wojtowicz, Largo, Fla., is manager of Jan (Pedersen) Schiff ’68 of Mill Valley, Calif., will be a guest conductor at Carnegie Hall on April 24, performing two works for women’s chorus and orchestra. The concert is part of MidAmerica Productions’ 2005-2006 concert series. Courtesy photo AUGGIE HONORS Ora Hokes ’90 of Minneapolis was one of 10 recipients of the 2005 Virginia McKnight Binger Award in Human Service. The awards are an annual tradition of The McKnight Foundation, and each recipient exemplifies the life-changing difference one person can make through service. The following is reprinted from the award program: Ora Hokes is transforming the health of her community Sunday by Sunday. A member of the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church for 25 years, Hokes saw the alarming health-related risk factors affecting the African American community, and took action. In 2003, after years of service with the Sabathani Community Center and its Way to Grow program, she began volunteering with the American Red Cross and the American Heart Association. Working with her pastor, she created the Health Sundays program to provide monthly health information to her congregation. Partnering with nurses and others from the congregation, and using additional resources from the American Cancer Society and the Stairstep Foundation’s Health Initiative, she implemented monthly blood pressure checks, distributed health information on sexually transmitted diseases, instituted a “Stomp Out Stroke” awareness program, and started the Promised Land Fellowship walking program which focuses on weight loss, nutrition, and exercise. “My mother was my inspiration,” Hokes says. “She had the gift of healing.” Hokes is a lifelong advocate for continuing education. She returned to school after her two children were grown, and has since received an Associate of Arts degree from Minneapolis Community College, a Bachelor of Arts degree from Augsburg’s Weekend College, a Master of Arts degree from the University of St. Thomas, and a parent educator license from the University of Minnesota. It seems no challenge is too big for Ora Hokes. Spring 2006 27 Class Notes Courtesy photo ALUMNI PROFILE Mike and Gail Koski: Traveling the missionary road by Sara Holman ’06 Working in the mailroom, falling in love with a fellow coworker, graduating in four years, and preparing for a bright future were just a few of the things that Mike and Gail (Niederloh) Koski accomplished while attending Augsburg. However, finding their joint calling to become missionaries happened just months after their marriage. Married in October 1972, the following July carried the Koskis across the ocean to Africa. Mike, a 1971 graduate, came to Augsburg and studied history and secondary education. Gail graduated one year later with a B.A. in French secondary education. Both came from congregations that were involved in missionary work, yet each confesses that overseas missionary work had not been a part of their plan. When the inspiration came, Mike recalls, “It was an answer to prayer.” “We just understood that this was the way God would want us to use our gifts and abilities,” Gail said. Mike ’71 and Gail ’72 (Niederloh) Koski have traveled the world as missionaries since meeting and graduating from Augsburg more than 30 years ago. After 32 years of missionary work in Kenya and Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo), the Koskis are currently awaiting their next assignment. The couple works with the Minneapolis-based mission organization World Mission Prayer League (WMPL). When choosing a mission group, “WMPL resonated well. Its principles, policies, and practices fit the best,” Mike said. Every four years, the couple comes back to the United States on furlough. During this one-year break, the missionaries continue their work and await news about their future destination. The Koskis were called back in September 2005. The couple’s mission experience started in Zaire where they worked in a rural setting, often connecting with nomadic tribes. It was the couple’s responsibility to learn the language and culture and then present the gospel in a way that would be understood. Their time in Zaire was limited to only four months, and then their assignment changed. Kenya has been a very permanent place for the Koskis’ mission work. They spent many years in the agricultural parts of northern and western Kenya but have been stationed in the city of Nairobi for the past 10 years. Mike became assistant director of the Urban Ministries Support Group (UMSG) in 1995 and then moved up to the director position in 1999. Gail’s work has consisted of many facets: UMSG resource center librarian, ESL teacher, Sunday school supervisor, and mission hostess. She was also in charge of home-schooling their three children. Now fully grown, their children have all graduated college and live and work at various places within North America. The Koskis’ main goal in Nairobi was to help develop leadership within the Lutheran church. With strong leadership skills instilled, the church was able to discuss and respond to societal ailments such as poverty and HIV. To reach more people within the city, one church decided to split the congregation into five groups and build five new churches. Everything was planned and prepared ahead of time: pastors were found, worship teams were formed, and everything transitioned very smoothly. The five new congregations each held a special characteristic that made it fit perfectly into its new part of the city. For example, in the area where many university students lived, the church emphasized youth activities and provided a contemporary worship service. The couple’s greatest excitement is to see their fellow church members’ faith development. “We’ve been doing this for so long that we get to see young people grow into adults. We are able to see how their faith keeps growing and then how it impacts their families, vocations, and communities.” Kenya holds a special place in both the Koskis’ hearts. They enjoyed the vibrant colors and temperate climate, but it was the people-oriented culture and relaxed pace of living that really appealed to the couple. Being concerned about people and taking time to establish relationships is a big part of missionary work, and the Koski family praises God for the rich experiences that were shared in Kenya. Sara Holman is a senior English/communication studies major. 28 Spring 2006 accreditations at Forensic Quality Services, Inc., in Largo. Courtesy photo STENSVAAG-DARDA WEDDING (CORRECTION) 1979 1980 Nancy (Weatherston) Black, Cornelius, Ore., is a serial cataloger for Millar Library at Portland State University. Rev. David L. Norgard, West Hollywood, Calif., has established a consulting practice for churches and other nonprofits in the area of organizational development. He can be contacted at <davidnorgard@yahoo.com>. 1982 Kevin Gordon, International Falls, Minn., was quoted in an article in the St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper about his son, Ben Gordon, who is a sophomore forward on the University of Minnesota Gopher hockey team. Ben acquired his hockey skills growing up playing on outdoor rinks and from his father, a former International Falls High School coach and an Augsburg All-American. Spring 2006 The above photo from the July 2004 wedding of Rebecca Stensvaag ’01 and Paul Darda ’01, which features more than 40 Augsburg alumni, contained unintentional inaccuracies in the winter issue of the Augsburg Now. The correct information is as follows: ROW 1 (L to R): Cindy Huber Blummer ’01, Emma Stensvaag ’08, Ruth Casperson ’67, Hannah Mehus Stensvaag ’38, Rebecca Stensvaag Darda ’01, Paul Darda ’01, Nancy Strommen Stensvaag ’71, John-Mark Stensvaag ’69, Stephanie Johnson Sulzbach ’71, John Sulzbach ’69, Jean Boxrud Steen. ROW 2: Roland Blummer ’00, Mary Kay Johnson Stensvaag ’72, Ken Casperson ’70, Peggy Nelson Hintzman, Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46, Hans Strommen ’04, Andrea Johnson Strommen ’75, Bob Strommen ’74, Roy Steen. ROW 3: Normajean Johnson Strommen ’69, Saul Stensvaag ’72, Ann Peterson ’01, Tony Quance ’03, Tjersti Strommen ’07, Adam Thronson ’99, Marsha Strommen Olson ’68, Dawn Hofstad Strommen ’70. ROW 4: Peter Strommen ’69, Mary Nelson Eckberg ’70, Brad Fischer ’03, Heidi Peterson ’03, Mark Peterson ’01, Mary Ellen Strommen Lieber ’67, Tim Strommen ’70. ROW 5: John Eckberg ‘68, Ben Paul ’03, Ainy Carlson, Jeroy Carlson ’46, Phil Edstrom ’69, Luther Strommen ’40, Steve Strommen ’65. 1984 Bruce Palmquist, Ellensburg, Wash., was honored as the 2005 Washington State Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Palmquist is a physics and science education professor at Central Washington University, and is highly regarded for his commitment to improving public understanding of basic scientific principles and working to develop skills in the next generation of science teachers needed to successfully bring about a scientifically literate society. In his dual role as a physicist and a teacher educator, Palmquist has taken on many AUGGIES ON THE ROAD Courtesy photo Paul Daniels, archivist for ELCA Region 3 and archivist/curator at Luther Seminary, traveled to Chennai (Madras), India, to assist the Lutheran Heritage Centre at Gurukul Theological College on several projects. Daniels had served there 12 years ago when the archives center was just beginning its work of collecting and making available records of the 12 Indian Lutheran church bodies. Over the years he has maintained contact with the staff, working on issues of collection development, preservation, and program expansion. Daniels and his wife, Sally (Hough) ’79, director of parent and family relations at Augsburg, live in Golden Valley, Minn., and have two daughters, Kristin ’09 and Maren. Jennifer Tome ’99 (left) of Minneapolis visited Mary Olson ’74 (right) in October at Airlie Winery, Olson’s winery in Monmouth, Ore. Tome is a wine representative for Grape Beginnings. 29 Class Notes initiatives, including developing a new CWU program at Green River Community College in Auburn, called Project TEACH (Teacher Education Alliance for Colleges and High Schools). In 2004, Palmquist was also named the CWU Distinguished Public Service Professor. 1988 Brad Anderson, Plymouth, Minn., teaches biology and human genetics at Wayzata High School. He also serves as head football coach, and this past season led the Trojans to capture the 2005 state championship. He and his wife, Maari Anderson ’87, have two daughters, Barrett and Isabelle. 1990 Kay E. Baker, Savage, Minn., is an account director hired to set up the new Minneapolis office of the Jerome Group, a direct marketing support firm based in St. Louis, Mo. She was recently featured as a “Mover” in the business section of the St. Paul Pioneer Press newspaper. 1992 West Central Initiative in Fergus Falls, Minn., as a Connectinc Replication Project executive. She has several years of experience in the service industry, including serving as a board member for Restart Inc. 1996 Julie (Lindusky) Corcoran, Forest Lake, Minn., was elected in November to a four-year term on the ISD 831 School Board. She and her husband, Mike, have three children. Paul Wahmanholm, St. Paul, is an administrative intern for Dayton’s Bluff Elementary School in the St. Paul Public Schools district. Debra Carpenter has joined Courtsey photo HINTON-HANSEN WEDDING 1997 Lars P. Dyrud, Amesbury, Mass., was one of approximately 70 selected worldwide by the Young Scientists Award Panel to attend the Union RadioScientifique Internationale (URSI) General Assembly at the Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi, India, last October. Participants were also given the opportunity to meet with the president of India at the Rashtrapati, the official presidential residence. 1998 Melanie Hinton ’04 married Mark Hansen in October; the couple resides in Kasson, Minn. Melanie is a registered nurse and assistant nursing supervisor at the Mayo Medical Center. Ann Rohrig, Lima, Ohio, married Stephen Jenkins in June, becoming a stepmother to two children. She is a social worker for a therapeutic foster care agency in Lima. AUGGIES IN THE MILITARY Lewis Nelson ’00, pictured here with his wife, Holly, is currently deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is in the U.S. Army serving with the 506th Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division (AASLT), and is in charge of the signals intelligence analysis section for the brigade. Lewis’ wife and two children, Benjamin, 2, and Arianna, 9 months, reside in Clarksville, Tenn. The family maintains a website at <www.nelson downs.com> and welcomes any e-mail messages for Lewis at <lewis@nelsondowns.com>. 30 2000 Mauris De Silva, Miami, received a Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota in May. He now works in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Miami’s Miller Medical School of Medicine. 2001 Greg Barrett, St. Paul, graduated from the University of St. Thomas with a master’s degree in gifted and talented education. Becki Frestedt, Seattle, received a Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington in June. She works for a community development organization, where she coordinates outreach for a land use study in the city. Beth Nordin, Minnetonka, Minn., was named vice president of information technology by CHS Inc., an energy and grain-based foods company. She previously served as vice president of operations for Capella Education. Prior to Capella, she held several positions with Pearson Education, including senior vice president of information technology and chief information officer. 2003 Shawn Smith was acquired by the Quad City Mallards from the Port Huron Flags. Smith is a rookie-defenseman who has appeared in 14 United Hockey League games this season split between the Fort Wayne Komets and the Port Huron Flags. Births/Adoptions Lisa (Svac) ’85 and Lee Hawks ’85 in New Brighton, Minn., adopted a son, Andrew John, in December. Spring 2006 Carley (Miller) ’94 and William Stuber in Shakopee, Minn.—a daughter, Kirsten Rae, in May. Carley is executive director of the St. Francis Regional Medical Center Foundation in Shakopee. Jay Lepper ’95 and his wife, Bronwyn, in Savage, Minn.—a daughter, Rowan Jane, in May. Jennifer (Polis) ’97 and Dan Debe in Minneapolis—a son, George William, in September. He joins older sisters Allison, 5, and Emily, 3. Jennifer can be reached at <jendebe@ yahoo.com>. Summer Joy (Sorenson) ’99 and Jeffrey Brackhan in Mondovi, Wis.—twin boys, Cole and Dakota, in February 2005. Heidi (Erickson) ’01 and Matt Segedy in Minneapolis— a daughter, Eleanor Catherine, in November. Matt is a pediatrician at South Lake Pediatrics, and Heidi is currently home with Nora. in November. Lisa (Ashbaugh) ’04 and Darrel Stange in Bertha, Minn.— a son, Nathan, in September. Lisa and Darrel married in October. In Memoriam Bertha D. Lillehei ’34, Minneapolis, died in January; she was 92. Following the example of her father, Lars Lillehei, who taught Greek at Augsburg, Bertha taught English at Augsburg in the 1930s and ’40s. Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41, Edina, Minn., died in December; he was 90 (see p. 24 for further details). Rev. Earl E. Dreyer ’56, Detroit Lakes, Minn., died in December of heart-related problems; he was 75. Ordained in 1959, he served parishes in Alexandria, Rochester, Canby, and Detroit Lakes. Holly Ebnet ’03 married Jeremy Knutson in August 2004; the couple resides in Hugo, Minn. Holly is pursuing an MBA at Augsburg, and Jeremy
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Title: Augsburg Now Winter 2005-06
Collection: Alumni Magazine Collection
Search Result: A P U B L I C AT I O N Winter 2005-06 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 68, No. 2 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Winter 2005-06 FEATURES 10 Putting a fresh ‘face’ on Augsburg by Lynn Mena 12 Jeroy Carlson ’48—’Mr. Augsburg’ by Sara Holman ’06 ...
Show more A P U B L I C AT I O N Winter 2005-06 F O R A U G S B U R G C O L L E G E A L U M N I & F R I E N D S Vol. 68, No. 2 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Winter 2005-06 FEATURES 10 Putting a fresh ‘face’ on Augsburg by Lynn Mena 12 Jeroy Carlson ’48—’Mr. Augsburg’ by Sara Holman ’06 14 Physician Assistants—increasing healthcare access by Cynthia Hill 18 A chance to skate by Don Stoner 20 Faith in the City by Betsey Norgard DEPARTMENTS 2 Around the Quad 6 Sports 23 Vision, news of Access to Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg College 26 Alumni News 28 Homecoming 2005 32 Class Notes 40 Auggie Thoughts inside back cover Calendar A college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg College is an equal education/employment institution. Editor Betsey Norgard Assistant Editor Lynn Mena Graphic Designer Kathy Rumpza Photographer Stephen Geffre Media Relations Manager Judy Petree Sports Information Coordinator Don Stoner www.augsburg.edu Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454. Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058–1545 Send address corrections to: Advancement Services Augsburg College, CB 142 2211 Riverside Ave. Minneapolis, MN 55454 healyk@augsburg.edu E-mail: now@augsburg.edu Telephone: 612-330-1181 Fax: 612-330-1780 50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post—consumer waste) On the cover: On this page: Samuel Gross ’03 shows off a sampling of merchandise that carries the Auggie Eagle athletic logo he created for the College, a project that began in a graphic design class. Photo by Stephen Geffre. The maroon banners on the Link between Sverdrup and Memorial Halls, and Lindell Library pale in comparison to the blazing fall colors of the maple trees alongside the library. Photo by Stephen Geffre. AROUND QUAD Around THE the Quad New regents are elected to the board S even new members were elected to four-year terms on the Augsburg College Board of Regents at the annual meeting of the Augsburg Corporation in October. In addition, Gloria C. Lewis was reelected to a second six-year term. She is the executive director and CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Twin Cities and serves on the Marketing and Executive Committees of the board. Esperanza Guerrero-Anderson A native of Nicaragua, Esperanza Guerrero-Anderson is founder, president, and CEO of Milestone Growth Fund, Inc., a nonprofit venture capital fund providing capital to minority entrepreneurs. She also serves on the boards of the Bush Foundation, Walker Art Center, Center for Ethical Business Cultures, and Chicanos-Latinos Unidos en Servicio (CLUES). Norman R. Hagfors Recently retired from Norsen, Inc., the management and engineering consulting firm he founded, Norman Hagfors is returning to the Board of Regents, where he served from 1989-2001. He is active in the community and his church. Jodi Harpstead Jodi Harpstead is vice president and chief advancement officer at Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, where she leads marketing, fundraising, public 2 relations, and public policy. She has served on several boards, including Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and the Girl Scout Council of St. Croix Valley, as well as in numerous volunteer leadership positions. Dean Kennedy ’75 Fridley native Dean Kennedy graduated from Augsburg in 1975, where he was a four-year wrestler with conference and All-American honors. In 1996, he was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. He is president of Texakoma Oil & Gas Corporation and lives in Plano, Texas. Dean C. Kopperud Returning to the Augsburg Board of Regents where he served from 19982004, Dean C. Kopperud brings 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. Most recently he was national sales director for Oppenheimerfunds, Inc., in New York. Marie O. McNeff In 2000 Marie McNeff retired from Augsburg, where she served as professor of education and dean for over 30 years. As academic master planner during her last year before retirement, she led efforts to bring together faculty and staff in a campuswide learning community and created the blueprint to implement academic provisions of Augsburg 2004, the College’s first vision document. Paul S. Mueller, M.D. ’84 Dr. Mueller is an internal medicine consultant at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He has served as Augsburg Alumni Board president and was an instrumental force in launching Augsburg’s Rochester program. The Augsburg Corporation is comprised of representatives elected by the assemblies of the Minneapolis, Saint Paul, Southeastern Minnesota, and Northwest Wisconsin Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The bishops from these four synods serve as rotating ex officio members on the board. Bishops Peter Rogness of the Saint Paul Area Synod and Harold Usgaard of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod will begin their service in January. Advent Vespers video wins Emmy Last year’s video recording of Advent Vespers won an Upper Midwest regional Emmy for director Jeffrey Weihe at Twin Cities Public Television for best direction of a live recording. The 2004 recording will be shown again this year in the Twin Cities: TPT-2 on Dec. 25, 10:30 a.m. and TPT-17 on Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. and Dec. 25 at 12 a.m., 6 a.m., and noon. Contact public television stations elsewhere for broadcast times. Winter 2005-06 Welcome to the Class of 2009 American Indian honors given While attending new student orientation with his daughter, Christina, Rory Waller decided it was time for him to pursue his own dream to teach. W hen President Frame welcomed incoming first-year students and their parents at orientation last summer, he didn’t realize he was recruiting one more student. Rory Waller, father of first-year student Christina, wrote, “During Christina’s new student orientation in August, President Frame addressed the new students and spoke about vocation. His words rekindled an old desire from my youth, in that I have always wanted to teach. Later that day during the Expo, I happened across the information table for the WEC program, and discovered that Augsburg offered a degree in education through the weekend program. Sometimes the signposts in life are subtle, and other times they just hit you right between the eyes. … [My family] backs me wholeheartedly in obtaining the goal I have set, and for this I am grateful. “Because of the weekend program at Augsburg I feel I have the opportunity to find my true vocation in life.” Christina is one of 320 new first-year day students. Of them, 41% are Lutheran. They represent 15 states, with 83% from Minnesota. Eleven percent of them are students of color. During their first week, on City Service Project day, first-year students volunteered 1,000 hours of service at 18 community sites. Recent grants received • $301,000 over three years from National Science Foundation (NSF) to physics professor Mark Engebretson for collaboration with the University of New Hampshire and University of Oslo to study northern lights in the Svalbard archipelago of northern Norway. • $500,000 from Lilly Endowment to sustain the work of “Exploring Our Gifts” through 2010. • A National Science Foundation grant to computer science professor Karen Sutherland for undergraduate research on questions involving the design of robot rescue teams, in collaboration with the University of Minnesota. Part of the NSF- Winter 2005-06 supported Industry/University Cooperative Research Center on Safety, Security, and Rescue at the University of Minnesota and University of South Florida. • Five-year grant from U.S. Department of Education for TRIO/Student Support Services to continue providing academic and personal support to help low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities. • $10,000 from National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for one year to provide health education programming primarily to student-athletes in areas of sexual assault, eating disorders, and nutrition. At their 20th annual conference in October, the Minnesota Indian Education Association (MIEA) named American Indian studies professor Sophia Jacobson (left) as the Outstanding Postsecondary Teacher, and sophomore Chris Adams (center) as the Outstanding Postsecondary Student. Cindy Peterson (right), director of American Indian Student Services, serves as secretary of the MIEA board. Augsburg again top-ranked In U.S.News & World Report’s 2006 listings of America’s Best Colleges, Augsburg was ranked 26th in the category “Master’s Universities-Top Midwestern.” Augsburg was included in the “Academic Programs to Watch For” listings of the 40 or so top programs in the country for both First-Year Programs and Service-Learning, and was the only Minnesota private college listed. For information go to <www.usnews.com>. Augsburg is also included in Colleges of Distinction, an online guide listing colleges that excel in providing the best places to learn, to grow, and to succeed. For information go to <www.collegesof distinction.com>. 3 Around the Quad President emeritus Oscar Anderson dies at 89 Augsburg News Service scar Anderson, Augsburg’s president from 1963-80, died Aug. 25 in Minneapolis following injuries suffered from a fall. He was 89 years old. While president, Anderson was credited with defining Augsburg’s role as an urban college, while not losing its roots as both a liberal arts institution and a College of the church. “My goal for Augsburg College was to make it an urban college, not only one recognized within the urban setting, but one utilizing the resources of a metropolitan setting,” he said in 1993 when the College dedicated Oscar Anderson residence hall in his name. “I think we got into the bloodstream of the city.” President emeritus Charles Anderson, who succeeded Oscar, said Oscar was instrumental, in terms of attitude, in bringing the College together with the city. “We always were here geographically,” Charles Anderson said, “but our institution moved considerably closer with the city in Oscar’s tenure. It was true then, and it remains so today.” Born in 1916 in Minneapolis, Oscar Anderson was educated at Minnehaha Academy and Augsburg before eventually receiving his bachelor’s degree from St. Olaf College in 1938. He graduated from Luther Theological Seminary in 1942; his first pastorate was at Lake Harriet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, from 1942 to 1948. For the next six years he was the executive director of the International Young People’s Luther League of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. He went on to complete graduate study at Union Theological Seminary in New York, an experience that heightened his awareness of contemporary trends in theological scholarship. From the mid-1950s until his appointment as president at Augsburg, he served as senior pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Moorhead, Minn., where he established close ties with the 4 Rob Levine O President emeritus Oscar Anderson returned to campus at Homecoming 1990 to speak about Augsburg heritage. On one of his last visits to campus Oscar Anderson posed with his two successors, Charles Anderson (left) and William Frame (right). academic community—both at Concordia College and Moorhead State University. After coming to Augsburg, Anderson presided over a tremendous period of growth and evolution at the College. Six new buildings—Urness and Mortensen residence halls, Christensen Center, Music Hall, Murphy Place, and the Ice Arena—were built during his presidency. At his retirement, Board of Regents chair Clayton LeFevere noted that Anderson had signed more diplomas than all of his predecessors—approximately 4,600. Winter 2005-06 Archive photo A nationally known preacher, Anderson received many honors, including the Knight’s Cross First Class of the Order of St. Olav from the Government of Norway; the Paul Harris Fellow from Rotary International; the Distinguished Alumni Citation from both Augsburg and St. Olaf College; and the Distinguished Service Award from the City of Minneapolis. “Oscar Anderson was president of the College during two crucial decades and supervised our transition from a college in the city that wished it were in the country to a college fully engaged with the city that had grown up around it,” noted President William Frame. “As perhaps the best pulpit preacher of his time, Oscar employed a razor sharp and telling wit to guide the College and its alumni through this crucial transition. He had returned to the College frequently since his retirement and invariably brought that wit and powerful rhetoric with him.” Anderson’s wife, Leola, died in December 2004. In 1993, at the dedication of Anderson Hall, Anderson had paid special tribute to Leola and the Winter 2005-06 At the memorial service in Hoversten Chapel on Sept. 1, a photo display captured the life and service of Oscar Anderson. Archive photo Oscar and Lee Anderson greeted the Homecoming crowd at Parade Stadium in the 1960s. President Anderson led an estimated crowd of 800 faculty, staff, and students from campus to the Minneapolis Courthouse in 1965 in support of the Montgomery (Ala.) march. 17 years she presided as Augsburg’s first lady. “I call the two of us ‘Osceola,’ he said. “In my secret heart this will be ‘Osceola Hall.’” They are survived by their children, Donna Anderson Hoekstra ’68; Randall; Sheldon ’73; and Gracia Anderson Lindberg ’80. A memorial service was held in Hoversten Chapel on Sept. 1. The family has requested memorial gifts to the Access to Excellence campaign or the Leola G. Anderson Scholarship. ■ 5 Sports O by Don Stoner White House photo by Paul Morse Auggie wrestlers visit the White House n Oct. 12 the Auggies, winners of a record nine NCAA Division III national titles in the last 15 years, became the first Division III wrestling title team—and just the second college wrestling national title squad ever—to meet with the president at the White House. The University of Minnesota’s 2001 Division I national title team was the first to achieve this honor. The White House meeting was arranged between Augsburg coaches and U.S. Rep. Dennis Hastert (RIllinois), the speaker of the House of Representatives and a former wrestler and wrestling coach. Other key people assisting in arranging the Fourteen Augsburg wrestlers and coaches, along with College officials and friends, accepted an invitation to meeting included Manchester the White House in honor of Augsburg’s longtime domination of small-college wrestling with nine national (Ind.) coach Tom Jarman and titles in 15 years. (L to R) President Frame, Joe Moon ’05, Dean Kennedy ’75, Justin Sorensen ’06, Alan Rice, Mike and Bev Chapman, assistant coach Sam Barber, President Bush, Jared Evans ’07, Marcus LeVesseur ’07, Ryan Valek ’06, Brad Tupa founders of the International ’06, Jamell Tidwell ’05, head coach Jeff Swenson ’79, and Mark Matzek ’05. Wrestling Institute and Museum, said Augsburg head importance of that achievement and coach Jeff Swenson ’79. because they were student-athletes at thanked me for mentioning it to him.” Instead of meeting in the Rose Augsburg College, they had this “I was motivated when [Bush] talked Garden, the normal site for team opportunity. They’ll never forget that as about the word ‘leadership’ and the receptions with the president, the long as they live.” qualities he said are necessary to have in meeting was held inside the Oval Office, Team members said the trip was also order to be an effective leader,” junior a rare occurrence. The Auggies met with a special honor for the hundreds of Jared Evans said. “This motivated me, the president for about a half hour, individuals in the past who have helped because as I looked around at my much longer than he normally spends establish Augsburg as a national power in teammates, coaches, President Frame, with teams in these kinds of meetings, small-college wrestling. Dean Kennedy, and thought about White House staff told Swenson. President Bush gave the Augsburg Augsburg wrestling and the Augsburg A total of 14 Augsburg individuals group a tour of the Oval Office and community, I realized I am surrounded made the trip, including head coach discussed a variety of subjects with the by a great number of leaders.” Swenson, assistant coaches Sam Barber team, Swenson said, including history “This experience obviously means a and Scott Whirley, and eight of the 10 and patriotic subjects and sports topics. lot to the whole team, but particularly All-Americans from the 2004-05 national The team presented Bush with an Jeff [Swenson] and the rest of the championship team. President William Augsburg wrestling singlet with “Bush” coaching staff that have been together for Frame also met with President Bush, printed on the back. so long and working for so long to along with team leaders Dean “He admitted that he was not a achieve what they have,” senior Ryan Kennedy ’75 and Alan Rice. wrestler, that his athletic passion is Valek said. “It meant a lot to me to have “To spend time with an active cycling,” Frame said. “[I] told him that that team together one last time. It was president is really an incredible feeling,” the wrestling team was consistently really an incredible experience to be part Swenson said. “For the rest of their lives, [among] the highest-performing of a group like that.” our wrestlers are going to remember that academically. … He acknowledged the 6 Winter 2005-06 Around the Quad Sally Daniels ’79 heads new parent and family relations office by Sara Holman ’06 A ugsburg has created a new office specifically aimed to provide service to the people behind the student—the parents. Most comparable Lutheran colleges, such as Luther or Concordia, have an alumni and parent relations office; however, Augsburg has gone beyond the common model. Augsburg’s Office of Parent and Family Relations is completely devoted to the family. Sally Daniels ’79, the new director of parent and family relations, said, “This position is not a fundraising component, so I can focus on service to the parents. That’s completely in keeping with Augsburg’s mission.” Daniels was asked to inaugurate this position not only because she has 26 years of experience in Augsburg’s undergraduate admissions office, but because she is also an Augsburg alumna and parent. Daniels’ Augsburg experience began in 1975 when she was a first-year student living on the fourth floor in Urness. She graduated in 1979 and eventually married her college sweetheart, Paul Daniels, also a 1979 Augsburg graduate. “Because I am an alum, it comes naturally to say what a cool place this is. I’ve told my Augsburg story many, many times,” Sally Daniels said. Both parents were very excited when their daughter, Kristin, also chose to come to Augsburg. Daniels will draw on this experience, as well as how she is handling being a Sally Daniels ’79 (right) takes her experience as an Augsburg student, former director of admissions, and, now as parent of first-year student Kristin (left) to a new role as director of parent and family relations. first-year college student’s mom, in her new position. This will help her build relationships with three different types of parents—the prospective parent, the current parent, and the parents of alumni. All of these parents have different questions, concerns, and needs as their children work through Augsburg. Daniels said, “I make sure parents and family members have someone to connect with about life at Augsburg, and specifically the life of their kids.” Parents who send their kids off to college for the first time have many questions, like how to deal with “letting go,” or how to handle the new adult who comes home in the summer. Daniels will have personal experience to share. By better caring for Augsburg parents, the College can improve the student’s experience. “Kids born after 1985, the millennium generation, have a close relationship with their parents,” Daniels says. She and her daughter, Kristin, have this type of relationship. “We’ve always been very close. We try to connect somehow each day,” Daniels said. Since Kristin studies at the place where her mother works, it’s easy for them to stay in contact. But, Sally says, “This is her college experience; the fact that she likes me is an extra bonus.” Right now, Daniels is hand-writing letters to all of the first-year parents. Since she worked in the admissions office last year, Daniels says, “I know the students; I’ve read their essays. I admitted them all. I’m hand-writing these notes because I think it’s important.” Daniels works with a parent council; and so far 119 parents have contacted her. Parents who do not live near the Twin Cities are sent minutes from the council meetings. It doesn’t matter where parents live; they can stay connected to Augsburg. Even though Parent and Family Relations has split from the Alumni Relations office, the two directors work closely together. Heidi Breen, the alumni relations director formerly headed both Alumni and Parent Relations, but now is solely in charge of alumni and has an assistant director, Donna Torgeson. “Donna, Heidi, and I have a very open door,” Daniels said. “We all want this new position to be successful.” Sara Holman is a senior English/ communication studies major and an intern in the Public Relations and Communication office. Alumni Relations Heidi Breen, new director of alumni relations, poses at Homecoming with Auggie Eagle. Winter 2005-06 Heidi Breen, who has worked at Augsburg for 19 years in the admissions and alumni relations offices, became director of alumni relations in August. Donna Torgeson, who was administrative assistant in the office, is now assistant director. Amy Sutton, formerly alumni director, is now director of corporate and foundation relations in the Development Office. 7 HOMECOMING 2005 Donald A. Anderson ’60 Janice L. Aune ’88 Donald Mattison ’66 Three honored as Distinguished Alumni by Lynn Mena Three alumni join 166 others as Distinguished Alumni of Augsburg College. Recipients are recognized for significant achievement in vocation, for outstanding contribution to church and community, and for a life that exemplifies the ideals and mission of Augsburg College. Donald A. Anderson ’60 is a retired two-term Minnesota senator and business owner. He served in the Minnesota State Senate from 1982 to 1990; between 1991 and his retirement in 1995 he also served as assistant to the commissioner of transportation, as deputy chief of staff to Governor Arne Carlson, and in the Department of Transportation-Aeronautics Department. For nearly 20 years, Anderson owned a Red Owl grocery store in Wadena, Minn., before selling to one of his sons in 1984. He graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in business and history. Janice L. Aune ’88 is chairman and CEO of Onvoy, Inc., a Minneapolis-based telecommunications services provider. Since her appointment in 2000, she has led Onvoy to a position of financial growth and has exceeded all financial performance expectations for the privately-held company. Prior to joining Onvoy, Aune served in various executive leadership positions at US West (now Qwest) and ended her 30-year career there as 8 president of the !NTERPRISE division and a senior officer. She graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in business management and finance. Donald Mattison ’66, M.D., is senior adviser to the directors of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Center for Research for Mothers and Children. He also serves as an adjunct professor at both the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. He has served as medical director of the March of Dimes Defects Foundation, and prior to that as dean of the Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh, where he was also professor of environmental and occupational health, as well as of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive services in the university’s School of Medicine. He graduated from Augsburg in 1966 with a B.A. in chemistry and mathematics. Winter 2005-06 First Decade and Spirit of Augsburg award recipients named by Lynn Mena Augsburg is pleased to announce the 2005 recipients of the First Decade and Spirit of Augsburg awards. The First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of the past 10 years who have made significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community, and, in so doing, exemplify the mission of the College: to prepare future leaders in service to the world. Graduates from the day, weekend, and graduate programs are eligible. The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni or friends of the College who have given exceptional service that contributes substantially to the well being of Augsburg by furthering its purposes and programs. First Decade Award Spirit of Augsburg Award Aaron Cross ’97 formed his own business, Motivation on Wheels, in which he travels the United States delivering motivational speeches that stress the importance of seeing beyond daily obstacles in order to accomplish goals. Despite his physical challenges (Cross become a paraplegic as a result of a bicycle race crash in high school), he has kept his eye on a variety of targets— both literally and figuratively. He holds 15 national titles in archery, five world titles, and a bronze team medal from the 2004 Greece Para-Olympic games. In addition to archery, Cross is also a skydiver. He graduated from Augsburg in 1997 with a B.A. in communication. Richard J. Thoni is director of Augsburg’s Rochester Program. His exceptional and dedicated service to the College began in 1972 as a parttime instructor in the Department of Psychology and as a counselor in the Center for Student Development. Starting in 1975, he served as associate dean of students, and over the proceeding years he also served as acting vice president of student affairs; director of an extensive, yearlong community outreach project; director of Weekend College; vice president for enrollment management; and vice president for research and development. Thoni is most widely recognized for his leadership and achievement in the establishment of both the Weekend College and Rochester programs. He received his B.A. in English from St. Olaf College, and his Ph.D. in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota. Andry Andriambololona-Jurcich ’98 graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in political science, international relations, and religion. She received her M.A. in intercultural communications from Luther Seminary in 2001. Jurcich is vice-president of Marketing and Company Relations for Invisik Corporation, a Twin Cities-based computer consulting company she co-manages with her husband, Matt Jurcich. Concurrently, she works as a professional non-profit development consultant with various Twin Cities non-profits, and is currently the acting executive director of Jordan New Life Community Development Corporation—a non-profit organization improving the lives of families in North Minneapolis. Jurcich also continues to stay involved with Augsburg as a member of the Pan-Afrikan Center’s Alumni Council, as a mentor with the Scholastic Connections Program, and as the alumni representative on the committee to select the new Augsburg president. Winter 2005-06 The Augsburg Centennial Singers were formed in 1993 to honor the 100th anniversary of the Augsburg Gospel Quartets. Since its formation, the Augsburg Centennial Singers have furthered the quartet’s mission to spread the Lutheran faith and the name and mission of Augsburg. Under the current direction of Al Reesnes ’58 (who took over after the original director, Dr. Merton Strommen ’42, retired) and assistant director Paul Christensen ’59, the group—which consists mainly of Augsburg alumni—are true ambassadors of Augsburg, performing across the United States and around the world. 9 PUTTING a FRESH ‘FACE’ on A U G S B U R G B Y 10 L Y N N M E N A P H O T O S B Y S T E P H E N G E F F R E Winter 2005-06 W hat began as a class project three years ago came full circle at this year’s Homecoming, where visitors were introduced to Augsburg’s newest “member.” The newly unveiled Auggie Eagle logo could be spotted all over campus—on team helmets and cheerleader uniforms; on sweatshirts, T-shirts, and baseball caps; on the balloons and decorations that dressed up various events; on students’ faces as temporary tattoos; and even on the gymnasium floor as an illuminated hologram. “The College is pleased to present its new athletics logo, and even more pleased to announce that its creator is one of our own—Class of 2003 alumnus Samuel J. Gross,” says Ann Garvey, dean of students. “The logo further establishes Augsburg’s identity and serves as a graphic component to the Auggie Eagle mascot that was introduced at Homecoming in 2002.” The logo first took shape a few years ago when the Office of Public Relations and Communication partnered with John McCaffrey, assistant professor of art. McCaffrey’s graphic design students were challenged to design an athletics logo for their final project. While the entire class created a wide range of exceptional designs, Gross’ logo was a strong favorite, and this year the College officially signed contracts to acquire it from Gross as its new athletics and merchandising logo. “Sam demonstrated that he was creative, dedicated, and driven by a purpose from his very first assignments in my Graphic Design class,” says McCaffrey, reflecting upon Gross. “Sam delivered excellent work that was always in excess of any project requirements. It immediately became apparent that he would succeed in the design field. He Winter 2005-06 dedicated himself to learning all that he could ensuring his future career direction.” Staff members in the public relations department were also impressed with Gross’ work, and quickly recruited him to work as a student graphic designer during his senior year. There he created designs for letterhead, flyers, greeting cards, brochures, and magazines. After he received his B.A. in studio art, he stayed on in the public relations department for the summer, and shortly thereafter landed his first full-time job as the graphic design and production coordinator at Sons of Norway in Minneapolis. Today, Gross serves as a graphic designer and production coordinator for TQ3Navigant Performance Group in Minneapolis, a division of Denver-based Navigant International, where he produces original marketing graphics, designing creative pre-trip travel packages for large corporate industries such as Best Buy, ING, T-Mobile, and Qwest. In addition, Gross is building a successful freelance business, 144design, creating works in traditional studio pieces as well as digital media, including digital retouching of photographs, custom logo design, illustration, and various print related materials. “The birth of 144design was inspired by a mentor and lifelong friend, my father,” writes Gross on his Web site, <www.invisik.com/144design/artist2.html>. “Born in rural Minnesota in 1980, the influence of art began in the earliest stages of my life,” continues Gross. “Impacted by those around me, I began my own pursuit of knowledge in the continually changing art and design world. “Two and a half decades into my life I am still chasing this aspiration of achieving artistic prominence in this transforming world.” This year, Gross designed logo and stationery pieces for expansion NAHL hockey team the North Iowa Outlaws, and is currently working on other expansion team logos. In July he designed the book cover for Daniel Boone and the Defeat at Blue Licks, written by Neal O. Hammon. Gross is also an accomplished painter, whose work was recently purchased by the Springfield Public Library in Minnesota for their permanent collection. His oils and photography have twice placed third in the annual Five County Juried Art Show in Minnesota. Gross, a former Auggie football and baseball player, has particularly enjoyed athletic logo design, and is pleased that his alma mater has chosen to use his work. “It’s really exciting and interesting to see my design carried out in so many different ways—on the uniforms, on the line of sweatshirts,” says Gross. “Plus, it’s great to give back as an alum.” ■ 11 Jeroy Carlson ’48 ‘MR. AUGSBURG’ by Sara Holman ’06 Jeroy Carlson ’48 has spent over 60 years on the Augsburg campus as a student, volunteer, alumni director, and development officer. Here, he sits in Old Main 17, which was Augsburg’s chapel and is now the art studio. AUGSBURG COLLEGE pastor Dave Wold paused, “Mr. Augsburg … well, I don’t know where the name got started. Everyone just refers to him as that. Anyone who mentions Jeroy always says ‘Jeroy from Augsburg.’” Why is Jeroy Carlson Mr. Augsburg? Really, the question doesn’t need to be asked. He just is. Carlson embodies everything that is Augsburg—from knowing its history to sharing its faith. “Jeroy’s commitment and love for Augsburg is pretty clear,” Wold said. “No one can be identified with Augsburg as much as Jeroy can. He has a network of friends I’ve never seen before.” Carlson has spent the last 42 years serving Augsburg, first as Augsburg’s alumni director and then as senior development officer. He has connected with hundreds of people through Augsburg and has been able to raise millions of dollars to help build the chapel, library, fitness center, football field, and theater (to name just a few). Carlson’s efforts can be seen all over campus, though he is quick to 12 protest, “I just ask for support. It’s really about what the donors have done for this college.” Being 82 years old, Carlson has spent the better part of his life on campus, not to mention the years he spent as a student. What would inspire someone to become so dedicated to a place? “I’m not here because of myself. I’m here because of the people who have given their lives to this place. I don’t want them to be forgotten. I’ve developed a purpose for living from their caring about me. Charles Anderson, Gerda Mortensen, Bernhard Christensen, Phil Quanbeck Sr., Joel Torstenson, Paul Sonnack, Dave Wold—these people have been my friends,” Carlson said. Carlson took his first step onto Augsburg soil in 1940. His high school basketball team had come to challenge Augsburg’s junior varsity team. Fortunately, Augsburg’s embarrassing loss didn’t keep him from applying to the College two years later. After spending one year on campus, Carlson enlisted in the Navy. On Monday, Dec. 10, 1945, Carlson was released, and the following Thursday he registered for classes. That Saturday he played for Augsburg’s basketball team. Carlson laughs as he recalls this memory. “I hadn’t even taken a class, but the coach needed me.” Sports have always been a passion for Carlson. He played baseball, basketball, and football while he attended Augsburg and was part of four MIAC championship teams. After graduating, Carlson spent 15 years teaching and coaching. During this time, he became part of the Augsburg Alumni Board and wrote an article titled “Why is Being a Christian Important?” for a Christian magazine that most alumni received. When the alumni director position became open, Carlson didn’t even have to apply. “Two people just asked me if I wanted to do it. It was the best move I’ve ever made.” In honor of his service, the alumni office was dedicated in 1991 as the Jeroy C. Carlson Alumni Center. While working at Augsburg, Carlson was able to stay active in the Athletic Alumni Association (the A-Club) and Winter 2005-06 also helped establish the Athletic Hall of Fame. He can still remember when the A-Club started. It was 1937, and the athletes wanted an honor banquet. Four people took it upon themselves to raise the money—a difficult task during the Depression years. They put on skits like “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and charged 10 cents a person. Times were very different during Carlson’s student years. His tuition was $50 a semester, so he worked in the dining room, which was on the lower level of Memorial Hall. He worked with 18 other people, 16 of whom were in the choir. A lot of singing was done in the kitchen, and this was a treat for Carlson, since he wasn’t able to participate in both music and sports. By working five hours, Carlson was able to pay for his Winter 2005-06 Archive photo Archive photo In the 1948 Augsburgian, Jeroy Carlson ’48 was called a “standout player” on the 1947 basketball team, and he was selected for an all-state second team. Carlson (left), along with teammates Kenneth Walsh (center) and Al Mateyko (right), celebrate the Auggies’ 1947 baseball conference championship. room for one week—55 cents an hour went a long way back then. One not so pleasant memory Carlson recalls from the dining hall was dropping a tray on [dean of women] Gerda Mortensen. “I was lucky I didn’t get expelled,” he said. “Gerda knew it was an accident. Mortensen was a woman you never forget.” Carlson also went to school with Jim Lindell, for whose family Lindell Library was named in 1997. Lindell and Carlson both completed their first year at Augsburg together, and then each joined the Navy. However, upon returning to the Twin Cities, Lindell found he needed to transfer colleges because Augsburg didn’t offer a business degree. He enrolled across the river at the university but never forgot the best friends he made at Augsburg. Carlson has been fortunate in his long tenure at Augsburg to get to know the people behind the great names on campus. While it’s easy for students to grumble about tuition costs and for alumni to feel continually asked for donations, it’s the dedication of the people for whom Augsburg means so much—the people who work here and the people who learn here—that makes the difference. Carlson understands all of this. It’s why he has stayed so long. “After all these years, the attitude here is still the same. What I believe is here, and what’s happening at Augsburg is important.” ■ Sara Holman is a senior English/ communication studies major and an intern in the Public Relations and Communication office. 13 PHYSICIAN ASSISTANTS i n c r e a s i n g h e a l t h c a r e a c c e s s by Cynthia Hill photos by Stephen Geffre When Rob Carlson turned 40, he turned a career corner as well. He left the propane gas business to enroll in Augsburg’s very first class in the Physician Assistant (PA) program. Today, Carlson maintains a busy schedule treating recent immigrants and refugees at the Regions Center for International Health in St. Paul. He also sees patients at the Regions HIV Clinic and St. Paul Ramsey Public Health tuberculosis clinic. Jackie Osterhaus was also in Augsburg’s first class of PA students. She had worked as a laboratory technician and a clinical assistant, but wanted more out of a healthcare career. Yet with two small children, becoming a PA made Winter 2005-06 more sense than medical school. Osterhaus now handles a full caseload of patients in Belgrade, a tiny Minnesota town some 100 miles west of the Twin Cities. The Belgrade clinic is a satellite of the Paynesville Area Health Care System, which employs five PAs, a nurse practitioner, and seven physicians. Carlson and Osterhaus are among more than 170 graduates of Augsburg’s PA program since it was launched as Minnesota’s only PA preparation program in 1995. From rural towns to urban centers, these well-trained healthcare practitioners are living out the program’s mission of increasing healthcare access to underserved communities in Minnesota. What is a physician assistant? Physician assistants are not doctors, but they can do many things a doctor does, including seeing their own patients, making diagnoses, doing minor surgery, writing prescriptions, and ordering tests. “But here’s the caveat: we can’t do it on our own,” said Dawn Ludwig, director of Augsburg’s program who is a PA herself. “PAs are team providers who work under the supervision of a licensed physician. We can’t open our own practice.” That doesn’t mean the supervising physician is always in the next room. For example, Jackie Osterhaus staffs the Belgrade clinic four days a week, along with a nurse and laboratory technician, but without a physician on site. A physician from the Paynesville clinic 10 miles away provides regular telephone supervision and chart review to Osterhaus’s cases. “It’s definitely a team effort with ongoing communication and interaction with the supervising physician, but as a PA, I am ultimately responsible for my patients,” said Ludwig, who was named Minnesota Physician Assistant of the Year in 2002 by the Minnesota Academy of Physician Assistants. Because of the similar roles, it’s not uncommon for patients to be confused, said May Mua, an Augsburg graduate who also practices at the Regions Center for International Health. “My patients—primarily Hmong, Somalis, and recent immigrants from other countries who may never have had access to health care before—often call me ‘Dr. Mua,’” she said. “I’m always correcting them but it’s hard to get across the idea of the difference because they see me regularly for their care.” 15 A response to the healthcare shortage The physician assistant career is a relatively recent addition to the healthcare team, growing out of the Vietnam era when highly skilled medics returned from military service, Ludwig said. “At the time, we were seeing a shortage of physicians around the country and needed a new source of caregivers,” she said. To help fill the need, Duke University created the first formal physician assistant program in 1965. In the early ’90s, Augsburg was approached by the Minnesota Academy of Physician Assistants and asked to consider starting a physician assistant training program for the state. “People were going to other states for training and not returning to practice in Minnesota,” she said. “Augsburg’s mission of community and world service was right in line with the concept of physician assistants providing health care to underserved areas.” Initially offered as a two-year, postbachelor’s certificate, Augsburg’s program drew immediate interest, especially among people seeking a career change. “That first informational meeting at Augsburg was standing room only. There must have been 600 people there,” recalls Rob Carlson. Over 10 years, admission to the program, now offered as a three-year master’s degree, has remained highly competitive, reflecting Augsburg’s reputation and strong track record. This year’s class of 28 was culled from more than 140 applications. One thing that has changed is average age of applicants—from 34 at the outset to 27 currently, Ludwig said. “At first, the appeal was mainly to 16 folks already in some aspect of health care—nurses, laboratory assistants, emergency medical technicians, etc. But it is definitely becoming a first-career option for those looking for a career in medicine.” Cases in point: second-year PA students Kari Badali and Jodi Winters, both 2004 Augsburg bachelor’s degree graduates. “Before coming to Augsburg as an undergraduate, I read a magazine that listed a physician assistant as one of the top ten careers for women. I was interested in the medical field but not sure which direction to go. I researched schools offering a PA program and Augsburg was the only one in Minnesota,” said Badali ’04, a biology major. Winters, a biology and chemistry double major, added, “The reputation of the Augsburg program is what finally helped me make my decision.” High expectations, high performance Augsburg’s program is known for its academic rigor, in-depth clinical training, and track record of well-prepared graduates. Consider these indicators: • 100% pass rate on national certification examinations since the program’s inception. • Scores on the national certification examinations have never been below the 90th percentile (the Classes of 2001 and 2004 both ranked in the 99th percentile). • In recent years, every PA graduate has been employed within six months of graduation, 85% of them in Minnesota. Winter 2005-06 These successes grow out of high expectations and a demanding educational program that moves from a foundation of classroom study into direct clinical experience. In the first phase, students are on campus in courses in human gross anatomy, pathophysiology, clinical medicine, pharmacotherapy, history and physical exam skills, research, and ethics and legal medicine. An orientation to the program’s mission of reaching the underserved is woven throughout this phase in courses on special populations and in annual service-learning projects. The clinical phase is next, structured much like a physician’s internship. Taught by physicians and supplemented by physician assistants and other healthcare providers, students progress through seven required rotations and one elective, each six weeks long, in healthcare facilities across the state. At least one rotation is required to be outside of the metropolitan area, in keeping with the program’s mission of addressing healthcare gaps across the state. Twin Cities native Debbie Maas did rotations in Deer River, Minn., a small community west of Grand Rapids. After graduation last year, she accepted a job at the Deer River clinic. About 25% of Augsburg graduates practice in rural communities and greater Minnesota. “I found I really liked the variety in a smaller clinic. There was great camaraderie with the physicians, and I learned so much,” she said. “This is truly family practice medicine. We see everything from OB-GYN to geriatrics.” The final component is a 12-week preceptorship—an intensive clinical experience required by only a few other PA programs. “This is the last piece of their education that ties everything together and solidifies all they’ve learned,” said Ludwig. “It gets them ready to go out and practice.” The personal touch Core to the Augsburg PA training is an emphasis on treating patients as individuals, not diseases. “We look for students who are able to handle a tough and rigorous program but who are also able to connect with patients on a personal level,” Ludwig said. “Physician assistants should be good at JACKIE OSTERHAUS (p. 14) graduated in Augsburg’s first class of physician assistants and enjoys the variety of patient care she gives in her work at the Paynesville Area Health Care System clinic in Belgrade, Minn. ROB CARLSON (left) and MAY MUA (p.16) are two of the three Augsburg graduates who are physician assistants at Regions Hospital’s Center for International Health. Second-year PA student CHENTEL DANGERUD (above) discusses health issues with a resident at the Danebo Home in Minneapolis during a health and wellness fair specifically for seniors. Winter 2005-06 listening and building trust with their patients.” Patricia Walker, M.D., director of the Regions Hospital Center for International Health, considers the clinic’s three physician assistants, all Augsburg graduates, “an absolutely vital part of our provider team.” “They are so talented that they are working at the level of other providers in our group on a daily basis, and rarely ask questions of the physicians. That being said, they also know when to consult us on difficult cases,” Walker said. “They provide outstanding clinical care and are very kind and compassionate.” In the future, demand for physician assistants is likely to continue to grow, according to Rodney McFadden, M.D., a physician with Internal Medicine and Geriatric Associates in Minneapolis and a preceptor of Augsburg PA students on rotation at the University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. “Medical schools are producing about the same number of doctors each year, so as the population gets older, we will need more healthcare providers,” said McFadden. “Physician assistants play an important role and I see them becoming even more common to meet growing healthcare needs in our society.” ■ Cynthia Hill is a freelance writer in St. Paul who frequently writes about Augsburg College. 17 A C H A N C E T O S K AT E BY DON STONER The scene is like any other in hockeycrazed Minnesota on a weekday evening. A cacophony of noise inside a cold indoor ice arena. Young kids, some maybe just a few months from putting skates on for the first time in their lives, are learning the fundamentals of hockey. Coaches strain to be heard above the din. On one half of the rink, an older group has the ice. On the other, Janet Marvin and a couple of assistant coaches are working with girls ages 10 and under. Marvin yells encouragement to her young charges. “I want two hands on your stick all the time.” “When you find it, look up for your teammate and pass it to her stick.” “Good job, excellent! Nice job!” You look at the faces inside the masks, and that’s where you notice the difference. Most of the girls aren’t typical Minnesota hockey players. Most are Hmong, some are African-American, some are white. But if it weren’t for Marvin, it’s likely that none of them would be on the ice this night—or any night, for that matter. For the past seven years, Marvin, a 1986 Augsburg graduate, has been volunteering with young girls on the north and northeast neighborhoods of Minneapolis with the Edison youth hockey program. Along with her sister and a devoted group of volunteer women coaches, they have provided opportunities for young girls who wouldn’t otherwise have discovered the sport. For Marvin, it’s an extension of a family tradition to provide hockey opportunities to others. Her father, Cal, was a legend in hockey in the Upper Midwest. A U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer, he helped to start the men’s hockey program at the University of North Dakota, coached the U.S. national team in 1958, and founded and coached one of the most successful amateur hockey teams in American history, the Warroad Lakers. He helped to establish Warroad, a small town near the Canadian border in northwestern Minnesota, as a place synonymous with hockey. 18 “My dad did it for young men. He let young men play for over 50 years, and he had over 900 young guys that got to skate for him,” Marvin said. “What he did for the guys is what my sister and I are trying to do for young girls who want to play hockey. It doesn’t matter where they’re from, or what color they are, or what background they come from. If they want to play, we’ll get them equipment, we’ll find them a place to play, we’ll make sure they have transportation and make sure their fees are paid.” One of 12 children in the Marvin family, Janet Marvin grew up around hockey. “We grew up at the rink,” she said. “We folded programs, we cleaned the rink, we worked in the concession stands, we sold tickets. We did whatever we could do, because we wanted to be up there at the rink with Dad and the rest of the community. That’s what you did in Warroad. You were at the hockey rink.” She and her sister played hockey in their early years, but as they grew older, there were fewer opportunities for young women to play hockey in northern Minnesota. So she played basketball instead, eventually playing two seasons of junior college basketball and a season at the University of St. Thomas, before transferring to Augsburg for her senior season, 1985-86. She earned a degree in education from Augsburg and eventually worked for the Minneapolis public schools for 15 years. But hockey remained a major part of her life. She played competitively on adult teams for more than a decade, and also worked as a volunteer assistant coach on teams with her friend, Sue Ring-Jarvi. Marvin also served as an adult mentor for young kids in northeast Minneapolis, including youngsters who wanted to play hockey for Edison’s youth program. She eventually got involved with coaching at Edison, and helped to start the Edison girls’ youth program. Along the way, Marvin and her sister began bring out the best of their potential. … But her work with the hockey incorporating more young Hmong girls You can see how these coaches put their program doesn’t end there. The coaches from the neighborhood into the program. whole lives into coaching these kids. It organize year-round experiences for the “Because there weren’t enough kids makes all the work worth it.” girls, in order to keep them active and coming out, I started recruiting Hmong Since many family incomes may not together as a group. They’ve had camping girls. My sister and I are involved in the be able to support the expenses for their trips, barbeques, and trips to team Hmong community in mentoring kids and children to play, Marvin often dips into coaches’ cabins in northern Minnesota to getting kids involved,” she said. “It’s been her own pocket to pay for equipment, go skiing. a focus point for us to bring them into the uniforms, and supplies. “My parents gave us all the program and give them an opportunity to A shed in Marvin’s yard is full of opportunities. If you wanted to play, play. skate. But when we coach at Edison, we hockey equipment that she has either They wanted you to be involved,” Marvin coach anyone who wants to play said. “There’s so many kids who and who lives on the north side don’t have that opportunity, and I or northeast.” think that’s what my sister and I The program started from are trying to provide. We give one small team seven years ago them an opportunity.” to nearly 50 girls on teams for Last summer, Marvin and ages 10-under, 12-under, and fellow Augsburg alumnus John 14-under. This year, Edison has Evans ’82 received grant money two teams, with Janet Marvin from City Kids Inc., a north coaching the 10-under team and Minneapolis program, to provide Robin Marvin coaching the 12hockey instruction for north-side under team, along with a faithful children. About 30 kids took part group of volunteer assistants. in the summer-long program, “It’s an all-female staff, and portions of which were held at not one coach has anybody the Augsburg Ice Arena. Several involved with the program, Augsburg student-athletes which is very unique,” Marvin assisted Marvin in coaching said. “When you go to other during the summer program. associations, it’s always a dad or “The kids love the attention, a brother or an uncle who is and when the college kids came coaching the kids because there’s Janet Marvin ’86 plays less hockey these days so she can concentrate on the ice, I think it was a match on coaching. She makes it possible for girls like these at the Edison a connection. … We just have right away,” Marvin said. “The Youth Hockey Civic Arena in Northeast Minneapolis to learn hockey. females who want to come in kids know that when they come and coach. We’ve skated with to the rink, there’s going to be them in the women’s hockey associations, purchased or had donated to her by someone there that’s going to say ‘Hi’ to and they want to come in and give back. friends. It’s available for her players to them, ‘How are you doing,’ ‘You’re doing They see this program and they see that pick from. She often provides a good job,’ and giving them positive these kids need it, these kids want it, and transportation for team members to and feedback. That’s what these kids need.” these kids absorb it.” from practices and games in her van. Coaching has become a major part of The devotion that Marvin and the “Last year, my mom bought the whole Marvin’s life, so much so that she now other coaches have makes them positive 12-under team a brand new stick for plays less hockey herself in order to role models for the children they are Christmas. That was the first time our concentrate on coaching. coaching, said Marta Kurak ’98, a parent kids that we register had a brand new “The kids like it. They want to go to of two girls who have played hockey on stick,” she said. the rink. They want to play,” she said. Marvin’s Edison teams. Kurak now serves Marvin figures that she puts in 25 or “You see them skating around the rink as a manager for the 12-under team. more hours per week into the Edison and they have smiles on their faces. They “[The coaches] bring an energy to the hockey program, on a strictly volunteer might fall down or get a little hurt, but program. They are always positive and basis. She now also works for Ring-Jarvi’s they get up and they’re like, ‘OK, let’s go never say anything negative. They always sportswear business, in addition to again.’ They just want to be at the rink. … look for the positives in the girls,” Kurak working for a local flower shop. My heart’s really into coaching and said. “[Marvin] works with every kid to working with the kids.” ■ Winter 2005-06 19 Faith City in the Faith BY BETSEY NORGARD PHOTOS BY STEPHEN GEFFRE Envisioning a renewed public calling for the well-being of the city and its people In a twist on the realtor’s three magic words, the Faith in the City initiative might be described as “location, location, vocation.” This distinctive collaboration brings together seven urban-focused Lutheran institutions in Minneapolis and St. Paul. All of them are committed to improving the quality of life in their community and they all center their work around Lutheran ideas of vocation. They share a belief that more can be accomplished when people and organizations work together and when they share their particular expertise toward common goals. It’s a diverse group—Augsburg College, Augsburg Fortress Publishers, Central Lutheran Church, Fairview Health Services, Luther Seminary, Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans— 20 whose members contribute their expertise across the areas of health, education, social services, finance, publishing, and service in faith. The two synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Minneapolis and St. Paul are partners in the collaboration. After several years of informal discussions among the CEOs, a formal collective was launched in 2002 that draws its calling from a passage in the book of Jeremiah, “Seek the welfare of the city … for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” The collaborative seeks to renew that same concern to care for each other in the community that motivated the founding of their institutions a century or more ago. And, today, they are again finding some of the greatest community needs among recent immigrants. “[Faith in the City] has set before Lutheran institutions across the land a model which illustrates service leadership,” says President William Frame. “The CEOs became interested in Luther’s idea of vocation as a vehicle to draw their constituents out into the world in service and in collaboration.” They were encouraged by the extent of common purpose and overlap in their missions. Tom Morgan, Augsburg’s vice president for planning and market development, speaks of Augsburg’s perspective: “It’s a way for us to more deeply express and live out our commitment to the city, to service, and to strengthen and demonstrate our connection to the church.” Ci Winter 2005-06 Community initiatives Faith in the City serves as a catalyst for collaboration among people, neighborhoods, congregations, and others, primarily in the areas of health, education, and neighborhood. Each initiative has two or three member organization sponsors and appropriate strategic partners. Initiatives specific to Augsburg are: Augsburg Academy for Health Careers—Augsburg, together with Fairview Health Services, developed the first proposal to Faith in the City. Responding to the shortage of healthcare professionals, especially within increasingly diverse communities, a charter school was proposed, with funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to prepare students for careers and vocations in health care. The Augsburg Academy for Health Careers opened this fall with 61 students, a majority from diverse backgrounds, in grades 9, 10 and 11, with grade 12 to begin next year. Lutheran College House—A second initiative spearheaded by Augsburg, together with Luther Seminary, is the Lutheran College House, proposed for summer 2006. Students from six partner Lutheran colleges will live for a semester in the Phillips neighborhood to explore vocation, service opportunities, and leadership development. Augsburg/Central Nursing Center—Augsburg’s 10-year-old free nursing center at Central Lutheran Church that serves neighborhood residents at no cost was incorporated into the Faith in the City initiatives. Hands-on learning for health careers by Judy Petree Jasmine Smith, a junior, and one of 61 students at the new Augsburg Academy for Health Careers, travels from Maple Grove across the city everyday. She enrolled at the academy to pursue a career in the health field, particularly forensic science or neurology. In addition to her interest in the CSI television shows, she said she chose the academy for its small class sizes and the ability to work one-on-one with instructors. She recently interviewed for an internship at Fairview in the nursing department. Students at the academy are paired with Fairview health professionals as mentors. Together they explore the student’s talents and interests as related to vocations in the health field. Students use Fairview as a hands-on learning laboratory; they also take field trips to Mayo Clinic, and visit emergency care centers, hospitals, clinics, and science-related businesses and industries. All students receive training to become certified as emergency medical technicians, first responders, and/or certified nursing assistants. This will help them find employment during summers and after graduation. Mark Youngstrom, director of Augsburg Academy, is a former state education department specialist in English education and co-founder of the Perpich Center for the Arts in Golden Valley. “The primary purpose [of the academy] is to provide immigrant students and students of color with a solid academic education that enables them to advance in the educational system,” he said. “In addition, hospitals and healthcare facilities of all kinds are treating increasing numbers of patients from immigrant communities and communities of color, and they need employees who speak their languages and understand their cultures.” Youngstrom concludes, “Our ultimate hope is to raise the sights of our students so they can plan a future for themselves that includes higher education and a professional career.” Other initiatives include: The Wellness Connection—With the help of several neighborhood organizations and congregations, this center responds to Somali immigrants’ health needs, promotes healthy lifestyles, and connects them with appropriate medical providers. ty Personal Finance Center—Begun as a tax service for lowincome residents, this center has grown to offer a wide range of financial literacy tools for banking, home ownership, borrowing money, etc. Phillips Neighborhood Park, Library, and School—Faith in the City provides financial resources and volunteer service to help sustain these sites as vibrant neighborhood centers. Above left: Tom Morgan (left), Augsburg’s representative on the steering committee, and Jeri Nelsen (right), executive director, are finding that the Faith in the City Lutheran collaborative is an effective model for responding to community needs. Winter 2005-06 Jasmine Smith (right) and Ophelia Mensah (left) enjoy the small classes and one-on-one mentoring at the Augsburg Academy for Health Careers. 21 Leadership conference—Two annual conferences have brought together downtown faith and business leaders for discussion and mutual collaboration around faith and work. Leadership initiative—-For the second year, a program nurtures emerging leaders at member organizations through ongoing discussions of vocation and faith. The next steps Faith in the City is proving that greater good can come about through working together in collaboration than by individual organizations working in isolation. In a commentary written for the Star Tribune last year, Thrivent president and CEO Bruce Nicholson described Faith in the City’s process as “mission-based collaboration, an ideal model for holistically addressing pressing community needs.” Moving forward, the collaborative continues to seek strategic partners for specific initiatives as well as to engage Lutheran congregations in outreach to urban needs. Perhaps nowhere else in the nation could such an integrated community collaboration take place, and Faith in the City is beginning to garner attention. Tapped for leadership by Betsey Norgard 22 Executive director Jeri Nelsen, Morgan, and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota CEO Mark Peterson presented Faith in the City at the national meeting of Lutheran Services in America (LSA) in April. The collaborative has also garnered significant attention from Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak. Nelsen says that Rybak sees Faith in the City as a model for collaboration with great potential for improving community well-being. Frame believes that Faith in the City has proven that, even within a highly competitive arena, nonprofits can combine resources to carry out their work more effectively. ■ Last fall Julie Olson ’90, ’04 MAL, dean of enrollment management, was part of the first “class” of Faith in the City’s Leadership Development Institute. Over several day-long sessions, th