AUGSBURG NOW
AUGSBURG
UNIVERSITY
SPRING–SUMMER 2017 | VOL. 79, NO. 2
COMING SEPTEMBER 2017
PHOTO BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
On the power of both/and
I am writing these notes on c... Show more
AUGSBURG NOW
AUGSBURG
UNIVERSITY
SPRING–SUMMER 2017 | VOL. 79, NO. 2
COMING SEPTEMBER 2017
PHOTO BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
On the power of both/and
I am writing these notes on commencement
weekend when we have just sent the final
graduates of Augsburg College into the world,
full of promise and aspiration—as has been the
case for almost 150 years. As you will read in
this issue of Augsburg Now, the change of our
name to Augsburg University will become official
in September, and we will welcome the incoming
class on Labor Day weekend. We are busy
preparing for this exciting new era for Augsburg!
For some, the name change may reflect
a break with Augsburg’s past. For others,
perhaps this is a welcome acceptance of the
need to embrace the future. For the Augsburg
community, however, the change is a remarkable
opportunity to re-present Augsburg to the
world—to tell a story that is about an abiding
mission and identity shaped by faith, and
academic and civic values, and at the same
time to point to innovative and urgently needed
responses to our dynamic environment. In
other words, this change is about the pivot
from “either/or” to “both/and.” This is about
embracing the best of past, present, and future.
This is about Augsburg University.
The almost 1,000 Auggies who commenced
into the world this spring reflect in their
achievements and aspirations the foundation for
embracing this change.
Across undergraduate and graduate programs,
the Class of 2017 achieved academic excellence
of the highest order, excellence that defines a
university: national and international honors for
scholarship and service; exemplary undergraduate
research that equips students for graduate
work and professional opportunities; innovative
community building that strengthens democratic
engagement; and a commitment to equity in
education that promises to change the world.
At the same time, our newest graduates
reflect the diversity that we expect in a
university—diversity of ethnicity, thinking, life
experience, identity, and ability—diversity not
for its own sake but for the promise of a more
robust, healthy, and just world. As I watched our
diverse graduates cross the stage, I could not
help but be filled with hope in our future leaders
who already have learned to navigate difference
in ways that unite rather than divide.
In a final way, these newest Augsburg
graduates offer a perhaps countercultural
lesson about what makes for a great university.
Though some imagine a university as big and
bureaucratic and faceless, Augsburg has a
vision to be a new kind of student-centered,
urban university—small to our students and
big for the world. The sense of community was
palpable in our commencement ceremonies as
graduates cheered each other and celebrated
the relationships they have forged at Augsburg,
lifelong relationships that engendered
achievement and success. And propelled by those
relationships, our graduates will indeed be “big
for the world,” as they live Augsburg’s mission as
“informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical
thinkers, and responsible leaders.”
Here’s to the power of “both/and” and the
promise of Augsburg University!
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing
Communication
Stephen Jendraszak
jendra@augsburg.edu
Communication Copywriter
and Editorial Coordinator
Laura Swanson Lindahl ’15 MBA
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Senior Creative Associate, Design
Denielle Johnson ’11
johnsod@augsburg.edu
Production Manager
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Marketing Copywriter
Jessica Mueller
muellerj@augsburg.edu
Contributing Writers
Kate H. Elliott
Jen Lowman Day
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Faithfully yours,
Send address corrections to:
alumniupdate@augsburg.edu.
Send comments to:
now@augsburg.edu
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
AUGSBURG NOW
Spring–Summer 2017
02 Around the quad
08
Preserving Norway’s
treasures
12
Augsburg University
name change
18
Winning the long game
24
Auggies connect
28
Class notes
33
In memoriam
PHOTO BY COURTNEY PERRY
On the cover
Augsburg College will become
Augsburg University effective
September 1. Learn more about
this historic transition on page 12.
An Auggie passes by the first art installation in the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center
for Science, Business, and Religion. This new academic building, which will open in January
2018, celebrates Augsburg’s commitment to learning at the intersection of disciplines.
Glass fritting on the lobby curtainwall depicts the pattern of Martin Luther’s handwritten
score of “A Mighty Fortress is Our God” overlaid with the cell structure of elm wood.
“Knowing that light will pour through the tall glass of the Hagfors Center, and that
people will pass through the reflected shape of the notes of this stirring hymn, ties the
whole idea of the building together for me. Science, business, and religion, drawn together
in space, time, and rhythm of the ages,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow, who,
with his wife, Abigail Crampton Pribbenow, sponsored the artwork.
AROUND THE QUAD
HONORING
PHOTO BY COURTNEY PERRY
Retiring Faculty
RALPH BUTKOWSKI
MAGDA PALECZNY-ZAPP
Assistant Professor, Department of
Biology—with the College
since 2001
Associate Professor, Department of
Business Administration—with the
College since 1986
CASS DALGLISH
NOEL PETIT
Professor, Department of English—
with the College since 1986
Professor, Department of
Computer Science—with the
College since 1984
PETER HENDRICKSON ’76
Associate Professor, Department of
Music—with the College since 1994
BOYD KOEHLER
Associate Professor, Library—with
the College since 1967
SANDRA OLMSTED ’69
Associate Professor, Department
of Chemistry—with the College
since 1978
DEBORAH REDMOND
Assistant Professor, Department of
Communication Studies—with the
College since 1981
STUART STOLLER
Professor, Department of Business
Administration—with the College
since 1986
TARA SWEENEY
Associate Professor, Department of
Art—with the College since 1990
Auggies advocate at
STATE CAPITOL
The Augsburg community
celebrated the Class of 2017 on
Saturday, April 29. In a morning
ceremony, 503 traditional
undergraduate students were
conferred their degrees. In the
afternoon, the school recognized
469 adult undergraduate, master’s,
and doctoral students—50 of
whom studied at Augsburg’s
Rochester site. [Pictured]: Fatimah
Kinaphone ’15, ’17 MBA receives
her master’s degree hood.
2
AUGSBURG NOW
PHOTO BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
COMMENCEMENT
Augsburg College students recently visited the Minnesota State Capitol to
participate in advocacy events hosted by the Minnesota Private College
Council. First, in February, two of Augsburg’s TRIO McNair Scholars took
part in a Private College Scholars at the Capitol event that promoted the role
undergraduate research plays in students’ educational and professional
development. Then, in April, Auggies met with Minnesota representatives
and senators for Day at the Capitol.
These students advocated for
several programs, including
Minnesota State Grants, that help
undergraduates afford higher
education.
[L to R]: Professor of Sociology Diane Pike
advised McNair Scholar Devin Wiggs ’17, who
was invited to present his undergraduate
research project at Scholars at the Capitol.
AROUND THE QUAD
TICKETS ON SALE:
NOBEL PEACE
PRIZE FORUM
Visit nobelpeaceprizeforum.org to find ticket, presenter, and schedule information.
PHOTO BY RICKY TAYLOR ’17
COURTESY PHOTO
September 15-16
Each year, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum offers opportunities to learn from the world’s most
celebrated, innovative, and dedicated peacemakers. Hosted and presented by Augsburg, the
Forum invites attendees to turn abstract ideas into the skills our world needs for fostering
better relationships and for building peace. In September, international guests from leading
organizations will explore the theme “Dialogue in Divided Societies” and honor the work of
the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet, the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, for its decisive
contribution to building a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia after the Jasmine Revolution of 2011.
Electronics lab is electrifying!! Building the circuits of
tomorrow, today. #MaroonMilestone @AugsburgCollege
FUEL FINISH
THERE IS, PERHAPS, NO GREATER CURE
FOR STRESS than taking a moment to
acknowledge the good. As Augsburg students soldiered through the last week
of classes this spring—turning in final papers and finishing projects—they
also made time to reflect on their achievements in 2016-17. Students posted,
tweeted, and shared #MaroonMilestones on social media, and soon a powerful
collective story came together. Whether it was winning athletic championships,
landing job interviews, or beating cancer, Auggies finished strong.
FOR THE
CELEBRATING
STUDENT
SUCCESS
FUEL
E
FOR TH
FINISH
For those who posted
#MaroonMilestones, Augsburg
partnered with its food service
provider, A’viands, to provide handdelivered treats and cheerful notes
that offered additional fuel for the end
of the term, though physics students
kept their beverages safely stationed
outside the lab (pictured above)!
Read about the scope of prestigious academic
achievements, awards, and honors earned by Auggies
during the 2016-17 year at augsburg.edu/now.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
3
PHOTO BY RICKY TAYLOR ’17
AROUND THE QUAD
After a morning practice, goaltender Jordyn Kaufer ’17 and members of the Augsburg men’s
hockey team presented Minasie Theophilos with a check for $5,000. In comments aired on
KARE 11 news, Kaufer told Theophilos the sum was, “A token to give you thanks for your
selflessness, your service, your care to the rink and the guys.”
Honoring
Luther’s legacy
To mark the 500th anniversary
of the Reformation, Augsburg is
hosting a series of events this fall.
Visit augsburg.edu/ccv/events
for dates and details.
4
AUGSBURG NOW
A SEASON OF REFORMATION CELEBRATIONS!
In September, Augsburg will welcome the fourth
presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America, the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, as an honored
speaker for the Bernhard M. Christensen Symposium.
To mark Augsburg College Heritage Day in October,
Associate Professor of Religion Mary Lowe will lead a
discussion on the revolutionary life of Martin Luther.
In November, award-winning musical group The
Rose Ensemble will present “Welcome the People: The
Musical Legacy of the Reformation.”
To kick off the holiday season in December, Augsburg
will host Advent Vespers with the theme “Welcome,
Noble Guest,” inspired by Martin Luther’s hymn “From
Heaven Above.”
AROUND THE QUAD
MINASIE THEOPHILOS has cared for Augsburg’s athletic facilities—most notably the ice arena—
during his more than 25 years of service on the College’s custodial staff. Theophilos and the men’s
hockey team developed a life-changing relationship that was shared by media outlets across the
United States and around the globe.
When members of the team learned that Theophilos’ mother had died in Ethiopia—a home
Theophilos hasn’t seen for nearly 35 years—and that Theophilos missed her funeral because he didn’t
have the money to visit, the team created a fundraiser. In less than 48 hours, the players and Auggies
worldwide raised thousands of dollars for
Theophilos to use to visit his family.
Today, Theophilos and his wife are planning a
trip to see his father and their families, thanks
to a special friendship with the Augsburg
athletes he has supported for decades.
PHOTO BY RICKY TAYLOR ’17
FRIENDSHIP ON ICE … AND OFF
right,’
ou raised ’em
‘y
of
y
or
g
te
ca
“In the
y team.”
Augsburg hocke
e
th
of
s
d
ki
e
we give you th
—Bob Collins,
Minnesota Public Radio News Cut
COURTESY PHOTO
Who’s on first? Auggies are! This spring, the Augsburg baseball team kicked
off its season at U.S. Bank Stadium, competing in four nonconference
doubleheaders. The new Minnesota Vikings venue is only a stone’s throw (or
a really strong pitch) from Augsburg’s campus.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
5
PHOTO BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
ON THE SPOT
IT’S SIMPLE MATH: Fewer people are entering the teaching profession, more are
leaving it, and many educators lack the qualifications required to teach Minnesota’s
increasingly diverse student body. These factors have prompted teacher preparation
programs—including those at Augsburg—to adapt in support of more inclusive,
flexible learning environments that accommodate a spectrum of needs and abilities.
As the director of education programs at Augsburg’s Rochester location, Kaycee Rogers is working alongside colleagues
and legislators to better support and retain teachers and to inspire a more diverse workforce. She is driven to ensure the
next generation of Minnesotans experience a meaningful education through hands-on, relevant learning.
Q:
How does educating, training, and
employing K-12 teachers with specialty
backgrounds improve our schools?
A:
The demographics of our student
population have changed given the
influx of new populations into our welcoming
state and education’s shift to incorporate
students with special needs into the general
classroom. Because of this, teachers with
specialty licenses are in demand, and these
positions are often tough to fill. Augsburg
is leading the charge to offer broader
licensures, which prepare teachers to
succeed in today’s classrooms and qualify
them for a wide range of teaching positions.
Exposure to more teaching strategies
and more specializations helps teacher
6
AUGSBURG NOW
candidates adapt and innovate so they can
offer students multiple access points for
understanding.
Q:
A:
What’s an example of an innovative
teaching strategy?
Students learn best when they’re
engaged in experiences that matter to
them. We’ve been incorporating real-world,
student-led experiences into the classroom,
and the results are impressive. Augsburg
teacher candidates, for instance, are helping
fourth- and fifth-graders write grants, speak
to community groups, navigate teamwork,
and participate in democracy. It’s been
amazing to watch our teachers transition
to more of a coaching role, while students
PHOTO BY BRENDAN BUSH
Education expert Kaycee Rogers describes how an inclusive,
agile K-12 model can help Minnesota classrooms make the grade
take the lead to apply classroom learning to
issues and situations of meaning to them.
Q:
A:
How do teachers recognize students’
home cultures and diverse experiences?
Although “English as a Second
Language” is a widely used term, we
say, “English learners,” because it’s more
accurate given that some students learn
English as a third or fourth language. We
also celebrate home culture and language
rather than asking students to check their
heritage at the door.
In special education, we try to be more
inclusive. It used to be that educators
relied on what was called a medical
model of diagnosis and treatment. Today,
AROUND THE QUAD
Outstanding
EDUCATORS
Share your ideas for
Each year, Augsburg recognizes
individuals who have made
exemplary contributions to creating
an engaging academic learning
environment. The 2017 recipients
of the Distinguished Contributions to
Teaching and Learning awards are:
AUGSBURG’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY
CELEBRATION
1869-2019
Visit augsburg.edu/150 to
submit your suggestions.
Alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff are invited to
celebrate Augsburg’s 150th anniversary in 2019. What
aspect of your Augsburg experience would you like to
highlight during the sesquicentennial year? Were you
connected to a team, an organization, or a department
that made a difference? Would you like to see a reunion
for your favorite activity—whether it was campus
ministry, KAUG radio, student government, or a music
ensemble? Let us know how to best honor Augsburg’s
past, present, and future.
Teaching
Full-time faculty
Joyce Miller ’02, ’05 MAN, ’11 DNP,
assistant professor and Nursing
Department chair
Part-time faculty
Alyssa Hanson ’01, mathematics and
statistics instructor
Scholarship
William Green, professor of history
Service
Q:
A:
David Crowe, associate professor of
biology
How do we inspire a workforce that is
more reflective of diverse classrooms?
It’s well documented that students
retain more information and have a
positive view of education when they relate
to teachers. We want to reach out to people
who look like our students and come from
the same backgrounds, particularly those
already working as teacher aides or in other
supporting roles. Growing teachers from
within each community’s diverse population
will beget more teachers of color and inspire
some to remain in their community to make a
lasting difference.
Stella Hofrenning, associate professor
of economics
Dixie Shafer, director of
Undergraduate Research and
Graduate Opportunity
PHOTO BY BOB STACKE ’71
we recognize that our role isn’t as much
about changing someone as it is about
using an approach that welcomes learners
of different styles, that encourages support
networks to address, adapt to, and respond
to each young person. We seek to accept,
listen, and innovate as we help students
gain as much as possible to prepare them
for a fulfilling life.
Both approaches fall under an umbrella
of universal design that can be applied to
all students, regardless of ability. If our
goal is understanding, then we must create
multiple access points for students. We urge
teacher candidates to get to know students,
their families, and the community to
appreciate the backgrounds coming together
in each classroom.
[L to R]: Stella Hofrenning, Dixie Shafer,
William Green, Joyce Miller, David Crowe, and
Alyssa Hanson.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
7
PHOTO BY ANNAR BJØRGLI
8
AUGSBURG NOW
Juliane Derry ’00 works on an artifact from Norway’s national collection.
As an objects conservator, she studies and preserves historical materials.
BY LAURA SWANSON LINDAHL ’15 MBA
“As you can see, I’m not in my office,” says
Juliane Derry ’00 answering a video call and
gazing toward the cell phone resting in her
outstretched palm. “It’s kind of a little crisis.”
Behind her, a warehouse complex comes into
focus. It looks tidy—for the most part—but
there’s chaos emerging in what otherwise would
be a meticulously organized space.
Derry is standing in one of the storage
facilities for Norway’s Nasjonalmuseet, the
National Museum of Art, Architecture and
Design, and she is responding to an immediate,
all-hands-on-deck plea to mitigate an unnerving
discovery in the archive: water.
“Oxygen, light, and variations in
humidity are the things that cause
damage,” Derry said, hours later,
offering a primer on the fundamental
culprits in the degradation of
historical materials. As a conservator
for the national museum in Oslo,
she plays a multifaceted role in
the institution’s efforts to hold,
preserve, exhibit, and promote public
knowledge about Norway’s most
extensive collections.
Vestbanen – Downtown Oslo
Future home of the Nasjonalmuseet
Norway’s new national museum will open
in 2020. Juliane Derry ’00 is working to prepare
hundreds of objects for public display.
Oslo, Norway
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
9
PHOTO BY ANNAR BJØRGLI
During her career, Derry has
restored furniture, objects,
frames, and gilded surfaces.
10
AUGSBURG NOW
“There are so many different materials in our
collection that we have textile, paintings, paper,
and book conservators,” said Derry, who is an
objects conservator specializing in furniture,
frames, and gilded surfaces. She has studied
restoration on three continents and has become
an expert in both preserving national treasures
and making new creations shine. Derry is
someone who excels at finding connections
between seemingly disparate areas. Her
conservation work blends science with artistry,
research with intuition, and the practical with
the theoretical.
Derry’s personal life has been filled with
complementary relationships as well. She was
born in Norway, and she lived there until age 15
when she, her sister, and her American mother
moved from the tiny alpine town of Ål to the
densely populated Twin Cities lying on the edge
of Minnesota’s prairie. Later, as an Augsburg
student, she focused on women’s studies,
international relations, religion, and studio arts.
“I took classes based on what interested me,”
Derry said, shrugging her shoulders. “When
you get out into the real world and meet new
people you begin to realize that [some of them]
followed a very narrow path. I’m not looking
down on that in any way, but I appreciate the
fact that I was able to experience so many
different things.”
As her former faculty advisor, History
Professor and Director of General Education
Jacqueline deVries acknowledges that
Derry is the type of person who thrives in
interdisciplinary programs like women’s studies.
Now known as “gender, sexuality, and
women’s studies,” the major includes courses
in biology, English, history, political science,
sociology, and other disciplines. And it seems
Derry’s inclination toward diverse opportunities
only increases with time.
“Juliane’s path is fantastic. She totally
wandered,” said deVries, who now counts Derry
among her friends. “I think she’d laugh that I
said that, but along the way she discovered a
true passion.”
Derry’s career in restoration and conservation
began because misdirected mail literally came
across her desk. Shortly after graduating
from Augsburg, Derry worked as an assistant
to buyers at Dayton’s, Minneapolis’ storied
hometown department store chain. Even though
she didn’t support staff in the furniture division,
she received heaps of catalogs for that area.
Eventually, a thoughtful colleague noticed
her growing interest in woodworking and
encouraged her to pursue her calling. After
some networking and introspection, Derry
signed up for a wood finishing program at
a technical college—an experience that
ultimately led to her launching a small
business, obtaining an advanced degree,
and developing industry contacts around
the world.
One of those connections is Don
Williams, an author, educator, scholar,
and furniture conservator who retired after
serving the Smithsonian Institution for 29
years. Williams was a guest lecturer who
instructed Derry during her Minnesotabased finishing program, and he became
a mentor as she took her education and
career to new levels.
Williams has taught hundreds of
students, and he’s noticed that those who
succeed often have similar predispositions.
“How many people do you know who
are both scientists and artists?” he
asked. “That’s what we are. If you are not
consumed by creativity, this is going to be
a miserable path for you. People need not
only creativity but also curiosity.”
For Derry, an eagerness to experiment
and to learn has triggered some of her most
defining life events.
After working a handful of day jobs and
operating an independent business in the
U.S. for three years, Derry enrolled in an
immersive, full-time restoration program
near Florence, Italy. There she gained
studio experience and new skillsets,
including the ability to speak Italian through
a crash course lasting a single month. After
completing the restoration program, Derry
moved with her wife, Jody Scholz ’97, to
Norway. Derry was armed with a portfolio
of recent work and ambition to relaunch her
business in the Land of the Midnight Sun.
“I ended up making a CD full of pictures
of various restoration projects, and I made
the rounds in town,” she said. “I looked up
people in the yellow pages and then handed
out my pictures. In the beginning I worked
a little bit at a frame shop, and then I got a
job in a gallery where I restored frames.”
During the years since, Derry’s workload
has grown to match her expertise, and
sometimes her expertise has grown due to
Derry prepares an Oslo
city model from the
1930s for display in an
architectural exhibit.
PHOTO BY ANNAR BJØRGLI
the requirements of her work.
She earned a master’s degree at the
University of Oslo’s Institute of Archeology,
Conservation, and History by completing a
project-based thesis that examined shellac,
a sealant created using a resin secreted by
insects. For this project, Derry conducted
fieldwork in the rural Jharkhand region of
India where villagers harvest stick lac—the
key ingredient that becomes shellac and
its by-products—and she analyzed the
chemical characteristics of several samples
at the Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation
Institute where Williams served as her
internship sponsor.
“Investigative problem-solving” is one of
the aspects Derry said she most enjoys about
her field, and her liberal arts experience at
Augsburg informs the way she approaches her
assignments. She uses traditional techniques
and materials in her conservation projects
whenever possible, and her ability to think
critically is paramount.
While employed at a furniture restoration
company, she was tasked with repairing
beloved pieces used by the Oscarshall
Summer Palace, the Office of the Prime
Minister, and private clients. She also has
served Fortidsminneforeningen, a nonprofit
that preserves and protects monuments,
including 40 of the stave churches located
throughout Norway.
“Ashes to ashes and dust to dust is not
only a homily, it is an inexorable law of
the universe,” said Williams, describing
the vital role individuals like Derry play
in preserving cultural heritage for future
generations. “Everything is going back to
dust. As conservators, it is our job—to
the extent that is rational—to slow that
process down and concurrently enjoy and
extract the most utility from an artifact on
its path.”
Today Derry’s workdays primarily are
devoted to making internationally important
materials accessible to the general public.
At the national museum, she has completed
assignments that range from applying gold
leaf on the frames of masterworks to cleaning
a plaster-of-Paris city model measuring more
than 100 square feet. And still, her current
undertaking is the largest one yet.
The Norwegian government is building
a joint “all-arts” museum, which is slated
to open in Oslo in 2020. Intended to be a
dynamic arena for people to interact with
the visual arts, the space requires new
exhibits so curators and conservators are
working hand-in-hand to select and prepare
pieces for display. Derry is in the midst
of locating, evaluating, cataloguing, and
potentially repairing 400 pieces of furniture
for the museum.
It’s a process that requires passion and
persistence—two words that also perfectly
describe the manner in which Derry has
shaped her career. She’s prepared to
address new challenges if issues arise in a
workshop, at a laboratory bench, or during
the process of managing complex projects.
Even in a soggy situation at a storage
venue, Derry sees the annoyance of
rewrapping objects impacted by a minor
cooling system leak as an opportunity to
formulate a plan for the future should staff
ever need to address a true disaster.
“She can pursue something with
intelligence and diligence and still with a
smile on her face,” Williams said. “That’s
an unusual gift.”
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
11
AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY:
SMALL TO OUR STUDENTS
AND BIG FOR THE WORLD
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
O
n September 1, “Augsburg College” officially will become
“Augsburg University”—a change approved by both the Board
of Regents and the Augsburg Corporation.
For generations of Augsburg alumni and friends, it may seem like
the place always has been called “Augsburg College.” That’s been
the formal name of the school for the past 54 years.
Over the course of the school’s history, nearly 24,000 people
have completed degrees at Augsburg. With so many Auggie alumni
accustomed to thinking of Augsburg as a college, why change the name?
In short, the term “university” illustrates the breadth of Augsburg’s
current reality and goals for the future. And, “while our name is
changing,” said Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow, “the essence
of who we are is not.”
As the first seminary created by Norwegian Lutherans in America,
the name Augsburg—chosen by the school’s founders in 1869 to
honor the Augsburg Confession—always has defined the ethos of
this institution and its mission to support those called to service in
the world. Since its founding, Augsburg has been known by at least
four different names. The name has shifted as the school has grown,
but our commitment to an accessible, quality education has never
wavered. Likewise, our dedication to the Lutheran principles of
hospitality, service to the neighbor, and social justice is as steadfast
today as ever.
12
AUGSBURG NOW
In announcing the name change, Pribbenow affirmed
that becoming Augsburg University “does not alter our
dedication to integrating the liberal arts and professional
studies or our commitment to being small to our students
and big for the world.”
Rather than moving Augsburg away from its roots,
the name change helps Augsburg remain both faithful
to its heritage and relevant to the educational needs of
students in the 21st century.
Ever evolving, always Augsburg: Growth
in graduate programs
From its early years, Augsburg stressed that a good
education is practical and focused on educating
ministerial candidates and theological students as well as
farmers, workers, and businesspeople.
So, it’s no surprise that Augsburg today offers
a number of professional master’s and doctoral
degrees — a mix of programs that makes Augsburg
already more like a university than a college. While there
is no fixed definition outlining the distinction between a
“college” and a “university,” offering post-baccalaureate
degrees commonly is associated with institutions named
as universities.
Augsburg’s first advanced degree program, the
Master of Arts in Leadership, launched 30 years
ago. Since then, 3,700 people have earned master’s
or doctoral degrees from Augsburg. This past fall,
Augsburg’s graduate enrollment reached a record
high — representing 28 percent of total enrollment — and
continued growth in Augsburg graduate programs is
anticipated in the coming years.
An international perspective
Today, Auggies live and work all over the world. In many
countries and cultures, the word “college” is associated
with a high school-level education. Alumni who work
in international settings have noted that they already
refer to their alma mater as “Augsburg University” in
order to avoid confusion. For the same reason, the name
change also will help Augsburg be more attractive as a
destination for international students, which represents a
potential growth area for Augsburg.
A view from the outside in
With nearly 150 years of history, it’s no surprise that
Augsburg is well known in the region—even among
people who haven’t (or haven’t yet) studied here. What
impact would a name change have on their perceptions
of Augsburg? We asked the following groups to share their
thoughts:
• high school students,
• parents of high school students,
• high school counselors,
• people considering getting an advanced degree, and
• people who didn’t finish an undergraduate degree
right after high school and are thinking about going
back to school to earn a bachelor’s.
These conversations generated several important
insights, but the core takeaway is that Augsburg’s reality,
reputation, and promise are aligned with the name change.
Our reality and reputation. Conversations with
members of the general community demonstrated
that people associate the word “university” with a
number of attributes that clearly apply to Augsburg.
Specifically, people view universities as having high
academic standards, a commitment to research, strong
international programs, and diverse student populations.
Augsburg has robust programs for scholarly research
and global study, and is recognized nationally for its
leadership in inclusion and equity. In many ways,
Augsburg already embodies much of what people expect
of a university.
The promise of a student-centered university. We also
learned from these conversations that Augsburg has a
strong reputation for direct student-faculty engagement.
We already know how important this is to our alumni,
students, faculty, and staff, but it was gratifying to hear
that members of the broader community also value
Augsburg as a student-centered organization.
This is something Augsburg needs to ensure does
not change. Augsburg University will not become an
institution marked by big campuses or large studentto-faculty ratios. Instead, as is articulated in our
Augsburg2019 strategic vision, Augsburg will be a new
kind of student-centered university, and just as we have
done for decades, Augsburg will remain committed to
educating students for lives of purpose in a vibrant,
engaged learning community.
Learn about the visual identity of Augsburg University
on the following pages.
Learn more about the Augsburg2019 strategic vision, the
name change, and the logo update at augsburg.edu/now.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
13
AUGSBURG NAME CHANGE HISTORY
1869
1872
1892
1942
AUGSBURG
SEMINARIUM
THE NORWEGIAN DANISH
EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN
AUGSBURG SEMINARY
AUGSBURG
SEMINARY
AUGSBURG COLLEGE AND
THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
EMBRACING OUR LEGACY
AND OUR FUTURE
When Samuel Gross ’03 was a student at Augsburg, he
designed the original Auggie eagle-head symbol as an
assignment for one of his graphic design courses. The design
was so good, Augsburg ended up buying the rights to the
image and has used the eagle symbol for campus life, student
organizations, and athletics for the past 15 years.
During that time, Gross became an award-winning designer
and creative director who founded his own graphic design
firm, 144design, with a specialty in developing logos for
clients. So, when Augsburg needed to update its logo as part
of the transition to the Augsburg University name, it was a
perfect opportunity to re-engage with Gross to envision and
design the next-generation Augsburg logo.
“Early on, our conversation about the logo confirmed that
this project should be an evolution of the Augsburg brand, not
a revolution,“ Gross said. “We wanted to preserve the strong
recognition that has been built for Augsburg over time.
“Our goal was to preserve and respect the historic nature
of Augsburg’s logo — especially since it already has strong
14
AUGSBURG NOW
[Top Left]: The Augsburg “A”
shape is reimagined.
[Top Right]: Samuel Gross ’03
works on Augsburg University’s
visual identity in April 2017.
[Left]: Gross shows off
merchandise displaying
the first eagle-head symbol
shortly after he created it for
Augsburg in 2003.
energy and good familiarity — while at the same time creating
a treatment that also embraces the future,” he said.
The results, including the updated Augsburg logo, “A”
icon, and eagle-head symbol are shown on the next page.
Separately, the Augsburg seal — which is used on transcripts,
diplomas, and other official documents — was updated by
Augsburg staff Mark Chamberlain and Denielle Johnson ’11 and
is shown on pages 16-17.
1963
2017
AUGSBURG
COLLEGE
AUGSBURG
UNIVERSITY
UNIVERSITY
COLLEGE
Augsburg marks: honoring the legacy
Augsburg logo
Augsburg “A” icon
Eagle-head symbol
The Augsburg University logo is
designed to feel familiar to people who
are already acquainted with the College
logo, connecting the new design with
Augsburg’s legacy. In the new logo, the
word “Augsburg” is more bold than the
word “University.” This approach was
informed by research suggesting that
people’s strong associations are with
the name, “Augsburg,” whether or not it
is followed by “College” or “University.”
The font selected for “Augsburg”
conveys an established, academic feel,
while the font for “University” provides
a sleek, contemporary balance. The
contrast of the two words creates a
dynamic energy.
By strengthening the design of the
“A” icon — broadening its base
and making the vertical strokes
bolder — Augsburg will be able
to use the “A” icon as a standalone graphic element much more
frequently and effectively going
forward.
For example, current plans call
for the “A” icon to be installed on
the shorter ends of the sign on
top of Mortensen Hall. This is one
of the most visible signs in the
region and will be updated this
summer as part of the transition to
“Augsburg University.”
The eagle-head symbol is stronger
and bolder with this evolution.
Whereas the original design lost
detail and contrast when translated
to black-and-white treatments,
the updated design is much more
effective across a broader range
of uses.
Currently, designs using the
updated eagle-head symbol are
under development for an array of
installations—from the Si Melby
gym floor and the Edor Nelson
athletic field scoreboard to the
Christensen Center student lounge
and merchandise sold in the
Augsburg bookstore.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
15
AUGSBURG UNIVERSITY SEAL: HISTORY AND MEANING
Past seals
T
he seal conservation process began as
Augsburg College explored the steps
involved in changing its institutional
name to Augsburg University. The seal
enhances an original centennial
symbol design and aligns with the
institution’s current reality,
reputation, and promise.
THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE SEAL WAS
BASED ON A CENTENNIAL SYMBOL CREATED
BY PAUL KONSTERLIE ’50.
THE LION REPRESENTS AUGSBURG’S
NORWEGIAN-AMERICAN HERITAGE.
AUGSBURG’S CENTENNIAL SYMBOL,
CREATED BY KONSTERLIE.
THE LAMP OF LEARNING
DEPICTS SOUND SCHOLARSHIP.
THE FONT WAS INSPIRED
BY THE CENTENNIAL SYMBOL.
THE SEAL FOR AUGSBURG COLLEGE
AND THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
FEATURED MARTIN LUTHER.
16
AUGSBURG NOW
AUGSBURG WAS FOUNDED IN 1869
IN MARSHALL, WISCONSIN, AND
MOVED TO MINNEAPOLIS IN 1872.
THE CROSS DEPICTS THE SIGNIFICANT
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE
CHURCH AND HIGHER EDUCATION.
THE SILHOUETTE OF THE
MINNEAPOLIS SKYLINE EMPHASIZES
AUGSBURG’S METROPOLITAN
RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES.
THE DEEPLY THEOLOGICAL
STATEMENT, “THROUGH TRUTH
TO FREEDOM,” SUMMARIZES
THE BELIEF THAT THE TRUTH
SETS US FREE TO BE EDUCATED
AND TO SERVE.
THE EAGLE REPRESENTS
U.S. DEMOCRACY.
THE FOSHAY TOWER RETURNS TO THE CENTER OF THE
SEAL AS A NOD TO AUGSBURG’S CENTENNIAL SYMBOL.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
17
PHOTO BY DON STONER
PHOTO BY COURTNEY PERRY
[L to R]: At an Auggie Compass event, panelists Mike Gallagher ’12, Katie Jacobson ’11,
and Dan Brandt ’11 spoke to students about the journey from college to their careers.
PHOTO BY COURTNEY PERRY
[Left]: This fall, student-athletes engaged in
team-building exercises led by U.S. Marines.
18
AUGSBURG NOW
[Above]: Student-athletes kicked off evening
workshops by dining together.
WINNING
THE LONG
GAME
BY KATE H. ELLIOTT
Meaningful, relevant workshops
equip students to excel in the
classroom, competition, and
their careers
S
tudent-athletes file past tables,
stacking breadsticks on mounds of
pasta, but this crew isn’t carb-loading
for the next matchup. The nearly 550
students from Augsburg’s 19 sports teams
are preparing to tackle Auggie Compass—a
series of workshops and team-building
exercises designed to inspire personal and
professional success. After piloting the
program in 2014-15, Augsburg Athletics
recruited this year’s lineup of on- and
off-campus partners to engage each class
in issues relevant to each stage of their
undergraduate lives.
Associate Athletic Director Kelly
Anderson Diercks said the biannual
series starts a conversation with studentathletes, then builds upon those
themes each year as Auggies develop
the confidence, expertise, and support
networks they need to navigate known and
unknown challenges during college and
after graduation. For instance, first-year
students discussed study skills, time
management, and wellness, while seniors
learned about financial planning, living
their values, and networking techniques.
“When I moved into my first house,
I didn’t know furnaces had filters, and
that’s just one example of the many things
I should’ve known—but didn’t—before
graduation,” said Anderson Diercks, who
spearheaded the program. “We developed
Auggie Compass from the best aspects of
similar programs and from conversations
with our coaches, student-athletes, and
alumni. Our students seem more aware
of campus and community resources and
better prepared to excel in the real world.”
Panel of alumni shares lessons
from ‘professional lumps’
Among the spring event’s most popular
sessions was a student-athlete alumni panel,
“Not Where They Thought They’d Be,”
which—as the title suggests—invited alumni
to share lessons from their not-so-straight-orsmooth paths to personal and professional
fulfillment. Mike Gallagher ’12 was among
the four panelists asked “not to sugar coat”
their transitions to the workforce.
“My first paid job out of college lasted
21 months before I was laid off with 25
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
19
PHOTO BY COURTNEY PERRY
PHOTO BY COURTNEY PERRY
PHOTO BY COURTNEY PERRY
Auggie Compass workshops target needs and issues specific to the phases in student-athletes’ academic and personal journeys. Each session builds
upon the previous event, equipping Auggies with a deeper understanding of their values, career preparation, and wellness practices.
percent of the company’s workforce,
and that’s just one example of the
professional lumps we shared,” said
Gallagher, an academic advisor at
Walden University and the on-air host/
producer of Gopher Sports Update and
MIAC Weekly. “Our stories reinforced
that new graduates likely will have
to do things they don’t enjoy as they
work toward goals. But we encouraged
them to channel the persistence and
dedication they gained as athletes
toward new challenges and to say ‘yes’
to any opportunity to better themselves
or gain new skills.”
Gallagher, also a freelance sports
broadcaster and emcee, talked openly
about his path, which is a fairly common
one: going to college with hopes of
playing professional baseball, then
realizing he wasn’t any better than his
teammates. Then, struggling to find
balance within the fun, demanding
routine of workouts, competitions,
classes, and life until he walked across
the commencement stage and into a
9-to-5 job without the sport, the people,
and the routine he’d always known. “It
is, indeed, a huge wakeup call,” he said.
Women’s golfer Wendy Anderson ’17
was among the seniors who rotated
through the panel discussion. The double
major in music business and accounting
said she valued sessions about financial
planning and interviews, but the alumni
20
AUGSBURG NOW
panel resonated with her the most.
“I’m a type-A, perfectionist planner.
Hearing their stories reassured
me that I may not end up where I
thought I might, but because of these
types of sessions and my Augsburg
experience, I’ll survive and hopefully
have a fulfilling career,” she said. “I’m
glad I attended sessions about fiscal
responsibility, but workshops that
encouraged us to consider our values
and worth and to step outside our
comfort zones were the most rewarding.
Guidance from Auggie Compass
sessions paired with the entirety of our
experiences prepares us to achieve.”
Athletic Director Jeff Swenson ’79 is
glad to hear student-athletes position
Auggie Compass within the greater
framework of their Augsburg education
and athletic experience. The lessons
and skills are interconnected, he said,
strengthening one another.
“Our athletes learn to win and lose
with class, to embrace leadership, and
to play their role—whatever that may
be—to achieve a shared goal,” said
Swenson, who has been a member
of the Augsburg community for more
than 30 years as a student, coach,
and administrator. “These are all great
lessons for life after sports, and Auggie
Compass builds upon what teams and
coaches are already instilling. At our
core, we are about community and
supporting these fine student-athletes
on their journey. Auggie Compass
prepares them to carry that legacy out
to the world.”
Building skills to navigate a
complex environment
Mike Matson ’07 knows all about
Augsburg’s core principles. They guided
him through his time as one of the
College’s top linebackers, then through
seminary, and now in his role as an
assistant director of leadership gifts at
the College. Matson said Augsburg’s
commitment to diversity, inclusion, and
community outfits students with empathy
and poise to respectfully engage in
meaningful conversations and authentic
relationships. He talked with juniors
about how to lead difficult conversations.
“We live in a complicated world
with complex people and issues, and
those who are able to have difficult
conversations in a respectful manner
advance progress and understanding,”
said Matson, who also serves in the
Navy Reserves and as chaplain for
the Minneapolis Police Department.
“Instead of talking at the students,
we challenged them to work through
case studies. I can’t say I was all that
surprised at how well they handled
themselves, but I was impressed
with how willing they were to share
PHOTO BY DON STONER
PHOTO BY COURTNEY PERRY
This spring, members of the junior class headed to the gym for basketball and bean bag competitions with Special Olympics
athletes, and in September, first-year students learned techniques to manage stress and practice mindfulness.
vulnerabilities, speak about biases,
and view situations through alternate
perspectives. It was amazing to watch
‘community’ happen.”
Unified tournament puts
principles to practice
Student-athletes didn’t only talk about
ideals, they practiced them. Juniors
headed to the Si Melby gymnasium to
compete alongside 40 Special Olympics
athletes in basketball and bean bag
toss competitions. Jennifer Jacobs, who
organized the volunteer effort, said the
tournament underscored Augsburg’s
commitment to service and inclusion.
“We added [the unified competition]
because civic engagement is one of the
college’s co-curricular learning outcomes,”
said Jacobs, then-assistant athletic director
and assistant volleyball coach. “We decided
to collaborate with Special Olympics
because of an NCAA Division III partnership
with the organization and because our
ongoing involvement with the area chapter
continually inspires our students.”
Student-athlete Cody Pirkl ’18 had never
interacted with Special Olympics athletes
before the Auggie Compass event this
spring. Initially, the baseball player had
not been excited about the obligation on
what otherwise would have been a free
night. But as he said goodbye to Special
Olympics teammates, the social work major
said it felt like parting with dear friends.
“We, as college athletes, become so
focused on our own goals and everyday
lives that we forget how rewarding it
is to give back to others,” Pirkl said.
“Our involvement with Special Olympics
shines Augsburg’s positive light on our
broader community, but it also gives us
meaningful perspective. Watching the
Special Olympics athletes’ pure love of
the game reminded me how lucky I am
and how much I love to play.”
Pirkl said he and his teammates took
a lot away from the mix of formats and
engaging activities. That active structure
was intentional, Anderson Diercks
explained, as presenters played to
student-athletes’ competitive nature.
“For years, we had brought wonderful,
inspiring speakers to campus once
or twice a year to talk with students
about hot topics or enduring life-aftercollege lessons,” Anderson Diercks said.
“Although these experts offered great
perspective and information, the format
was a challenge, and we were never
able to cover as many of the topics as
we would have liked. The new Auggie
Compass format allows us to engage each
class in specific topics to prepare them for
the next year and beyond. We can more
easily adjust based on student feedback,
and it’s a nice way to highlight our alumni
and campus experts as well as celebrate
community partnerships and resources.”
Celebrating mindfulness and
meditation
One such resource is Jermaine Nelson, a
meditation and mindfulness coach and
yoga instructor. The former athlete urged
students to seek mind-body connections
as they strive to be more present. He also
reminded them to give themselves grace
during transitions and various phases of life.
“It’s so easy for student-athletes to
continue to eat and sleep how they did
in college without the same level of
activity, and then they look up one day
and realize they are out of shape and out
of sync,” Nelson said. “It’s important
to anticipate, on the field and in life, so
that you avoid injury and prepare for the
next phase of your life.”
Nelson wasn’t expecting to, but looking
out at the dozens of student-athletes
reminded him of his nephew, and
Nelson got personal. His nephew was a
promising college recruit, with plans to
play in the NBA, but he broke down from
all the pressure.
“I wish he would have had a program like
this when he was in school,” Nelson said.
“Imagine all the heartache and recovery he
would have avoided had he been offered the
tools to cope and achieve without grinding
himself into the ground. I worked with
him, and he’s on a good path now, but it
took a while. If Auggies can practice these
techniques now, they’ll succeed.”
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
21
Nelson’s talk reinforced some of the themes presented by
Augsburg’s Center for Wellness and Counseling.
For example, counselor Jon Vaughan-Fier and Beth Carlson, the
center’s assistant director, co-facilitated “Becoming Resilient
to Stress,” which challenged student-athletes to assess what
drains them and to identify ways to recharge. In addition to
discussing the importance of sleep, nutrition, and meaningful
relationships—among other topics—students engaged in yoga,
mindful breathing, and relaxation strategies.
As a senior, Chuckie Smith ’17 took part in Auggie Compass workshops on financial
planning, job search strategies, living authentically, and a variety of other topics.
During the Compass program’s pilot year, the entire CWC
staff also presented on a range of topics related to wellbeing,
including body image, depression, healthy choices, and stress
management, which Vaughan-Fier said is critically important for
today’s overly busy student-athletes.
“To emphasize the connection to sports and improved
performance, we showed testimonials from Seattle Seahawks
quarterback Russel Wilson about his ‘one play at a time’ mindset
and New York Knicks President Phil Jackson’s philosophy of
‘one breath, one mind,’” Vaughan-Fier said. “We hope these
tools help student-athletes as they strive to incorporate self-care
practices into daily life.”
According to a 2015 health survey, the top stressors among
Augsburg students are: a death or serious illness of someone
close, conflicts with roommates, parental conflict, and the end of
a personal relationship. Director of the counseling center, Nancy
Guilbeault, said the opportunity to interact with student-athletes
about these and other topics is a proactive way to introduce the
center’s role and resources.
“Mental health and GPA are linked, and they affect your
performance,” she said. “We want to make sure these studentathletes are working on their physical, mental, and spiritual
health and wellbeing. These sessions provide an overview and
tips, but we also encourage them to follow up with one-on-one
or group support.”
22
AUGSBURG NOW
Financial stressors, professional
communications among top concerns
A key barrier to wellness, Guilbeault said, is stress related to
finances—a worry that plagues many students, particularly studentathletes who might not have the time to hold a job or internship.
To build upon the counseling center’s session, Auggie Compass
introduced a practical question-and-answer session with Tommy
Redae ’09 MBA, a treasury management sales consultant and vice
president of Middle Market Banking for Wells Fargo in Minneapolis.
“Talking with upper-class students, I focused on the importance
of budgeting and managing credit for a healthy financial future,”
Redae said. “I shared several of the many online tools and apps to
help them stick to a budget and monitor credit for suspicious or
fraudulent activities.”
Also in the category of practical and purposeful guidance, Auggie
Compass enlisted faculty mentors Carol Enke and Shana Watters to
offer best practices for professional communications. The pair broke
student-athletes into groups to review and assess emails students
sent professors, many of them lacking clarity, starting with an
informal “hey,” or displaying accusatory language.
“Research shows that people read emails more negatively than
intended, and therefore, communicating effectively in this medium
reduces ambiguity and negative perceptions,” Watters said. “The
students did a great job of improving the emails, and we hope
they will apply the guidance we shared to communicate with
professionals now and in the future.”
Program reinforces Augsburg’s mission,
commitment to students
The blend of practical knowledge and conceptual, creative
exploration reflects Augsburg’s care for and commitment to
student-athletes, and it supports community-building across teams
and among coaches, said Swenson. This year, the program added
a track for coaches that focused on situational leadership, social
media training, and a DiSC® behavioral assessment inventory.
“We’re not offering Auggie Compass to check off the ‘personal
development box,’” Swenson said. “The program was developed
by former collegiate players, thinking about what they wished
they would have known, so that our student-athletes can have
more tools to reach for as they strive for success.”
The creation and evolution of Auggie Compass embodies some
of the innovation, self-reflection, and grit the program aims
to instill. Anderson Diercks said organizers continue to have
conversations with student-athletes, alumni, and experts to align
sessions with players’ needs and to reflect the latest trends and
topics. As a former athlete turned furnace-filter-changing adult,
she knows greatness doesn’t come from perfection but from the
drive to keep playing until you get it right.
HOMECOMING
THOUSANDS OF AUGGIES.
ONE AUGSBURG.
Celebrate the first Augsburg University Homecoming
NEW NAME. SAME SCHOOL SPIRIT. Gather among friends to celebrate the memories
and milestones that define your Augsburg experience. Whether it’s to participate in
a reunion, see campus updates firsthand, or cheer on a favorite team, it’s time to
register for this year’s historic Homecoming—the first as Augsburg University.
Interested in organizing
your reunion?
October 13-14
Call the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations
at 612-330-1085 or email alumni@augsburg.edu.
Find accommodation information, the event schedule, and more at:
augsburg.edu/homecoming
FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear alumni and friends,
s my second
year as Alumni
Board President
comes to a close, I
look back on the past
several months with
gratitude for what
the Alumni Board
has accomplished. We hope you have enjoyed
recent alumni events, both on campus and off.
At the start of my tenure, when I challenged
the Alumni Board to change, not a little, but
a lot, everyone stepped up to the plate and
went to work. Today the board maintains
more committees with fewer people on each,
operates with clearly defined goals for each
committee, and sustains a high level of
engagement. We’ve also partnered with staff
throughout the College to increase the board’s
effectiveness and relevance.
The Alumni Board continues to seek new
pathways to connect with students, whether
through mentoring, visiting classrooms, or
simply sharing tips on LinkedIn. Students
have said they enjoyed taking part in a
Homecoming lunch last fall where they had
the chance to share a table with distinguished
alumni who pursued similar fields of study.
We also held another successful Auggie
Networking Experience in February, and if you
couldn’t make it to campus, you’ll find some
tips for reluctant networkers on page 27.
In June, we transition board leadership. I’d
like to welcome Nick Rathmann ’03 as Alumni
Board President for the 2017-19 term. He
is full of energy, has a passion for Augsburg,
and is a dynamic leader with innovative ideas
to take the Alumni Board even further. He is
the athletic director at The Blake School, a
longtime supporter of Augsburg as a member
of the A-Club, and an all-around amazing
volunteer. The Alumni Board is in great hands
under his leadership.
I’d also like to recognize Greg Schnagl ’91,
who has led our Networking Committee for
the past two years. His passion for creating
meaningful connections between students and
alumni has helped make the Auggie Networking
Experience event bigger and better.
I recently moved away from the Twin Cities
for work, and I am so pleased to see alumni
events scheduled across the U.S. more often.
In the past two years, alumni gatherings
have occurred in Denver, Las Vegas, Raleigh,
Washington, D.C., and other cities. If you’re in
the Minneapolis area, we hope to see you at
some of this summer’s exciting alumni events!
JILL WATSON ’10 MBA, ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
SUMMER
ALUMNI EVENTS
Minnesota United Soccer Night
June 21 | 7 p.m.
Republic
420 SE 23rd Ave., Minneapolis
Meet for an alumni reception at
Republic from 4:30–6:30 p.m.
before taking the light rail to
TCF Bank Stadium for a game.
7 People. 7 Passions. 7 Minutes.
July 7 | 7–9 p.m.
Sisyphus Brewing
712 Ontario Ave. W., Minneapolis
Hear idea-stirring talks from
seven passionate Auggies.
$10 covers your first beverage
and light appetizers.
Auggie Night at Canterbury Park
July 21 | 5:30–7 p.m.
1100 Canterbury Road,
Shakopee, MN
$5 reservation covers a buffet
meal, $5 of Canterbury Currency,
and reserved seating.
Happy Hour Squared
URBAN ARBORETUM
Join the Alumni Board to sponsor a tree
You can help transform Augsburg into an urban arboretum that serves as an educational
and community resource in harmony with the environment.
Join the Alumni Board’s effort to sponsor a tree in the urban arboretum planned for
Augsburg’s campus. The trees selected for this plan will surround the Hagfors Center
for Science, Business, and Religion and include species native to Minnesota. All gift
levels are welcome.
The total cost to sponsor a tree is $25,000, which includes long-term care and
maintenance. Help us reach this goal by December 2018! Visit augsburg.edu/giving for
more information or contact Amanda Scherer, assistant director of leadership gifts, at
scherera@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1720.
24
AUGSBURG NOW
September 5 | 5–7 p.m.
Brave New Workshop
824 Hennepin Ave.,
Minneapolis
Join alumnae business owners
Jenni Lilledahl ’87 and Jacquie
Berglund ’87 for a happy
hour with a purpose. Make
sandwiches for a good cause
and enjoy a FINNEGANS® as
part of Augsburg’s annual City
Service Day.
For more information and registration,
visit augsburg.edu/alumni.
COURTESY PHOTOS
AUGGIES CONNECT
[Top]: Travelers pose at Wat Chedi Luang Temple
in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
TRAVELING WITH
[Far Left–L to R]: Hans Wiersma and Lori
Brandt Hale, Department of Religion faculty
members and trip leaders, pose with Katie
(Koch) Code ’01, director of alumni and
constituent relations.
AUGGIES
This winter, 15 Auggies traveled to
Thailand and Cambodia with Augsburg
College Professor of English Kathy Swanson
and her husband, Jack, as their hosts.
“The trip was beyond amazing,” said
traveler and Alumni Board President Jill
Watson ’10 MBA. “Our hosts, Jack and
Kathy Swanson, have a passion for the
people and culture of Thailand that was
contagious throughout the trip. They
were always willing to share insights,
recommend food (such as sticky rice and
mango at a floating market) and go out
of their way to help others and ensure
everyone was having a great trip.
“Memories that stand out include
the elephant camp in Chiang Mai, Thai
cooking school, Angkor Wat in Siem
Reap, Light for Kids orphanage, and the
food ... all the foods!
“Traveling with fellow Auggies meant I
[Near Right]: Travelers stand in front of the
Castle Church in Germany where Martin Luther
nailed the 95 Theses to the door.
had at least one thing in common with so
many people I had never met before. By
the end of the trip, I had developed new
friendships, and I will be keeping in touch.”
Celebrating Lutheran heritage in
Germany and the Czech Republic
Last fall, another group of Auggies
traveled to the land of Luther to mark
the 500th anniversary of the Protestant
Reformation. Religion Department
faculty members Hans Wiersma and Lori
Brandt Hale led a group of 30 Augsburg
alumni and friends on a multi-city tour
that included Dresden, Prague, and
Wittenberg—the long-time home of
Reformation catalyst Martin Luther.
One of the highlights for Augsburg
Alumni Director Katie (Koch) Code ’01 was
the opportunity to be in Wittenberg on
Reformation Day. The town marked the
occasion with a festival, and the Augsburg
group visited Castle Church where Luther
nailed his 95 Theses to the door.
“At worship that morning we sang, ‘A
Mighty Fortress is our God,’ which took
me back to my Augsburg days enrolled
in the Luther and the Reformers class
with Religion Professor Mark Tranvik,”
Code said.
Minneapolis Star Tribune reporter Jean
Hopfensperger and photographer Jerry
Holt accompanied the group to chronicle
how Minnesotans observed the 500th
anniversary of the Reformation. In a story
published after the group’s return home,
Augsburg alumnae Carol Pfleiderer ’64 and
Kathleen Johnson ’72 described how the trip
itinerary offered participants opportunities
to build and reflect on their faith.
To view trip photos,
visit augsburg.edu/now.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
25
A GIFT FOR
AUGSBURG IN
ROCHESTER
Louise and Regent
Emeritus Leland
“Lee” Sundet will
help Augsburg’s
Rochester site grow thanks to a generous
$1.5 million gift. The Rochester location
attracts more than 350 working professionals
to undergraduate and graduate programs in
business, education, health care, and nursing.
As longtime supporters of Augsburg,
including the Weekend College and Youth and
Family Ministry programs, the Sundets have
used their frugality to benefit others and to
raise the profile of Augsburg. Several years ago,
in an effort to better communicate Augsburg’s
identity locally, Sundet helped form a marketing
committee and was instrumental in choosing a
new logo with a cross embedded in the “A.” He
remains steadfast in his commitment to religion
and religious freedom as essential to
education.
In his 88 years, Lee has never lost
sight of the basics: thrift, generosity,
and faith.
“I also believe in old-fashioned
discipline—‘don’t spend it till you’ve earned
it,’” he said.
Lee learned these principles early, growing
up in Spring Grove, Minnesota, where most
Norwegian-American community members
attended the big Lutheran church. “My father
died when I was six months old, and my mother
PHOTO BY BRENDAN BUSH
PHOTO BY BRENDAN BUSH
AUGGIES CONNECT
was quite ill so she had to sell everything she
had to pay the bills. She got $7.43 a month,
and of that, 74 cents went to the church,” said
Lee, who has embraced tithing ever since.
A retired industrialist and manufacturer,
Lee owned several companies, including
Century Manufacturing, Goodall
Manufacturing, Britt Manufacturing, and
Fountain Industries. His business acumen
earned him such honors as Minnesota’s Small
Business Man of the Year and the University
of Minnesota’s Outstanding Achievement
Award. The couple has sponsored a business
scholarship at Augsburg since 1992.
Overall, the Sundets are impressed by the
potential of Augsburg’s programs in Rochester
and by the work of another community anchor,
Mayo Clinic, which the couple believes shares
their values.
“Augsburg has come a long way, and I
would love to see it grow in Rochester.”
26
AUGSBURG NOW
“I have met people at Mayo who have gone
through the Augsburg program, and I’ve seen
what it’s done for them. It’s a wonderful thing,”
Lee said. “It wasn’t easy to get it started, but
it’s fun to look back on. Augsburg has come
a long way, and I would love to see it grow in
Rochester.”
tips for the reluctant networker
Augsburg College alumna Jenni Lilledahl ’87 was a featured speaker at the Auggie
Networking Experience in February. As co-owner of the sketch and improvisational comedy
theater Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis, Lilledahl brought insight from the improv
world to the crowd of nearly 300 alumni and students meeting to exchange career advice.
No matter their personality or career, Lilledahl said, all people have anxiety about jumping into
new conversations or taking new career paths. Here she shares tips for individuals to jump-start
meaningful conversations and say “yes” to new experiences.
1.
We all get uncomfortable, yet we cannot let this
feeling control us. Instead, we must face our
fears and immerse ourselves in new experiences.
2.
Sometimes saying “yes” is easier than we think.
Don’t rattle off 20 excuses; jump in with an
open mind.
3.
PHOTOS BY RICKY TAYLOR ’17
Stop yourself from using the word “but.”
Instead, use the reframing mindset of “yesand” to add something positive to each situation
you are in. Don’t use excuses to squash new ideas,
possibilities, or adventures. Rather, embrace them.
4.
Be intentional about your communication.
Don’t just be there. Be awake, aware, and
connected to the other people in the room.
5.
Have gratitude for the chance to develop
relationships, share ideas, and try new things.
People who create authentic connections with
others are often more successful than those who
possess only technical skills.
Augsburg alumni and students participated in short
improvisational exercises at the event.
with the Young Alumni Council
Auggies who have graduated from any Augsburg degree program
in the past 10 years are invited to join the Young Alumni Council
and help plan year-round activities for recent alumni. In the past,
the Young Alumni Council has organized a Twins game outing, a
financial planning talk and social hour at Summit Brewery, and an
afternoon of ice skating at The Depot in Minneapolis.
For Young Alumni Council Vice President Evan Decker ’12,
taking part in the group provides opportunities to practice valuable
life and business skills that he doesn’t necessarily hone in his day-
to-day work, such as planning meetings and events, communicating
with fellow alumni, speaking to groups, and networking. Serving the
council also is a way to stay engaged with the College.
“Some people feel there aren’t resources for them after
graduation, and that couldn’t be further from the truth,” Decker
said. “This group is here to help bridge that gap.”
To join the Young Alumni Council,
visit augsburg.edu/alumni.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
27
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1961
Last year, First
Lutheran Church in
Red Wing, Minnesota, recognized
Arlan Johnson ’61 for 50 years
of service to its choir as a singer
and director. While a student at
Augsburg, Johnson played in
the band for four years and sang
in the choir for two years. He
enjoyed tours with the band and
choir in the Pacific Northwest,
and in 1960 he participated in
an extended Alaskan band trip
to the Anchorage Music Festival.
After graduating from Augsburg,
he completed his education
requirements, student taught at
Braham (Minnesota) Area High
School with Herman Aune ’50,
and finished a second major in
biology. Johnson taught band
and vocal music in Stewart,
Minnesota, and elementary, junior
high, and middle school band in
Red Wing until his retirement. He
and his wife, Phyllis, continue to
live in Red Wing.
1967
5 0-Y E AR RE UNI ON
HOMECOMING 2017
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Sandra Olmsted ’69 retires after
serving Augsburg since 1978. See page 2.
1971
Darrell Skogen ’71
retired after teaching
for 46 years. He spent the
past 41 years at St. MichaelAlbertville High School in
Minnesota. Skogen is the
longest-tenured employee in the
history of the school district. He
taught classes such as AP World
History and AP U.S. History.
Skogen continues to instruct
part-time at the high school
and records stats for its football
program. He says that the
school’s Class 5A football state
championship victory in 2015
was the first in his 50 years
walking the sidelines.
1974
Dr. Subhashchandra
“Pat” Patel ’74 and
Annette (Hanson) Patel ’73
donated their dental clinics
in Clarkfield and Cottonwood,
Minnesota, to Open Door Health
Center of Mankato. Open Door will
run satellite dental clinics in the
towns. Pat retired in June 2016.
Associate Professor of Music
Peter Hendrickson ’76 retires
after teaching at Augsburg for more
than two decades. See page 2.
1977
40- YE A R R E U N I O N
HOMECOMING 2017
In August, Neil Paulson ’77 was
elected state committeeman for
the Republican Party in Orange
County, Florida.
for Advanced Science and
Technology.
1979
1990
Walter Ohrbom ’79
earned a doctorate
in chemistry from North Dakota
State University after graduating
from Augsburg. He retired from
BASF as a senior research
associate with more than 120
U.S. patents. Over the years,
he and his wife, Patricia, have
traveled around the world to
backpack, bike, canoe, and
scuba dive.
Athletic Director Jeff Swenson ’79
draws connections between
student athletes’ time on campus and
leadership roles after graduation. See
page 18.
1988
Kiel Christianson ’88
was promoted to
full professor in the Department
of Educational Psychology
at the University of Illinois,
Urbana-Champaign, where he
conducts research on language
processing, reading, and
bilingualism. He is associate
chair of the department, as well
as leader of the Educational
Psychology Psycholinguistics
Lab and co-chair of the Illinois
Language and Literacy Initiative,
both in the Beckman Institute
In July, Karen Jean
Reed ’90, a music
therapy major, was honored
with the President’s Award at
the Southern California First
Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction
Church Of God in Christ 50th
State Women’s Convention,
held in Palm Desert, California.
She also was nominated for
the 50 Women of Excellence
honor for her exemplary service
and outstanding achievement
in music and administrative
service in local, church,
district, regional, and state
positions. Reed has excelled in
music as a gospel saxophonist
and in women’s ministry. She
was recognized for exemplary
service by Barbara McCoo
Lewis, the assistant general
supervisor of the Church of God
in Christ International. Reed
serves as the assistant regional
missionary for the Santa
Barbara region and also works
with youth. Professionally, she
is a program director at the
Department of State HospitalsCoalinga, overseeing the
treatment of sexually violent
predators. She is the author of
“Music is the Master Key.”
AUGGIES NEAR AND FAR
[L to R]: Sociology Professor Tim Pippert and
Torstenson Scholars Ellen Sachs ’17, Emily
Campbell ’17, and Jen Kochaver ’19 meet with
Mark Johnson ’75 on campus. [Not pictured]:
Torstenson Scholar Mark Daniels ’17.
28
AUGSBURG NOW
Last fall, metro-urban studies alumnus Mark Johnson ’75 invited
Sociology Professor Tim Pippert to the remote country of Vanuatu
in the South Pacific. The pair distributed solar lights donated by
Johnson to villages on the island of Tanna, which in 2015 suffered
widespread destruction due to Hurricane Pam. For Pippert, the
trip was an adventure of a lifetime and an opportunity to observe
the relationships Johnson has developed with local people over the
course of several previous trips.
The connection between Johnson and Pippert was built, in part,
through their involvement with Augsburg’s Torstenson Community
Scholars program that supports undergraduate research. Since
2015, Johnson has funded research opportunities for Auggies engaged in the program, which
is named in memory of Professor Joel Torstenson ’38, a founder of Augsburg’s Department
of Sociology. This February, four Torstenson Scholars traveled with Pippert to North Dakota’s
Bakken oilfield region to assess how residents have been impacted by oil exploration.
From the Auggie Connections blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
1992
2 5-Y EA R RE UNI ON
HOMECOMING 2017
Scott Peterson ’92 has accepted
a call to be the pastor at
Lutheran Church in the Foothills
in La Cañada, California. After
living in Canada for more than
17 years, Peterson has returned
to the U.S. to continue ministry
within the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America.
1993
Chad Shilson ’93
is the Minnesota
women’s wrestling director for
USA Wrestling. He has completed
his 100th marathon and qualified
for his fourth Boston Marathon.
Marathon running has taken him
to 36 states, including 29 states
in the past two years. A dedicated
daily runner, Shilson has run at
least one mile per day for more
than six years.
1996
Stephanie Harms ’96
and Kristin (Young)
Miller ’91 are helping change the
nation’s response to vulnerable
individuals and families through
their work in the supportive
housing movement. Both
Auggies work at CSH, a national
nonprofit organization that
connects housing with services
for vulnerable populations. Based
in New York City, Miller leads a
successful CSH program that
assists communities throughout
New York, New Jersey, and
Pennsylvania. Harms serves
as chief operating officer and
leads CSH’s communications,
administrative, talent, and
human resource efforts. CSH has
ended veteran homelessness in
several communities throughout
the U.S., created more than
100,000 homes for individuals
and families, and changed public
systems to address the root
conditions that create turmoil in
the lives of vulnerable individuals
and families.
’05
’03
1999
Peter Durow ’99 has
been commissioned
by the American Choral Directors
Association of Minnesota for the
2018 ACDA-MN State 4-5-6 Girls’
Honor Choir. ACDA-MN has been
committed to commissioning
new choral works for all-state
and honor choirs from Minnesota
composers each year since 1975.
Durow serves as visiting director
of choral activities at St. Cloud
State University.
’67
Juliane Derry ’00 blends
science with artistry and
research with intuition as a historic
materials conservator. See page 8.
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
Andrea (Carlson) Conway ’05 and Riley
Conway ’05 welcomed a son, Soren Jon, in
December. Soren is the grandson of Jon Carlson ’79
and great-grandson of Jeroy Carlson ’48.
Golf Association and president of Women in the
Golf Industry. She also wrote an e-book titled,
“Hit It, Alice! A Woman’s Golf Guide to Everything
But the Swing.”
Barb (Walen) Hanson ’67 became
president of the Minnesota Golf
Association at its annual meeting in November.
She is the first woman to serve in this role. Since
retiring from her teaching career, Hanson has
been actively involved in the golf world, having
served as president of the Minnesota Women’s
Paul Putt ’03, ’15 MAE and his wife, Katie,
celebrated the birth of a son, Theodore
Howard, in October.
’05
’67
’03
Pete Pfeffer ’87, who holds a Doctor of
Chiropractic degree, and his daughter,
Maggie, served on a chiropractic and medical
’87
’87
mission team in Kimana, Kenya. The team
provided care and education to hundreds of
Maasai villagers living in bomas and orphanages
in an underserved area. Pete and his brother,
Mike Pfeffer ’92, jointly own and serve as
chiropractors for a HealthSource Chiropractic
and Progressive Rehabilitation Clinic in
Alexandria, Minnesota. In addition to private
practice, Pete has taken on a national role with
the HealthSource Corporation to provide training
in technique and rehabilitation procedures for
new franchises.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
29
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Mathematics and Statistics
Instructor Alyssa Hanson ’01
is honored with a Distinguished
Contributions to Teaching and
Learning award. See page 7.
2002
JCI Minnesota
(formerly Minnesota
Jaycees) selected Katie
Lindenfelser ’02, founder of
Crescent Cove, as one of the Ten
Outstanding Young Minnesotans
for 2016. The mission of
Crescent Cove is to offer care
and support to young people
with a shortened life expectancy
and their families. The vision
of Crescent Cove is to build
and operate the first residential
children’s hospice and respite
care home in the Midwest.
Started in 1950, the Ten
Outstanding Young Minnesotans
honor is Minnesota’s only
statewide recognition program
for outstanding young leaders
ages 18-40 who have devoted
themselves to improving their
communities. The program
acknowledges the efforts
and accomplishments of
young adults who contribute
to Minnesota through their
service, thought and influence,
community involvement, or
entrepreneurship.
2003
Reginaldo HaslettMarroquin ’03
published “In the Shadow
of Green Man.” The book,
published by Acres USA,
chronicles Haslett-Marroquin’s
upbringing in revolution-torn
Guatemala and how he built his
vision to develop a regenerative
farming model that uplifts
individuals and communities.
Throughout the book, he shares
the fable of the Green Man, a
tiny and wise Guatemalan folk
character whose stories teach
the importance of respecting
the natural world. HaslettMarroquin is chief strategy
officer for Main Street Project,
based in Northfield, Minnesota.
Haslett-Marroquin has
served as a consultant for the
United Nations Development
Program’s Bureau for Latin
America and as an advisor to
the World Council of Indigenous
People. He was a founding
member of the Fair Trade
Federation, and was Director
of the Fair Trade Program for
the Institute for Agriculture
and Trade Policy from 1995 to
1998. He also led the creation,
strategic positioning, startup,
and launch of Peace Coffee,
a Minnesota-based fair-trade
coffee company.
Samuel Gross ’03 designs new
university logo. See page 12.
2007
10-YEAR REUNION
HOMECOMING 2017
Mike Matson ’07 helps teach
student-athletes how to engage
in difficult conversations. See page 18.
Jenessa Payano Stark ’07 began
a Master of Science in Nursing
program at Yale University this
past fall. She is studying in Yale’s
Nurse-Midwifery/Women’s Health
Nurse Practitioner program. She
received a prestigious National
Health Service Corps Scholarship
that pays her tuition and fees,
and defrays her living expenses
for three years in exchange for
future service in an area with a
shortage of health professionals.
2011
Dan Skaarup ’11
and Casey (Ernst)
Skaarup ’11 welcomed a
daughter, Eowyn River, to the
world in December.
Laura Schmidt ’11 and Sarah
Witte ’12 launched a nonprofit,
spiritually based community
called Intertwine Northeast. The
group’s mission is to be “made
and moved by story, convinced
by compassion, always in
process, and about questions,
not answers.”
Mike Gallagher ’12 shares life
lessons with current students.
See page 18.
2014
Composer and
percussionist Zack
Baltich ’14 was featured in
the 2017 Cedar Commissions.
Baltich’s piece “ingress/passage”
used contact microphones
and uncommon performance
techniques on marimba, glass
bottles, and other found objects.
The Cedar Commissions
(formerly the 416 Commissions)
is a flagship program for
emerging artists made possible
with a grant from the Jerome
Foundation and has showcased
new work by more than 30
emerging composers and
musicians.
Catherine Colsrud ’14 was one
of 25 leaders who participated
in the eighth cohort of the
Native Nation Rebuilders
Program sponsored by the
Native Governance Center
and the Bush Foundation.
Representatives from 12 Native
nations from Minnesota, North
Dakota, and South Dakota were
selected for the Rebuilders
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
Kathleen (Watson) Bradbury ’12 and
Krissy Bradbury ’12 welcomed Peter
Gene to their family.
’12
Beckie Jackson ’10 received a
Fulbright Distinguished Award in
Teaching and is one of approximately 45
U.S. citizens traveling abroad through
the program in 2016-17. In January,
she headed to Botswana to spend five
months conducting educational research.
Recipients of Fulbright grants are selected
’10
30
AUGSBURG NOW
on the basis of academic and professional
achievement, as well as demonstrated
leadership potential. Jackson teaches at
Moose Lake High School in Moose Lake,
Minnesota.
Nick Rathmann ’03 and wife, Shannon,
welcomed a daughter, Finley Grace, in
November.
’03
’11
Several Augsburg College alumni serve
as tutors and coaches with Minnesota
Reading Corps and Minnesota Math Corps.
Tutors pledge one year of service in schools
to help children become proficient readers
by the end of third grade and proficient in
math by the end of eighth grade. [L to R]:
Charmaine Bell ’11, Kathleen Abel ’76,
Joaquin Vences ’16, Kacie Carlsted ’15,
Christine Fankhanel ’02, Amy Riebs ’18 MAE,
and Alicia (Oppelt) Musselman ’14.
’91
Nancy Palmer ’91 joined the
Minnesota Reading Corps September
Program as a leadership component of a
larger initiative to support tribes as they
strengthen their governing capabilities.
Colsrud serves the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
as the commissioner of administration, chief
of staff, and acting commissioner of natural
resources. Native Governance Center and
Bush Foundation Rebuilders convened for
four structured sessions during which they
developed action plans to share knowledge
with peers and their respective tribal
governments.
’12
’10
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Nursing Department Chair Joyce Miller ’02,
’05 MAN, ’11 DNP earns a Distinguished
Contributions to Teaching and Learning award. See
page 7.
Tommy Redae ’09 MBA helps Auggies prepare
for a healthy financial future. See page 18.
Rochelle Fischer ’14 MSW became a hospital
administrator at Anoka-Metro Regional
Treatment Center in January. For the past
four years, she has been an assistant
program director at the Minnesota Security
Hospital in St. Peter, Minnesota, providing
day-to-day operational and administrative
leadership for persons with complex
behavioral health symptoms.
’03
’11
Dan Klein ’15 MBA and Kaitlin (Astleford)
Klein were married February 25 in
Hollywood, Florida.
Nicole (Egly) Olson ’15 MBA and Mark Olson
were married February 24 in Playa del
Carmen, Mexico.
Institute and tutors students in kindergarten
through third grade.
’91
Chris Stedman ’08, an interfaith
activist and author, is joining Augsburg
this spring as a fellow serving the Sabo
Center for Democracy and Citizenship where
he will facilitate and build new community
partnerships for non-religious and interfaith
civic engagement. Stedman also will consult
on the development of interfaith engagement
programs at Augsburg.
’08
’08
31
HEALING WATERS
’68
Jason Kusiak ’08 spends late winter
and early spring long-lining for cod and
haddock, and most of the year catching
lobster. Fishing in long-established seaports
near Gloucester, Massachusetts, gives
Kusiak an appreciation for the area’s rich
history and a healthy respect for those who
made a living fishing the Atlantic in earlier
times. “With fishing,” he said, “you can see
the direct result of your work ethic.”
Today Kusiak recognizes that his
entrepreneurial inclination was shaped by
Assistant Professor of Business John Cerrito
and former staff member Peggy Cerrito, and
that his drive for continual personal growth
was influenced by his involvement in StepUP®, the College’s residential collegiate
recovery community. While at Augsburg, Kusiak found that the College’s
commitment to building strong community connections and emphasis on
learning through experience resonated with him. He now seeks out opportunities
to interact with new people, to give back, and to offer hope to individuals and
families who struggle with substance abuse. He’s driven to invest in the future of
his business and his community.
’78
From the Auggie Connections blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
’83
[L to R]: This fall, Lutheran
Immigration and Refugee
Service President Linda Hartke met
with former U.S. Secretary of State
Madeleine Albright and the Rev. Mark
Hanson ’68, former presiding bishop
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America, at the LIRS Walk of Courage
Award Gala. Albright and Hanson
were honored at the event for their
commitments to furthering equity for
all people.
’68
’71
Actor and performing arts
educator Luverne Seifert ’83 won
a $25,000 fellowship from the William
and Eva Fox Foundation. He is part of
a national cohort of artists supported
by the foundation, which underwrites
training and career development for
performers. The support will enable
Seifert to deeply explore his art and
travel to France and Switzerland. In the
past 25 years, he has acted at theaters
in the Twin Cities and across the U.S.
’83
’05
[L to R]: Margaret Marx ’78,
Margo Casey ’78, and Cathy
(Kaiser) Bloomquist ’78, all members
of the original second step Bachelor
of Science in Nursing program at
’78
’06
32
AUGSBURG NOW
Augsburg, continue their friendship
today. The women gathered in
Scandia, Minnesota, in September,
and they share this photo as
a reminder of the second step
program’s impact on the nursing
profession in Minnesota.
Bob Stacke ’71 received an
award from the Somali Museum
of Minnesota on the occasion of
the museum’s third anniversary last
October. Stacke has provided music
and photography services to the
museum since its inception.
’71
Janeece (Adams) Oatman ’05,
an Augsburg Alumni Board
member, and Jim Gross, associate
provost for academic innovation
and strategic initiatives, were part of
the Auggie team at the Rochester,
Minnesota, Tour de Cure in October.
’05
Missy (Gaulke) Wilson ’06 completed
her first Ragnar trail race and
’06 her third Ragnar overall race in
September. She ran 15.2 miles on the
Ragnar Trail Northwoods - WI in the
Ragnar relay.
Helen M. (Anderson) Johnson ’40,
Hallock, Minnesota, age 96, on
September 4.
Eleanor C. (Christenson) Kline ’44,
Minneapolis, age 93, on May 31.
Marvin W. Johnson ’45,
Rochester, Minnesota, age 93,
on November 28.
Olav Overold ’45, Cando, North
Dakota, age 103, on January 23.
Bonnie J. (Sorem) Anderson ’46,
Cedar Falls, Iowa, age 92, on
December 7.
Delpha M. (Randklev) Berg ’47,
Grand Forks, North Dakota, age
91, on September 12.
Ray E. Gerlinger ’49, Overland
Park, Minnesota, age 93, on
December 4.
Theodore C. Nystuen ’49, Altoona,
Wisconsin, age 94, on January 19.
Lorraine G. V. (Lundh) Qual ’49,
Lisbon, North Dakota, age 93, on
October 4.
Joan L. (Sears) Ryden ’49, Cedar
Hill, Texas, age 91, on October 18.
Phebe D. (Dale) Hanson ’50,
Minneapolis, age 88, on
December 16.
Evelyn I. (Shelstad) Kriesel ’50,
Alamo, Texas, age 88, on
September 21.
Rhonda M. (Hektner) Lybeck ’50,
Fargo, North Dakota, age 88, on
January 29.
Daniel Nelson ’50, Spicer,
Minnesota, age 90, on
February 14.
Melvin E. Vigen ’50, Irving, Texas,
age 88, on September 26.
Arvild T. Jacobson ’51, Sun City,
Arizona, age 93, on November 26.
Donald H. Olson ’51, Henderson,
Nevada, age 87, on December 19.
Robert “Bob” R. Hage ’52,
Hector, Minnesota, age 88, on
December 16.
William “Bill” J. Kuross ’52,
Hopkins, Minnesota, age 87, on
January 31.
Charlotte M. (Kleven) Rimmereid ’52,
St. Paul, age 86, on December 29.
Roger V. Anderson ’53, Ottawa,
Ontario, age 86, on February 11.
Joan J. (Johnson) Kuder ’53,
Williams Bay, Wisconsin, age 86,
on December 19.
Harry E. Olson ’53, Apopka,
Florida, age 84, on October 7.
Nola E. (Bengtson) Studer ’53,
Bemidji, Minnesota, age 85, on
September 5.
Donna R. (Osland) Gaines ’54,
Laguna Hills, California, age 84,
on September 17.
Ruth M. (Pousi) Ollila ’54,
Minneapolis, age 84, on
February 14.
Betty J. (Dyrud) Oudal ’54,
Rochester, Minnesota, age 85, on
December 31.
Arlene V. (Tollefson) Paulson ’54,
Lake Oswego, Oregon, age 89, on
September 20.
Gary R. Rust ’54, Burnsville,
Minnesota, age 85, on October 12.
Robert “Bob” E. Twiton ’54,
Brainerd, Minnesota, age 84, on
February 26.
Theodore “Ted” S. Berkas ’56,
Minneapolis, age 88, on
January 15.
Robert A. Fundingsland ’65,
St. Louis Park, Minnesota, age
73, on September 19.
Sanford E. Egesdal ’56, Minneapolis,
age 82, on October 3.
Marie D. (Hafie) MacNally ’65,
Minneapolis, on November 7.
Robert A. Roos ’56, Robbinsdale,
Minnesota, age 86, on
September 3.
Dale H. Peterson ’69, Sapulpa,
Oklahoma, age 69, on
November 27.
Merlin J. White ’56, Fridley,
Minnesota, age 86, on
September 8.
Anita M. (Lindquist) King ’70,
Pella, Iowa, age 68, on
September 1.
Raymond Seaver ’57, Fergus
Falls, Minnesota, age 82, on
December 5.
Chuck S. Marsh ’73, Puyallup,
Washington, age 65, on
November 14.
Robert H. Gustafson ’59,
Cambridge, Minnesota, age 84,
on January 28.
Colleen M. (Brown) Olson ’74,
Shakopee, Minnesota, age 63, on
August 20.
John P. Martisen ’59, Minneapolis,
age 81, on August 30.
Sheila M. (Conway) Kortuem ’84,
St. Peter, Minnesota, age 76, on
August 26.
Lloyd H. Reichstadt ’59, Flagstaff,
Arizona, age 84, on November 21.
Paul C. Casperson ’60, Dallas,
Texas, age 77, on January 31.
Wayne R. Juntunen ’60, Esko,
Minnesota, age 83, on
December 5.
Karen O. (Egesdal) Trelstad ’61,
Red Wing, Minnesota, age 79, on
November 30.
Coralyn J. (Lunsted) Bryan ’62,
Minneapolis, age 77, on
October 25.
Joshua B. Lerman ’08, Louisville,
Kentucky, age 33, on
November 18.
Angel G. Rodriguez ’15,
Minneapolis, age 25, on January 3.
Tyler G. Kotewa ’17, Fairmont,
Minnesota, age 25, on
December 7.
Mark A. DiCastri ’18, Minneapolis,
age 29, on February 27.
Clair A. Johannsen ’62,
Hagerstown, Maryland, age 79,
on February 10.
Paul W. Anderson ’63, Moorhead,
Minnesota, age 77, on January 31.
Gaylen K. Heggen ’63, Cottage
Grove, Minnesota, age 75, on
October 26.
The “In memoriam” listings in this
publication include notifications
received before March 15.
SPRING–SUMMER 2017
33
PHOTO BY RICKY TAYLOR ’17
IN MEMORIAM
PHOTOS BY COURTNEY PERRY
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Steve Wozniak inspires Auggies to ‘Learn Different’
Apple, Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak engaged the Augsburg community in a conversation that emphasized the
importance of creativity, education, and innovation in an increasingly connected world. Wozniak launched Apple with
Steve Jobs in 1976, revolutionizing the personal computer industry. Wozniak’s visit took place this winter during
Scholarship Weekend, an opportunity for prospective students to compete for Fine Arts and Honors scholarships.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 2031
Show less
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 finished eating.
He always went straight for the slide. Once
at the top, he’d yell, “I’m going under!” and
swing himself down into the blue plastic tube. He
imagined he was a deep-sea diver plunging into
an underwater world of sunken pirate ships and
forgotten chests of gold. On particularly sunny
afternoons, he’d stop halfway down the slide and
admire the shadows that moved about on the
illuminated, blue plastic. He’d make believe that
fish swam all around him as little blotchy shadows
hovered whimsically over his head.
He eventually got the idea to bring his crayons to the park with him. He’d sit lodged in the
blue slide for most of the day, drawing exotic fish
with bright oranges, yellows and reds. He knew
fish didn’t smile but nevertheless gave them all
wide grins and big eyes to match. When it was
time to go home, his mother would knock from
the bottom of the slide. “Time to come back to
shore!” she’d announce. Malcolm would hide his
crayons in his back pocket and slide down to his
mother who would wait there with open arms
grinning at him.
The park seemed smaller now. Malcolm
was just as tall as the fireman’s pole and half as
long as the slide. He wondered if his fabricated
underwater universe still existed. Probably not,
he guessed. Although it was getting dark, Mal83
colm could see thick graffiti creeping out from the
shadows inside the blue slide. Malcolm pulled his
sweatshirt tighter around his neck, brushing Nikki
away in the process.
He felt her eyes on his face but refused to
acknowledge her. Inside the slide, he could still
make out the words “Bitch Ass” in thick spray
paint. His crayon drawings would certainly be
gone, he was sure of it now. Nikki picked up Malcolm’s hand and caressed it, her cold skin feeling
leathery and smooth.
“Malcolm,” she said.
Malcolm turned and mustered a smile, taking
Nikki’s hands to his face and kissing them awkwardly.
“Malcolm, let’s go home.”
The streetlights had not yet turned on for
the evening. Malcolm noticed the shadows on
the sides of the road stretching out and growing
bigger as they walked quietly past. He missed the
warm sunshine of summer and the hot nights
spent lounging in the front yard listening to his
mother’s radio; he missed the walks to the park,
his mother laughing at him as he crouched and
hopped along beside her. He remembered the
secret thrill of the crayon box in his back pocket,
then realized he’d forgotten his cigarettes on the
bench at the park. He was too cold to turn back.
He reached out silently for Nikki’s hand and, finding it much warmer than his own, held it stiffly
the rest of the walk home.
84
driving at zero one
john herbert
85
driving at zero two
john herbert
86
PLACEMAKERS
Diamonique Walker
Near my home,
Balloons dance in the wind.
I have reconditioned myself — These are not balloons
from a party, But they still celebrate a life.
I drive by, sometimes I walk.
And see a balloon or several
With their heads bobbing away
Positioned obscurely on the sidewalk.
Or on the island in the middle of the highway. Sometimes on no one in particular’s grass.
I don’t look for party decorations. At the feet of the
balloon’s ribbons, candles, cards and little trinkets sit.
Some kind of offering.
Looking weathered and dull.
His body bled some place close by. Probably killed
within ten feet.
A dancing, mocking balloon
Somehow now gets to sway in his place.
87
NECESSARILY AN EVIL THING CONSIDERED IN ANY LIGHT
Jacob J. Miller
“You know what I hate about this most of
all?” asked the first man. “Nobody’s going to be
around to take responsibility. Nobody is going to
have to answer for their crime.”
“What crime is that?” the other man asked,
sitting next to him in the middle of the cul-de-sac,
both of them at perfect leisure in lawn chairs as if
waiting for a parade to pass by.
“Mass-murder, I suppose. Call it, oh, I don’t
know. Call it, um, inciting the apocalypse.”
“Ha.”
“They deserve to be the ones left behind
after they obliterate everyone else. They should
be the ones who have to reap the aftermath, puke
out their guts and feel their bile boil inside their
stomachs, fend off marauding cannibals and giant
insects. And they should have to live with the new
world they created, or destroyed, rather.”
Just then, the other man looked down and
saw a lonely ant crawling up his pant leg. “Yeah,
but I don’t think that giant bug stuff is true. That
wouldn’t happen. The bugs’ll die like everything
else.”
“I mean, what do you think it’ll be like? I
88
know it’ll happen instantaneously, but they say the
cerebral cortex functions after everything else has
shut down and we linger in a sort of dream-state,
which could last for, well, for who knows how
long?”
“Well, that’s if you’re in a hospital bed, or
you have a heart attack or something, when you
have time to die with a little bit of peace. Our
brains are going to incinerate along with the rest
of us. There won’t even be any stuff of thought
anymore. I don’t think we have to worry about
something like that.”
“But what if that moment of pain before we
go lasts longer, you know? What if time stands
still? Nothing makes sense in a moment of such
lunacy. Such catastrophe. What if we feel our
tongues liquefying and spilling down our throats
and scalding our internal organs? What if, all in
that moment, we look down, and before our eyes
boil and burst from the heat we see our bones
glowing purple through our flesh as it begins dripping off like wax? What if you turn and look at
me and the last image you see is my face melting
off like those Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark?”
“I’m not sure it’s the best time to be thinking
like that,” his friend said, as the sirens began to
wail their sorrowful last.
“Why even bother with that fucking thing?”
the man steamed. “It’s inconsiderate, a futile
exhortation. We know what’s coming. We’re not
going to hide in our basements from it like it’s a
fucking tornado.”
“Tornadoes aren’t so easy to hide from either.”
The first man scanned the horizon for what
he knew would be the last time. He took in the
sight of the skyline he saw from his window every
day and, with lamenting eyes, imaginatively
anticipated its supplanting by a fiery mushroom
climbing the sky. He closed his eyes and winced,
unable to cope with the unthinkable thought, the
impossible inevitability. Turning his head toward
a neighbor’s yard whose household ran a daycare,
he opened his eyes to a post-apocalyptic tableau
of children’s toys scattered about the lawn. Nothing needed yet be aflame for the man to resent the
picturesque cliché of innocence lost on display
before him. “Remember when they used to tell
kids to hide under their desks?” he inquired. “All
that siren is doing is making sure that we spend
our last moments in a panic, instead of dying
gracefully, accepting that we’re all in the same
sinking ship, in the middle of the ocean, if the
ocean were the entire planet, and filled with lava
instead of water. We should be spending our time
reminiscing, because that’s all we have now.”
“Well, we can’t talk about our plans for the
future.”
“We can’t discuss potential medical advancements.”
“The coming cure for cancer.”
“And cloning organs. Scholarships our
children just received, the singularity and will
the Matrix ever become a reality; would we ever
make contact with life elsewhere in the universe,
intercept an asteroid, mine them for resources?
It’s all useless, man, meaningless. Every human
achievement since the first spark made from one
rock dragging against another, gone within the
next hour,” he sighed heavily, draping a ribbon
of helplessness over his words of outrage. “Why
don’t you open that up?” He suggested, pointing at the bottle of scotch sitting at the leg of
his friend’s chair. His friend took a swig before
passing it over with a satisfied groan. “Here’s to
everything we do being the last time it will ever be
done,” the first man began. “That’s the best I can
do.”
“Yeah,” the other man raised an empty hand,
toasting to the end and everything that came
before it. “I suppose there’s something beautiful about the entire world—or nearly the entire
world—going out the same way. There’s a kind
of universal solidarity occurring right now, don’t
you think? Some are praying, no doubt, some are
exalting their various saviors, certain they will be
raptured up any minute, but we’re all still going
to be experiencing the same thing, at almost the
exact same time; the same heat, the same instantaneous moment of searing pain before any trace
of our molecules are imprinted as a shadow on
the asphalt beneath us.”
He had a complex contraption of a chair, one
of the men—it doesn’t really matter which one
now that the end was there; the kind of chair that
folds upward from all four corners and was nearly
89
impossible to fit back into its cylindrical carrying
sack—not that that mattered anymore either—
complete with cup holders and a detachable headrest, which he was putting to use as he spoke. His
friend’s chair was more old-fashioned, a conventional folding lawn chair with a checkered pattern
of flimsy plastic wrapped taut around aluminum
pipes, wobbly hard plastic armrests drilled in and
not quite parallel to each other.
Their chair legs began melting into the tar
beneath them. One of the men hummed softly;
a beautiful soundtrack to accompany him in the
cut to black. The other man closed his eyes and,
focusing on the sounds of the encroaching death
rattle, heard them as the grunts and whinnies of
the four horsemen’s horses as they galloped atop
the planet’s rapidly spreading dust.
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Show less
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 finished eating.
He always went straight for the slide. Once
at the top, he’d yell, “I’m going under!” and
swing himself down into the blue plastic tube. He
imagined he was a deep-sea diver plunging into
an underwater world of sunken pirate ships and
forgotten chests of gold. On particularly sunny
afternoons, he’d stop halfway down the slide and
admire the shadows that moved about on the
illuminated, blue plastic. He’d make believe that
fish swam all around him as little blotchy shadows
hovered whimsically over his head.
He eventually got the idea to bring his crayons to the park with him. He’d sit lodged in the
blue slide for most of the day, drawing exotic fish
with bright oranges, yellows and reds. He knew
fish didn’t smile but nevertheless gave them all
wide grins and big eyes to match. When it was
time to go home, his mother would knock from
the bottom of the slide. “Time to come back to
shore!” she’d announce. Malcolm would hide his
crayons in his back pocket and slide down to his
mother who would wait there with open arms
grinning at him.
The park seemed smaller now. Malcolm
was just as tall as the fireman’s pole and half as
long as the slide. He wondered if his fabricated
underwater universe still existed. Probably not,
he guessed. Although it was getting dark, Mal83
colm could see thick graffiti creeping out from the
shadows inside the blue slide. Malcolm pulled his
sweatshirt tighter around his neck, brushing Nikki
away in the process.
He felt her eyes on his face but refused to
acknowledge her. Inside the slide, he could still
make out the words “Bitch Ass” in thick spray
paint. His crayon drawings would certainly be
gone, he was sure of it now. Nikki picked up Malcolm’s hand and caressed it, her cold skin feeling
leathery and smooth.
“Malcolm,” she said.
Malcolm turned and mustered a smile, taking
Nikki’s hands to his face and kissing them awkwardly.
“Malcolm, let’s go home.”
The streetlights had not yet turned on for
the evening. Malcolm noticed the shadows on
the sides of the road stretching out and growing
bigger as they walked quietly past. He missed the
warm sunshine of summer and the hot nights
spent lounging in the front yard listening to his
mother’s radio; he missed the walks to the park,
his mother laughing at him as he crouched and
hopped along beside her. He remembered the
secret thrill of the crayon box in his back pocket,
then realized he’d forgotten his cigarettes on the
bench at the park. He was too cold to turn back.
He reached out silently for Nikki’s hand and, finding it much warmer than his own, held it stiffly
the rest of the walk home.
84
driving at zero one
john herbert
85
driving at zero two
john herbert
86
PLACEMAKERS
Diamonique Walker
Near my home,
Balloons dance in the wind.
I have reconditioned myself — These are not balloons
from a party, But they still celebrate a life.
I drive by, sometimes I walk.
And see a balloon or several
With their heads bobbing away
Positioned obscurely on the sidewalk.
Or on the island in the middle of the highway. Sometimes on no one in particular’s grass.
I don’t look for party decorations. At the feet of the
balloon’s ribbons, candles, cards and little trinkets sit.
Some kind of offering.
Looking weathered and dull.
His body bled some place close by. Probably killed
within ten feet.
A dancing, mocking balloon
Somehow now gets to sway in his place.
87
NECESSARILY AN EVIL THING CONSIDERED IN ANY LIGHT
Jacob J. Miller
“You know what I hate about this most of
all?” asked the first man. “Nobody’s going to be
around to take responsibility. Nobody is going to
have to answer for their crime.”
“What crime is that?” the other man asked,
sitting next to him in the middle of the cul-de-sac,
both of them at perfect leisure in lawn chairs as if
waiting for a parade to pass by.
“Mass-murder, I suppose. Call it, oh, I don’t
know. Call it, um, inciting the apocalypse.”
“Ha.”
“They deserve to be the ones left behind
after they obliterate everyone else. They should
be the ones who have to reap the aftermath, puke
out their guts and feel their bile boil inside their
stomachs, fend off marauding cannibals and giant
insects. And they should have to live with the new
world they created, or destroyed, rather.”
Just then, the other man looked down and
saw a lonely ant crawling up his pant leg. “Yeah,
but I don’t think that giant bug stuff is true. That
wouldn’t happen. The bugs’ll die like everything
else.”
“I mean, what do you think it’ll be like? I
88
know it’ll happen instantaneously, but they say the
cerebral cortex functions after everything else has
shut down and we linger in a sort of dream-state,
which could last for, well, for who knows how
long?”
“Well, that’s if you’re in a hospital bed, or
you have a heart attack or something, when you
have time to die with a little bit of peace. Our
brains are going to incinerate along with the rest
of us. There won’t even be any stuff of thought
anymore. I don’t think we have to worry about
something like that.”
“But what if that moment of pain before we
go lasts longer, you know? What if time stands
still? Nothing makes sense in a moment of such
lunacy. Such catastrophe. What if we feel our
tongues liquefying and spilling down our throats
and scalding our internal organs? What if, all in
that moment, we look down, and before our eyes
boil and burst from the heat we see our bones
glowing purple through our flesh as it begins dripping off like wax? What if you turn and look at
me and the last image you see is my face melting
off like those Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark?”
“I’m not sure it’s the best time to be thinking
like that,” his friend said, as the sirens began to
wail their sorrowful last.
“Why even bother with that fucking thing?”
the man steamed. “It’s inconsiderate, a futile
exhortation. We know what’s coming. We’re not
going to hide in our basements from it like it’s a
fucking tornado.”
“Tornadoes aren’t so easy to hide from either.”
The first man scanned the horizon for what
he knew would be the last time. He took in the
sight of the skyline he saw from his window every
day and, with lamenting eyes, imaginatively
anticipated its supplanting by a fiery mushroom
climbing the sky. He closed his eyes and winced,
unable to cope with the unthinkable thought, the
impossible inevitability. Turning his head toward
a neighbor’s yard whose household ran a daycare,
he opened his eyes to a post-apocalyptic tableau
of children’s toys scattered about the lawn. Nothing needed yet be aflame for the man to resent the
picturesque cliché of innocence lost on display
before him. “Remember when they used to tell
kids to hide under their desks?” he inquired. “All
that siren is doing is making sure that we spend
our last moments in a panic, instead of dying
gracefully, accepting that we’re all in the same
sinking ship, in the middle of the ocean, if the
ocean were the entire planet, and filled with lava
instead of water. We should be spending our time
reminiscing, because that’s all we have now.”
“Well, we can’t talk about our plans for the
future.”
“We can’t discuss potential medical advancements.”
“The coming cure for cancer.”
“And cloning organs. Scholarships our
children just received, the singularity and will
the Matrix ever become a reality; would we ever
make contact with life elsewhere in the universe,
intercept an asteroid, mine them for resources?
It’s all useless, man, meaningless. Every human
achievement since the first spark made from one
rock dragging against another, gone within the
next hour,” he sighed heavily, draping a ribbon
of helplessness over his words of outrage. “Why
don’t you open that up?” He suggested, pointing at the bottle of scotch sitting at the leg of
his friend’s chair. His friend took a swig before
passing it over with a satisfied groan. “Here’s to
everything we do being the last time it will ever be
done,” the first man began. “That’s the best I can
do.”
“Yeah,” the other man raised an empty hand,
toasting to the end and everything that came
before it. “I suppose there’s something beautiful about the entire world—or nearly the entire
world—going out the same way. There’s a kind
of universal solidarity occurring right now, don’t
you think? Some are praying, no doubt, some are
exalting their various saviors, certain they will be
raptured up any minute, but we’re all still going
to be experiencing the same thing, at almost the
exact same time; the same heat, the same instantaneous moment of searing pain before any trace
of our molecules are imprinted as a shadow on
the asphalt beneath us.”
He had a complex contraption of a chair, one
of the men—it doesn’t really matter which one
now that the end was there; the kind of chair that
folds upward from all four corners and was nearly
89
impossible to fit back into its cylindrical carrying
sack—not that that mattered anymore either—
complete with cup holders and a detachable headrest, which he was putting to use as he spoke. His
friend’s chair was more old-fashioned, a conventional folding lawn chair with a checkered pattern
of flimsy plastic wrapped taut around aluminum
pipes, wobbly hard plastic armrests drilled in and
not quite parallel to each other.
Their chair legs began melting into the tar
beneath them. One of the men hummed softly;
a beautiful soundtrack to accompany him in the
cut to black. The other man closed his eyes and,
focusing on the sounds of the encroaching death
rattle, heard them as the grunts and whinnies of
the four horsemen’s horses as they galloped atop
the planet’s rapidly spreading dust.
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Show less
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.
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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.
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“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 finished eating.
He always went straight for the slide. Once
at the top, he’d yell, “I’m going under!” and
swing himself down into the blue plastic tube. He
imagined he was a deep-sea diver plunging into
an underwater world of sunken pirate ships and
forgotten chests of gold. On particularly sunny
afternoons, he’d stop halfway down the slide and
admire the shadows that moved about on the
illuminated, blue plastic. He’d make believe that
fish swam all around him as little blotchy shadows
hovered whimsically over his head.
He eventually got the idea to bring his crayons to the park with him. He’d sit lodged in the
blue slide for most of the day, drawing exotic fish
with bright oranges, yellows and reds. He knew
fish didn’t smile but nevertheless gave them all
wide grins and big eyes to match. When it was
time to go home, his mother would knock from
the bottom of the slide. “Time to come back to
shore!” she’d announce. Malcolm would hide his
crayons in his back pocket and slide down to his
mother who would wait there with open arms
grinning at him.
The park seemed smaller now. Malcolm
was just as tall as the fireman’s pole and half as
long as the slide. He wondered if his fabricated
underwater universe still existed. Probably not,
he guessed. Although it was getting dark, Mal83
colm could see thick graffiti creeping out from the
shadows inside the blue slide. Malcolm pulled his
sweatshirt tighter around his neck, brushing Nikki
away in the process.
He felt her eyes on his face but refused to
acknowledge her. Inside the slide, he could still
make out the words “Bitch Ass” in thick spray
paint. His crayon drawings would certainly be
gone, he was sure of it now. Nikki picked up Malcolm’s hand and caressed it, her cold skin feeling
leathery and smooth.
“Malcolm,” she said.
Malcolm turned and mustered a smile, taking
Nikki’s hands to his face and kissing them awkwardly.
“Malcolm, let’s go home.”
The streetlights had not yet turned on for
the evening. Malcolm noticed the shadows on
the sides of the road stretching out and growing
bigger as they walked quietly past. He missed the
warm sunshine of summer and the hot nights
spent lounging in the front yard listening to his
mother’s radio; he missed the walks to the park,
his mother laughing at him as he crouched and
hopped along beside her. He remembered the
secret thrill of the crayon box in his back pocket,
then realized he’d forgotten his cigarettes on the
bench at the park. He was too cold to turn back.
He reached out silently for Nikki’s hand and, finding it much warmer than his own, held it stiffly
the rest of the walk home.
84
driving at zero one
john herbert
85
driving at zero two
john herbert
86
PLACEMAKERS
Diamonique Walker
Near my home,
Balloons dance in the wind.
I have reconditioned myself — These are not balloons
from a party, But they still celebrate a life.
I drive by, sometimes I walk.
And see a balloon or several
With their heads bobbing away
Positioned obscurely on the sidewalk.
Or on the island in the middle of the highway. Sometimes on no one in particular’s grass.
I don’t look for party decorations. At the feet of the
balloon’s ribbons, candles, cards and little trinkets sit.
Some kind of offering.
Looking weathered and dull.
His body bled some place close by. Probably killed
within ten feet.
A dancing, mocking balloon
Somehow now gets to sway in his place.
87
NECESSARILY AN EVIL THING CONSIDERED IN ANY LIGHT
Jacob J. Miller
“You know what I hate about this most of
all?” asked the first man. “Nobody’s going to be
around to take responsibility. Nobody is going to
have to answer for their crime.”
“What crime is that?” the other man asked,
sitting next to him in the middle of the cul-de-sac,
both of them at perfect leisure in lawn chairs as if
waiting for a parade to pass by.
“Mass-murder, I suppose. Call it, oh, I don’t
know. Call it, um, inciting the apocalypse.”
“Ha.”
“They deserve to be the ones left behind
after they obliterate everyone else. They should
be the ones who have to reap the aftermath, puke
out their guts and feel their bile boil inside their
stomachs, fend off marauding cannibals and giant
insects. And they should have to live with the new
world they created, or destroyed, rather.”
Just then, the other man looked down and
saw a lonely ant crawling up his pant leg. “Yeah,
but I don’t think that giant bug stuff is true. That
wouldn’t happen. The bugs’ll die like everything
else.”
“I mean, what do you think it’ll be like? I
88
know it’ll happen instantaneously, but they say the
cerebral cortex functions after everything else has
shut down and we linger in a sort of dream-state,
which could last for, well, for who knows how
long?”
“Well, that’s if you’re in a hospital bed, or
you have a heart attack or something, when you
have time to die with a little bit of peace. Our
brains are going to incinerate along with the rest
of us. There won’t even be any stuff of thought
anymore. I don’t think we have to worry about
something like that.”
“But what if that moment of pain before we
go lasts longer, you know? What if time stands
still? Nothing makes sense in a moment of such
lunacy. Such catastrophe. What if we feel our
tongues liquefying and spilling down our throats
and scalding our internal organs? What if, all in
that moment, we look down, and before our eyes
boil and burst from the heat we see our bones
glowing purple through our flesh as it begins dripping off like wax? What if you turn and look at
me and the last image you see is my face melting
off like those Nazis in Raiders of the Lost Ark?”
“I’m not sure it’s the best time to be thinking
like that,” his friend said, as the sirens began to
wail their sorrowful last.
“Why even bother with that fucking thing?”
the man steamed. “It’s inconsiderate, a futile
exhortation. We know what’s coming. We’re not
going to hide in our basements from it like it’s a
fucking tornado.”
“Tornadoes aren’t so easy to hide from either.”
The first man scanned the horizon for what
he knew would be the last time. He took in the
sight of the skyline he saw from his window every
day and, with lamenting eyes, imaginatively
anticipated its supplanting by a fiery mushroom
climbing the sky. He closed his eyes and winced,
unable to cope with the unthinkable thought, the
impossible inevitability. Turning his head toward
a neighbor’s yard whose household ran a daycare,
he opened his eyes to a post-apocalyptic tableau
of children’s toys scattered about the lawn. Nothing needed yet be aflame for the man to resent the
picturesque cliché of innocence lost on display
before him. “Remember when they used to tell
kids to hide under their desks?” he inquired. “All
that siren is doing is making sure that we spend
our last moments in a panic, instead of dying
gracefully, accepting that we’re all in the same
sinking ship, in the middle of the ocean, if the
ocean were the entire planet, and filled with lava
instead of water. We should be spending our time
reminiscing, because that’s all we have now.”
“Well, we can’t talk about our plans for the
future.”
“We can’t discuss potential medical advancements.”
“The coming cure for cancer.”
“And cloning organs. Scholarships our
children just received, the singularity and will
the Matrix ever become a reality; would we ever
make contact with life elsewhere in the universe,
intercept an asteroid, mine them for resources?
It’s all useless, man, meaningless. Every human
achievement since the first spark made from one
rock dragging against another, gone within the
next hour,” he sighed heavily, draping a ribbon
of helplessness over his words of outrage. “Why
don’t you open that up?” He suggested, pointing at the bottle of scotch sitting at the leg of
his friend’s chair. His friend took a swig before
passing it over with a satisfied groan. “Here’s to
everything we do being the last time it will ever be
done,” the first man began. “That’s the best I can
do.”
“Yeah,” the other man raised an empty hand,
toasting to the end and everything that came
before it. “I suppose there’s something beautiful about the entire world—or nearly the entire
world—going out the same way. There’s a kind
of universal solidarity occurring right now, don’t
you think? Some are praying, no doubt, some are
exalting their various saviors, certain they will be
raptured up any minute, but we’re all still going
to be experiencing the same thing, at almost the
exact same time; the same heat, the same instantaneous moment of searing pain before any trace
of our molecules are imprinted as a shadow on
the asphalt beneath us.”
He had a complex contraption of a chair, one
of the men—it doesn’t really matter which one
now that the end was there; the kind of chair that
folds upward from all four corners and was nearly
89
impossible to fit back into its cylindrical carrying
sack—not that that mattered anymore either—
complete with cup holders and a detachable headrest, which he was putting to use as he spoke. His
friend’s chair was more old-fashioned, a conventional folding lawn chair with a checkered pattern
of flimsy plastic wrapped taut around aluminum
pipes, wobbly hard plastic armrests drilled in and
not quite parallel to each other.
Their chair legs began melting into the tar
beneath them. One of the men hummed softly;
a beautiful soundtrack to accompany him in the
cut to black. The other man closed his eyes and,
focusing on the sounds of the encroaching death
rattle, heard them as the grunts and whinnies of
the four horsemen’s horses as they galloped atop
the planet’s rapidly spreading dust.
90
Show less
Play with purpose
The space to learn
An ambitious approach
Homecoming 2016
FALL 2016 | VOL. 79, NO. 1
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
On the gif... Show more
Play with purpose
The space to learn
An ambitious approach
Homecoming 2016
FALL 2016 | VOL. 79, NO. 1
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
On the gifts who are our students
Last spring, a small group of Regents, faculty,
staff, and alumni were charged by the Board
of Regents with exploring long-term strategy
for Augsburg, especially in light of shifting
demographics, economic trends, and volatility
in higher education.
It was an inspiring process as we reflected
on how Augsburg would remain faithful to its
historic distinctions, while at the same time
being relevant to a changing world. Perhaps
the most compelling conclusion of the Futures
Group was that Augsburg would be its best
self in the years ahead as it remains radically
student-centered, meeting students where they
are and equipping them for lives of meaning
and purpose.
It is not a unique claim, this idea of being
student-centered, but it is understood in
diverse ways across higher education. For
some, the claim means that students are
customers or clients who deserve high-quality
service. For others, it means that students
are lumps of clay to be formed and shaped
with particular values. For still others, the
claim means that students are deeply engaged
in the governance of the college or in its
administrative decision-making.
At Augsburg, though, the claim of being
radically student-centered means something
very different. For our community, each student
is a gift, a gift to be received with gratitude
and humility, a gift that surprises and engages
us, a gift that changes us. Each summer, I
tell our incoming students that their gifts
of intellect and leadership and passion will
make Augsburg a more faithful and successful
college, even as we accompany them on their
educational journeys. And I mean it.
This issue of Augsburg Now illustrates
well how the gifts who are our students have
made all of us better. Read about alumna
Maya Santamaria ’94, an entrepreneur whose
Augsburg education has shaped her community
work in Minneapolis. Witness the stories of
our remarkable student-athletes, partnering
with Special Olympics Minnesota to show how
intellectual differences need not get in the
way of teamwork and sportsmanship. Hear the
stories of this year’s Distinguished Alumni and
Spirit of Augsburg awardees, whose lives are
testaments to how Augsburg’s mission is lived
out across the world and generations.
And perhaps most powerfully, learn about
how Gov. Mark Dayton declared August 29,
2016, as Augsburg College Equity Day in
Minnesota, recognizing Augsburg for its
commitment to diversity, inclusion, and justice.
As one staff member told me on that special
occasion, this work is “a love letter to our
students,” a recognition that our remarkably
diverse students, who come to us with their
many experiences and talents, are gifts that
have changed us forever and for the better.
What gifts we have been given for almost
150 years! They ground our vision to be “a
new kind of student-centered, urban university,
small to our students and big for the world.”
Faithfully yours,
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing
Communication
Stephen Jendraszak
jendra@augsburg.edu
Communication Copywriter
and Editorial Coordinator
Laura Swanson Lindahl ’15 MBA
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate
Denielle Johnson ’11
johnsod@augsburg.edu
Production Manager
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Advancement Communication
Specialist
Jen Lowman Day
dayj@augsburg.edu
Contributing Writer
Kate H. Elliott
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
alumniupdate@augsburg.edu.
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Send comments to:
now@augsburg.edu.
AUGSBURG NOW
Fall 2016
PHOTO BY RICKY TAYLOR ’17
This fall, Augsburg College hosted the national Lilly Fellows Program
Conference. The event focused on the theme, “Reformed and Always
Reforming: Faith, Science, Art, and Culture,” and featured the Rev. Paul
Oman, founder of Drawn to the Word ministry, who painted an artistic
expression of the Reformation.
02 Around the quad
22
Homecoming 2016
08
Annual report to donors
24
Auggies connect
10
Play with purpose
27
Class notes
16
The space to learn
20
An ambitious approach
32
In memoriam
On the cover
Augsburg College students
show their school spirit at
the 2016 Homecoming pep
rally. Learn more about the
celebration on pages 22-23.
Photo by Caroline Yang.
Inset photo by Courtney Perry.
All photos by Stephen Geffre
unless otherwise indicated.
NEW ACADEMIC BUILDING SCALES HEIGHTS
The Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business,
and Religion is on track to open for classes in January 2018.
In the six months since the April 29 groundbreaking, McGough
Construction and its subcontractors have completed the concrete
work for the partial basement and most of the four floors of the north
wing, and the three floors of the west wing. As the cement work has
finished, the team has undertaken installation of electrical conduit,
plumbing, and framing for interior walls.
Weekly construction updates are available
at augsburg.edu/hagforscenter.
2
Augsburg Now
The Hagfors Center brings together the study
of global business, advanced science and
technology, and religious dialogue. It is home
to eight academic departments:
Biology
Business
Chemistry
Computer Science
Mathematics
Physics
Psychology
Religion
Structural rendering
of the Hagfors Center
courtesy of McGough
Construction
COLLEGE AWARDS 2016
President’s Interfaith and Community Service
Honor Roll—Finalist with Distinction:
Augsburg College was one of five finalists in
the United States named to the prestigious
President’s Higher Education Community
Service Honor Roll with Distinction in the
interfaith community service category. This
is the seventh year the College has earned
this recognition.
The AugSTEM Scholars Program, funded through a grant from the National Science
Foundation, supports students pursuing degrees in science, technology, engineering, and
math (STEM). The scholars participated in Zyzzogeton, a celebration of student research.
Best Regional Universities by U.S. News &
World Report: U.S. News & World Report
named Augsburg one of the best universities
in the Midwest. Rankings are based on
factors including average first-year retention
rates, graduation rates, class sizes, studentto-faculty ratios, acceptance rates, and more.
$1 MILLION GRANT PREPARES STUDENTS
for graduate school, meaningful work
The National Science Foundation awarded Augsburg College a highly
competitive $1 million grant for continued support of the AugSTEM
Scholars Program. Under the direction of Professor Rebekah Dupont,
the program will provide scholarships to as many as 80 academically
talented students with financial need who are pursuing studies in science,
technology, engineering, and math.
The four-year grant is part of NSF’s work to address the need for a highquality, diverse workforce. With a traditional undergraduate student body
that is more than 35 percent persons of color, Augsburg is well positioned
to support this goal. The program provides direct financial support, delivers
hands-on learning, offers research opportunities, and pairs each student
with a faculty mentor. Research shows this combination of hands-on
learning and close mentorship is highly effective in helping students leave
college ready for graduate school and the workplace.
Augsburg recognized for being studentcentered: The Wall Street Journal and Times
Higher Education ranked Augsburg No. 2 in
Minnesota for student engagement in the
learning process in their inaugural ranking
of U.S. colleges and universities. The
student engagement score is based largely
on results of a student survey that addressed
how challenging classes are, whether they
foster critical thinking and prompt students
to make connections to the real world, and
how much interaction the students have
with faculty and other students.
Auggie earns “Most Promising
Young Poet” national honor
Donte Collins ’18 was named the “Most Promising
Young Poet” by the Academy of American Poets this
fall. His poem, “what the dead know by heart,” previously won Augsburg’s
John R. Mitchell Prize, which qualified him for the prestigious competition.
Collins is a theater major who is active in the local, regional, and national
spoken word and poetry scene. Collins told Minnesota Public Radio that
he plans to use the $1,000 prize from the award to self-publish his first
collection of poetry, a chapbook called “autopsies.”
PHOTO BY RICKY TAYLOR ’17
Editor’s Note: This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under
Grants No. 1565060 and 1154096. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations
expressed in this material are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
National Science Foundation.
50 Best Disability Friendly Colleges and
Universities: College Choice ranked Augsburg
No. 13 of the 50 Best Disability Friendly
Colleges and Universities in 2016 for having
strong programming and solid support
services that meet the physical, social, and
academic requirements of students with
learning disabilities and special needs.
Best LGBT Friendly Colleges and Universities:
College Choice ranked Augsburg among
the 50 Best LGBT Friendly Colleges and
Universities in 2016 for having a strong and
proven history of creating quality programming
for the LGBT community and its allies.
Fall 2016
3
Augsburg partners with
MINNESOTA PUBLIC RADIO
to deliver Strommen Engagement Series
A new partnership with Minnesota Public Radio means the Augsburg
College Strommen Engagement Series is poised to spark dialogue on
some of the state’s pressing contemporary issues. The reimagined
Strommen Engagement Series was created in collaboration with MPR
as part of the “Conversations on the Creative Economy” program
hosted by Chris Farrell. He is a senior economics contributor at
Marketplace, American Public Media’s nationally syndicated public
radio business and personal finance program.
For the 2016-17 academic year, MPR and Augsburg will explore:
• Living in Recovery—Working in a Culture of Alcohol: A
discussion on the health cost to a business when employees
are chemically dependent and how professionals in recovery
are working to remove the stigma of addiction and the culture
of drinking in business.
• Global Food in a Farm-to-Table World: A discussion on how companies
are adapting to environmental and consumer demands to be more
sustainable and still grow food for 7 billion people.
• Worship in the Workplace: A discussion about the business advantages
of accommodating the faith traditions of employees and how leaders
navigate these situations.
• Banking on the Unbankable: A discussion on how financial institutions
create both a business product and a social good for people who
traditionally would not have access
Go to augsburg.edu/now
to financial tools.
for details.
Governor declares
‘AUGSBURG COLLEGE EQUITY DAY’
Gov. Mark Dayton declared Aug. 29, 2016,
“Augsburg College Equity Day” in recognition
of the College’s commitment to equity and
justice, and its efforts to close the opportunity
gap in Minnesota.
President Paul Pribbenow met with leaders of
the Minneapolis Star Tribune editorial board to
discuss Minnesota’s educational achievement
gap among children and youth of diverse
backgrounds. The state has one of
the largest achievement gaps in the
nation, and Augsburg is working to
ensure all students of academic
ability have access to higher
education. The College’s pledge
to this work includes limited debt
pathways to graduation, setting aside
dedicated housing for homeless students,
increasing financial aid literacy, supporting
faculty in creating inclusive classrooms, and
increasing access to course materials.
The College was applauded for this
leadership through a compelling editorial,
“Augsburg College leads the call for campus
equity,” written and published by the Star
Tribune editorial board on Aug. 30.
ARCHIVE PHOTO
PHOTO BY BRIANA ALAMILLA ’17
NOW AND THEN:
AUGGIE HOMECOMING
[Left]: Current students play dodgeball in Si Melby gymnasium. [Right]: Jan (Koepcke)
Steller ’66, a member of this year’s 50th reunion class, snaps the football during a 1965
coed Homecoming matchup.
4
Augsburg Now
All good Homecoming celebrations need some
friendly competition, right? This year, Augsburg
College students got into the competitive spirit at
a dodgeball tournament that pitted Auggie against
Auggie in a battle testing speed, agility, and …
fashion sense. The event’s companion costume
contest proved to be a lighthearted update on a
long-time tradition. Coed sporting events have
been part of Augsburg Homecoming for decades,
and the outfits seem to get better with time.
See highlights from Homecoming on pages 22-23.
AROUND THE QUAD
SOOTHING
SOUNDS:
Auggies compose music
for pediatric patients
Music therapy major Tristan Gavin ’16 records a composition for use at the University of Minnesota
Masonic Children’s Hospital.
COURTESY PHOTOS
CONVOCATION SERIES 2016-17
Augsburg College’s annual convocation series offers the community
meaningful opportunities to engage with contemporary issues and
to hear from speakers who are renowned in their fields.
In September, the series kicked off with the Bernhard M.
Christensen Symposium featuring bestselling author, public
theologian, and social activist Jim Wallis and his presentation,
“The Bridge to a New America.” Wallis is president and founder of
Sojourners, a nonprofit, faith-based organization whose mission is
to put faith into action for social justice.
In November, the Center for Wellness and Counseling Convocation
welcomed Kristin Neff, an education psychologist and associate
professor of human development and culture at the University of
Texas at Austin. Her presentation was titled, “Self-Compassion:
How to be an Inner Ally Rather than an Inner Enemy.”
Augsburg College music therapy students
created original compositions to help
patients and families at the University of
Minnesota Masonic Children’s Hospital
get better sleep.
During the 2016 spring semester,
students in the Music Therapy Senior
Seminar course taught by Annie
Heiderscheit, director of the Master of
Music Therapy program, wrote lullabies
as part of a community partnership.
The music therapy students worked
with music business students and
their advisor, Augsburg Instructor
Dain Estes, to produce high-quality
recordings for use on the hospital’s
network of digital, interactive health
care features. Individuals can choose
to play the calming tunes using devices
in their hospital rooms. The Auggies’
compositions also are part of a pilot
study that is exploring whether listening
to music helps improve sleep quality in
patients and families who use it in the
pediatric intensive care unit.
SAVE THE DATE:
Join us on Monday, Jan. 16, for
the Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation.
All events are free, public, and held in the
Foss Center. For detailed information, go to
augsburg.edu/convo.
Fall 2016
5
BOARD OF REGENTS
Jeffrey Nodland ’77
Nicholas Gangestad ’86
WELCOMES NEW CHAIR
AND MEMBERS
Jeffrey Nodland ’77, president and chief executive officer of
KIK Custom Products, was elected chair of the Augsburg
College Board of Regents at its April 2016 meeting and
began his term July 1. Nodland will play a key leadership
role in Augsburg’s planning and fundraising initiatives.
In addition, the Augsburg Corporation, at its annual
September meeting, elected six new members to the Board
of Regents and re-elected three members.
Elected to their first term on the Augsburg Board of Regents:
Dr. Amit Ghosh
’12 MBA
Rev. Marlene
Whiterabbit Helgemo
Rachel Pringnitz ’02,
’07 MBA
•
Nicholas Gangestad ’86, senior vice president and chief
financial officer of 3M
•
Dr. Amit Ghosh ’12 MBA, a staff consultant, professor of
medicine, and medical director of internal practice at
Mayo Clinic
•
Rev. Marlene Whiterabbit Helgemo, an ordained
Lutheran pastor serving All Nations Indian Church of
the United Church of Christ and executive director of
the Council for American Indian Ministry of the UCC
•
Rachel Pringnitz ’02, ’07 MBA, operations
administrator for the Division of General Internal
Medicine at Mayo Clinic
•
Jill Nelson Thomas, philanthropist and board member
for multiple nonprofits, including Family & Children’s
Services of Oklahoma
•
Noya Woodrich ’92, ’94 MSW, former president and
chief executive officer of the Greater Minneapolis
Council of Churches
PHOTOS BY MARK CHAMBERLAIN
Elected to a second or third term:
Jill Nelson Thomas
Noya Woodrich ’92,
’94 MSW
6
Augsburg Now
•
Mark Eustis, an organizational leadership and
governance advisor for health systems
•
Alexander Gonzalez ’90, financial consultant at
Thrivent Financial
•
Pam Moksnes ’79, vice president for gift planning
services, Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, through
the Lutheran Church Extension Fund
HOME SWEET
HOMEPAGE:
Augsburg launches
redesigned website
College and university websites are often
the first place students turn to for reliable
information when they research schools.
This fall, Augsburg unveiled a website
redesign offering prospective students a
fresh experience and encouraging them to
learn more about the College.
The new look took more than a year
to research, plan, design, and develop.
Now this work is on display on the site’s
top-level sections, which showcase how
Augsburg positively influences Auggies
from their first day in class to decades
after graduation.
Visit augsburg.edu to see
the new design.
AROUND THE QUAD
ON THE SPOT
A look at erratic weather and climate
change with John Zobitz
“Do we live in the tropics?”
In early fall, a Minneapolis Star Tribune article
asked this question. While readers surely
answered “no,” the story described the recent
soggy summer in which Midwestern Regional
Climate Center weather data showed the
Twin Cities got twice as much rain as usual
in August, contributing to the fourth-wettest
summer since records began in 1895.
Associate Professor John Zobitz studies math
and how it relates to climate. Scientists point
to more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere as
one of the culprits in global warming. Zobitz
uses mathematical modeling to conduct
environmental science research on several
topics, including carbon uptake.
For years, Zobitz has helped media make
sense of unusual weather across the country.
He commented on record-setting snowfall in
Buffalo, New York, following a November 2014
blast, as well as the return of wintry weather
during an April 2013 whiteout in Augsburg’s
own backyard. Here’s a glimpse into the world
of climate science—an area where the forecast
can have more to do with mathematical
formulas than tomorrow’s high temp.
Q:
How can mathematicians’ expertise
help environmental scientists and
climatologists?
A:
Mathematicians test and evaluate
hypotheses through mathematical
and computational models. We model and
benchmark future global temperatures
based on current scenarios, hopefully
providing an informed context for climate
policy decisions.
Q:
A:
Hasn’t the Earth always warmed and
cooled throughout history?
Yes, but what is alarming is both the
amount and the rate of the increase.
The global monthly temperature has been
warmer than average for 360 consecutive
months (that’s every month during the past
30 years). That persistent global pattern
underscores a shift in global temperature
beyond natural temperature cycles.
Q:
A:
Do unusually cold temperatures in an
area dispute global warming?
No. An important thing to remember
is that global temperature represents
an average across a global network of
monitoring stations. Climate change
will affect each area differently: some
areas might warm and some areas may
cool, but the overall trend of global
temperature is increasing.
Q:
A:
Do you think climate change is
inevitable?
A key concept in calculus is the
accumulation of smaller pieces to one
larger whole. If we want to reduce climate
change, small changes in our daily lives
such as driving less and reducing waste,
together, may accumulate to a large effect.
Q:
What does it mean to our future, as
human beings, if climate change
continues as it has in the past 30 years?
A:
We need to recognize that we live
in a rapidly changing world where
“normal weather” is the exception rather
than the rule. Adapting—and innovating—
in an environment of constant change will
become key for success.
Fall 2016
7
ALISON RANUM ’17
NAZIH SAFI ’17
Hometown: Minneapolis
Hometown: Eden Prairie, Minnesota
Studying: Biology and Exercise Science
Studying: Mathematics and Management
Information Systems
Roy and Eleanor Krohn Scholarship
With thanks: “College is an expensive
investment, and without the donors
who have been so kind to help me
along the way, attending Augsburg
College would not be an option for me.
Thank you so much.”
8
Augsburg Now
Beverly Durkee Mathematics Scholarship
With thanks: “Thank you for your continuous
support of student learning. It feels good to
know that I go to a college where the alumni
really care about furthering their alma mater.”
REVENUE BY SOURCE
2015-16 AUGSBURG COLLEGE
67%
ANNUAL REPORT
TUITION
TO DONORS
19%
T
3%
PRIVATE GIFTS AND GRANTS
7%
o the people who understand that together we
can build and shape a campus, a community,
and the world for lifetimes to come, thank you.
To the people who are hard-working, inspired, and
trying to make a difference and impact the future
locally and internationally, thank you.
To the 4,965 individuals who gave $17,689,103 for
multiple programs, projects, and funds, thank you.
To the community who gave $1,551,262 to the
Augsburg Fund, thank you.
Thank you for making this community a place
where we are developing informed citizens,
thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and
responsible leaders.
Whether you were a student 50 or five years ago
or are a friend of Augsburg College, Auggies like you
are what keep an Augsburg education sustainable,
faithful, and relevant long into the future.
ROOM AND BOARD
GOVERNMENT GRANTS
4%
OTHER SOURCES
EXPENSES BY CATEGORY
41%
SALARIES AND BENEFITS
31%
FINANCIAL AID
13%
OPERATING EXPENSES*
7%
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS
3%
Thank you.
3%
*Expenses in this category include:
facility repairs and maintenance,
information technology expenditures,
marketing expenditures, membership dues
and fees, outside consultants, supplies,
and travel and business meetings.
DEBT SERVICE
UTILITIES AND INSURANCE
2%
STUDENT SALARIES
ENDOWMENT MARKET VALUE
$40.5
May 31, 2016—$39,412,669
MIKE SHAW ’17
Professor Jeanne Boeh and Mr. Bernhard
Fleming Economics Scholarship
$32.4
Augsburg College’s influence: “Augsburg has
pushed me to do my absolute best at school
and forced me to think how I can use the skills
I am developing to help my community.”
$28.2
$27.8
$39.4
$34.6
$33.3
$31.5
Hometown: Minneapolis
Studying: Business Administration and
Economics
$38.3
$29.8
$24.5
2006 2007 2008
2009 2010 2011
2012 2013
2014 2015 2016
As of May 31, 2016, Augsburg College had annual realized and unrealized
losses of 3.23 percent on the College endowment. The five-year average
annual return on the endowment is 3.52 percent, and the 10-year average
annual return is 3.49 percent. The College is committed to maintaining the
value of the principal to provide support to the College in perpetuity.
Special Olympics Minnesota
and Augsburg College team up
BY KATE H. ELLIOTT
10
Augsburg Now
All eyes are on a group of athletes in college
basketball jerseys. There are short ones, tall
ones, fast ones, and slow ones—some having
good days and others feeling off their game.
An athlete flies through the air, dunking a
ball. High-fives, cheers, and clapping echo
through the rafters. Moments later, voices rise.
“No, no, the other way,” shouts an
encouraging spectator trying to prompt an
athlete dribbling with authority toward the
wrong basket. A foul, some underhand throws,
and then a pause for a player with a medical
issue. Play resumes.
More commotion. Sneakers skid across the
gym floor as the spectrum of abilities and
disabilities blurs.
Then, the buzzer sounds, but the final score
isn’t the focus given the diversions of smiling,
sweaty faces and celebratory exchanges
among athletes.
The February game brought together
teams comprising athletes from Augsburg
College, Hamline University, and Special
Olympics Minnesota—the first in a series
of ongoing Unified Sports competitions that
pair individuals with and without intellectual
disabilities. Auggie participation reflects the
Augsburg Athletic Department’s broader effort—
spearheaded by its Student-Athlete Advisory
Committee—to engage student-athletes in
meaningful, life-changing community service.
And in this game, everyone wins: dozens
of student-athletes such as Sean Adams ’17
are building lasting bonds and gaining a
more sophisticated understanding of ability;
Minnesota’s more than 8,000 Special Olympics
athletes such as Alec Kelsey are gaining
confidence, training, and lifelong friends; and
PHOTOS BY MATT HIGGINS, MIAC
Augsburg alumni such as Steele Krause ’16, are
leading informed, engaged lives after graduation.
Krause said volunteerism through Augsburg
transformed his idea of service from “checking
a box” to a way of life.
“At Augsburg, my idea of service evolved
from logging hours to serving with purpose
and gaining a true understanding of each
organization,” said the former men’s basketball
player now living in Denver. “Last week, I
stopped by the Colorado Special Olympics
office to learn more about ways to get involved.”
Augsburg’s embrace of unified competition
in the past year has intensified personal
connections and impact, said Adams, a captain
of Augsburg’s men’s cross country and men’s
track and field teams.
“Out there on the court, it didn’t matter
whether someone had a disability or not; we
were all working toward a common goal and all
had strengths to contribute to the team,” he
said, reflecting on a Minnesota Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference Special Olympics D-III
Week Unified Basketball Tournament held in
April at Macalester College. “Playing alongside
others—next to their pure love for the game and
competition—reminds me why I love sports.”
The winner of each Augsburg-Hamline
Unified Rivalry competition—such as
the basketball game pictured—earns
the “Unified Hammer,” a trophy
similar to the ceremonial sledge
hammer passed since 2005 between
the schools each time their varsity
football teams square off.
Fall 2016
11
In February, a Special Olympics Minnesota athlete had the chance to skate the Minnesota Wild
flag to center ice during an Augsburg College men’s hockey game. The Minnesota Wild hosts
several events each year to celebrate “The State of Hockey,” and Augsburg facilitated this
unique partnership between SOMN and the professional sports team.
PHOTO BY KEVIN HEALY
Augsburg has partnered with Special Olympics since
2011, when NCAA Division III formally began supporting
the organization’s efforts to provide year-round training
and competition for more than 5.3 million children and
adults in 170 countries. But Augsburg upped its game
in 2016 by committing to pair with Special Olympics
Minnesota each month of the academic year. SOMN
named Augsburg a Champion School, one of only five
institutions in the state recognized for student leadership
and advocacy, campus involvement, and participation in
Unified Sports.
Michael Kane, vice president of SOMN’s area
programs and initiatives, said the organization is eager
to strengthen existing collaborations, including regional
bowling championships, hockey tournaments, and
the organization’s most popular fundraiser, the Polar
Plunge—during which Auggies, along with thousands of
Minnesotans, jump into icy lakes.
Augsburg’s passionate drive to advance
understanding, acceptance, and healthy living is
elevating SOMN’s reach and reputation, particularly
among the next generation.
“Augsburg College is a great example of an
institution striving to make inclusion a reality,” Kane
said. “Students and staff have fully embraced Special
12
Augsburg Now
Olympics Minnesota by volunteering at competitions and
planning to host a wide variety of events and activities.
Hundreds of Augsburg students have stood up to make
these events and activities possible.”
Guiding Augsburg’s increased involvement is the
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, a group of about
50 student-athlete volunteers committed to enriching
the student experience through a range of relevant
service opportunities. Jane Becker is Augsburg’s head
volleyball coach and athletic community service
coordinator, and Jennifer Jacobs is an assistant athletic
director, assistant volleyball coach and advisor for
SAAC, overseeing the student-run organization with
representation from all of Augsburg’s 21 teams.
The pair talk at length about the importance of
student-athletes connecting with the community.
Augsburg student-athletes and teams host clinics and
open gyms for neighboring schools, help area churches
renovate, and build partnerships—like the Unified
Rivalry with Hamline—to foster lasting friendships and
healthy competition.
Becker and Jacobs lift up the committee’s work with
Special Olympics because it advances the lessons of
determination, teamwork, and heart that coaches promote on the court
and in the field. They hear of perceptions changed and career paths
adjusted because of these meaningful experiences.
“Our student-athletes are putting in long hours of competition, making
grades, and then giving themselves to others,” said Jacobs. “The amount
of time and energy our student-athletes dedicate to Special Olympics
and other volunteer opportunities is inspiring. They are committed to
making an impact, relationship building, and experiential learning.”
Rachel Frantz ’17, co-president of SAAC, said she and her peers are
energized by the heart and competitiveness of Special Olympics athletes.
She has friends such as Tom, who competes in speed walking and
swimming. Non-verbal, Tom communicates through sign and body language.
“His favorite gesture,” Frantz said, “is his signature hug that last
about three minutes.”
It’s hard to let go of those types of connections.
“Special Olympics athletes teach me how to come as I am and do my
best. They support one another and foster a positive environment where
each athlete can grow,” said the biology major, who has participated for
the past six years in Special Olympics events, including jumping in an
icy lake during the Polar Plunge, competing in a unified basketball game,
and volunteering at basketball, swimming, and track and field events,
which happen to be her favorite.
“The athletes are always congratulating all of their competitors,
regardless of their finish,” Frantz said. “I love cheering them on as they
achieve a new personal record or finish a difficult race.”
Beyond friendships and lasting memories within the community, these
experiences inspire bonds among Augsburg student-athletes as well as
the general student body, many of whom also serve Special Olympics.
Frantz, a competitor in lacrosse,
cross country, and track, who
likes snorkeling, rock climbing,
and choir, might not have gotten
to know Adams, who plays guitar
and acts in his roommate’s short
films. But, through SAAC, the two
have volunteered together, growing
closer with every project.
“It’s been a privilege to build
upon the good work of those who
led the committee before us,” said
Adams, who serves as co-chair of
SAAC’s volunteering committee.
“The evolution to unified
competitions and partnerships
AUGSBURG AS A
CHAMPION SCHOOL
Augsburg is one of only five Special Olympics Champion
Schools in Minnesota. The designation is granted to
institutions that excel in three areas: Unified Sports, student
leadership and advocacy, and campus involvement.
• Unified Sports: Augsburg student-athletes participate
alongside Special Olympics Minnesota athletes in
clinics and competitions. In partnership with Hamline
University, Auggies cofounded the first Unified Rivalry
in Minnesota. Special Olympics Minnesota created the
Unified Hammer trophy given to the winner of these
competitions throughout the year.
• Student Leadership and Advocacy: The more than
50 student-athlete leaders on Augsburg’s StudentAthlete Advisory Committee work with SOMN to activate
students, engage faculty, and promote communities of
acceptance.
• Campus Involvement: Augsburg student-athletes
have enthusiastically recruited students to create
teams for the Polar Plunge and other key SOMN events
held throughout the year. The campus also has held
Respect Campaigns, including Spread the Word to
End the Word, which discourages people from using
demeaning, offensive, or inaccurate terms.
“Our events are volunteer driven, and I’m just not sure
what we would do without Augsburg student-athletes
volunteering at every turn,” said Devin Kaasa, the
college partnership and competition manager for SOMN.
“Their work fosters respect and dignity for people with
intellectual disabilities and changes actions and attitudes
among their peers without intellectual disabilities.”
Members of the Augsburg football team
volunteer at the 2016 Fall Games organized
by Special Olympics Minnesota.
PHOTO COURTESY OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS MINNESOTA
with other colleges in the area is
expanding our reach and feels more
authentic and influential than cheering
from the sidelines.”
Friends across the river, Hamline’s
SAAC advisor and women’s volleyball
coach Becky Egan and senior softball
player Mary-Clare Couillard, said they,
too, have big hopes to grow from
several rivalry games to multiple
contests and volunteer efforts
throughout the year.
“Our campuses can have such a
positive impact for Special Olympics
athletes, and I hope to see us doing all
that we can to help out,” said Couillard,
who has interned with Special Olympics
since June.
Egan echoed her sentiments.
“Since our campuses are so close,
it is easy for our student-athletes
to travel and stay excited about
volunteering,” Egan said. “The more
inclusive we become with other schools
in our conference, the healthier the
competitions become across our other
sports, and it broadens connections
among all our student-athletes.”
PHOTO BY MATT HIGGINS, MIAC
14
Augsburg Now
passing year. During a January 2016
game against Saint Mary’s University,
the Augsburg College women’s hockey
Devin Kaasa, the college partnership
team recognized more than 100 Special
and competition manager for SOMN,
Olympics athletes in attendance with a
is the main contact for schools in the
ceremonial puck drop prior to the game.
MIAC as they build and strengthen their
Proceeds from puck purchases for a
relationship with the nonprofit. Kaasa,
halftime “Chuck-A-Puck” competition
whose brother has participated in Special benefitted SOMN. The following
Olympics for 20 years, said he has been
weekend, the hockey players volunteered
showcasing positive Augsburg-Hamline
at the Special Olympics Minnesota State
outcomes to promote similar interactions
Poly Hockey Tournament.
among the conference’s 13 schools.
In early March, Auggies raised more
“Our athletes look up to studentthan $1,000 for the 19th annual Polar
athletes because of
Plunge event at
their abilities and
Lake Calhoun in
“Augsburg College is a great
energy. To some,
Minneapolis. The
example of an institution striving 2016 plunge season
these college
to make inclusion a reality.”
students are like
raised more than
–Michael Kane
professionals, and
$3.9 million for
playing alongside
Special Olympics’
them is such a thrill,” Kaasa said. “I
athletic, health, and leadership
love Augsburg because they are always
programs for children and adults with
up for trying a new idea, and I can
intellectual disabilities.
always count on them to serve.”
Just this September, members of
Augsburg’s involvement with SOMN
the Augsburg football team helped out
has been diverse and expansive,
with SOMN’s Fall Games where athletes
growing in size and scope with each
competed in equestrian, softball, bocce,
and golf events.
Each month, the NCAA Division III
features a Special Olympics Spotlight
Poll, asking fans to vote on one of three
compelling stories highlighting efforts
at various institutions and conferences.
With 1,300 votes, the MIAC won
the July spotlight (and $500 toward
its next Special Olympics event) for
hosting the first-ever conference-wide
unified tournament.
Mark Kelsey’s son, Alec, was among
the 50 Special Olympics athletes who
competed alongside student-athletes from
Augsburg, Carleton, Hamline, Macalester,
St. Catherine, and St. Thomas in an eightteam, double-elimination tournament held
during the fifth annual NCAA Division III
Week in April.
At 6-foot-2, 25-year-old Alec loves
basketball, lives for the moment, and
never looks for an excuse to quit, even
after a seizure on the court.
“Special Olympics athletes represent
the best of what sports has to offer—no
fear, no nerves, no hate, all heart,” said
Kelsey, who started the West Metro
Warriors Special Olympics delegation in
the Twin Cities 10 years ago.
“Alec rarely gets through a game
without a seizure, but I cannot tell you
how excited and proud he and his fellow
athletes are to play with college studentathletes. We were particularly impressed
with Augsburg’s showing at the
tournament … while one team played,
the other team cheered with Special
Olympics athletes. It was magical, and
I can only hope those Auggies were so
moved in such a deep and positive way
that they become forever advocates for
inclusion and acceptance.”
As a recent graduate, Krause regularly
reflects on the intersection of athletic,
religious, and academic experiences he
enjoyed at Augsburg. His time learning
to live with purpose “sparked a craving
for personal and communal excellence”
and a desire to create a stable,
nourishing, and joyful environment for
his community.
“Being involved with SOMN was
humbling and gratifying … and being
able to use my knowledge and skills
within various sports is empowering,”
said Krause, a former SAAC copresident who works as an account
manager for Pacific Office Automation.
“I am extremely proud to be an Auggie,
and I will always refer myself as such.
Augsburg’s commitment to community
is astounding, and it keeps getting
better every year.”
At Augsburg, Krause said, he learned
that volunteering is as much about selfreflection after the experience as it is
about the outcome of the service. Only
then can people begin to understand
more about the world around them
and assess (and possibly adjust) their
attitudes and actions.
“I no longer just show up to volunteer
and then leave when the job is done,”
he said. “It sticks with me, urging me
to think about how my involvement and
experiences shape my life, and how I
can continue to make a difference.”
To learn more about Augsburg’s athletic teams and
service, including Auggie involvement with Special
Olympics, go to augsburg.edu/now.
[Far left]: The Augsburg-Hamline Unified Rivalry series began with
basketball games and has grown to include several activities. The
schools hosted a flag football game in October and will sponsor a
softball game this spring.
[Center photos]: Augsburg football players helped facilitate softball and
bocce ball activities at the 2016 Fall Games series organized by Special
Olympics Minnesota.
[Far right]: Athletes take a break from the action during a MIAC conferencewide unified basketball tournament held in April at Macalester College.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPECIAL OLYMPICS MINNESOTA
Fall 2016
15
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AUGSBURG COLLEGE’S 2016 HOMECOMING
CELEBRATION was held Sept. 22-24—a festive
PHOTO BY JOHANNA KITZMAN ‘11
weekend when alumni, students, and families took
part in new events and beloved traditions. More
than 500 alumni from 64 different graduation
years attended celebrations, including reunions
for the classes of 1966, 1976, 1991, and 2006.
PHOTO BY
REBECCA ZENEFSKI
Ten Auggies were inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame after being welcomed to the ceremony
by current student-athletes. During a Homecoming lunch with alumni award recipients, students
were invited to share in discussion with recipients of the First Decade, Spirit of Augsburg, and
Distinguished Alumni awards. In an evening ceremony, six alumni and two honorary Auggies
received awards and were recognized for their generous service to the world.
22
Augsburg Now
PHOTO BY JOHANNA KITZMAN ’11
PHOTOS BY COURTNEY PERRY
The Taste of Augsburg featured 38 booths—most
hosted by student groups—and offered games,
entertainment, and food, including the Augsburg
Chemistry Society’s liquid nitrogen ice cream.
Augsburg won the football game against Carleton
College, and alumni, families, and students stayed
after the game to enjoy s’mores at an Auggie Block
Party featuring the band Broken Spoke.
Bob Stacke ’71
This year, 30 Homecoming
events celebrated the best of
Augsburg, from an all-band
reunion to Auggie Talks led
by alumni, staff, and faculty
experts. The Centennial
Singers and an alumni band
led by Professor Emeritus
and Spirit of Augsburg Award
recipient Bob Stacke ’71
invigorated the chapel at
a worship service where
Associate College Pastor
Justin Lind-Ayres welcomed
all Auggies with a “Home
Calling” message.
Fall 2016
23
AUGGIES CONNECT
FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear alumni and friends,
T
he Alumni Board has made exciting changes
to better serve Augsburg College graduates and
current students. We reorganized our board
committees, and we’re already seeing the fantastic engagement and work of
two new groups.
• The new Parent and Family Committee shares information about Augsburg
and its services with families. We’re thankful to the Parent and Family
Committee for helping students move into campus housing this fall.
Committee chair Howie Smith ’80 joined Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’11 MBA to
help with first-year student move-in day. Committee members Derek
Francis ’08 and Hannah Dietrich Swanson ’05 assisted with new student
orientation. The committee hosts two parent and family nights per year,
and the next event is March 2.
• Rick Bonlender ’78, Josh Krob ’08, ’15 MBA, Adriana Matzke ’13, and
Brad Randall ’13 on the new Adult Education Committee will focus
on the growing adult undergraduate and graduate studies alumni
communities. I attended Augsburg College as an MBA student from
2008 to 2010, and I’m inspired by this work.
Whether you remember your time at Augsburg as a cohort, a class,
or a team—as a grad student, traditional undergraduate, or adult
undergraduate—there is a place for all in the upcoming events at the
College. The MBA networking event on October 25 was a welcome chance to
see former cohort members for a mini-reunion and to get involved mentoring
a future Auggie MBA.
As a board, we strive to better serve the College, our fellow alumni, and—
perhaps most importantly—Augsburg’s current students.
We’re looking ahead to our next Alumni-Student Networking event
on February 8. Last year, we had 260 participants—a record-breaking
attendance that included students, alumni, and faculty. Thanks to all who
helped recruit attendees, facilitate introductions, and open doors for Auggies!
I look forward to our continued service and engagement with the Augsburg
community.
JILL WATSON ’10 MBA, ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
24
Augsburg Now
For more information
about alumni events,
see augsburg.edu/now.
The StepUP® Program at Augsburg College
has had a successful year. As the largest
residential collegiate recovery program in the
United States, StepUP is regarded as the
gold standard for programs of its kind. Now in
its 20th year, StepUP empowers students to
champion lives of recovery, achieve academic
success, and thrive in a residential community
of accountability and support.
StepUP celebrated its annual gala October 29,
and the event focused on the theme of “hope.”
The gala is an opportunity to reduce the
stigma often associated with substance use
disorders by raising awareness—and honoring
the accomplishments and contributions—of
StepUP’s 100 students and 750 alumni.
At the gala, emcee Don Shelby, an Emmyaward-winning former news anchor and person
in recovery, welcomed supportive Auggies,
families, friends, and advocates for recovery.
Peter Hubbard ’10 spoke about his work with
StepUP alumni to create chances for StepUP
students to learn about life after graduation,
network, and explore concerns with those who
have followed a similar path.
The Barbara and Skip Gage family received
the Toby Piper LaBelle award in recognition of
their longstanding commitment to education
at Augsburg. The Gage’s dedicated support
of the CLASS program, Lindell Library, Gage
Family Art Gallery, and Gage Center for Student
Success furthers Augsburg’s ability to live out
its mission of serving the diverse needs, gifts,
and experiences of its students. In addition,
the contributions of The Hazelden Betty Ford
Foundation were recognized with the inaugural
Keystone Award for institutional support.
To continue the deep success of the StepUP Program, the
College has launched an endowment campaign for the
program. The campaign is nearly halfway to its goal of
raising $10 million by 2017. The endowment will allow
the College to increase enrollment in the program, to
maintain StepUP’s unparalleled community experience,
and retain StepUP’s exceptional counselors and staff.
Visit augsburg.edu/stepup to learn more.
AUGGIES CONNECT
GENEROSITY OF ALUMNI
fuels research, hands-on opportunities for Auggies
Two influential Augsburg College alumni,
Terry Lindstrom ’73 and Dean Sundquist ’81,
have found that giving back to their
alma mater is a way to inspire young
researchers to pursue their passions.
They have chosen to support the
Office of Undergraduate Research and
Graduate Opportunity, known as “URGO,”
which aligns students’ interests in STEM
fields (science, technology, engineering,
and mathematics), social sciences,
humanities, and the arts with research
by faculty. Each year, research by more
than 20 Augsburg students is funded by
the College for 10 weeks each summer.
Because of the committed support of
Lindstrom and Sundquist, 16 additional
scholars participate in URGO and receive
a stipend. This financial support is critical
to providing the hands-on, skills-based
training students need to successfully
apply to graduate school and to shape
meaningful careers.
“Fundamentals are absolutely
essential,” Lindstrom said, “but it was
the research experience that helped me
determine what I wanted to do.”
Lindstrom and his wife, Janet, plan to
fund URGO students for the next three
years, just as they have since 2013,
and will ensure the perpetuity of their
scholarships through their estate plan.
“Everyone deserves to find the career
that creates passion,” said Lindstrom,
who retired in 2010 as a distinguished
research fellow at Eli Lilly and Company in
Indianapolis, where he spent 31 years in
drug discovery and development.
Eager to find real-world applications to
benefit society, Lindstrom earned his PhD
in pharmacology and biochemistry at the
University of Minnesota after his Augsburg
graduation. He led the research teams
that resulted in a half-dozen patents for
life-changing pharmaceuticals, including
Evista for osteoporosis and Cymbalta,
used as an antidepressant and for bone
and muscle pain. He visited campus this
past summer to meet faculty and student
researchers—including four students he
sponsored directly: Josh Kuether ’18, Taylor
Mattice ’18, Adam Pancoast ’18, and Ellyn
Peters ’18.
Similarly, since 2006, Sundquist, a
member of the College’s Board of Regents,
and his wife, Amy, have sponsored research
by URGO students. Sundquist visited
campus this summer as well to meet with
the 12 students he sponsors and learn
His campus visit was a chance to see
the energy, enthusiasm, and excitement
in students as they researched projects
with their mentors, including Assistant
Professor Matt Beckman, Associate
Professor Vivian Feng, and Assistant
Professor Michael Wentzel.
“These URGO students are very smart
and very impressive. They go on from
Augsburg to graduate school and medical
school and business school with research
experience and the confidence to succeed
at the next level,” Sundquist said.
Ultimately, generosity of people like
Lindstrom and Sundquist has had a
transformational effect on thousands
[L to R]: Terry Lindstrom ’73 watches as chemistry student Taylor Mattice ’18 draws out a chemical reaction scheme from
her summer research project with Assistant Professor Michael Wentzel, her faculty mentor.
about their research. As chairman and CEO
of Mate Precision Tooling, a worldwide
leader in metal products and laser
technologies, he has a global perspective
and understanding of how scientific
improvements propel the economy.
of students. Alumni create learning
opportunities that prepare students to
solve real-world problems, develop lifelong
relationships with peers and faculty, and
deliver a uniquely Augsburg summer.
Fall 2016
25
Augsburg women inspired to fund
transformative mural in new academic building
For women who are driven to lead and participate, meeting
a fundraising goal for Augsburg College doesn’t mean your
work is done. It just means it’s time to engage in another
meaningful challenge to continue positively impacting the
lives of Augsburg students, faculty, staff, and the CedarRiverside neighborhood.
That’s just what Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE) is doing
through the leadership of Lisa Svac Hawks ’85, vice president
of external communications for UnitedHealthcare, who was
moved to make a lead gift to fund a mural planned for the
interdisciplinary Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for
Science, Business, and Religion.
“When I learned about the way Augsburg is bringing
these disciplines together under one roof, I knew this was
something distinctive and powerful,” said Hawks. “The
Hagfors Center will measurably contribute to shaping
greater leaders for tomorrow.”
The mural that AWE will fund, titled “Emergence,”
incorporates the image of monarch butterflies with
references to symbiosis, textile traditions, geometry, faith,
home, prayer, and identity. The $150,000 project will
express the College’s commitments to hospitality and
serving the neighbor, two core principles of the Lutheran
tradition in which the College is rooted. The large-scale
mural will adorn the staircase at the end of the west wing.
Making the lead gift for this powerful installation,
which will be created by muralist Greta McLain, came
naturally to Hawks.
“Art has a special way of helping us experience what
it means to come together in a new way. Art helps us
visualize new futures. It helps us connect to big concepts
and to engage emotionally with them so we can see
ourselves in big ideas,” Hawks said.
26
Augsburg Now
“As a group of women, we believe that art connects the
heart and head. By funding this mural as a permanent beacon
in the Hagfors Center, we invite everyone to connect our
heads and our hearts, so our hands can get to the good work.”
For McLain, the collaboration between space, artist,
community, and construction can take many forms. “We
all are asking: In what ways are we shaping the future
leaders we need to address the challenges
of the future?” she said.
AWE is undertaking this new
challenge and commitment to
the greater Augsburg College
community at the same
time it successfully closes
out another project for the
Hagfors Center. This group
of 70 women already raised
$130,000 to sponsor a
student study lounge in the
building.
The AWE-Inspired
Philanthropy Council
invites all Auggie women
to join them in sponsoring
“Emergence.” They
supported a Give to
the Max Day project to
raise funds for the work,
and are partnering with
Donna McLean and Martha Truax ’16 MAL in Institutional
Advancement to reach their goal of $150,000 in gifts and
pledges by December 31. Email mclean@augsburg.edu or
truaxm@augsburg.edu for more information.
To see work available for sponsorship in the Hagfors Center, including
21 pieces created by faculty, staff, alumni, and artists who have
exhibited previously in Augsburg galleries, visit augsburg.edu/now.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1960
The newest book by Lowell
“Zeke” Ziemann ’60 is “America’s
First Centennial and the Old West: 1876
A Year to Remember.” This book presents
prominent events in the Western Territories
during the United States’ centennial year.
Incidents of 1876 described in the book
include: the Little Bighorn conflict, Wild Bill
Hickok’s murder, the capture of Jesse James’
gang, and Bat Masterson’s first gunfight.
1968
The Rev. Mark Hanson ’68,
former presiding bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
received the Walk of Faith Award from
Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service
on October 26 in recognition of his career
in service to the Lutheran community.
The ELCA is the nation’s largest Lutheran
denomination. Hanson was ordained in
1974 and has since served as a pastor for
three Minnesota congregations, as bishop
of the St. Paul Area Synod, and as the
president of the Lutheran World Federation
in Geneva. Hanson is an advocate for
migrants and refugees. He currently serves
as the executive director of the Christensen
Center for Vocation at Augsburg College.
Regent Emeritus Ron
Nelson ’68 was honored
with a Distinguished
Alumni Award at
Homecoming. He
retired from 3M after
33 years with the
company and spent 11
years as vice president
and controller. A captain for the baseball
and basketball teams at Augsburg, Nelson
was inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame in 1991. He is one of the owners
of Thawzall, LLC, located in Alexandria,
Minnesota, and is a member of the board
of Oakdale-based Hearing Components,
Inc. Nelson lives in Mendota Heights,
Minnesota, and is an active member of
St. Stephen’s Lutheran Church. His wife,
Mary Kay (Belgum) Nelson ’68, passed away
in July after a courageous 11-year battle
with leukemia. They were blessed in their
ALUMNI AND ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
AWARDEE PHOTOS BY JOHANNA KITZMAN ’11
marriage with a focus on faith and their
family, including daughters Kristy and Becky.
1971
Professor
Emeritus
and Retired Chair of the
Augsburg College Music
Department Robert
“Bob” Stacke ’71 was
honored with the Spirit
of Augsburg Award
at Homecoming. In
retirement, he pursues his passion for
photography and continues to be a guide
and mentor for music and arts alumni as
the leader of Bob’s Band, an ensemble
comprised primarily of Augsburg jazz band
alumni. Since 2001, he has volunteered at a
music camp in Haiti during his summers to
share the joy of music with children.
1972
Ray Yip ’72
received
the Distinguished
Alumni Award at
Homecoming. Yip is
an international public
health leader who has
had a significant impact
on global public health
in the areas of nutrition, maternal and child
health, HIV/AIDS, and tobacco control. He
has held positions with UNICEF, the Centers
for Disease Control, and the Bill and Melinda
Gates Foundation. Since 2015, he has
served as special advisor with a focus on
health and clean energy for bgC3, a thinktank and incubator founded by Bill Gates.
Yip lives in Beijing with his wife, Florence
Bannicq.
1983
Tim Schultz ’83 has been named
private client services market
leader for Arizona Bank & Trust, a division
of Heartland Financial USA, Inc. He most
recently served as regional wealth manager at
Johnson Bank and chief operating officer for
the western region of BMO Private Bank.
1987
Richard Bahr ’87 released
his book, “Amazed: Why the
Humanity of Jesus Matters,” in June. The
book provides a one-of-a-kind look at Jesus
through the lens of his humanity. Bahr and
his wife, Carla, operate the Threshold to
New Life ministry (threshold2newlife.org),
providing relief and restoration to homeless
persons. Bahr coordinates the volunteers
for a daily breakfast held at Minneapolis’
Salvation Army Harbor Light Center, which
serves more than 40,000 meals per year. His
blog can be found at richardbahr.com.
Amy Hyland Baretz ’87
had an outstanding
pitching career on the
Auggie softball team, an
accomplishment that
earned her induction into
the Augsburg Athletic
Hall of Fame. She set the
school record for career
victories, twice earned All-MIAC honors, and
was a member of an Auggie squad that won the
MIAC title and reached the NCAA Division III
national tournament in 1984. She also played
volleyball at Augsburg. Following graduation,
she became the owner of franchise businesses
in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois.
SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE
Tell us about the news in your life—your new job, move,
marriage, and milestones. Visit augsburg.edu/now to
submit your announcements.
Fall 2016
27
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1988
Lee RoperBatker ’88
received the
Distinguished Alumni
Award at Homecoming.
She is president and
CEO of the Women’s
Foundation of
Minnesota, and she
has spent her career working to further
gender equality, create equal opportunities,
and build pathways to economic security
for women and girls. Roper-Batker founded
and serves on the executive committee of
Prosperity Together, a nonpartisan coalition
of public women’s foundations that, at the
White House in November 2015, publicly
committed $100 million to improve the
economic security of low-income women
and their families in America.
1990
Matt Staehling ’90 is the new
city administrator for St. Cloud,
Minnesota. He has served the city for 20
years, most recently as the city attorney.
1992
Augsburg
volleyball
star Tina (Kubes)
Peterson ’92 was a
dominant player in the
early ’90s, securing AllMIAC honors, earning
a season MVP nod,
producing impressive
numbers as an outside hitter, and serving
as a multi-year captain. Peterson, who was
inducted in the Augsburg Athletic Hall of
Fame, also was a member of the Auggie
women’s basketball team. Following her
graduation, Peterson has used her health
and physical education degree as a teacher
and coach. She has coached volleyball and
track athletes in Minnesota’s New LondonSpicer school district.
Joel Tveite ’92 was
inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame in recognition
of his successes on the
baseball, basketball, and
golf teams. Tveite was
an all-around talent for
Auggie baseball, pitching
and playing third base. On the mound, he set
school records with 28 complete games, 253
innings pitched, and 36 starts. He earned AllMIAC honors and was a team captain. Since
graduation, Tveite has worked in accounting
and management positions, and he has been
active in baseball and basketball leagues as a
player and coach.
for Entrepreneur of the Year at the TwinWest
Chamber of Commerce small business
awards luncheon. She was also a 2016
nominee for the Excellence in Leadership
Award at the I-94 West Chamber’s small
business awards breakfast. Candidates
were judged on business strategies, drive
for excellence, financial success, and
community involvement.
1993
Augsburg
Athletic
Hall of Fame inductee
Kevin Schiltz ’93 was
a dominant wrestler
for the Auggies in the
early ’90s who earned
three All-American
honors and qualified for
national tournament competition four times.
He was a MIAC champion in wrestling as well
as an offensive and defensive lineman for
Augsburg’s football team. Schiltz was a team
captain for both sports. Since graduation he
has worked in university athletics. Today he
serves Saint John’s University in Collegeville,
Minnesota, as a wrestling assistant coach and
department equipment manager.
Sharol Tyra ’92, professional certified coach,
certified professional co-active coach,
mentor, makeup artist, and president
of Life Illumination Coaching & Image
(lifeillumination.com), and a Lord of Life
Canticle Choir member was the 2016 finalist
Jodi (Divinski)
Walfoort ’93 received
recognition for her time
on the Auggie cross
country and track teams
when she was inducted
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
’08
’06
28
Augsburg Now
’09
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame.
Walfoort competed in her first athletic season
in 1991 at the age of 25 when the Auggies
re-started the cross country program. She
made the most of her two years as a runner,
earning All-Region honors twice, and she
was voted a two-time MVP. After Augsburg,
Walfoort became an IT professional and went
on to start a commercial real estate company.
1994
Athletic Hall
of Fame
inductee Bill Gabler ’94
transferred to Augsburg
and competed in
wrestling, football, and
baseball. As an Auggie
wrestler, he twice earned
All-American honors,
won a MIAC championship, and was on the
program’s first NCAA Division III national title
winning team. He later served as an Augsburg
assistant coach who helped guide the Auggies
to two NCAA national championships.
In football, Gabler was a starting middlelinebacker, and in baseball he was the starting
shortstop. He has enjoyed a career in sporting
goods, fundraising, and corporate promotions.
1996
Robert
Anderson ’96
was the first Auggie
football player to
earn All-American
honors, and the former
’11
defensive lineman was inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame this fall.
Some of Anderson’s athletic achievements
at Augsburg include setting school records
for sacks, being named a MIAC conference
lineman of the year, and serving as a cocaptain. Following his graduation, Anderson
has worked as a sales director for the
software industry in locations including
Australia, Austria, China, Germany, New
Zealand, and Singapore.
Athletic Hall of Fame
inductee Bill Kriesel ’96
is one of the top
defensive backs in
Augsburg football history.
He set a single-season
school record for
interceptions, was named
a team MVP on defense,
earned All-MIAC first-team honors, and served
as a co-captain. Following his graduation,
Kriesel played professional football in Germany,
earned his MBA, and served on the Augsburg
football coaching staff, among other roles.
Since 2013, he has worked as a defensive
coordinator and defensive backs coach at
Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.
Jodi Markworth ’96 was hired as the new
principal at Cedar Ridge Elementary in Eden
Prairie, Minnesota. She had been principal
at Sheridan Hills Elementary in the Richfield
(Minnesota) School District.
Hernan Moncada ’06 is the new principal
at Eagle Heights Spanish Immersion,
a K-6 elementary school in Eden Prairie,
Minnesota.
’06
Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’10 MBA threw out the
ceremonial first pitch at the Twins baseball
game on August 6. The Augsburg nursing grad
and Alumni Board member was given the honor
for his community work including homeless
outreach and assistance with UnitedHealth
Group, his family’s commitment to quality
disabled living situations, and his work on the Tix
for Tots advisory board.
’08
Former men’s basketball
player Jim South ’96
was inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame. South was
a four-year starter for
the Auggies, and he
holds Augsburg’s career
record for field-goal
percentage. He earned All-MIAC honors in
basketball three times and also played on the
Augsburg baseball team for three seasons.
Following graduation, South worked for CocaCola before obtaining a law enforcement
degree. He also is an active volunteer who
serves as an assistant coach for a high school
basketball team.
1997
Derrin
Lamker ’97
received Augsburg’s
Excellence in Coaching
Award in recognition of
his impressive career.
After quarterbacking
Augsburg’s football team
to a MIAC championship
and several of its best seasons in school
history, Lamker moved into teaching and
coaching. He served as head coach at
Osseo (Minnesota) High School for 11
years, winning three Northwest Suburban
Conference titles, two section championships,
and a Minnesota Class 6A state title. This
season he became the offensive coordinator
Brian Gullick ’09 and Matt Tonsager ’09
are custom woodworkers of furniture,
games, and décor. Their business is Gullton
Wood, and the pair created a set of Augsburg
College bean bag boards used at Homecoming
in September.
’09
Amy (Satnik) Bachman ’11 and her
husband, Blair, welcomed a baby girl,
Mackenzie Peach, on March 3.
’11
Fall 2016
29
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
at Edina (Minnesota) High School, and he
also has coached basketball and baseball.
Dwayne Lowman ’00 has been
appointed to the inaugural
advisory board of Definitely Someday, a
nonpartisan firm that helps Minnesotans
prepare for a future run for political office.
Sweden, which was attended by Pope Francis.
Laudert says, “I am beyond thankful,
inspired, and thrilled at this opportunity. I
am incredibly grateful to the Metropolitan
New York Synod and my congregation for the
chance to do this. [I am] even more thankful
for our partnership in the gospel and the
ecumenical mission we share together.”
2004
2008
2000
Melissa “Mel” Lee ’04 has
taken the reins as interim head
softball coach during the 2017 Augsburg
College athletic season after serving as an
assistant with the program for the past 12
years. She will continue her duties as an
assistant athletic director and an instructor
in Augsburg’s health and physical education
program. In addition, as a member of the
National Fastpitch Coaches Association, Lee
is one of two 2016 recipients of the Mary
Nutter Scholarship. The educational grant
will fund Lee’s attendance at the 2016 NFCA
National Convention.
2006
Kyle
Loven ’06,
a Seattle-based
performance and visual
artist, was recognized
with the First Decade
Award at Homecoming.
His work combines
puppetry, projections,
objects, sound, and other art forms with the
human presence. Since moving to Seattle in
early 2009, Loven has created and toured
his original works. His shows have premiered
at venues such as the acclaimed Guthrie
Theater in Minneapolis and Seattle’s On the
Boards. Loven is the recipient of grants from
the Jim Henson Foundation and numerous
arts organizations based in Washington state.
2007
Wolfgang Laudert ’07 attended
the ELCA Grace Gathering this
summer and made a pilgrimage in October
to the Taizé community in France as the
result of receiving a leadership development
grant. His European trip ended on a journey
to the joint Lutheran-Catholic ecumenical
prayer service commemorating the 500th
anniversary of the Reformation in Lund,
30
Augsburg Now
Matthew Dunn ’08 received his
doctorate in sociology from the
University of California-Riverside in June. He
is married to Gabriela Oliva Dunn. They live
in Murrieta, California.
Sara Horishnyk ’08 earned a master’s degree
in arts and cultural management from Saint
Mary’s University of Minnesota and is now
working at Twin Cities Public Television.
2012
Angelica Erickson ’12 graduated
from Saint Mary’s University of
Minnesota with a master’s degree in arts and
cultural management. Her thesis was, “Every
Child is a Work of Art: Helping Children Heal
through the Arts after Multiple Traumatic
Experiences.”
Andrew Fox ’12 is the new manager of the
180-year-old Mendota, Minnesota, home
of Henry Hastings Sibley, Minnesota’s
first governor. Fox is the point person in
a partnership between the Minnesota
Historical Society and the Dakota County
Historical Society. The state will own and
preserve the Sibley site, while the county will
staff and operate the three restored houses
on the property. Fox studied medieval
history at Augsburg.
Kimberly Simmonds ’12, with the MonDak
Heritage Center in Sidney, Montana, coauthored the book, “Sidney,” in Arcadia
Publishing’s Images of America series.
2013
Anthony Gore ’13, Steven
Schwartz ’13, Ryan Bachman ’14,
and Shea Drenkow ’14, all members of the
Minneapolis-based band Porno Wolves,
recorded the live album “Young Moon Rising”
on a cold evening last winter. The friends
formed the rock ’n’ roll band in 2012.
2015
Riley Hunter ’15 has a new
position as assistant service desk
analyst in the IT department at Securian
Financial Group in downtown St. Paul.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Derek Nord ’04 MSW is the new director
of the Indiana Institute on Disability and
Community at Indiana University. Nord
previously was associate director of the
Research and Training Center on Community
Living, part of the University of Minnesota’s
Institute on Community Integration.
Dr. Amit Ghosh ’12 MBA placed third
in the 2016 District 6 Toastmasters
International spring convention held in April
in Minneapolis. Ghosh competed in the
international speech category. District 6 is
comprised of 290 clubs and 5,000 members.
It serves most of Minnesota and southern
Ontario, Canada.
Jeremiah Dagel ’15 MPA has joined the urgent
care department at the Essentia Health Saint
Mary’s Detroit Lakes (Minnesota) Clinic. As
part of the urgent care team, Dagel will treat
medical conditions that require immediate
attention but that are not life-threatening.
AUGGIES HONORED
Karim El-Hibri was
recognized with the
First Decade Award
at Homecoming. He
is a strategic advisor
and founding board
member of the El-Hibri
Foundation, which
focuses on peace
education and interfaith cooperation through
grants and awards that recognize leadership,
and programs that promote learning and
inclusion. He holds a BA in international
relations from the American University School
of International Service, and graduated from
the StepUP® Program at Augsburg. El-Hibri
lives in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
area with his wife, Carley, and two children, Roula
and Sami.
Norman and Evangeline Hagfors
received the Spirit of Augsburg
Award at Homecoming in
recognition of their leadership
in the campaign for the
Center of Science, Business,
and Religion. As community
leaders and longtime friends of
Augsburg, the Hagfors embody
Augsburg’s faithfulness to education grounded in
the Lutheran faith and relevant to the evolving needs
of our students and the world. Norman served as
an Augsburg College Regent from 1989-2001,
providing active participation during a critical stage
of the College’s growth. In October 2005, he was
re-elected to the Augsburg Board of Regents. A
chapel on the third floor of the new building will
be named for Evangeline’s father, the Rev. Elnar
Gundale ’33, who graduated from Augsburg College
and Augsburg Seminary and went on to serve as a
pastor in the Lutheran Free Church and ELCA.
Heidi Kammer-Hodge ’00 MSW joined Jackson
Recovery Centers in Sioux City, Iowa, as a
vice president and chief operating officer. KammerHodge’s position at Jackson comes after serving
at Resource in Minneapolis for the past 17 years,
where she held many leadership roles, most recently
as a vice president.
’07
’00
’00
’08
’14
On July 23, Brett Cease ’07 married Julia
Besser in Grand Portage, Minnesota. Auggies
in the wedding party included [L to R]: Micah
Erickson ’07, Chris Swanson ’07, Eriks Dunens ’06,
and Lava K.C. ’07.
’07
Brian Krohn ’08 and Kari Aanestad ’08
welcomed a baby girl, Seora Eileen Aanestad
Krohn, on May 11.
’08
Five Auggies received their white coats this
fall as part of the incoming University of
Minnesota Medical School class. Congratulations
to [L to R]: Anna Weitz ’14, David Bergstrand ’14,
Michelle Grafelman ’15, Mahad Minhas ’12, and
David Fowler ’14.
’14
’15
Laura (Swanson) Lindahl ’15 MBA and David
Lindahl were married May 21 in Dellwood,
Minnesota.
’15
31
In memoriam
Philip A. Horne ’40, San
Rafael, California, age
99, on August 7.
Paul S. Paulson ’49,
Spokane, Washington,
age 87, on June 12.
Robert D. Goodrich ’57,
Big Lake, Minnesota,
age 83, on April 22.
Ruth C. (Kveen)
Rydquist ’40, Fargo,
North Dakota, age 98,
on July 23.
Idelle S. (Nornes)
Bagne ’50, Detroit
Lakes, Minnesota,
age 89, on May 6.
Judith A. (Sather)
Suther ’57, Totowa,
New Jersey, age 80,
on May 18.
Lila A. (Israel) Erickson ’41,
Minneapolis, age 97,
on May 20.
Charlotte A. (Ellingson)
Ennen ’50, Dublin, Ohio,
age 88, on May 17.
Philip H. Johnson ’60,
Belleville, Wisconsin,
age 79, on June 20.
Morris E. Ulring ’42,
Minneapolis, age 95,
on February 5.
Kenneth A. Hengler ’50,
Eagan, Minnesota,
age 91, on May 19.
Ernest I. Knutson ’43,
Spooner, Wisconsin,
age 95, on May 21.
John T. Garland ’51,
Saint Paul, age 86,
on August 26.
Ronald H. Stanley ’60,
Balsam Lake,
Wisconsin, age 78,
on July 22.
Gloria (Burntvedt)
Nelson ’43, Minneapolis,
age 94, on June 21.
Olive L. (Nilsen) Zoller ’51,
Marine On Saint Croix,
Minnesota, age 87, on
July 30.
Kenneth A. Gilles ’44,
Scottsbluff, Nebraska,
age 94, on June 2.
Ralph W. Hofrenning ’45,
Fargo, North Dakota,
age 94, on May 31.
32
Rebecca “Becky” A.
(Skonnord) Johnson ’52,
Valley City, North
Dakota, age 86,
on April 26.
Lois M. (Black) Ahlbom ’47,
Saint Paul, age 91,
on May 9.
Mildred R. (Zustiak)
Baerg ’53, Anoka,
Minnesota, age 85,
on July 15.
Myrtle C. (Skurdal) Bar ’49,
Williston, North Dakota,
age 91, on August 19.
Edmund R. Youngquist ’53,
Northfield, Minnesota,
age 91, on May 30.
Augsburg Now
Phyllis E. (Ebrenz)
Wagner ’60,
Minneapolis, age 78,
on July 11.
Theodore “Ted” P.
Botten, Jr. ’61,
Rochester, Minnesota,
age 77, on June 29.
Jacob “Jack” A.
Mayala ’61, Kimball,
Minnesota, age 77, on
June 12.
John D. Heruth ’62,
Rochester, Minnesota,
age 75, on June 25.
David L. Faust ’63, Green
Isle, Minnesota, age
76, on May 30.
Elaine L. (Legaarden)
Swanson ’63, Maitland,
Florida, age 75, on
May 14.
Dolores A. (Sheppard)
Carrico ’74, Wyoming,
Minnesota, age 86, on
March 8.
Linda L. (Benson)
Pederson ’64, Frederic,
Wisconsin, age 75, on
June 23.
Audrey C. (Jorgensen)
Hanson ’77, Lewiston,
Idaho, age 90, on
March 21.
Gary M. Ellis ’65,
Hendricks, Minnesota,
age 74, on June 27.
Scott A. Hugstad-Vaa ’77,
Apple Valley, Minnesota,
age 60, on June 2.
Michael J. Marcy ’65,
Minnetonka, Minnesota,
age 73, on June 16.
Paula A. (Beckley)
Beckley-Gildner ’78,
White Bear Lake,
Minnesota, age 65,
on June 8.
Larry D. Cole ’66,
Minneapolis, age 73,
on May 18.
Mary Kay (Belgum)
Nelson ’68, Mendota
Heights, Minnesota,
age 69, on July 18.
Christine A. (Toedt)
Olson ’70, Delano,
Minnesota, age 67,
on June 6.
Donald F. Deming ’71,
Fort Mill, South
Carolina, age 69,
on June 14.
Lillian M. (Sedio)
Mattson ’71, Excelsior,
Minnesota, age 67,
on August 1.
Marian T. (Jauquet)
Finger ’83, Baraboo,
Wisconsin, age 89,
on April 5.
Scott E. Herceg ’00,
Minneapolis, age 44,
on August 12.
Cynthia L. (Cramer)
Reed ’11, Rochester,
Minnesota, age 59,
on August 18.
Assistant Professor of
Music Douglas Diamond,
Minneapolis, age 59,
on May 27.
The “In memoriam” listings in this publication
include notifications received before September 19.
IT PAYS TO BE AN AUGGIE
ALUMNI DISCOUNT
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Master of Arts in Nursing
Master of Arts in Education
Master of Arts in Leadership
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Master of Music Therapy
Master of Science in Physician
Assistant Studies
Master of Social Work
augsburg.edu/grad/discount
GRADUATE PROGRAM TUITION DISCOUNT FOR ALUMNI
Many of Augsburg College’s current graduate students
are alumni who earned their first degree at Augsburg
and returned to pursue further education. Become
a part of this growing group and take advantage of
our Alumni Tuition Discount—a savings of $80 per
credit! Auggie graduates who’ve earned a bachelor’s,
master’s, or doctoral degree from Augsburg qualify for
this alumni discount.
gradinfo@augsburg.edu | 612-330-1101
PHOTO BY RICKY TAYLOR ’17
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Pedestrians take priority
This fall, Open Streets Minneapolis allowed community members to stroll, skate, and cycle on roads closed to cars near Augsburg’s
campus. Open Streets events held across the city throughout the summer promoted healthy living, local business, sustainable
transportation, and civic pride. As an anchor institution in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, Augsburg used the celebration to
further its commitment to place-based community building, organizing live music and a fashion show for attendees to enjoy.
Show less
Beyond the scoreboard
National champion to local hero
Leadership and conflict
CARVING WAY
THE
FORWARD
SUMMER 2016 | VOL. 78, NO. 3
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Summer 2016
Director of News a... Show more
Beyond the scoreboard
National champion to local hero
Leadership and conflict
CARVING WAY
THE
FORWARD
SUMMER 2016 | VOL. 78, NO. 3
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Summer 2016
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
On thoughtful stewardship
Director of Marketing
Communication
Stephen Jendraszak
jendra@augsburg.edu
Communication Copywriter
and Editorial Coordinator
Augsburg’s mission statement says that we
educate students to be “thoughtful stewards”
as well as “informed citizens, critical thinkers,
and responsible leaders.”
I imagine some may read “thoughtful
stewards” and think about church fundraising
campaigns or care for the environment, the
typical places we consider stewardship—and
both important causes!
At Augsburg, though, thoughtful
stewardship is a much more compelling
claim. It goes beyond simple acts of giving
or environmental care. It is a way of living,
an ethic that teaches us how to live in the
world. And it is at the heart of an Augsburg
education—from how we engage students with
the community to help them discern their gifts
and gain a holistic understanding of the needs
of our world (see page 16) to the deep listening
and conversation we embed in our classes, such
as in the Master of Arts in Leadership course
that was integrated with this year’s Nobel Peace
Prize Forum (see page 20).
Also in this issue of Augsburg Now, you will
read about the genuine privilege I had to deliver
a major address on stewardship to Cargill
employees worldwide.
In that address, I said: “… stewardship
involves a practice of standing up, speaking
up in a manner that reflects—and makes
clear—our values. The challenge for the good
steward—as a parent or manager or citizen—is
to pursue practices that help connect us with
the deeply held values and commitments that
characterize our personal and corporate lives.
“The truth is that many people do not think
about the reasons for their actions. They act,
and they expect others to accept their action
at face value. But good stewardship demands
reflection, then the courage to act based on our
convictions, and to do so overtly so that we are
publicly accountable for how our actions reflect
our values. Only in that link is there integrity in
human life.”
At Augsburg—as reflected in the stories
that follow in these pages—we educate
students to embrace their many gifts, to
understand the obligations they have to
steward those gifts, and to appreciate the
important work of taking a stand for the values
and commitments that honor the gifts and
contributions of each of us.
Thoughtful stewardship—a way of life
for all of us. I give thanks for a teaching and
learning community that is blessed with and
inspired by our remarkable legacy and mission.
I give thanks for the privilege of being a faithful
steward of all the gifts that make Augsburg
such a rare place.
Faithfully yours,
Laura Swanson Lindahl ’15 MBA
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate
Denielle Johnson ’11
johnsod@augsburg.edu
Marketing Copywriter
Christina Haller
haller@augsburg.edu
Production Manager
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Advancement Communication
Specialist
Jen Lowman Day
dayj@augsburg.edu
Contributor
Ryan Nichols ’16
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi brought energy and passion
to the 2016 Nobel Peace Prize Forum sponsored by Augsburg College.
Following three days of dialogue on peacebuilding, he and his wife,
Sumedha Kailash, joined Forum attendees in a Bollywood-style dance
party for the conference’s finale.
02 Around the quad
20
Leadership and conflict
08
From national hampion to local hero
23
Auggies connect
14
Beyond the scoreboard
27 Class notes
16
The city: Course content and classroom
32 In memoriam
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
alumniupdate@augsburg.edu.
On the cover: Construction crews work on the footings for the main lobby of the Norman and
Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion, an interdisciplinary building
that will open in 2018, anchoring the west side of the Augsburg College campus. See page 2.
Email: now@augsburg.edu
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
FROM THE
GROUND
THIS BUG’S-EYE VIEW captures the April 2016 groundbreaking ceremony for Augsburg’s Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for
Science, Business, and Religion. The celebration included hundreds of Augsburg College alumni, students, donors, neighbors, and
faculty and staff members, as well as city and county officials. The new academic building is slated to open in January 2018.
2
Augsburg Now
Pictured [L to R]: Outgoing Augsburg College Board of Regents Chair Dr. Paul Mueller ’84, Hennepin County Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, Naming Gift
Donors Evangeline Hagfors and Norman Hagfors, Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow, National Fundraising Campaign Chair Michael Good ’71,
Augsburg College Provost Karen Kaivola, and 2015-16 Day Student Body President Duina Hernandez ’16.
Summer 2016
3
AROUND THE QUAD
$50,000 grant funds
RECYCLING PROGRAM EXPANSION
Student-faculty-staff collaboration improves campus sustainability
D
A
U
Q
E
H
T
D
N
U
O
AR
NEW RESIDENTS
HONORING
Retiring Faculty
SET MEMORIAL HALL
KATHY ACCURSO
ABUZZ
Instructor, Department of Education—
with the College since 2012
KATHERINE BAUMGARTNER
Assistant Professor, Department of
Nursing—with the College since 2005
Hives installed to bolster honey bee population
RONALD FEDIE
It has been decades since the last students moved out
of Memorial Hall; the dormitory was converted to
office space in the late 1960s. However, a new
group of inhabitants moved in this spring when
The Beez Kneez organization installed beehives on
the building’s rooftop as part of an urban apiary
partnership program. Augsburg joined the program
to further the College’s commitment to environmental
stewardship and to creating green spaces within the city.
Recently, honey bee populations have been decreasing
due to parasites and the misuse of pesticides. The on-campus hives
will help rebuild the local population and pollinate Augsburg’s plant
life. Those worried about getting stung can rest easy—honey bees are
not aggressive and will not sting unless threatened.
4
Augsburg Now
Professor Emeritus, Department of
Chemistry—with the College since 1996
FEKRI MEZIOU
Professor Emeritus, Department of
Business Administration—with the
College since 1987
VICKI OLSON
Professor Emerita, Department of
Education—with the College since 1987
CELEBRATING
STUDENT
Augsburg College can boost its efforts to divert organic and compostable
items from trash and other recycling thanks to a $50,000 recycling grant
from the Hennepin County Environment and Energy Department. The
funding will be used to purchase indoor and outdoor bins, rolling carts,
and signage to foster increased composting of organic material and the
proper disposal of mixed recyclables.
Go to augsburg.edu/green to learn about
Augsburg’s Environmental
Augsburg’s commitment to offering
facilities that are welcoming, sustainable,
Stewardship Committee, Facilities and
and designed for educational excellence.
Custodial staff, and the Augsburg Day
Student Government’s Environmental Action Committee collaborated to
submit the grant proposal.
“Thousands of people touch the campus in some way during the
course of one year,” said Amber Lewis ’17 MAE, an Environmental
Stewardship Fellow who supports on-campus sustainability initiatives.
“In addition to students, faculty, and staff, guests join our community
for graduation ceremonies, sporting events, performances, convocations,
summer camps, conferences, and workshops. This presents us with an
opportunity to share a clear message about the importance of recycling
in our community.”
SUCCESS
Read about the wide range of prestigious academic
achievements and awards earned by Auggies during
the 2015-16 year at augsburg.edu/now.
AUGSBURG EXHIBITION
SHINES in Guerrilla Girls
Twin Cities Takeover
World-renowned feminist art activists the Guerrilla
Girls recently “took over” Minneapolis and St. Paul
to celebrate their 30th anniversary. Augsburg
College was among more than two dozen arts and cultural institutions that
hosted exhibits and events highlighting gender and race inequalities and
promoting artistic expression.
The Guerrilla Girls, who wear gorilla masks and use the names of famous
female artists as pseudonyms, were on campus for the opening reception
of “Reconfiguring Casta,” a site-specific installation for the Christensen
Center Art Gallery. Combining prints and paintings, artist Maria Cristina
Tavera addressed the social concept of race and the issue of socio-racial
classifications. Tavera, known on campus as “Tina,” also serves as the director
of Augsburg’s McNair Scholars program, which seeks to increase graduate
degree awards for students from underrepresented segments of society.
Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow delivered
the keynote address for Cargill’s annual ethics week this
spring. Pribbenow is recognized as one of the nation’s
most engaging commentators and teachers on ethics,
philanthropy, and American public life. His talk, “Promises
to Keep: An Ethic of Stewardship,” reached Cargill
employees located in Minneapolis and around the world.
Summer 2016
5
AROUND THE QUAD
ON THE SPOT
What does it mean to matter? What does it look like to matter?
With the Black Lives Matter movement, questions of racial equity have ignited important—and difficult—
conversations in communities and courtrooms, on political campaign trails, and on college campuses.
Augsburg College Professor William “Bill” Green studies and writes about history and law. His most recent book,
“Degrees of Freedom: The Origins of Civil Rights in Minnesota, 1865–1912,” chronicles conditions for African American
Minnesotans and others in the half-century following the Civil War. Today, Minnesota and the nation are very different
than they were in the postbellum period that Green examined, but tightly woven threads unite contemporary events with
those occurring more than a century earlier.
COMMENCEMENT 2016
Students of color, award winners, and former KARE 11
anchor stand out at graduation
Augsburg College celebrated students completing degrees
in the traditional undergraduate, adult undergraduate, and
graduate programs through commencement ceremonies
held April 30. The 2016 traditional undergraduate class is
the most diverse in the College’s history and comprised of
more than 42 percent students of color.
Commencement keynote speaker Michael Botticelli,
director of the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy, addressed ceremony attendees and
was awarded an honorary doctorate. Michael Good ’71
also was awarded an honorary degree in recognition of
his service to the College. Eleanor Barr ’16 earned the
Marina Christensen Justice Award, and Kim Chisholm ’16
received this year’s Richard Thoni Award, recognizing
exceptional contributions to their communities.
Teaching and learning
award winners
Augsburg recognizes individuals or
groups who have made exemplary
contributions to creating an
engaging academic learning
environment. The 2016 recipients
of the Distinguished Contributions to
Teaching and Learning awards are:
Teaching
Former KARE 11 News anchor Diana
Pierce ’16 MAL earned her Masters of
Arts in Leadership and participated in
commencement this spring.
“The program at Augsburg gave
me exactly what I wanted to add to my
skillset for a new adventure,” Pierce
said on KARE 11 in April.
Joe Underhill, associate professor of
political science
Research
Michael Lansing, associate professor
and History Department chair
Service
Dulce Monterrubio, director of Latin@
Student Services
6
Augsburg Now
Q:
What prompted your interest in
studying the history of African
Americans in Minnesota?
A:
In 1860, a slave woman was freed
in a Minneapolis courtroom. In the
aftermath, citizens in the communities of
St. Anthony and Minneapolis for days walked
the streets eyeing their neighbors, waiting for
the smallest provocation to spark violence.
We were on the verge of seeing our own
little civil war erupt in Minnesota over the
issue of slavery. Ultimately, Minnesotans’
attention was averted by news of the
Confederate bombardment of the federal
installation of Fort Sumter. Upon hearing the
news, Minnesota was the first state to send
volunteers into the Union Army. Seven years
later, it would be the first state to extend
voting rights to black men, pre-dating the
ratification of the 15th Amendment. I felt
compelled to understand this dynamic.
Q:
When Minnesota granted suffrage
to people who are black, what
implications did this have in citizens’ lives?
ELCA college conference
Students, faculty members, and staff from two dozen
colleges and universities affiliated with the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America came together this summer
as Augsburg hosted the annual Vocation of a Lutheran
College Conference. The event featured a partnership with
Interfaith Youth Core—an organization renowned for uniting
young people of different religious and moral traditions for
dialogue around shared values. IFYC Founder Eboo Patel [pictured speaking] discussed
the colleges’ role in preparing students for life in a religiously diverse world.
‘Degrees of Freedom’ in
Minnesota’s past and present
A:
[L to R]: Michael Lansing, Dulce Monterrubio,
and Joe Underhill.
In a practical sense, the implications
were non-existent. There simply
weren’t enough black voters in Minnesota
to influence political leaders or affect
public policy. Symbolically, however, during
a time of mounting economic dislocation
coupled with the spread of white supremacy,
it raised the bar, not just in terms of the
broader virtue of racial equality, but, more
fundamentally, stressing the need for true
leadership that called on ordinary people to
overcome their baser instincts and choose to
act with common decency.
Q:
And yet you’ve said that race is
“written between the lines” of early
Minnesota history, rather than spoken
about directly. What do you mean?
A:
The fact that the black population was
so small made it easy for historians
and opinion makers to draw rosy pictures
of racial exceptionalism without needing
to be checked by a more balanced reality.
Without the “significant other” whose
history was hidden in footnotes, it became
easy to believe what one wanted to believe.
But could it really be true that Dred Scott
was the only slave to live in Minnesota?
Could Frederick Douglass be the only
African American to be denied service
in a prestigious hotel in St. Paul, even
though the proprietor was a friend of his
and an officer in the Union Army? Could
the paucity of discrimination lawsuits in
the 19th century really mean there was no
discrimination in restaurants and taverns?
Q:
Today’s Black Lives Matter movement
involves participatory democracy—
participation by many and with more
diffuse leadership than the civil rights
movements of the 1960s. When you look
at the Black Lives Matter movement, what
strikes you, considering the lens through
which you write your books?
A:
In 1965 when the civil rights
movement pressed for voting rights,
the powerful symbolism of Martin Luther
King and Malcolm X joining forces placed
pressure on the President of the United
States to shepherd through Congress the
Voting Rights bill and sign it into law.
Federal protection of the right to vote
was a moral issue. But it was the union
of two leaders who embodied opposing
approaches to advancing civil rights that
heightened a sense of urgency to enact
the bill. The moral: As long as there are no
“inside”-“outside” forces simultaneously
working for the same clearly defined issue,
advocates on either side of the spectrum
can be marginalized and eventually
dismissed. I don’t see a rival force to Black
Lives Matter that is pushing for the same
ends but through different means. This
isn’t the fault of BLM, but the absence of
a “significant other” should be a concern
to them, nonetheless. History can only
provide suggestions on how or even
whether to proceed.
The Minnesota Book Awards honored Green with
the 2016 Hognander Minnesota History Award.
Go to augsburg.edu/now to learn more
about Green’s research.
Summer 2016
7
Devean George ’99 was the first NCAA Division III player ever selected in
the first round of the NBA Draft—and he played professionally for more
than a decade. Now retired from basketball, he’s gone back to his roots
to help revitalize the Minneapolis neighborhood where he grew up.
BY CHRISTINA HALLER
8
Augsburg Now
November 3, 1999. The Los Angeles Lakers are debuting in their brand new home,
the Staples Center, with an unveiling ceremony followed by a game against the
Vancouver Grizzlies. A crowd of 20,000 fans is packed inside, waiting for NBA stars
Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O’Neal to make opening remarks.
But instead, the Lakers players decide to encourage their newest rookie to
address the crowd. The lights go down, and all becomes still. In less than 30
seconds, it’s go time.
“No, guys, don’t make me do this! I don’t know what to do,” whispers a
22-year-old Devean George ’99. But his pleas were met with laughter.
“I just remember shaking in my boots. There are tens of thousands of people
here, and I’m going to be out at center court—all eyes on me,” recalls George. “So I
get out there, and it just clicked. It was easy.”
George credits his education in communication studies from Augsburg for
helping to prepare him for that life-changing moment, as well as all of his public
speaking engagements from that point forward.
“As an NBA player, you have a camera with that big, red light in front of your
face every day,” George said. “You have to know how to conduct yourself and
communicate effectively. And all those communication classes I took at Augsburg
come into play.”
After high school, George enrolled at Augsburg assuming he would play basketball
for the Auggies, earn a degree, and find a job in business. But his “hoop dreams”
became a reality pretty early on in his Augsburg career.
“When I recruited Devean, he was about
6'2" and 170 pounds,” said former Augsburg
basketball coach Brian Ammann ’85. “Fortunately
for Devean, he grew about five inches and put on
50 pounds by his sophomore year. And his hard
work paid off in big ways.”
George was the first NCAA Division III player
ever selected in the first round of the NBA Draft.
He was the 23rd overall pick in 1999, chosen by
the Los Angeles Lakers—one of the most storied
franchises in NBA history.
George is now retired from the NBA after playing
11 seasons and becoming only the seventh player
in history to win a league championship in each of his first three seasons. He has since
found a successful career in real estate development and a passion for giving back.
George played for the Los Angeles Lakers from 1999 to 2006.
In 2006, he signed with the Dallas Mavericks and played in
Texas until 2009. He then joined the Golden State Warriors in
Oakland, California, in 2009 until his retirement in 2010.
George was raised by devoted, hardworking parents in the Willard-Hay neighborhood
of north Minneapolis and still calls the Twin Cities home — a place he loves for its
friendly people and four seasons. His current work focuses on helping to improve his
childhood community.
10
Augsburg Now
Summer 2016
11
After George joined the NBA, he started volunteering his time in schools and
after-school programs. He noticed many of the children he visited didn’t have
stable housing, which significantly affected their security and education.
“That’s when I decided helping kids and families would be the foundation of
what I do,” said George, who has two young sons. He founded Building Blocks,
a nonprofit organization committed to providing quality housing, community
development, and programming for youth and families.
“If you don’t have stable housing, you’re not going to care about schooling,
safety, or eating healthy. If we get those families into stable housing, then they
can focus on those other things,” George said.
George’s first affordable housing project opened this spring—The Commons at
Penn in north Minneapolis, an income-restricted, 47-unit workforce apartment
building that also includes an on-site health and wellness facility, an after-school
program, a fitness center, a toddler playground, and a grocery store.
Long-term, George would like to help create a more family-friendly community
in north Minneapolis—a community that provides greater amenities for its
residents. So far, The Commons at Penn has been a successful addition to the
neighborhood.
“[The] Commons at Penn achieves multiple city goals: creating new, highquality, affordable housing options [and] increased residential density along a
key commercial and transit corridor, and bringing in commercial activity and
services,” said Andrea Brennan, director of Housing Policy and Development for
the City of Minneapolis. “This project sets us on a promising course to continue
development at this important north Minneapolis node.”
George is planning phase two of The Commons at Penn, which will go up
right across the street from the existing mixed-use building. He also is developing
housing complexes in South Carolina and Louisiana, and has been contacted by
fellow professional athletes who would like to see a change in the neighborhoods
where they were raised.
In addition to literally helping build a solid foundation for families through stable
housing, George also helps build a strong foundation for young people through
mentorship programs like Read to Achieve.
“The kids think that [NBA players] are not human beings because we know
how to play basketball,” said George. “If I can tell a kid to go to school and not to
do drugs, and just because I can play basketball he’ll listen to me, I’m going to
try to use that to my advantage.”
George is also busy instilling the values of compassion and service in his own
two sons, ages 7 and 4. For starters, they learn to share by donating their toys to
kids who otherwise wouldn’t have any.
“They’re still young, but I started teaching my boys early on a way of giving
and understanding. I explain to them that this [lifestyle] isn’t normal; they’re in
a blessed situation,” George said. “I’ve been able to achieve a lot of things. But I
know I’ve had a lot of help along the way.”
12
Augsburg Now
WORKFORCE HOUSING offers reduced rent to people who are gainfully employed (and don’t qualify as low-income), yet still struggle to afford market-rate housing.
It’s explained by the Urban Land Institute as housing that is “affordable to families earning 60 to 100 percent of area median income.” Workforce housing commonly is
targeted for essential workers in a community, such as police officers, firefighters, teachers, social workers, and nurses.
Summer 2016
13
BY STEPHEN GEFFRE AND LAURA SWANSON LINDAHL ’15 MBA
THE CITY:
COURSE CONTENT
AND CLASSROOM
Each semester, painting and drawing classes typically occur in what originally was an Augsburg
College chapel. Old Main 100 is an inspiring place with 25-foot ceilings and soaring windows.
On-campus studios offer focused spaces for students to learn about visual art media, methods, and
creative expression. For 25 years, Associate Professor and Art Department Co‑Chair Tara Sweeney
has taught foundational drawing principles in Old Main with what she calls “as few spectators
and distractions as possible,” and in recent years she also has led short-term international travel
courses in which students develop the same skills without the support of a traditional studio.
This spring, Sweeney and her Minneapolis-based students traveled close to home as they
stepped beyond the boundaries of the campus studio, choosing to forgo a controlled setting to
embrace learning opportunities present in public areas that are as complex and challenging as they
are diverse.
“Instead of creating a still life with the same old props, I utilized the city as subject matter
and classroom,” Sweeney said. “Students were as actively engaged in creative placemaking as
they were in making drawings — effectively shaping the physical and social character of whatever
neighborhood, museum, coffee shop, or landmark we chose as a drawing site.”
A CORE CHALLENGE
In the article “The Power of Experiential Education,” nationally recognized education scholar and
professor Janet Eyler noted that a central challenge for liberal arts educators like Sweeney—and
indeed the entire Augsburg College faculty—is to “design learning environments and instruction
so that students will be able to use what they learn in appropriate new contexts.” That is, to
successfully “bridge classroom study and life in the world and to transform inert knowledge into
knowledge-in-use.”
In a drawing course, for instance, students develop technical skills while exploring individual
subject matter and creative expression. It is perhaps the latter of these elements that came into
clearer focus when Sweeney took her students out in the community.
The artists “made connections with strangers and learned things about themselves in the
process,” Sweeney said. They become comfortable creating art in the midst of daily life and
finished the course with “real skills and the right tools to continue drawing wherever they find
themselves and wherever inspiration finds them.”
JUST A GLIMPSE
At Augsburg, students across disciplines and degree programs benefit from faculty instruction that
integrates experiential learning opportunities with traditional instructional methods, thereby linking
course concepts with real-world applications. The pages that follow offer a glimpse at a small
sample of the faculty and students who use Minneapolis as their classroom.
16
Augsburg Now
Johanna Goggins ’16 works on a sketch
in the solarium at the American Swedish
Institute in Minneapolis.
Summer 2016
17
ARTS AND THE CITIES
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
ENV 120:
Students clad in safety gear and
earplugs to dampen the deafening
noise weave their way through a Eureka Recycling processing
plant. Environmental Science focuses on understanding and
resolving problems humans have created in the natural world.
The course includes hands-on learning opportunities that
make complex scientific concepts more approachable and
applicable for students.
“The city is the perfect place for these types of
experiences to happen—it’s all right at our fingertips: a
wastewater treatment plant, power plant, recycling center, and public transit,” said Assistant
Professor of Biology and Environmental Studies Emily Schilling. “We can observe the detrimental
effects humans are having on the environment, and we also can see some of the ways we are trying
to mitigate that impact.”
MIS 375:
HON 230:
Students in Augsburg College’s Honors Program join
Minnesota Orchestra performers onstage following a symphony
event at Orchestra Hall. As an interdisciplinary course, “Arts and the Cities”
unites film, music, theater, and visual art — offering students the chance to peruse
Picassos, soak in Shakespeare, and mingle with musicians. Together, students and
teachers explore the role of the arts in a culturally dynamic urban setting.
“Students enjoy the experiential nature of this course,” said Associate Professor
of Music Merilee Klemp ’75. “They often comment that it presents them with
opportunities that they would not have on their own and deepens their understanding
of the role of the arts in their lives long after the course is over.”
18
Augsburg Now
E-COMMERCE
Students speak with
Abdirahman Mukhtar,
a youth program manager at Pillsbury
United Communities’ Brian Coyle Center.
Mukhtar oversees the Sisterhood Boutique,
a secondhand clothing store that serves
as a training ground for young women to
learn about entrepreneurship, business,
community partnerships, and sustainable
fashion. Through their discussions with
Mukhtar, the Auggies began to apply some
of their fundamental course concepts in a
real-world setting.
Summer 2016
19
2016 NOBEL PEACE
PRIZE FORUM
LEADERSHIP
& CONFLICT
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
2014 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Kailash Satyarthi shared his vision for global compassion during the Nobel
Peace Prize Forum. More than 300 students, academics, activists, and thought leaders participated in three
days of discussion and presentations to advance peacebuilding.
O R G A NI ZI NG PA RT N E RS
20
Augsburg Now
MED IA SPO N SO R
GRADUATE STUDENTS STUDY
GLOBAL COMPASSION AT THE 2016
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM
Conflict is a pervasive characteristic of
human interaction.
This is the opening line of the summer
syllabus for Augsburg College’s Master of
Arts in Leadership course, “Navigating
Local & Global Conflict: Interfaith
Dimensions.” The statement underscores
how important it is for leaders to develop
the ability to navigate and inspire others
in the face of conflict and sets the stage
for the work of analyzing leadership in the
context of real-world situations.
By design, the course is integrated with
the annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum, for
which Augsburg is the host sponsor.
“The Nobel Peace Prize Forum is a
gem,” said history and leadership studies
professor Jacqueline deVries. It’s a oneof-a-kind event that allows students to
learn through direct engagement about
the contexts and complexities involved
in conflict. deVries, who also serves as
director for Augsburg’s general education
program, co-taught the course with Martha
Stortz, Bernhard M. Christensen Professor
of Religion and Vocation, and Tom Morgan,
professor of leadership studies.
Held annually in Minneapolis, the
Nobel Peace Prize Forum is one of only
three programs officially associated with
the Norwegian Nobel Institute. The Forum’s
mission is to inspire peacemaking by
focusing on the work of Nobel Peace Prize
laureates and by engaging students and the
wider community with national and global
leaders in the process of peacebuilding.
The Forum provided the students in
the graduate course with direct access to
leaders from businesses, nonprofits, and
government organizations whose work
involves navigating complex, real-world
challenges that range from food security
to civil unrest to poverty and climate
change. The students used examples
from the Forum, as well as from their
own lives, to analyze conflict involving
religious diversity in their communities,
examine contemporary issues in a historical
perspective, and develop a view on what
effective leadership looks like (or might
look like) in actual situations.
Students come to the Master’s of Arts
in Leadership program with experience
PEACEB U ILD IN G PARTN ER- SPONSORS
Summer 2016
21
AUGGIES CONNECT
Martin Olav Sabo ’59
leaves mark on
Augsburg College
community
in both for-profit and not-for-profit
organizations. In gathering during a
lunch break to share reflections about
what they were learning at the Forum,
the class observed that it is not possible
to be effective as a leader without
knowing what’s going on in the world.
The Forum, they said, was a prompt
for thinking about how a leader would
approach addressing challenging topics
and situations in their work.
Too often, people are so
wrapped up with their jobs and
family and school that they don’t
think about the difficulties others
are facing in the world. It’s not that
people don’t care about these topics, one
student said, but they often just don’t
pay attention to the issues on a daily
basis. Being at the Forum offered a level
of understanding that may not happen in
a classroom, the students said.
In fact, during the Forum the
students directly engaged with difficult
topics, and it required a conscious
choice to hear the tragic stories about
topics like child slavery and human
trafficking. This is where our general
population may be falling short, one
student observed—choosing to turn away
instead of understanding the reality of
these issues.
The Master of Arts in Leadership
program, however, equips individuals to
turn toward—rather than away from—
challenging issues in order to seek
solutions and inspire others toward a
common goal. The program is designed
to prepare leaders who are ethically and
morally responsible, who can see beyond
immediate concerns, and who are
sensitive to the complex problems that
organizations face. By using the Nobel
Peace Prize Forum as a classroom, these
students worked to understand both the
systems that contribute to conflict and
the systems that effective leaders can
use to address it.
“WE HAVE TO CHANGE
THE DEMAND”
Top [L to R]: Dean Jarrow ’16 MAL and
Dele Odiachi ’17 MAL
Bottom: [L to R]: Jacqueline deVries; Margaret
PowellMack ’17 MAL; Kevin Stirtz ’17 MAL; Subashini
Ambrose ’18 MAL; Tom Morgan; Eric Miamen ’04,
’14 MBA, ’16 MAL; David Nyssen ’16 MBA, ’17 MAL; Nobel
Laureate Kailash Satyarthi; Howie Smith ’80, ’19 MAL;
Satyarthi’s wife, Sumedha Kailash; MAL Director Alan
Tuchtenhagen; and Brad Beeskow ’17 MAL.
22
Augsburg Now
For example, some students thought
that business was potentially the most
powerful force for addressing the issues
discussed at the Forum; others argued
that the biggest changes will come
when consumers demand it, quoting
comments by Nobel Laureate Kailash
Satyarthi, who, in his opening remarks,
said, “We have to change the demand.”
Another student observed that
every person has a powerful “what’s in
it for me” filter and noted that, if we
don’t translate the message in a way
that addresses this filter, it will not
be effective. And, although the class
agreed, the students also recognized that
people are often motivated not just by
what benefits them directly, but also by
generosity and helping others—by what,
as one student phrased it, satisfies a
need of the heart.
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
Former U.S. Representative Martin Olav Sabo ’59, who passed away on March 13 at
age 78, was a lifelong public servant and renowned Augsburg College alumnus who
exemplified the progressive approach and personal integrity that were modeled in
his Lutheran upbringing and education.
The work he and his wife, Sylvia, devoted to guiding the Martin Olav Sabo
Center for Democracy and Citizenship, the Sabo Scholars program, and the annual
Sabo Symposium—all of which create opportunities for civic experiences and skillbuilding inside and outside the classroom—will leave a lasting legacy at Augsburg.
Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow said that Sabo’s “life-long
commitment to public service is an inspiration to all of us. The Sabo Center gives
Augsburg the ongoing opportunity to celebrate the life and work of our dear friend.”
One year after graduating from Augsburg College, Sabo—then 22—was elected
to serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives. During his tenure, he became
the first member of the Democrat-Farmer-Labor party to serve as Speaker of the
House—a post he held from 1973-78. He went on to serve for 28 years as a
member of the U.S. House of Representatives, retiring in 2007.
At the same time that Sabo served in Congress, he volunteered 12 years to
Augsburg College as a member of the Board of Regents. The College named Sabo
a Distinguished Alumnus and awarded him its first-ever honorary degree. Sabo was
distinguished in all he undertook and, in 2006, was appointed Commander of the
Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for outstanding work and dedication to NorwegianAmerican relations.
Congressman Sabo and Sylvia Sabo are parents of Auggies Karin Mantor ’86 and
Julie Sabo ’90.
Summer 2016
23
AUGGIES CONNECT
New to the Alumni Board
Five Auggies elected to serve three-year terms on the Augsburg College
Alumni Board will network with and mentor current Auggies, build community
with alumni, and provide a vital link between the College and graduates.
TRAVEL IN THAILAND AND CAMBODIA
JANUARY 3-15, 2017
To learn more, go to
augsburg.edu/alumni/travel.
Derek Francis ’08
School counselor, Minneapolis Public Schools
“Through the awesome community and volunteer opportunities at
Augsburg, I realized I was passionate about working with youth.
Augsburg’s value of service to the community transformed my life.”
Lori Higgins ’94, ’12 MAL
President, MetroNorth Chamber of Commerce
“I am eager to give back to the school that has given me so many
opportunities, such as political internships with [former U.S. Rep.] Martin
Sabo ’59 and MN Sen. Bill Luther, which began my career.”
MAKES LASTING IMPACT
With its Give to the Max Day gifts, the Biology Department funded new research
opportunities for two students: Oksana Burt ’17 and Davy DeKrey ’17 [pictured].
24
Augsburg Now
Business development, Gravie
“A continuing passion of mine is to grow our networking efforts, both for
employers and individuals as they connect with Auggie alumni.”
Online giving day supports students, faculty, programs
Auggies last fall made Augsburg College No. 1 in the annual Give to the
Max Day challenge. This year, Give to the Max Day is November 17, and
the College is calling on alumni to push Augsburg into the top spot for the
fourth year in a row.
In 2015, in just 24 hours, more than 1,000 Auggies—many of whom
were first-time donors—generously stepped up to give more than $240,000
to Augsburg. As a result, Augsburg ranked first among all participating
Minnesota colleges and universities, and earned a $10,000 bonus.
Alumni support on Give to the Max Day has a lasting impact and
supports new opportunities for students. Funds raised last year supported
the expansion of on-campus research; the purchase of a 3-D printer for
the mathematics and statistics department; production costs for Howling
Bird Press, the student-run book publishing project in the Master of
Fine Arts in Creative Writing program; and trips by athletic teams for
competition, education, and community service.
This November, alumni also can give to scholarships that honor the
legacy of music, research, and civil service at Augsburg. Gifts are being
sought to honor the work of Leland Sateren ’35, U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo ’59,
the StepUP® program, and the Office of Undergraduate Research and
Graduate Opportunity, which connects students with new and existing
research and scholarship on campus, across the United States, and
around the world.
Anyone can donate any amount on Give to the Max Day. Schedule
your gifts online at givemn.org beginning November 1.
Josh Krob ’08, ’15 MBA
Janeece Oatman ’05
Development director, American Diabetes Association
“I have a passion for committee-building, and I am interested in
networking opportunities, reconnecting with campus, and fellow Auggies.”
Brad Randall ’13
Mechanical maintenance planner, Xcel Energy
“As a graduate of Augsburg’s Adult Undergraduate program, I am
interested in mentoring Augsburg alumni in all fields.”
[L to R]: Lewis Istok ’18 and Abigale Enrici ’18 create a two-material print
using a 3-D printer purchased with Give to the Max Day funds.
Jordan Brandt ’17 throws a pitch on the baseball team’s 2016 spring break trip
to Arizona. The team raised more than $17,000 on Give to the Max Day 2015.
Back row [L to R]: Josh Krob ’08, ’15 MBA; Brad Randall ’13; Mary Prevost ’12 MBA; Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’10 MBA;
Jay Howard ’03, Nick Rathmann ’03; Hanna Dietrich ’05; Rick Bonlender ’78; Patricia Jesperson ’95; Melissa
(Daudt) Hoepner ’92; Howie Smith ’80, ’19 MAL; Marie (Eddy) Odenbrett ’01; Greg Schnagl ’91. Front row
[L to R]: Adrienne (Kuchler) Eldridge ’02; Meg (Schmidt) Sawyer ’00; Adriana Matzke ’13; Janeece Oatman ’05;
Chau “Tina” Nguyen ’08; Jill Watson ’10 MBA. Not pictured: Derek Francis ’08; Lori Higgins ’94, ’12 MAL;
Nick Swanson ’09
Q&A
with tour guide and Professor
of English Kathy Swanson
Q:
A:
How many times have you traveled to
Thailand? What keeps bringing you back?
My husband and I lived in Thailand as Peace
Corps volunteers for two years and have
returned eight times since. We return because
we feel Thailand is our “second home.” We love
Thailand’s beauty—from the huge city of Bangkok to
the mountains of northern Thailand in Chiang Mai
to the small beach town where we lived. We also
have many dear friends, some former students and
colleagues, with whom we love to reconnect.
Q:
A:
Can you share with us a memory from a trip
you led with Augsburg students?
We have shared our love of Thailand with
Augsburg students during five trips and have so
many good memories. Former Auggies still share their
memories and pictures of the trips with us. Some
of these students became English language learner
teachers because of their experience teaching English
in our former school. I remember one student, for
example, who was hesitant about going so far away
from home and to such an unfamiliar place. She had
been my student in several classes and seemed to
trust me when I encouraged her, so she took the big
step. We are still in contact after many years and she
has written about her trip to Thailand as being “lifechanging.” She stepped out of her comfort zone and
experienced things she could have never imagined,
gaining confidence and self-awareness.
Q:
A:
Who should take this trip?
Anyone who values expanding a worldview,
learning about a new culture, and experiencing
beauty.
Summer 2016
25
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
AUGGIES CONNECT
Martin Sabo ’59 leaves a
lasting legacy. See page 23.
1960
Rev. Dennis Glad ’60
and Barbara Glad
of St. Francis, Minnesota, have
led nearly 1,000 volunteers on
mission trips to 14 Caribbean
islands, Costa Rica, and Belize
over the past 25 years. Working
on a volunteer construction team,
the Glads and their crew have
built schools, clinics, churches,
orphanages, and more. In April,
the couple received WCCO Radio’s
Good Neighbor Award, and they
are now in the station’s Good
Neighbor Hall of Fame. In 1999,
Rev. Glad retired after serving in
the United Methodist Church for
more than 40 years.
empowering dreams
Travelers EDGE® grant affords
students pathway to success
In March, Augsburg was awarded a
$115,000 grant to continue offering
Travelers EDGE (Empowering Dreams for
Graduation and Employment), a program
that provides underrepresented students
with scholarships, paid internships,
and mentorship in an effort to break
down barriers and provide long-term
opportunity. The highly successful
program, now in its sixth year at
Augsburg, is poised to have 15 Travelers
EDGE scholars on campus this fall—its
largest cohort yet.
This prestigious program—open
to only 12 colleges in the United
States—has lifetime payoffs for
students, including the chance to find
challenging and rewarding careers in
the insurance and financial services
industry. To get there, each Travelers
EDGE scholar works with a career coach
and a professional mentor at Travelers
and participates in financial literacy
programming.
Marlene Ibsen, vice president of
community relations at Travelers, said
Augsburg was already doing great work
and made for a natural Travelers EDGE
partner.
“Everything and everyone we
encountered at Augsburg, including
President Pribbenow and throughout
the organization, made us think, ‘This
is a team of people who really get it and
would be outstanding additions to the
Travelers EDGE collaborative,’” said Ibsen.
Students in the program receive financial
26
Augsburg Now
scholarships and something that, in the
long run, pays even greater dividends—
networking contacts.
“Once they begin immersing
themselves in the professional
development workshops and start
to build relationships with Travelers
employees, students quickly learn
that the networking and professional
coaching they are getting will be of
significant use to them in the long
term,” said Janet Morales, Augsburg’s
director for the program.
So far, Augsburg has had 23
Travelers EDGE scholars participate in
the program and some have gone on to
accept full-time positions with Travelers.
Dustina Granlund ’14 is one of the
Travelers EDGE alumni who works at
Travelers. Granlund had two internships
at the company, including one in
Hartford, Connecticut. As an intern,
she helped develop new and more
efficient reporting systems that are still
in use today.
Granlund said her mentor helped
her understand how school applies
to the real world by encouraging her
to accept and take on challenges, to
network, and to push herself beyond
her comfort zone.
“My Travelers EDGE scholar
work taught me business etiquette,
interviewing techniques, and résumé
writing,” she said. “It helped connect
me with resources at Augsburg that I
didn’t really know about.”
Travelers EDGE connected Granlund
with staff in Augsburg’s Clair and Gladys
Strommen Center for Meaningful Work
who helped Granlund become more
comfortable seeking regular advice on
graduate school.
Morales sees that the value of the
program goes far beyond job experience.
“Travelers EDGE is confidence
building,” she said. “Our scholars
do not typically have any corporate
experience prior to becoming a part
of Travelers EDGE, nor do they have
family members with that experience,
so starting their professional journey
within insurance and financial services
can be intimidating. However, Travelers
EDGE gives the scholars opportunities
to learn and build their skills within a
safe space. The end result is that they
can imagine themselves with a career in
insurance and financial services, which
they couldn’t before.”
1964
Roger Johnson ’64
was presented with
the Donald Clark Memorial Award
at Minnesota Hockey’s annual
banquet in April. The award is
given to an individual who has
been dedicated to the grassroots
growth and development of youth
hockey in Minnesota. Johnson was
the head coach for boys’ hockey in
Fergus Falls, Minnesota, from 1965
until 1972 and then was varsity
assistant and junior varsity head
coach for the next 27 years until
1999. He is a substitute teacher
and a volunteer general manager
for the boys’ hockey team.
1969
Royce Helmbrecht ’69
graduated with a
degree in education. Today,
47 years later, he works as a
substitute teacher with students
who struggle to get through
school. He also teaches jail
inmates for the GED program.
fundraisers. Her leisure activities
include gardening, walking,
biking, and reading.
Michael Good ’71 celebrates
at groundbreaking ceremony.
See page 2.
jazzy food songs. Sullivan attended
Augsburg as a flute student, studied
broadcasting at Brown Institute,
and has worked in radio and as a
voice-over artist. After appearing at
venues that draw swing dancers,
she teamed up with Laurie to create
the duo Retro Swing Sister.
Three years ago at Valley of Peace Lutheran Church in Golden Valley,
Minnesota, three parishioners took on a Lenten art project to create a mosaic
for their church entry. Led by Barb (Durkee) Mikelson ’71, the committee
also included Emilie Moravec ’07 and Jon Daniels ’88. The design, primarily
Mikelson’s work, echoed the stained glass window design in the church’s
sanctuary created by the late August Molder, an Augsburg professor. Mikelson
served the past 12 years as director of her church’s early childhood education
center, All God’s Children Learning Center, and retired in January. The school’s
leadership is now in the able hands of another Auggie, Courtney GadboisBrumbaugh ’95.
From the Auggie Connections blog.
Read more at augsburg.edu/alumni/blog.
He says the Lord intervened in his
life and directed him to Augsburg,
and he feels blessed to have
followed the Lord’s direction.
1971
Mary (Soulen) Johnson ’71
is the new branch
assistant at Minnesota’s Aitkin
Public Library. She especially
enjoys working with children
at the library and at the Aitkin
Children’s Center. As a volunteer
at Wild and Free in Garrison,
Minnesota, she helps with
feeding animals and assists with
Merilee Klemp ’75 uses the
city of Minneapolis as her
classroom. See page 16.
1982
Maryann Sullivan ’82
and Rhonda Laurie
have been entertaining listening
audiences and swing dancers for
the past three years. In February,
the two performed “Swingin’ a
la Carte” as part of the Jazz@
St. Barney’s concert series at St.
Barnabas Lutheran Church in
Plymouth, Minnesota, reflecting
the singers’ love of cooking through
Scott Whirley ’82 and Henry
Gerten ’98 were inducted into
the National Wrestling Coaches
Association Division III Hall of
Fame in a ceremony in Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, prior to this year’s
NCAA Division III Wrestling
National Championships. Whirley
and Gerten are the ninth and 10th
Auggies to be inducted into the
NWCA Division III Hall of Fame.
Dr. Paul Mueller ’84 breaks ground
on Augsburg’s new, signature
academic building. See page 2.
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
1967
In March, the Rev.
Terry J. Frovik ’67
and his wife, Pauline, were invited
by Archbishop Nemuel Babba
to participate in the installation
service for the Rev. Peter
Bartimawus, who was elected
Bishop of the Gongola Diocese of
the Lutheran Church of Christ in
Nigeria (LCCN). The service took
place in Bartimawus’ home village of Guyuk.
1992
Rosanne Newville Bump ’92 plans events, including
the St. Paul Winter Carnival as president and CEO
of the Saint Paul Festival & Heritage Foundation. She received
her MBA in 2010 from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.
She has stayed in touch with many of her Auggie classmates
over the years, and is pleased that both the St. Paul Winter
Carnival and the Cinco de Mayo organizations benefit from
the help of Augsburg interns as they plan events. She lives
with her husband of 28 years, Jeff Bump ’85, and their three
daughters (Madelyn, Ella, and Julia) in River Falls where she
served for nine years as CEO of the River Falls Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Bureau.
Summer 2016
27
2000
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Brian Ammann ’85 reflects on one of
the standout athletes he coached.
See page 8.
1988
Building hope
In March, Bob Strommen ’74 volunteered for a
Habitat for Humanity project in Nicaragua. He
joined cousins Tim ’70 and Dawn (Hofstad) ’70
Strommen, and Judy (Knudson) Strommen ’77, and
was overwhelmed by the magnitude of poverty in
the small village where they worked. The trip was
Tim’s third visit to the same site.
Bob writes, “Prior to our venturing out,
we had an orientation led by our Nicaraguan
Habitat leader, Aleandra, who reported that there
was a need for more than 600,000 homes in
Nicaragua—either new builds or fixing up existing
homes in desperate need of repair. And we were
going to build one home. At the time I thought,
‘What difference will this make? How do you tackle
such an overwhelming need?’”
Upon meeting the eventual homeowner, her
daughter, and grandchildren, Bob soon learned
that their work in that one week would make a lifechanging impact for the family.
He’d considered the impact they would
make on the family of the house, but did not
comprehend the impact that the people and
volunteering would have on him, saying: “My goal
is not to be better than anyone else, but to be
better than I used to be.”
Jeff Judge ’88 successfully
defended his doctoral
dissertation at Minnesota State
University. His thesis was “Spirituality in
Higher Education: A Narrative Analysis of
its Use by Leaders for Decision-Making.”
Judge graduated from Augsburg with
bachelor’s degrees in music education
and Spanish, and received a master’s
in Spanish from Middlebury (Vermont)
College. He lives in Minnetonka,
Minnesota, with his wife, Jeannie, and
their three teenagers: Nico, Danny, and
Clare. He is the dean of the humanities
division at Normandale Community
College in Bloomington, Minnesota.
1989
Troy Bakker ’89 received a
doctorate of science degree
from Dakota State University in Madison,
South Dakota.
Stephen Hindle ’89 has been appointed
practice lead at the partner level for Aon
Hewitt’s assessment and leadership
practice for Asia, the Middle East, and
Africa. He also is the face of Aon Hewitt
in these markets. His responsibilities
include commercial management of all
assessment and leadership business
across 14 countries as well as all
operations, solution development, and
mergers and acquisitions activity in
these markets.
He is based in Singapore with his
wife of more than 21 years, Adean,
and their two daughters, Claudia and
Madeleine.
1996
As twin sisters, Kaja Foat ’96
and Zoe Foat ’96 have shared
a lot in life—a last name, a love of
color and nature, and a vision for a
more ethical world. In 2002, the sisters
followed their shared vision to create
FOAT. Their goal was to offer a refreshing,
eco-conscious alternative in women’s
fashion, starting with yoga apparel. Since
then, they’ve expanded their designs to
additional lines of one-of-a-kind garments
and wedding gowns, and their workspace
to studios in Minneapolis and Charleston,
South Carolina.
Devean George ’99 builds neighborhood
pride alongside community housing in
north Minneapolis. See page 8.
2000
Augsburg theater alumni
Stephanie Lein Walseth ’00,
Quinci Bachman ’15, and Jorge
Rodriguez ’15, and Professor Emerita
Martha Johnson participated in the
Full Circle Theater Company’s return
engagement of “Theater: A Sacred
Passage.” Lein Walseth and Johnson are
two writers of this original performance
piece, devised by the core artists of
Full Circle from their personal journeys
into theater. Their stories embody
the challenges and transformational
experiences they have had in becoming
theater artists and how their lives
and work reflect the changes in the
theater community during the past two
decades. The piece incorporates acting,
storytelling, choreography, and music.
Bachman was production coordinator,
stage manager, and sound designer.
Rodriguez served as set and technical
director and lighting designer. Johnson
was dramaturge and assistant director.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
1992
Heather Johnston ’92
(second from left) was
invited to speak at the annual
conference of the Municipal
Finance Directors of Israel in Eilat,
Israel. Johnston is president of
the Government Finance Officers
Association of the United States and
Canada. Johnston serves as the city
manager for Burnsville, Minnesota.
28
Augsburg Now
1999
[L to R]: J. Roxanne
Prichard, associate
professor of psychology and
neuroscience, and Jeanne “Birdie”
(Ramacher) Cunningham ’99,
associate director of health and
wellness, have created and
launched the Center for College
Sleep at the University
of St. Thomas in St. Paul.
2005
Jon Dahlin ’05
participated in track
and field at Augsburg, and he set
a national record in the hammer
throw that still stands. He went
on to compete nationally and
internationally in Highland games.
He competed in states including
California, Florida, and Texas, and
he also competed in Iceland. He
traveled to Gyor, Hungary, as part
of Team USA for the 2015 World
Highland Games Championship
where he squared off against 15
athletes from around the world.
He was pleased to record one
of his best performances ever
in caber (tossing a 175-pound
wooden beam), and finished in
seventh place. Dahlin lives in
Minnetonka, Minnesota, and works
as a software developer at Barr
Engineering, focusing primarily
on creating web applications. He
also is a sports photographer who
covers NFL games.
Jenni Fisher ’05 and Jade
Boettcher ’15 MAE were united
in marriage on January 20 in
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic.
Boettcher received his Master of
Arts in Education from Augsburg
and is a special education teacher
at John Marshall High School
in Rochester, Minnesota. Fisher
received her bachelor’s from
Augsburg and is a clinic assistant
at Planned Parenthood
in Rochester.
Brandon Green ’05 is a new
managing partner at MG
Resources. Before joining the
company, Green spent nearly 18
years with Griffiths Corporation.
2007
James Lekatz ’07
wrote the music for
“The Snow Queen,” which was
presented at Stages Theatre in
Hopkins, Minnesota, in March.
This summer, Lekatz worked with
a group of students with autism
on a production of “The BFG” as
part of a program called CAST,
Creative Accepting Sensoryfriendly Theatre. He will be
assistant director on a production
called “Twinkle Twinkle,” as part
of Stages Theatre Company’s
theater for the very young, and he
will compose Stages’ next dance/
ballet piece, “The Velveteen
Rabbit,” to be performed next
spring.
2008
Andrew Webb ’08
volunteers his
time to assist local and global
communities as they recover from
natural disasters and tragedies.
He encourages others through
a letter-writing campaign and
invites groups, such as area
high schools, to join him in his
dedication to this mission.
Sara (Quigley) Brown ’00
received her chaplain badge
for the Alaska Police and Fire Chaplains
Ministry, a statewide nonprofit that serves
police and fire personnel. The program
follows a strict training that mirrors the
training of police officers.
Brown will return to the Twin Cities
in August to attend a clinical pastoral
education residency through which she
will receive certification to become a hospital chaplain.
2000
Ross Murray ’00,
’09 MBA, has
been issued a call from the
Metropolitan New York Synod in
New York City to be consecrated
as a diaconal minister and focus
on LGBT advocacy at GLAAD. He
and Richard Garnett ’07, ’09 MBA
were married in April.
2001
Sarah (Grans) Peterka ’01
married Erik Peterka
on December 12. Several Auggies
were at the celebration including:
Carrie Lind ’01, Skylar Hanson ’01,
Laura Hahn ’02, Erica ’01 and
Jason ’01 Bryan-Wegner, Ben
Hoogland ’00, Larye ’98 and
Melissa (Moyle) Pohlman ’00,
Lenise Butler ’01, and
Birgitte Simpson ’13.
2010
Jennifer (Mathwig)
Ortloff ’10 became joint
owner of the public accounting
firm of Peterson Juergensen
Hemerick & Co. in Hutchinson,
Minnesota, after five years with
the firm. Prior to becoming an
owner and before earning an
accounting degree at Augsburg,
she worked on the administrative
side of the company. Ortloff is a
native of Brownton, Minnesota,
and worked for the city of
Brownton while completing
her degree.
2005
When Claire Pettry ’05
moved to Ohio in the
fall of 2015, her Augsburg College
connection played a key role in
helping her form friendships in
her new locale. She met Chris
Ascher ’81 and wife, Susan, and
the three became fast friends
who completed a 5K run on
Thanksgiving.
2003
Megan and Jay
Howard ’03 welcomed
their son, Elias John, on April 28.
Lisa Svac Hawks ’85 sees Augsburg College as a “pillar of faith,” one of the reasons she chose the College
and why she continues to be involved. She served six years on the Alumni Board and is a founding
member of Augsburg Women Engaged.
Hawks is vice president, external communications, for United Healthcare Services. She is focused on
helping simplify the complicated health care landscape for the consumers so that they can live healthier
lives. In her spare time, Hawks enjoys gardening, cooking, and playing golf and other sports. She also
enjoys coaching her 10-year-old son Andrew’s baseball team, which she has done for the past three years.
From the Auggie Connections blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
2011
Patrick Siegel ’11 is
the proud owner of
Robusto & Briar cigar store and
lounge in Lakewood, Ohio. The
establishment is made for all
who appreciate a fine cigar and
conversation-worthy décor. He
got hooked on the cigar business
when, as a student at Augsburg,
he was hired by the Golden Leaf
shop, where he bought his cigars.
He and wife, Nicole, who grew
up in Rocky River, Ohio, decided
to settle in Lakewood. Robusto &
Briar specializes in hand-rolled
products that are kept in a 15-by30 foot humidor. The shop offers
about 400 types of cigars and
about 50 kinds of tobacco.
2012
The Minnesota
Women’s Press
published an article on Interfaith
Youth Connection, a program
for high school and college-age
youth that promotes interfaith
understanding and service. The
article includes comments from
Fardosa Hassan ’12, Muslim
student program associate at
Augsburg College and program
coordinator of Interfaith Youth
Connection. By holding regular
conversations and yearly service
events, the group seeks to give
youth “a way to be proud of
who they are in whatever faith
background they [believe],
while reducing prejudice and
misconception,” Hassan said.
“In the midst of what is going on
today, this is something we need.”
Patrick Sayler ’12 is the new
general manager of Co-op Natural
Foods in Sioux Falls, South
Dakota. Before returning to Sioux
Falls three years ago, he spent
16 years in the Minneapolis area
managing cafes and retail shops.
As the general manager of Co-op
Natural Foods, he will oversee an
established business that employs
approximately 20 people and does
more than $2 million a year. He
is completing work on a degree in
business management/marketing
and project management at the
University of Sioux Falls.
2014
Allison Zank ’14 has
been named a National
Science Foundation Graduate
Research Fellow for 2016-17.
Zank will receive a $34,000
annual stipend and $12,000 costof-education allowance to assist
her in achieving a research-based
graduate degree. An NSF GRFP
indicates to graduate schools that
a student is a top undergraduate
scientist in the nation. Zank
conducted summer research
on biofilms with Augsburg
Associate Professor Jennifer
Bankers-Fulbright as well as at the
University of Minnesota’s Dental
School. Zank also has spent time
conducting research in industry.
At Augsburg, she was named an
URGO Scholar, McNair Scholar,
AugSTEM Scholar, and Goldwater
Scholar. She plans to pursue
a master’s degree in clinical
microbiology at the University of
Wisconsin-La Crosse this fall.
GRADUATE
2015
Katie Clark ’10 MAN, ’14 DNP
presented at a breakout session
for Fairview Health Services’
Somali Cultural Health Day in
April. Her topic was “Critical
decision making and chronic
illness.” Clark connected her
previous bedside nursing
experience with her current
experience working with Somali
community members at the
Health Commons in the CedarRiverside neighborhood. Her
focus was to teach health care
providers to deliver culturally
congruent care to marginalized
populations. She concentrated
her efforts on reducing the role of
stereotypes and assumptions in
the patient-provider relationship.
Jordan Holm ’15
competed in the 2016
Olympic trials in the 85-kilogram
weight class for Greco-Roman
wrestling at Carver-Hawkeye
Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, on
April 6. Holm was one of three
athletes automatically earning the
No. 1 ranking. He graduated from
Augsburg with a business degree
in marketing.
Duina Hernandez ’16 lets
dirt fly at an Augsburg
groundbreaking ceremony.
See page 2.
Evan Berg ’10 MBA was hired as
assistant vice president and loan
officer at the Janesville State Bank
in Janesville, Minnesota. He has a
bachelor’s degree in economics/
business administration from
Winona State University and an
MBA from Augsburg, as well as
eight years of experience in credit
analysis and lending with Farm
Credit and several banks.
AUGGIE CONNECTIONS:
a new, personalized
newsletter
Whether it be in the classroom, cheering on your favorite Auggie
team, or supporting the on-campus groups that mean the most to
you, Augsburg College emphasizes a direct, personal experience
for its students and alumni. In today’s world where information is
coming from all angles and at all times, personalized, meaningful
information is more important than ever.
The Alumni Association recognizes this and is taking a step
to provide more pertinent and timely information about what’s
happening at Augsburg. Beginning this summer, Augsburg is
offering a personalized e-newsletter that will be delivered on a
schedule of your choosing, in a format you want. No more monthly
Now@Augsburg emails. The Auggie Connections newsletter is
now in your hands.
Choose the topics you are most interested in: Auggie
athletics? Theater and music? Science? Want to hear it all? With
your new, improved Auggie Connections newsletter, you won’t
miss a thing.
The first personalized Auggie Connections newsletter
arrived in your email inbox in late June. If you haven’t yet set your
preferences, check your email for the message titled “Augsburg
College - delivered YOUR way,” to get started.
To update your contact information, email alumniupdate@
augsburg.edu.
2009
Benjamin Austin ’09
and Michelle
(Anderson) Austin ’11 were
married December 19 in St. Paul.
They met at Augsburg during her
sophomore year and his senior
year.
Schuyler (Dunhaupt)
Tilson ’10 graduated
from Mitchell Hamline School of Law
in St. Paul in January with a focus in
Indian law. She recently passed the
Minnesota bar and became a staff
attorney for the Ho-Chunk Nation
Trial Court. She holds undergraduate
degrees from Augsburg in history
and American Indian studies.
2012
Muneer Al-Hameed ’12
won the Dancing with the
Twin Cities Celebrities Charity Ball
in February. Augsburg alumna Carla
Beaurline ’91 was a judge this year
and a 2015 Dancing with the Twin
Cities celebrity dancer.
FRESH LOOK,
INCREASED
INTERACTION
Nic Thomley ’06 MBA was named to the
2016 Class of Henry Crown Fellows and the
Aspen Global Leadership Network at the
Aspen Institute. This growing network unites
a worldwide community of entrepreneurial
leaders from business, government, and the
nonprofit sector who share a commitment
to enlightened leadership and to using their
creativity, energy, and resources to tackle
the foremost societal challenges of our time.
Thomley is an accomplished entrepreneur
in the human services industry and the
founder of companies that provide an array
of services to persons with disabilities and
senior citizens. Thomley is the founder and
30
Augsburg Now
CEO of Morning Star Financial Services and
the founder and chairman of Summit Fiscal
Agency and Pinnacle Services, Minneapolis.
Thomley was named a 2015 Ernst & Young
Entrepreneur of the Year Finalist and,
in 2006, was named to Inc. Magazine’s
“30 Under 30, America’s Coolest Young
Entrepreneurs” list and to the Minneapolis/
St. Paul Business Journal’s “40 Under 40”
list. In 2010, Thomley was presented with
Augsburg’s First Decade Award, which
honors graduates of the past 10 years who
have made significant progress in their
professional achievements and contributions
to the community.
Enjoy several new features on the Augsburg Now magazine’s
companion website. Thanks to a site upgrade, it’s possible to:
• Read articles on mobile devices with ease
• Share favorite stories and photos on social media
• View exclusive slideshows and videos
• Manage your magazine subscription and delivery method
• “Go green” by opting for digital content instead of print
• Submit class notes and share good news
SUBMIT A CLASS NOTE
Tell us about the news in your life—your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/connect to submit
your announcements.
Mike Polis ’10 has
started Backboard
Media, based in Northeast
Minneapolis. Check it out at
backboardgroup.com.
2010
augsburg.edu/now
Entrepreneurial leader recognized
2010
2013
Kuoth Wiel ’13 cofounded the NyaEden
Foundation, a nonprofit that aims
to provide basic survival necessities
to disadvantaged women and
children throughout Africa. She is an
actress, model, and humanitarian
whose debut film role was in “The
Good Lie,” a drama starring Reese
Witherspoon that tells the story of
a group of Sudanese refugees who
are offered shelter in the United
States. Wiel was born to a Sudanese mother and father in an Ethiopian
refugee camp following her parents’ escape from war-torn Sudan. As a
young adult, Wiel moved to Minneapolis to attend Augsburg and study
social psychology. Visit nyaedenfoundation.org to learn more about the
organization’s work to foster girls’ and women’s safety, empowerment,
independence, dignity, self-esteem, and self-respect.
Fall 2015
37
Summer 2016
31
In memoriam
Chester R. Heikkinen ’40,
Robbinsdale, Minnesota,
age 99, on November 24.
Helen (Quanbeck)
Nichols ’44, Monticello,
Minnesota, age 94, on
April 27.
Frederick “Fred” M. King ’71,
Onalaska, Wisconsin, age
73, on February 5.
Helen E. (Berg) Peterson ’46,
Minneapolis, age 92, on
November 23.
Martin O. Sabo ’59,
Minneapolis, age 78,
on March 13.
Kenneth J. Dahlberg ’80,
Colorado Springs,
Colorado, age 62,
on December 21.
Doris M. Rear-Hustad ’46,
Blanchardville, Wisconsin,
age 90, on March 18.
Gary A. Hoonsbeen ’60,
Crystal, Minnesota,
age 77, on March 7.
Brenda L. Fredrick ’82,
Strawberry Point, Iowa,
age 57, on April 23.
Loren M. Thorson ’46,
Green Valley, Arizona,
age 96, on March 8.
Robert N. Martin ’61,
Dracut, Massachusetts,
age 81, on March 22.
Janice C. Olson ’84,
Lakewood, Washington,
age 79, on January 19.
Robert “Bob” E. Lee ’47,
Hallettsville, Texas,
age 92, on March 3.
Norbert W. W. Mokros ’61,
Duluth, Minnesota,
age 77, on January 25.
Melissa A. Lawrence ’88,
Minneapolis, age 59,
on March 1.
Aagoth E. (Hanson)
Hansen ’48, Willmar,
Minnesota, age 89,
on January 4.
Sherman P. Coltvet ’62,
Rochester, Minnesota,
age 75, on January 30.
Marilyn J. (Cederstrom)
Teubert ’88, Waconia,
Minnesota, age 84,
on November 23.
Paul D. Hilton ’51,
Cumberland, Wisconsin,
age 86, on January 28.
Eugene M. Nelson ’51,
Colorado Springs,
Colorado, age 86,
on January 11.
Lillian K. (Ysteboe) Ose ’51,
Benson, Minnesota,
age 87, on January 5.
Leonard E. Dalberg ’52,
Solvang, California,
age 90, on April 21.
Randall “Randy” Fischer ’52,
Lynchburg, Virginia,
age 85, on February 5.
Robert C. Ingman ’54,
Minneapolis, age 85, on
September 3.
Charles “Bob” R.
Hudgins ’62, Burnsville,
Minnesota, age 75,
on December 12.
Charles W. King, Jr. ’62,
Sun City West, Arizona,
age 76, on December 17.
Philip O. Sidney ’63,
St. Paul, age 75,
on April 10.
Mary M. Lindgren ’64,
Minneapolis, age 74,
on March 15.
David A. Mallak ’65,
Austin, Texas, age 72,
on February 10.
Steven H. Steinke ’65,
Pequot Lakes, Minnesota,
age 68, on January 26.
Robert R. Benson ’67,
Preston, Minnesota,
age 70, on December 23.
Karl B. Lunder ’70, Red
Wing, Minnesota, age 69,
on March 12.
SAVE THE DATES:
SEPTEMBER 22-24
New events and schedule!
William “Bill” J. Schutt ’75,
Watertown, South Dakota,
age 74, on February 2.
Richard “Dick” L. Berg ’57,
Minneapolis, age 85,
on February 3.
Vera C. (Alberg)
Hafstad ’50, Owatonna,
Minnesota, age 86, on
March 11.
Augsburg Now
Dayne W. Sather ’55,
Maple Grove, Minnesota,
age 86, on January 25.
Joyce I. (Engstrom)
Spector ’70, Minneapolis,
age 68, on April 1.
Mary (Mortensen) Nelson ’45,
Minneapolis, age 92, on
January 22.
Arnold H. Skaar ’48,
Edina, Minnesota, age 91,
on February 2.
32
Dale W. Quanbeck ’54,
Grand Forks, North
Dakota, age 84,
on January 18.
Carol R. (Pasquarella)
Liedtke ’89, Shorewood,
Illinois, age 73,
on December 5.
Diane P. Ondrey ’94,
Minneapolis, age 80,
on February 19.
Jean W. (Thompson)
Rondeau ’94, Minneapolis,
age 77, on April 12.
Sandra K. Berg ’98, Inver
Grove Heights, Minnesota,
age 69, on January 26.
Conrad D. Meyer ’98,
Merida, Mexico, age 66,
on April 3.
.
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E
B
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U
O
PR
E
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E
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BE CAL
Barbara (Steinle)
Huckle ’00, Burnsville,
Minnesota, age 55,
on April 16.
Jason C. Magnon ’13,
Georgetown, Texas,
age 25, on January 15.
Go to augsburg.edu/homecoming to register and see the new events this year.
The “In memoriam” listings in this publication
include notifications received before May 10.
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Non-Profit Org.
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PAID
Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 2031
The Augsburg Choir joins Barry Manilow on stage
The exceptional talent and hard work of the Augsburg Choir was rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to sing backup
during Grammy-award winner Barry Manilow’s farewell tour. Members of the choir sang three of his hits in an encore at the
Xcel Energy Center: “I Write the Songs,” “Miracle,” and “Copacabana (At the Copa).”
Show less
Navigating uncharted waters
Playing it forward
An exploration of faith
HIGH-IMPACT
LEARNING
SPRING 2016 | VOL. 78, NO. 2
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weis... Show more
Navigating uncharted waters
Playing it forward
An exploration of faith
HIGH-IMPACT
LEARNING
SPRING 2016 | VOL. 78, NO. 2
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
On serendipity in education
I vividly recall the moment in 1977 when a
conversation with a religion professor at Luther
College, my alma mater, offered me a way of
thinking about my vocational journey that has
changed my life. When I admitted my doubts
about following my dad’s path to the ministry, the
professor shared his own journey to divinity school
and the study of theology, the sort of study I had
begun to explore in his class. The rest is history,
as they say. I went on to study ethics and theology
in divinity school and to pursue my own calling
for leadership in higher education.
A moment of serendipity that changed
my life—unexpected, unplanned, and so very
meaningful—made possible by a teaching and
learning community and a teacher that created
the opportunity for such moments.
Such serendipity in education is a hallmark
of the educational experience at Augsburg. I’m
sure you have your own stories of the faculty
or staff member, maybe the fellow student, or
perhaps the community member who offered you
the insight, the experience, the counsel, or the
challenge that shaped your path.
This issue of Augsburg Now reminds us of
the people and experiences that continue to offer
Augsburg students the promise of serendipity in
their education. From award-winning teachers
and researchers like Phil Adamo of the History
Department and Henry Yoon of the Psychology
Department to inspiring guest speakers like
LeVar Burton (yes, the “Star Trek” and “Reading
Rainbow” star) and Dr. Donald Warne (an
American Indian medical doctor challenging
us to pay attention to public health issues on
reservations). From nationally recognized efforts
like our StepUP® program for students recovering
from addiction to the Nobel Peace Prize Forum
that inspires all of us to be peacemakers in
our communities. Serendipity in education
happens for all of us because of these people
and programs, and because of this College’s deep
commitment to such experiences.
One particular moment from last fall stands
out for me. Our groundbreaking River Semester
gave 12 students the educational experience of
a lifetime as they spent the entire semester on
the Mississippi River (see page 16). When I went
to St. Louis to meet with the River Semester
students and faculty halfway through the
semester, I heard tale after tale of serendipitous
experiences along the river. But then one student
took me aside and said that for Associate
Professor Joe Underhill, who organized the class,
this was the trip he had always dreamed about,
given his passion for the river. And, the student
continued, Joe could have done the trip with
his family or friends—surely an easier way to
spend nearly four months on the river? Instead,
the student said, he chose to do it with us, his
students. He chose to do it with his students.
That, my friends, is the “stuff” of serendipity
in education. Teachers who choose to create
the space for serendipity to happen—in the
classroom, in the cafeteria, on the playing
fields or performance stage, even on the Mighty
Mississippi. May it always be so.
Faithfully yours,
Director of Marketing
Communication
Stephen Jendraszak
jendra@augsburg.edu
Communication Copywriter
and Editorial Coordinator
Laura Swanson ’15 MBA
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate
Denielle Johnson ’11
johnsod@augsburg.edu
Marketing Copywriter
Christina Haller
haller@augsburg.edu
Production Manager
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Advancement Communication
Specialist
Jen Lowman Day
dayj@augsburg.edu
Contributor
Kate H. Elliott
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Send address corrections to:
alumniupdate@augsburg.edu.
Email: now@augsburg.edu
AUGSBURG NOW
Spring 2016
02 Around the quad
08
Playing it forward
14
An exploration of faith
16
Navigating uncharted waters
24
Auggies connect
27
Class notes
32
In memoriam
On the cover: Auggies paddle past the Gateway Arch in
St. Louis as part of a semester-long journey following the
Mississippi River from St. Paul to New Orleans. See page 16.
Photo by Whitney Curtis.
Correction: In the Fall 2015 issue of Augsburg Now, the
story “From Riverside Ave. to Riverside, CA” omitted that
Matthew Dunn ’08 was among several recent Augsburg
College graduates to pursue an advanced degree at the
University of California-Riverside.
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise
indicated.
Augsburg College students walk through Lindell Library—a building that will connect to the future
Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion. Learn more about the
Hagfors Center on page 3.
AROUND
THE
QUAD
IGNITING
PASSION, FINDING
HARMONY
Convocation Series
sparks conversation
2
Augsburg Now
The Augsburg College Convocation Series each year offers the community
a chance to hear from leaders and visionaries who spark important
discussion and educate about the challenges and opportunities of
today’s generation. The first event in 2016 was the Martin Luther King Jr.
Convocation in January, featuring Chuck D, leader and co-founder of the
legendary rap group Public Enemy, and his presentation, “Race, Rap, and
Reality: Supporting Our Youth in the Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
as They Face the Unique Challenges of Today.”
The Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics in February
welcomed Dr. Donald Warne—professor and chair of the
Department of Public Health in the College of Health
Professions at North Dakota State University, and senior
policy advisor to the Great Plains Tribal Chairmen’s
Health Board—whose presentation was “Traditional
Lakota Approaches to Health Disparities: Connecting
People and the Environment.”
The Koryne Horbal Lecture in March featured Nekima
Levy-Pounds, attorney, law professor, and president of the
Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP.
Courtesy Photos
Hip-hop pioneer and best-selling author
Chuck D addresses hundreds of attendees at the
2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation.
AROUND THE QUAD
Exterior rendering of the Hagfors Center
E
L
A
S
N
O
TICKETS
CONSTRUCTION STARTS
In May, Augsburg College will begin the construction of its newest and largest
academic building, the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science,
Business, and Religion. The interdisciplinary Hagfors Center embodies
Augsburg’s commitment to student learning, urban placemaking, and thoughtful
stewardship.
The building design features classrooms and labs that are configurable to
support experiential learning as well as other teaching and learning formats.
These spaces will be constructed on a modular framework that allows for
flexibility to meet the College’s long-term needs.
The building will anchor the west side of campus and welcome the
College’s neighborhood with an
“open arms” design facing the
adjacent residential community
and embracing the on-campus
community gardens. The
Hagfors Center also will be the
most environmentally friendly
building on campus, seeking a
LEED Silver certification for its
Mock-up offices
sustainable design.
As part of the building planning process, Augsburg constructed life-size
models of two proposed configurations for faculty and staff offices. The office
concepts were on display in Lindell Library so community members could
stop by to check out the look and feel of the spaces. Students (and even
some faculty members) made themselves at home in the offices by taking
time to study, check email, and read, all the while bringing new meaning to
the phrase, “open-door policy.”
Children’s rights advocate to
keynote peace-building event
Augsburg College will host the 28th
annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum
June 6–8, inviting global leaders and
the general public to explore pressing
peacemaking issues faced by people
across the globe.
This year’s forum will
honor and feature
a keynote address
by Kailash Satyarthi,
joint winner of the
2014 Nobel Peace
Prize. For decades,
Satyarthi has been
tireless in his
advocacy for child
rights, education,
and child labor reform in India. While
in Minneapolis, Satyarthi will join other
peace-building experts to explore human
rights and democracy, disarmament,
sustainability, and inclusivity.
Courtesy Photo
THIS SPRING
College moves forward on
new academic building
Get tickets and learn more at
nobelpeaceprizeforum.org.
The first classes will be held in the Hagfors Center in January 2018. Go to
augsburg.edu/hagforscenter to keep track of project developments.
Spring 2016
3
Historyapolis project wins
ALICE SMITH PRIZE
Twin Cities middle schoolers participate in a Somali debate
initiative led by the Minnesota Urban Debate League.
[Top to bottom]: Kirsten Delegard, who serves
as a scholar-in-residence in the Augsburg
College History Department, and Michael
Lansing, associate professor of history, were
presented the Alice Smith Prize for best public
history project completed in the
previous calendar year by the
Midwestern History Association.
The Historyapolis Project
was created when Delegard
realized that the citizens of
her hometown of Minneapolis
craved complex stories about
the city’s past that would help
them understand how it became
the wonderful and intricate
place that it is today.
Augsburg students are deeply involved
with the project, which aims to make the
city’s history accessible and helps instigate
community dialogue around challenging
aspects of local history. Visit historyapolis.com for
more information.
Signature urban debate program
REACHES MILESTONE
Augsburg College’s Minnesota Urban Debate League program provides
services, support, and materials to more than 750 students engaged in
competitive academic debate at 40 high schools and middle schools across
the Twin Cities metro area. This year marked the first time that the state
debate championship featured two teams from the Minnesota Urban Debate
League: St. Paul’s Highland Park and Minneapolis’ Washburn high schools.
Led by Executive Director Amy Cram Helwich and Faculty Adviser Robert
Groven, an Augsburg communication studies professor, the program helps
increase school engagement and connectedness, which boosts young
people’s confidence in their academic abilities. The program’s impact is
shown through a 100 percent on-time high school graduation rate and a
99 percent college acceptance rate for debaters. “No other out-of-school
program accomplishes such significant gains,” according to Groven.
4
Augsburg Now
Photo courtesy of Lisa Lynch
Minnesota Urban Debate League participants
dominate 2016 state championship
The Historyapolis Project invites Augsburg College
students and community members to conduct research
to help interpret the history of Minneapolis. [L to R]:
Citizen-researcher Rita Yeads and Anna Romskog ’15
view city planning photographs from the 1930s in the
Minneapolis City Archives at City Hall.
AROUND THE QUAD
Professor Phillip Adamo peers out of his office in Memorial Hall.
Phillip Adamo named 2015 Minnesota
Augsburg College was named No. 6
on Best Value Schools’ 2015 list
of 20 Best Value Colleges or
Universities in Minnesota.
eetable
Rankings are based on
graduation rate, net
price, acceptance rate,
#AuggieP
and 20-year net return on
investment.
e
rid
Augsburg College’s Phillip Adamo, professor of history and director of the
Honors Program, was named the 2015 Minnesota Professor of the Year by
the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council
for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Adamo was recognized for his accomplishment in a proclamation by
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges who declared November 19, 2015,
“Dr. Phillip C. Adamo Day in the City of Minneapolis.”
Adamo is the second Augsburg College faculty member to be honored by
Carnegie/CASE. In 2004, Professor Emeritus of Sociology Garry Hesser earned
the prestigious award.
Tw
PROFESSOR OF THE YEAR
Augsburg deemed a
‘best value’ college
Spring 2016
5
ON THE SPOT
Henry Yoon examines addiction risk
Augsburg College Associate Professor Henry Yoon oversees the biopsychology major and
leads the Augsburg Biopsychology Lab. One area of his research involves studying disorders
related to the inability to inhibit socially inappropriate or even illegal behaviors such as
the use of illicit substances that can lead to addiction. Yoon uses neurophysiological
techniques including EEG to capture and analyze the brain’s electrical activity to identify
telltale signs of biological or genetic risk for substance dependence.
Yoon works collaboratively with the StepUP® Program, Augsburg’s residential recovery
community, and the University of Minnesota’s Department of Psychology. Ultimately, Yoon’s
research may help refine the biological tools used in the diagnosis of substance addiction.
Q:
A:
What prompted your interest in studying
addiction?
Substance use disorders are both common
and costly—many of us have personal issues
with substance use or know someone who does,
including our family members. Plus, addiction
is often connected to other major psychiatric
disorders in systematic ways. It is important to
understand the core factors underlying addiction
for intervention and treatment purposes.
Q:
One of the brainwaves you focus on—
the P3—has been studied in relation
to childhood disruptive disorders such as
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,
adolescent substance dependence, and adult
antisocial behaviors. What’s the link among
these areas?
A:
Collectively, these disorders reflect a
tendency toward behavioral disinhibition,
which may be expressed in various ways over
development through childhood, adolescence,
and adulthood. Evidence shows that this
tendency is highly heritable—in other words,
influenced by genes. The P3 brain measure is
significant because it may signify who is at risk
for these disorders. For instance, my colleagues
and I showed that P3 is itself highly heritable
and can be used to predict who will develop
these types of disorders over a 12-year span. So,
we reason that the P3 can serve as a red flag.
6
Augsburg Now
Q:
Despite recognition of the biological and
genetic nature of substance use disorders,
social stigmas persist. Could improved scientific
literacy play a role in reducing these stigmas?
A:
I think a cautionary tale from my field’s
history can help address this question.
In the 1940s-70s, the concept of the
“schizophrenogenic mother” was popular in
the psychiatric literature. This term implied
that mothers who interacted with their children
in a cold, rejecting, and aloof manner caused
schizophrenia in those children. Another
version of this, in relation to autism, was the
“refrigerator mother,” which carried a similar
implication.
Later scientific research rejected these
incorrect and harmful notions and instead
showed that such disorders largely involve
genetic/biological factors. The same trend
can be observed with regard to addiction. For
instance, it is now known that substance use
disorders are influenced by genetic background
to a degree comparable to other complex
medical conditions such as diabetes or coronary
heart disease. Of course environmental factors
are also important, but overall this shows that
combating addiction is not a matter of willpower
or flawed character.
Go to augsburg.edu/now to learn
more about Yoon’s research.
This colorful graph shows a representation of the P3 brainwave activity that Henry Yoon has been investigating in
relation to behavioral disinhibition. Abnormalities in the P3 wave have been shown to correlate with addictive behaviors.
AROUND THE QUAD
StepUP Gala
®
Research, study, and offer
your two cents
breaks fundraising record
In March 2015, Melissa Motl,
circulation coordinator in Augsburg’s
Lindell Library, started posing questions
to students on a whiteboard as a way
to gain more information about how
students use and view the library. She
asked questions like, “What can you
get at the library that you can’t get
anywhere else?” and “What would you
like to see the library do differently?” It
garnered such great feedback that she
decided to continue asking questions
as a fun and interesting way to find out
more about Auggies.
Each year, Augsburg College’s StepUP Program supports dozens of students as
they achieve academic success and sustain lives of recovery from substance
use disorders. Augsburg is home to the largest collegiate recovery community
in the United States, and its work receives generous support from numerous
corporations, foundations, individuals, and families.
The program received a noteworthy boost this year when its philanthropic
gala raised $419,000 from ticket
sales, sponsorships, and individual
gifts—a sum that nearly doubled
the amount raised the previous year.
Former WCCO TV anchor Don Shelby
was the master of ceremonies and
the featured keynote speech was
by Anne Thompson Heller ’08, a
StepUP alumna who has founded
[L to R]: Broadcaster Don Shelby joins
and championed recovery
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Augsburg
organizations at collegiate,
College President Paul Pribbenow
state, and national levels.
at the StepUP Gala.
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“We have some really
creative and thoughtful
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and I think that’s why we always
get great responses. Some are
thoughtful, and some are silly or witty,”
said Motl.
Who ever came up
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At the 15th annual Sports Extravaganza, Augsburg College physical
with this question
education and exercise science students used knowledge gained in the
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children with physical, cognitive, and learning disabilities. For the event,
-Darth Vader
Auggies created activity stations in the Augsburg athletics dome and assisted
children as they played.
The Star Tribune published several Sports Extravaganza photos and described participants’
enthusiasm as “Flying high without leaving the ground.” Visit augsburg.edu/now.
V
Spring 2016
7
PLAYING IT
FORWARD
AUGGIE COACHES CREATE
CYCLE OF GIVING BACK
BY CHRISTINA HALLER
Division III athletics is the sweet spot for
student-athletes—they compete on teams and
nurture deep, meaningful relationships with their
coaches and peers, and at the same time have
the freedom and time to explore other activities
and passions while having a strong focus on
academics. These reasons, among others—the
competition, camaraderie, discipline, and love
of the game—are why more than 500 Augsburg
students participate in varsity and intramural
sports every year.
The welcoming and supportive Augsburg
College Athletics Department has had a profound
impact on many student-athletes, which in
return has sparked a desire in many former
players to give back to youth as leaders, mentors,
and friends. Here is a glimpse into the lasting
influence of Auggie athletics on alumni through
the decades.
8
Augsburg Now
Whitney Restemayer ’10 is the first woman in the state of Minnesota to coach a team to a hockey
state title, the 2015 Minnesota State High School Girls’ Hockey Tournament Class A Championship.
I’ve always enjoyed working with kids,
teaching the game, and mentoring players
off the field. Being a student-athlete
at Augsburg taught me many valuable
lessons and allowed me to strengthen my
leadership skills. Many people from my
athletic upbringing have influenced the
way I teach young men about soccer and
life. I must admit, Auggie soccer coaches
Greg Holker, Jonathan Schaefer, and
Nate Hitch had a profound influence on me
during college.
The most gratifying thing about
coaching is seeing my boys grow into
young men and become contributing
members of the community. I was a kid
who was influenced in so many positive
ways by several people in my athletic path.
For me to have the opportunity to give back
a fraction of my time is the most gratifying
thing in the world.
VAN HONG ’11
Enterprise risk analytics consultant at Deloitte & Touche LLP in Minneapolis; youth soccer coach at Park
Valley United and co-founder of Spam F.C. College Scholarship Foundation in St. Louis Park, Minnesota
SUE (MEIER) ZIEGLER ’80
Physical education and health and
wellness teacher and head volleyball and
track coach at Lincoln Lutheran Middle/
Senior High School in Lincoln, Nebraska
Photos by Matt Ryerson
I was involved with basketball and track
as an Auggie. I would credit the whole
Augsburg Health–Physical Education
Department and coaches for supporting
me—people like longtime athletic
director and men’s basketball coach
Ernie Anderson ’37 were always looking
out for athletes’ best interests. I believe I
received a quality education in a Christian
environment, and feel blessed to be in a
similar situation now. I hope I have had an
impact on helping shape young people’s
lives through education and athletics, too.
Students teach me life lessons every
day. The impact that they have had on my
life has been invaluable—on relationships,
commitment, and learning. I love seeing
where my former students and athletes
go on in the next step of their lives—
from college to starting their families to
excelling in their careers.
Spring 2016
11
Everything I got from sports as a player—
the love of the game, the friendships, the
teamwork, the cohesion—sparked a desire
in me to coach. I started playing sports
at a young age and experienced coaches
who I really clicked with, and I knew that I
wanted to be able to give back to athletes
in the same way. I had a great experience
at Augsburg. Playing two sports, being a
health and physical education major, and
working within the Athletics Department
allowed me to meet many people who had a
great influence on my life.
I have been very lucky to achieve a lot
of success in my short coaching career.
Being able to be a part of something
so great on ice allowed me to also be a
part of something great off the ice. The
relationships that I have developed with
many of the girls I have coached is second
to none.
WHITNEY RESTEMAYER ’10
Physical education teacher at Challenger Elementary School
and assistant girls’ softball coach and head girls’ hockey
coach at Lincoln High School in Thief River Falls, Minnesota
JAMELL TIDWELL ’05
Assistant administrator, athletic
director, and middle school football
and track coach at Valley Middle
School of STEM, and high school
wrestling coach at Apple Valley High
School in Apple Valley, Minnesota
I feel like God put athletics in my
life to keep me out of trouble so that
I could get to where I am today. If I
didn’t have wrestling in my life, there’s
no way I’d currently be working toward
my doctorate. I didn’t have a dad
growing up, so when I was a studentathlete at Augsburg, Auggie wrestling
coaches Jeff Swenson ’79, Sam
Barber, and Donny Wichmann ’89
took me under their wings and taught
me how to be a student, how to be an
athlete, how to be a man, and how to
be successful.
I hope that by being a coach, I
can show kids that, through athletics
and working hard in school, you can
achieve anything. I always tell my
players, you have to be a student first
and an athlete second.
AN
EXPLORATION
OF FAITH
PRESTIGIOUS $467,000
GRANT FOSTERS STUDENTS’
ENGAGEMENT IN YOUTH
THEOLOGY INSTITUTE
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
“J
esus is in the generosity business,”
said Amber Kalina ’15 when she
quoted from Walter Brueggeman’s
theology of abundance at an Augsburg
College chapel service. “That means
being constantly alert to any mismatch
between the generosity of God and the
needs of people.”
Certainly, Augsburg was given a
great and generous gift this winter when
the College was awarded a prestigious
three-year Lilly Endowment Inc. grant
of $467,000 for the Youth Theology
Institute. This residential summer camp
program explores deep and meaningful
questions of faith and vocation through
classes, service work, and reflection.
The competitive grant ensures that this
program will continue the work of helping
young people discern their vocations.
Kalina’s homily was part of a visit
to her home state of Minnesota to
pursue the next step in her vocational
journey: Attending seminary to become
ordained as a minister in the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America.
The journey of this youth and
family ministry graduate, however,
started in the the summer of 2010
14
Augsburg Now
when she was a junior in high school
in Perham, Minnesota. It was then that
she attended Augsburg’s Youth Theology
Institute at the encouragement of her
youth pastor.
“I would grill my youth director
about everything. He had heard about
the Augsburg College Youth Theology
Institute, and he encouraged me to
attend because I just couldn’t stop
asking questions,” Kalina said. “At the
Institute, I was challenged and pushed
to think about and explain what I
actually think about faith.”
DIVERSE EXPERIENCES
IN A DIVERSE ZIP CODE
The 13-year-old Youth Theology
Institute engages young people in
grades 10-12 in deep theological
questions and vocational discernment
through community-based and
classroom learning, worship, reflection,
and solitude. The program, which has
touched more than 200 young people
since its inception, is an example of
how Augsburg College lives out its
vision to educate people for lives of
purpose across disciplines and beyond
the classroom.
“This grant supports Augsburg’s
continued commitment to intentional
diversity and to modeling what it means
to be a Lutheran college of the 21st
century, located in the heart of one of
the nation’s most diverse ZIP codes. It
equips young people with theological
and vocational skills and helps them
learn what it means to practice
their faith, with its commitments to
education, radical hospitality, and
serving your neighbor,” said Augsburg
College President Paul Pribbenow.
LEARN, PRAY, AND
PLAY TOGETHER
Since its inception in 2004, the Youth
Theology Institute—a program of
Augsburg’s Bernhard M. Christensen
Center for Vocation—has explored
themes germane not only to the College,
but also to current events.
Augsburg’s emphasis on
interdisciplinary learning shaped
the 2015 program, which explored
interfaith action, a deeply compelling
topic for participants and the College,
particularly given Augsburg’s setting
in the midst of a neighborhood with a
growing Muslim population.
The Lilly grant will allow the
Augsburg College Youth Theology
Institute to expand upon its history of
success while increasing programmatic
goals, including:
• Development of a cohort of youth
ministers from regional churches,
synods, and multicultural and
ethnic-specific congregations,
interested in enhancing vocational
discernment and theological
reflection among youth.
Photo by Mark Chamberlain
Amber Kalina ’15 serves Abundant Life Together,
a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America. This Alt Year program in Toledo, Ohio,
provides young adults a chance to explore in
community subjects including vocation through
reflection, leadership, relationships, and service.
• Growth in the number of participants
from 20 in 2016 to 40 by
2019 while also strengthening
relationships with attendees, their
families, their pastors, and their
churches.
• The creation of a mentor program
to allow college-age students to
help high school students develop
practices and skills for theological
reflection.
• An increase in connections to the
four synods of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America
that form Augsburg’s governing
structure—Minneapolis, St. Paul,
Southeastern Minnesota, and
Northwest Wisconsin.
• Continuation of scholarships for
Youth Theology Institute alumni to
attend Augsburg College.
“We learn together,
pray together, play together,
explore the city together, and
discern God’s work in our
world together.”
− Jeremy Myers
Youth Theology Institute program director
and associate professor of religion
Participants in the program are
respectfully challenged in every activity
to dig deep into their perspectives and
biases to uncover their beliefs.
“We learn together, pray together,
play together, explore the city together,
and discern God’s work in our world
together,” said Associate Professor
of Religion Jeremy Myers, the Youth
Theology Institute program director.
For her part, Kalina hopes the grant
prompts others like her to find their paths.
“Young people are so eager to learn,”
Kalina said. “But if there is nothing at
home to welcome their questioning or to
guide them, it is difficult. Home church
congregations have to be involved.
Participation from our churches provides
a chance for all of us to show young
people that abundance exists in Christian
community and that abundance is meant
to be shared with everyone.”
Augsburg College will welcome the
2016 class of Youth Theology Institute
students to campus from June 19–24.
Participants from across the country will
explore meaningful questions related to
social and environmental justice, the role
of the congregation in these questions,
and how one can both love and be
frustrated by community.
To learn more, visit augsburg.edu/acyti.
Spring 2016
15
Navigating
uncharted waters
First-ever River Semester pushes
boundaries of experiential learning
By Kate H. Elliott
The River Semester was billed as an experiential learning
opportunity: engage in a full load of political, environmental,
and physical education courses—reinforced by a research
project—while canoeing down the Mississippi River from its
headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. But for the
12 Augsburg College students, two faculty members, teaching
assistant, and two guides who completed the first-of-its-kind
trek from August to December, it was so much more.
For it was on those waters that the crew learned to
appreciate the quiet, to be curious about the world around
them, and to seek knowledge. They learned to be prepared, to
make friendship a fine art, and most importantly to enjoy the
8
Augsburg Now
moment. And they didn’t just learn about the river so much
as become enamored of it, so much so that many of them feel
unsteady back on solid ground.
The Mississippi became their muse, teacher, personal
trainer, and confidante. They dreamt alongside its calming
waters and paddled through its more turbulent channels.
Soon, its problems became their problems: urban stormwater
runoff, the economic decay of river towns, and invasive flying
carp smacked them—literally—in the face. And so, what
started as an interesting, immersive experience has become a
sobering call to restore and protect one of the United States’
most iconic natural wonders.
Spring 2016
17
Ricky Taylor ’17, a film and graphic design major, captured the crew’s three-month journey and
many of the social, economic, political, and cultural forces gripping the river as he gathered
footage for a feature-length documentary. He plans to premiere “Learning to Listen: Our
Semester on the River” this summer.
“We learned by living, meeting the people, and witnessing the issues that illustrate the
complexities plaguing the river,” Taylor said. “We met Carl, a shrimper who once walked on
land that is now six feet beneath water, and we paddled past sediment that was filling in the
river’s largest lake (Lake Pepin near Red Wing, Minnesota). We read about levees being ‘big bad
wolves’ but then saw them protect families just trying to make their way through life. A portion
of Louisiana is being swallowed up by the ocean, a culture disappearing into the Gulf of Mexico,
largely due to agricultural practices that help feed our nation.
“Somewhere along the way, I slipped out of the boat and into the Big Muddy. Every day I
think about the river—about the paddling, the friends, the food, the learning—longing to be
back there. Mud runs through my veins, and the only word I can find to describe the experience
is ‘love,’ and that’s not a word I take lightly.”
A gripping odyssey
The trip had all the elements of any good adventure story:
There was a steadfast leader, Joe Underhill, who has been engaged in environmental politics
for 30 years and had been dreaming about this trip for almost as long; an epic journey paddling
nearly 700 miles in 24-foot handmade cedar-strip voyager canoes; and a compelling cast of
characters, including the student who’d never camped, the chipper morning person, and a
student about to drop out who found his calling en route. There were unexpected moments,
including an emergency appendectomy outside Mark Twain’s hometown, an open mic night
harmonizing with the locals of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and a visit to the Michael Brown
memorial in Ferguson, Missouri. And finally, there were lots of emotions—all of them, really.
Underhill knew the trip would be an odyssey in every sense of the word. The professor
of political science, environmental studies, and international relations had been planning
“
Mud runs
through my
veins
—Ricky Taylor ’17
and networking for 15 years to realize the River Semester. He tested the waters in 2001 by
organizing a three-day field trip from St. Cloud, Minnesota, to St. Paul. Five-day and 10-day
excursions followed before he proposed the semester experience in 2012.
“This is where Augsburg stands out from other institutions,” said Underhill, who has
organized interdisciplinary trips throughout the world. “Augsburg values experiential learning,
place-based pedagogy, and innovative approaches so much that it wasn’t a
matter of ‘if’ we can make this happen but ‘how.’ Yes, we had three years
of sorting out logistics, but the College continues to empower and support
faculty to engage in this type of work, and you only have to talk with one
of these students to grasp the impact.”
Once logistics were in place, Underhill’s years of contacts at
organizations such as the National Park Service rushed in to participate—
offering guest lectures, exclusive tours of historic sites, hot meals, and
lodging. Wilderness Inquiry, a Minneapolis-based outfitter that has
partnered with Augsburg for years, provided logistical expertise and
risk management planning as well as guides, food, and equipment. Erik
Ophaug, a Wilderness Inquiry program manager, said the outfitter is proud
to be at the forefront in creative endeavors that increase students’ access
to and connection with the natural world.
“This was the longest expedition we have run, in terms of number of days on the river, in
our 40-year history of supporting educational and expeditionary outdoor adventures,” Ophaug
said. “It was inspiring to watch these students truly soak up and process all of the little
moments that make up the culture, politics, ecosystem, and history of the Mississippi River
watershed.”
Guide Emily Knudson ’15 had paddled with Underhill on a 10-day canoe trip as part of a
River Politics course her senior year. When she learned the semester-long excursion wouldn’t
materialize until after she would graduate, the determined triple major in environmental
studies, English literature, and Spanish secured a job with Wilderness Inquiry in hopes of
gaining a staff position on the trip, which she did. Charged with almost every logistical task,
from planning mileage and booking campsites to grocery shopping and monitoring weather
conditions, Knudson also served as a supplemental instructor and intern for Augsburg. She
led study sessions and presented lectures in their outdoor classrooms (or the nearest city’s
laundromat or public library in bad weather).
“Educational experiences like this are important because they make you think so much
more deeply about the course content. Instead of memorizing facts about the lock and dam
system for a test, we were paddling through the pools the dams created, hearing stories from
locals, and camping on the islands built to replace those flooded out decades earlier. In a
couple years, I will forget almost everything I memorized, but I will never forget my learning in
action,” said Knudson.
Guitar
Headlamp
Rain gear
French press
Rubber boots
Visit augsburg.edu/now to learn
which items the River Semester
crew couldn’t live without.
Self-discovery on the riverbanks
Glen Gardner ’17 was considering taking a year off from school when he saw the River Semester
publicized in the cafeteria. He signed up, and somewhere along the pilgrimage, the Montana
native realized he wants to teach art. Gardner is back at Augsburg this semester, majoring in
studio art and art education.
“Having the time to unplug and reflect about my life helped me realize my passion for art
education. I have always been interested in the arts, but I hadn’t really thought about teaching
until I discovered that I loved spreading the feelings I find in art to other people as much as I
enjoy making art,” Gardner said. “I want to extend my knowledge and passion beyond myself
and use art to promote living in a way that is not wasteful to the world.”
Spring 2016
19
Hearing this, Underhill is proud. Provoking self-exploration
was not his motivation for organizing the trip, but the sense of
vocation students found down river is certainly the journey’s
most fulfilling outcome. Admittedly, he took a leap of faith
selecting the crew. He didn’t pick a team of students with
similar interests, backgrounds, maturity levels, and outdoor
experience. He picked a team that reflects Augsburg’s
commitment to nurturing a diverse community of resilient,
driven, and faith-filled citizens. As you can imagine, the initial
weeks included some whining and a few cold stares, but before
long, this dynamic group evolved into a harmonious tribe.
Forging lasting bonds
Taylor was nervous about the trip, not because of the physical
demands or the elements (he was an Eagle Scout and grew
up a “river kid” in north-central Wisconsin). As the crew’s
videographer and documentarian, Taylor was most concerned
about getting his new Nikon, Sony video camera, and
two GoPros wet. But even more so, he was terrified of the
quiet—for those moments when people would start sharing
information about their lives. He was finishing up his second
semester at Augsburg in the College’s StepUP® Program, the
nation’s largest residential collegiate recovery community.
Now sober for two years, Taylor said he burned bridges
between himself and others before he entered recovery.
“My peers on the River Semester were some of my first
friends in a long time. It was truly a fresh start,” he said.
“On the trip, I heard things that were strange to my ears:
‘Ricky, you’re a good person,’ ‘You’re kind,’ and ‘I’m amazed
by you.’ I always looked around, thinking, ‘Are you sure you’re
talking to me?’ It was the first time in years that I felt good,
felt worth, and felt confidence. People trusting and caring for
me is more precious to me than anything, and I developed
everlasting bonds with this crew.”
Brian Arvold ’80 witnessed that closeness when he
welcomed home his daughter, Hannah, who was one of
the first two students to sign up for the trip. When the
crew stepped off the train at a welcome home rally in midDecember, Arvold said, the students ran into their families’
arms, and then they all ran back—to each other.
8
Augsburg Now
“It was touching for all of us to see,” said Arvold, who
was waving a canoe paddle painted with “River Semester” as
the train slowed to a halt. “You may want a lot for your child,
but lifelong friendships are at the top of the list. Knowing that
these students will be there for each other through life’s ups
and downs is comforting.
“We’d talk to Hannah along the trip, and we could hear
her growing more socially and culturally aware, but we also
detected a real sense of confidence. Paddling that entire river
empowered our daughter as she was placed in settings where
she had to stand up for herself, push through, and create
solutions. Augsburg is truly on the forefront—a small college
doing great things. It’s neat to see them embrace learning
without four walls.”
Wading through analysis, navigating partnerships
Hannah Arvold ’18 was able to channel her professional
pursuits into a research project focused on nutrition and the
environmental impacts of farming. On the first leg of their
trip, she calculated the caloric intake and expenditure of her
peers, noting which foods provided the best sources of energy.
Near the end of their voyage, she recorded the agriculture
industry’s negative impacts on the river, including gasoline
and pesticides seeping into groundwater. “Caring about the
health of your body,” Arvold said, “is just as important as the
health of the land it is grown on.
“I created an ‘I the Mississippi’ bumper sticker and
gave it out to people along our trip for freewill donations,”
Arvold said. “We donated $500 of the money raised to
purchase science equipment for the International School of
Louisiana where we presented many of our research findings
to more than 160 fourth- and sixth-graders.”
Each student conducted a research project, and many
of them involved collaborations with external partners
throughout the United States. Noah Cameron ’17 worked with
Minnesota artist Monica Haller, known for the “Veterans Book
Project,” which captures interviews and data from dozens
of soldiers, refugees, and journalists affected by wars in
Iraq and Afghanistan. Cameron used a hydrophone to record
underwater noises while on the river and then paired them
with social and cultural recordings, which he plans to use for
future collaborations with Haller.
“It seems that intense, mindful listening is a difficult task
nowadays, and some people have no reason to listen. I was
given a reason, and I learned much about the nature of sound,
silence, noise, and listening,” the political science major said.
“My project acknowledges that the river has something to say,
which it certainly does. One thing the river told me was that
it is polarized; its waters are either filled with the sounds of
mechanical engineering or with quiet ecological or hydrologic
characteristics.
“Similarly to how I thoughtfully listen to the systems of
the river, I realized that we—as a society—should thoughtfully
listen, which is not the same as agreeing, to our government
and each other. I viewed the river like our government—this
massive, daunting entity that we seem to have little effect
on. However, as we moved down that river and as we took
classes about both the nature of the river and the nature of
democracy, we learned that we do affect that river, and we do
affect our government.”
Blair Stewig ’18 connected with the river on a molecular
level, studying how the concentrations of various chemicals
influence ecosystems. Throughout the trip, she collected water
quality data like that of the National Park Service’s “State of
the River Report.” She also collaborated with Reuben Heine,
a geology professor at Augustana College in Rock Island,
Illinois, to gather sonar data about subaqueous dunes, or
sediment bed forms at the bottom of the river.
“My main focus was on the accumulation of nitrates
in the Mississippi and its effect on the Gulf of Mexico. The
molecule, commonly found in fertilizers, seeps into the
river system from agricultural and urban runoff, feedlots,
sewage treatment plants, and more. This excess results in a
‘Dead Zone’ in the Northern Gulf of Mexico each late spring
and summer,” said Stewig, who is majoring in biology and
chemistry. “What does that mean? An influx of nutrients
results in an algae bloom. When these algae die, they sink
to the bottom of the ocean, where they are consumed by
bacteria, which depletes the area of oxygen. Some marine
life sense the lack of oxygen and leave, but others die as a
result. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, the Dead Zone costs the U.S. seafood and
tourism industry $82 million per year.”
Lark Weller, who collaborated with Stewig on behalf of
the National Park Service, said Stewig’s data will inform
brochures and fact sheets about excess nitrates in a river
system that provides water for upwards of 15 million people.
The research these students conducted is compelling, Weller
said, but their connection to the river is even more impressive.
“I suppose it’s possible to complete a college degree
without really ever understanding the broader context of the
world around you—but not for River Semester students. It
is clear the experience dramatically changed the lives of
every single student who accepted the challenge. They have
returned with a new and expansive sense of self, place, and
world,” said Weller.
Memories keep rollin’ along
The next leg of this journey: The documentary. Taylor
produced several short videos chronicling the trip, which are
at augsburg.edu/river, and he’s looking forward to sharing the
experience through his forthcoming feature-length film. For
now, the River Semester crew continues to process the issues
they know and to reflect upon their moments together: rows
of sleeping bags dotting the shore as they looked up at an
ebony sky studded with millions of heavenly diamonds; waking
at 3 a.m. to paddle from darkness to dawn; and swaying in
hammocks tied to the tall willow trees of remote river islands.
So, if you see members of this motley crew sleeping
outside, don’t judge. They’re just longing to be back on
the water, where they grew stronger and a bit wiser, having
realized that the issues gripping the Mississippi River are
as sophisticated as its ecosystems. That enlightenment has
influenced the way they now see the world, with varying
shades of compromise and understanding. They reenter their
lives with renewed purpose, fueled by an empowering sense
of community, the ability to adapt, and the ache for life’s next
adventure.
“
It feels good to say, ‘I know the Mississippi.’
But, of course, you don’t—what you know better
is yourself and the Mississippi has helped.
—River Semester student journal entry
From trickling headwaters to the
WIDE AND MIGHTY OCEAN
River Semester participants share memorable events along the river
Beginning in 2003, Augsburg College Associate Professor Joe Underhill began incorporating short Mississippi River
trips—three-, five-, and 10-day excursions—into his environmental politics curriculum. He first presented the idea
of a semester-long trip to College leadership in 2012, and then three years of logistical discussions and planning
followed. This past fall, Underhill and biology instructor Thorpe Halloran shoved off from St. Paul with 12 students, two
guides, and a teaching assistant. Here are a few highlights from their journey.
AUG. 28-30: Held an orientation at
the Mississippi River headwaters to
introduce courses, review canoeing and
water safety basics, and discuss topics
such as American Indians’ perspectives
on the environment and sustainability.
1
SEPT. 1: Chris Coleman, mayor of
St. Paul, joined nearly 100 Auggies,
family members, and high school students
at the launch of the nation’s first-ever
River Semester. Dozens of attendees
paddled in a flotilla of 24-foot voyageur
canoes to South St. Paul.
2
SEPT. 5-7: Studied the water
quality and impact of farming,
including increased sediment load on the
river. Sampled water alongside fisheries
biologists with the Minnesota Department
of Natural Resources.
3
“Without a current and with a brutal head wind,
paddling Lake Pepin was probably one of our
most challenging days.” —Lily Moloney ’15
SEPT. 12-17: Joined faculty and
students from Winona State
University for stream ecology labs and
discussion on the impact of the lock and
dam system.
4
OCT. 3: A rough paddle through the
pool above Lock and Dam No. 13,
one of the widest pools on the upper river.
The crew struggled through fierce winds
to avoid submerged tree stumps left over
5
from before the dam was built. One of the
canoes sustained a bad crack, which the
crew repaired at camp.
OCT. 7-10: Met with local farmers
and a nonprofit environmental
group that organizes river cleanups, tree
plantings, and other conservation efforts.
The crew also engaged a field lab with
Reuben Heine, geography professor at
Augustana College in Illinois.
6
OCT. 20-21: When the crew
paddled into author Mark Twain’s
hometown, Izzie Smith ’18 began to suffer
from stomach pain. By midnight, she had
been diagnosed with appendicitis, and
the next morning she had surgery. Two
weeks later, Smith rejoined the group in
Memphis. Even with all the excitement,
the team still engaged in a lively
discussion about Huck Finn and literary
figures born along the Mississippi.
7
OCT. 29: The last morning of their
journey on the upper river, the crew
woke up at 3 a.m. to paddle for a few
hours in the dark to catch the sun rise
over the river. They ended their sunrise
paddle on the Mississippi’s banks north
of St. Louis, from which vans shuttled
the crew past the Chain of Rocks, an
exposure of bedrock in the Cuivre River.
8
9
NOV. 2: As part of Underhill’s
course, Democracy in the American
Heartland, students traveled to the
Michael Brown Memorial—the site of the
August 2014 shooting death of a black
teenager by a white policeman, which
prompted national commentary on racial
discrimination and gun control. President
Paul Pribbenow joined the group for a
tour through the city and discussions with
residents.
“Standing at that memorial in the middle of
the road was a deeply unsettling experience—
there was no way it could or should have been
otherwise.” —President Paul Pribbenow
NOV. 16: The team paddled past
expansive sandbars and islands
full of wildlife at the confluence of the
Mississippi and Arkansas rivers. Waters in
this area can rise and fall as much as 70
feet and swirl around canoes.
10
NOV. 26: Thanksgiving in New
Orleans: The crew enjoyed an
abundance of fried turkey and comforting
side dishes at their hostel as they visited
with fellow travelers from more than a
dozen countries.
11
12
DEC. 11: Travel by train to Chicago.
“The train back to Chicago was spent
doing a lot of work on our finals, but it was also
a time to reflect on everything we experienced
on the trip.” —Blair Stewig ’18
1
ITASCA STATE
PARK, MN
HARRIET ISLAND, ST. PAUL
2
LAKE PEPIN
3
4
WINONA, MN
CLINTON, IA
HANNIBAL, MO
5
6
CHICAGO, IL
12
QUAD CITIES
7
LOUISIANA, MO
8
FERGUSON, MO
9
10
CHOCTAW ISLAND, TN
DEC. 14-15 The crew traveled by train from Chicago
to the Twin Cities and joined in a “good-bye” hug
upon arrival at Union Depot in St. Paul.
As part of the River Semester welcome back celebration,
Augsburg graphic design and typography students created an
interactive gallery exhibit chronicling the voyage. Learn more
at augsburg.edu/now.
NEW ORLEANS, LA
11
Spring 2016
23
AUGGIES CONNECT
FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear alumni and friends,
JILL WATSON ’10 MBA, ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
24
Augsburg Now
Courtesy Photo
T
oday’s Augsburg College students seek to make
a difference, and it’s been a privilege to interact
with them as they gather to meet alumni, discuss
vocation, and pick up targeted professional advice at
recent events. Last fall, the Clair and Gladys Strommen
Center for Meaningful Work hosted a Career and
Internship Fair and welcomed young Auggies who sought
to make connections with employers and internship hosts.
Shortly after the event, nearly two dozen Augsburg alumni returned to
campus to join panel discussions about their academic and career stories across
a range of disciplines and professions. These events were part of a five-week
major and career exploration series that provided nearly 175 students the
opportunity to explore a wide variety of degrees and occupations. This series was
made successful thanks, in part, to the Augsburg College alumni who served as
panelists. Thank you to all Auggies who shared your vocation and insight with
students!
Most recently, I was humbled by the talent, drive, and thoughtfulness I saw
all around me at the annual Alumni-Student Networking event in February, where
hundreds of alumni mingled with current students and faculty, received free
professional profile photos, and listened as alumni addressed the importance
of informational interviewing, mentoring, and using social media to connect.
Regardless of where we are in our professional lives, I think we all have something
to offer to or gain from such events.
Events like these make me proud to be an Auggie. If you shared your
experiences with students in the past year, you helped to inspire Auggie pride.
Whether you’re connecting with students, networking with graduates of all
class years, contributing to The Augsburg Fund
View videos that illustrate the
to support College initiatives, or planning a
impact of student internships
gift to fund an endowed scholarship, we are so
at augsburg.edu/now.
grateful.
As Augsburg moves into the future, alumni can help the College live out its
vision—to educate students for lives of purpose—across the disciplines, beyond
the classroom, and around the world.
You can engage your employer in identifying Auggies as candidates for
employment, internships, or mentorships by posting opportunities at your
company on the AugPost job board found at augsburg.edu/alumni.
I joined the alumni board because I wanted to see Auggies help other
Auggies and make a difference. Each time I attend an Augsburg event, I learn
more about what current students are up to, and I want to do everything I can to
help them succeed. Won’t you join me?
UNIQUELY AUGSBURG
TRAVEL IN THAILAND AND CAMBODIA
JANUARY 3-15, 2017
In January, English Professor Kathy
Swanson and her husband, Jack,
will lead an educational trip through
Thailand and Cambodia. After arriving
in Bangkok, travelers will tour the Grand
Palace, visit the temple at Wat Po (the
Reclining Buddha), shop for tropical
produce, and sample local cuisine
cooked on boats at a floating market.
From there they will continue to Chiang
Mai to ride elephants, perfect their
culinary skills with a cooking class, and
volunteer at an orphanage. The trip will
conclude in Siem Reap, Cambodia,
at Angkor Wat, the largest religious
monument in the world.
This thought-provoking tour has
been customized specifically for
Augsburg alumni, parents, and friends,
and there’s still time to learn more and
participate. Contact Katie Koch ’01,
director of Auggie Engagement, at
kochk@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1178
if you are interested in learning more
about Augsburg’s travel opportunities.
To learn more, go to
augsburg.edu/alumni/travel.
AUGGIES CONNECT
ALUMNA COMBINES
CREATIVITY AND CHEMISTRY
through career at 3M
Capstone dinner celebrates
SUCCESSFUL BUILDING CAMPAIGN
This winter, as part of the annual Advent Vespers festivities, Augsburg
College held a dinner to celebrate the successful completion of the
largest capital campaign in the institution’s history and to recognize
the generosity of all who made the Campaign for the Norman and
Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion
possible. More than 200 donors attended, including members of the
Board of Regents and many alumni supporters.
President Paul Pribbenow offered his sincere thanks to Norman
and Evangeline Hagfors and all donors to the new building. Chair of
the Board of Regents Dr. Paul Mueller ’84 shared his gratitude and
recognized the incredible leadership and commitment of Mike Good ’71
[pictured above], who served as national chair for the campaign that
exceeded its $50 million goal.
After becoming
involved with the 3M
STEP program as a
high school student,
Audrey Sherman ’97
[pictured] became
an inventor at age
20. Now a scientist
with 3M, Sherman is
credited with nearly
80 patents, some
created with other Augsburg alumni working at
the Minnesota-based company.
Sherman’s most recent patent is for a
versatile material with the potential to improve
cosmetics, insulation wrapping, and electronics.
Two of her favorite patents involve using
pressure-sensitive adhesives to transport light
and making a solvent-free duct tape. She also
helped discover a new solution for restickable
diaper tape. Sherman feels that her Augsburg
minor in art has been an important factor in
pursuing her inventions, enabling her to blend
creativity with her skills in chemistry. Today
she mentors St. Paul high school students
interested in science and gives talks to juniorhigh and middle-school students about careers
in science and technology.
Share your ideas for
AUGSBURG’S 150TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
SESQUICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
years
Augsburg alumni, parents, friends, faculty, and staff are invited to help celebrate
the College’s 150th anniversary in 2019. What aspect of your Augsburg
history would you like to celebrate during the sesquicentennial year? Were you
connected to a team, a club, or a department that made a difference? Would
you like to see a reunion for your favorite activity—whether it was the Echo
newspaper staff, a sport, Lutheran Youth Encounter, the Augsburg Choir, or
theater? How best would you like to honor Augsburg’s past, present, and future?
Visit augsburg.edu/150 to submit your ideas and find monthly updates on
planning already underway for the sesquicentennial celebration.
Spring 2016
25
AUGGIES CONNECT
ALUMNI ASSIST
STUDENTS
on their path to
physician assistant
career
[L to R]: Augsburg College alumnus
Tom Towle ’14 MPA leads thenstudents Scott Harder ’15 MPA and
Christina Pekoske ’15 MPA through
the steps of starting an IV.
32
26
Augsburg Now
I
n the classroom and in the field, Augsburg
College alumni help today’s physician assistant
students gain a glimpse into the professional
world they’re preparing to enter. Through clinical
work and course instruction, alumni share their
experience in a high-demand field.
Augsburg’s Master of Science in Physician
Assistant Studies program was the first of its kind
in Minnesota and admitted its inaugural class in
1995. The full-time graduate program educates
generalist physician assistants oriented toward
service to underserved populations in rural and
urban settings.
The physician assistant (PA) concept has
evolved over time but continues to increase in
relevance. In alignment with health care industry
demand, the PA’s role continues to expand.
The Augsburg PA program’s long history
in Minnesota is advantageous, according to
Jenny Kluznik ’13 MPA, assistant professor of
physician assistant studies. PA students spend
approximately half of their graduate program in
a didactic—or classroom—phase. The latter half
of the program is spent in the community where
students complete clinical rotations that change
every five weeks. Augsburg’s PA alumni serve
as educators and lecturers for a course series in
clinical medicine and also serve as hosts for the
hands-on field work.
Meredith Wold ’07 MPA is a guest lecturer
for the program and an adjunct faculty member.
She works as a hospitalist PA with an internal
medicine team at Regions Hospital in St. Paul.
As an undergraduate, Wold was focused almost
exclusively on medical school, but during her final
year in college she was struck by the teamwork she
witnessed between a doctor and a PA in surgery.
Now, after nearly a decade in her profession,
Wold values the team-based work of taking care
of hospitalized patients.
She weaves clinical episodes from her career
into her lectures, which serve to remind students
of the whole patient—not just the upcoming exam.
Melissa Oeding ’10 MPA, another guest
lecturer, agrees.
“As a recent graduate, I can relate to the
student experience, understand how students learn,
and provide real-world insight and advice regarding
what to expect as a practicing PA,” said Oeding,
who works at Minneapolis’ Hennepin County
Medical Center.
She’s stimulated by the chance to sit on the
other side of the lectern.
“It renews an excitement for my work and
career and reminds me just why I started out in the
program,” she said. “I feel extraordinarily blessed to
have been trained and trained well at Augsburg.”
Guest lecturer Olga Trouskova ’13 MPA sought
out Augsburg’s PA program in part because of its
emphasis on serving the underserved.
“I went into medicine to provide answers and
to heal,” Trouskova said. “Now I understand that
great medicine cannot happen without building
relationships and trust with my patients.”
She also is a hospitalist PA at Regions and,
during her weeks off, serves as a family practice
PA at Westside Community Health Services/La
Clinica, a community clinic.
Trouskova makes a point of including real
patient stories in her presentations to remind
students that PAs treat patients, not diseases.
For students, there’s no match for hearing these
types of lessons from alumni, according to Wold.
“It shows a level of alumni commitment
toward the program and the next generation
of Augsburg PAs,” she said. “Early on after
graduation I felt a duty, a professional
responsibility really, to give that back.”
And teaching is its own kind of gift,
according to Trouskova.
“By teaching others, I have learned as well,”
she said.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1960
Lowell “Zeke”
Ziemann ’60 continues
to write. His newest book,
“Gunslingers and Baseball,” is
a collection of Western historical
fiction, essays, and baseball
stories. It is available on Amazon.
1965
From his time at
Augsburg, Allen
Anderson ’65 fondly remembers his
music professor Leland Sateren ’35,
the Burgundy Singers, dorm life,
and choir tours. Today, Anderson is
still involved with choral music and
enjoys golf, woodworking, activities
in his community and at his church,
travel, and participation in Lutheran
Men in Mission. He and wife, Joyce,
have two children who graduated
from Augsburg. They travel to New
Zealand on occasion to visit their
son and his family.
Gary Blosberg ’65 says that his
current position is “reclined.”
He is retired after 26 years
as a finance manager at
General Electric and 23 years
in the U.S. Navy. He thanks
chemistry professor Courtland
Agre for sharing his wisdom
when he said: “You don’t need
to know everything; you just
need to know where to find the
answers.” Blosberg still sings
with the Centennial Singers, the
Masterworks Chorale, and other
groups. He is proud to be a father
and grandfather.
Connie (Ekeren) Cameron ’65
teaches at Honors Mentor
Connection, is on the Fringe
Festival Board, sings in the
St. Joan of Arc Choir, and is
involved in politics, travel, and
the League of Women Voters. Her
fondest memories of Augsburg
include the Kappa House girls,
professor Anne Pederson’s literature
wonderful teachers and role
models. Among Dietrich’s most
treasured Augsburg memories
are the excellent convocation
speakers and the great
friendships she made. Today, she
and husband, Franklin, enjoy
their grandsons, their involvement
at Central Lutheran Church, and
traveling. She also volunteers with
literature; and professor of history
Carl Chrislock ’37 for his effective
use of anecdote to enliven history.
Dyrud spends his time reading,
golfing, and traveling. He and
wife, Marilyn, have three children
who are all involved with theater,
and they enjoy seeing their
children’s work.
In October, Janis “Matty” Mathison ’69 was honored by the American
Planning Association’s Wisconsin Chapter as its Citizen of the Year for
her leadership in working with local residents and planners to promote
healthy living and active lifestyles in eastern Wisconsin’s Shawano
County. Last year was the third year of Bike the Barn Quilts, an area
bike tour that she spearheaded.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
classes, and her roommate of four
years Carol (Welch) Langness ’65.
Cameron thanks the team behind
the Christmas smorgasbords;
Ailene Cole, speech professor;
Orvald Haugsby, math professor;
Leland Sateren ’35, music
department head; and Phil
Quanbeck Sr. ’50. She and
husband, Bill, have three sons and
one grandchild.
Eunice (Bergman) Dietrich ’65
thanks home economics faculty
Ruth Segolson, Ruth Sonsteng,
and Katherine Peterson for being
daughter, Kari, at Dakota City,
the 1900s village in Farmington,
Minnesota. The Dietrichs also
have a son, Hans.
The faculty members who most
influenced David Dyrud ’65 as a
student were philosophy professor
Paul Sonnack ’42 for his intensity;
New Testament Greek and Latin
professor Mario Colacci for
his flamboyance; professor of
English Gerald Thorson ’43 for his
Hush Puppies (Dyrud’s favorite
shoes); professor of English Anne
Pederson, for her affection for
Mark Gjerde ’65 retired in 2004
from 3M. He enjoys traveling
with wife, Jan (Lunas) Gjerde ’68,
and spending time with their
grandchildren at a lake home. He
remembers Gerald “Jerry” Pryd ’66
and Paul Dahlen ’66, his friends
who died in a plane crash while
they were Augsburg students.
Gjerde was influenced by professor
of math George Soberg ’26 and
professor of philosophy Paul
Sonnack ’42. The Gjerdes lived in
Brussels from 1995-97 while Mark
worked for 3M. They have two sons
and four grandchildren.
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
1960
This group of
alumni were friends
during college but had little
contact since graduating. They
were reunited at the 2015
Homecoming celebration and
barely scratched the surface
in terms of catching up. Now
retired, the five Auggies plan to
get together again soon.
[L to R]: The men and their previous careers: Arden Flaten ’60 (science teacher),
Myron Carlson ’60 (pastor), Don Gilberg ’60 (band teacher, piano tuner), Iver
Christopherson ’60 (high school principal), and Neuman Berger ’60 (attorney).
1974
The National Tile Contractors
Association recently honored Janet
(Durkee) Hohn ’74 with its Tile Person of the
Year award. Hohn was the third woman to
receive this honor in the six decades it has
been presented. For more than 20 years,
Hohn has operated a one-person, high-end
residential tile and stone installation company.
She has served as president of the Twin
Cities Local Tile Contractors Association, as
a board member and technical methods and
standards committee member for NTCA, and most recently as chairperson
of the NTCA training and education committee.
Spring
2014
2016
Fall 2014
17
27
37
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
One Augsburg College memory treasured by
Glenn Hamberg ’65 is the teaching style and
effectiveness of W. LaMarr Kopp in German
class. Other faculty members who influenced
Hamberg as a student were Mario Colacci from
the department of New Testament Greek and
Latin, Courtland Agre from chemistry, Gerald
Thorson ’43 from English, and Paul Sonnack ’42.
Hamberg’s present interests include crossword
puzzles, computers, movies, Jeopardy,
volunteering, travel, and spending time with
his grandchildren and wife, Sandra (Edstrom)
Hamberg ’66.
Jerry Hamlin ’65 works part time. He likes to
volunteer and to travel in his free time. He
treasures his memories of Augsburg basketball
games, the convocation with Nobel Prize winner
Linus Pauling, and feeling like every day was a
good day. He was most influenced by Donald
Gustafson and Carl Chrislock ’37 in history, and
Sheldon Fardig in education. Hamlin and wife,
Jari, have four children and 10 grandchildren.
James Harbo ’65 has a full-time dental
practice in New York. He enjoys visiting his
two grandchildren in Pennsylvania, doing
church work, reading theology, participating
in a book club, and aging well! He fondly
remembers his dorm friendships, baseball,
Augsburg Choir concerts, and soaking up the
culture of Minneapolis. The past 50 years have
heightened his appreciation of his years at
Augsburg where, he says, there was “much
goodness and inspiration.” Harbo and wife,
Amy, have three children.
Today you can find Peter Jacobson ’65
woodworking, volunteering, or traveling. He
and wife, Lynne, have two children and two
grandchildren. His fondest memories of
Augsburg include dorm life all four years,
Augsburg basketball, being a resident assistant,
and spending afternoons in the physics lab.
He was most influenced by physics professor
Theodore “Ted” Hanwick.
28
Julie (Gudmestad) Laudicina ’65 and husband,
Joe, love to travel and recently celebrated their
30th wedding anniversary with a cruise on
the Danube River. She also enjoys gardening,
reading, leading a book club, and living in
New York City. She has been a civil wedding
officiant for 10 years and has married more
than 300 couples from around the world. Some
For 12 years, David Raether ’78 wrote for TV comedy
sitcoms, including “Roseanne.” After building his career,
he took a break to focus on his family and found the job
market had changed completely when he attempted to
return to the field. After struggling and becoming homeless,
he says, he discovered that he was far more resourceful
and resilient than he had ever dreamed. Raether delivered
a TEDxAmherst talk and wrote a book about his experiences
titled, “Tell Me Something, She Said.”
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
of her memories of Augsburg include listening
to choir practice, freezing at football games,
enjoying her many friends, and participating
in student government and chapel. She
was most influenced by faculty members
Phil Quanbeck Sr. ’50, professor of religion;
Anne Pederson, professor of English; and
Philip Thompson, professor of art. She also
remembers Dean of Students Glen Johnson
and Dean of Women Fern Martinson. Laudicina
would most like to thank her parents, both
Augsburg alumni, for encouraging her to live
and learn with a strong set of values.
Sharon (Dittbenner) Klabunde ’65 plays in a
mountain dulcimer band, and loves to travel
and garden. She remembers chapel time from
her days at Augsburg and also living in a house
as a freshman where, she says, there were
three women to a room who shared one dinky
closet. She enjoyed working in the cafeteria.
Bette (Bodin) Leeney ’65 and husband, Jack,
love their home in Florida. They have a pool
and use it a lot. She likes to garden and to
welcome the family, mostly in the winter! Her
treasured memories of Augsburg focus on the
good values she learned and kept with her. She
remembers the assassination of President John
F. Kennedy and how difficult that was. She
admired Dean of Students Peter Armacost, who
supported her when her father passed away.
Her psychology and social work professors
inspired her to get her master’s degree in
social work. She and Marie (Bergh) Sandbo ’65
met freshman year and have remained friends
for 50 years. They share the same birthday.
Carol (Welch) Langness ’65 and husband, Gary,
spend every January to April in the East African
city of Iringa, Tanzania, along with their synod
partners in the Iringa Diocese. They have two
children and three grandchildren.
As a student, John Luoma ’65 was influenced
by Mario Colacci, professor of classical
languages; Carl Chrislock ’37, professor of
history; and William “Bill” Halverson ’51,
professor of religion. He treasures memories
Augsburg Now
of chapel, serving as student body president,
and Augsburg’s emphasis on vocation, service,
and faith active in love. Luoma is a minister of
education at Hope Lutheran, The Villages. He is
a Via de Cristo coordinator, a Diaconate teacher,
and likes to travel and bowl. He and wife, Gracia
(Nydahl) Luoma ’66, have two sons. Their oldest
son, Aaron, passed away in January 2015.
LeRoy Martinson ’65 retired in June 1998 after 33
years of teaching math and coaching skiing. Now
he stays active with tennis, volleyball, and five
grandchildren. He lives with wife, Micki, in Cross
Lake, Minnesota. His memories of Augsburg are
of his math teachers, his coaches, and student
teaching with Ms. Anderson. He was influenced
by professor of math George Soberg ’26,
professor of physical education Howard “Howie”
Pearson ’53, and Coach Edor Nelson ’38.
Martinson is a member of the Minnesota State
High School Coaches Hall of Fame.
Dan and Mary (Tildahl) Meyers ’65 met during
their freshman year at Augsburg. The couple
celebrated their 50th anniversary, Dan has
worked for AdvisorNet Financial for 50 years,
and it’s been 50 years since he graduated from
Augsburg. Dan remembers playing basketball
and baseball, and he was influenced most
by Ernie Anderson ’37 and Edor Nelson ’38.
He would thank Milt Kleven ’46, if he could,
for funding his scholarship. Dan keeps busy
with work, golf, reading, and basketball. Mary
enjoys walking, reading, caring for a grandson,
and traveling. She treasures the friendships
she made at Augsburg and meeting Dan
there. Carl Chrislock ’37 and her world history
class helped her realize she wasn’t a history
major. Mary says that Augsburg has been an
influence in their lives for 50 years. Whether
they return for athletic games, homecoming
or concerts, it always feels like coming home.
The Meyers have two children and three
grandchildren.
Larry Nelson ’65 thanks Theodore
“Ted” Hanwick, of the Physics
Department, for his challenging
and thorough classes. Nelson’s
Augsburg education provided a solid
foundation for his career in science
education. He enjoyed teaching
various areas of biology, in addition
to wilderness-based experiential
education. His fondest Augsburg
memories are of morning chapel,
convocations, studying in the library,
concerts, sporting events, and social
activities. Nelson says Augsburg
also prepared him for continued
spiritual growth. Today, he likes to
travel, read, garden, volunteer, do
house maintenance, and spend
time with his family. He and wife,
Marilyn, have two daughters and five
grandchildren.
Becky (Walhood) Nielsen ’65
remembers her good friends from
Miriam House. She and husband,
Steve Nielsen ’64, have three
daughters, 10 grandchildren,
and a great-grandchild. Their
granddaughter, Morgan Kenny ’17,
attends Augsburg.
Lois Peterson ’65 would thank Mimi
Kingsley, professor of Spanish,
for telling her that she had “a gift
for language.” Peterson is fluent
in Spanish, and she visited Mimi
in Chile prior to her death. Today,
Peterson enjoys traveling and
has been to Costa Rica, Mexico,
Norway, and Spain. She remembers
being in a class Bill Halverson ’51
taught in Old Main when the
news came of President John F.
Kennedy’s death, and watching the
Beatles for the first time while in
The Grill. She loves life in Denver,
where her children live nearby.
Leland Sateren ’35 most influenced
Sharon (Bjugstad) Ronning ’65, and
she has spent her life involved in
music. She sings in the Masterworks
Chorale, directs a church choir,
and teaches piano. Other activities
include knitting, spending time at
her cabin, and enjoying her four
children and eight grandchildren.
She met husband, Don Ronning ’66,
in the Augsburg Choir. Don passed
away in 2000.
Marie (Bergh) Sandbo ’65 and
husband, Hans Sandbo ’63, will
celebrate 50 years of marriage this
year. Marie likes to travel, spend
time with grandchildren, and serve
on the Heritage Committee at
church, all while continuing to run
a small business from home. Her
treasured memories of Augsburg
include the friendships made and
her studies in library science. Don
Gustafson, Martha Mattson ’28,
Ruth Aaskov ’53, Dick Husfloen ’60,
and Pat Parker are the faculty and
staff who most influenced Marie.
Two of the Sandbos’ three children
graduated from Augsburg.
1991
On October
13, 2015,
David Johnson ’91 was
promoted to Colonel in
the North Dakota Army
National Guard. He is a
senior Army chaplain for
the state. Johnson also is
an ELCA pastor serving
as a full-time chaplain for
the North Dakota Army
National Guard. He has
been serving in this call
for the past 12 years. Previous to this role, he served parishes in
central and eastern North Dakota.
Terry Simonson ’65 and wife,
Patricia, live in Saskatoon,
Saskatchewan, where he serves as
a half-time chaplain at a residence
for seniors. Three generations
share their home, and his three
granddaughters are the joy of his
life. The memories of Augsburg
that he treasures are good times
spent with roommates and learning
Greek and Latin (his major). Erwin
Mickelberg ’54 was influential in
Simonson’s decision to attend
Augsburg. These days, he is
interested in quantum physics and
continues to explore the subject.
2006
Heather
(Nystrom)
Finholm ’06 and husband,
Jeffrey, announce the
adoption of their twin
sons, Joseph and
Matthew, born April 30,
2015, and adopted on
July 27, 2015.
2007
Lázaro G.
Payano Stark
was welcomed into this
world at home with the
help of his midwives on
April 3, 2015. He is the
son of Jenessa Payano
Stark ’07 and Geomar
Payano Stark. The
family resides in south
Minneapolis.
This fall, seven Auggies served on the varsity football coaching staff at Osseo (Minnesota)
High School and helped lead the team to its first Class 6A state championship. The group
of Augsburg alumni included Jack Osberg ’62, Derrin Lamker ’97, Mark Joseph ’01, Andy
Johnson ’04, Jordan Berg ’09, Royce Winford ’09, and David Tilton ’12.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
Spring
2014
Fall 2014
Spring
2016
17
37
29
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Win Stiefel ’65 taught school in Alaska and
now lives with wife, Gracia (Olson) Stiefel ’66, in
Glennallen, Alaska. He spent 10 years teaching
at a Bible college and 10 years in Russia
helping Evangelical churches. These days he
drives a school bus, enjoys 10 grandchildren
and a great grandchild, cuts firewood, and
volunteers at missions. He remembers
traveling with the wrestling team, canoeing on
the Mississippi River, and listening to the Basin
Streeters. If he could thank someone, it would
be the old man outside Cedar Ave. Mission
who asked him and others whether or not they
were saved.
Steve Strommen ’65 likes to spend his days
playing “Old Timer” softball, bird hunting,
appreciating winters in San Diego and
summers at a Minnesota cabin, performing
home renovations, and enjoying his family
and grandchildren. He has many memories
from athletics at Augsburg, including three
championship basketball teams and a
championship in baseball. The most influential
people during his time at Augsburg were Carl
Chrislock ’37 and coaches Ernie Anderson ’37
and Edor Nelson ’38. He and wife, Chynne,
have two children and five grandchildren.
Sharon (Topte) Taeger ’65 and David Taeger ’65
recently moved to Camrose—a city in
Alberta, Canada—after living for 19 years
in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Sharon likes
to read, paint, and socialize. David likes to
listen, watch, and marvel at the growth and
development of children, especially their four
grandchildren. He also enjoys reading and
being with friends. David received his M.Div.
from Northwestern Theological Seminary. He
was most influenced by Mario Collacci and
Carl Chrislock ’37 while at Augsburg. Sharon
and David have two children.
Virg Vagle ’65 would thank Ernie Anderson ’37,
Edor Nelson ’38, and Ed Saugestad ’59 for
being influential during his time at Augsburg.
Vagle enjoys golfing, traveling, and being with
his grandchildren. He and wife, Pat, have
seven children and 12 grandchildren.
Lyndy West ’65 fondly remembers playing in
the concert band and in the Basin Streeters, a
group that performed for Augsburg basketball
games. He entered Luther Seminary after
graduating from Augsburg and served
parishes in Los Angeles, inner-city Chicago,
and Minnesota. He officially retired in 2012.
He says the smartest thing he ever did was
to marry Diane Haas in 1969. They have four
children and four grandchildren. They like to
bike, travel, read, participate in music at their
church, and lead polka services. He thanks his
parents for encouraging him and his siblings to
attend Augsburg.
1967
John Schwartz ’67 is in his sixth
season with the acclaimed Apollo
Chorus of Chicago, which was formed in
1872. Schwartz serves as vice president of
its board. Auggie singers in the Chicago area
can audition to join this 130-member chorus.
Details can be found at Apollochorus.org.
1975
Glen Teske ’75 is enjoying the
adjustment to retirement after
working for 40 years in the IT department
at Hennepin County. Among his treasured
memories as a student at Augsburg are
business administration classes, tutoring
other students, and the friendships he made.
He also remembers playing four years of
basketball and winning the MIAC conference
title in 1975. He thanks professor of history
Khin Khin Jensen, adviser and professor of
business Keishiro Matsumoto, mentor Jeroy
Carlson ’48, and coaches Butch Raymond ’63
and Erv Inniger for their impact on his life.
1979
Laura (Rolfe) Matuska ’79 has
been selected as WeCAB’s
part-time community outreach fundraiser.
WeCAB provides door-to-door supplemental
transportation in the Westonka and eastern
Carver County service areas for people who
are unable to drive to medical appointments,
church, social events, the grocery store, or the
food shelf. Matuska has significant experience
working with seniors and clients, providing
case management to support transitions
through all levels of senior living. She has
launched volunteer programs, developed a
hospital-based domestic abuse intervention
program, and is a successful grant writer.
Matuska also has worked with many volunteers
in a variety of positions.
1980
The new Bill Simenson Quintet
recently debuted at The Nicollet.
Leader Bill Simenson ’80 (trumpet) has been
performing professionally in the Twin Cities
for nearly 30 years. After earning his degree
in music and political science at Augsburg,
he attended the University of Trondheim
in Norway where he studied music at the
graduate level. Catch the Bill Simenson
Orchestra, a larger ensemble, once a month at
Jazz Central in Minneapolis.
1981
Rob Hubbard ’81 tells the story of the
hilarity, irreverence, and imagination
of the Brave New Workshop in his new book,
“Brave New Workshop: Promiscuous Hostility
and Laughs in the Land of Loons.” The
book, from The History Press, celebrates the
marvelous, unexpected, and absurd history
of this one-of-a-kind comedy institution. The
owners of Brave New Workshop are John
Sweeney and Jenni Lilledahl ’87.
1987
Tammy Jo Rider ’87 received a
2015 Leadership Award from the
2015
2013
Amanda Rowan ’13 and Jordan Lakanen ’14 married
August 8, 2015. Auggies in the wedding party included:
Eric Lakanen ’02, Stephanie Nelson ’13, Rachel Rixen ’13, and Ashley
(Carney) Wolke ’13.
30
Augsburg Now
Top row [L to R]:
Tyler Dorn ’15
and Alisha Esselstein ’15
were married on June 20,
2015, at Sugarland Barn
in Arena, Wisconsin. Many
Auggies participated in
and attended the wedding.
Bottom row [L to R]: Best
man Alex Obanor, Augsburg Department of Public Safety officer; Dustin
Parks ’16; Keisha Barnard ’16; bridesmaid Alia Thorpe ’15; bridesmaid Lily
Moloney ’15; maid of honor Rachel Shaheen ’15; ceremony musician Becky
Shaheen ’11; and officiant Rev. Mike Matson ’06.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
After graduation, Joshua Harris ’08 moved to Baltimore drawn to the service
opportunity of working with Alpha Phi Alpha, the oldest inter-collegiate communityservice-oriented fraternity founded by African-Americans. Harris serves as managing
editor of APA’s journal, “The Sphinx.” He works with other community leaders
in Baltimore on many initiatives, including one to build a network of individuals,
businesses, and organizations that can provide internships, scholarships, and
mentorship opportunities for high school students. He returned to Minneapolis in
fall 2015 to speak on a panel at the Augsburg Young Alumni Council’s networking
event at Surly Brewing Co. Harris is running for mayor of Baltimore. Learn about his
campaign at harrisforbaltimore.com.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
Southeast Minnesota affiliate of the National
Alliance on Mental Illness.
1991
Bill Koschak ’91 was hired as the
chief financial officer at YA, which
is an industry market leader in delivering
omni-channel marketing promotions for the
nation’s most respected brands. Before joining
YA, Koschak was vice president of finance
and CFO for the convenience and foodservice
business at General Mills.
2000
Lewis Nelson ’00 joined the
University of Virginia’s Darden
School of Business MBA for Executives.
He blogs about the experience at
wanderingveteran.com.
2007
Barrozo is studying the development of
novel gene therapy treatments for human
diseases caused by persistent viral infections
and mutations of the genome. The goal of
his research is to develop safe and effective
strategies for treating these diseases. He also
has worked as a Post-Baccalaureate Research
Program Scholar at the University of Georgia.
2015
Hannah Frey ’15 has an
AmeriCorps position in the
Community Technology Empowerment
Project, which helps bridge the “digital
divide” for new immigrants and low-income
communities in Minneapolis and St. Paul. She
serves at Roseville (Minnesota) Library as a
digital literacy coordinator for adult technology
programming and outreach.
Kati (Tweeten) Bergey ’07 married
Brandon Bergey on October 18,
2014. Kati teaches sixth grade for MabelCanton Public Schools in Mabel, Minnesota.
Heidi Heller ’15 has accepted a job as a
historian and researcher with Hess Roise
Historical Consultants.
2012
GRADUATE
Lauren Grafelman ’12 graduated
with her MBA from Hamline
University in August 2015.
William “Billy” Hamilton ’12 graduated from
the University of Minnesota Law School
in May and received news that he passed
the Minnesota Bar Exam in July. He began
work as a public defender in training at the
Hennepin County Public Defender’s Office.
He has found his vocation!
2014
Enrico Barrozo ’14 is pursuing
a doctorate in genetics and
genomics at the University of Florida,
supported by the McKnight Doctoral, UF
Graduate School, and Top-Up fellowships.
Ava Beilke ’14 MBA formed her own social
media consulting business, Paragon Social
(paragonsocialco.com or @paragonsocialco on
Twitter), with the desire to help individuals and
small businesses excel in social media. Beilke
studied communications in undergrad and
pursued her MBA to round out her business
expertise. She now fuses her creative skills with
her business savvy to create the most effective
social media efforts.
Katie Koch ’01 is the new Director
of Auggie Engagement at Augsburg
College. Koch comes from a diverse
background of performing arts
management, having most recently
worked at The O’Shaughnessy
Auditorium at St. Catherine University
as an event and administrative
manager. Koch worked for nearly
five years at the Guthrie Theater as
an assistant to former director Joe
Dowling, where she supported the
Guthrie Board of Directors and highprofile visiting artists. During her time
at Augsburg, Koch was a member
of The Augsburg Choir, Augsburg
Concert Band, and Augsburg Jazz
and Gospel Praise. She served
as an admissions ambassador, a
student coordinator for new student
orientation in 1999 and 2000, and
wrote for the Augsburg Echo.
Spring 2016
31
In memoriam
Dwight E. Elving ’37, Mercer
Harvard E. Larson ’50,
Island, Washington, age 99, on
September 17.
Greeley, Colorado, age 86, on
September 14.
James K. Horn ’59, Lino Lakes,
Minnesota, age 83, on
November 26.
Isabella “Bella” (Frazier)
Sanders ’73, Park Rapids,
Evelyn B. (Wibeto) Stone ’41,
Alexandria, Minnesota, age 98, on
November 26.
Wesley N. Paulson ’51,
Eugene “Pete” S. Peterson ’59,
Gregory J. Semanko ’73,
Altoona, Wisconsin, age 88, on
December 2.
Jackson, Minnesota, age 78, on
October 17.
Dassel, Minnesota, age 64, on
September 16.
J. Maurice “Maury” Erickson ’42,
Vermillion, South Dakota, age 95,
on September 10.
Walter L. Dilley ’52,
Paynesville, Minnesota, age 88,
on October 14.
Peter M. Locke ’60, South St.
Paul, Minnesota, age 82, on
November 30.
Brent M. Amundson ’78, Colorado
Springs, Colorado, age 61, on
December 3.
Helen L. (Fevold) Nelson ’43,
Woodrow W. Wilson ’53,
Gayle J. Arvidson ’61, Newburgh,
Minneapolis, age 94, June 4.
Lincoln, Nebraska, age 97, on
September 11.
Indiana, age 84, on December 25.
David C. Eitrheim ’79,
Menomonie, Wisconsin, age 58,
on January 1.
Chester E. Hoversten ’44,
Northfield, Minnesota, age 93, on
November 16.
Joyce E. (Gronseth) Limburg ’44,
Erling B. Huglen ’54, Roseau,
Minnesota, age 83, on
December 19.
Harvey L. Jackson ’61, Park
River, North Dakota, age 78, on
September 28.
Morgan S. Grant ’82, Willmar,
Kelly M. Williams ’92, Edina,
Minnesota, age 45, on August 25.
River, North Dakota, age 51, on
October 13.
Apple Valley, Minnesota, age 93,
on October 10.
Allan J. Kohls ’54, Minneapolis,
age 87, on October 4.
John D. Sorenson ’62, Hickory,
North Carolina, age 75, on
November 2.
Elise H. (Hoplin) Anderson ’45,
Marvin S. Undseth ’54, Salem,
Lee E. Keller ’63, San
Edina, Minnesota, age 96, on
October 13.
Oregon, age 90, on October 12.
Bernardino, California, age 80, on
August 27.
Edgar A. Emerson ’46,
Minnesota, age 81, on
September 30.
Perham, Minnesota, age 90, on
December 3.
Guilford “Guy” L. Parsons ’47,
Minneapolis, age 94, on
September 17.
Ruth E. (Thompson) Larson ’48,
Clearbrook, Minnesota, age 92, on
December 26.
Rolf Heng ’55, Fergus Falls,
Elmer Karlstad ’55, Warroad,
Minnesota, age 91, on
November 14.
Alfred E. Kaupins ’57, Cedar
Rapids, Iowa, age 88, on
November 25.
Joyce (Hanson) Holbrook ’65,
Lincoln, California, age 72, on
December 27.
Edythe “Edie” (Berg) Johnson ’65,
Stillwater, Minnesota, age 72, on
October 1.
Marilyn J. Larson ’65, Estes Park,
Colorado, age 73, on November 3.
Lawrence “Larry” C. Pratt Jr. ’57,
Joyce A. (Schuchart) Hagerty ’66,
Minnesota, age 88, on October 16.
St. Anthony, Minnesota, age 81,
on July 12.
Oneida, Illinois, age 72, on
December 4.
Paul I. Roth ’49, White Bear
Eldri R. (Johanson) Salter ’57,
Lake, Minnesota, age 90, on
November 21.
Pocatello, Idaho, age 80, on
September 8.
Philip “Phil” A. Walen ’70,
Stillwater, Minnesota, age 67, on
September 9.
Arne Simengaard ’49,
Dennis F. Gibson ’59, Edina,
Russell “Jeff” J. Quanbeck ’71,
Fridley, Minnesota, age 88, on
November 28.
Minnesota, age 83, on
September 5.
Bloomington, Minnesota, age 67,
on December 1.
Allen J. Moe ’48, Dawson,
Minnesota, age 85, on October 1.
Minnesota, age 55, on August 28.
Thomas D. Orstad ’93, Park
Earl R. Kinley III ’94, Eagan,
Minnesota, age 55, on
December 18.
Christine L. (Quandt) Edinger ’99,
Madison, Wisconsin, age 49, on
December 19.
Judith A. (Gretz) Roy ’99,
Minneapolis, age 68, on
September 24.
Traci M. Singher ’12, ’15 MSW,
Minnetonka, Minnesota, age 44,
on December 1.
Dustyn B. Hessie ’13,
Minneapolis, age 27, on June 15.
Augsburg College Women’s
Basketball Head Coach William
“Bill” L. McKee, New Brighton,
Minnesota, age 62, on August 27.
The “In memoriam” listings in this publication
include notifications received before January 10.
32
Augsburg Now
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LeVar Burton encourages the next generation
Actor, director, writer, producer, and educator LeVar Burton—best known for his roles in “Roots,” “Star Trek: The Next Generation,”
and “Reading Rainbow”—inspired prospective students to make positive change in the world. Burton’s presentation took place
this winter during Scholarship Weekend, an annual event where prospective students compete for the President’s and Fine Arts
scholarships.
Show less
Sideline support
Beyond fjords and freeways
Boom or bust
Homecoming 2015
SCHOLARSHIP
IN ACTION
FALL 2015 | VOL. 78, NO. 1
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weis... Show more
Sideline support
Beyond fjords and freeways
Boom or bust
Homecoming 2015
SCHOLARSHIP
IN ACTION
FALL 2015 | VOL. 78, NO. 1
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
On being faculty-guided
In recent issues of Augsburg Now (apparently still
the name of this fine publication—see page 7!),
I’ve written about our Augsburg2019 vision to be
“a new kind of student-centered urban university,
small to our students and big for the world.”
I’ve also turned cultural myths on their heads,
arguing that colleges should be student-ready
and not the other way around.
As compelling as our vision is, the studentcentered and student-ready Augsburg still has at
its heart a distinguished and dedicated faculty
whose commitment to our students and their
education is as it always has been—unparalleled,
hard-working, and full of imagination and resolve.
In other words, as we aspire to be studentcentered, we will always be faculty-guided.
In all of my travels to visit alumni on behalf
of Augsburg, the conversation inevitably turns
to the faculty member who asked the right
question, introduced a new way of thinking,
became a mentor, stayed in touch, changed my
life. The values and commitments of the legends
of Augsburg’s faculty—Christensen, Chrislock,
Torstenson, Quanbeck, Peterson, Nelson, Colacci,
Sateren, Mitchell, Hesser, Shackelford, Gus,
Gabe—are now alive in the Augsburg faculty of
the 21st century.
And some of their stories are in the pages
that follow.
Stories of creative and groundbreaking
teaching, such as the work of Associate Professor
of Political Science Joe Underhill, whose 15-year
dream to spend a semester with students on the
Mississippi River is now a reality with this fall’s
“River Semester.” Imagine a dozen students,
two faculty members, and a river guide or two
traveling almost 1,800 miles from St. Paul to
New Orleans in canoes, engaging the biology and
politics of the Mississippi River over three and
a half months. Makes you want to go back to
college!
Stories of relevant and timely research, such
as the project undertaken by Associate Professor
of Sociology Tim Pippert to explore the impact
of the oil boom in North Dakota, seeking to
understand the various social implications for
the communities at the center of the dramatic
change. It’s the Gold Rush all over again, but
with 21st century challenges to the well-being of
individuals and communities.
Stories of faithful service, which has been
recognized by President Obama in naming
Augsburg one of five finalists (for the second year
in a row) for the President’s Award for Interfaith
Dialogue and Service. Our robust interfaith work
with students and our neighbors is led by faculty
members Martha Stortz and Matt Maruggi from
the Religion Department, along with College
Pastor Sonja Hagander and Distinguished Fellow
Mark Hanson ’68. And don’t miss the fun
interview with Nancy Fischer, associate professor
of sociology and urban studies, who ties her
research about secondhand clothes to serving the
needs of our neighbors.
For almost 150 years, it has been Augsburg’s
faculty who have guided our work as a college
and whose wisdom and experience have
equipped our students to change the world. May
it always be so.
Faithfully yours,
Director of Marketing
Communication
Stephen Jendraszak
jendra@augsburg.edu
Communication Copywriter
and Editorial Coordinator
Laura Swanson ’15 MBA
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate
Denielle Johnson ’11
johnsod@augsburg.edu
Marketing Copywriter
Christina Haller
haller@augsburg.edu
Production Manager
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Advancement Communication
Specialist
Jen Lowman Day
dayj@augsburg.edu
Contributor
Kate H. Elliott
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Send address corrections to:
langemo@augsburg.edu.
Email: now@augsburg.edu
AUGSBURG NOW
Fall 2015
02 Around the quad
08
Annual report to donors
10
Uncorking the mysteries of wine
13
Sideline support
18
Beyond fjords and freeways
20
Boom or bust
26
Homecoming 2015
28
Auggies connect
32
Class notes
40
In memoriam
26
Andrew Held ’05 celebrates his 10-year class reunion and totes his daughter, Mabel, through the
Taste of Augsburg at Homecoming 2015. Learn more about Homecoming events and honorees on
pages 26 and 32.
On the cover: A pump jack extracts oil from the Bakken
shale formation that lies miles below a field of grain outside
Williston, North Dakota. Learn about the state’s new oil
landscape: pages 20-25.
Correction: In the Summer 2015 issue of Augsburg Now,
U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota mistakenly was
identified as a U.S. senator in the article “Making their
mark,” which described a research experience that drew a
student-faculty duo to East Africa and Capitol Hill.
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise
indicated.
A scene from the River Semester
launch event held September 1.
AUGGIES MAKE A SPLASH
WITH HANDS-ON LEARNING
The first-ever Augsburg College River Semester—a three-and-a-half month
program in which a dozen students as well as faculty members will travel
almost 2,000 miles of the 2,350-mile Mississippi River from St. Paul to
New Orleans while studying the arts, humanities, and sciences—departed
from St. Paul’s Harriet Island on September 1. As part of the kickoff, the
River Semester class, created and led by Associate Professor of Political
Science Joe Underhill, was
joined by a group of nearly
“This is my ideal form of higher education.
100 community members
It’s experiential, engaged with the community,
who paddled in canoes
interdisciplinary, physical, and mental.”
from St. Paul to South St.
—Joe Underhill, lead River Semester professor
Paul. Many media outlets
Winona Daily News, September 15
covered the launch, and
Minnesota Gov. Mark
Dayton proclaimed September 1
Follow the crew on their journey at
augsburg.edu/river/blog.
“Augsburg College River Semester Day.”
2
Augsburg Now
AUGGIE PLAN
OFFERS PATHWAY
to four-year degree
This past spring, officials from
Augsburg College and Minneapolis
Community and Technical College
launched the Auggie Plan, an efficient
and affordable track to a four-year
degree for students whose academic
achievement at MCTC prepares them
for upper-level coursework at Augsburg.
This partnership was a natural fit for
the colleges as both are located in the
heart of Minneapolis, provide student
support services, value intentional
diversity, and are committed to
developing future leaders.
COLLEGE AWARDS 2015
Augsburg College is nationally recognized for its
commitment to intentional diversity in its life and
work. This year’s accolades include:
• The 2015 Higher Education Excellence in
Diversity Award from INSIGHT Into Diversity
magazine for the College’s commitment to
intentional diversity and student engagement
and activism.
Augsburg College physician assistant students gather outside their new
classrooms in Northwestern Hall at Luther Seminary.
PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT PROGRAM
relocates to Luther Seminary campus
Augsburg College’s Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
program recently relocated to a leased space on the Luther Seminary
campus in St. Paul. The new location provides improved educational and
office space for the program and makes room on Augsburg’s main campus
for other groups whose current space doesn’t fully support their needs.
The agreement with Luther Seminary models the type of collaborative
partnership that Augsburg, as a new kind of urban university, seeks.
Augsburg’s signature PA program will have effective space to remain
competitive, and Luther Seminary will be able to better optimize the use
of its own facilities. In addition, since Luther Seminary primarily serves
graduate-level students, the Augsburg PA program aligns with the campus’s
commitment to graduate academic achievement and contributes to its
vibrant higher education experience.
• Placing No. 6 on the UCLA Higher Education
Research Institute’s 2015 Rankings of the Best
Christian Colleges and Universities published
based on academic reputation, financial aid
offerings, overall cost, and success of graduates
in the job market.
• The American Indian Science and Engineering
Society’s Winds of Change magazine’s Top 200
Schools for Native Americans—the second time
since 2013 Augsburg earned this recognition
for its American Indian support community and
graduation rates.
• Ranking No. 5 on College Magazine’s Most
Transgender-Friendly College list for working
to make campus welcoming for transgender
students and offering comfort, safety, and
freedom to all students.
• Recognition as one of five U.S. finalists for the
2015 President’s Higher Education Community
Service Honor Roll with Distinction in interfaith
and community service—the only institution
named a finalist in both 2014 and 2015.
• Being named a 2016 Military Friendly® School
for extraordinary work in providing transitioning
veterans the best possible experience in higher
education.
GRANT OF NEARLY $450,000 FUNDS INTERNSHIPS FOR 200 AUGGIES
An Augsburg College education plays an
integral role in preparing our world’s future
leaders to make meaningful contributions
to their communities, businesses,
governments, and families. At the same
time, Augsburg offers opportunities for
students to gain on-the-job and internship
experience so that they can focus on
their vocational exploration. The College’s
efforts in these areas garnered a boost
when the nonprofit Great Lakes Higher
Education Guaranty Corporation extended
for an additional three years the Career
Ready Internship grant first awarded to
Augsburg in 2014-15. In all, the College
will receive nearly $450,000 through the
new grant, which will be used to create
200 paid internships for low-income and
first-generation students interested in
the opportunities available at for-profit
corporations and nonprofit organizations.
Moreover, this grant supports the College’s
Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for
Meaningful Work—a highly visible anchor
of the College’s commitment to students’
experiential education and vocational
discernment.
Fall 2015
3
BOARD OF REGENTS
At its annual meeting in
September, the Augsburg
Corporation elected a new
member to the Board of
Regents and reelected
several board members.
Vicki Turnquist [pictured]
was elected to her first,
four-year term. She has
more than 30 years of banking experience and
serves on the Board of Directors of Citizens
Independent Bank in St. Louis Park, Minnesota.
Turnquist was the founder and CEO of Private
Bank Minnesota, which sold in June 2014.
Unhealthy trees are safely removed from campus.
EMBRACING GREEN HORIZONS
In late summer, two of the three remaining elm trees in Augsburg’s quad—
an alumni gift from more than 50 years ago—were removed because of
Dutch Elm disease. While it was sad to lose the trees, the College reserved
some of the wood to be transformed into pieces of art, partnering with Tom
Peter, a local certified arborist and woodturning artist.
The elms created wonderful character of space in the quad for decades
and have helped inspire a longer-term vision of the central campus as a
larger green space that, over time, will become an even more significant
component of campus life. The design for an expanded quad is one of the
principal ideas resulting from work done in 2011 to develop a campus
master plan and has inspired new thinking around a special campaign
effort to support the creation of an “urban arboretum”—a multi-functional
green space that deepens the student, faculty, staff, and community
experience through hands-on education, research, and recreation.
Courtesy Photo
welcomes new member
Regents elected to a second, four-year term
include:
• Karen (Miller) Durant ’81, vice president
and controller of Tennant Company;
• Matthew Entenza, an attorney in private
practice at the Entenza Law Firm; and
• Jeffrey Nodland ’77, president and CEO of
KIK Custom Products.
Those elected to third, four-year terms include:
• Andra Adolfson, business development
director for Adolfson & Peterson
Construction; and
• Rolf Jacobson, pastor, writer, speaker,
and professor of Old Testament at Luther
Seminary.
LEADING FOUNDATIONS AND CORPORATIONS SUPPORT CAPITAL CAMPAIGN
A recent $1 million grant from the
Margaret A. Cargill Foundation has helped
the campaign to build the Norman and
Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science,
Business, and Religion to surpass its goal.
During the fundraising campaign,
several large philanthropic foundations
and corporations joined forces in support
4
Augsburg Now
of the Hagfors Center, including the Bush
Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, and the Eli Lilly and Company
Foundation. The campaign also received
support from 3M, Ameriprise Financial,
General Mills, U.S. Bank, and Wells Fargo.
“We are honored that the College’s
work to promote interdisciplinary studies
through the Hagfors Center received
generous funding from the Margaret
A. Cargill Foundation,” said Heather
Riddle, vice president for Institutional
Advancement. “The Hagfors Center will
support Augsburg in expanding research
opportunities and will help shape student
learning for 21st century realities.”
AROUND THE QUAD
This fall, the Student Lounge in the Christensen Center reopened
following a renovation designed to offer improved spaces
for student organization meetings, community events, study
sessions, and—of course—fun.
Courtesy Photos
CONVOCATION SERIES 2015-16
Now in its 25th year, the Convocation Series offers the Augsburg
community an opportunity to share in enlightening conversation
with outstanding leaders and visionaries.
In September, the series kicked off with the joint Bernhard M.
Christensen Symposium and Fine Arts and Humanities Convocation
featuring renowned author, Pulitzer Prize nominee, and PBS
NewsHour contributor Richard Rodriguez and his presentation
“Living Religion.” Rodriguez is recognized for writing about
provocative topics such as education, race, politics, the AIDS
epidemic, and religious violence.
In November, the Center for Wellness and Counseling Convocation
welcomed Antony Stately, director of the Behavioral Health
Program for the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community, and his
presentation, “Running into the Storm: Renewal of the Spirit.”
SAVE THE DATE
Join us on Monday, January 18, for
the annual Martin Luther King Jr.
Convocation, and on Tuesday, February 16,
for the Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics
featuring Donald Warne, a member of the
Oglala Lakota Tribe and director of the
Master of Public Health Program at North
Dakota State University.
All events are free, public, and held in the
Foss Center. For detailed information, go
to augsburg.edu/convo.
Fall 2015
5
ON THE SPOT
Nancy Fischer discusses
“The Social Life of Secondhand Clothes”
Photos taken at Succotash
781 Raymond Ave., St. Paul
REDUCE. REUSE. RECYCLE.
For decades this adage has prescribed an
approach for improving individuals’ personal
impact on the environment, and today the once
underrated middle “R” is among the chicest ways
to go green.
Augsburg College Associate Professor
Nancy Fischer teaches courses in sociology;
environmental studies; urban studies; and
gender, sexuality, and women’s studies. Her
current project, “The Social Life of Secondhand
Clothes,” is a sociological analysis of the
secondhand and vintage clothing industry.
Fischer is exploring the emergence of secondhand
clothing as a trend in pop culture, the places and
urban spaces that sell these clothes, and the
many reasons people buy them. Here is a glimpse
into an area of the fashion world where some
looks are truly timeless.
Q:
What factors have contributed to the
emergence of vintage clothing as a
popular fashion trend?
A:
Wearing old, out-of-style clothing was
first a subcultural fashion statement—
think beatniks, hippies, and punks. It was
6
Augsburg Now
a rebellion against post-war consumerism,
an appreciation of craftsmanship, and ecoconsciousness (as a political statement
against a wasteful society). In the late
1960s—first in London, then in New York
City—fashionable youth started visiting thrift
stores, purchasing Edwardian coats and
Victorian petticoats, and vintage dressing
began to move into the mainstream.
The emergence of the vintage trend
accompanied a global expansion and
standardization of the international garment
industry. People who buy vintage usually buy
new clothing as well, but vintage shopping
provides a different experience; you never
know what you might find.
Q:
A:
How is purchasing secondhand
clothing advantageous for society?
Buying secondhand clothing generally
is a form of reuse and keeps clothing
out of landfills. Ideally, clothing should
never go into landfills. Torn and dirty
clothing can be reused as insulation and
as paper. But that doesn’t mean we should
buy clothes with abandon and then donate
them. Most secondhand clothing winds
up being shipped to developing countries
where in some cases it has undermined
traditional garment-making industries.
Vintage clothing—as a subset of
secondhand—is advantageous because it
tends to retain its value. Vintage clothes
also reveal our own industrial history.
We see those “Made in the USA” labels,
and sometimes more specifically “Made
in Minneapolis.” There’s value in that
historical glimpse at the past.
Q:
A:
What’s your favorite vintage piece
to wear?
I have a favorite for every season. For
winter in Minnesota, my favorite is
a 1950s plaid swing coat. It was made in
Dallas(!) from boiled wool, which is thick
and super warm. It’s custom-made, and I
always picture the Texan coat-maker taking
on this garment as a rare challenge.
Go to augsburg.edu/now to learn more about the
social life of secondhand clothing.
Nancy Fischer is collaborating with other
secondhand clothing lovers on a new book.
If you wear vintage and are interested in
discussing your role as a consumer as part
of her research, email fischern@augsburg.edu.
AROUND THE QUAD
AUGSBURG HOSTS FIRST-EVER
CAREER EXPLORATION SERIES
More than 25 companies and organizations
participated in an on-campus career and
internship fair.
Augsburg College this autumn hosted an on-campus
career and internship fair along with its first five-week
career exploration series. The students who attended
the fair met with organizations seeking individuals
trained in disciplines including accounting, biology,
chemistry, communications, computer science,
marketing, religion, and more.
The major and career exploration series,
organized by staff of the Clair and Gladys
Strommen Center for Meaningful Work and
Institutional Advancement, provided nearly
175 students opportunities to explore
majors and careers by disciplines.
The series included programming
on professional studies, fine arts
and humanities, natural and social
sciences, pre-health sciences, and the
needs of students still exploring several degree
programs. This series was made successful in part
due to nearly two dozen Augsburg College alumni
who served as panelists and who shared details about
their career paths since graduation.
SIGNS OF CHANGE
Excitement for the future Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science, Business,
and Religion grew on campus after its construction site was marked. This multidisciplinary
building will house, among other departments, many of the programs currently residing in
Science Hall—a building that had its own site marker as pictured [below on right] during the
1947-48 academic year.
Archive Photo
AUGSBURG NOW
to remain name of
College magazine
This summer, members of the
Augsburg College community
were invited to consider whether
the College’s magazine name,
Augsburg Now, aligned with and
supported the publication’s
purpose and key roles. A
survey allowed people
to share feedback
on the magazine’s
existing name and
to consider whether
two options, Augsburg
Experience and Augsburg
Spirit, would be better.
The results from the
survey point us toward
retaining the name
Augsburg Now. There
clearly is an established resonance
with the current name, which
uplifts the publication’s ability to:
•
•
Foster inspiration and pride.
•
Bridge the Augsburg of today
with people’s past experiences.
•
Define and illustrate what it
means to be an “Auggie.”
•
Help the Augsburg community
learn how to talk about itself
and equip individuals to
advocate for the College.
Provide intellectual stimulation
and ongoing education.
We appreciate the opportunity
for conversation on the magazine
name and are grateful to all those
who took time to participate in
this process.
Fall 2015
7
2014-2015
AUGSBURG COLLEGE
ANNUAL REPORT
TO DONORS
G
enerous donors have come together to make this the
most successful fundraising year in Augsburg College
history. Driven largely by contributions to the campaign
for the Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science,
Business, and Religion, alumni and friends gave $35,404,222
during fiscal year 2014-15.
This is the fourth year in a row in which donors have
contributed more than $10 million to the College and more
than doubled last year’s total of $14.6 million. In addition
Aybike Bakan ’11, ’15 MPA
Dahlberg and Peterson Family Scholarship
Hometown: Istanbul
Studying: Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
Favorite thing about Augsburg: “I appreciate its focus on community service
and social justice. It also allowed me to grow as an open-minded individual and
encouraged me to seek meaning in the work that I want to do in the future.”
Joseph David “J.D.” Mechelke ’16
David Huglen Strommen Endowment, the Glen and Marilyn Person
Scholarship, and the Joel and Mary Ann Elftmann Scholarship
Hometown: Stillwater, Minnesota
Studying: Youth and Family Ministry
Augsburg College’s influence: “I have become vocation-centered, concerned
with social justice, and I am learning to connect faith to social issues.”
8
Augsburg Now
to providing crucial funding for the transformative Hagfors
Center, the philanthropy of more than 5,600 donors this year
helps Augsburg attract talented students and the dedicated
faculty and staff who teach and guide them. The gifts
provide financial aid, building maintenance and support,
and instructional and other resources that allow Augsburg
to educate informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical
thinkers, and responsible leaders.
REVENUE BY SOURCE
67% Tuition
11% Room and board
11% Private gifts and grants
4% Government grants
7% Other sources
EXPENSES BY CATEGORY
43% Salary and benefits
28% Financial aid
19% Operating expenses*
3% Debt service
3% Utilities and insurance
2% Capital improvements
2% Student salaries
*Expenses in this category include: facility repairs and maintenance, information
technology expenditures, marketing expenditures, membership dues and fees, outside
consultants, supplies, and travel and business meetings.
ENDOWMENT MARKET VALUE
May 31, 2015—$40,463,556
$38.3
$34.6
$33.3
$32.4 $31.5
$28.2
$27.2 $27.8
$40.5
$29.8
$24.5
2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
(IN MILLIONS)
Aisha Mohamed ’16
General Memorial Scholarship
Hometown: Minneapolis
Studying: Biology
Proudest academic achievement: “Being able to say
I’m a biology major and feeling at home in a lab.”
As of May 31, 2015, Augsburg had annual realized and
unrealized gains of 10.7 percent on the Augsburg College
endowment. The five-year average annual return on the
endowment is 7.12 percent, and the 10-year average
annual return is 4.47 percent. The College is committed to
maintaining the value of the principal in order to provide
support to the College in perpetuity.
Fall 2015
9
BY CHRISTINA HALLER
Jennifer Chou ’99 has never been afraid to ask deep and
probing questions—a quality that helped her to make
the most of her time at Augsburg, where students are
encouraged to explore their talents and learn through
hands-on experiences in order to find their callings. Her
thirst for inquiry, as well as her ambition, helped get her to
where she is today—a successful entrepreneur who made a
career out of her great interest in and passion for vino.
Craving knowledge
Chou’s curiosity sparked her fascination with wine. During
her childhood, she noticed her grandmother would always
serve wine at holidays. What does wine taste like? Why is
wine only for grownups? Why is wine enjoyed on special
occasions?
Chou’s enthusiasm grew into a passion. While an
Augsburg College student, she further explored her
interest by joining a monthly wine club where she
attended tasting events to learn more—from how to
identify main flavor and scent components to the basic
characteristics of all the varietal grapes to the histories of
the world’s best wine-producing regions.
Seizing key opportunities
As a communication studies major and business minor,
Chou found work as a financial advisor shortly after
graduation. While attending job-training courses in
Dallas, she made friends with a man in the hotel gym who
recommended a very specific wine to her. She bluntly told
him that she’d never heard of it, and asked if he was a
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Augsburg Now
“sales guy” for the company.
Once again her inquisitiveness pulled through for her.
It just so happened that he, in fact, was the winemaker and
CEO of Napa Wine Company. Their friendship blossomed,
and his knowledge helped hers to grow. “So I always joke
that I got into the wine business by working out,” said Chou.
Soon after that serendipitous encounter, Children’s
Home Society, for whom Chou volunteered, asked if she
would request wine donations from distributors for their
annual winemakers dinner.
“I said, ‘Yeah, I’m fearless, I’m not afraid to ask!’”
Chou recalled. “So I went and asked four different
distributors for wine donations, and they said, ‘Wow, you
really know quite a bit about wine and seem to enjoy it.
Have you ever thought about selling it?’”
So Chou took a job selling wines for a distributor,
traveling to California, Oregon, France, Italy, and South
Africa to gain a deeper understanding of each supplier’s
wine so she could better sell it.
Learning over a glass of wine
Because of her extensive wine savvy, friends started asking
her for wine etiquette advice.
“I would get asked questions like, ‘How am I
supposed to hold a glass of wine, under the bowl or the
stem? Are you supposed to swirl the glass? In a restaurant,
why does the server present the bottle?’’’ said Chou. “This
was stuff my friends realized they needed to know in order
to stay relevant in the business world—hosting clients at a
restaurant or thanking someone with a bottle of wine.”
As a way to share her knowledge and enlighten others,
she founded The Savvy Grape, a business dedicated
to educating people about wine through fun, hands-on
experiences. To be an authority on the subject, Chou
became a Certified Wine Specialist. This certification
required rigorous examinations by the Society of Wine
Educators, testing Chou’s expertise and mastery of
viticulture and wine production.
Chou quickly found a niche with professional
organizations and was able to start out by connecting with
fellow Auggies who were also business owners. “Being an
Augsburg alumna helped because one thing I always find
is that Auggies like to help other Auggies!” said Chou.
For employers, such as finance and law firms, Chou
educates people about wine etiquette while providing a
fun and entertaining wine-tasting activity at events such
as member drives, holiday parties, employee development
conferences, and client appreciation events.
At these events, Chou teaches people “how to taste
wine like a professional,” offers tips on food and wine
pairings, and answers attendees’ questions about wine.
Fighting for what you believe in
In order for Chou to legally pour wine in a corporate
event space, she had to work hard lobbying to change
the law, making it legal for a licensed wine educator
like herself to hold wine education events in
commercial spaces.
With determination and grit, Chou hit the
pavement, reaching out to her local senators and
representatives to see who would be willing to
assist. She found Minnesota Sen. Dan Hall ’74
who helped her to navigate the system at the
Capitol and get the Wine Educator License
signed into law by Gov. Mark Dayton in 2012.
Making a living out of wine
Chou’s unquenchable curiosity for the
world, unstoppable work ethic, liberal arts
education, and strong Auggie connections
helped to make her dream of making a
living out of wine a reality.
Chou has authored Wine Savvy, a chapter in
the book, “Socially Smart & Savvy.” Below are
some of her favorite tips featured in the book.
Tips for the wine lover
Put red wines in the refrigerator 10-15
minutes before serving, and take white
wines out of the refrigerator 10-15 minutes
before serving. This will help your red wines
be less acidic and allow you to taste more
flavor in your whites.
Don’t know what to give as a hostess
gift? When in doubt, choose a
sparkling wine, or “bubbly,” as Chou likes
to call it. You can spend as little or as
much as your budget allows, and it’s festive
for most occasions.
Not sure which wine to order in
a restaurant? Ask the server for a
sample to see if you like it. A restaurant
would prefer that you like a wine and order
more rather than not like it and order water.
This works especially well if you are trying
to order a bottle for the table.
12
Augsburg Now
Student Sports Medicine Assistant
Kayla Fuechtmann ’16
Augsburg athletic trainers
collaborate across campus
and within the community to
achieve a holistic approach
to the safety and wellness of
student-athletes BY KATE H. ELLIOTT
T
he score was tied at 2-2 in the
fourth inning as a University of
Wisconsin-Stout slugger knocked a
foul ball down the right field line.
Auggie outfielder Brian Bambenek ’07
sailed through the air—glove extended.
The ball landed in the pocket, then
popped out as his body slammed into an
unprotected portion of fence at the Hubert
H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis.
After minutes of darkness, the
then-senior’s eyes blinked opened to see
Augsburg College’s Head Athletic Trainer
Missy Strauch hovering over him. She
monitored numbness in his fingers and
toes, held his hand in the ambulance,
and called his parents, Nancy and Mike,
to report that their son had injured three
disks in his neck.
During the days and weeks that
followed, Strauch went well beyond her
job description to get Bambenek back in
action.
“I am forever in debt to Missy for
all she did for me,” said Bambenek,
who today is co-owner of the Great
Lakes Baseball Academy in Woodbury,
Minnesota. “She is an incredible trainer
who truly loves Augsburg College, and we
still find time to catch up a few times a
year. And her cutting-edge research in arm
care continues to influence my work with
athletes.”
These types of bonds with athletic
training staff are the norm at Augsburg.
During her 18-year tenure, Strauch
has built an expert, dynamic team
of professional trainers and student
assistants who collaborate across campus
and within the community to achieve
a holistic approach to the safety and
wellness of Augsburg’s more than 500
student-athletes.
It’s fast-paced, passionate work.
Strauch and her staff know players’
names. They generate daily injury reports
Fall 2015
13
Student Sports Medicine Assistants Jack Duffy ’16 (left) and Alison Ranum ’17 (right) aid Auggie
running back Michael Busch ’16.
and conduct pre- and post-season
screenings, and a member of the
medical staff travels with every team to
most away contests. Strauch demands
best practices and has championed
increased data collection and the
adoption of many advancements,
including the computerized concussion
evaluation system, IMPACT. She and
her staff connect with professors to
formulate accommodations for injured
student-athletes.
“At its core, our role is about
relationships—building trust with
coaches and student-athletes and
developing supportive partnerships
throughout campus and with
professionals in the community. We work
to become part of the team. Assistant
Mitch Deets, for instance, camped for a
week in northern Minnesota for a cross
country team training trip. Assistant
Athletic Trainer Kassi Nordmeyer will
be traveling to Boston with volleyball
this fall and then wrestling and softball
throughout the year,” said Strauch, who
works specifically with football, men’s
and women’s hockey, and baseball.
“We don’t have all the bells and
whistles of Division I schools, but I
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Augsburg Now
would stack our program’s continuity
of care against any of them. And you
won’t find stronger bonds. I should show
you our stack of Christmas cards and
wedding invitations from former studentathletes. Those personal connections
make all the difference.”
Baseball head coach Keith Bateman
agrees.
“First-year and transfer studentathletes are often a little hesitant to
disclose an injury because they are
afraid of not playing. And coaches like
being in charge, so I would say many
athletic trainers run into walls with team
leadership. But not here, not with Missy.
She won’t let them or us get away with
that,” said Bateman, who is in his 13th
year at Augsburg. “She and her staff
become such a part of our teams that they
know when players are having a bad day
by the way they carry themselves. They
want student-athletes to play, to be tough,
but not to be stupid.”
A thoughtful evolution
Former head football coach Jack
Osberg ’62 worked closely with Strauch
for more than 10 years, watching the
sports medicine program grow from a
part-time enterprise to a comprehensive
team that features four certified athletic
trainers, one athletic training intern,
one physician assistant fellow, 11
student sports medicine assistants, two
physicians, one chiropractor, and two
physical therapists.
“As students at Augsburg in the
late ’50s and early ’60s, we didn’t have
athletic trainers. Coaches took care of
taping, injury rehab, and other training
situations. The technology, knowledge,
equipment, facilities, communication,
and pre-season conditioning available
to coaches and student-athletes now is
remarkable,” said Osberg, who served
as head coach for 14 years and as an
assistant coach from 2007-10. “I respect
Missy and her staff having observed their
mentoring of student assistants, poise
when handling serious injuries, and focus
on the latest training techniques.”
Women’s hockey player Claire
Cripps ’16 is one such student who
can testify to the program’s expert
attention and nurturing approach. Days
before midterms last year, the forward
sustained a concussion on the ice,
leaving her with headaches, dizziness,
sensitivity to light, and an inability to
focus for almost two weeks.
“Missy sent an email to the dean and
each of my professors explaining what
happened, which led to postponing my
exams until I had the ability to study and
focus again,” said the exercise science
major who plans to pursue a doctorate
of physical therapy. “There were no
issues with any of my professors, and
they all wished me well, which made me
really feel that sense of community that
convinced me to come to Augsburg after
my first visit to campus.”
Advancements in prevention
Although the most common injuries are
routine sprains and bruises, concussions
and other serious traumas are a growing
area of concern as student-athletes’
speed, size, and strength has increased.
But, Strauch says, the diagnosis,
treatment, and rehabilitation also
have improved. In collaboration with
Twin Cities Orthopedics, Augsburg’s
implementation of IMPACT (Immediate
Post-Concussion Assessment and
Cognitive Testing) establishes a baseline
for each student-athlete so that health
care professionals can quickly and
accurately measure changes and
potential damage in the aftermath
of a concussion. The team’s cuttingedge equipment and data collection,
paired with the College’s longstanding
relationships with area doctors, ensure
that concussions are addressed promptly
and thoroughly.
Dr. B.J. Anderson, who serves as
Augsburg’s director of general medicine,
said the College’s sports medicine
program offers a “gold standard” of
care, particularly when it comes to
addressing serious injuries.
“I’ve worked with athletic trainers
across the globe, and Augsburg’s team
is second to none,” said Anderson,
who is a primary care provider for the
University of Minnesota Boynton Health
Service. “The College’s neurocognitive
testing is state of the art, and the staff’s
relationship with me and other doctors
results in continuity of care. We get
them in early, address the problem, and
get them back in action.”
It’s collaboration and conversation
among Augsburg faculty and staff that
make all the difference in ensuring
student-athletes perform their best in
competition and in the classroom.
When Carol Enke, instructor for
Health, Physical Education and Exercise
Science, noticed that a typically
advanced student turned in puzzlingly
poor work, she reached out to her
colleagues.
“Earlier in the semester, I had used
the student-athlete’s work as an example
of excellence in class, so when she turned
in a below-average lab assignment, I
called Missy right away,” said Enke, who
served as Augsburg’s head softball coach
for 21 seasons. “I knew the student
had experienced a concussion weeks
prior because Missy called me after the
incident. [When] we realized that the
injury affected the student-athlete’s
ability to analyze ... the entire campus
community came together in support.
That’s what we do at Augsburg.”
And, while Augsburg Athletics
employs progressive protocols to safely
assess and treat injuries, the College
is equally focused on prevention. In
June, Ryan Rasmussen came on board as
Augsburg’s head strength and conditioning
coach and has since worked closely with
athletic trainers to keep student-athletes
in optimum condition. He is the first
collegiate strength and conditioning coach
certified in a novel restorative movement
approach called RESET. Rasmussen
says the system pinpoints and eliminates
compensation patterns, empowering
Augsburg student-athletes to return to
play faster and achieve better performance
through optimal movement.
“To reap the full benefits of physical
activity, we need flawless posture and
movement, and this restorative approach
helps us achieve just that,” Rasmussen
said. “Having a team of people who
are concerned with the health of our
athletes is hugely important. We recently
collaborated on rehab for a hockey player
with a torn ACL. She is returning to play
this year and was the top performing
woman among the five teams reviewed
during our conditioning test.”
Inspiring mindful studentathletes
Mental health and nutrition also are
pillars of wellness that the Athletics
staff is committed to addressing in a
collective, proactive manner. Sports
medicine professionals advise studentathletes about the latest in nutrition and
collaborate regularly with Augsburg’s
Center for Wellness and Counseling to
ensure student-athletes are aware of
the center’s resources and community
support. Center Director Nancy Guilbeault
said anxiety and stress are increasingly
present in student-athletes lives, but
Augsburg is committed to helping all
students have healthy, happy college days.
Head Athletic Trainer Missy Strauch assists offensive lineman Andrew Konieczny ’15 during Augsburg’s
Homecoming football game.
“This fall, we worked with Athletics to develop
four sessions for incoming student-athletes to address
alcohol consumption, mindfulness, body image, and
healthy relationships. Athletics, more than many, knows
the importance of working as a team to confront the
challenges our students face, so they are wonderful
partners,” said Guilbeault, who has worked at Augsburg
for 36 years. “Coaches and athletic training staff are
often the first to notice when a student-athlete might
need to talk with us, and they stick with them throughout
the process—often walking them over to the Center or
attending a session with them.”
Guilbeault says mental health is often tied with
injuries, as student-athletes feel stress associated with
“letting the team down” or experience mental health
issues because of certain physical traumas. Her team
of counselors and the Center’s collaboration with a
psychiatrist and community resources ensure students
receive optimum care.
“Our students receive up to 10 counseling sessions
each academic year, and if they need additional support
beyond that, we refer them to one of our community
partners and keep up with their care,” Guilbeault said.
“Mindfulness meditation techniques are particularly
important for student-athletes because the approach
encourages student-athletes to be aware of their bodies
and present moments, becoming more resilient to stress.”
13
12
Building on a strong foundation
Like any strong foundation, the sports medicine team’s
roster of professionals and holistic, collaborative
approach took years to build; but behind the staff hires,
the new technology, and personal bonds is Strauch—
driving herself and her staff to become more than just
“trainers who wrap ankles.” They are a passionate team
of professionals who will do whatever it takes—from
stirring the Crock-Pot at potlucks to calling professors—
to ensure student-athletes have the tools and support
they need to succeed and achieve their life goals.
“Our profession has changed dramatically in the past
decade. Many of my mentors were focused solely on the
injury, and we now take a much broader view, a much
more involved role,” Strauch said. “And the best part
about it is that we will continue to grow and continue to
adapt to the demands of the future.
“Augsburg is a community dedicated to finding new
and better ways to support our students in every aspect of
their lives. And Athletics is a family of student-athletes,
parents, coaches, and trainers—all striving to do better,
work harder, and represent the best of Augsburg. I love
this school. Go Auggies!”
16
Augsburg Now
TRAINING CENTER
BUSTLES WITH ENERGY
In this photo illustration, the Augsburg College training center is a
hive of activity. Student-athletes buzz in and out to get care before
and after practices and games while athletic training staff assess
injuries. After professional staff determine the appropriate care for
a student-athlete, the College’s student sports medicine assistants
implement treatment and get hands-on practice in their field of
study. The training center always is humming with action and
support meant to help Auggies do their best in competition and in
the classroom.
2
1
4
6
5
3
7
8
14
11
10
9
Assistant Athletic Director and
Assistant Softball Coach Melissa
Lee ’04 and Assistant Athletic Trainer
Mitchell Deets work at the electronic
record check-in station.
1
Assistant Athletic Trainer Kassi
Nordmeyer administers a
pre-practice ultrasound on Jessica
Lillquist ’16, a member of the volleyball
and basketball teams.
2
Courtney Lemke ’17, volleyball,
is treated with hot packs and
electric stimulation.
3
Head Athletic Trainer Missy Strauch
completes a knee evaluation on
soccer player Mohamed Sankoh ’16.
4
Jerrome Martin ’17 is treated
5 with a cold compress before
football practice.
Carter Denison ’17, Marta Anderson ’17,
and Ashley Waalen ’17.
8
Jorden Gannon ’18 gets postfootball practice hydrotherapy.
9
R.J. Cervenka ’16, a football player,
ices his shoulder after practice.
Kayla Fuechtmann ’16, a sports
medicine assistant and hockey
player, hauls a hydration cooler back
from practice.
Sports Medicine Assistant Beth
Zook ’17 tapes the ankle of
soccer player Ngochinyan Ollor ’15.
Soccer players receive
hydrotherapy. The players are,
from left, sports medicine assistant
Student Medicine Assistant Aden
Lehman ’17 tapes the ankle of
football player Mac Kittelson ’16.
6
7
10
Logan Hortop ’17, a sports
medicine assistant, tapes the
ankle of Sean Adams ’17, a member of
the cross country and track teams.
12
Sports Medicine Assistant
Kristopher Woods ’17 delivers
wound care to football player Tyler Sis ’16.
13
Silvia Cha ’19, member of the
cross country team, does ankle
rehabilitation.
14
11
Fall 2015
17
Caitlin Crowley ’16, left, and Associate Professor Phil Adamo
peruse documents in the archive area of Lindell Library.
Professors team with
students to research and
share College history
BY STEPHEN JENDRASZAK
I
f you’re interested in the history of
Augsburg College, you’re probably
familiar with “From Fjord to Freeway,”
a book published by long-time professor
of history Carl Chrislock ’37 in 1969.
The publication, which tells the story
of the first 100 years of the College, is
receiving renewed interest and attention
as we approach the institution’s
sesquicentennial in 2019.
But no history is complete.
Phil Adamo, associate professor of
history and director of the honors program,
is authoring a new book with students to
bring further aspects of the impact and
personality of the College to life.
18
Augsburg Now
The new book, to be published
during 2019, will include previously
untold stories from the early years of
the College. For example, the story
of Augsburg’s first president, August
Weenaas, and the sacrifices he made to
found Augsburg is told in “From Fjord
to Freeway.” But largely unremarked
upon is the story of Valborg Weenaas,
his wife, who followed him from Norway
to Marshall, Wisconsin. She eventually
housed 10-20 students in their home,
moved to Minneapolis when Augsburg
did the same, and passed away in the
Twin Cities at only 37.
Of course, the book also will
address the events of the 50 years
that have elapsed since the earlier
work’s publication, such as Augsburg’s
response to the 2007 collapse of the
Interstate 35W bridge in Minneapolis
and its aftermath. The College offered
its campus facilities to and worked
closely with the Red Cross, Minneapolis’
Emergency Preparedness Team, and the
Minneapolis Police Department to set
up the Family Assistance Center, a place
where family members of missing victims
gathered to receive news updates, talk
with grief counselors, and more.
Perhaps most importantly, this
new look at Augsburg’s past will strive
to address the history of ideas that
have shaped and been shaped by the
community.
“What I’m interested in, which
is not done very often, is a history of
ideas,” Adamo said. “Those ideas are
wide-ranging—from theological issues
early on to evolution, which was a
controversial subject in religious circles.
This was new stuff when the College was
founded.”
The book is a deeply collaborative
effort, giving students opportunities to
hone their skills in research and writing
while producing a work for publication
and being credited as contributors.
Students this past summer worked
in the College archives with Adamo
every weekday morning, and donated
a portion of their hours to cataloging
documents for the College archives.
Caitlin Crowley ’16, a transfer student
and history major, documented letters
from Augsburg’s fifth president,
Bernhard Christensen ’22, to Auggies
serving in World War II.
“He was the president of the
College; he must’ve had a million things
to do,” Crowley said. “And yet, there
are just folders and folders of personal
letters he wrote. [Soldiers] would
respond; he would write back. He would
tell them what was happening at the
College. It made me really like the guy.”
Crowley’s own family history, in
fact, is entwined with Augsburg’s.
Her mother, Deborah (Frederickson)
Crowley ’76, married her father on
campus in the building that bears
Christensen’s name. And her maternal
grandfather, Jerrol Frederickson ’43,
attended the College for two years
before joining the air force just before
Pearl Harbor. However, Crowley has yet
to find a letter from Christensen to her
grandfather.
This is the third summer Adamo
has worked with a group of student
researchers on the project. Students
in the first two summers each wrote
a single, extensive chapter, but this
summer’s group focused on a series of
shorter vignettes. Students explored
leaders including former College
presidents George Sverdrup, class of
1898, and Oscar Anderson ’38; Dean of
Women Gerda Mortensen; coaches and
athletes like Edor Nelson ’38 and Devean
George ’99; and events such as the
admission of women in the 1920s.
“It almost felt like being a
journalist,” Crowley said. “We were given
two topics a week. We also had to write
about what was happening outside the
College during the same time. It was
a great way to learn about this variety
of topics that I previously didn’t know
anything about.”
Each Friday, the students and
Adamo met to read their sections aloud
and critique one another’s work. “Phil
could be kind of brutal, which was
good,” Crowley said. “Even after just a
few weeks, all of us were getting to be
much better writers.”
In addition to Adamo and the
students working on the book, another
group of historians is making use
of tools Chrislock could only have
imagined in 1969—smartphone apps
and the Internet—to share the broader
history of Augsburg’s Cedar-Riverside
neighborhood. Jacqui deVries, professor
of history and director of general
education, and Kirsten Delegard, scholar
in residence in the history department
and creator of the Historyapolis Project
(historyapolis.com)—an endeavor
to share the first narrative history of
Minneapolis in more than 40 years—are
working with Anduin Wilhide, a doctoral
student at the University of Minnesota,
to develop a digital history tour of the
area. The project will provide both
a website and apps for iPhones and
Android devices.
The team is now seeking funding
to complete the digital upload
process and to engage students in the
researching and writing of additional
tours. The project initially was intended
to introduce new students to the
neighborhood and its rich history,
though, as it grew, it became clear that
it will now serve a broader audience.
The goal is to have the app available
as the incoming class arrives in fall
2016, offering a window into the past
just as new students join the Augsburg
community, ready to shape its future.
President Christensen writes to WWII soldiers
BY CAITLIN CROWLEY ’16
During World War II, Augsburg College
President Bernhard Christensen ’22
diligently wrote to students and
faculty stationed around the world to
keep them up-to-date on happenings
at home and on campus. Today in the
College library’s basement, hundreds
of letters between Christensen
and these Auggies are archived in
boxes. The correspondence tells
the story of the school during the
war. There are Christmas cards from
Army bases and training camps,
tales of life during war and life back
home, well wishes and letters of
recommendation for military positions
and promotions, and sympathy notes
to families grieving the loss of their
loved ones. Christensen was deeply
invested in corresponding with all
the men involved in the war, a job
that must have taken countless
hours of dictation and typing. He
included his personal thoughts in
most all of these letters. In a letter
to Arthur Molvik ’40, a student who
later died in the war, Christensen
wrote, “We can only hope that the
clouds of war will not hang over us
too long and that when peace does
return it will be built upon a more
secure basis than formerly. Only in
a faith of this kind, I believe, can
we have courage to carry on.”
Fall 2015
19
AUGSBURG COLLEGE SOCIOLOGIST
EXAMINES NORTH DAKOTA’S
NEW OIL LANDSCAPE
20
Augsburg Now
BY LAURA SWANSON ’15 MBA
I
n the summer of 2012, Tim Pippert
lifted a couple of duffel bags into the
back of his car and headed northwest
on Interstate 94, beginning an almost
700-mile journey that drew him out of
Minneapolis—beyond the steel and glass
towers, the hectic grid of side streets
and signs, and the flurry of Fortune 500
companies and all those who inhabit their
cubicles and corner offices.
Soon, the fields of western Minnesota
and eastern North Dakota lined Pippert’s
roadside. He rolled past patches of flax
and sunflowers, wheat, alfalfa, and canola
to a place where tilled acreage melted
into an even more expansive landscape
of ranches and natural prairie grasses.
For decades—make that centuries—any
description of western North Dakota
seemed amiss without mentioning this
place’s sheer vastness of space, the way
gently rolling hills and rugged badlands
disappear into broad horizons hugging big,
bluish-gray skies.
BUT NOW THE STORY WAS DIFFERENT.
THIS AREA WAS IN THE MIDST OF A
TRANSFORMATION.
Fall 2015
21
Pippert was headed to Williston—
the North Dakota city viewed as the
epicenter of the latest North American
oil boom. This isolated community was
among a handful of towns and small
cities dotting the map in four counties
that together emitted a nearly magnetic
pull for job seekers of all kinds.
It’s likely that the route Pippert
followed to Williston began in a
similar fashion as the path truck
drivers, frack hands, pipe fitters,
hair stylists, and people working
within numerous other industries
took to North Dakota. That’s because
Pippert’s curiosity with Williston was
piqued by news stories describing
the remarkable growth happening
in this once stagnant community.
What was unique about Pippert’s
desire to work in the Roughrider State,
though, was that he didn’t plan to
fill a position in the oil industry or to
hold a job supporting its employees
at all. Instead, he sought to study the
societal change underway in Williston
and its surrounding areas along with
individuals’ perceptions of it. Thus,
he became one of the first scholars to
explore what local residents perceive to
be the costs and benefits of the boom.
A NEW RESEARCH PHASE
As an associate professor in the
Augsburg College Department of
Sociology, Pippert blends teaching,
scholarship, and mentorship into his
work each year, with an emphasis on
each aspect varying in accordance
with the academic calendar cycle.
His interest in North Dakota’s
changing cultural and physical
22
Augsburg Now
landscape stemmed from in-class
discussions with his students. Pippert
asked his Introduction to Sociology
class to bring in newspaper clippings
related to current events as an
assignment so that, together, the
students could practice analyzing
information using a sociological
perspective. One article on North
Dakota oil came in, then another.
“That’s when things were in the
very early stages of the boom, and
there were sensational stories about
folks making money hand over fist
and people moving out there with
nowhere to live,” Pippert said. “I’m
from Nebraska, and there was only
one stoplight in my entire county. I’m
used to seeing all of these tiny towns
decline in population or be relatively
stable, certainly not growing. As a
sociologist, I was just fascinated by
what happens when a small town
explodes in population overnight.”
For years, North Dakotans
were concerned about their state’s
population decline, but the oil boom
in the late 2000s dramatically
changed the socioeconomic
landscape in the region.
In 2013, journalist Chip Brown
wrote a New York Times Magazine
article that said, “It’s hard to think
of what oil hasn’t done to life in
small communities of western North
Dakota, good and bad. It has minted
millionaires, paid off mortgages, created
businesses; it has raised rents, stressed
roads, vexed planners and overwhelmed
schools; it has polluted streams,
spoiled fields and boosted crime.”
This article is among thousands
penned since the start of the boom,
but Pippert’s research takes an
approach that’s different than the one
most popular news media follow.
Using a combination of quantitative
and qualitative research methods
over the course of his career, Pippert
has examined subject areas such
as the family ties of homelessness,
the transition to parenthood, and
the accuracy of photographic
representation of diversity within
university recruitment materials. As
the next phase of his research, Pippert
recognized that there’s certainly a story
related to the development in North
Dakota, but it’s not one that can—or
necessarily should—be summarized
in a 500-word, front-page exposé or
in a 2-minute piece on the 6 o’clock
news. Pippert is working to construct
a longer narrative that is grounded in
a sociological understanding of rapid
population growth, allowing for an
analysis of how the perceptions of local
residents change over time. Of course
history shows that people’s opinions
shift as the state of the oil industry
fluctuates, which it typically does.
NORTH DAKOTA HAS
BOOMED BEFORE
“North Dakota has had oil booms
before but never one so big, never one
that rivaled the land rush precipitated
more than a century ago by the
transcontinental railroads, never one
that so radically changed the subtext of
the Dakota frontier from the Bitter Past
That Was to the Better Future That May
Yet Be,” Brown wrote.
Since the beginning, the American
oil industry’s history in north central
states has followed a cyclical narrative
of starts and stops, booms and busts.
The subterranean shale that contains
the much talked-about oil covers
western North Dakota and northeastern
Montana, and stretches into two
Canadian provinces: Saskatchewan
and Manitoba. The Bakken shale was
discovered in the early 1950s and
named after Henry Bakken, a farmer
who leased his land in North Dakota
for an early well. At 14,700 square
miles, it is the largest continuous crude
oil accumulation in the United States.
The shale has been in development
since 1953 with periods of significant
growth punctuating its more than 50year timeline. For instance, in the late
1970s and early 1980s, activity picked
up in the upper Bakken when improved
extraction technology married political
and economic conditions that left the
U.S. thirsty for domestic production.
THE LATEST BOOM
In the late 2000s, innovative
engineering and technological
refinements also played key roles
in bringing about a new boom. The
key to unlocking more of the oftensegregated oil deposits in the Bakken
shale is horizontal drilling and hydraulic
fracturing, often called “fracking.”
North Dakota has been described as a
laboratory for coaxing oil from stingy
rocks. While petroleum geologists
have known for decades that layers of
the Bakken contain light, sulfur-free
oil, it has been much more puzzling
how to extract it economically.
Today, the Bakken contains some
of the longest horizontal wells in the
world. Drillers bore vertical shafts and
then lateral shafts that extend out as
far as three miles in order to harvest
otherwise unreachable oil. However,
horizontal drilling alone is often not
enough to lure Bakken oil from the
tightly clenched grasp that holds it
roughly two miles below the earth’s
surface. The majority of the shale
won’t yield its oil unless pressurized
water containing sand and various
chemicals is pumped down the well
to crack open hairline channels
within thin layers of oil-and gasbearing rock. This procedure has been
environmentally controversial given
that the chemicals used in fracking
have been known to be or suspected
of being carcinogenic or otherwise
poisonous. Geologists and engineers
continually fine-tune the assortment
of frack fluid recipes required in
varying geological conditions, and they
fracture wells in stages, sometimes
repeating the process dozens of
times at a single location. Waste
from this process must be carefully
handled and monitored to avoid
contaminating groundwater, polluting
surface areas, or injuring workers.
Since petroleum engineers began
combining fracking with directional
drilling, thousands of new wells have
been constructed—primarily in four
North Dakota counties bordering the
Missouri River: Dunn, McKenzie,
Mountrail, and Williams. And, from
2006 to 2013, production from the
Bakken formation increased roughly
150-fold, moving North Dakota
into second place among domestic
suppliers of oil, behind Texas and
ahead of Alaska. This substantial
growth in industry spurred a need for
more of nearly everything—laborers,
housing units, highways, railroads,
power lines, and even patience.
“I’ve never seen a more
hardworking place,” Pippert said.
“There are always things going on. I’m
not sure how exactly to articulate it,
but it’s like there’s always construction;
there’s always truck traffic;
there’s always activity on Sunday
afternoons. It just doesn’t stop.”
The change in Williston and
other boomtowns may not stop, but
it does slow. This year, slumping
crude oil prices have led to a decline
among communities affected by the
oil industry. Williston was the fastestgrowing small city in the U.S. from
2011 to 2013, according to the U.S.
Census Bureau. Yet, news outlets
recently have described harder times.
Bakken oil has always been expensive
to produce and ship to refineries. So,
when oil prices started to decrease
in autumn 2014, oil producers
tamped down their spending. This
meant fewer rigs actively drilling for
crude and less work for those who
service new wells. In extreme cases,
layoffs, reduced hours, and smaller
paychecks have led workers into
hard times and even out of town.
“Lots of things have changed since
2012,” admits Pippert. “Now I have
to write a potentially different story.”
It’s said that North Dakota’s last oil
boom, which occurred roughly 30 years
ago, collapsed so quickly when oil prices
crashed that people declared, “If you’re
the last person in Williston, make sure
you turn off the lights.” But what did this
flight mean for the people who continued
Fall 2015
23
ANALYZING AND WRITING
Pippert mets with Deanette Piesik, CEO of TrainND
living in that community? For Pippert, it’s
important for sociologists to analyze how
population shifts and the industrialization
of rural areas strain community ties
and impact the daily lives of long-term
residents. This summer, he took his fifth
and likely final trip to North Dakota to see
how the recent slowdown has influenced
life in Williston, to conduct follow-up
interviews, and to hear from additional
residents for the first time.
Pippert met with Deanette
Piesik, CEO of workforce development
organization TrainND, to discuss whether
she had witnessed any signs of an oil
industry downturn. TrainND serves as
a link between private industry and
Williston State College by facilitating
safety trainings and offering worker
certification programs. After the
conversation, Piesik said she appreciated
the way Pippert used open-ended
questions such as, “How’d that impact
you?” and “What do you see?” rather
than asking questions that would induce
a negative response.
“I guess I worry about how some of
the things I say will get cut short or be
portrayed the wrong way,” said Piesik,
whose concern applies to news coverage
ranging from national broadcasts to the
local press. “Now, I could have been the
type of person who was totally negative
and that’s what you would have gotten …
but I have faith that [Pippert is] writing a
good piece about this oil boom and how
it has changed this community. I think
that’s a positive piece to do.”
24
Augsburg Now
Over the course of three years, Pippert
conducted 87 interviews to gather data,
and he is entering the writing phase of his
research—a time when he will synthesize
all of this information. Naturally, analyzing
more than seven-dozen conversations will
be a challenging endeavor.
“There comes a point, probably
before that 87 number, where you
don’t learn anything new,” he said with
a laugh, “but it’s so interesting I just
wanted to keep going.”
Augsburg College sociology
students helped to spur Pippert’s
interest in the North Dakota oil boom,
and they continue to play a role as
this project develops. Students serve
as research assistants by transcribing
interviews and coding the information
they contain so that Pippert can
examine themes from year to year
and from discussion to discussion. He
plans to work with a research assistant
supported by the 2015 Torstenson
Community Scholars program, and he
has supervised Ashley Johnson ’16 as
she worked on an independent project
on sex trafficking in North Dakota as
part of her participation in the McNair
Scholars Program.
Overall, Pippert is positioned to
assess the dramatic and immediate
strain on infrastructure that North
Dakota communities endured during the
period of rapid growth occurring during
the boom’s first few years. He also will
look at longtime residents’ perceptions
of oil workers and of crime.
“There are certainly more crimes
taking place, but whether they are
proportional to the population increase
is difficult to tell,” Pippert said.
It is also complex to articulate how
residents felt about an influx of new
people in their communities.
“As a sociologist, I’m interested
in ‘insider’ versus ‘outsider’ framing,”
Pippert added. “There seems to be a
pretty strong sentiment among locals
that they were frustrated with oil field
workers. The saying was, ‘Go back
home—unless you plan on staying.’”
This phrase, Pippert noticed,
articulates that longtime residents
grew tired of people simply entering
their communities for work and then
leaving or sending their income to
families and homes in other areas of the
country. The locals would have preferred
for the newcomers to contribute to and
make a life in their communities well
into the future.
THE YEARS AHEAD
As time unfolds, the challenges and
opportunities presented in Williston may
begin to surface in other communities
that are in the midst of their own
dramatic population growth, and
Pippert’s research could serve as a study
for navigating complex situations.
The oil extraction technology
pioneered in North Dakota is expected
to have implications around the world,
but it’s not only communities near
oil deposits that may benefit from
this scholar’s perspective. Ultimately,
Pippert said, his story is about how
the identity of a small town changes
when significant industrial development
causes a population shift. It’s about
massive industry suddenly entering an
area—any area—to utilize its resources.
And when other communities follow
down a similar path as Williston, it’s
important for them to learn from the
road that North Dakota already has
traveled.
“It really is about a boom,” Pippert
said. “But the source of its spark doesn’t
really matter.”
A DARK
SIDE TO
A BOOM
scholarship
in action
A
s one of the first sociologists to
study the effects of the most
recent oil boom in North Dakota,
Tim Pippert has been sought out by
organizations looking to add context
to their coverage of the changes
occurring in the city of Williston and
its surrounding communities. Pippert
contributed to the Forum News
Service’s reporting series on human
trafficking and female exploitation,
and he appeared in the documentary
“BOOM,” which depicted human and sex
trafficking issues haunting communities.
The film tells the story of a recent
college graduate who moves to North
Dakota to get a job in the oil fields as
a trucker and who becomes aware of
criminal activity present in his new
surroundings. The nonprofit iEmpathize
created the documentary to raise
awareness about child exploitation
and to help industries ranging from
oil and gas to trucking and hospitality
better train employees to recognize and
respond to trafficking.
The film was screened in November
2014 at North Dakota’s first statewide
summit on human trafficking, which
Pippert attended as a featured panelist.
He discussed his research in front of
the U.S. attorney for North Dakota,
the state’s attorney general, local and
federal law enforcement agencies,
victims’ advocates, social service
providers, tribal officials, and others
who—he said—came together to ask,
“How big of a problem is this?” and
“What are we going to do about it?”
For Pippert, seeing his scholarship
have a life outside of an academic
setting has been personally rewarding
and publically valuable.
Brad Riley, founder and president
of iEmpathize, visited Augsburg College
in March with Anthony Baldassari, the
film’s protagonist and an engagement
ambassador for the organization’s Boom
Campaign, which assists communities
across the United States. The two men
joined Pippert in screening the film and
leading an on-campus discussion on the
issues it portrayed. Baldassari, Pippert,
and Riley also served as presenters at
Visit iEmpathize.org to learn
how this organization works to
educate boom communities
to recognize and respond to
human trafficking issues.
the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Forum,
of which Augsburg College is a host
sponsor.
Pippert’s role in the film helped
to “give a real, authentic, and clear
unpacking of what’s happening, why it’s
happening, and where it’s happening,”
Riley said.
The film was designed to be a
catalyst for conversation in communities
where human trafficking already had a
foothold or within groups that have an
ability to help curtail the offense. In
addition, “BOOM” is a teaching tool for
the curricula iEmpathize distributes to
law enforcement, schools, health care
institutions, and other organizations
located in areas that are at risk of
encountering their own human trafficking
issues.
“If we can predict where boom
towns might be in the future, we can
come in and help set up a little bit
of infrastructure on the front end,”
Baldassari said, which helps to give
people the opportunity to intervene in a
safe and practical way.
Fall 2015
25
26
Augsburg Now
BURSTING
WITH AUGGIE PRIDE
A fireworks display over Murphy Square lights up the night during
Homecoming weekend.
Nearly 600 Auggies representing more than six decades and from as far away as Norway attended
the 2015 Augsburg College Homecoming celebration. The class with the most attendees? Alumni
from 1965, marking their 50th reunion! If you’ve never had the chance to see the campus canopied in
fireworks, you should plan to attend Homecoming in 2016.
The 2015 Homecoming Alumni Award recipients and Athletic Hall of
Fame inductees are featured in Class Notes: pages 32-39. To view
videos recognizing the award recipients, go to augsburg.edu/now.
Fall 2015
27
FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear alumni and friends,
W
elcome to the 2015-16
academic year! Thank you to
Chris Hallin ’88 for serving as
alumni board president last year. I’m
excited to become board president at
a time when our group continues to
evolve and increase its engagement
with alumni in the life of the College.
As the campus community looks forward to the
sesquicentennial of Augsburg in 2019, we all have the
opportunity to participate in the strategic vision set forth
by the Augsburg Board of Regents, which states: “In 2019,
Augsburg College will be a new kind of student-centered,
urban university, small to our students and big for the world.”
There is much work that we as alumni have done and can do
to support this vision.
Mark your calendars for the next Student and Alumni
Networking Event on February 9, which gives students
access to one-on-one discussions with alumni professionals
on campus. Alumni can also partner with the Clair and
Gladys Strommen Center for Meaningful Work, as we did this
September for the first-ever Fall Career and Internship Fair, to
provide alumni and students with meaningful connections.
We also work to make annual traditions, such as
Homecoming and Advent Vespers, special for alumni of all
generations.
Throughout the coming year, your alumni board will hear
from Augsburg guest speakers about internships, research,
study abroad, and service work and learning that shape an
Augsburg education. As we listen, we will consider how alumni
can support the important work of the College. There are three
dimensions in the Augsburg2019 strategic plan (found at
augsburg.edu/augsburg2019) that are relevant to our work:
•
Dimension 1: Educating for lives of purpose—across the
disciplines, beyond the classroom, and around the world.
As alumni, we can help students outside the classroom
and in a manner that equips them to succeed through
mentoring, internships, and more.
•
Dimension 2: At the table with our neighbors and institutional
partners, shaping education to address the world’s needs. As
alumni, our workplaces and Auggie-owned businesses can
work with Augsburg to expand internship opportunities
that allow students to build their skills, discern their
vocations, and open doors to careers.
•
Dimension 3: Built for the future—a vital and sustainable
institution. Alumni can strengthen collaboration and
financial sustainability through our consistent financial
support and by sharing the good news about the College
among our professional and faith communities, and with
our friends and families.
As alumni, we have a direct impact on our College in small
and large ways. Our participation is key to the future viability
and sustainability of our college and of Auggies. I hope you
will join us.
JILL WATSON ’10 MBA
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
UNIQUELY AUGSBURG TRAVEL
Augsburg College alumni, parents, families, and friends are invited to
join international tours led by faculty members whose distinction and
expertise add to one-of-a-kind
travel experiences. If you are
UPCOMING TOURS:
interested in participating in
Germany and the Czech Republic
travel opportunities or attending
Thailand and Cambodia
an information session, contact
Sally Daniels Herron ’79 at
To learn more, go to
augsburg.edu/alumni/travel.
herron@augsburg.edu or
612-330-1525.
28
Augsburg Now
NOVEMBER 12, 2015
Thanks for Giving to the Max!
Thank you to all those who supported
Augsburg College on Give to the Max Day.
Your gifts enable great opportunities for
students in academics, athletics, and
campus programs. See the wide variety of
projects supported by this annual day of
philanthropy at augsburg.edu/now.
AUGGIES CONNECT
FROM RIVERSIDE AVE.
TO RIVERSIDE, CA
A demand for Auggies
Augsburg is closing the distance between Riverside Avenue in
Minneapolis and Riverside, California, through the successful
partnership of Augsburg faculty, alumni, college programs—and,
of course—talented students.
The collaboration is proving so effective that faculty
mentors at the University of California-Riverside are calling for
more Auggies. When Dixie Shafer, director of Undergraduate
Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO), visited
doctoral candidate Tom Lopez ’11, she heard in no uncertain
terms from Lopez’s mentor and department of mechanical
engineering faculty member Lorenzo Mangolini:
“I want more of your students. I want more Augsburg
students. Your students know what they’re doing in the lab
from day one.”
Over the past six years, several Augsburg graduates have
landed at UC-Riverside with full funding to attend doctoral
programs. The students have a team of Auggie advocates
supporting them all the way. The team includes staff from
TRIO/McNair Scholars; URGO; STEM (science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics) Programs; and alumni who
have walked a similar path.
The Riverside pipeline
Augsburg sociology alumni Matthew Dunn ’08, Jenna Mead ’09,
and Zach Sommer ’10 were among the first Auggies to blaze a trail
to UC-Riverside. They were later joined by Lopez and doctoral
candidate Justin Gyllen ’11, a computer scientist and physicist
working on an educational technology project to help first-year
engineering students improve their note-taking.
Now those Auggies have been joined by two more alumni
from the physics and math departments: Gottlieb Uahengo ’13
and Amir Rose ’14.
Rose, one of five Augsburg McNair Scholars to attend
UC-Riverside, credits that program’s role in his success. The
McNair program is a two-year opportunity that helps prepare
low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented students
for graduate school. Rose, whose current research is focused
on breeding sterile mosquitoes to eradicate populations of
disease-spreading mosquitoes, also credits Augsburg physics
professor David Murr ’92 for teaching him research skills and
independent thinking.
Even current Augsburg students gain research experience at
UC-Riverside. Last summer, chemistry student Oscar Martinez ’16
worked with Lopez and also traveled to Scripps Research
Institute in Florida.
Circle of Support
Now that these Auggies are studying and
researching in Riverside, Dr. Steve Larson ’72
says it’s his turn to help. Larson, a member of
the Augsburg Board of Regents, has been in
California since 1980.
Three years ago, Larson, chief executive officer
and board chair for Riverside Medical Clinic
and a generous supporter of the Norman
and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science,
Business, and Religion, found out that there
was not just one, but a group of Auggies in
Riverside, and he invited them to dinner at his
home. He has had them back every year, and
has been joined by Augsburg College President
Paul Pribbenow and Shafer.
“We all have something in common,”
Larson said of his dinners with the Augsburg
alumni and students. “Everyone appreciates
what happens at Augsburg College.”
There’s a circle of involvement with the
College, Larson explained, that begins as a
student, continues as alumni go out into the
world, and finally turns back to support student
success and the future of the College. “This is
my turn,” he said.
He is excited for how the Hagfors Center
will continue to inspire high-caliber students
and faculty to take their work to the next level.
“Keep those Auggies coming,” Larson said.
[Top to bottom]:
Augsburg College
Regent Steve Larson ’72
supports students like
Gottlieb Uahengo ’13 and
Oscar Martinez ’16—two
of the Auggies whose
academic pursuits have
led to the University of
California-Riverside.
Fall 2015
29
AUGGIES CONNECT
THOUGHTFUL GIVING
Less effort. More impact.
“Mr. Augsburg” has spent 44 years of his
life—so far—inspiring Auggies to invest
in the life of the College. Whether in his
role as a student, parent, grandparent,
or as alumni director and fundraiser for
Augsburg, Jeroy Carlson ’48 has inspired
Auggies through the decades to remain
connected to their alma mater.
The work, connections, and
inspiration fostered and forged by
Carlson led an anonymous donor to make
a generous $165,000 lead gift to name
a gathering space in the Norman and
Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science,
Business, and Religion in honor of
Carlson and his wife, Lorraine. Augsburg
College Regent Dennis Meyer ’78 and
Beverly (Ranum) Meyer ’78 also were
inspired by Carlson’s leadership and
dedication to the College and decided to
make a second gift. The couple’s most
recent contribution of $25,000 will go
to support the space named in honor of
the Carlsons.
During his long tenure with
Augsburg, Carlson helped countless
students get their careers off the ground.
“He never hesitated to pick up the phone
to make a connection,” said Dennis.
One of Carlson’s introductions
helped Bev make an important
professional connection to launch her
teaching career. “There were many
30
Augsburg Now
faculty and staff members at Augsburg
who provided career guidance and
direction, but Jeroy stands out for us,”
she said.
“I admire the connections Jeroy
developed with alumni and his ability
to make things happen,” Dennis said,
noting that Carlson raised millions for
the College. “When he called and asked
for something, people gave because
they had great respect for Jeroy, his
love of Augsburg, and the people who
contributed to its success.”
Donors are invited to make a gift
to the Jeroy and Lorraine Carlson
Atrium Lounge—a designated space
in the Hagfors Center where the
Augsburg community will gather, foster
relationships, and build community.
Great progress already has been
made for this $250,000 initiative, which
will end on December 31. There is just
$60,000 left to raise to name the space.
Please join fellow Auggies touched by
the Carlsons’ spirit of generosity and
belief in Augsburg. Send your gift,
marked “Jeroy Carlson Initiative,” to:
Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside
Avenue, CB 142, Minneapolis, MN
55454. For more information, contact
Kim Stone at stonek@augsburg.edu or
612-330-1173.
Courtesy Photo
Courtesy Photo
Jeroy and
Lorraine Carlson
Atrium Lounge
Make a difference at Augsburg—this and
every month—with Thoughtful Giving.
A Thoughtful Gift is a monthly
sustaining contribution, paid automatically
with a deduction from your checking
account, credit card, or debit card.
Your monthly gifts help provide a
steady, reliable income stream, allowing
Augsburg to focus more resources on
financial aid and student services.
Think about it—monthly donations
make it easy to budget—and it feels great
to know you are making a difference every
month of the year.
Visit augsburg.edu/giving to start your
monthly giving today.
If you have questions or want to
become a Thoughtful Giver through the
mail or by telephone, contact Margo
Abramson at abramson@augsburg.edu or
612-330-1557.
Thank you for keeping Augsburg strong
and thriving with your financial support.
I believe in Thoughtful Giving.
Sue and Larry Turner ’69 have made an
automatic monthly gift since 2013.
AUGGIES CONNECT
Buy a brick. Honor a legacy.
What started out as a group of first-year Auggies from
Washburn High School in Minneapolis commuting
to campus for classes led to friendships that have
transcended job relocations, marriages, losses of parents,
and births of grandchildren. Now those Auggies—dear
friends for nearly a half-century—are celebrating their
life-long relationships and Augsburg’s role in bringing
them together by buying a brick to support the College’s
new Norman and Evangeline Hagfors Center for Science,
Business, and Religion.
In the late 1960s, after spending a year commuting
to college, the friends decided to live on campus.
Although they put their names in the housing lottery,
they came up empty. The group learned from facilities
staff that there was a house on campus that needed
some fixing up and that, if the group was willing to do
the work, they could move in.
The group cleaned, painted, and got the house ready
to live in. John Hjelmeland ’70 and Paul Mikelson ’70
moved into the house in the fall of 1967.
By winter break, more Auggies moved into the house:
John Harden ’69 and Phil Walen ’70 from Washburn High
and Terry Nygaard ’70 from Columbia Heights.
The five roommates spent the remainder of their
time at Augsburg in the house located where the Charles
S. Anderson Music Hall now stands. While the friends
all pursued different fields of study, their friendship
remained as strong then as it does now.
After graduation, Mikelson married and left for a
U.S. Army position in Germany, and Hjelmeland and
Walen moved out of state. During that time, the group
started to circulate a handwritten chain letter as a way to
stay in touch. Each of the friends lived in a different city,
and the group kept the letter in circulation for 10 years.
Eventually, all five Auggies returned to the Twin
Cities and began to meet for monthly lunches. This past
September, Walen passed away, but the remaining four
friends continue to meet regularly.
“Augsburg was the place where we cemented our
friendship and kept it going all these years,” Mikelson said.
While Walen was still alive, the five former
roommates together bought a brick to commemorate
their camaraderie and Augsburg’s place in it. The brick,
which will be displayed as part of the new Hagfors
Center, will be inscribed, simply, “2207 S. 7th St.”
Courtesy Photo
45 YEARS OF FRIENDSHIP INSPIRES A BRICK
Top: Augsburg College alumni on their graduation day [L to R]: Phil Walen ’70, Paul
Mikelson ’70, John Hjelmeland ’70, John Harden ’69, and Terry Nygaard ’70.
Bottom: Four of the men continue to meet monthly for lunch.
THERE IS STILL TIME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE
CAMPAIGN FOR THE HAGFORS CENTER!
Buy a brick to honor a family member,
a teacher, a friendship, or a relationship
that defines Augsburg for you. Augsburg
will inscribe a brick with your name or the
name of someone you’d like to honor. Each
brick will be incorporated into the building of the Hagfors
Center, creating a lasting legacy for the future of Augsburg.
Foundation Brick (40 characters, 3 lines) = $250
Legacy Brick (80 characters, 6 lines) = $500
augsburg.edu/csbr | 612-330-1085
Fall 2015
31
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1951
Einar Unseth ’51 marked his
90th birthday on June 29. After
farming with his father, Unseth served in the
occupation army in Japan. He then attended
Augsburg College and Luther Seminary. He
served as a missionary to Japan with the
American Lutheran Church (now ELCA), and
later pastored Lutheran churches in Iowa,
Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and South
Dakota. Unseth and his wife, Luella, recently
moved to Lester Prairie, Minnesota. They
have six sons, 22 grandchildren, and seven
great-grandchildren.
1952
Dave Christensen ’52 and his
brother Duane Christensen ’53 meet
every morning to grab some coffee, buy copies
of the Bemidji Pioneer and the Minneapolis
Star Tribune, and catch up on the latest news.
This tradition began in 1990 when Dave moved
to Bemidji to retire. Dave taught school in
Atwater, Minnesota, for four years and served
in the U.S. Army before enrolling in Luther
Seminary in St. Paul. Before retirement, he was
a Lutheran minister at Adams, North Dakota;
Warren, Minnesota; and Pelican Rapids,
Minnesota.
After Duane graduated from Augsburg,
he served in the U.S. Army and then began
a career in education as a band and choir
teacher in Danube, Minnesota. He earned
his master’s and specialist degrees at the
University of Minnesota, and then worked as a
school principal in several Minnesota districts.
Duane moved to Bemidji, Minnesota, in 1969
and started the Bemidji Regional Interdistrict
Council, an agency that provided special
education services to 18 area school districts.
He headed the council for 18 years before
retiring. In 1990, the brothers built Maple
Ridge Golf Course south of Bemidji.
Harvey Peterson ’52,
a former member of
the Augsburg College
Board of Regents and a
member of the Athletics
Hall of Fame, received
a Distinguished Alumni
Award at Homecoming
2015. He was recognized
for his distinct level of dedication, leadership,
and achievement over the span of his career.
He and his wife, Joanne (Varner) Peterson ’52,
are longtime, faithful supporters of the College.
He was the CEO of CATCO, a truck parts
supply company founded in 1949 by his father,
Art Peterson. He has given unselfishly to his
business and industry peers and associates,
mentoring and advising many along the way.
1957
Grace (Forss)
Herr ’57
was recognized with a
Distinguished Alumni
Award at Augsburg’s
Homecoming in October,
which also hosted a
reunion for majors
in home economics.
Her award cited her entrepreneurial spirit,
great generosity in establishing numerous
scholarships, and longstanding commitment to
Habitat for Humanity and the Guadalupe Center
in Florida, where she lives with her husband,
Doug. This past spring, the couple received the
Spirit of Marco Island Award from a Rotary Club,
which honored them for embodying the spirit of
community through service.
1961
Karen (Erickson) McCullough ’61
walked Hadrian’s Wall Path, a nearly
80-mile trek, across northern England from
Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway.
1964
Mike Walgren
’64 was
recognized with a Spirit
of Augsburg Award at
Homecoming in October.
He has been manager of
the Augsburg Centennial
Singers since 2001. With
his wife, Carla (Quanbeck)
Walgren ’64, he lives out his vocation of being
called to service. In his work with the Centennial
Singers, professionally, and with his church,
he puts his gifts and talents in service of the
greater good—doing the difficult work with
full engagement and without hesitation. He
was recognized in 2001 with an Outstanding
Professional Fundraiser of the Year award
by the Minnesota chapter of the Association
of Fundraising Professionals. He is an active
member of Westwood Lutheran Church in
St. Louis Park, Minnesota, where he sings
in the choir.
REUNION
1965
Augsburg
College
Regent Emeritus Dan
Anderson ’65 was
recognized with a
Distinguished Alumni
Award at Augsburg’s
Homecoming in October,
which also honored the
1965 men’s basketball championship team
on which he played. Anderson in 1977 was
inducted into the Augsburg Athletic Hall of
Fame for his accomplishments on the court,
including leading the basketball team to three
conference championships, setting records for
career points (2,052 points), and being named
conference player of the year three times.
Anderson is chairman of AdvisorNet Financial
in Minneapolis. He has served on the board
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
1952
Glenn Thorpe ’60 hosted a celebration for his brother Gordon Thorpe ’52, ’55
to honor the 60th anniversary of Gordon’s graduation from Augsburg
Seminary and ordination at Trinity Lutheran Church, which was on June 12, 1955.
Gordon served in parishes for 41 years. At the celebration, Gordon was joined by his
classmates David Rokke ’52, Carl Vaagenes ’50, ’55, and Bill Halverson ’51. Also joining
them to celebrate were Augsburg seminarians Philip Quanbeck ’50, Allan Sortland ’53,
Morris Vaagenes ’54, Jim Almquist ’61, Paul Almquist ’62, and Thomas Moen ’62.
32
Augsburg Now
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
of directors for charitable organizations, has
worked locally for Habitat for Humanity, and is
active in his church community.
Marilyn (Nielsen) Anderson ’65 treasures her
memories of Augsburg band trips to the West
Coast and the Augsburg Cantorians’ trips. She
taught K-12 choir, band, music, and orchestra
for 17 years and has written and published 25
children’s books. She taught writing courses
for the Institute of Children’s Literature for 20
years. Anderson also has trained and showed
dressage horses at international levels. If she
could thank anyone at Augsburg, it would be
James Johnson, her piano teacher, and Anne
Pederson, who taught English.
MaryAnn (Holland) Berg ’65 has had a life
filled with music. She taught elementary
music and piano for 20 years, and directed a
championship barbershop chorus in Fargo,
North Dakota, that took her to international
competitions in London, Minneapolis,
Philadelphia, Seattle, and St. Louis. She
currently sings with the Fargo Moorhead Choral
Artists, a group she’s been with for 28 years.
Her fondest memories of Augsburg include
choir tours (especially the Norway tour in 1965)
and serving as a student secretary for Leland
Sateren ’35. She and husband, Arvid Berg ’65,
cherish the memory of the Augsburg Choir
singing at their wedding on November 21, 1964.
Arvid has no doubt that Sateren inspired
him to become a choral director and to strive
for the highest performance standards he could
achieve. Arvid’s fondest Augsburg memories
are of Augsburg band and choir tours, including
a five-week tour with the choir to Norway,
Denmark, and Germany. Arvid spent 30 years
as head of the music department at Oak Grove
Lutheran High School in Fargo. He also had a
25-year military career, the last 19 years with the
188th Army Band of Fargo. His current interests
include fishing, hunting, traveling, music, and
his church.
If she could, Adrienne (Strand) Buboltz ’65
would thank the Rev. Waldemar Anderson ’37 for
encouraging her and three of her classmates
from North Dakota’s Portland High School
to attend Augsburg. She fondly remembers
serving on the freshman social committee,
decorating Christmas trees, watching high
school classmate Dan Anderson ’65 play
basketball, and meeting her future husband,
Larry Buboltz ’65, at Augsburg. She especially
enjoyed being instructed by Chemistry
Professor Courtland Agre and Leif Hansen,
her German teacher. Adrienne graduated
from Moorhead State University in 1974 and
became a Certified Public Accountant. She
worked in public accounting, was a corporate
controller, and taught at a vocational school.
She opened an insurance brokerage in 1991
after receiving her insurance and brokerage
licenses, and she retired in 2005. Larry keeps
busy as chair of Detroit Lakes Community
and Cultural Center in Minnesota. He serves
on a committee to bring a bike trail to the
community. He became a city councilman
in 1976, and served until he was elected
mayor from 1988 to 2008. He likes to
Sharon (Kunze) Erickson ’65 says she took an
interest in a certain physics lab assistant and
eventually married him—Ken Erickson ’62, now
retired from the Augsburg physics department.
The couple lives in Cambridge, Minnesota,
where Sharon taught first grade for 29 years.
Sharon volunteers at their church and at the
Cambridge Hospital when she isn’t spending
time with family and friends.
Helen (Friederichs) Griller ’65 has lived in
and enjoyed Arizona for the past 28 years,
but she has so many special memories of
George Johnson ’65 spent more than three
years in Pakistan teaching science students
who ranged from the undergraduate to the
doctoral levels. He and his wife, Leslye, both
hold doctorate degrees in biochemistry,
and, with support from the Bradley Hills
Presbyterian congregation in Bethesda,
Maryland, worked with Forman Christian
College University in Lahore, Pakistan. The
Johnsons view this school as an oasis of
tolerance, and they served people who are
Muslim and Christian, rich and poor, male and female. The Johnsons’ time in Pakistan
convinced them how valuable it is for students and alumni to visit other countries to
experience life and cultures. Before this teaching opportunity, George had a robust career
in research science, often working in drug discovery and development.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
exercise, travel, play bridge, attend school
sporting activities, and is active in Kiwanis.
At Augsburg, Larry participated in the debate
team and later coached debate at Detroit
Lakes High School. He also taught history
there until 1968. He joined Rural Minnesota
Concentrated Employment Program, Inc. and
became chairman in 2005. His high school
band instructor, David Skaar ’55, initially
encouraged him to attend Augsburg.
One of the fondest memories Keith Dyrud ’65,
holds from his time at Augsburg is his work
publishing the campus newspaper, The Voice.
Faculty who most influenced Keith were Carl
Chrislock ’37 and Khin Khin Jensen, faculty in
the history and political science department,
and William Halverson ’51 and Paul Sonnack ’42,
faculty in the religion department. Today, Keith
enjoys writing history, construction, Norwegian
studies, and outdoor activities. He lives with
wife, Grace, in Lauderdale, Minnesota. They
have six children and nine grandchildren.
growing up in Minnesota that she still thinks
of it as home. Treasured memories from her
Augsburg experience include good friends,
the International Associated Women Students
trip to Oklahoma, sporting activities, Sno Days,
and Freshman Days. Her current interests
and activities include four grandchildren, book
clubs, reading, traveling, the Scottsdale Garden
Club, and activities at her church.
Carmen Herrick ’65 passed the Certified Public
Accountant exam in 1989 and then worked
in public accounting. In addition to obtaining
a bachelor’s from Western State College of
Colorado, she attended the University of
Oslo and Elverum Folkehøgskule in Norway,
which afforded her the opportunity to travel
throughout Scandinavia. Among her favorite
Augsburg memories are living with 11 other
girls in Kappa House, and her wonderful
business education teacher. Current interests
include learning Norwegian, playing bridge,
lap swimming, and Silver Sneakers exercise
classes. She has six grandchildren.
Fall 2015
33
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
REUNION
1965
Don Hoseth ’65 returned to
Augsburg in 1971 to earn his
elementary teaching degree and taught for
32 years in the Robbinsdale, Minnesota,
School District. He has been retired for the
past 12 years and keeps busy with his 12
grandchildren. He is grateful for the influence
of numerous professors as well as longtime
coaches Edor Nelson ’38 and Ed Saugestad ’59.
Jan (Mattson) Johnson ’65 and husband,
Tom, live in Alexandria, Minnesota, and enjoy
seeing their five grandchildren when they
visit the Twin Cities. The Johnsons lived in
the Philippines for one year and in Maine for
another while Tom was in the U.S. Air Force.
As a student, Jan worked in Augsburg’s
Admissions office for Donovan Lundeen, who
had visited her home prior to her decision to
attend Augsburg. She relishes memories of
singing under the direction of Leland Sateren ’35
in the Augsburg Choir, and feels privileged
to have traveled to Norway, Denmark, and
Germany with the choir for five weeks after
graduating. Jan’s current interests include
choir, golfing, quilting, reading, and travel.
For Charles McCaughan ’65, Professor
Emeritus of History Donald Gustafson was the
faculty member who most influenced him
as a student. McCaughan lives in Bagley,
Minnesota.
Dennis Morreim ’65 transferred to Augsburg
after three years at the University of Minnesota.
He remembers his advisor working to have all
of his credits accepted, and he went from being
a sophomore to a junior in one day. Morreim
met his wife, Jeanne (Wanner) Morreim ’66,
during orientation week. She was working in
The Grill. The couple has been married 50
years. Dennis earned his master’s degree in
divinity and a doctorate of ministry degree. He
served churches in Manitoba and Minnesota
for 38 years. During his time serving in Cloquet,
Minnesota, he went to Honduras 17 times and
helped to build eight schools in the Central
American country. He spends his time now
as a part-time chaplain at a local hospital and
nursing home in Cloquet. He also is chaplain of
the Minnesota State Senate.
Dwight Olson ’65 can still make a mean grilled
Spam sandwich and great Swedish pancakes,
but can’t lower his golf handicap. Olson lives
in San Diego with his wife of 50 years, Lois
(Monson) Olson ’68. He founded Data Securities
International and is listed in Wikipedia as the
“father of technology escrow.” He started
Gamma Phi Omega at Augsburg and says
that Phil Quanbeck, Sr. ’50, professor emeritus
of religion, was his most influential faculty
member. Dwight and Lois have two sons and
four grandchildren. He says that Lois agreed to
marry him the day before graduation so that his
family could afford to attend both events.
The Rev. Gary Olson ’65 and wife, Jean (Pfeifer)
Olson ’64, reside in Maplewood, Minnesota.
Gary spends his time in creative writing. He and
Jean attend many school events for their three
grandchildren. On occasion, he still preaches.
Gary’s memories from his time at Augsburg
include the day when he was walking to class
and walked past a sleeping male student
whose dorm mates put his bed, dresser, lamp,
and chair on the Quad lawn. Gary says that
Esther Olson, a theater and speech professor,
influenced him most as a student.
Pat (Steenson) Roback ’65 and her husband,
Jim Roback ’62, feel blessed to have chosen
Augsburg to get their teaching degrees and to
have been surrounded by students and staff
who got to know them and helped shape them
as they chose their future paths. The faculty
member who most influenced Pat was Martha
Mattson, an elementary education faculty
member. Pat recalls that, “She was an icon!
What a wealth of information she was, and
[she] knew so much about the world because
she traveled and lived in many faraway
places. She even had a few of us over to her
apartment once to teach us tatting. She was
very good at it, and we were not.” Pat thanks
all of the 1965 reunion committee members
for their dedication, ideas, time, and hard work
to make plans for Homecoming.
Larry Scholla ’65 and Muriel (Berg) Scholla ’67
live in Willmar, Minnesota, and winter in Naples,
Florida, where they enjoy the beaches of Marco
and Naples, as well as several biking trails.
They have five grandchildren. Larry volunteers
at Kandiyohi County Historical Society in
Willmar, and enjoys doing carpentry and general
maintenance. He treasures the memory of being
part of the football and baseball teams, and is
grateful for the influence of Ed Saugestad ’59,
who taught a kinesiology class.
Augsburg College alumni and a current student
jumped aboard “The Hoopla Train with Yard Master
Yip and his Polkastra” at multiple stops of the show’s
Minnesota-based summer tour, which included
performances in communities ranging from St. Cloud
to New Ulm. The Auggies sang, danced, and acted in
a Vaudeville-style production, using techniques honed
on the stages of Augsburg College.
Described as “Lawrence Welk meets Hee
Haw,” the production was produced by Sod House
Theater and spearheaded by actor and director
Darcey Engen ’88, chair of Augsburg’s Theater
Arts Department, and Luverne Seifert ’83, actor
and senior teaching specialist at the University of
Minnesota.
The original show featured “acts performed by
a touring cast with appearances by several Augsburg
alumni friends along the way,” according to Engen.
34
Augsburg Now
“We were thrilled to be performing with Auggies in
historic ballrooms and other venues across Minnesota
where live music and dancing originated and many of
our parents fell in love.”
Engen and Seifert secured four Augsburg theater
alumni and one current student to perform, including
Lisa (Pestka) Anderson ’86, David Deblieck ’88, Kari
(Eklund) Logan ’82, Deb Pearson ’83, and Riley
Parham ’18. Another Augsburg alumnus, Justin
Caron ’13, assisted with costumes.
For the alumni, participating in “The Hoopla
Train” offered an opportunity to reconnect with
longtime friends and to recall past Augsburg theater
experiences.
“Some of my happiest memories were made on
the stage at Augsburg,” said Logan. “It was wonderful
to be back together with some of the people who
played a role in making them.”
Photo credit: John Grones
Augsburg alumni collaborate on touring theater production
Darcey Engen ’88 and Luverne Seifert ’83
perform as Aunt Woo and Uncle Yahoo.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
The Rev. Clayton Skurdahl ’65 spent 40 years in
ministry, primarily in Colorado and Nebraska.
His current interests include jogging/walking,
gardening, traveling, and serving as a visitation
pastor. He treasures his memories of Augsburg
chapel times and says he was most influenced
by Mario Colacci, a faculty member in the
Department of New Testament Greek and
Latin. Skurdahl also would like to thank Joel
Torstenson, professor emeritus of sociology.
After David Swenson ’65 completed a
master’s degree in physics at the University
of Minnesota, he was hired by Honeywell
Aerospace where he went on to meet his
wife, Bonny. He spent seven years building
and operating a space simulation chamber
for testing radiometers that flew on satellites.
In 1974, he left engineering and moved to
Colorado where he partnered with Bonny’s
father to run a bicycle store, which they owned
for decades. Among his favorite memories at
Augsburg are influential professors, Concert
Band, the Basin Streeters Dixieland band,
basketball, tennis, physics experiments, and
times spent with good friends. He and Bonny
live in Longmont, Colorado, and David still
works part time in the bicycle shop he once
owned. In his spare time, he enjoys bicycling,
hiking, travel, and music.
Loren Wiger ’65 is in his fifth decade of
teaching science. Most of his years were
at Marshall Middle School in Marshall,
Minnesota. He currently teaches at Southwest
Minnesota State University, where he works
with teacher candidates and teaches science
methods courses. He has many treasured
memories from his time at Augsburg including
dorm life, where Dan “Big Dan” Anderson ’65
was the model student-athlete. Wiger says
he used the phone quite often to visit with
his future wife, Ruth, who was becoming a
registered nurse at Deaconess Hospital.
1968
The Rev. Mark Hanson ’68 this
fall served as Augsburg College’s
Special Assistant to the President for Mission
and Identity, helping facilitate on-campus
conversations regarding the ways in which
the College’s Lutheran Christian heritage
and identity remain relevant to its academic
mission and activities. This spring, Hanson will
become the executive director of the College’s
Bernhard Christensen Center for Vocation,
working to ensure that the center fully
embraces its commitment to the theological
concept of vocation.
1972
Luther
Bakken ’72
was inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic
Hall of Fame for his
accomplishments as a
thrower on the men’s
track and field team. His
50’ 9” outdoor shot put
throw from 1972 remains a school record.
Bakken also played football while at Augsburg.
1974
Accomplished
high school
wrestling coach Scot
Davis ’74 was inducted
into the Augsburg
Athletic Hall of Fame
this year in recognition
of his collegiate wrestling
career. He earned AllAmerican honors in 1973 for his sixth-place
finish at the NAIA National Championships,
among other accolades.
Family ties to Augsburg’s history abound for
Deborah (Fredrickson) Crawley ’76. See page 18.
1978
Augsburg
Athletic Hall
of Fame inductee Paul
Meissner ’78 is one of
the top players in the
history of Augsburg men’s
basketball. He is one of
only 18 players to score
more than 1,000 career
points and remains a top 5 rebounder with
more than 725 career rebounds. He also holds
the school record for games played, with 114.
Bonnie (Lamon) Moren ’78, wife of Jonathan
Moren ’78, retired in June after 37 years of
teaching developmental adapted physical
education to students with special needs in
Bloomington, Minnesota, Public Schools.
David Raether ’78 recently gave a TED Talk at
TEDxAmherst on the campus of the University
of Massachusetts Amherst. Raether’s talk was
based on his experience of homelessness after a
successful career as an award-winning television
comedy writer. The talk was derived from a
widely praised essay he wrote called “What It’s
Like to Fail” that was awarded Best Nonfiction
of 2013 by Longform.org and cited as one of the
best pieces of journalism in 2013 by The Atlantic
magazine. The essay also was featured in the
Times of London Sunday magazine. Raether lives
and works in Berkeley, California.
1982
As of July 1, Scott Ludford ’82 is
the senior pastor of Zion Lutheran
Church in Shawano, Wisconsin.
1987
Augsburg
women’s
basketball star Barb
Blomberg ’87 was
inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame. She holds the
fifth-highest career points
total in program history
with 1,023 points. Blomberg served as team
captain in both basketball and volleyball.
Paul Rensted ’87 was appointed Charles
County, Maryland’s director of human
resources in August. Rensted has experience
in all aspects of human resources management
and conflict resolution and previously served
as the director of human resources for the
city of Annapolis. Rensted is certified with
the International Personnel Management
Association for Human Resources. His other
professional affiliations include the U.S.
Commission on Civil Rights State Advisory
Committee; County Conflict Resolution Center
Board of Directors; Baltimore Community Center
Board of Directors; Public Interest Organization
Governing Board; and Advocates for Herring
Bay. He received his undergraduate degree in
international relations and East Asian studies,
and a master’s degree in political science from
the University of British Columbia.
1988
Brad
Anderson ’88
received Augsburg’s
Excellence in Coaching
Award in recognition of
his impressive career as
a high school football
coach. He won three
Minnesota State 5A
Championships and has been selected as class
5A “Coach of the Year” multiple times. He has
coached several players who have gone on to
NFL careers.
After serving for four years as the assistant
principal of Robbinsdale Armstrong High
School in Plymouth, Minnesota, Brenda
(Bauerly) Damiani ’88 joined Cambridge-Isanti
Fall 2015
35
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
High School in Cambridge, Minnesota, as
its new principal. She obtained a special
education emotional behavioral disability
license from the University of Minnesota
in Minneapolis and a master’s degree in
curriculum and instruction and multicultural
education from the University of St. Thomas
in St. Paul. Damiani continued her education,
earning a K-12 administrative license from
Hamline University in St. Paul. She is pursuing
a doctorate in educational leadership from
Bethel University in St. Paul.
After 24 years in the Pacific Northwest, Dan
Wright ’88 has moved back to Minneapolis with
his wife, Kristen Haglund, and their sons Johan
and Bjorn. Wright works from home as senior
applications engineer at Nike.
1992
In April 2015, Terri Burnor ’92
received her master’s degree in
divinity with a concentration in women’s studies
from United Theological Seminary of the Twin
Cities. In September, she began a 10-month
ministerial internship at First Unitarian
Universalist Church in Portland, Oregon.
Mike Pfeffer ’92 was
inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame in recognition
of his outstanding career
as a lightweight wrestler.
In 1992, he earned both
MIAC Champion and AllAmerican honors and was
selected as Augsburg’s Men’s Honor Athlete.
He also was the captain of the 1992 team.
Sharol (Dascher) Tyra ’92, a professional certified
in Life Illumination Coaching and the 2015
President of the ICF Minnesota Charter Chapter
of the International Coach Federation, was a
semi-finalist for Entrepreneur of the Year by
the TwinWest (Plymouth, Minnesota) Chamber
of Commerce 2015 Small Business Awards.
Candidates were selected on the basis of a
number of factors, including their business
vision, community service, drive, and risk-taking.
1995
David Boie ’95 has been named athletic director at Richfield High School
in Richfield, Minnesota. Boie spent 18 years
teaching physics and chemistry at the school and
13 seasons as its head baseball coach.
Jeff Kaeppe ’95 received
recognition for his
Augsburg football career
with an induction into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall of
Fame. Kaeppe was a twotime team MVP and holds
the school record for the
longest reception, a 90yard catch against St. Olaf College in 1992.
Former men’s hockey
player Peter Rutili ’95
was inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall of
Fame. Rutili earned MIAC
All-Conference honors in
1994 and 1995. He also
was selected twice as the
team MVP and received a
Rookie of the Year honor.
1998
Kerri
Kangas ’98
had an outstanding
pitching career on the
Auggie softball team, an
accomplishment that
earned her induction into
the Augsburg Athletic
Hall of Fame. She holds
career records for both games and innings
pitched. She remains in the top 5 for career
wins, strikeouts, shutouts, and fewest walks.
Retired alumna Terry Marquardt ’98 worked
as a temp in the Alumni, Family and
Constituent Relations department leading up
to Homecoming 2015. She retired from 3M in
2008 after 34 years of service. She and her
husband, Gary Donahue, divide their time
between homes in Minnesota and Arizona.
Jennifer Chou ’99 shares her love of wine on
page 10.
2000
Christopher McLeod ’00 has joined
Connexions Loyalty Travel Solutions
in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, as a technology
director.
The Rev. Sara Quigley Brown ’00 was ordained in 2008 and has switched denominational affiliation from the ELCA to Lutheran
Congregations in Mission for Christ, where she
is serving as ordained and open to a call. She
resides with her husband, Russell Brown, in
Anchorage, Alaska. She works as a chaplain
with the Alaska Police and Fire Ministries.
Interim Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, City Manager
Michael Sable ’00 is returning to Hennepin
County to work as the director of facility
services. Sable worked in the northern Twin
Cities suburb for six years and spent most of
his tenure as assistant city manager. In addition
to the 24-story Government Center downtown,
the facilities director oversees personnel
matters and operations at numerous facilities
countywide. Sable received an MBA from the
University of St. Thomas in St. Paul. He and his
wife live in Minneapolis with their children.
2004
“Babylon the Great has Fallen,”
a book by Franchel Patton ’04,
was published in March 2014. In the story,
President Obama and newly elected President
Hillary Clinton meet God face-to-face in this
fast-paced, present-day depiction of Revelations
and current events.
Wubitu Ayana Sima ’89, ’15 MBA is the owner of Lady Elegant’s Tea Shoppe, a British tea room and
store in St. Paul’s St. Anthony Park neighborhood. Raised in western Ethiopia, Ayana Sima came
to the United States to study in the mid-1980s, along with her two young sons. Since graduating,
Ayana Sima has worked with the United Nations in Congo, Malawi, Switzerland, and Zimbabwe,
and for the World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa. Back in the U.S. again, something
was missing in her life without school, and she enrolled in Augsburg’s MBA program. Her
husband, Admasu Simeso, helps her manage the tea room.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
36
Augsburg Now
REUNION
2005
Since graduating from Augsburg, Andrea
(Ladda) Brown ’05 attended law school
at William Mitchell College of Law in St. Paul and
graduated in 2009. She works as an assistant public
defender in Ramsey County and offices out of the
Second Judicial District. She was most influenced by
James Vela-McConnell, professor of sociology, and his
course titled Race, Class, and Gender. She says she
uses many of the basic principles from this class in
her daily arguments to the court. She would also like
to thank Garry Hesser, professor emeritus of sociology,
Diane Pike, professor of sociology, and Tim Pippert,
associate professor of sociology.
Denise Fossen ’05 remembers singing in Masterworks
Chorale and performing at Advent Vespers as two
cherished memories from her time at Augsburg. She is
most proud of receiving a master’s degree from Luther
Seminary in St. Paul and becoming a grandmother for
the first time. She would like to thank David Lapakko,
associate professor of communication studies, and
Peter Hendrickson ’76, associate professor of music,
for their influences on her during her time at Augsburg.
She’s also grateful for her classmates’ participation
in discussions before, during, and after class. Since
September 22, she has served as pastor at Christ
Lutheran in Hendricks, Minnesota.
Keme Hawkins ’05 was recognized
with a First Decade Award at
Augsburg’s Homecoming in
October. She is a freelance writer,
independent scholar, and yogi
living in Atlanta. She received her
master’s degree from the University
of Wisconsin-Madison and her
doctorate in English at Emory
University in Atlanta. Studying and practicing various
forms of divination and energy work continues to be
a lifelong mission for her. Hawkins has completed her
first screenplay, based on the lives of her parents; she is
pitching the writing to producers.
AUGGIE
SNAPSHOTS
2001
Erica Huls ’01 visited Minneapolis-St. Paul for a few days in
July and had a mini-reunion with some of her closest friends
and former classmates who live in Minnesota. Auggies included: Huls, Amy
Carlson ’02, Merry-Ellen (Krcil) Bryers ’01, Ann (Peterson) Fisher ’01, Jason
Bryan-Wegner ’01, Erica Bryan-Wegner ’01, and Katie Koch ’01.
2003
Kristen Opalinski ’03
traveled to Turkey
this summer on behalf of the
Philadelphia-based Peace Islands
Institute, a peacebuilding think
tank founded in the Turkish Islamic
tradition of Hizmet or “service.”
Opalinski provided media support
while conducting research on Sufism
and feminism in relation to the 21st
century Muslim world. After serving
the ELCA in South Africa for 4 1/2
years, she’s now in her final year of
studies at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Philadelphia. She hopes to
return to international peacemaking or social justice work.
Ishmael Israel ’05 is focused on community development.
Israel left his position as executive director of the Northside
Residents Redevelopment Council in April, and he now
leads the Umoja Community Development Corporation.
Those who influenced Sarah Lahr ’05 most at Augsburg
were Curt Paulsen, professor emeritus of social work;
her advisor Nancy Rodenborg, associate professor of
social work; and Michael Schock, associate professor of
social work. She also fondly remembers Merilee Klemp,
associate professor of music, and Registrar’s Office
staff members Wayne Kallestad and Linda and Toshimi
Smith, who offered a positive work-study experience.
She would most like to thank Paulsen for encouraging
her to continue with a difficult internship because
she still uses that experience to push herself through
difficult tasks to promote growth. Lahr works full time at
2005
In August, five Auggies were among a team of 12 who ran 200
miles in less than 30 hours as part of the Ragnar Relay Series from
Winona, Minnesota, to Minneapolis. Auggies included: Dan Vogel ’05, Clint
Agar ’05, Paul Sanft ’05, Riley Conway ’05, and Andrea (Carlson) Conway ’05.
Spring
Fall 2015
2014
2014
37
17
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
the Wilder Foundation Caregiver
Services Program as a care
coordinator and part time as a
social worker at United Hospital.
Lucas Olson-Patterson ’05 helped
to establish the Minneapolis
Future Academic Ballers
program in 2009 through the
Neighborhood Youth Academy, a
nonprofit organization that focuses
on fostering achievement parity for
underserved youth. The program
combines academics and athletics
through unique strategies to
arm student athletes with the
tools needed to succeed beyond
the basketball court. After an
outstanding career at Robbinsdale
Cooper High School in New Hope,
Minnesota, Olson-Patterson went
on to average 22 points per game
at Augsburg from 2003-05 and
was one of the top Division III
players in the country.
Faith (Durham) Perry ’05 says her
most treasured memories from her
Augsburg days are all the girls on
seventh floor in Urness and trips
to the bogs on Saturday mornings
with Bill Capman, associate
professor of biology. She was most
influenced by faculty members
Joan Kunz, associate professor of
chemistry, and Dale Pederson ’70,
associate professor of biology.
Perry received a master’s degree
in agricultural education and
a certificate in sustainable
community development. She
works at General Mills as a
sustainability analyst. She is
married with two boys: Henry, 5,
and Elliot, 3.
Anna (Ferguson) Rendell ’05
is most proud of having her
children, becoming a contributing
author at incourage.me, being a
mainstage speaker at the 2014
ELCA Extravaganza, and writing
her first book titled, “A moment
of Christmas: Daily devotions for
the timestrapped mom.” Her
treasured memories of Augsburg
include being a resident assistant
in Urness Hall her senior year,
late nights with housemates
in Anderson, FCA leadership
38
Augsburg Now
meetings, the Norway band tour,
working in the President’s Office
for several years, and performing
with the dance team at football
games held in the Metrodome.
Faculty members who influenced
Rendell most were Bob Stacke ’71,
professor emeritus of music, who
she said always had faith in her
and believed in her abilities and
gifts, and Mark Tranvik, professor
of religion, who poured himself
into his students, making sure
they were prepared for their real
life vocations.
Anna Warnes ’05 is a nurse
practitioner at Crete Area Medical
Center in Crete, Nebraska. Her
fondest memories from her time at
Augsburg include Advent Vespers,
working in Admissions, and—of
course—her lifelong friendships.
The faculty member who was
most influential to Warnes was
Kathy Swanson, professor of
English. She would like to thank
Bob Cowgill, associate professor
of English, for encouraging her
to be passionate in her work and
life. Warnes and husband, Nathan
Erickson, have two children:
Gustav, 5, and Knut, 2.
2006
Laya Theberge ’06 and
her husband, Shomari
O’Connor, welcomed a daughter,
Nefertiti, in August. She joins sister
Hatshepsut, 4, at home.
2011
The National Institute
of Health recently
published research conducted by
Amanda (Symmes) Mofsen ’11, a
former participant in Augsburg’s
McNair Scholars Program. Mofsen
joined the McNair program in
2010 and conducted research
under the mentorship of Ken
Winters, a psychiatry faculty
member at the University of
Minnesota. Mofsen’s work
examined the association between
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity
Disorder and nicotine use among
adolescents and young adults.
Tom Wescott ’11 and his wife, Emily
(Nelson) Wescott ’12, recently
moved to Devils Lake, North
Dakota, where Tom was called
to serve Our Savior’s Lutheran
Church. Additionally, Tom and Nate
Luong ’11 wrote an article for Word
and World Theological Journal
titled, “Coaching as a Model for
Pastoral Leadership.”
2014
A research paper by
Augsburg College
Assistant Professor of Biology
Matt Beckman and alumni
Enrico Barrozo ’14 and David
Fowler ’14 has been accepted
for publication in Pharmacology,
Biochemistry and Behavior.
The paper is titled “Exposure
to D2-like Dopamine Receptor
Agonists Inhibits Swimming
in Daphnia Magna.” The
paper captured findings from
the research team’s work
during summer sessions and
academic year terms, which was
supported by Augsburg’s McNair
Scholars Program and Office of
Undergraduate Research and
Graduate Opportunity. This is
the first study that definitively
identified a neurotransmitter
receptor signaling pathway
involved in Daphnia swimming
and will help to establish Daphnia
as a model organism in which to
study movement disorders such
as Parkinson’s Disease. Today,
Barrozo is studying genetics
in a doctoral program at the
University of Florida, and Fowler
works as a medical scribe in the
Twin Cities while applying for
medical school admission.
Nakisha Davis ’14 has accepted
a position with UCare as a
transportation specialist. She
hopes to attend graduate school in
the next few years.
Chad Johnson ’14, a two-time
NCAA Division III national
champion wrestler during his
Augsburg career, placed second in
the 125-kilogram (275.5-pound)
weight class in the freestyle
division at the USA Wrestling 2015
ASICS UWW University Nationals,
held in June at the University of
Akron. Johnson competed for
the Minnesota Storm wrestling
club. As a collegiate wrestler
for the Auggies, Johnson was a
four-time All-American, winning
national titles in 2012 and 2013 at
heavyweight, while finishing third
in 2014 and seventh in 2011.
Johnson completed his first year
as an Augsburg assistant coach
in 2014-15, helping to guide
the Auggies to their record-12th
NCAA Division III team national
championship.
Lauren Windhorst ’14 is working
as a life enrichment assistant at
an assisted living facility in Eagan,
Minnesota.
2015
David Langemo ’15
would like to thank
Frankie Shackelford, professor
emerita of languages and crosscultural studies, for teaching
him to speak Norwegian and
Kevin Healy, former director
of advancement services and
prospect management, for
allowing him to take the class.
Langemo is very proud of this
accomplishment. He works as an
advancement systems specialist
in the Institutional Advancement
office at Augsburg. He and
husband, Drew Schmidt, enjoy
their pets Archie, Mali, Reggie,
Stuart, and Trudy.
GRADUATE
PROGRAMS
Tracy Keizer ’07 MPA is a physician
assistant at an inpatient psychiatric
intensive care unit at Regions
Hospital in St. Paul. She also
teaches Augsburg PA students
as a guest lecturer during their
didactic phase and as a preceptor
during their clinical phases. Having
emerged as a leader in the PA
profession in Minnesota, she has
testified at the State Capitol on a
bill to increase access to outpatient
mental health services. She was
honored with the Presidential
Award given by the Minnesota
Academy of Physician Assistants.
2005
In 1998, Doris Acton ’10 MAN moved
to Minnesota after completing a parish
nurse training program through Concordia
University. As a parish nurse, also known
as a faith community nurse, she works at
the 750-member Normandale Hylands
Methodist Church in Bloomington,
Minnesota. She has been a camp nurse on
mission trips, and her mission work in 2004
took her to Sierra Leone, where she later
helped start a clinic in collaboration with the
Africa Uplifted organization.
Casey Morris ’10 MPA is a board certified
physician assistant in an urgent care
center at Fairview Range Medical Center
in Hibbing, Minnesota. Growing up in Ely,
another city in Minnesota’s Iron Range,
Morris developed a lifelong passion for
the outdoors, particularly wilderness and
remote medicine. She is a wilderness first
responder and is certified by Advanced
Wilderness Life Support. She is excited to
now live closer to her hometown.
Michael Grewe ’12 MSW, Augsburg’s
director of LGBTQIA Support Services
and assistant director of Campus
Activities and Orientation, delivered
a presentation titled, “Supporting
Transgender Communities,” at a
National Association of Social Workers
Minnesota Chapter conference.
System-Northland in Barron, Wisconsin,
as a physician assistant. Homann
previously worked as a nuclear medicine
technologist at Mayo Clinic in Rochester,
Minnesota.
Terrence Keller ’15 MPA joined Lake
Region Healthcare in its urology
department. Keller has a bachelor’s
degree in athletic training and exercise
science from Minnesota State UniversityMoorhead. He previously worked for Lake
Region Healthcare as an athletic trainer
and held athletic trainer positions at
Augsburg College, Twin Cities Orthopedics,
and Sanford Health.
Graduate student editors Ashley
Cardona ’15 MFA; Kevin Matuseski ’16 MFA;
and Amanda Symes ’09, ’16 MFA helped
publish the first book by Augsburg College’s
Howling Bird Press. The press, housed in
Augsburg’s Master of Fine Arts in Creative
Writing program, chose Marci Vogel’s
manuscript, “At the Border of Wilshire
& Nobody,” as the winner of the 2015
Howling Bird Press poetry prize.
AUGGIES
HONORED
Dr. Amit Ghosh ’13 MBA, a Mayo Clinic
physician, submitted a research study
paper for publication with Augsburg
College co-authors and faculty members
Dave Conrad, associate professor of
business, and Marc Isaacson, assistant
professor of business. The paper,
“Employee Motivation Factors: A
Comparative Study of the Perceptions
between Physicians and Physician
Leaders,” was accepted for publication in
the International Journal of Leadership in
Public Services.
Professor Emeritus
of Physics Mark
Engebretson was
honored with a Spirit
of Augsburg Award
at Homecoming,
recognizing his
years as an active
teacher-scholar,
innovative courses, pioneering research
on Earth’s space environment, and
mentorship of nearly 100 undergraduate
research students.
Meghan Peyton ’14 MAL, who served as
interim head coach for the Augsburg
College men’s and women’s cross-country
teams in 2014, has assumed head
coaching duties on a permanent basis.
Peyton has been a part of the Augsburg
cross-country and track and field
coaching staffs since 2010, and she will
continue serving as an assistant coach for
the track and field teams.
Tom Witschen was
recognized with
a Distinguished
Athletic Service
Award at this year’s
Homecoming
for his nearly 20
years serving
as the “Voice of
the Auggies,” broadcasting Augsburg
baseball, basketball, football, hockey, and
volleyball over the air and online.
Karlie Homann ’15 MPA joined the family
medicine team at Mayo Clinic Health
Maureen
(Parker)
Marradino ’05 fondly
remembers participating
in the Augsburg Choir,
attending chapel
services, being a
resident assistant,
singing at a few
Auggies’ weddings,
touring Seattle with the
orchestra, performing at
her voice recital and the recitals of many close friends,
and celebrating graduation day. She would like to thank
the students and professors who walked through all the
tough courses with her. “We did this together, and it was
a pleasure getting to know all of you and building four
years of personal development with you. Your talents,
passions, and spirits filled me and helped me grow as
an individual and ultimately a working professional.
Thank you!” Marradino said. “Auggies: Don’t forget
where you’ve come from. Allow your past experiences
(including your Augsburg degree) to shape your future.
God bless you all.”
2010
Congratulations to Molly (Ehling) Conover ’10
and Ted Conover ’11 on their July wedding.
[L to R]: Hannah Ehling ’15, Becky Ehling, Ted, Molly,
Tim Ehling, and Abbey Ehling ’12.
2015
Taylor
Kuramoto ’15
has been selected to serve
as a Fulbright English
Teaching Assistant in South
Korea for the 2015-16
academic year. Fulbright
receives thousands of
applications each year, and
Kuramoto was selected
by both U.S. and South
Korean committees. In
her time outside of the
classroom, Kuramoto plans to create English talking
circles like those she participated in at the local Jane
Addams School for Democracy as an Augsburg College
Bonner Leader. She also hopes to use her experience as
an Auggie soccer player to connect with students and
peers who also enjoy the sport.
Spring
Fall 2015
2014
2014
39
17
37
In memoriam
Alice M. (Norby) Digre ’40, St.
Paul, age 98, on July 5.
Florence L. (Borstad) Hiepler ’42,
Camarillo, California, age 94,
on August 21.
LaVonne P. (Peterson) Volz ’44,
Blue Earth, Minnesota, age 93,
on August 14.
Clara L. (Gudim) Jacobson ’45,
Fairbury, Nebraska, age 92, on
August 12.
Marvin B. Johnson ’49, North
Branch, Minnesota, age 88, on
June 8.
Maynard H. Kragthorpe ’49,
Quilcene, Washington, age 92,
on April 26.
Donna M. (Tjornhom) Tverberg ’49,
Ottertail, Minnesota, age 88,
on July 20.
George Capetz ’50, Minneapolis,
age 91, on May 30.
Stephen L. Engelstad ’51,
St. Ansgar, Iowa, age 95,
on July 23.
Arden G. Wahlberg ’58, Mounds
View, Minnesota, age 80, on
June 18.
Ann L. (Holmberg) Wilson ’80,
Bronx, New York, age 57, on
August 4.
Daniel W. Pearson ’51,
Minneapolis, age 86, on
August 19.
Kermit L. Kvamme ’60, Fergus
Falls, Minnesota, age 77, on
August 16.
John C. Nichols ’82,
Minneapolis, age 55,
on April 28.
Morris “Moe” M. Johnson ’52,
St. Paul, age 86, on June 2.
Larry F. Torgerson ’60, O’Fallon,
Missouri, age 76, on June 2
Joyce K. Cleland ’86, Livingston,
Montana, age 65, on July 19.
Kenneth A. Kotval ’52, Morgan,
Minnesota, age 85, on August 4.
Russell A. Dudero ’61, Oakdale,
Minnesota, age 77, on
December 24, 2014.
Tammy L. Schmitt ’92,
Minneapolis, age 45, June 2.
Roger M. Nelson ’52, Albert
Lea, Minnesota, age 84, on
May 29.
LaVon F. (Moderow) Belanger ’53,
Elk River, Minnesota, age 84,
on May 22.
Donald J. Bennethum ’53,
Columbia Heights, Minnesota,
age 87, on May 22.
Robert W. Jakobitz ’53, Stewart,
Minnesota, age 83, on August 7.
Donald L. Hoplin ’50, Glenwood,
Minnesota, age 93, on August 4.
Corinne L. (Rethwill) Tiegs ’53,
Ortonville, Minnesota, age 83,
on June 6.
Roger “Bud” K. Leak ’50,
Excelsior, Minnesota, age 88,
on August 1.
Thomas “Tom” I. Benson ’56,
Bella Vista, Arkansas, age 81,
on May 16.
Gordon J. Oberg ’50, Bemidji,
Minnesota, age 89, on June 2.
J. Sherman Boraas ’56, Waconia,
Minnesota, age 86, on May 14.
Marion R. Roe ’50, Plymouth,
Minnesota, age 91, on July 13.
Joanne M. (Luttmann) Gulla ’57,
Portland, Oregon, age 79, on
June 19.
Helen E. (Green) Seline ’50,
Appleton, Wisconsin, age 87,
on August 28.
L. Dwayne Thorson ’50,
Smethport, Pennsylvania, age
91, on May 17.
40
Augsburg Now
Sara “Sally” A. Duhrkopf ’61,
Waterloo, Iowa, age 77, on
June 28.
Jeanette C. (Steiger) Nichols ’61,
Roscoe, Illinois, age 76, on
June 30.
Ronald G. Moritz ’63,
Estherville, Iowa, age 78, on
August 23.
Diane E. (Foshaug) Krogen ’65,
Sherwood Park, Alberta,
Canada, age 73, on May 10.
Lois M. Kalmoe ’70,
Minneapolis, age 85, on
May 30.
Robert “Bob” E. Kanne ’71, Lake
Elmo, Minnesota, age 67, on
October 4, 2014.
Carla M. (Beyer) Viseth ’71,
Fargo, North Dakota, age 64,
on June 9.
John S. Ryden ’57, Hopkins,
Minnesota, age 85, on August 1.
JoAnn (Berg) Bablitch ’73,
Minneapolis, age 65, on
May 25.
Janice Y. (Johnson) Joul ’58,
Jackson, Minnesota, age 79,
on June 29.
Geri (Mills) Bjork ’77, St. Paul,
age 60, on July 17.
Jennine “Jeni” O. (Hugo) Heid ’93,
Elk River, Minnesota, age 49,
on July 5.
Estellene A. (St. John) Zephier ’93,
Wagner, South Dakota, age 56,
on May 21.
Mary L. (Oliva) Asche ’95, Circle
Pines, Minnesota, age 61, on
August 3.
Linda “Lin” J. Faddler ’96,
Oakdale, Minnesota, age 65,
on July 18.
Nicholas “Nick” L. White ’09,
Stillwater, Minnesota, age 33,
on June 8.
Gregory A. Chubb ’10, Hopkins,
Minnesota, age 35, on June 30.
Louis C. Branca ’15 MFA,
Minneapolis, age 81, on
August 30.
Abdulkadir Farah ’16 MAE,
Minneapolis, age 58, on June 4.
The “In memoriam” listings
in this publication include
notifications received before
September 8.
Connie, Michelle ’15, Lauren ’12, and
Lyle Grafelman at Commencement 2015.
One More Reason to
PASS DOWN THE
AUGGIE TRADITION
Discounted Tuition with the Augsburg Legacy Scholarship
The Augsburg Legacy Scholarship recognizes traditional undergraduate students
who are children or spouses of Augsburg graduates, siblings of current Augsburg
students, and children or spouses of current Lutheran pastors. Legacy students
enrolling for the fall 2016 term receive a minimum award of $13,000 per year
upon admission to the College.
augsburg.edu/firstyear/scholarships
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 2031
An extraordinary welcome for an unprecedented incoming class
Following tradition, the 2015-16 academic year kicked off with an Opening Convocation celebration where the Augsburg College
community greeted incoming students and introduced them to facets of their new Auggie identity. A record 478 first-year, traditional
undergraduate students arrived on campus this fall, and a talk by Associate Professor of Chemistry Joan Kunz highlighted “The five
essential elements of an Augsburg education” with both flair and flare. Kunz is the most recent recipient of the College’s Excellence
in Teaching award.
Show less
BUILDING
INSIDE
Faculty-student research duo
Auggie brews up a business
The changing face of Auggies
Commencement memories
FOR THE
FUTURE
SUMMER 2015 | VOL. 77, NO. 3
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of News an... Show more
BUILDING
INSIDE
Faculty-student research duo
Auggie brews up a business
The changing face of Auggies
Commencement memories
FOR THE
FUTURE
SUMMER 2015 | VOL. 77, NO. 3
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
A college that is student ready
The 2014-15 academic year—the 146th in
Augsburg’s history—was a very good year for the
College. National honors for students. Awards
for faculty teaching, research, and advising. The
successful completion of the $50 million campaign
for the Center for Science, Business, and Religion,
and the early preparation work on the construction
site. Important conversations on and off campus
about interfaith living, race relations, demographic
trends, and diversity. Remarkable outreach
programs like the Minnesota Urban Debate League
and Campus Kitchen receiving major support
for their important work. A national wrestling
championship! And so much, much more.
Reflecting on these accomplishments, I am
so grateful for all our faculty and staff do for this
special college and its students.
But I also realize that these achievements
are made possible by an increasingly clear vision
of our future that says we will be “a new kind of
student-centered urban university, small to our
students and big for the world.” And the fruit of
our labors is made possible by our common efforts
to live into this vision and our shared commitment
to an Augsburg education that equips our students
for lives of meaning, purpose, and significance
in and for the world. That is what truly excites
me about Augsburg’s future—a persuasive vision
that proclaims our desire to be a college that is
student-ready!
What do I mean by student-ready? I mean that
we are turning 21st century higher education on
its head by not focusing on whether students are
“college-ready.” You’ve probably read and heard
that phrase many times. Demanding that students
are college-ready allows lots of smart people to
claim that the responsibility belongs elsewhere
when it comes to ensuring that students show up
on our campuses prepared by someone else for
what we think a higher education should look like.
If students aren’t able to read or speak English
as well as we would like, if their math skills are
lacking, if they don’t participate in class like we
once did, if they demand more of us because of
difficult personal circumstances or diverse learning
and leading styles, then they are not ready for
college. In other words, if they don’t learn and
behave like us, they are not college-ready.
So here comes Augsburg offering a different—
even countercultural—vision of what higher
education is all about today. And it is a vision
grounded in our faith and academic heritage. It is
a vision that claims we are called to be ready for
students with the diverse gifts and experiences they
bring to our campus, gifts and experiences that
demand changes in how we engage them, teach
them, and learn from them. It doesn’t mean that
we lower our standards—that is the too-easy retort
to our vision. It means that we define and claim
even higher standards of academic excellence
and achievement, of teaching and learning, of
civic engagement and community life—standards
shaped not by measures imposed from without, but
by a collaborative and democratic measure borne
of our shared experience and engagement.
And, come to find out, when you take the path
of being student-ready, when you quit measuring
by someone else’s standards, you begin to witness
to a way of being in the world as educated people
that others want to embrace. And students and
faculty win major recognition, your campaigns are
successful, and you are positioned to lead in the
21st century.
Wow, that is exciting and inspiring. I give
thanks every day for a community that embraces
this vision of a college that is student-ready and
student-centered. A college that is faithful and
relevant. Our college—Augsburg College!
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Director of Marketing
Communication
Stephen Jendraszak
jendra@augsburg.edu
Communication Copywriter
and Editorial Coordinator
Laura Swanson ’15 MBA
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate
Denielle Johnson ’11
johnsod@augsburg.edu
Marketing Copywriter
Christina Haller
haller@augsburg.edu
Production Manager/Now Online
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Advancement Communication
Specialist
Jen Lowman Day
dayj@augsburg.edu
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
now@augsburg.edu
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
CB 142
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
langemo@augsburg.edu
summer 2015
AUGSBURG NOW
Features
02
08
11
18
22
Ahead of the curve
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
Commencement memories
BY LAURA SWANSON ’15 MBA
Making their mark
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
Departments
inside
front
cover
Notes from President Pribbenow
02 Around the Quad
08 Celebrating student success
14
18
14 Auggie voices
20 It takes an Auggie
26 My Auggie experience
28 Alumni news
34 Alumni class notes
38 In memoriam
22
26
On the cover
A photo illustration depicts what the future Center for Science, Business, and Religion
will look like from Urness Tower; see pages 20-21. Photo illustration by Mark Chamberlain.
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
Correction: In the Spring 2015 issue
of Augsburg Now, the names of donors
Richard Bonlender ’78 and Mary Ahern
were listed incorrectly in the article
“Torstenson legacy lives on through gifts,”
which described an initiative to name a
gathering space for Faculty Emeritus of
Sociology Joel Torstenson in the new Center
for Science, Business, and Religion.
AROUND THE QUAD
PUTTING MINNEAPOLIS
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
This spring, hundreds of prospective Augsburg College students and their
families visited campus as part of “Destination: Augsburg,” an event
designed to offer a glimpse into on-campus life. The event also included
guided excursions to well-known attractions in the heart of Minneapolis
including Target Field, Nicollet Mall, and the State Theatre [above].
MINNESOTA URBAN
DEBATE LEAGUE
adds first-ever Somali Debate Initiative
The Minnesota Urban Debate League—a program of Augsburg College—sponsored
the first debate in the state among Somali youth. The Somali Debate Initiative serves
middle- and high-school students from Minneapolis and St. Paul. A community forum
featuring U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison followed the debate. MNUDL also hosted four Spanish
tournaments throughout the Twin Cities, which helps make debate more accessible to
Spanish-speaking communities.
In May, MNUDL hosted its third Mayor’s Challenge fundraiser. St. Paul Mayor
Chris Coleman; Donald Lewis, co-founder and shareholder of Nilan Johnson Lewis in
Minneapolis; and Barb Schmitt, senior director at Microsoft, served as judges. The
event raised $18,500 plus $3,000 in matching grants from the Pohlad Foundation.
2
Augsburg Now
Keynote speaker and debate judge Ilhan Omar
encourages Somali Debate Initiative guests to
pursue college degrees.
AROUND THE QUAD
A TEACHER’S INFLUENCE
NEVER ENDS
Each year, the Augsburg College faculty
recognizes select colleagues with Distinguished
Contributions to Teaching and Learning
awards—acknowledging those who have
demonstrated outstanding support for students
through teaching, advising, and mentoring.
EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING
Joan Kunz, professor of chemistry
Soup for You! Café Chef Judah Nataf seasons one of his signature recipes.
SOUP FOR THE HEART
and soul of Augsburg’s neighbors
Alumnus launches community meal program
Kunz is recognized for her commitment to
Augsburg’s students, embodying the College’s
mission to educate students to be informed
citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers,
and responsible leaders. Since 1987, Kunz has
worked toward creating and sustaining a vibrant
learning community in the sciences.
EXCELLENCE IN ADVISING AND MENTORING
oto
Courtesy Ph
Susan O’Connor and Donna Patterson, assistant
Five days a week, Minneapolis community members convene at Bethany
professors of education
Lutheran Church to dine on gourmet fare prepared as part of the Soup
for You! Café—a program the Star Tribune
O’Connor and Patterson are recognized
recognized for its ability to redefine
for their work to incorporate Public
“Our model is mutuality, and
community outreach.
Achievement into the special education
what better way is there to
Augsburg College alumnus, Chaplain
teacher training program in the College’s
show mutuality than to gather Department of Education. The Public
to Student Athletes, and Linebacker Coach
the Rev. Mike Matson ’06 is the pastor at
at the same table together?”
Achievement model changes lives for
Bethany Lutheran and the driver behind this
students in special education by giving
—The Rev. Mike Matson ’06
community meal. Supported by volunteers
Star Tribune, April 5
them a voice to act as citizens in a
and one talented chef, Soup for You! Café is
democratic society.
a chance for people of all backgrounds to come together in an environment
that focuses on dignity. In the Star Tribune article “Church program
offers hot soup, warm welcome,” Matson underscored that the program is
designed to bring together people from the many faiths
and cultures of the Seward neighborhood.
Augsburg College students, faculty, and staff find varied—and
valuable—ways to lend their time and talents to support the Soup
for You! Café. Auggie Jens Pinther ’15 contributed an article about
the program to the June edition of The Lutheran magazine. The
story, available at thelutheran.org, included photos by Augsburg
photographer Stephen Geffre.
The 2015 Distinguished Contributions recipients [L to R]:
Donna Patterson, Susan O’Connor, and Joan Kunz.
Summer 2015
3
(RE)NAME THE MAGAZINE?
From Augsburg’s
CAMPUS KITCHEN
to the community table
Unique program expands its reach
The Campus Kitchen program at Augsburg College works
to make healthy food accessible to all people living in and
near the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood in Minneapolis. The
program also provides opportunities for service learning,
leadership development, and genuine engagement between
the College and the community.
Based in the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship,
Campus Kitchen is a student-driven organization that
addresses hunger locally and globally. Corporate partners
support Campus Kitchen’s efforts, providing a solid
foundation for Auggies’ stellar work.
2014-15 academic year highlights:
7
Augsburg student leaders took home a “Going Beyond The
Meal” award from the 2015 Food Waste and Hunger Summit
in Athens, Georgia. The honor recognized Campus Kitchen’s
exceptional education and outreach efforts.
34
13,036
What do you think?
Last summer, Augsburg College participated in a national
higher education magazine survey developed by the Council for
Advancement and Support of Education. This survey allowed
more than 600 people to share feedback on the ways Augsburg’s
magazine helps them stay connected with the College.
Based on the survey results, we worked to develop a clearer
picture of the roles the magazine plays and found that the
Augsburg College magazine serves to:
• Foster inspiration and pride.
• Provide intellectual stimulation and ongoing education.
• Bridge the Augsburg of today with people’s past experiences.
• Define and illustrate what it means to be an “Auggie.”
• Help the Augsburg community learn how to talk about itself
and equip individuals to advocate for the College.
Given the importance of these commitments, there was a desire to
have the magazine name align with and support the publication’s
purpose. After an exploration of dozens of name options, Augsburg
Spirit and Augsburg Experience stood out. It also was evident that
the name Augsburg Now remains appropriate.
To determine which of these three names is best, you’re invited
to share your opinion on the name of the magazine by voting online
for Augsburg Now, Augsburg Experience, or Augsburg Spirit.
Go to augsburg.edu/now to share your input
to help guide our naming decision.
student volunteers engaged in Campus
Kitchen activities per month on average.
pounds of unserved, edible food were recovered from
A’viands campus dining and the Mill City Farmers Market
and thereby diverted from the waste stream.
11,210
total meals prepared using recovered, gleaned, and
homemade food served to youths, adults, and seniors in need
in the Cedar-Riverside, Seward, and Phillips neighborhoods.
KEY CORPORATE PARTNERS’
YEARS OF GRANT SUPPORT
LAND O’LAKES
TARGET
A’VIANDS
GENERAL MILLS
AMERIPRISE FINANCIAL
=1 year
Plus, a new grant from The Campus Kitchens Project and AARP has
enabled Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen program to provide a weekly
lunch for more than a dozen additional seniors living near campus.
augsburg.edu/campuskitchen
KNOW?
DID YOU
General Mills has invested more than $125,000 in
the Augsburg College Campus Kitchen program.
Renovations are underway on a number of spaces
on the Augsburg campus in Minneapolis, including
the Sateren Auditorium in the Anderson Music Hall.
The space will return to service this fall.
ACCLAIMED ARTIST CREATES
painting for Hoversten Chapel
This spring, Augsburg’s Campus Ministry welcomed the Rev. Paul
Oman—a professional watercolorist whose artistic work draws
inspiration from his experiences, travels, and Lutheran faith—to
take part in a three-day worship event on campus. Oman created
a large-scale painting of Jesus during Daily Chapel services as
on-campus worshipers took part in music, prayer, spoken word,
and Scripture.
Oman’s visual ministry, known as “Drawn to the Word,”
offered the Augsburg community the opportunity to engage
in conversation and reflection on race, radical hospitality,
reformation, faith, and the Lutheran tradition that continues to
shape the College’s identity. The painting is on display in the
Hoversten Chapel in Foss Center.
The Rev. Paul Oman paints “Jesus Withdraws to Pray” during Daily Chapel time.
Summer 2015
5
Photo by Mark Chamberlain
AROUND THE QUAD
AROUND THE QUAD
While traveling to or from campus, some Auggies have near-perfect views of the construction underway on the new Minnesota
Vikings football stadium. This vantage point is near the intersection of Cedar and Riverside avenues in Minneapolis.
ON THE SPOT
Kristin Anderson
In the discipline of art history it’s common to discuss the visual
representation of saints and sinners, kings and queens, and maybe even
a Viking or two. At Augsburg College, Kristin Anderson teaches courses on
the history of art and architecture, and she’s prepared to talk about works
ranging from the Mona Lisa to the Metrodome—may it rest in peace.
Anderson’s current writing and research are focused on sports
architecture, and she is co-authoring a book on the history of athletic
facilities in the Twin Cities. As the St. Paul Saints baseball club settles into
its new CHS Field in Lowertown and the Minnesota Vikings football team
awaits the completion of a new stadium in Augsburg’s own backyard, here
is Anderson’s take on the region’s shifting sports scene.
6
Augsburg Now
Q:
During the past decade new sports
venues including TCF Bank Stadium,
Target Field, and CHS Field have opened
their doors in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
What factors have spurred so much
change in such a brief period of time?
A:
Quite simply, we have moved out
of an era of multipurpose stadiums.
They were popular in the 1960s and
1970s, and we got one of the last ones—
the Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome—
in 1982. Sport-specific facilities like
baseball parks and football stadiums have
become the standard, and that drives
all kinds of new construction. And, of
course, when one team gets a new space,
everyone else gets in line. ...
MAKING SPACE
FOR A
AROUND THE QUAD
NEW ACADEMIC BUILDING
On May 1, the campaign for the Center for Science,
Business, and Religion surpassed its $50 million
fundraising goal. To make room for the construction of
this new academic building, the College razed two existing
houses on campus. One of the structures was occupied
by the Admissions Office from 1970-2003 before
that department moved to a more student-accessible
location in Christensen Center. The house also was home for a time to the Center
for Counseling and Health Promotion (now called the Center for Wellness and
Counseling), which has relocated to the first floor of Anderson Residence Hall. A
second house, formerly called Delta House, was first used for student housing. It
was later home to various Admissions staff, then the Sabo Center for Democracy
and Citizenship, which has moved to the Oren Gateway Center. Before these two
buildings were removed, an event was held to honor the work and experiences
of staff and residents who once occupied the spaces. There were 30 people in
attendance, some even traveling from as far as North Dakota and New York.
A house on 21st Avenue South is razed.
Former and current staff members reminisce over a collage
of names written within one of Augsburg’s former houses.
Learn more about the next steps for the CSBR on page 20.
Q:
Q:
Q:
A:
A:
A:
Today’s sports venues offer
amenities that extend far beyond
a wooden bleacher seat and a bag of
popcorn sold at the concession stand.
What does this mean for stadium
architecture and game attendees?
Every new sports facility offers more
than its predecessor, and fans seem
to expect this improvement. The rising
expectations are not new: fan amenities
have been part of the discussion since
the 1860s. Like us, people from that
time period talked about food selection,
legroom, and comfort at the games.
Attending to the fan experience can add
cost to a project, but it is an investment
worth making. Just think about the
many amazing differences between the
Metrodome experience and the Target
Field experience.
What effect does an indoor stadium
(like the new Vikings stadium) versus
an outdoor stadium (like TCF) have on
attendance, especially in Minnesota’s
climate?
We have an amazing range of weather,
from glorious to horrible—and we
don’t always agree on which is which.
This raises the stakes on decisions about
stadium design. Rather than choosing
“indoor” or “outdoor,” many contemporary
facilities combine aspects of each. The new
Vikings stadium will have a glass roof and
enormous windows, bridging the indoors
and outdoors in space, light, air, and views.
Target Field is an outdoor ballpark, but it is
designed with sheltered areas, heat lamps,
and other climate-mitigating features.
Baseball is said to be America’s
pastime. How does new stadium
architecture show that the sport can remain
relevant—and sustainable—into the future?
While most contemporary ballparks pay
homage to the history and tradition of
baseball, they also employ an amazing array
of cutting-edge technologies. One of the
most exciting recent developments is the
emphasis on environmental sustainability.
Target Field has two LEED Silver
certifications, and other sports facilities like
the Xcel Energy Center and CHS Field have
also engaged in significant sustainability
efforts, including rainwater recycling
systems and sophisticated trash-sorting and
recycling programs.
Kristin Anderson is a professor of art
history and the Augsburg College archivist.
Summer 2015
7
CELEBRATING STUDENT SUCCESS
$7,500 GOLDWATER
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS
Fikre Beyene ’16 and Lyle Nyberg ’16
15 STEM researchers
80+
off-campus
Auggies presented at Zyzzogeton
Research Festival on campus
Taylor Kuramoto ’15
FULBRIGHT TEACHING
ASSISTANT in South Korea
3
ROSSING PHYSICS
SCHOLARS
One of 104 to present at
Fikre Beyene ’16, Andris Bibelnieks ’16*,
and Cain Valtierrez ’16
*Also Goldwater Honorable Mention
NATIONAL SCIENCE
FOUNDATION GRADUATE
RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP
Honorable Mention, Alex Sorum ’13
2015 WINCHELL
UNDERGRADUATE
RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
Aisha Mohamed ’16
Awale Osman ’15
2
2015 NEWMAN
CIVIC FELLOW
KEMPER SCHOLARS
Mitchell Ross ’18 and Rebecca Schroeder ’18
BENJAMIN A. GILMAN
INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
David Gersten ’16 and Amal Warsame ’16
8
Augsburg Now
EDDIE PHILLIPS SCHOLARSHIP
FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN
Malick Ceesay ’17
For more information about
these awards and recipients,
go to augsburg.edu/now.
Summer 2015
9
12
HONORING
retiring faculty
“
I love the accessibility Augsburg students have to faculty and staff,
especially when we meet students in passing in the quad or elsewhere
when conversations become more candid, genuine, and authentic.”
— Gregory Krueger, Assistant Professor of Education
PAULINE ABRAHAM
Assistant Professor and Director of BSN
Program, Nursing, Rochester
Joined the College — 2005
KATHRYN SCHWALBE
Faculty Emerita
Professor of Business Administration
Joined the College — 1991
FRANKIE SHACKELFORD
Faculty Emerita, Professor of Languages
and Cross-Cultural Studies
Joined the College — 1990
MARTHA JOHNSON
Faculty Emerita
Professor of Theater Arts
Joined the College — 1997
BEVERLY STRATTON
Faculty Emerita
Professor of Religion
Joined the College — 1986
AMIN KADER
Associate Professor of Business
Administration
Joined the College — 1974
ELIZABETH ANKENY
Faculty Emerita
Associate Professor of Education
Joined the College — 2008
GREGORY KRUEGER
Assistant Professor of Education
Joined the College — 2000
STEVEN LAFAVE
GRACE DYRUD
Faculty Emerita
Professor of Psychology
Joined the College — 1962
Faculty Emeritus
Professor of Business Administration
Joined the College — 1991
DAVID VENNE
Assistant Professor of Physics
Joined the College — 1990
STEVEN NERHEIM
Medical Director Instructor of Physician
Assistant Studies Program
Joined the College — 2005
10
Augsburg Now
To read about what these faculty members
love about Augsburg and teaching, go to
augsburg.edu/now.
AHEAD
of the
curve
Augsburg leads in shaping higher education for
Minnesota’s increasingly diverse population
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
F
or more than five years, Augsburg College has undertaken
“Employers are going to have a much greater interest
important efforts to intentionally diversify the traditional
in bringing populations who previously may have been
undergraduate student profile. This work is not only a
marginalized into productive work,” Brower said. “We don’t
prudent move in terms of growing enrollment, but it is also
have the capacity, going forward, to leave anyone behind.”
proving to be an important factor in sustaining the region’s
For Augsburg, this demographic reality is significant
economic health.
because about 25 percent of college-bound Minnesota high
This spring, more than 200 Augsburg College faculty
school graduates express interest in Augsburg by applying,
and staff met with Minnesota State
inquiring, or visiting campus. In order
Demographer Susan Brower to
to successfully enroll and retain these
“We don’t have the
discuss the “shape and scale” of the
students, Augsburg needs to be intentional
capacity,
going
forward,
demographic trends in the state that
about meeting the educational needs of
will influence its vitality in the coming
this diversifying population.
to leave anyone behind.”
decades. Two significant trends detailed
Augsburg already has an important
—Susan Brower
by Brower were the increasing diversity
advantage in this area because, with
Minnesota State Demographer
and aging of the state’s population –
nearly 33 percent students of color in
trends that heighten the importance of
the traditional undergraduate program,
education now and into the future.
the College is one of the most diverse higher education
Education will grow in importance because the relative
institutions in the state. This is attractive to students of both
size of our workforce affects economic production and the
minority and majority populations because it offers them the
strength of our region. As older adults retire in the next 20
opportunity to learn and work with many different types of
years and the workforce shrinks in proportion to the overall
people, which is increasingly important given that the pace of
population, Minnesota will need the skills and talents of the
demographic change will accelerate dramatically in the next
entire working-age population.
15 years.
Summer 2015
11
1
Demographic Trend #1: Growing diversity.
If you went to college or lived in the Twin Cities before
the 1990s, your experience with the diversity of the area’s
population was different from today’s scenario.
3,500,000
3,000,000
2,500,000
Total Twin Cities population
2,000,000
The Twin Cities experienced accelerated growth
among populations of color from 1990 to 2010.
During that time, people of color represented more
than 80 percent of the overall population growth.
1,500,000
Before 1980, fewer than 6 percent of the
Twin Cities population were people of color,
numbering only 25,000 to 115,000 people in
the total population of 1.5 million to 2 million.
1,000,000
500,000
10%
5%
2
15%
0
1960
1970
1980
1990
2000
What’s driving the growth in diversity?
• Younger populations are more diverse.
Approximately 25 percent of Minnesota residents
younger than age 35 are people of color, whereas
populations older than 65 years are predominantly
white. So, as the entire population ages, overall
diversity grows. **Sources: 2, 3
2
• The number of foreign-born residents in
Minnesota is growing. Minnesota, today, is home to
nearly 400,000 foreign-born residents—a level not
seen since the 1930s. By contrast, from 1960 through
the 1990s, just more than 100,000 foreign-born
people lived in the state. **Source: 4
Demographic Trend #2: Our aging population.
• Minnesota’s foreign-born population is
increasingly diverse. In 1950, 80 percent of the
foreign-born population in Minnesota was from
Europe. Today, most foreign-born residents are from
Mexico, Somalia, India, and Laos. **Source: 4
335
Minnesota—and other regions of the United States—are
experiencing an unprecedented aging of our populations.
285
How dramatic is the change?
Change in Minnesota population
age 65+ (in thousands)
Minnesota will add more than 620,000 older adults (age
65+) between 2010 and 2030. By contrast, during the
60 years from 1950 to 2010, the population of older
adults grew by just 416,000. **Source: 1
12
85
55
1950s
Augsburg Now
1960s
71
1970s
97
91
67
1980s
47
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
2030s
66
56
2040s
2050s
A commitment to diversity and inclusion
Today, the Twin Cities population is estimated at
3 million residents, with nearly 800,000—about
26 percent—people of color. This number is
expected to reach 30 percent in the next 10 years.*
30%
25%
20%
2010
2020
2030
*Other areas of the United States are experiencing similar diversity growth.
The U.S. population in 2010 was 36 percent people of color. **Sources: 2, 3
The size of the labor force is expected to stagnate in the coming
decades while the 65+ population will double. As a result, the
ratio of adults ages 18 to 64 relative to adults 65 and older will
go from nearly 5 to 1 in 2010 to less than 2.5 to 1 in the next 25
years. That means there will be fewer working-age people in
the population as a whole. That’s an important consideration
because payroll taxes are critical for funding programs like Social
Security and Medicare that the growing population of retired and
elderly adults will increasingly draw upon. **Sources: 2, 3
To learn more about the range of programs Augsburg offers
to support diversity and inclusion, go to augsburg.edu/now.
2010
2040
One million adults age 65+
In 2015, Augsburg graduated its most diverse traditional
undergraduate class in history, with more than 30 percent
of graduates from underrepresented populations. In fact,
every incoming first-year class since 2009 has included 30
to 40 percent students of color.
Augsburg also has identified faculty and staff diversity
as a priority initiative in its Augsburg2019 strategic plan.
As a first step, the College highlighted its commitment to
intercultural competence, diversity, and inclusion in all job
postings this past spring. An early result is that six of the
College’s 10 new tenure-track faculty are from non-majority
populations.
Augsburg also has named Joanne Reeck, director
of Campus Activities and Orientation, as chief diversity
officer. Reeck launched an intercultural competence
program that involved more than 100 members of the
campus community this spring and will expand to include a
certificate program in the fall. These programs complement
the diversity and inclusion workshops offered each May by
the College’s Center for Teaching and Learning.
Augsburg’s work in intentional diversity has garnered
attention from corporations and community organizations
alike. For example, Wells Fargo recently donated $100,000
to Augsburg’s Center for Science, Business, and Religion
specifically because of Augsburg’s proven work in educating
underrepresented populations. Augsburg also recognizes
that diversity extends well beyond ethnicity and provides
award-winning programs for students who represent a
diversity of ages, national origins, faith traditions, gender
identities, and learning and physical differences.
“Of course, there is still much more we need to
do,” Reeck said. “But we are committed to diversity
and inclusion because it creates a richer educational
environment and prepares our students to lead, innovate,
and serve in a diverse and globally connected world.”
This work not only supports future graduates’ individual
success, it creates a diverse and well-educated generation
that’s critical to our collective future prosperity.
One million adults age 18-64
**Sources: 1. Minnesota State Demographic Center and U.S. Census
Bureau. 2. Minnesota State Demographic Center and U.S. Census
Bureau, Decennial Census and Population. 3. Estimates as presented
by Minnesota Compass, mncompass.org. 4. IPUMS version of U.S.
Census Bureau’s 2010-2012 American Community Survey. Tabulated
by the Minnesota State Demographic Center.
Summer 2015
13
Auggie Matt McGinn ’13
finds innovative ways to
serve an old favorite
BY CHRISTINA HALLER
Matt McGinn ’13 has accomplished more
in his 27 years than most. He overcame
alcohol dependence to graduate from
Augsburg College and its StepUP ® program
and then went on to become a successful
entrepreneur in the coffee industry.
And when it comes to coffee, he does
it all.
McGinn roasts his own beans. He uses
recovery working to earn his bachelor’s
degree in social work.
“Augsburg helped me to become a
leader,” McGinn said. “I showed people
you can go from not being capable of
holding a job and passing out in class,
to working two internships, being a
resident assistant, and succeeding in
five classes.”
Though he later decided not to pursue
a career in social work, he practices skills
gained while at Augsburg to help himself
succeed every day—including business savvy,
budgeting, dedication, confidence, detail
orientation, leadership, and follow-through.
them to cold brew coffee. He bottles it.
Tapping an underserved market
Distributes it. And, he co-owns and runs a
McGinn has been working in the
coffee industry since he was a barista in
high school. Once he got to Augsburg,
he climbed his way up to manager at a
struggling coffee shop and was able to revive
it by crafting new drink recipes, learning a
range of brewing techniques, improving food
and drink menus, training staff, and creating
more efficient labor schedules.
coffee shop where he serves his cold brewed
coffee on tap—an innovation that very few
shops offer, especially in the Twin Cities.
A transfer student from the University
of Massachusetts, McGinn applied to
Augsburg and StepUP early on in his
sobriety. He went from drinking hard liquor
every day for six years, to a student in
14
Augsburg Now
“People were complimenting my work,
and the owner gave me free reign to do
what I wanted,” McGinn said. “I thought—
I’m really good at this. What are my ideas?
What do I want to do? Well, I make really
good cold brew. People love my cold brew.
And I was like, ‘Why am I not doing this for
myself?’”
So he did.
McGinn now co-owns and runs artisan
coffee shop Quixotic Coffee in St. Paul.
His branded coffee, Blackeye Roasting
Co., comes in three varieties on tap—a
signature blend called “Blackeye Brew;”
a nitro blend called “Left Hook;” and
currently under production, a nitro
Guinness, which is similar in texture and
flavor to a creamy stout.
Currently, you can find Blackeye Brew
bottled and sold at select local retailers, but
soon it’ll be distributed nationally. Blackeye
Brew coffee is also kegged and served in
many area restaurants, on college campuses,
and even in Twin Cities workplaces.
AUGGIE VOICES
Summer 2015
15
AUGGIE VOICES
Watch McGinn discover
his passion for coffee at
augsburg.edu/now.
16
Augsburg Now
Wake up and smell the coffee.
Q: You serve a nitro blend at Quixotic. What is that?
A: Nitro cold brew is coffee infused with pure nitrogen. It’s stored in a keg
and served on draft for a cascading, foamy, and velvety ice-cold drink.
Q: What’s the difference between iced coffee and cold brewed?
A: Iced coffee is just hot coffee that’s been brewed with twice as much
ground coffee, then poured over ice. Cold brewed coffee is ground coffee
that’s been steeped in cold water overnight.
Q: So does cold brew have a different taste?
A: Yes. When you brew coffee hot you get a lot of acidity due to the chemical
reaction. When you brew it cold, you don’t get the acidity. In fact, there’s
67-93 percent less acidity in cold brewed coffee—and two times the caffeine.
Q: So you roast your own beans. Is the origin of coffee beans important?
A: Absolutely. Most of our coffee beans are from Africa and Central America.
The coffees we select from Africa are bright and floral and have more
character. The coffees we get from Central America have chocolaty notes.
We blend the two for a perfect balance, so they’re not too tangy or fruity.
StepUP® at a glance
StepUP at Augsburg College is a
residential collegiate recovery program
focusing on helping students sustain
their recovery, achieve academic
success, and thrive in a community of
accountability and support.
• More than 700 students
served since 1997
• 93 percent average
abstinence rate
• 100 students served annually
• 3.2 average GPA
Learn more at
augsburg.edu/stepup
Summer 2015
17
Augsburg College held back-to-back Commencement ceremonies
May 2-3. The College welcomed nearly 4,000 people to campus who celebrated the
achievements of the Class of 2015, gathered as family and friends, and participated
in Augsburg’s unique approach to the centuries-old tradition of graduation.
COMMENCEMENT
MEMORIES
BY LAURA SWANSON ’15 MBA
A
s one of life’s “big days” alongside events like
a wedding or the birth of a child, it’s
common for a commencement to be a
memorable experience that people can recall for
years—and even decades—afterward. Yet, of the
thousands of attendees at this year’s ceremonies,
it is unlikely that any two people will retain
exactly the same event details in the same way.
Why is that? Naturally, it’s due to the fact
that each person’s process of making and
recalling memories is complex. Augsburg College
professor and cognitive psychologist Bridget
Robinson-Riegler helped illuminate how and why
people remember the standout days in their lives
in accurate—and inaccurate—ways.
Bridget Robinson-Riegler
Augsburg professor and
cognitive psychologist
What makes a commencement day memorable?
Uniqueness.
Emotion.
Cognitive psychologists have found
that the most distinctive life events also
are the most likely to be remembered.
For many people, participating in a
commencement ceremony is the type
of occasion that only happens a few
times over the course of their lives, such
as when they complete high school,
college, a graduate program, or attend
a graduation event for a child or loved
one. The event as a whole is unique and
so are particular elements of the day.
For instance, contemporary Augsburg
graduates process to the commencement
ceremonies by walking down 7 ½ Street,
which is lined with faculty members
applauding the graduates’ achievements.
This type of event is so unique that the
experience likely will form a memory
that persists over time, according to
Robinson-Riegler.
Just as distinctive events are more
likely to be remembered, occasions that
are laden with emotion also make their
mark. The two parts of the brain that serve
in memory-making include the amygdala,
which is responsible for the emotion of
a memory, and the hippocampus, which
is responsible for creating the coherent
story of a memory. People are likely to
remember many of the feelings they
experienced on a commencement day
because it’s a time of high emotion and
maybe even some stress.
While graduation is not stressful
in a traumatic sense, there’s a lot of
excitement associated with the event,
which accentuates the activation of the
amygdala. Then, because the amygdala
is functioning at a relatively high level, a
person remembers much of the emotion
of a commencement.
18
Augsburg Now
“Ten or 20 years into the future, you
remember some of the day’s details—
some of the big things about it—but
it may be easier to remember how you
felt,” Robinson-Riegler said.
Timing.
When an event occurs also affects a
person’s ability to remember it. For many
traditional undergraduates, graduation
falls at a time in life known as the
“reminiscence bump,” the period that
spans approximately from age 10 to age
30 when things are most remembered.
“As we age, things become more
routine, so what stands out are things
that are distinctive in your life,”
Robinson-Riegler said. “The things that
you talked about, that you spent a lot of
time rehearsing or explaining—the events
like graduations and weddings—those are
things that are better remembered.”
What affects the
accuracy of memory?
Despite the memorability of unique
and emotional moments, the accuracy of
our memories is not always reliable. One
of the reasons memories change over
time is that people come into contact
with new situations that shape their
recollection of the past.
“None of us really should trust our
memories as much as most of us do; the
gist of our memories is often accurate, but
the details of exactly what happened are
often inaccurate,” Robinson-Riegler said.
Graduation is an interesting event
to recall because there’s not a lot of
“cross-contamination” of memory
from the event happening repeatedly,
but there are disturbances in memory
caused by outside influences.
For instance, people have what’s
known as “schematic knowledge” about
what graduations entail. Due to popular
culture, a person who has never attended
a graduation may be able to explain
what happens at the celebration because
the event typically follows a formulaic
structure that includes listening to
speeches, watching graduates walk
across a stage, and so on. In addition,
people’s memories about past events can
become skewed by the individuals they
interact with later and the discussions
that follow. Graduations might spur
conversations with friends and family
that help a person “fill in the gaps”
where their own memories have faded,
according to Robinson-Riegler.
“Think about how easy it would
be for someone to infuse a memory
from what someone else said about
graduation, and suddenly it becomes
your memory so you have no idea what
the reality is,” she said.
In addition to pulling outside
comments into your memory pool,
commencement recollections can be
influenced by the photos and other
artifacts from the day that a person
comes across later.
“If you see pictures of the
graduation ceremony, those things
get into your head, so to speak, as
you reconstruct your memory based
on several different components,”
Robinson-Riegler said.
Ultimately, when Auggies of all ages
think back on their commencement
experiences, those memories are shaped
by myriad factors, but it’s the outcome
of the education that persists over
time and can be counted upon for the
remainder of their lives.
And, while college memories may
fade and change over time, they still
serve several purposes—one of the best
being to make us smile.
Summer 2015
19
Augsburg College hits $50 million campaign goal
for new, signature academic building
Augsburg College has successfully surpassed the $50 million
mark in its capital campaign for a unique, interdisciplinary
academic building that brings together science, business, and
religion. The campaign—the largest in the College’s history—
met its goal a year in advance of the original schedule.
With the campaign fundraising milestone achieved,
the Augsburg College Board of Regents approved
moving forward with the next stage of architectural
and construction design for what will be the College’s
state-of-the-art, signature academic building. Once that
design work is completed, the Board will set a timeline for
groundbreaking and construction.
The College already has begun the planning and
preparation necessary to make the new building a reality.
Examples of this collaborative effort include the following:
•
A Board-designated project leadership team is selecting
an architect who will work with the College to verify that
the building meets the needs of academic programs in
order to create detailed interior and exterior drawings.
•
Augsburg readied the future site of the building by
razing two existing houses on 21st Avenue South.
(See page 7.)
•
Faculty members are using grant funds to design new,
interdisciplinary courses and to revise existing classes
to better integrate the science, business, and religion
subject areas.
Anderson
Residence Hall
Urness Tower
Luther Hall
N
Mortensen Hall
Old Main
Christensen Center
Sverdrup Hall
Memorial Hall
Lindell Library
20
Augsburg Now
Find campaign news and building
updates at augsburg.edu/CSBR.
IT TAKES AN AUGGIE
Graphics by
Mark Chamberlain
Summer 2015
21
“Individuals matter in stopping the spread of disease
because disease has no boundaries ... I have made
it a personal goal to advocate for the development
of generic medications for infectious diseases that
unfairly affect the developing world.”
—Anika Clark ’14
22
Augsburg Now
Unique research experience draws
faculty-student duo to East Africa
and Capitol Hill
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
ho gets pooped on by chimpanzees, zig-zags through a
mountainous forest to elude elephants, and has been
recognized by members of the U.S. Congress for her
impressive research?
The first undergraduate student from the United States ever invited
to study the world’s largest known community of chimpanzees and
to gather research data to build a foundation for understanding how
human diseases—including Ebola—can be transmitted to and move
through the animals.
By gathering data to model how disease spreads through the nearly
200 chimps in the Ngogo community in Kibale National Park in Uganda,
Anika Clark ’14 may be able to help identify and develop vaccination
plans to protect this and other groups of chimpanzees from being
devastated by transmissible human diseases for which the chimps have
no resistance.
Clark, a biology major, spent four weeks in Africa doing field research
under the direction of Kevin Potts, a biology instructor at Augsburg
and one of the nation’s leading primatology experts. His studies on
chimpanzee conservation, food, habitat, and foraging behaviors are
featured in some of the world’s most prestigious primatology journals.
Potts earned his master’s and doctoral degrees from Yale University
and studied under the Yale faculty who founded the Ngogo Chimpanzee
Project in Kibale National Park. It’s through his decades-long study
of chimpanzees, in which he’s watched some members of the animal
group go from juveniles to adult leaders, and his deep professional and
personal relationships with the project’s founders that he was able to
invite Clark to conduct research on this unique group of chimpanzees.
Summer 2015
23
Undergraduate research—an opportunity for hands-on practice of skills helpful to
science majors and necessary to succeed in graduate school—is an important part of
an Augsburg College education and is evidence of how the College lives out its vision
of educating for lives of purpose. Clark was among nearly 100 Augsburg students who
conducted summer research in 2014, spending many hours in the lab and in the field to solve
complex problems.
Fieldwork is grueling.
“You have to be physically and mentally alert at all times,” Clark said of the work she
did in Uganda. “Elephants can be in the forest. You have to move away from them quickly
… once I zig-zagged down a mountain ravine to get away.”
The work also can be very, very dirty. Even gross.
“Once, a chimpanzee in the canopy pooped on me and my field notebook,” Clark said.
But she wasn’t deterred.
Potts acknowledged the physical demands of fieldwork. He said it’s not uncommon
for researchers—including graduate-level researchers—to burn out after a few weeks,
especially in places as rugged as Ngogo. Clark was up and in the field by 7 a.m., walking
for miles and as many as 10 hours per day in the forest to find where chimps were feeding
so she could gather her data.
Clark’s research is unique because she is creating a baseline for understanding how
infectious diseases spread in the largest group of chimpanzees on Earth. While some other
researchers are trying to understand dispersal of illness among chimpanzee troupes of
about 65 individual animals, nobody else is seeking to explain how disease moves through
Ngogo’s population of nearly 200 individuals.
“Chimpanzees are strange among mammal species,” Potts said. “Unlike most other
mammals, chimps that make up one social group rarely are together all at the same time.
Instead, on a day-to-day basis, small foraging parties go out to look for food, and members
of groups can change daily.”
This means that unlocking how an infectious disease spreads is complex because
chimps don’t interact consistently with the same community members day after day.
Unraveling this mystery may allow people to protect chimps from transmissible human
diseases for which the animals have no immunity. An Ebola vaccine for chimpanzees is in
development and could feasibly be used on wild chimps in the near future. But vaccinating
all the chimps would be prohibitively expensive and logistically impossible.
24
Augsburg Now
“If we can identify a few individuals who are disproportionately gregarious and,
therefore, more likely to spread a disease to others, we can target them for vaccines and
stop an outbreak,” Potts said.
Uganda’s forests may depend upon this understanding, too, since chimps are prolific
distributors of seeds from the tree fruits that they eat and thereby ensure reforestation
and new growth.
Clark’s grit in the field and outstanding achievements in the classroom have garnered
attention in the nation’s capital. Last spring, she was selected to present at Posters on
the Hill in Washington, D.C.
This annual event highlights outstanding undergraduate research and was a chance
for 60 selected students from more than 800 applicants to meet with policymakers and
lawmakers, including U.S. Sen. Keith Ellison of Minnesota.
“Anika’s work stood up exceptionally well against top-tier student researchers
from across the nation, and I hope she sees how talented she is,” Potts said. “This
was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to present scientific results directly to those who
implement policy based upon science.”
Clark is applying her resolve to working as a medical scribe at three different hospitals. At
one of the hospitals, Clark serves as lead scribe, a leadership role that includes responsibility
for recruiting other top pre-health students to work as scribes. Clark’s determination to excel
is further readying her for the challenge of applying to medical schools, her next step toward
fulfilling her goal of one day working for Doctors Without Borders.
Through Doctors Without Borders, an internationally renowned humanitarian
organization that provides assistance to countries overwhelmed by armed conflict,
epidemics, natural disasters, and malnutrition, Clark will have the opportunity to use
her talents and gifts to alleviate some of the world’s greatest global health problems.
The organization also is recognized for its dedication to serving people who experience
neglect and discrimination from local health systems.
“Individuals matter in stopping the spread of disease because disease has no
boundaries. The world is connected through trade, aviation, and immigration,” Clark
said. “I have made it a personal goal to advocate for the development of generic
medications for infectious diseases that unfairly affect the developing world. An
infectious disease in one part of the world must be considered a global threat.”
As Clark turns her sights toward medical school and a future serving as an
international doctor of medicine, other Auggies will head into the lab and field with
faculty to unravel problems and seek solutions to better our shared world.
While Auggies have worked to protect chimpanzees from infectious diseases in Uganda’s Kibale National Park,
these animals also face constant threats from poaching. Visit augsburg.edu/now to learn more about chimps
and how you can help in their conservation.
The field journal of Anika Clark ’14 carries
the mark of a chimpanzee encounter.
Clark trekked many miles through
sometimes muddy forests in these shoes.
A solar sun shower was the closest to a
hot shower Clark got while in Uganda.
Biology instructor Kevin Potts uses
his own codes and shorthand to track
information on chimpanzees.
Summer 2015
25
BY CHRISTINA HALLER
Augsburg student travels 900 miles in
search of answers
The last thing studio arts major Indra Ramassamy ’17
thought she’d get out of her course, Women and Art,
was a life-changing trip and lasting friendship with an
established artist. But it just so happened that Augsburg’s
commitment to experiential education fostered a
memorable experience for Ramassamy and cultivated
skills that will prove useful throughout her life.
Ramassamy, an international student from Paris,
was assigned to choose an object from Augsburg’s permanent collection of art and complete a research project
resulting in a final paper, a speech, an installation, and
a curatorial file.
Ramassamy was drawn
“Augsburg expects us to discover
to a print by Nilda Getty
things. We are encouraged to make
called “Psychic,” one work
deep connections with people, to find
in a five-piece series titled,
new ways to problem-solve, to make a
“Life Series.”
difference.”
“What drew me to this
—Indra Ramassamy ’17
print was a sort of ‘motion’
around a white circular
shape—to me, it represented the moon,” Ramassamy
said. “We can see six female figures around the shape,
but there is a possibility that these female figures
might actually be one person at different moments.”
A little persistence goes a long way
In researching the piece, Ramassamy found that
biographical information about the artist was limited.
She was, however, able to locate and contact an art
gallery where Getty had once exhibited. The art gallery
contacted Getty about Ramassamy’s inquiry, and within
a week, they were speaking regularly on the phone for
Ramassamy’s project. A few weeks later, Getty and her
son, Leslie, contacted Ramassamy and invited her to
Colorado, offering to fly her out so she could complete
her assignment.
Ramassamy gladly accepted. “It was about a
lot more than the paper,” she said. “Through phone
conversations and an exchange of emails, I had already
made a connection with Nilda and was beyond excited
to meet her.”
Leaving a lasting legacy
A few weeks later, Ramassamy was on a flight from
Minneapolis to Fort Collins, Colorado, for a 48-hour
stay. While there, Ramassamy toured Getty’s studio,
met Getty’s family, learned how to use metalsmithing
tools, and studied Getty’s artwork—from silk prints
to photographs, metalwork to jewelry. She also
visited Colorado State University where Getty taught
metalsmithing in the Art Department.
When Ramassamy asked Getty about “Psychic,”
Getty said the white circle represented both the world
and the universe. But the artist also explained that it
doesn’t matter what she thinks of the piece. What is
important to Getty is the viewer’s experience with the
art and the relationship formed with it.
Ramassamy was inspired by Getty’s work, by her
outlook on art and life, and by her warmth and spirit.
“One of the sweetest things was when Nilda told me
her ‘greatest works of art are her children’—and she
also asked me a lot about my own mom,” Ramassamy
said. “I believe Nilda’s legacy will be what her children
go out into the world and achieve.”
An Augsburg education is shaped by its
global settings
Ramassamy is grateful to Augsburg for the whole
experience. “There’s a culture at Augsburg to go
the full extent—do as much as you can,” she said.
“Augsburg expects us to discover things. We are
encouraged to make deep connections with people, to
find new ways to problem-solve, to make a difference.”
And that’s exactly what Ramassamy did.
26
Augsburg Now
MY AUGGIE EXPERIENCE
FUN FACTS ABOUT
AUGSBURG’S PERMANENT
COLLECTION OF ART
MOST FAMOUS?
Andy Warhol’s “Liz”
LARGEST?
Henry Lande’s minimalist
sculpture, 24 Elements, stands
outside between Urness Tower and
Christensen Center at 33 feet tall.
BEST-TRAVELED?
A photograph of Gerda Mortensen
vanished from Mortensen Hall
(more than once) and reappeared at
St. Olaf College.
MOST GENEROUS DONORS?
Don and Dagny Padilla, avid art
collectors, who gave dozens of
pieces to Augsburg’s permanent
collection of art, including Nilda
Getty’s “Psychic.”
AVAILABLE IN TWO SIZES?
Jakob Fjelde’s life-size marble bust
of Augsburg’s third president, Sven
Oftedal, and Fjelde’s small-scale
plaster copy, a recent gift from
Melinda and Jim Kohrt.
Summer 2015
27
ALUMNI NEWS
INTRODUCING
NEW ALUMNI BOARD MEMBERS
Six Auggies―successful in business, mentorship, leadership,
and advocacy for the College recently were elected to threeyear terms on the Augsburg College Alumni Board.
New members:
Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’10 MBA
Mary Prevost ’12 MBA
National corporate director,
UnitedHealth Group
Owner, MJP Strategic
Communications
Hannah Dietrich ’05
Howie Smith ’80
Principal planning analyst, Hennepin
County Department of Community
Corrections and Rehabilitation
Manager, talent development,
Ameriprise Financial Services
Jay Howard ’03
Take a moment to read a
few of the reasons why these
new representatives are excited
to be part of the Alumni Board.
Go to augsburg.edu/now for more
information.
Director of global sales, Innovative
Computer Software
Chau “Tina” Nguyen ’08
Project analyst, U.S. Bank
28
Augsburg Now
ALUMNI BOARD
Back Row [L to R]: Adrienne (Kuchler)
Eldridge ’02, Sarah Grans ’01, Howie
Smith ’80, Jay Howard ’03, Rick Bonlender ’78,
Greg Schnagl ’91, Nick Swanson ’09, Patricia
Jesperson ’95
Front Row [L to R]: Marie (Eddy) Odenbrett ’01,
Hannah Dietrich ’05, Jill Watson ’10 MBA,
Meg (Schmidt) Sawyer ’00, Melissa (Daudt)
Hoepner ’92, Chris Hallin ’88, Adriana
Matzke ’13, Rachel (Olson) Engebretson ’98,
Chau “Tina” Nguyen ’08, Mary Prevost ’12 MBA
Not Pictured: Cyrus Batheja ’08, ’10 MBA;
Sharon Mercill ’09; Jordan Moore ’12 MBA;
Brent Peroutka ’02; Nick Rathmann ’03;
Tracy (Anderson) Severson ’95
If you have ideas for alumni
involvement, email the Alumni Board
at alumni@augsburg.edu.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8
ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
RECEPTION AND CEREMONY
5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Honor the 2015 Athletic
Hall of Fame inductees.
HOMECOMING
2015
OCTOBER 8-10
REUNION CLASSES
Silver Auggies and
60th Reunion—1955
50th Reunion—1965
40th Reunion—1975
25th Reunion—1990
10th Reunion—2005
For Homecoming this year, let’s come together and revel in our
Augsburg connections with great events all weekend long. Alumni,
families, and friends are all invited to this celebration of our shared
Augsburg experience.
Registering for Homecoming is easier than ever with an allaccess pass. One $40 pass admits you to all events. Register to
guarantee your spot. The price increases to $50 after September 8.
Go to augsburg.edu/homecoming to register.
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
HOMECOMING CONVOCATION AND
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS
10 to 11:30 a.m.
Recognize the First Decade, Spirit
of Augsburg, and Distinguished
Alumni award recipients.
HOMECOMING AND REUNION
CELEBRATION LUNCHEON
12 p.m.
Celebrate this year’s distinguished
award recipients and the newest
inductees into the 50-Year Club
from the class of 1965.
AUGGIE HOURS
6 to 8:15 p.m.
Join the all-class Auggie happy hour.
HOMECOMING FIREWORKS
8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 10
Join Homecoming co-chairs Jacquie Berglund ’87
and Devean George ’99 for Augsburg alumni’s
favorite weekend of the year.
“Connecting with folks you
haven’t seen in such a
long time is just
heartwarming.”
Jacquie Berglund ’87,
2014 Spirit of Augsburg
award recipient
HOMECOMING AND REUNION
BREAKFAST
8 to 9:20 a.m.
HOMECOMING CHAPEL
10 a.m.
TASTE OF AUGSBURG
11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Family fun takes over Murphy Square
park with carnival-style booths, great
food, student groups, and games.
HOMECOMING FOOTBALL GAME VS.
UNIVERSITY OF ST. THOMAS
1 p.m.
AUGGIE BLOCK PARTY
3:30 to 6 p.m.
Enjoy live music, s’mores, and a
post-game social hour.
ALUMNI NEWS
THE YOUNG
ALUMNI COUNCIL
The mission of the Young Alumni Council is to provide opportunities to
engage young alumni through planning and hosting networking, fundraising,
and volunteering events and programs.
In May, Auggies joined the Rev. Mike Matson ’06 and his congregation
during an annual rummage sale at Bethany Lutheran Church in the Seward
neighborhood of Minneapolis. This summer the Young Alumni Council hosted
a sold-out gathering at a St. Paul Saints game in June and an evening at
Canterbury Park in July, bringing more than 600 Auggies together.
If you’ve graduated within the past 10 years and are interested in joining
this growing group of active alumni, contact Katie Radford ’12, volunteer and
alumni engagement manager, at radford@augsburg.edu.
FINAL EVENT OF THE SEASON
Summer Series: On Tap
Monday, August 10
5:30 to 8 p.m. | Surly Brewery
Build your Auggie network and learn how fellow
alumni are fulfilling their vocations today.
Appetizers and two drink tickets provided.
Tickets: $10
To register, call 612-330-1085 or visit
augsburg.edu/alumnievents.
To learn more about the Young Alumni
Council members, go to augsburg.edu/now.
Courtesy Photo
Buy a brick. Honor a friendship.
“We came together to buy a brick in honor of the strong
friendships we formed at Augsburg and the memories we
continue to make among our families.” –Brittany Jakubiec ’96
There is still time to participate in the campaign for the Center
for Science, Business, and Religion! Buy a brick as a tribute to
the bonds that helped to create your Augsburg story.
30
•
Augsburg will inscribe a brick with your name, the name
of someone you’d like to honor, or a special message.
•
Each brick will be displayed in the CSBR, creating a
lasting legacy for the future of
the College.
•
Augsburg alumnae from the class of 1996 support the
Center for Science, Business, and Religion.
You will receive official
recognition of your
participation in this program.
•
Front Row [L to R]: Brittany (Lynch) Jakubiec, Jennifer (Cummings)
Ackland, Wendy Laine, Brooke (Manisto) Reseland.
Back Row [L to R]: Connie (Arndt) Clausen, Stephanie Harms,
Jodi Monson, Natasha (Solberg) Sheeley.
The first 500 to buy a brick will
receive a VIP invitation to the CSBR dedication.
Foundation Brick (40 characters, 3 lines) = $250
Legacy Brick (80 characters, 6 lines) = $500
Augsburg Now
augsburg.edu/csbr | 612-330-1085
ALUMNI NEWS
A mix of current students, alumni, and former
faculty serve as the backup band for one of the
Midnimo artists. Somali-British musician Aar
Maanta (far right) practices with musicians
[L to R]: Kyle Burbey ’15, Steve Herzog ’06,
Andy Peterson ’05, and Ben Somers.
BEHIND THE MUSIC
Auggie backup band’s role helps bridge cultures and generations
Augsburg College students, alumni, and
faculty have helped bring a cuttingedge musical partnership to life by
performing alongside the rising voices of
the Somali music scene and even some
“super stars.”
Midnimo was awarded one of six $200,000
grants from the highly competitive Building
Bridges: Campus Community Engagement
program by the Association of Performing
Arts Presenters funded by the Doris Duke
Charitable Foundation and the Doris Duke
Foundation for Islamic Art.
Midnimo, the Somali word for
“unity,” is a two-year partnership
between Augsburg and the Cedar
Cultural Center to bring Somali artists to
Minnesota for educational residencies
and concerts. This unique opportunity
is supported by a prestigious
$200,000 grant award and a number
of Auggies—including Faculty
Emeritus Bob Stacke ’71—whose crosscultural relationship building and love
for performance set the stage for a truly
intergenerational, intercultural musical
immersion.
At concerts held through Midnimo,
artists ranging from the pop collective
North American Super Stars to SomaliBritish singer-songwriter Aar Maanta
played alongside backup ensembles
comprised of a mix of Auggie students,
alumni, and former faculty whose own
musical gifts and talents helped make
Midnimo a critically acclaimed program.
For many of the Auggies, participating
in Midnimo has offered the opportunity
to join a partnership that’s the first of its
kind in the nation and to do what they
love best: play.
Bob Stacke ’71, retired associate professor
of music, is known and respected for his crosscultural percussion performances. Stacke’s deep
musical connections were critical in forging
the partnership between the College, the Cedar
Cultural Center, and visiting artists.
Steve Herzog ’06 [pictured, right] was
selected by Bob Stacke ’71 to write and arrange
the music for Midnimo visiting artists. Herzog
often has needed to transcribe and arrange
music in less than a week. Through this work,
Herzog has been inspired to develop a program
for engaging Somali youth in the advancement
of Somali music. He’s also pursuing a master’s
degree in education at Augsburg.
See a clip of the band performing with
Aar Maanta at augsburg.edu/now.
Summer 2015
31
ALUMNI NEWS
AUGGIES FIND LEADERSHIP IN
inneapolis shoppers can
find a little Auggie Pride in
an unexpected location—a
secondhand clothing store that is an
active illustration of Augsburg College’s
mission, which includes collaborating
with others to serve the Cedar-Riverside
neighborhood and providing students
with hands-on learning opportunities.
Sisterhood Boutique (2200
Riverside Ave., Minneapolis) has been
a training ground for young, Cedar-
the idea of opening a clothing store.
Richardson, who in high school
founded a secondhand clothing store
through Youth Express, an after-school
program in St. Paul, used her retail
experience and business management
training to help the women get started.
First, she collaborated with a youth social
entrepreneur coordinator, a store founder,
and other interested young women to
develop a paid internship program for the
boutique. The program provides young
Augsburg College alumnae Yasameen Sajady ’11 and Stella Richardson ’15 serve the Sisterhood Boutique.
Riverside neighborhood women in
entrepreneurship, business, community
partnerships, and sustainable fashion
since its opening in February 2014.
Since then, 60 women ages 14 to 23
have participated as staff and interns,
and two Auggies—Stella Richardson ’15
and Yasameen Sajady ’11—have played
roles on the store’s leadership team.
Two years ago, East African women
in the Youth Social Entrepreneur
Program at the Brian Coyle Center, a
neighborhood resource and community
center, began envisioning a way to
empower young women in the area. The
women worked with Richardson, then an
intern at Brian Coyle Center, to explore
32
Augsburg Now
East African women with professional
development, peer-to-peer mentoring,
and classroom training, followed by three
months of employment in the store.
The founders of the boutique also
collaborated with Augsburg’s Director
of Community Engagement Mary Laurel
True, who has been integral to the
store’s success.
Community engagement for Auggies
happens both on and off campus—and
when True learned about the vision for
a women’s entrepreneurial project in
the neighborhood, she ensured that
Augsburg joined with other community
groups to make the innovative business
venture a reality. True serves as the
Augsburg liaison to the program, is a
mentor for the staff and interns, and
has been on the Sisterhood’s Advisory
Committee since the beginning.
Seizing the opportunity for realworld training, classes on campus got
into the act. A group of Augsburg MBA
students created a business plan for the
store through a management consulting
class project. Christopher Houltberg,
assistant professor of art, led Sisterhood
interns in a branding exercise and
assisted with the design of a boutique
logo; classes taught by Marc Isaacson,
assistant professor of business, provided
website recommendations; and, through
clothing drives, Residence Life collected
thousands of pounds of clothing to
donate to the startup.
Today, Augsburg alumna Sajady
manages the Sisterhood Boutique.
Sajady, a business marketing major, was
hired last November through Pillsbury
United Communities to lead Brian
Coyle’s Youth Entrepreneur Program.
Under her leadership as the operations
coordinator, the Sisterhood Boutique
has exceeded its social media and
community engagement goals.
The program is supported by
Fairview Health Services, an institution
that, like Augsburg, is committed
to its role as a community partner.
Fairview donated a vacant retail
space to the Brian Coyle Center for
workforce development. Additional
donors and community partners
include the Foundation of Minnesota,
Sundance Family Foundation, Marbrook
Foundation, and Women Investing in the
Next Generation (WINGs) Fund of the
Greater Twin Cities United Way.
ALUMNI NEWS
CULTURAL TRAVEL
Courtesy Photos
WITH AUGGIES
A
ugsburg organizes international tours for the College’s alumni, parents,
families, and friends. Each customized trip is led by Augsburg faculty members
whose distinction and expertise adds to a uniquely Augsburg experience.
Celebrating Lutheran heritage in Germany and the Czech Republic
Mark Tranvik and Hans Wiersma, Religion Department faculty members, host this
journey through Germany and the city of Prague October 27-November 6, 2016,
celebrating Lutheran heritage in honor of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation.
Cultural immersion in Thailand and Cambodia
English Professor Kathy Swanson, who is fluent in Thai, will lead this exploration
through Thailand and Cambodia January 3-15, 2017. This voyage takes travelers to the
Grand Palace, Wat Pho (the Reclining Buddha), and floating markets. It continues
to Chiang Mai for elephant rides, an authentic cooking class, and volunteer work at
a local orphanage. The journey concludes in Siem Reap at Angkor Wat, the largest
religious monument in the world.
If you are interested in traveling with fellow alumni, contact Sally Daniels Herron ’79
at herron@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1525.
To learn about Augsburg cultural travel
opportunities, go to augsburg.edu/alumni/travel.
Summer 2015
33
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1963
After serving as pastor of Faith
Lutheran Church in Vista,
California, since 1969, the Rev. Beryl
Droegemueller retired in April. Over the
course of his 45 years of shepherding the
congregation, membership grew from 125 to
more than 1,000. During those four decades,
the church opened preschool, elementary
school, middle school, and extended daycare
programs. Droegemueller trained 37 pastoral
interns through the church’s vicarage program
and, in the early 1970s, worked with church
members to develop a new mission church,
Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran in Oceanside,
California. He led Faith Lutheran through
the construction of the sanctuary, a parish
hall, an early childhood center, and offices.
Together with members of the congregation,
Droegemueller was instrumental in building
a multi-level care retirement facility, now
Rancho Vista retirement community, which
was dedicated in 1981. When he talks about
the projects and productivity, he points to
his “very dedicated, creative, and hardworking members” and his staff. Along with
his doctor of ministry degree, he earned a
law degree, which he said was helpful in the
many building projects. He assisted area
churches with numerous legal challenges and
served as circuit counselor and chairman of
the Pacific Southwest District of the Lutheran
Church Missouri Synod board of directors. The
Minnesota native entered Concordia Lutheran
Seminary after a year of working for a bank
and following graduation from Augsburg with a
double major in history and English.
Jean (Bagley) Humphrey married her husband,
Roger, one week after graduation. Nancy
(Bloomfield) Bottemiller and Ruth (Sather)
Sorenson were her bridesmaids. The
Humphreys moved to the Boston/Cambridge
area where they lived in married student
housing at the Massachusetts Institute of
As a public relations expert, Kari (Eklund) Logan ’82 assists
clients in raising awareness about topics that range from
education to urban forestry and from financial services to the
arts. At CEL Public Relations, Logan leads a media relations
team and couples her talents in writing and networking to
serve her clients.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
Technology and had their two children. After
five years, they moved to California where
Roger’s first job was with Chevron Oil. They
lived in California for 38 years. Nine Bagley
children attended Augsburg including Robert
Bagley ’58, who went on to Luther Seminary,
and Yvonne (Bagley) Olson ’52, who lived with
Gerda Mortensen and married Orville Olson ’52.
1967
Jerilyn (Bjugstad) Wibbens is the
choral director of the NW Nordic
Ladies Chorus of Everett, Washington. The
group recently performed with other Nordic
choruses in a Seattle-area celebration of
Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. They sang
“Finlandia” with the Seattle Symphony.
In May, Robert and Sandra (Syverts) ’68 Benson
were grand marshals for Trout Days in Preston,
Minnesota. The Bensons remain active in this
community where Bob served as a county
judge. Bob (now retired) is a certified firearms
instructor and a retired fireman. Sandra is the
founder of the Preston Farmers Market.
1970
Ray Hanson is working for
Goldbelt Raven as an assistant
program manager for chemical forensics
at the Department of Homeland Security’s
Homeland Security Advanced Research
Projects Agency. His role supports the
Chemical and Biological Defense Directorate
in Washington, D.C., which is developing
forensic methods for detecting signatures for
chemical threat agents.
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
1982
Diane (Peterson)
Kachel is now a clinical
research manager for Metro
Urology, the largest urology private
practice network in Minnesota. In
this newly created position within
the organization’s management
team, she is responsible for
managing all aspects of the
research program in addition
to developing new research
opportunities and scalable research
infrastructure across multiple
clinical sites and patient conditions.
34
Augsburg Now
2008
Jay Matchett ’08, ’13 MAL was
named director of Our Neighbors’
Place, a social service agency, in River
Falls, Wisconsin. The social service agency
includes a day center, shelter for families,
community closet, classes, and a successful
backpack program. He cites Tim Pippert,
associate professor of sociology, and Andy
Aoki, professor of political science, as strong
influences during his time at Augsburg.
Matchett believes he truly has found his path
to vocation. He would like to establish a partnership with Augsburg’s social
work program so that Our Neighbors’ Place may serve as an internship
site for current students.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1972
After more than 40 years of regional
sales management and marketing
for two Fortune 500 companies, James
Piepenburg has retired and lives in the Phoenix
metro area with his wife, Lucy. He has two
great daughters, Krista and Jaime, along with
son-in-law, Chris, and 12-year-old grandson,
Nicolas. Currently, Piepenburg is doing parttime art consultation with Thomas Kinkade Art
Gallery of Arizona.
music therapy and has done additional study
at Colorado’s Center for Biomedical Research
in Music.
1988
Kiel Christianson is associate chair
of the Department of Educational
Psychology at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign. He is an associate professor
of educational psychology, psychology, and
linguistics, and he directs the EdPsych
Curt Rice ’84 has been chosen to lead Norway’s largest
university college, taking charge of Oslo and Akershus University
College of Applied Sciences as rector on August 1. Rice received
his undergraduate degree in philosophy from Augsburg. His
wife, Tove Dahl ’84, is a professor at the University of Tromsø,
Norway, and is the dean of Concordia Language Villages’
Norwegian camp, Skogfjorden.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
John Sherman, sports editor of Sun
Newspapers, has been inducted into the
Minnesota State Football Coaches Hall of
Fame. Sherman said he was truly honored to
join the ranks of Stan Nelson ’43, Dave Nelson,
Sid Hartman, Bronko Nagurski, and Ray
Christensen in the Hall of Fame.
Psycholinguistics Lab at the Beckman Institute
of Advanced Science and Technology. In his
spare time, he is a senior writer for the Golf
Channel websites, where he writes about golf,
golf travel, golf courses, and golf equipment.
He lives in Mahomet, Illinois, with his wife, Jen,
and their two children.
1978
1989
Steve Hoffmeyer is interim general
counsel and executive director
of the new Minnesota Public Employment
Relations Board. He also teaches business law
classes at the University of Phoenix campus in
Minnesota and arbitrates labor cases outside
of the state.
1979
Phil Madsen and wife, Diane, moved
into the fitness business, opening
their first Anytime Fitness franchise gym in July
2014 in Port Orange, Florida. A second gym will
follow in nearby New Smyrna Beach, Florida.
Phil says, “This is a wonderful opportunity.
The franchise business model is sound, we
interact with members in truly personal and lifechanging ways, and we get to improve our own
health and fitness like never before.”
1982
Sandra (Walter) Holten, a music
therapist who specializes in caring
for people with Parkinson’s, was featured on
Minnesota Public Radio in March for her work
with Struthers Parkinson’s Center in Golden
Valley, Minnesota. She has a bachelor’s in
Leah (Parker) Maves graduated
from Luther Seminary in May
2014 with a master’s in children, youth, and
family ministry. She received her first call on
December 22 to the Tomorrow River Lutheran
Parish in Amherst and Nelsonville, Wisconsin.
She was commissioned and installed on
February 11 by Bishop Gerald Mansholt.
1991
Stephanie (Grochow) Trump has
been elected to serve as the
choral vice president of the Minnesota Music
Educators’ Association.
1992
Todd Lange was honored with
the Albert Lea (Minnesota) Area
Schools’ 2015 Teacher of the Year award. He
teaches high school English.
Sharol (Dascher) Tyra is a professional certified
coach and mentor for leadership development
at Life Illumination Coaching. Tyra has been a
mentor to Augsburg students since 2011. She
will serve as president of the Minnesota charter
chapter of the International Coach Federation,
and she represented ICF Minnesota at four
global leadership forums.
1998
Raylene Dale (Navara) Streed
has been appointed executive
director of the Minnesota Lions Eye Bank at the
University of Minnesota. Streed has served in
other leadership positions, including as interim
executive director and technical director. Streed
graduated from Augsburg with a bachelor’s
degree in biology.
1999
Scott Hvistendahl manages the
event department at the University
of Northwestern-St. Paul, where he is a member
of the football coaching staff. He enjoys being
involved with football and having a chance to
work with fellow coaches in developing players in
a Christian environment as well as helping them
to grow as men on and off the field. Hvistendahl
and his wife, Alisha, have two children: Macey
and Jordan. The couple met through an
Augsburg staff member who knew Scott from
football and Alisha through athletic training.
Jenna (Bracken) Held ’05 is following in the footsteps of
her mother, Jane (Catlin) Bracken ’71, by serving as a
teacher and pursuing her love of working with children.
Last year, after having taught fourth and fifth grade for
eight years, Jenna switched to first grade at Lincoln
Center in South St. Paul, Minnesota. She enjoys working
in the community where she lives. She met her husband,
Andrew Held ’05, at Augsburg and started to date him
after doing homework together for Calculus II. They
welcomed their third child in June.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
Summer
Spring
2014
2015
Fall 2014
17
35
37
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Josh Krob ’08, ’15 MBA was granted a prestigious “Twin Cities
Finest” award from the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in recognition
of his extensive community volunteer efforts and professional
growth. A believer in the value of lifelong learning, Krob earned
his MBA at Augsburg seeking to expand his understanding of
how to be an effective leader.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
2001
Maggie Tatton was among those
named “40 Under 40” honorees
by The Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
This honor includes young business and
community leaders from throughout the
Twin Cities. Tatton is partner at Lindquist &
Vennum, P.L.L.P.
2002
Brent Peroutka was featured in
the Faribault (Minnesota) Daily
News as a “40 Under 40” honoree for his
community achievements and career in
finance. A financial advisor at Comprehensive
Wealth Solutions. Peroutka holds a business
administration/finance degree from Augsburg.
The best part of his day is helping his clients
achieve their goals, he says. “We can make a
difference each and every day, whether it’s at
home, at work, or in the community.”
with the Minnesota Department of Human
Services to help improve the lives of those
with disabilities.
2012
Lauren Grafelman is the 2015
Business Administration Scholar
Award recipient at Hamline University. This
award is given to the university’s top MBA
student based on academic performance and
leadership within the program. Grafelman was
honored with this award at a graduation and
recognition reception in May.
2013
Mike Lanski is in a long-term
position with U.S. Bank. He
also has started his second season with the
Minnesota Twins, working as an usher, and he
is in his 10th year with the Minnesota Wild in
the same capacity.
Madalyn Johnson is employed as a promotions
assistant at 1500 ESPN Radio at Hubbard
Broadcasting.
Matt McGinn ’13 talks coffee on page 14.
2014
Janelle Holte was accepted into the
U.S. Peace Corps and departed for
Jamaica in March to serve as an agriculture
extension volunteer. During the first three
months of her service, Holte lived with a host
family in Jamaica to learn the local language
and integrate into the local culture. Holte will
work with her community to identify resources
and agriculture projects that can be developed
and implemented to generate income. She
also will facilitate training in farm management
and work with schools to enhance and expand
environmental education.
Anika Clark ’14 discussed the research
she conducted in Africa with lawmakers on
Capitol Hill. See page 22.
2015
Ben Menzies graduated in May
and is about to begin a master’s
program at the University of Minnesota in
integrated behavioral health. He and Shira
Bilinkoff are looking forward to their wedding
in fall 2016.
2008
Justin Reese has been named
head football coach for Fridley
(Minnesota) High School. A native of Houston,
Texas, Reese earned a bachelor’s degree in
physical education at Augsburg and went on to
earn a master’s degree in sports management
from the University of Minnesota. His vision
for the Fridley football program is to inspire
academic and athletic excellence in students
by challenging them to achieve the highest
level of personal development.
2010
Michael Polis was nominated for
the “32 Under 32” awards. This
honor was created in partnership with the
Advertising Federation to recognize the top
young Minnesota marketing and advertising
professionals.
2011
Samantha Drost was appointed to
the State Quality Council for a twoyear term. The council works in partnership
36
Augsburg Now
Meghan (Armstrong) Peyton ’14 MAL is the head men’s
and women’s cross country coach and assistant track
coach at Augsburg College. Augsburg, she says, has
opened her eyes in many ways. Her time at the College
has shown her the joy of serving others and becoming
a more thoughtful steward and responsible leader. She
wants to continue to make a difference in the lives
of future Auggie alumni. Peyton and her high school
sweetheart, Cole, were married in 2010 and live in
Richfield, Minnesota, with their pets. In 2008, she joined
Team USA Minnesota, a post-collegiate distance training
center that encourages holistic development. In 2013,
she won the U.S. 20K Championship. You can “track”
her successes and find her personal best records at meghanpeyton.com.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL has taken a position with the
University of Minnesota as lead of the Creative Services
team in University Relations, the central marketing
office. She works closely with the university’s brand.
Anna Coskran ’09 MBA has been named a principal of
NTH, a Twin Cities real estate and project management
firm where she has worked since 1998. With more than
15 years of real estate experience, she has worked with
a diverse array of clients including The Minneapolis
Foundation, the Star Tribune, and Xcel Energy.
AUGGIE
SNAPSHOTS
2001
Hilary English
Crook and her
husband, Jacob Seljan,
welcomed Lovisa Emily
Seljan on March 30. Both
Lovisa and big brother,
Britton, are sporting their
Augsburg gear!
Chris Wolf ’09 MAN was named chief nursing officer of a
medical element of the Minnesota Air National Guard.
Jordan Moore ’12 MBA and his wife, Jen, became
parents on March 27 with the birth of their daughter,
Carla Jo.
Jim Miles ’14 MBA
recently published
“Hero,” a middle grade
novel. In addition to
writing as a lifelong
passion, “Hero” is the
result of Miles’ MBA
program. He came to
Augsburg to learn how
to give artistic projects
the business legs they
needed to walk and
thrive. He named one
of his supporting
characters after Magda
Paleczny-Zapp,
associate professor of
business. Magda Corbett originally was conceived as a
minor character, but she quickly became a rather
significant part of the story, which Miles considers the
result of the influence of the name. For more information
on “Hero,” go to coltonsilver.com.
Submit a Class Note
Please tell us about the news in your
life—your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/connect
to submit your announcements.
2007
Sarah (Gilbert)
Clay and
her husband, Ryan,
welcomed Oscar Leo Clay
on March 19.
2010
Matt and
Sarah (Thiry)
Solberg celebrated their
marriage on August 8,
2014. Auggies in the
wedding party included
maid of honor Hannah
Thiry ’17, Emily Wiles,
and Dan Thewis.
2012
Courtney
Gamrath and
J.P. Perpich were married
on August 15, 2014.
Summer 2015
37
In memoriam
Ingeborg C. Garborg ’38, Grand
Marais, Minnesota, age 94,
on January 20.
Euna G. Nelson ’50,
Evansville, Minnesota, age 86,
on March 18.
James S. Carlson ’55,
Richfield, Minnesota, age 88,
on October 12.
Darwin G. Thorbeck ’60,
Charleston, South Carolina,
age 76, on January 26.
Bernice A. (Westman) Giguere ’39,
Columbia Heights, Minnesota,
age 97, on April 26.
Kerman J. Benson ’51, Victoria,
Minnesota, age 85, on
January 13.
Lyle I. Hunter ’55, Cathedral
City, California, age 85, on
September 27.
James F. Redeske ’61, Golden
Valley, Minnesota, age 75,
on February 16.
Karl I. Krohn ’41, Memphis,
Tennessee, age 95, on
February 7.
John “Al” A. Johnson ’51,
Maplewood, Minnesota, age
88, on January 7.
Eileen M. (Wirkkunen)
Thompson ’55, Astoria, Oregon,
age 81, on January 23.
Kay L. (Hanenburg) Madson ’62,
Minneapolis, age 74,
on January 21.
Thelma (Sydnes) Monson ’41,
San Diego, age 95, on April 27.
Raymond V. Trochmann ’51,
Ulen, Minnesota, age 93,
on March 29.
Laurayne R. (Helgerson)
Solberg ’56, Stoughton,
Wisconsin, age 91, on
October 20.
Paul R. Engwall ’64, Lakeville,
Minnesota, age 75, on May 14.
Philip “Phil” W. Rowberg, Sr. ’41,
Chico, California, age 95, on
March 24.
Marion M. (Myrvik) Buska ’46,
St. Louis Park, Minnesota, age
90, on January 18.
Willard “Bud” W. Glade ’49,
Dows, Iowa, age 94, on
March 1.
Georgette F. (Lanes) Ario ’50,
Minneapolis, age 86, on
January 17.
Irving R. Burling ’50, Sioux
Falls, South Dakota, age 87,
on April 16.
Bernice A. (Larson) Howell ’50,
Beltsville, Maryland, age 89,
on January 30.
38
Augsburg Now
Elmer H. Hanson ’52, Elk
Mound, Wisconsin, age 90,
on February 24.
Karl D. Puterbaugh ’52,
Eagan, Minnesota, age 86,
on March 22.
Dennis H. Erickson ’58,
Rochester, Minnesota, age 85,
on March 10.
Lorents J. Flak ’58, Santa Rosa,
California, age 83, on March 8.
Berton R. Hushagen ’53, Fergus
Falls, Minnesota, age 87, on
February 16.
Jon W. Matala ’58, Carver,
Minnesota, age 78, on
March 15.
Harold E. Peterson ’53, Bella
Vista, Arkansas, age 89, on
April 1.
Ronald “Ron” J. Stave ’58,
Minneapolis, age 83, on
March 7.
Gloria M. (Parizek) Thorpe ’53,
Eau Claire, Wisconsin, age 84,
on May 5.
Nancy Bauman ’59, Rochester,
Minnesota, age 78, on April 10.
Lloyd A. Nelson ’54, Willmar,
Minnesota, age 91, on
January 27.
James “Jim” A. Noble ’60, Grand
Blanc, Michigan, age 76, on
January 25.
Wayne E. Myrvik ’64, Fergus
Falls, Minnesota, age 72,
on February 7.
Gary E. Utoft ’64, Owatonna,
Minnesota, age 72, on
February 23.
Kathryn “Kathy” A. (Lundby)
Young ’64, Williamsburg,
Virginia, age 72, on March 9.
Lowell H. Asplund ’65,
Butterfield, Minnesota, age 73,
on February 6.
Anita M. (Gransee)
Christopherson ’65, Belle
Plaine, Minnesota, age 71,
on April 28.
Neil C. Sideen ’65, Howard
Lake, Minnesota, age 71,
on March 6.
Send us your news and photos
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don’t forget to send photos! (Digital photos must be at least 300 ppi
or a 1 MB file.)
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g., an obituary, funeral
notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, MN 55454, or email alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also
submit news at augsburg.edu/alumni/connect.
______________________________________________________
Full name
______________________________________________________
Maiden name
______________________________________________________
Class year or last year attended
______________________________________________________
Street address
______________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP code
Karen L. (Torkelson) Leverentz ’66,
Stillwater, Minnesota,
age 70, on February 7.
Magdalen A. (Ardolf) Miller ’75,
Silver Lake, Minnesota, age 91,
on January 20.
Richard “Rick” A. Niles ’67,
Minnetonka, Minnesota,
age 69, on March 6.
Robert “Bob” A. Roberge ’77,
Rochester, Minnesota, age 60,
on March 7.
Mary M. (Dolan) Peterson ’67,
Parkers Prairie, Minnesota,
age 69, on March 25.
Eunice C. (Holmes) Johnson ’80,
White Bear Lake, Minnesota,
age 84, on February 28.
Russell E. Ilstrup ’68, Buffalo,
Minnesota, age 70, on March 21.
Lori L. (Johnson) Rosenkvist ’81,
St. Paul, age 55, on March 25.
Ronald A. Nilsson ’68, Wheaton,
Illinois, age 69, on January 9.
Timothy J. Beck ’83, St. Paul,
age 53, on March 30.
Nancy E. Stevens ’68, Plymouth,
Minnesota, age 68, on
December 29.
Jeffrey T. Miller ’94, Plymouth,
Minnesota, age 52, on
January 29.
Ronald L. Danckwart ’72, Lake
City, Minnesota, age 64, on
February 25.
Alfred “Al” A. Drears ’11, St.
Paul, age 51, on March 24.
James E. Ericksen ’72, Edina,
Minnesota, age 68, on
January 27.
Max D. Bassinson ’17,
Minneapolis, age 23, on
March 7.
Alan C. Kelsey ’73, St. Paul,
age 63, on January 19.
Professor Emeritus Jerry
Gerasimo, Menomonie,
Wisconsin, age 84, on April 4.
Ronald “Ron” A. Hart ’75, Coon
Rapids, Minnesota, age 62,
on March 9.
Longtime staff member
Irene Steenson, Eden Prairie,
Minnesota, age 102, on April 18.
Is this a new address? q Yes q No
______________________________________________________
Home telephone
______________________________________________________
Email
Okay to publish your email address? q Yes q No
______________________________________________________
Employer
______________________________________________________
Position
______________________________________________________
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No
If yes, class year___________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Spouse’s name (include maiden name, if applicable)
Your news:
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
The “In memoriam” listings in this
publication include notifications
received before May 20.
Summer 2015
39
In memoriam
Courtesy Photo
JAMES E. ERICKSEN ’72
James E. Ericksen ’72, whose life was marked by his commitment to
faith and passion for the arts, passed away in January at age 68, leaving
Augsburg an unexpected and extraordinary bequest of more than $5 million.
To honor his legacy, the majority of Ericksen’s gift will be designated to
the Center for Science, Business, and Religion. Part of this gift will honor
Ericksen’s faith and be directed to Christ Auditorium, the 80-seat classroom
at the heart of the new building. In tribute to his love of music, a renovation
to Sateren Auditorium and its lobby also will be named for Ericksen.
His gift was one of the largest estate gifts in
Augsburg’s history.
“We wish so much that we could have thanked him
during his lifetime,” said Heather Riddle, vice president
of Institutional Advancement.
Ericksen graduated from Minnehaha Academy in
Minneapolis in 1964 and enrolled at Augsburg College
that fall. While still a student, he enlisted in the
U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany. Ericksen
returned to Augsburg College after his service, finished
his business administration degree with an emphasis in
accounting, and graduated with the 139-member class
of 1972.
A history minor, Ericksen later told Augsburg staff that Carl Chrislock,
remembered as one of Minnesota’s preeminent U.S. historians and
a professor emeritus of history at the College, was one of Ericksen’s
favorites. He returned to Augsburg College several times over the years to
attend concerts, particularly those for which his piano instructors served
as accompanists.
A loyal public servant
The entrance
to the Sateren
Auditorium lobby.
40
Augsburg Now
After starting his career at Polaris, Ericksen worked as an auditor for the
State of Minnesota Department of Revenue for 31 years before retiring in
2009. Along the way, he invested wisely and lived carefully.
“Nobody knew much about him, including his family,” said his
cousin, Robert Quick. But they knew he loved history, travel, and classical
music—especially symphonies.
In mid-life, Ericksen began piano lessons at MacPhail Center for Music,
where he studied with Victoria and Dan Sabo for many years. Friend and
piano instructor Janet Holdorf described Ericksen as “so sincere and ardent
in his appreciation of music making.” He didn’t consider himself much of
a musician, but he enjoyed learning and playing. His home was equipped
with a large sound system and filled with carefully cared-for albums, many
of them the symphonies he loved so much.
Ericksen traveled often, venturing to France, Italy, Norway, Sweden,
the United Kingdom, and elsewhere. He took long driving trips, eventually
visiting nearly all 50 of the United States and taking time to explore each
destination’s history. When he was at home in the Twin Cities, he attended
Bible study at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
In his will, Ericksen remembered many family members, friends, and
organizations dear to him.
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Master of Arts in Nursing
Master of Arts in Education
Master of Arts in Leadership
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
Master of Music Therapy
Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies
Master of Social Work
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF NEW ALUMNI
AND FAMILY DISCOUNTS
FOR GRADUATE DEGREES
augsburg.edu/grad/discount
GRADUATE PROGRAM TUITION
DISCOUNT FOR ALUMNI
Many of Augsburg’s current graduate students are alumni
who earned their first degree at Augsburg and returned
to pursue further education. Become a part of this
growing group and take advantage of our Alumni Tuition
Discount—a savings of $80 per credit! Auggie graduates
who’ve earned a bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree
from Augsburg qualify for this alumni discount.
Additionally, parents or spouses of alumni and current
students are eligible to receive the Family Grant
of $80 per credit on graduate programs.
gradinfo@augsburg.edu | 612-330-1101
* This alumni discount also applies to Augsburg graduates who are currently
Summer
2015Fall 2015.
25
enrolled in a graduate program at Augsburg
effective
Photo illustration by Stephen Geffre. Photos courtesy of D3sports.com and NCAA.
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 2031
Auggies win 12th national wrestling title
The Augsburg College wrestling team claimed its record 12th NCAA Division III national championship, winning two individual national
crowns and earning six All-Americans in the finals of the national tournament. Heavyweight Donny Longendyke ’17 [pictured, left] joined
125-pound back-to-back national champion Mike Fuenffinger ’15 [pictured, right] in earning top individual honors. Augsburg also swept
the awards presented by the National Wrestling Coaches Association.
Visit augsburg.edu/now to learn more about
the College’s national tournament win.
Show less
SPRING 2015 | VOL. 77, NO. 2
Everyday work advice for Auggies
Magazine survey results
A tale of two Auggies
Nobel Peace Prize Forum
AUGSBURG COLLEGE RECEIVES
$10 MILLION CASH GIFT
to name Center for Science, Business, and Religion
This winter, Augsburg College was
honored with a $10 mil... Show more
SPRING 2015 | VOL. 77, NO. 2
Everyday work advice for Auggies
Magazine survey results
A tale of two Auggies
Nobel Peace Prize Forum
AUGSBURG COLLEGE RECEIVES
$10 MILLION CASH GIFT
to name Center for Science, Business, and Religion
This winter, Augsburg College was
honored with a $10 million philanthropic
gift that will support a new signature
academic building housing the College’s
science, business, and religion
programs. Visit augsburg.edu/csbr to
learn about the celebration to announce
the building’s name and the capital
campaign’s progress toward its
IN THIS ISSUE
$50 million fundraising goal.
Features
On the cover
2 Magazine survey results | COMPILED BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
10 Everyday work advice for Auggies | BY STEPHANIE WEISS
16 A tale of two Auggies | BY STEPHANIE WEISS
24 Nobel Peace Prize Forum | BY STEPHEN GEFFRE AND LAURA SWANSON
Nobel Peace Prize Laureate and former
U.S. President Jimmy Carter addressed
middle school and high school students
during a Youth Forum event in Augsburg’s
Si Melby Hall as part of the 2015 Nobel
Peace Prize Forum, held March 6-8 in
Departments
Minneapolis. Carter spoke in front of
4 Around the Quad | 13 It takes an Auggie
exhibition about past Nobel Peace Prize
Augsburg student artwork created for an
14 My Auggie experience | 20 Auggie voices
winners that opened at the American
22 Auggies on the court | 27 Alumni news
Swedish Institute in February. Learn more
31 Alumni class notes | 36 In memoriam
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
on pages 8 and 24.
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
Abundance at Augsburg
2015 is off to a remarkable start at Augsburg!
The announcement on the facing page
about the $10 million gift to name the Center
for Science, Business, and Religion certainly
ranks as our most exciting news. The momentum
to break ground on this signature academic
building is now palpable on campus and beyond
as we imagine its transformational impact on our
community for generations to come.
And this issue of Augsburg Now is full of
many other examples of the good news of this
academic year. News of national recognition for
community engagement and interfaith initiatives.
News of special events featuring Bill Nye the
Science Guy (a fellow bow tie lover!) and Nobel
Peace Prize Laureates U.S. President Jimmy
Carter and The Organisation for the Prohibition
of Chemical Weapons. News of more than 100
Augsburg students and faculty from five academic
departments collaborating to create an interactive
exhibit to engage people in the topic of peace.
News of student and faculty achievements on
and off campus. News of generous alumni and
friends supporting the mission-based work of
the Augsburg community—including more than
1,300 donors who, for the second year in a row,
helped Augsburg surpass every other Minnesota
college or university in fundraising on Give to the
Max Day. And much, much more to celebrate.
For me, all of this good news points to a core
value at the heart of Augsburg’s identity and
character—we are a community of abundance in
a world of scarcity.
What do I mean by abundance? It is a way
of life that calls our community to live and work
together with a focus on our common wisdom,
experience, and aspirations. It is an ethic that
challenges us to believe that we can do more and
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
Communication Copywriter
and Editorial Coordinator
Laura Swanson
swansonl@augsburg.edu
better together than on our own. It is a vision
that says we are small to our students and big for
the world.
As I near the end of my ninth year as
Augsburg’s 10th president, I am more and more
struck by the abundance of our lives together, the
many ways in which the students, faculty, staff,
alumni, and friends of our community aspire to
embody a way of life that links faith, learning,
and service to the neighbor.
I also am struck by the abundance of our place,
the remarkable work of Augsburg as an institution
and community in this neighborhood, city, and
world, and our firm resolve to send our students
out into the world as educated and faithful
citizens, to be good stewards of our environment,
and to embrace hospitality and generosity for our
fellow humans.
Finally, I am struck by the abundance of the
promise we make each and every day to each
other as we dedicate ourselves to collaboration,
to doing things differently, and to working
together to meet the needs of students and
neighbors. Where others say there is not enough,
we say there is more than plenty if we believe and
bring resolve, courage, and imagination to our
efforts to educate, to feed the hungry, to clothe
the poor, and to meet the needs of strangers.
What a deep privilege it is to be a partner
in this work of abundance at Augsburg College.
Thanks to all of you for your abiding support and
passion for this good and faithful work.
Creative Associate
Denielle Johnson ’11
johnsod@augsburg.edu
Marketing Copywriter
Christina Haller
haller@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Production Manager
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Advancement Communication
Specialist
Jen Lowman Day
dayj@augsburg.edu
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Yours in Augsburg,
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
CB 142
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
langemo@augsburg.edu
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Email: now@augsburg.edu
600
Took the survey
TURNING
A NEW PAGE
35-49
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE RESULTS:
34 & under
Who took the survey
COMPILED BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
More than 600 people responded to the
Augsburg survey, with 541 completing the
entire questionnaire.
Augsburg Now magazine survey: What you told us
NATIONAL
This past summer, Augsburg College participated in a national higher
education magazine survey developed by the Council for Advancement
and Support of Education. This survey has been used by more than
350 college and university magazines across the United States,
allowing Augsburg to compare its results with national benchmarks.
AUGSBURG
30 percent of the Augsburg Now survey respondents
were 65 years of age or older, nearly 10 percentage
points above the national response rate.
Top ways the magazine helps keep Auggies connected*
Augsburg’s results
National results
Auggies are connected
87%
80% 53%
As a reminder of your
college experience
46% 46%
Keeping you in touch with
your graduating class
39%
Encouraging financial support for
the College and current students
Survey respondents confirmed that
Augsburg Now strengthens their
connection with the College. In fact,
80 percent of respondents older than
age 35 agreed with this notion, and
70 percent of respondents under age
35 agreed as well.
SO, WHAT DOES ALL OF THIS MEAN?
Readership, connection, and format
Topics of interest
The magazine will build on its strengths in order
to maintain high readership levels and the strong
connection that the magazine helps Auggies feel with
the College. Augsburg will continue publishing the
magazine in both print and online versions, but those
who prefer a digital format are encouraged to let us
know their preference for receiving notifications instead
of printed editions.
The topics of greatest interest across all age groups align well with the
College’s Augsburg2019 strategic vision, which states that, in 2019,
Augsburg will be a new kind of student-centered, urban university that is small
to our students and big for the world. Stories about student achievements,
alumni in their professions, and campus facilities and growth illustrate our
commitment to educating for lives of purpose, being “at the table” with
our partners and neighbors, and building a vital and sustainable institution.
In addition to those topics, the magazine will continue to include events,
speakers, obituaries, and class notes given that these topics garnered strong
response rates, especially among readers over 35 years of age.
See augsburg.edu/Augsburg2019 for information about the strategic plan.
Go to augsburg.edu/now for more information about
changing your Augsburg Now delivery format.
2
Augsburg Now
ended
event
ade a
nation
64%
h These categories were ranked substantially higher than the national averages.
prefer print
Agreement with these statements among people age 35 years or older was 10 or more percentage points higher than for respondents under age 35.
*
12%
prefer
online
Magazine
readership
23%
Ages represented:
65+
50 to 64
35 to 49
34 and under
11 percent of Augsburg’s respondents were under
age 35, which is only half of the percentage in
that age category nationally.
Attended
an event
Recommended
Top actions
taken as a
Augsburg
Recommended
result of reading
Augsburg Now
Augsburg
Augsburg’s results
National results
Made a
donation
Recommended
Augsburg
Most respondents indicated that Augsburg Now was the No. 1
way they get information about the College, and 82 percent said
they read all orprefer
mostboth
of each issue.
Most respondents said they prefer to read the printed
version of Augsburg Now, although some favor digital formats.
It is exciting to learn that 1/3 of
respondents
indicated that the magazine
Made a
donation
prompted them to recommend Augsburg
to others. One of the primary objectives of
the magazine is to equip Auggies to act as
advocates of the College, so this result was
of particular significance in measuring the
impact of the magazine.
Renaming the magazine
Although the name of the magazine was not specifically addressed
in the survey questions, the time has come to rethink the name of
the publication. “Augsburg Now” served well for decades, but in an
age of digital communication, a publication that comes out three
times per year cannot reasonably include information about what’s
happening at the moment.
As a result, the plan is to announce a new name for the magazine
in the summer 2015 issue and officially change the masthead in
the fall. Look in the summer issue for more information about these
future plans for the Augsburg College magazine!
82%
read all or most of
64% prefer print 13% prefer online 23% prefer both
Topics of interest
When asked what topics readers preferred to see in the magazine,
the following categories rose to the top.
1. Cultural events and performances
68.1% *
2. Alumni in their professions
67.5%
3. Class notes
67.4% * h
4. Institutional history and traditions
66.5% * h
5. Obituaries
65.8% * h
6. Campus facilities and growth
62.5%
7. Student achievements
61.2% h
8. Visiting speakers
60.3% * h
Subscribe to NOW@Augsburg
For the past few years, Augsburg’s alumni relations staff
has published a monthly email newsletter and blog called
“NOW@Augsburg,” which features stories about Augsburg
alumni, upcoming events, fundraising milestones, and College
accolades. Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog for past newsletter
content, or email langemo@augsburg.edu to sign up for the
monthly email newsletter if you are not already receiving it.
Spring 2015
3
Jamar Esaw ’05 directs members of Triad:4Christ, a gospel choral
ensemble, during the 2015 Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation.
MANY VOICES,
BOLD VISIONS
2014-15 Convocation Series
sparks critical thinking,
meaningful conversation
The Augsburg College Convocation Series each year offers the community a chance
to hear from outstanding leaders and visionaries who ignite important conversations
and contribute to making the world a safer place for future generations.
The first event held during the spring semester was the Martin Luther King, Jr.
Convocation in January, featuring collaboration among on-campus student groups
and ARTS-Us, a St. Paul-based arts education organization; Dare 2 Be Real, a
Twin Cities-based interracial student leadership program; and Triad:4Christ, a
renowned gospel choir led by Jamar Esaw ’05.
The Batalden Seminar in Applied Ethics in February welcomed
Rami Nashashibi, executive director of the Inner-City Muslim
Action Network and a visiting professor at the Chicago Theological
Seminary. Nashashibi spoke on “The Sociology of Seerah:
Reclaiming Prophetic Tradition for Our Time and Place.”
The Koryne Horbal Lecture in March featured Janell Hobson,
associate professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
at the University at Albany. Hobson’s presentation was titled
“Historical Consciousness and Black Feminist Imagination.”
4
Augsburg Now
AROUND THE QUAD
FROM SCREEN TO SCRIPT:
Auggies win big at film festival
Augsburg students were recognized for
their excellent work at the fourth annual
Student Film Festival hosted by the
Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities.
Delegates from Wells Fargo’s Diversity Council Leadership Team visit with Augsburg student leaders, faculty, and staff.
WELLS FARGO MAKES $100,000
GIFT
to the Center for Science, Business, and Religion
In recognition of Augsburg College’s leadership in closing the higher education
disparity gap for students of color in Minnesota, Wells Fargo made a $100,000
gift to the campaign to build the Center for Science, Business, and Religion.
Wells Fargo joined several other corporations—including 3M and General Mills—
in supporting the CSBR.
Dave Kvamme, CEO of Wells Fargo Minnesota,
in a statement expressed admiration for Augsburg’s
commitment to partnering with college access programs
Wells Fargo also supports a
to help recruit, support, and retain first-generation and
scholarship program through
low-income students.
the Minnesota Private College
“We support Augsburg College’s commitment to
Fund. The fund, started in 1976,
provide opportunities for a college education for those
provides scholarships at each of
students who may face life challenges to attain it,”
the 17 Minnesota Private Colleges,
Kvamme said. “We know our donation will help Augsburg
including Augsburg.
be successful in developing Minnesota’s future business
and community leaders.”
DID YOU KNOW?
U.S. BANK SUPPORTS STUDENT VETERANS
and Center for Science, Business, and Religion with
$125,000 gift
Augsburg College and U.S. Bank celebrated the
opening of the new U.S. Bank Veterans’ Lounge
on campus with a dedication ceremony this fall. U.S. Bank recently pledged
$125,000 toward the building of the Center for Science, Business, and Religion at
Augsburg, and the College recognized the contribution to the campaign by granting
naming rights to the Veterans’ Lounge.
The renovated space, located in Oren Gateway Center, honors the contributions
student veterans have made to their country. U.S. Bank and Augsburg College are
nationally recognized as top supporters of veterans and military families. Augsburg
was named a 2015 Military Friendly® School for its ongoing efforts to provide
transitioning veterans the best possible experience in higher education.
• Thomas VandenDolder ’15 won
Best Experimental Film for
“Oblivious.”
• Rebecca Schroeder ’18 won the
Best Music Video award for
“We Are The Art.”
This year’s ACTC festival included
a new screenplay contest. Students
who have participated in courses in
the Augsburg Master of Fine Arts in
Creative Writing program took home
top awards in all three categories.
• Michelle Herrin ’15 MFA won the
Overall Excellence award for
“Side Effects.”
• Amanda Symes ’15 MFA received
an Honorable Mention, FeatureLength Narrative for “Celia.”
• Mark Woodley ’14 received the
Best Short Screenplay award for
“Missing.”
The festival included work submitted
by students from Augsburg College,
Hamline University, and the University
of St. Thomas. More than 100 people
attended the film festival screenings
this year, and all films were created
during the 2013-14 academic year.
Spring 2015
5
Augsburg earns dual national
COMMUNITY SERVICE HONORS
Augsburg was the only Minnesota college or
university named a finalist on the Corporation for
National and Community Service’s 2014 Interfaith
Community Service Honor Roll as well as on the
Corporation’s General Community Service Honor Roll
with Distinction.
Augsburg is one of only four colleges out
of hundreds of applicants nationwide to be
named a finalist in the interfaith category, an
honor recognizing institutions
that support exemplary
community service
programs, promote greater
interfaith cooperation,
and raise the visibility
of effective practices
in campus-community
partnerships.
Augsburg receives
Carnegie Foundation’s Community
ENGAGEMENT CLASSIFICATION
Augsburg College has earned its second
Community Engagement Classification from
the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of
Teaching. Institutions are recognized based on
evidence of their collaboration with the larger
community, which:
• enriches scholarship, research, and creative
activity;
• enhances curriculum, teaching, and learning;
• prepares educated, engaged citizens;
• strengthens democratic values and civic
responsibility;
• addresses critical societal issues; and
• contributes to the public good.
Augsburg was one of only eight
Minnesota colleges or universities
recognized in 2015. The College
previously received the Community
Engagement Classification in 2008.
6
Augsburg Now
Bush Foundation grant supports
DIVERSITY IN TEACHING
Augsburg College’s Department of Education was awarded a $150,000
grant from the Bush Foundation through its Teacher Effectiveness
Initiative. The award will be used to fund a project that builds the
College’s capacity to recruit and support students of color as they work
toward a degree in teaching. Augsburg was one of only five higher
education institutions selected to receive this one-time award.
Augsburg’s Department of Education Chair and Associate
Professor Margaret Finders will lead the project in partnership
with Minneapolis Public Schools, Minneapolis Community and
Technical College, and St. Paul Public Schools. This team will
create a coordinated, sustainable infrastructure that will
recruit high-quality teacher candidates and reduce attrition.
This infrastructure will help the partner institutions engage
in proactive recruitment of teacher candidates of color
from multiple entry points, improve experiences for teacher
candidates of color, and foster smooth transitions into teaching.
AROUND THE QUAD
This winter, AUGSBURG COLLEGE PRESIDENT PAUL C. PRIBBENOW joined other private college leaders in testifying before the Minnesota State Senate Higher
Education Committee. Pribbenow thanked senators for their support and discussed the ways in which Augsburg works to best educate the state’s future leaders.
DAY AT THE CAPITOL
During the 2013-14 academic year, more than 34 percent of all Augsburg undergraduates—1,054
students—received Minnesota State Grants totaling more than $3.4 million. This February, Augsburg
College students and members of the larger Twin Cities community met at the Capitol with their
respective representatives and advocated for the Minnesota State Grant program.
Augsburg’s StepUP® program, the EAST (East African Student to Teacher) program,
Student Financial Services, Multicultural Students Services, and Athletics partnered to
recruit and train students before the event. The students’ agenda included a policy and
lobbying briefing with comments from House and Senate members representing Augsburg
and a breakfast with alumni legislators followed by a meeting with representatives.
Spring 2015
7
AROUND THE QUAD
128 AUGGIES
exhibit at the
American Swedish Institute
Led by Assistant Professor of Art Christopher
Houltberg, 128 students and six Augsburg
faculty members contributed to a collaborative exhibition, Shaping Peace, at the
American Swedish Institute in Minneapolis.
The project is a collaboration involving the
disciplines of art and design, English, music,
political science, and religion.
Shaping Peace, a visual exploration of
the past 128 Nobel Peace Prize laureates,
is on display from February 28 through
May 24 and aims to broaden the awareness
of the Nobel Peace Prize. The interactive
installation encourages viewers to actively
participate in exploring the history of
the prize by contributing their own ideas
surrounding the concept of peace.
AUGSBURG YEARBOOKS
AVAILABLE ONLINE SOON
The Augsburg College student yearbook, the
Augsburgian, is being digitized for
online viewing. Issues are
being scanned from
newest to oldest,
and all editions
dating back to the
early 1900s will be
available online
soon. Check for your
yearbook at
augsburg.edu/now.
8
Augsburg Now
Archival Photo
PRESIDENTIAL SCULPTURES undergo restoration
public monuments, sculpted busts of Augsburg College Presidents Sven Oftedal
and Georg Sverdrup. For many years, the sculptures were housed in the College’s
original Main building and Old Main before being relocated to the Marshall
Room in Christensen Center. As time passed, the sculptures had become dirty,
scratched, and damaged. In fact, the bust of Sven Oftedal had even fallen off its
pedestal, which resulted in a broken nose.
In 2014, the sculptures were properly restored for the first time in 125
years. They are now on display in all their glory in Lindell Library. All of this work
has been supported by the Nydahl Family fund, which was created in 2006 to
celebrate the history of Augsburg and the Lutheran Free Church on campus.
THE CENTER FOR
COUNSELING AND HEALTH PROMOTION
gets new name and location
The Center for Counseling and Health Promotion recently became the
Center for Wellness and Counseling to better capture the mission of the
department, which is to support students to “stay healthy in body, mind, and
relationships.” The services of the center—
to offer free counseling, low-cost medical
services at a neighborhood clinic, and selfhelp information—will remain the same.
The name change comes at the same time
the center moves from a house on the corner
of 7th Street and 21st Avenue, to a remodeled
first floor of Augsburg’s Anderson Residence
Hall. The new location will allow students easier
access as well as add a dedicated relaxation
space. The house that the center staff once
occupied will be razed this spring as part of the
preparation of the area where the new Center for
Science, Business, and Religion will be built.
explores reputation management
During spring semester, Augsburg
College invited leaders with experience
in the for-profit and nonprofit sectors
of the Twin Cities business community
to share their expertise as part of the
annual Clair and Gladys Strommen
Executive Speaker Series.
In February, Lynn Casey,
CEO at PadillaCRT,
spoke on building and
protecting reputations
in real time. Casey also
discussed her work at
the Minneapolis-based headquarters
of PadillaCRT—the largest employeeowned agency in the United States.
Courtesy Photo
FROM 1888 TO 1890, Jacob Fjelde, a Norwegian portraitist and creator of
SPEAKER SERIES
The College welcomes
MayKao Hang, president
and CEO of the
Amherst H. Wilder
Foundation, in April.
Hang leads the
foundation as it works to live out its
mission to promote the social welfare
of persons resident or located in the
greater St. Paul metropolitan area.
Courtesy Photo
ABOVE: Augsburg’s historic presidents sculptures were first
housed in the College’s original Main building. RIGHT: The
sculptures are transported to a professional restorer.
Courtesy Photo
STROMMEN EXECUTIVE
“When we’re talking about building and
protecting reputations, high standards,
good character, and good operating
principles up-and-down [an organization]
are really essential ingredients.”
–Lynn Casey
Spring 2015
9
Meet Dave Conrad
Dave Conrad has honed his knowledge through decades of work as an
independent business consultant, his experience in sales and marketing
for public and private companies in a range of industries, and his
positions in higher education. He’s author of “Ask Dave,” a column for the
Rochester Post-Bulletin. His first book, which shares the same name as
his column, is available for purchase at the Augsburg College bookstore.
Ask Dave
EVERYDAY
WORK ADVICE
FOR
E
I
G
G
U
A
Y
R
E
V
E
Business professor Dave Conrad shares workplace guidance
with 100,000 readers through weekly newspaper column
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
T
he majority of American workers report being unhappy
in their jobs. One of the biggest factors for this
dissatisfaction is poor workplace communication, according
to The Conference Board’s annual survey of 5,000 U.S.
households. Other top factors that contribute to workplace
dissatisfaction include issues related to compensation,
recognition, and career development.
None of this is surprising to Dave Conrad, assistant director
of the Augsburg College Master of Business Administration
program at Rochester and associate professor in Rochester and
Minneapolis. Each week for the past eight years, Conrad has
shared straightforward business and workplace guidance with
100,000 readers of his column, “Dear Dave,” published in the
Rochester Post-Bulletin since 2006.
Conrad said that while he fields plenty of questions on
workplace communication issues, he also responds to
queries on everything from conflicts among coworkers to
issues of company culture, managing change, and problem
solving. There’s probably no question that has been left
unasked of Conrad. And his advice is so popular that he
published a book based upon his column and has another
one in the works.
Conrad dispenses usable guidance that blends
management processes with leadership thinking so that
readers can gain insight into the worlds of their coworkers.
“My readers tend to be everyday, hard-working staff
employees or mid-level managers who need everyday advice,”
he said.
Spring 2015
11
Clear counseling cleans up
clumsy communication
Conrad doesn’t really need to be told
by a national survey that communication
problems vex employees at all levels.
He knows it because, time and again,
he receives questions from readers
struggling to give voice to their opinions
or to share information about the
direction an organization is heading.
“People are bursting at the seams
with ideas, input, and feedback, but
there often is no one listening,” he said.
When one reader in 2013 asked
Conrad why it seems that managers don’t
interact with employees—not even to ask
how the employees are coping—Conrad
delivered his trademark guidance, mixing
simple steps with insight:
“Organizations thrive on
communication and dialogue. It is
crucial that managers simply interact
with employees ... and ask if they can
help the employees in any way,” Conrad
wrote. “Managers should pass along
information about the company that will
help employees understand the mission,
vision, goals, and objectives pertaining
to where the company is heading.”
Conrad said that the reason this
type of communication is critical
is because it creates what he
calls “we-ness,” a shared purpose
among employees that can inspire
everyone to work toward shared goals.
Conrad also offers practical
guidance for how managers should
communicate with employees:
share honestly, strive to promote
dialogue, ensure every voice is heard,
and welcome ideas and input without
chastising the messenger.
When a manager asked Conrad
how to more effectively guide change
after learning that her employees
felt she didn’t connect well with
those employees who most needed
information, Conrad first shared insight
on the organizational need to develop
12
Augsburg Now
“Keep things fresh,
engaging, and
constructive—dare
I say ‘positive.’”
Read Dave Conrad’s weekly column in the local
business section found at postbulletin.com.
a change-management communication
plan. The creation of such a plan is
an important step in ensuring that the
manager delivers the right information
to the right people at the right time.
He followed up with the types of
information to include in the plan so
all his readers could understand steps
toward shaping and managing change.
“Communication gaps and
weaknesses must be discovered,
and a systematic means of providing
instructions, information, and
feedback must be created and
implemented,” he responded via
the 2014 column. “To get and keep
people on board: Explain the ‘why’ of
the change. Clearly communicate the
vision, mission, and the objectives of
the change management initiative.
Have and articulate ideal outcomes.
Get people interacting and sharing
ideas and perspectives.”
Insight for Auggies
Conrad’s approach was no different
when we asked him what insight he has
for Augsburg College alumni just starting
out in the work world and those who
want to grow their careers.
Conrad said that it’s likely Auggies
who are beginning their careers will
need to perform unglamorous — and
possibly, humbling — work for a while.
But that’s normal.
“I love the saying: If you do what
you love, you will never work a day the
rest of your life,” Conrad said. “The
problem is, when you’re just out of
college, it’s easy to get confused about
what you can do in the workplace, or
even what you want to do.”
Just as Auggies are sorting through
what they might want to do, employers
will be watching. Conrad encourages
Auggies to stay positive, maintain
enthusiasm, and take on tasks they
never thought they would have to
perform. Early in their careers, he said,
Auggies should show off their work ethic
no matter the task assigned.
Conrad’s tips for young employees
include taking on the assignments
nobody wants, asking managers for
feedback on their work, and seeking
guidance for how to earn promotions.
“Not only is this a way to
demonstrate drive and ethic, but
it also offers a way to practice the
communication skills that make a
workplace more rewarding,” he said.
For Auggies further along in their
career, Conrad offers similarly upbeat
advice.
“Keep things fresh, engaging, and
constructive—dare I say ‘positive,’”
he said. “Volunteer for small and big
projects, mentor budding managers,
be there for people in need, learn new
things, and do anything that shows
care about the productivity and wellbeing of the organization, others, and
especially yourself.”
Employers are attracted to employees
who understand the importance of their
work on their team, department, and
organization. Through the reflective
practices and hands-on learning built
into an Augsburg College education,
Auggies leave campus knowing how
their work makes a difference in the
world, and they are ready to lead in
organizations ranging from nonprofits to
Fortune 500 businesses. And, they are
ready to do it well.
IT TAKES AN AUGGIE
IMPACT
Augsburg’s day of record-breaking
fundraising supports new opportunities
More than 1,300 donors gave Augsburg College more than
$430,000 on Give to the Max Day 2014. For the second year
in a row, Augsburg surpassed every other Minnesota college
or university in this annual online fundraising event. The
achievement reflects the work of alumni, faculty, and staff
who championed nearly three dozen unique projects.
A new drone copter for
student filmmakers.
IN THE CLASSROOM
$1,605 was raised to help students purchase essential — but
sometimes pricey — textbooks for class.
The College launched its first student-run publishing organization,
Howling Bird, which is part of the Master of Fine Arts in Creative
Writing program.
The Communication Studies Department purchased a drone camera
that takes student filmmakers’ work to new heights. (above right)
ON-CAMPUS RESEARCH
Biology students will benefit from the
opportunity to fund additional DNA
sequencing critical to their research.
Faculty in the Department of History will
further their research on topics ranging
from the deathbed conversions of medieval
knights to Minnesota after the Civil War to
women’s medicine in the Victorian era.
LEARN ABOUT THE
OTHER PROJECTS
AUGGIES ON THE MOVE
The Augsburg College women’s hockey team
traveled to four European countries, playing
games against international opponents, and
touring historic and cultural sites.
Gifts from Give to
the Max Day helped
to fund student
learning and success
through 34 projects.
Find the full list at
augsburg.edu/now.
Spring 2015
13
AUGGIES HAVE
AND
FOOD COOKING
DOWN TO A SCIENCE
Unique course makes science
approachable for all students
Ceviche is a South and Central American favorite that’s also
been popularized in the United States. It’s a bright and flavorful
seafood dish that’s not raw, but it’s not exactly cooked either. In
fact, it’s never exposed to heat.
Although it’s not cooked in the traditional sense, the raw
fish in ceviche goes through a chemical process that rearranges
or “denatures” its proteins, much like what happens when meat
or other protein is cooked with heat. The acid in citrus juice
cures the raw fish, which makes it safer to eat.
This is just one of the fascinating processes students learn
in one of Augsburg College’s popular physics courses: The
Science of Food and Cooking, taught by Associate Professor
Ben Stottrup.
Among other concepts, students in the course learn the
fundamental physics and chemistry of materials science through
hands-on preparation, like the phase change that occurs when
spinning cotton candy and the Maillard reaction caused by
searing a steak. They are taught the mechanical properties of
ricotta cheese and the states of matter in a root beer float.
And the students love experimenting with various cuisine.
SPECIAL THANKS to chefs Erick
*
Harcey of Victory 44, Landon Schoenefeld of
Haute Dish, and Karyn Tomlinson of Borough for
lending their expertise to the course.
14
Augsburg Now
“My biggest takeaway from this class is that science is,
in fact, present in everything in our daily lives,” said Cynthia
Del Villar ’15, business administration and economics major.
“Even eating is a daily reminder that food undergoes its own
scientific transformation through cooking or even combining
certain ingredients, like oil and vinegar.”
Del Villar took much away from the class—from learning how
to prevent freezer burn to emulsifying a mayonnaise to gaining
an understanding of heat transfer through a molten chocolate
cake. But she also made a personal contribution to the course—
her Mexican family’s traditional shrimp ceviche recipe for
experimentation in the lab. (See recipe on the next page.)
Restaurant reviews, cook-offs, and potlucks
But it’s not just the food that gets students engaged—Stottrup
also introduces competition and community involvement. For
example, while baking cupcakes, some groups are allowed the
use of measuring devices while others are not. Or some use
measurements based upon volume versus weight. This, of
course, determines the outcome of each recipe.
At the end of each lab,
guest judges from
“
This is a traditional family recipe
from my parents’ home state of
Nayarit, on Mexico’s west coast.
- Cynthia Del Villar ’15
MY AUGGIE EXPERIENCE
SHRIMP CEVICHE FOR A CROWD
Serves 20
INGREDIENTS:
• 4 pounds headless shrimp
• 10 medium limes
• 10 medium tomatoes
• 4 large cucumbers
• 1 purple onion
• 8 small green serrano chili peppers
• 2 tablespoons salt
• Tortilla chips
PREPARATION:
1.
Cleanse shrimp in water, peel completely, and
chop into half-inch pieces. Place in large bowl
and set aside.
2.
In a blender, combine lime juice and serrano chili
peppers and blend until smooth. Pour over shrimp.
3.
Add 2 tablespoons of salt to mixture and stir.
various departments on campus decide whose dish was most
successful. The competition and participation of the wider
campus community “creates an educational, memorable, and
interactive experience,” Stottrup said.
Members of the greater Twin Cities restaurant scene
also play an important role in the class. One requirement of
the course is that students dine at one of three well-known
Minneapolis restaurants and then write a restaurant review
describing the materials science on their plate. Afterward, one
chef from each restaurant comes to campus to participate in a
panel discussion on the creativity and lifestyle of being a chef.*
Community members participate in these panel
discussions each term, which range from local cooks revealing
the process of handcrafting the perfect scoop of
natural, organic ice cream to urban
planners explaining
4.
Cut onion into thin slices and add to shrimp. Allow
mixture to sit for 20 minutes.
5.
In the meantime, dice tomatoes and cucumbers
into small cubes and add to shrimp.
6.
Mix all ingredients well and salt to taste.
7.
Serve with chips or tostadas.
sustainable food systems to entrepreneurs from the craft beer
industry talking about the chemistry of brewing.
To wrap up the semester, the class participates in a
“Minnesota potluck,” where each student makes a dish to
share and describes the science behind it to their peers.
These engaging, communal activities make science “fun
and accessible to all students, not just science majors,”
Stottrup said. He hopes the class helps students gain a new
appreciation for science, as well as “for growing, preparing,
cooking, and simply enjoying food.”
BY CHRISTINA HALLER
Spring 2015
15
A TALE OF TWO
AUGGIES
ST. PAUL
COLLEGE EXPERIENCES SHAPE WORK
BY ALUMNI IN THE MINNESOTA
CAPITAL AND ON THE NORTH SHORE
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
As a young man growing up on Minnesota’s far western prairies
during the 1960s, Allan Torstenson ’75 felt the lure of big cities
tugging at him when he was deciding where to go to college.
He considered leaving his hometown of Dawson, Minn., for
campuses on the coasts in Berkeley, Calif., or New York City,
but it was the beehive of activity in Minneapolis and near the
Augsburg College campus that drew him in.
16
Augsburg Now
“I was watching the anti-war movement unfold on
television. People in a counter culture were fighting
construction of HUD-planned communities, including Cedar
Square West,” he said. “It was all happening on the West Bank
of Minneapolis. I wanted to be there to watch it.”
At the same time that Torstenson was responding to the pull
of Augsburg and all that its location in the heart of Minneapolis
offered students, Mark Johnson ’75 found himself similarly
drawn to Augsburg from his hometown of Two Harbors, Minn.,
on the scenic north shores of Lake Superior.
When the two young men arrived at Augsburg, they began to
explore life in the city. They were among the first to enroll in what
was a brand new interdisciplinary major, metro urban studies.
Allan Torstenson ’75
St. Paul city planner
Mark Johnson ’75
Two Harbors city planner, retired
Courtesy Photos
TWO
HARBORS
This new program would prove to build a solid foundation
for the careers of both men, equipping them to navigate
constantly changing landscapes in their careers. Torstenson’s
Augsburg College education provided the skills and knowledge
to begin work as an intern in 1981 for the City of St. Paul—
where he continues to work today as principal city planner with
responsibility for planning and zoning.
Johnson’s education allowed him to successfully return to
Two Harbors where he took a detour from city planning for more
than 20 years to run the family business before becoming the
city planner from 1999 until his retirement in 2001.
Industry changes reshape Minnesota cities
Two Harbors is the birthplace of Minnesota Mining and
Manufacturing (3M) and was long shaped by the railroad
and an ore shipping port. St. Paul is the state capital and
has been home to breweries such as Hamm’s and Schmidt’s,
manufacturing such as Whirlpool and the Ford Assembly Plant,
and more.
When the dominant industries in the cities served by
Torstenson and Johnson inevitably shifted over time, the two
planners needed to interpret what those changes meant for their
communities.
Spring 2015
17
Courtesy Photo
In Two Harbors, the changes meant an opportunity to
reclaim what once were private railroad beds and begin
converting rails to trails. It also meant the opportunity to create
greater public access to the waterfront.
In St. Paul, Torstenson was faced with answering questions
about how to respond to a changing economy that has resulted
in the shuttering of multiple large businesses.
“Our big building and manufacturing companies—Ford in
Highland Park, Whirlpool on the East Side, [and] the breweries
are all gone,” Torstenson said. “Our challenge was to begin to
address the economic, structural, and job training issues left in
the wake of these closings.”
One of the problems faced by Torstenson is that the
underpinnings of earlier city planning—as it was practiced
in the United States after World War II—wasn’t flexible or
resilient, two concepts now at the forefront of civic design.
From the 1950s through the early 1980s, city planning
primarily relied upon a single-use approach that identified
different areas—or zones—for different uses. Single-family
housing was clustered in one area, and apartments and
condominiums in another area. Businesses were situated
somewhere else, and industrial areas were planned in yet another
spot. This type of planning, possible largely because of the
automobile, created what we now understand to be an expensive
form of spread-out development often called “sprawl.”
This type of segregated development can make responding
to changing markets and demands difficult.
“Cities need to think about the social and market needs of
the people who live there,” Torstenson said. “Cities also need
to be resilient in their design so that they can be sustainable
while evolving to meet changing needs.”
The more compact, high-density design used in Oslo,
Norway, after World War II (and studied by both Torstenson
and Johnson during their undergraduate study-abroad trip to
Scandinavia in 1973) now is shaping the work Torstenson
does for St. Paul. Multi-use design allows buildings to be
placed closer together and to be used in multiple ways all at
18
Augsburg Now
once. Business and light industry can be placed at street level
with housing above. It means residents of a building have a
greater likelihood of being able to walk to work and shop close
to home. In addition, these environments typically include
sidewalks, bike lanes, and public transit—whether in the form
of light rail, trains, or streetcars.
“Many people want to live and work in a close, compact
area,” Torstenson said. “Mixed-use and shared-use planning
can create ways for us to change to meet the demands of a new
and creative, diverse, and collaborative economy.”
Today, Torstenson continues to work to shape a city code
that will guide
“The question always has been:
higher-density
development and How can we manage change for
redevelopment
the good of all?” –Mark Johnson
that also fosters
efficient, flexible, and mixed-form uses with multi-modal
transportation corridors—all things that are sought-after by
the Millennial Generation as well as today’s teenagers who are
putting off learning to drive in favor of public transit.
While Torstenson was working in St. Paul, Johnson was
grappling in Two Harbors with a community that at first didn’t
have a history of proactive engagement, which meant that
change had the potential to be seen as negative and foster
greater outcry.
“The question always has been: How can we manage
change for the good of all?” Johnson said. “There are always
unintended consequences of change. At the core, we have to
respect the values of the community we work with, and we have
to reflect those qualities in the work.”
Community-classroom connection
MAKES REAL-WORLD IMPACT
Shawn Thompson Photography
Two Harbors railroad depot near Lake Superior
For instance, when Two Harbors in the 1990s began
the work of creating greater public access to the waterfront
by converting old railroad beds to trails, the community
wasn’t happy.
“It seems that, in a smaller community, there can be a
lot of pushback on any type of change,” Johnson said. “North
Shore people are tough, independent. It’s just innate. We’ve
spent our lives battling Lake Superior.”
But civic engagement is one tool that local governments
such as cities and counties, no matter their location, can
use to help learn about and understand the desires of a
community.
“Community involvement is important,” Johnson said.
“My job was a chance to encourage people to reach out
beyond themselves and to seek ways to be a bridge builder of
relationships.”
Although Johnson retired from city work more than a
decade ago, he remains involved in Two Harbors through
a community fund that he helped establish and that is
used to support new projects in response to emerging and
changing needs.
Johnson said that his days as an Augsburg student
continue to influence him today and have played a role in
creating a rewarding path for someone who has been driven
to serve.
“I never saw my work at the family business or as
city planner as separate paths,” he said. “My work as an
employer, as a city planner, and as someone with an interest
in community service gave me ways to make Two Harbors a
better place.”
Community engagement is an essential part of
city planning, but how that takes shape beyond
town hall meetings and open forums varies.
City planners meet with community
members, government entities, and local and
federal agencies to gather perspective, priorities,
and input from groups before projects are
undertaken. But getting community participation
that represents the diversity of viewpoints and
priorities of any community is challenging.
The Friendly Streets Initiative in St. Paul is
an emerging model of community engagement
that aims to identify the shared needs and wants
of people directly impacted by proposed change.
It’s a model being forged by Lars Christiansen,
lead organizer of FSI and associate professor of
Augsburg’s interdisciplinary metro-urban studies
program. Christiansen, who also is chair of the
Augsburg College Sociology Department, is known
DARIUS GRAY ’15
for his teaching and scholarship focused on urban
resilience and sustainability, and public engagement.
Because of this community-classroom connection, metro-urban
studies majors such as Darius Gray ’15 have augmented classroom
experiences with hands-on learning.
“We engage [people] to give input on how they want their street to be
designed,” said Gray, who has worked as an FSI intern for the past three
years. “Basically we throw block parties and ask questions like: What if
this was on your street? How would you feel?”
FSI staff facilitates community organizing, gathers and examines
information, and helps citizens understand how local government operates.
“The model of engagement used by the Friendly Streets Initiative
invites in those who feel left out of planning processes or who believe their
input is sought for projects that are already a fait accompli,” Christiansen
said in his article, “The Friendly Streets Initiative: Bringing Community
Voices into the Planning Process.”
Christiansen writes that this groundbreaking work has unearthed
lessons for successful community engagement, including bringing
multiple voices into the mix before formal planning is underway; creating
community engagement events that are fun, family-friendly, and easy
to access; helping neighbors navigate formal city processes; and using
multiple methods to garner input.
Through their work in the classroom and out in the community, a new
generation of Augsburg College students is prepared to leave its mark on
American cities and to steward the world’s resources well into the future.
Learn more about the Friendly Streets Initiative and model used at
friendlystreetsinitiative.org.
Spring 2015
19
USING MUSIC’S POWER
TO SOOTHE AND INSPIRE
COMPILED BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
In addition to regularly composing music for Twin
Cities companies including Theater Latté Da, Stages
Theater Company, and Wonderlust, Aaron Gabriel ’99
serves as resident composer for Interact Theater.
Interact is a radically inclusive theater company
that creates new musical theater for performers with
and without disabilities, and Gabriel is committed to ensuring that
each production is shaped by and for the performers. This winter,
he took his expertise on the road—spending a month in Chiang Mai
collaborating with Interact Thailand and the children it serves.
“We’ve created many new scenes and many new songs for
The Love Show—a show about all the different ways we find love
in life … We decided to write The Love Show because one of our
performances falls on Valentine’s Day (a very popular holiday in
Thailand). The songs and stories will all deal with different kinds
of love: romantic love, love of friends and family, love of singing,
love of disabilities, love of food.”
Thematically, the show resonates with nearly all audiences,
but the cast and crew greatly anticipate one special attendee.
In July, the children will perform an excerpt of the show for
Her Majesty the Princess of Thailand, who will be visiting the
hospital that houses Interact Thailand for its grand opening, “so
it’s important,” Gabriel said, “that the songs and scenes really
showcase the stories and talents of these unique performers.”
Comments are from Gabriel’s blog chronicling his work with the Rajanagarindra Institute
of Child Development in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the hospital that houses Interact Thailand.
aarongabrielcomposer.com
20
Augsburg Now
Photo courtesy of amyandersonphotography.com
AUGGIE VOICES
#MLKConvocation @AugsburgCollege. Lovely!
Thank you @JamarEsaw for fillin’ my spirit.
And … wow, #AmaniWard is only 15! Lordy.
-Tweeted by community member Noreen Bulmann
after the Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation
MUSIC MOVES US.
It makes us
smile, dance, cry,
remember. Like Augsburg alumnus Jamar Esaw ’05, whose
choral ensemble, Triad:4Christ, performed at the College this
past Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Auggies are sharing their
musical gifts with their communities and the world.
Conie Borchardt ’98 founded Grace Notes hospice
choir, a group that sings to people in hospice care
at Twin Cities nursing homes, and co-created the
Arts Responding to Foreclosure (ARF) project,
which, she says, creates a community for people
experiencing foreclosure—turning an isolating
experience into a supportive one.
Music, Borchardt says, transforms us and changes us from
the inside out. She has witnessed music’s power to unite and
soothe—both performers and audiences—during times of financial
challenge and even in a person’s final hours.
“We have been blessed with so many meaningful moments
… We sang for a gentleman who seemed at peace, though his
breathing was labored. We sang to him about journeys. Later
we would find out that he completed his earthly journey about
24-hours later.
“And then there are the stories we could tell you about
other second-hand listeners! … Some non-hospice residents
spontaneously decide to join our band of singers on rounds to the
amusement of the nursing staff. Oh, and the staff smiles we see.
Some are coy and some are gratefully enlightened for the service
we provide. It is like watching the sunrise change your mood!”
“There are times in life when I am absolutely
certain, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that
music, singing, movement, and dancing are
how we heal ourselves,” said Nicole Warner ’01,
an Augsburg College alumna whose major in
music performance prepared her for life as an
independent artist and professional ensemble singer.
In 2011, Warner had the opportunity to sing the Mozart
Requiem in a United We Stand concert marking the 10-year
anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Opportunities like
this one remind Warner why the joy she feels while singing
is only a small part of the performance’s real impact. It’s the
audience, she says, who are truly benefiting.
“Most of the time, I think of the beauty of the people sitting
in front of me, and I wonder at their ability to take in the music,
to restore their souls, to be filled by and to fill up with the
music,” she explained. “Time gets lost, and we all get lost in the
music together.”
Comments are from the 2011 “To Sing is to Heal” blog post regarding Warner’s
participation in the 2011 United We Stand concert. nicolewarner.com/blog
Photo courtesy of Karen Nichols Photography, knicholsphoto.com
Quotations are from the Points of Light Music blog written by Borchardt.
pointsoflightmusic.blogspot.com
Photo courtesy of Intermedia Arts
To learn more about Auggies at the intersection of
career and composition, go to augsburg.edu/now.
Spring 2015
21
PA S S I N G O N A
Augsburg College volleyball finds success
on 40th anniversary of historic season
This fall, the Augsburg College women’s volleyball team qualified for the NCAA
Division III National Tournament for the second straight year, an achievement that
marked its reemergence as a regional powerhouse.
Recent team successes—which include back-to-back co-conference
championship seasons and several All-American honors—hearken back to the
achievements of Augsburg’s earliest volleyball teams.
THE FIRST FEW YEARS
Archival Photos
Augsburg launched its varsity volleyball program in 1972 when students
Nancy Soli Mollner ’75, Marilyn Pearson Florian ’76, and Cindy Schendel ’76
walked into the office of Athletic Director Joyce Anderson Pfaff ’65 to ask about
joining Augsburg’s volleyball team. Anderson Pfaff didn’t have the heart to tell
The Augsburg College women’s volleyball team during the 1974-75 season.
22
Augsburg Now
Photos b
y John N
icholso
n
AUGGIES ON THE COURT
The Augsburg College women’s volleyball team
earned Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference regular-season co-champion honors
during the 2013 and 2014 seasons.
the passionate students that there was no team at the time, so
she created one on the spot.
Augsburg’s first volleyball players proved their sport was to
become a staple in Auggie athletics, and in 1973 the College
hired star coach Mary Timm. The next year, the volleyball team
earned a perfect 8-0 record at home.
While there were 14 women on the roster during the 1974
season, six Auggies played nearly every minute of the regular
season and did, in fact, play every minute of the postseason.
The Auggies completed the regular season with a 15-4 record,
which earned them a spot in the Minnesota Association of
Intercollegiate Athletics for Women State Tournament, where
teams competed against one another regardless of their
schools’ sizes or types. After beating Concordia-St. Paul,
Bemidji State, and the University of Minnesota-Duluth, the
Auggies faced the No. 1 seeded University of Minnesota in the
finals. Soli—a setter and team captain—dislocated her thumb
in the first game, but adrenaline allowed her to continue to
play, ensuring that the Auggies could maintain the offensive
strategy they had in place all season.
Augsburg didn’t win the tournament, but its secondplace finish secured a bid to participate in the Association for
Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Region 6 Tournament at the
University of Nebraska. However, there was one more obstacle
to overcome: the team was ineligible to participate because of
an issue with its AIAW membership.
Anderson Pfaff was determined to remedy the issue, so
she and Soli filed a complaint with the District of Minnesota
fourth court. After the Auggies successfully argued their case,
United States District Judge Miles Lord allowed Augsburg
to participate in the regional tournament, but his ruling was
made just one day before the tournament was set to begin.
When they got the news, the Auggie crew jumped in vans and
drove all night, arriving in Lincoln, Neb., at 3 a.m. only to find
that there was no place to stay due to a Nebraska-Oklahoma
football game that weekend.
At the regional competition, the underdog Auggies ended
up playing 10 matches in only three days and earned a
fourth-place finish—the best finish for an Auggie volleyball
team until its NCAA tournament appearances in 1982,
2013, and 2014.
TODAY’S PLAYERS
Augsburg College volleyball alumnae from across the past
four decades continue to support the talented students
who take to the court in Si Melby gymnasium each fall.
Alumnae involvement ranges from cheering in the stands to
encouraging the young women as they venture out into their
careers and callings after college.
Current Head Coach Jane Becker, a two-time MIAC and
Region Coach of the Year, sees firsthand the ways that those
from the College’s past help uplift its future.
“Being a part of rebuilding the Auggie volleyball program
has truly been a remarkable experience,” Becker said. “I am
so blessed to work with such a talented group of studentathletes and to be so supported by an amazing group of
Auggie alumnae.”
BY KELLY ANDERSON DIERCKS
Spring 2015
23
U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, spoke to a
sold-out crowd at the 2015 Nobel Peace Prize Forum. He discussed the need to
protect the rights of women and girls, setting the stage for further discussion on
the last day of the Forum, which was International Women’s Day.
NOBEL PURSUITS
BY STEPHEN GEFFRE AND LAURA SWANSON
2015 Nobel Peace Prize Forum
This spring, the 27th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum embraced
a new, interactive approach in fulfilling its charge to inspire
peacemaking.
Even before opening its doors to audiences from March 6-8
at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Minneapolis, the Nobel Peace Prize
Forum encouraged Augsburg College community members—
and citizens across the globe—to share the ways they promote
peace in their daily lives.
In 1989, the Nobel Peace Prize Forum was founded by
five Norwegian-American colleges under the auspices of the
Norwegian Nobel Institute to inspire peacemaking by exploring
the work of Nobel Laureates and international peace builders.
According to Gina Torry, executive director of the Nobel Peace
Prize Forum, the event also has the power to change the
dialogue around peace by uplifting the important roles all people
play in fostering a more just, amiable, and nonviolent world.
Using a common theme, #peaceitforward, individuals
spanning generations and continents shared in social media how
their actions positively shape the present and the future.
The “#peaceitforward [campaign] was not just about the
prevention of conflict but the promulgation of good,” Torry said.
The campaign uplifted “the idea that you can be an ordinary
person and still do something extraordinary, which is a powerful
message that the Laureates send.”
This year’s Forum concentrated on the work of 2013 Nobel
Laureate The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons
and also featured former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, the 2002
Nobel Laureate who presented, “A Call to Action: Women, Religion,
Violence, and Power.”
The Forum welcomed more than 1,000 attendees, known
as delegates, during its three days and invited these individuals
to join in the important work of peacemaking—a task that aligns
with Augsburg’s own identity and role in educating students to
be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and
responsible leaders.
View #peaceitforward images, read comments, see
additional event photos, watch featured presentations,
or learn more about the Forum at augsburg.edu/now.
24
Augsburg Now
INSPIRING PEACE
1 Former Prime Minister of Norway Gro
Harlem Brundtland [at left] stops to chat with
Nobel Peace Prize Forum delegates after her
speech on human rights and democracy.
1
2 Director-General Ahmet Üzümcü [at right],
a representative of the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize
Laureate The Organisation for the Prohibition of
Chemical Weapons, speaks with Minnesota Public
Radio host Tom Crann about demilitarization and
the destruction of chemical weapons.
4
3 An ensemble of Native American women
sings on International Women’s Day to honor and
raise awareness of those Native American women
who are victims of violence.
4 The closing presenter at the Forum,
Sanam Naraghi-Anderlini, co-founder of the
International Civil Society Action Network, calls
for greater participation by women in global
conflict management and peace building.
2
Arvol Looking Horse, who is the 19th Generation
Keeper of the Sacred White Buffalo Calf Pipe and a
spiritual leader of the Lakota, Dakota, and Nakota
nations, offers closing comments on the second
day of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum.
Rev. Mark Hanson ’68, Imam Muhammad Ashafa, and Pastor James Movel Wuye
[L to R] share a laugh during their panel discussion at the Forum. Ashafa and Wuye
are featured in a 2006 film, “The Imam and the Pastor,” which is a story about
forgiveness and grass roots peace initiatives.
Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow [at right] participates in the
dearworld.me portrait project by having words of peace written on his arms. Robert X.
Fogarty, founder of dearworld.me, brought his internationally renowned project to the
Forum to help participants share their messages of hope and peace.
HOST SPONSOR
LEAD ACADEMIC PARTNERS
DIALOGUE SPONSORS
PEACE BUILDERS
DELEGATE SPONSORS
THANK YOU SPONSORS
ALUMNI NEWS
FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear alumni and friends,
I
was connected to Augsburg
as a student working in the
admissions office, as a resident
assistant, and even after college.
But there’s something that comes
with age, time, and distance that
really makes me appreciate the
Augsburg that I continue to be
involved with today. When I began
to connect with fellow Auggies and
eventually the Alumni Board, my connections to the College
were enriched, and they continue to grow.
Augsburg has grown, too. It’s exciting to see the ways
in which the College has become larger—not only with new
buildings and faculty, but through an energetic and engaged
commitment to the city and the community—in both programs
and leadership. Augsburg is thriving, and this growth makes
me so proud to call myself an Auggie.
In honor of Augsburg’s sesquicentennial in 2019, the
College is embracing a vision for its future that is both bold
and rooted in values that are uniquely Augsburg.
Focusing on where the College wants to be in 2019, the
Augsburg Board of Regents and President Paul C. Pribbenow
engaged the College community in creating a strategic vision
statement that includes three aspirational dimensions: the
College will educate for lives of purpose, be at the table with
our neighbors and partners, and be built for the future.
I believe my education at Augsburg prepared me for the
future. When I see what’s happening at Augsburg today—
and what’s planned—I know the College’s future is bright.
Augsburg today is a place that calls many to the table to
participate in the life of the College.
The time I first heard about the Center for Science,
Business, and Religion, I may have wondered how all these
disciplines would work together in the same space. I have
come to know that this building represents the future,
and its interdisciplinary emphasis is deeply Augsburg. It
is a demonstration of the College’s vision to work with its
community, to embrace the world, and to prepare its students
for the future.
Today’s students know Augsburg as a place where faith,
service, and learning intersect. It is a College we can be proud
of, and I know I want to help build an Augsburg that continues
to generate pride and equip graduates for the world in which
we live. The outstanding scholarship and research being done
by our faculty and students deserve to take place in a facility
whose quality and capability match their exceptional work. I
want to be a part of preparing for that future.
The interdisciplinary emphasis of the CSBR will match the
world that today’s graduates enter and will truly demonstrate
Augsburg is a sustainable and vital force for educating
future generations. As you’ll see on the inside of the back
cover of this magazine, we can all be part of building that
future for Augsburg by buying a brick that will be a part of
this important new building. Won’t you join me in helping
Augsburg build for the future?
Sincerely,
CHRIS HALLIN ’88, ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
HOMECOMING 2015
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
OCTOBER 5–10
augsburg.edu/homecoming
OCTOBER
Spring 2015
27
ALUMNI NEWS
IN FEBRUARY, Augsburg
wrestling alumni celebrated the
championship teams from 1975, 1985,
1995, and 2005 in the College’s
Kennedy Center with a Reunion of the 5s.
Teams from these class years exhibited
exemplary accomplishments both on
and off the mat, and their successes
represent four of Augsburg wrestling’s
record 32 MIAC Championship teams
and two of the College’s record 11 NCAA
DIII National Championship teams.
Former teammates and wrestling
alumni from all classes gathered to hear
coaches and managers Jim Moulsoff and
Tony Valek ’12, and Athletic Director Jeff
Swenson ’79 share memories and laughs
about the incredible talents from these
four wrestling classes. The crowd of
wrestling legends, families, friends, and
current Auggies cheered at the Battle of
the ’Burgs competition as Augsburg took
on longstanding rival, Wartburg College,
on the elevated stage. Despite a packed
house of enthusiastic supporters,
Wartburg took the victory.
The two teams battled for the newly
created Swens-Millboy Championship
Belt. The belt is named in honor of
Augsburg’s Jeff Swenson (nickname:
Swens) and Wartburg’s Jim Miller
Mike Fuenffinger ’15 opened this
year’s Battle of the ’Burgs match.
28
Augsburg Now
(nickname: Millboy), the head coaches
who led these teams to power. Both men
won 10 national team championships
as head coaches and now, retired from
coaching, are active in supporting their
winning wrestling programs.
The belt will travel with the previous
year’s winner to the duel each year and
will be engraved with the score and the
winning team. Scores from previous
years were engraved to mark the historic
nature of this rivalry.
As Auggies, we are proud to
celebrate the history, legacy, stories, and
success of four generations of Augsburg
College wrestling. Future Auggies can
become a part of the action with our
29th year of summer wrestling camps.
Augsburg wrestling coaching staff and
athletes supervise these camps, which
serve a variety of ages. Learn more at
augsburgwrestling.com.
ALUMNI NEWS
TORSTENSON LEGACY
lives on through gifts
Augsburg alumni shaped and inspired by Professor Emeritus
Joel Torstenson, known as the College’s “father of sociology,”
have contributed more than $180,000 to the Center for
Science, Business, and Religion to honor the legacy of the
man who greatly influenced their Auggie experience.
Torstenson, who died in 2007 at age 94, was well known
for his advocacy for civil rights and social services. His
decades-long legacy is being extended and honored through
generous gifts to name a hall for him in the new CSBR.
One alumnus central to the effort to honor Torstenson is
the Rev. Herb Chilstrom ’54, the ELCA’s first presiding bishop.
Chilstrom, who grew up in Litchfield, Minn., said being a
student in Torstenson’s class opened his eyes to justice issues
and pulled him from his comfort zone.
Then, as today, the College’s location in the city was an
asset to its faculty and students. Torstenson’s impassioned
teaching and perspective on civil rights inspired Chilstrom
years later to fight for the rights of gay and lesbian people.
“Dr. Torstenson impacted me not only during my student
years but throughout the rest of my life,” Chilstrom said.
“He taught that if you are a Christian, you need to face the
problems of the world and be out on the front lines, even if it
makes you unpopular.”
Torstenson challenged students to confront the world’s
problems by engaging directly with individuals. It seems only
fitting, then, that Augsburg’s proposed CSBR pay tribute to
Torstenson’s influence on generations of people, including the
Chilstroms and another family with deep roots in the College:
U.S. Rep. Martin Olav ’59 and Sylvia Sabo.
“Clearly, people like Joel have an impact on what you
think and who you are,” said Rep. Sabo, who spent 46 years
serving his state and country as an elected official.
Rep. Sabo’s Augsburg connection never waned. He
served on the Board of Regents from 1973 to 1984, and
daughters—Julie ’90, a former state senator, and Karin ’86—
are also Auggies.
The Sabos share enthusiasm that the CSBR will be a great
addition to campus.
“The facilities need to keep up with the quality of the
faculty,” Rep. Sabo said. Combining three disciplines in one
facility, the Sabos believe, is a unique and positive step for
the College, which has long embraced interdisciplinary and
experiential education.
The Sabos also marvel at the lifelong friendships that
evolved from Martin’s undergraduate experience, and the
couple remains close to Torstenson’s widow, Fran.
“I’m always amazed at Augsburg,” Sylvia Sabo said. “I
think so much good comes out of it, and Martin had such a
great four years there. I think its size and location give it a
specialness that a lot of colleges don’t have.”
CENTER FOR SCIENCE, BUSINESS, AND RELIGION
JOEL AND FRANCES TORSTENSON CORRIDOR
This space will be provided through the generosity of
Norman ’59 and Delores Berg
Richard ’78 and Linda Bonlender
Herbert W. ’54 and E. Corinne
Chilstrom
Joel ’61 and Yvonne “Bonnie” ’62
Egertson
Harold Hansen ’52
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
Lowell O. Larson ’47
Steven ’64 and Rebecca ’65 Nielsen
Martin ’59 and Sylvia Lee Sabo
Allan Torstenson ’75 and Frances
Homans
Beth Torstenson ’66
Gale ’59 and Barbara Torstenson
Linnea Torstenson
Lyndon Torstenson ’78
Robert ’65 and Sylvia ’66 Torstenson
Herb and Corinne Chilstrom pledged $30,000 to kick off
the Torstenson corridor initiative.
“Giving is a lot of fun,” Rev. Chilstrom said. “We have
been blessed, and we like to share our blessings. Giving to the
CSBR means I can say ‘thank you’ to Dr. Torstenson for the
major impact he had on my life, and maybe, by example, we
can encourage others to do likewise.”
If you are interested in donating to the CSBR or honoring
Torstenson with a gift, contact Doug Scott at 612-330-1575 or
scottd@augsburg.edu.
Spring 2015
29
ALUMNI NEWS
AUGGIES CONNECT
on campus and throughout their careers
Building connections, facilitating networking opportunities, and
supporting students and graduates keeps the Alumni Board and Alumni
Relations engaged with inspiring Auggies year-round.
Thanks to those who attended the annual Alumni Board-sponsored
Auggie Networking Event, a reception that welcomed nearly 150 alumni and
more than 100 current students for an evening of networking, conversation,
career pointers, and speakers who shared their stories of finding success
after graduation. Among the speakers were Tina Nguyen ’08, small business
project analyst for U.S. Bank, and Greg Schnagl ’91, former educator and
founder, TeacherCentricity.
The event was a partnership with the Clair and Gladys Strommen
Center for Meaningful Work, which assists students in discovering their
vocation; offers career and internship tips; and helps students with
interviewing skills, resume building, and networking.
The Strommen Center also seeks to help companies recruit more
Auggies. One company with a strong connection to Augsburg alumni is
3M. In January, Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow joined
more than 100 Augsburg graduates now working at 3M for an alumni
event coordinated by Alumni Board member Holly Knutson ’03, ’07 MBA.
In addition to celebrating the amazing presence of Auggies in
the Maplewood, Minn.-based company, the event honored Nicholas
Gangestad ’86, who last summer was appointed senior vice president and
chief financial officer at 3M.
3M also is a major donor to the Center for Science, Business, and
Religion and a strong recruiting partner, hosting internships for Augsburg
students and hiring Augsburg graduates.
If you are interested in hosting an alumni gathering at your workplace, contact
Sara Schlipp-Riedel ’06, director of Alumni Relations, at 612-330-1178 or
schlipp@augsburg.edu.
More than 200 Augsburg College students and alumni attended the 2015
Auggie Networking Event.
New Volunteer and Alumni
Engagement Manager
Katie Radford ’12 joined the Augsburg Alumni and
Family Relations team in January as the new volunteer
and alumni engagement manager. In this role, she hopes
to continue to provide meaningful opportunities for
students, alumni, and friends to connect, give back, and
thrive together as Auggies.
Radford previously worked at Greater Twin Cities
United Way, helping plan and execute corporate United
Way campaigns dedicated to community outreach,
volunteerism, and community giving. She is excited to
be back at Augsburg to continue those initiatives in the
College’s community. If you are interested in volunteering,
mentoring, or serving in a volunteer leadership role, email
her at radford@augsburg.edu.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
All over campus and in corporate communities, Auggies
are connecting and sharing their insight and expertise.
There are many ways to support current students and
recent graduates as they move between classroom and
career. No matter your position—whether you’re navigating
a career change or looking to bring more Auggies into your
workplace—Augsburg programs can help.
As alumni, you are invited to share your career
expertise, interests, and life experience with Augsburg
students. One way to do this is through the mentorship
program Augsburg Builds Connections. Learn how to
get started in this program by contacting Katie Radford,
volunteer and alumni engagement manager,
at volunteer@augsburg.edu.
To learn more about helping Auggies succeed or to
take advantage of career planning services and graduate
school information, contact the Clair and Gladys
Strommen Center for Meaningful Work at 612-330-1148
or careers@augsburg.edu.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1951
John Garland lives in
St. Paul and has fond
memories of his time as sports
editor for the Echo, including the
rare time he covered a meeting of
the Augsburg Women’s Club. He
recently shared a couple of his
columns with Augsburg Now. In
his final column, he handed the
reins to Richie Howells ’52 and
paid tribute to fellow writers.
1953
Edmund Youngquist
first remembers being
drawn to Augsburg in 1945.
Augsburg’s choir put on a concert
at Calvary Lutheran Church in
Mora, Minn., and soloist Evelyn
(Amundson) Sonnack Halverson
’43 became a never-to-beforgotten memory. “At Augsburg,”
he writes, “I roomed in Memorial
Hall with Jerry Elness ’54 and
Wally Hanson ’54. An occasional
visit to our suite was from blond,
blue-eyed Herb Chilstrom ’54.”
After graduation, Youngquist
graduated from Luther Seminary
in St. Paul and was ordained in
1958. His daughter, Margaret
“Grit” Youngquist ’79, went on
to become a president of the
American Lutheran Church Luther
League. His cousin, Beverly
Gustafson, is married to Professor
Emeritus of History Donald “Gus”
Gustafson.
1956
Richard Thorud, who
lives in Bloomington,
Minn., with his wife, Darlene,
was recently named Toro’s most
prolific inventor for its first 100
years. He has 80 Toro patents
and worked for Toro for 34 years
before retiring in 2000 as a senior
principal research engineer. He
was inducted into the Minnesota
Inventors Hall of Fame in 2011
and was named a Distinguished
Alumnus at Augsburg in 2009.
1957
of the Ashford University Faculty
Senate, the governing body for
250+ full-time instructors and
more than 2,000 adjunct faculty.
1974
Kenneth D. Holmen
was named president
and CEO for CentraCare Health.
Holmen, who is a medical
doctor and has served as vice
president of physician strategies
and business development for
HealthPartners, took leadership of
CentraCare in January.
Stanley Baker was
recognized as the
Counselor Educator of the Year
by the North Carolina School
Counselor Association at its
annual conference in November.
He is employed as a professor
of counselor education at North
Carolina State University.
In the summer of 2014, Stan Nelson ’43 won a
gold medal at the Minnesota Senior Olympics,
shooting a 47 in the golf competition. In
July 2015, he will compete in the 95-99 age
group at the National Senior State Games
held in Bloomington, Minn.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
1967
Dennis Miller and his
wife, Christine, spent
the fall semester on sabbatical
at the University of Gothenburg
in Sweden. They are faculty
members at Cornell University in
Ithaca, N.Y.
1972
Rob Engelson is
completing 34 years
of full-time college/university
teaching and department chairing,
including the past 20 years at
Ashford University in Clinton, Iowa.
He recently rose to become chair
Jerry Gerasimo used to take
us karate guys to at the Cedar
Theatre on the weekends. It was
lots of fun marching around inside
and outside the Student Center,
playing my bagpipes during
Augsburg College Day. I just want
to say,” he added, “that Boyd
Koehler was the very best boss a
guy could ever have. He was an
uncle, big brother, therapist, and
encourager to me, and [he] had
a wonderful dry sense of humor.
God bless you, Boyd.”
Mark S. Johnson ’75 and Allan
Torstenson ’75 shape cities and
build communities. See page 16.
1977
David Charles Friedman
has fond memories of
his stays in Urness and Mortensen
towers and the delightful people
he met during that time. He writes
that he fondly remembers “the
samurai movies that anthropology
instructor and fellow karate-ka
Neil Pauluk was a U.S. Infantry
Army officer and later used the
GI Bill to become a trial lawyer.
He legally changed the spelling of
his last name in 1978 to Paulson,
for the convenience of others,
and still goes by either last name.
He set up a scholarship in his
parents’ name at Augsburg and
started a nonprofit organization,
HelpTheVets.org. He writes that his
Augsburg education paid off.
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
1967
Sue Nelson was given
the title of Community
Hero for her 10+ years of service
to the John Deere Classic. She
has worked tirelessly to support
other organizations, including the
National Education Association,
Missouri Valley – U.S. Tennis
Association, and Special Olympics.
She also has gone to Yale
University and the University of
North Carolina as Team Iowa tennis
coach for the World Games.
1970
The newly released book, “Waters Like the
Sky,” is a short adventure tale of a young
voyageur and is authored by the late Agnes Peloquin
Rajala and her daughter, Nikki Rajala (pictured),
who are direct descendants of voyageurs, explorers,
and fur traders. After Agnes passed away in October
2013, Nikki carried the legacy of the book forward,
determined to share this historical adventure with
readers. The story is steeped in the history of the
French-Canadian voyageur journeys in the early
1800s in North America. To learn more about the
book, visit nikkirajala.com. Nikki is available for
interviews and presentations at schools, meetings,
and other events.
Spring 2015
31
Pauluk runs into Ron Robinson, also in
Orlando, Fla., from time to time. “God
has blessed me more than I can imagine.
Good friends, good family, and good times.
I ran marathons in each of the 50 states in
2010 to 2012. I am director of the Orlando
Marathon each year. Look me up if you
come to Orlando, The City Beautiful!”
1978
Arvella E. Edwards had a
children’s book, “Town of
Never Never,” published in May by Xlibris,
ISBN #978-1-4931-1486-3. She is so
excited and proud.
Paula (Winchester) Palermo has moved to St.
Charles Parish, La., and continues her work
with the St. Charles Parish School System.
Donadee (Melby) Peterson and husband,
Tim ’76, will celebrate 20 years in business
in 2015. Donadee is the president of their
family company, SDG Computing, Inc.
Tim, a graduate of Luther Seminary and
an ordained pastor of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, served
two parishes full time until 1995 when
he turned bi-vocational and started the
1979
Karla (Wiese) Miller was
honored with the 2014
Minnesota Choral Director of the Year
award. She is in her 21st year as fulltime music instructor/director of choral
activities at North Hennepin Community
College in Brooklyn Park, Minn. At
Augsburg, she received a bachelor’s
degree in piano performance with a vocal
music (K-12) certification.
1980
John Edwin Carlson is a lead
chaplain at Redeemer Health
and Rehabilitation Center in Minneapolis,
which provides senior housing and health
care in the spirit of Christ’s love.
1981
Carla (Isachsen) Kukkonen is
working at Allina hospice as a
medical social worker.
1989
Steven Torgerud is an assistant
professor of life sciences
at Palmer College of Chiropractic in
Davenport, Iowa, where he teaches
neuroanatomy and biomechanics courses.
His students have selected him “Teacher
of the Year” three of the past four years.
Justin Grammens ’96 presented “The Science of My Life and
Career After Augsburg” in an AugSTEM seminar. He provided
insight into current technology trends and advice on what
employers are seeking from graduates in science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics fields. Grammens is a software
architect and has been a business owner for the majority of his
career. He is an engineering co-founder at Code42 Software
where he is protecting the world’s data with high-performance
hardware and easy-to-use software solutions. He enjoys family
movie nights with his wife and two children.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
family business. He has since served as
a part-time and fill-in pastor as well as
chaplain in the Minnesota National Guard.
He retired from the National Guard in
2012 after 28 years of service. Tim and
Donadee have spent one or two months
each year for the last three years in
Drammen, Norway, where Tim has worked
as a computer consultant for Conexus, a
company that reports on all aspects of the
Norwegian educational system. Their son,
Nathan, also works for the business from
Concord, Calif.
32
Augsburg Now
Courtesy of Kelly Browne
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1990
Peter Morlock began serving a
new call as pastor of Bethany
Lutheran Church and Lost Island Lutheran
Church in western Iowa in February 2014.
1991
In September, Bill Koschak
was appointed a vice president
of the global internal audit division at
General Mills. In this role, he will provide
leadership and guidance to the global
internal audit team and support the audit
committee in executing its charter.
1981
Bev Benson was elected to the
judgeship for the 4th Judicial District
of Hennepin County, Minn., in November.
Augsburg alumni supporting her campaign
included former roommate Leeann Rock ’81,
Brian Anderson ’81, Kristine Johnson ’81, Kristin
Lehmann ’08, Peggy Larkin ’09, and Benson’s
son, first-year student Robb Benson-Ernst ’18
(pictured), as well as Gaynelle (Webb) Buckland
’81, Fred Buckland ’81, Molly (Olson) Blomgren
’81, and Jim Blomgren ’81. Benson thanks her
Auggie supporters, including Martin O. ’59 and
Sylvia Sabo and professors Milda Hedblom,
Norma Noonan, and Janelle Bussert.
1993
Heidi
Staloch
is now vice president
and senior corporate
counsel, managing U.S.
Bank’s legal channel
for default accounts
nationwide. Heidi is an
active alumni volunteer,
serving as a member of
AWE–Augsburg Women
Engaged.
2010
John Ideen
has been
named executive chef
at Covenant Village
of Golden Valley,
a continuing care
retirement community
in Golden Valley, Minn.
In his new position,
Ideen will manage dayto-day food operations
for the 344-resident community, including casual
and formal dining in the residential and assisted
living, memory support, and health care settings.
He is responsible for managing and training a
kitchen staff of 65; creating innovative, healthful
menus; and managing the community’s catering
services.
AUGGIE
SNAPSHOTS
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
1992
Terri Burnor is interning at the
Minnesota Religious Coalition for
Reproductive Choice.
2005
Charles “Rusty” Brace graduated
from Luther Seminary in May
2014. He is looking for a call somewhere in the
Twin Cities area.
Conie Borchardt ’98 transforms lives with
song. See page 20.
Bryan Ludwig ’08 is a head coach and general counsel for
the PHD Baseball Club, LLC, which was created in 2009 by
another Auggie, Brian Bambenek ’07, and two of his friends.
The idea behind PHD—which stands for pitching, hitting,
and defense—is for the coaches to share the love of baseball
with and return value to participating athletes, training young
men and giving them the tools they need to succeed on and
off the field. Learn more at phdbaseball.us.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
Aaron Gabriel ’99 creates new musical theater
for performers with disabilities. See page 20.
2000
In May 2014, Ann Staton received
a master’s of English in technical
communication from Minnesota State
University Mankato. She accepted a oneyear visiting instructor appointment to teach
technical communication during the 201415 academic year at Montana Tech of the
University of Montana in Butte.
Debbie Heard, a tax managing director for
KPMG’s San Francisco office, was honored
with Silicon Valley’s 40 Under 40 award.
2001
Sarah Grans is a new director of
confirmation and youth ministry
at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in
Shoreview, Minn.
Michael Reed has taken a new position with
Robbinsdale (Minn.) Area Schools as a district
behavior coordinator and focuses on reducing
racial disproportionality in suspension rates.
Nicole Warner ’01 gets lost in the music.
See page 20.
2002
Christy Blake completed a
master’s of urban planning from
Virginia Tech’s Alexandria campus in 2007.
She has been working in local government
and economic development. She resides in
Winchester, Va., in the Shenandoah Valley.
Mark and Jessica (Bjurquist) ’06 Matzek
announce the birth of their daughter, Natalie
Violet, who arrived February 9, 2014.
Dan Vogel started a new position as an inside
sales/marketing specialist at the technical and
outdoor apparel company, Storm Creek, based
in Hastings, Minn. He’s excited to pair his
passion for the outdoors and an active lifestyle
with a new, exciting professional career at this
up-and-coming organization.
Jamar Esaw ’05 inspires members of
Triad:4Christ. See page 4.
2006
Tyra (Jensen) Taylor is completing
her graduate-level internship. She
is working with elementary students needing
mental health services. She plans to graduate
in May 2015.
2007
Brett Cease began a doctoral
program in public policy and
political economy with an emphasis in
sustainable development at the University of
Texas-Dallas.
Andrew L. Johnson is a manager of franchise
recruiting and engagement at Ameriprise
Financial Services, Inc., in Cleveland.
Molly Shortall recently became engaged to
Brian Kaszuba of Brooklyn, N.Y. She is a
senior annual giving officer at Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center and also serves as one
of the primary musicians for the Diocese of
Brooklyn and Queens.
2009
Amber Davis is working as
a moderator at the Zürich
International Film Festival.
Stephanie (Holman) Hubbard works as a music
therapist for St. Paul Public Schools. She is
attending St. Mary of the Woods College for a
master’s in music therapy.
2010
Sylvia Bull is studying at Princeton
Theological Seminary in Princeton,
N.J., for Master of Divinity and Master of
Arts in Christian education degrees. Her
anticipated graduation date is May 2015. She
is a candidate for ordination in the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America.
Gabriella Hamerlinck is a doctoral candidate
in ecology at the University of Iowa. She is an
alumna of Augsburg’s biology and mathematics
departments, as well as the McNair Scholars
and North Star STEM programs. In addition
to Hamerlinck’s academic successes at
Augsburg, she was a two-sport athlete who
participated in soccer and track.
Sara Kaiser ’08, a social worker for Rice County, Minn., has seen
first-hand the need for daily support for single moms. In addition
to helping families, she convinced the mayor of Northfield, Minn.,
to designate a month for “Teen Dating Violence Prevention and
Awareness,” and she has worked in collaboration to create a
young moms’ support group. She interned at the Northfield
Women’s Center and worked at the Crisis Pregnancy Center. She
has found her life’s calling and is pursuing a master’s of social
work from the University of Southern California.
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
Spring
2014
2015
Fall 2014
17
33
37
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Michael Hamm has accepted a position
with the Dakota County Sheriff’s Office in
Minnesota. He has been an officer with the
Department of Public Safety at Augsburg for
the past several years, and he will move to oncall status with DPS.
Grant Rostad is employed with Best Buy for
Business as an account manager. He also is a
licensed certified public accountant.
2011
Kate Edelen is a legislative associate
on climate and conflict for the
Friends Committee on National Legislation in
Washington, D.C. Edelen submitted a letter on
climate change to the editor of The New York
Times, which was published in October.
2012
Joseph Fahnhorst was promoted
to vice president of a payments
application at the Federal Reserve Bank of
Minneapolis. The Minneapolis Fed, with one
branch in Helena, Mont., serves six states in
the Ninth Federal Reserve District: Minnesota,
Montana, North and South Dakota, 26 counties
in northwestern Wisconsin, and the Upper
Peninsula of Michigan.
2013
Since graduating, Alex Bennett has
gotten married and had a beautiful
baby, Layla. He graduated with a degree in
music business and has accepted a position
at Mystic Lake Casino in the entertainment
department.
Kayla Johnson is in medical school at the
University of Minnesota Duluth.
Rachel Rixen graduated from the American
University of Paris with a master’s in cultural
translation.
2014
Janelle Holte has a new job as a
marketing and communications
coordinator at the University of Minnesota.
After a summer internship with Dart Transit,
which is owned and operated by Don ’53 and
Bev ’55 Oren, Mike Schumacher landed a
position as a fleet leader with Transit America.
Anne Skriba is happy to share the news that she
is employed at Bemidji State University as an
assistant women’s basketball coach.
Lani (Langanki) Hollenbeck ’77, ’11 MAN is a staff nurse in an
infant care center at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota
in St. Paul. She was named 2014 Nurse of the Year by March
of Dimes Minnesota, Children’s Hospitals and Clinics, and
Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine. “We do not get to rock babies all
day long,” she said of her care team. “We’re very like-minded in
focusing on the developmental needs of infants.”
From the NOW@Augsburg blog.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/blog to read more.
Katia Iverson celebrated two years at
Minnesota Council of Churches Refugee
Services in February 2015. She recently was
promoted to a case manager position.
Kim (Saukkola) Simmonds is an executive
director at the MonDak Heritage Center in
Sidney, Mont., and is completing a master’s
degree in public and nonprofit administration
at Metropolitan State University.
34
Augsburg Now
Through bridge program funding for research
and extra assistance, Enrico Barrozo is
preparing for a doctoral program at the
University of Georgia.
Maya Sutton has accepted a special education
teaching position for the 2014-15 school
year at Fraser Academy, a charter school in
Minneapolis.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Rebecca (Johnson) Koelln ’76, ’91 MAL
has been named director of leadership
development and senior consultant for
Learning Sciences International. LSI is a
learning and performance management
company focused on continuous improvement
at all levels of the system.
Tom Driscoll ’07 MBA was featured in the
Minneapolis Star Tribune as one of the
construction industry’s “Movers and Shakers”
due to his work as partner and vice president
of business development at the Minneapolis
office of Big-D Construction.
Chris Wolf ’09 MAN recently became a nurse
manager for Ask Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
Physician Assistant Kelly Kleven ’10 MPA
joined the hospitalist department at Essentia
Health-St. Mary’s Medical Center in Duluth,
Minn. Kleven is certified by the National
Commission on Certification of Physician
Assistants.
Lori (Langager) Higgins ’94, ’12 MAL was
appointed to the Minnesota Amateur Sports
Commission by Gov. Mark Dayton. Since 2010,
she has been the president of the MetroNorth
Chamber of Commerce, which is the fourthlargest chamber in the Twin Cities metro area.
She lives in Blaine, Minn., with her husband
and two children.
In September, Carmen (Crockett) Williams ’12
MBA accepted a position as director of business
development at Mediaspace Solutions in
Hopkins, Minn. Carmen and her husband, John
(who works in mortgages and finance), recently
purchased a home in Burnsville, Minn.
Christine Dawson ’13 MSW was featured on
the cover of the Regions Hospital Foundation
newsletter for her outstanding work with the
HeroCare Program for veterans at Regions
Hospital. Dawson, who is herself a veteran,
coordinates services and advocates for patients
in Regions Hospital’s mental health programs.
ARE YOU AN AUGGIE IN PUBLIC SERVICE?
Whether you are serving as an elected, appointed, or volunteer official, we would
love to hear from you! Submit a Class Note, and we’ll enter you into a raffle to win
an Augsburg College swag bag to display your Auggie pride at work.
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
1998
Kaydee Kirk
and Peter
Spuit welcomed Paul
Johann Spuit, who was
born May 27, 2014, and
joins 3-year-old sister,
Miriam.
2005
Ellen (Kvitek)
Saj and her
husband, Nathan, welcomed
their second child, Hazel
Christine, at home on April
26, 2014.
Send us your news and photos
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don’t forget to send photos! (Digital photos must be at least 300 ppi
or a 1 MB file.)
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g., an obituary, funeral
notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, MN 55454, or email alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also
submit news at augsburg.edu/alumni/connect.
______________________________________________________
Full name
______________________________________________________
Maiden name
______________________________________________________
Class year or last year attended
______________________________________________________
Street address
______________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP code
Is this a new address? q Yes q No
______________________________________________________
Home telephone
______________________________________________________
Email
2011
Korri (Yule)
Corrigan married
Joshua Corrigan on December
13 in Hoversten Chapel at
Augsburg College.
Okay to publish your email address? q Yes q No
______________________________________________________
Employer
______________________________________________________
Position
______________________________________________________
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No
If yes, class year___________________________________________
______________________________________________________
Spouse’s name (include maiden name, if applicable)
2011
Jessica (Hilk)
Kociemba and
Joel Kociemba celebrated their
marriage with Auggies Amy
Opsal ’12, Katie (Christensen)
Beadell ’11, Laura (Harms) Faruq
’09, Katelyn Berens ’14, Amanda
Rueb ’09, Jamila Lee ’13, Korri
(Yule) Corrigan ’11, Colleen
Ourada ’14, Julie Jenkins ’09,
Denielle Johnson ’11, Amanda Unze, and Morgan Baumgarten ’14.
Your news:
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
Spring 2014
Spring 2015
17
35
In memoriam
Nellie I. (Thorud) Blake ’38,
Barron, Wis., age 98, on
October 16.
Edward M. Alberg ’50,
Minnetonka, Minn., age 87, on
September 22.
Albert S. Olson ’40, Amery, Wis.,
age 97, on November 7.
Delphine J. (Jensen) Bakke ’50,
Hendricks, Minn., age 85, on
November 30.
Maynard Bahre ’41, San
Francisco, Calif., age 97, on
January 14, 2014.
Mark C. Thorpe ’56, Kirkwood,
Mo., age 80, on October 30.
Birgit E. Birkeland ’58,
Minneapolis, age 87, on
October 23.
Elizabeth V. Koenig ’72,
Minneapolis, age 91, on
December 2.
Julia C. Blixrud ’76, Lawrence,
Kan., age 59, on October 29.
Sylvia A. (Moe) Overlund ’59,
Portland, Ore., age 90, on
October 26.
Dennis C. Callahan ’82, Grand
Rapids, Minn., age 55, on
December 22.
Louise A. (Heydenreich) Swenson
’60, Princeton, Minn., age 89,
on October 7.
Wendy J. (Miller) Johnson ’90,
Sanford, N.C., age 58, on
August 22.
Gail W. Castor ’61, Redwood
Falls, Minn., age 83, on
September 16.
Eric H. Peterson ’91,
Minneapolis, age 45, on
November 19.
George O. Johnson ’61, Pequot
Lakes, Minn., age 77, on
December 4.
Kathleen M. (McCullough) Zander
’91, ’04 MAN, Minneapolis, age
54, on October 2.
Robert M. Sletta ’51, Dayton,
N.J., age 86, on September 27.
Richard “Dick” “Pork Chops” M.
Thompson ’61, Long Lake, Minn.,
age 74, on September 11.
Sarah (Christiansen) Schuck ’95,
Hager City, Wis., age 64, on
November 29.
Dayel M. Olson ’44, Storden,
Minn., age 87, on October 11.
Warren C. Nelson ’52, Buffalo,
Minn., age 86, on July 7.
Richard L. Strand ’66, Mayville,
N.D., age 70, on December 1.
Peter A. Lokkesmoe ’47, Elgin,
Ill., age 90, on March 20.
Elwood Nestvold ’52, Houston,
Texas, age 81, on January 11,
2014.
Dale L. Strom ’66, Venice, Fla.,
age 71, on October 24.
Sandra “Sandy” S. (Hawley)
Hamann ’00, Fredericksburg,
Iowa, age 58, on October 23.
Mildred I. (Krinke) Sandel ’42,
North Mankato, Minn., age 94,
on September 9.
John R. Bergeron ’43, Detroit
Lakes, Minn., age 93, on
October 12.
Floyd J. G. Rodmyre ’43, Eden
Prairie, Minn., age 92, on
September 17.
Verona A. (Woyke) Blasing ’44,
Mankato, Minn., age 89, on
October 7.
Christine M. (Westman) Behrend
’48, Manistique, Mich., age 88,
on October 29.
Rona B. (Quanbeck) Emerson
’48, Kenyon, Minn., age 90, on
November 1.
Anna M. (Strand) Olson ’49,
Amery, Wis., age 88, on
September 10.
36
Augsburg Now
LaVerne “Lu” A. (Gothe)
Engelstad ’50, Moorhead,
Minn., age 86, on October 16.
Sylvia R. (Kleven) Hanson ’50,
Big Lake, Minn., age 86, on
November 7.
Ann B. (Spencer) Zaudtke ’50,
Meadows Place, Texas, age 86,
on October 5.
Luella (Neumann) Hanson ’51,
Phoenix, Ariz., age 90, on
August 15.
Orville B. Walters ’52,
Minnetonka, Minn., age 89, on
November 29.
Marlys P. (Stock) Giese ’53,
Morris, Minn., age 83, on
September 15.
Wayne G. Steinbrecker ’55,
Princeton, Minn., age 82, on
November 2.
Paul W. Frank ’69, Brooklyn
Park, Minn., age 66, on
September 18.
Jeffrey T. Kosse ’70,
Minneapolis, age 67, on
September 16.
Arnold “Bud” M. Rader ’71,
Minneapolis, age 69, on
December 23.
Nancy J. Mohs ’08, Lakeville,
Minn., age 46, on October 30.
Professor Emeritus Henry
Follingstad, Arden Hills, Minn.,
age 92, on October 1.
The “In memoriam” listings in this
publication include notifications
received before January 10.
THE CENTER FOR SCIENCE,
BUSINESS, AND RELIGION
HELP BUILD A SOLID
FOUNDATION FOR
FUTURE AUGGIES
Read about the $10 million gift to name
the new building on the inside front cover.
Briana Alamilla ’17
Marketing major
Buy a Brick. Build a Legacy.
A
ugsburg College invites you to join your fellow alumni and participate
in the Buy a Brick, Build a Legacy program. When you buy a brick, you
are doing your part to help make Augsburg’s newest academic building, the
Center for Science, Business, and Religion, a reality.
The CSBR will replace the existing 60-year-old Science Hall and
bring together academic disciplines that reflect our commitment to
interdisciplinary education and academic excellence.
WITH YOUR DONATION:
• Augsburg will inscribe a brick with your name or the name
of someone you’d like to honor.
• Each brick will be incorporated into the building of the CSBR,
creating a lasting legacy for the future of Augsburg.
• You will receive official recognition of your participation.
Foundation Brick
(40 characters, 3 lines) = $250
Legacy Brick
(80 characters, 6 lines) = $500
Your support will help educate and inspire
students for generations to come.
START BUILDING TODAY
augsburg.edu/csbr
For more information, call 612-330-1085.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 2031
Bill Nye wows audience at Augsburg College
Bill Nye “The Science Guy” captivated 1,800 guests at a sold-out, on-campus presentation during Augsburg’s Scholarship Weekend,
a time when high school seniors visit the College to vie for highly competitive scholarships. During his address, “How Science Can
Save the World,” Nye spoke about planetary science, climate change, environmental awareness, and more. Nye took a “selfie” with
the delighted crowd, which included 650 high school students from 12 states.
Show less
The Class of 2014 reflects
Grants gain ground
Spotlight on research
Faithful and relevant
AN
EDUCATION
ACTIVE
SUMMER 2014 | VOL. 76, NO. 3
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing
Communication
Kat... Show more
The Class of 2014 reflects
Grants gain ground
Spotlight on research
Faithful and relevant
AN
EDUCATION
ACTIVE
SUMMER 2014 | VOL. 76, NO. 3
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing
Communication
Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
An alternative narrative of higher education
Our colleague, Harry Boyte, who heads Augsburg’s
Center for Democracy and Citizenship, recently
argued in The Huffington Post that America
needs an alternative narrative of higher education, one that focuses not on meritocratic
excellence, but on “cooperative excellence...[the]
principle that a mix of people from highly varied
backgrounds can achieve remarkable intellectual,
social, political, and spiritual growth if they have
the right encouragements, resources, challenges,
and calls to public purpose.” And, as Harry
further points out, we have the makings of this
alternative story of higher education in institutions like Augsburg, with its rich heritage of faith,
learning, and service.
And so we do, as this issue of Augsburg Now
so compellingly illustrates. You hear it in the
stories our recent graduates tell about what they
love about Augsburg—its people, its location, its
diversity, its commitment to service and justice, its
educational experience like no other. You hear it in
the tributes to retiring faculty members like Donald
“Gus” Gustafson and athletic legends like Edor
Nelson ’38 and Ed Saugestad ’59—even as you
read the accomplishments of this year’s distinguished teachers and scholars, future legends. You
hear it in accounts of innovative theater programming, bringing together students from Augsburg
and the University of Minnesota to perform a
groundbreaking production of Peer Gynt at the
university’s arboretum. You hear it in the voices
of students and alumni sharing their vocational
journeys, shaped in this remarkable community.
The power of the Augsburg story is that it is
not new—it is what I call “the saga of Augsburg”
(see my recent essay, “Lessons on Vocation and
Location: The Saga of Augsburg College as Urban
Settlement” at augsburg.edu/president/presentations), a story that is grounded in our rich history
as a college dedicated to the Lutheran Christian
faith, to the power of a liberal arts education, to
vocational discernment, and to our urban setting.
And it is a story more relevant than ever, as it
counters the ways in which higher education is
viewed as a commodity to be purchased, a ticket
simply to a successful career, a stepping stone
instead of a firm foundation.
Our society needs an alternative story about
higher education in order to recover its soul.
Augsburg offers such a story in both its history and
its aspirations as a 21st century “student-centered
urban university, small to our students and big for
the world.” And now we need to recruit a corps of
storytellers—good folks like you—who know this
story well and are willing to stand with us to share
it with the world. In our tradition, that is called
evangelism. Will you join us?
Integrated Communication
Specialist/Augsburg Now
Project Manager
Laura Swanson
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate
Denielle Johnson ’11
johnsod@augsburg.edu
Marketing Copywriter
Christina Haller
haller@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Production Manager/Now Online
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President
for Advancement
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Faithfully yours,
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
CB 142
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
langemo@augsburg.edu
Email: now@augsburg.edu
summer 2014
AUGSBURG NOW
Features
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9
16
23
12
16
24
29
Faithful and relevant
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
We love Augsburg
EDITED BY LAURA SWANSON
What is it?
BY LAURA SWANSON
Grants gain ground
COMPILED BY STEPHANIE WEISS
Departments
inside
front
cover
Notes from President Pribbenow
02 Around the Quad
09 My Auggie experience
15 Auggie athletics
23 Auggie voices
30 Alumni news
35 Alumni class notes
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24
38 In memoriam
40 It takes an Auggie
On the cover
Each summer, Augsburg College students complete on-campus research activities across a
wide range of academic disciplines. Learn about Auggies’ recent projects on page 24.
Correction: The Spring 2014 issue of Augsburg Now included an archival photo of Science Hall as part of the My Auggie
experience story. The caption accompanying the image should have noted that the building, in its early years, housed the
home economics department in addition to the offices, laboratories, and rooms named.
All photos and archival photo compilations by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
AROUND THE QUAD
Excellence in
teaching and learning
Choir performs
throughout Ireland
The 2014 Distinguished Contributions recipients [L to R]:
Shana Watters, Phil Adamo, and Stacy Freiheit.
Each year, the Augsburg College faculty recognizes select colleagues with
the Distinguished Contributions to Teaching and Learning awards—acknowledging those who have demonstrated outstanding support for students through
teaching, advising, and mentoring.
The 2014 recipients include:
The Augsburg Choir delivered their annual
Bon Voyage Performance May 2, then traveled to Ireland for an international tour. The
group performed in Cork, Dublin, Limerick,
and Newbridge; they also took time to visit
the Rock of Cashel, Blarney Castle, and the
Cliffs of Moher on Ireland’s rugged western
coast. To read more about their trip, visit
the students’ blog at engage.augsburg.edu/
augsburgchoir.
EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING: Stacy Freiheit, associate professor of psychology
“As a professor, [Stacy] ensures that she engages students in the material
that she is teaching and makes it personal…She is very creative and open,
and implements a multitude of methods to help students learn—from videos,
to interviews, to live demonstrations.” —Amineh Safi ’14, psychology and
political science major
Day at the Capitol
EXCELLENCE IN SCHOLARSHIP: Phil Adamo, associate professor of history and
director of the Medieval Studies Program
“[Phil] has an ability to fold students into his scholarship, providing them
with rich and meaningful experiences that develop them as young scholars.”
—Dixie Shafer, director of Augsburg’s Office of Undergraduate Research and
Graduate Opportunity
EXCELLENCE IN ADVISING AND MENTORING: Shana Watters, associate professor
of computer science
“[Shana] really shines. She is interesting; she is supportive; she has high
expectations; she is fun. She takes her responsibility to her students very
seriously, but never takes herself too seriously. As a result, she has been a
remarkable mentor to many students, even those who have not chosen to
pursue computer science.” —Carrie Shidla, Augsburg program manager and
assistant director of academic advising
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Augsburg Now
Brid Henry ’16 meets Minnesota State Sen. Charles Wiger
during the Day at the Capitol event.
This spring, Augsburg Day at the Capitol gave
students a voice in the important debate surrounding the Minnesota State Grant program.
Augsburg students met with lawmakers and
wrote letters advocating continued support for
this important financial aid.
City and state officials judge
‘The Great Economic Debate’
Courtesy of University of Minnesota Children’s Hospital
at
[L to R]: Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Minnesota Department of
Commerce Commissioner Michael Rothman, and Minneapolis Mayor
Betsy Hodges.
MASTER OF MUSIC THERAPY
Augsburg’s music therapy program has provided students with a
holistic approach to health care through music medicine since
1974. To build on that tradition, Augsburg is launching a music
therapy graduate program in the Twin Cities beginning this fall.
The Master of Music Therapy (MMT) program will engage students in
life-changing experiences and experiential learning, and foster a
holistic view of the use of music in health, healing, and well-being.
For more information about the MMT, visit augsburg.edu/mmt.
The Minnesota Urban Debate League (MNUDL)—a program
of Augsburg College—in May hosted its second Mayor’s
Challenge. Saint Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, Minnesota
Department of Commerce Commissioner Michael Rothman,
and Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges served as judges
for a student debate resolving that the North American
Free Trade Agreement has been beneficial for the
economy of Mexico and the United States, specifically
Minnesota. This spring, MNUDL also hosted its first
Spanish Debate Invitational, a Spanish tournament for
Twin Cities middle and high school students, as a way
to make forensics available to more students and to
help extend the reach of the positive work of MNUDL.
Courtesy photo
STROMMEN SPEAKERS SERIES
This April, the Strommen Executive Speakers Series, which
brings local business leaders to campus to share insight and
expertise, featured Jon Campbell, executive vice president of
Wells Fargo. With 36 years of banking experience at Wells
Fargo, Campbell presented “Finding Vocation in Corporate
Philanthropy,” touching on his career path, which has been
characterized by a strong emphasis on community service.
CONNECT. NETWORK. LEAD.
Summer 2014
3
AROUND THE QUAD
Honoring our retired faculty
WILLIAM ARDEN
DONALD “GUS” GUSTAFSON
Assistant Professor, Business
Administration
Professor, History
Joined the College – 2005
Education – bachelor’s, Gustavus
Adolphus College; master’s and
PhD, University of Wisconsin
Education – bachelor’s, New
York University; master’s,
Northeastern University (Boston);
MBA, Boston University
“One of my most memorable
experiences as a teacher was my first time in a classroom.
I taught a graduate marketing course (at another institution)
and walked out of class the first night saying, ‘I haven’t had
this much fun in a job in a long time!’”
Joined the College – 1961
Gustafson thrives most on
the sheer delight of teaching—
students from his classes usually
remember Rasputin, Alsace-Lorraine, and Che Guevara.
GRETCHEN IRVINE
Assistant Professor, Education
RUTH ENESTVEDT
Joined the College – 1993
Assistant Professor, Nursing
Education – bachelor’s, College
of St. Teresa; master’s, University
of Wisconsin-River Falls; PhD,
University of Minnesota
Joined the College – 1999
Education – bachelor’s, St.
Olaf College; master’s and PhD,
University of Minnesota
“We assume that people are
experts in their own lives. We
provide useful, relevant service
that respects what the person brings to the situation.”
MARK ENGEBRETSON
Professor, Physics
Joined the College – 1976
Education – bachelor’s, Luther
College; Master of Divinity,
Luther Theological Seminary;
master’s and PhD, University of
Minnesota
One of the most important
features of Engebretson’s work is sharing it with his
students. His research grants from NASA and the
National Science Foundation have supported dozens of
undergraduate student research opportunities that educate
and motivate science students.
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Augsburg Now
“I believe in using the
community as a research tool
and bringing the community into the classroom through
resource speakers. Respect for the unique characteristic of
each student is essential.”
JEFFREY JOHNSON
Associate Professor, Physics
Joined the College – 1985
Education – bachelor’s, master’s,
MBA, and PhD, University of
Minnesota
Johnson likes to teach
quantum physics and astronomy,
which, he says, “allows me
to give my students an appreciation of the wonder and
weirdness of our universe.”
ASHOK KAPOOR
Associate Professor, Business
Administration
Joined the College – 1998
Education – bachelor’s and master’s,
University of Delhi; master’s and
MBA, University of Minnesota; PhD,
Temple University
“Augsburg is different from
other institutions in that we have a vocational aspect to our
education, which fits in with my thinking. I tell my students
that they can do whatever they want, as long as they excel.
They will then be happy in life.”
DAWN LUDWIG
Director and Assistant Professor,
Physician Assistant Studies Program
Joined the College – 1995
Education – bachelor’s, University
of Colorado-Denver; master’s
and PA Certificate, University of
Colorado Health Science Center;
PhD, Capella University
One of the guiding principles in Ludwig’s approach to
teaching is to help students maintain a focus on service to
others, and to always be aware of how one good deed can
bless another person’s life.
ROBERT STACKE ’71
Associate Professor and
Department Chair, Music
Joined the College – 1990
Education – bachelor’s, Augsburg
College; master’s, University of
St. Thomas; PhD, University of
Minnesota
“I am very proud of the
number of students who have a chance to be involved in
Augsburg’s music program. One of the benefits of attending a
liberal arts college is having the opportunity to perform even
if you are not a music major.”
Faculty Recognition Luncheon
This spring, Augsburg celebrated
the careers and contributions of
retiring faculty members at the
Faculty Recognition Luncheon. The
event included a program and a
display of recent scholarship and
teaching materials.
CELEBRATING STUDENT SUCCESS
Scholarships and fellowships
Augsburg students earned a range of prestigious accolades
during spring semester, including the following:
BARRY GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP
Eric Bowman ’15, a biology and
chemistry major and McNair
Scholar, received an honorable
mention in the Barry Goldwater
Scholarship competition.
The Goldwater Foundation
provides $7,500 undergraduate
scholarships to students who
plan to pursue a research career
in a STEM (science, technology,
engineering, and mathmatics)
field, and the scholarship is the
premier undergraduate award
of its type in these fields. Bowman was one of only eight
Minnesotans to receive an honorable mention this year.
BENJAMIN A. GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the Benjamin
A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers grants
for U.S. citizen undergraduate students of limited financial
means to pursue academic studies or credit-bearing, careeroriented internships abroad. Since 2008, 36 Auggies
have been awarded a total of $150,000 from the Gilman
International Scholarship.
This spring, sociology and psychology major Pa-Loo Lor ’14
studied at Augsburg’s exchange partner, Hong Kong Baptist
University. This summer, GaoSheng Yang ’14 studied and
interned in Shanghai. She is an international relations major
with a minor in management information systems. And this
fall, biology major Fowsia Elmi ’15, international business and
finance major Smeret Hailom ’15, and sociology major Ayan
Khayro ’15 will study in Turkey; and music major Elizabeth
Fontaine ’16 will study in Indonesia.
HAWKINSON AWARD
The Hawkinson Foundation for Peace & Justice has awarded
Ibrahim Al-Hajiby ’14 the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation
Scholarship. This scholarship was created by the Foundation
to encourage students who have already demonstrated a
6
Augsburg Now
commitment to peace and justice to strive for peace and
justice both in their educational pursuits and in their personal
and professional lives.
KEMPER SCHOLARS PROGRAM
Najma Warsame ’17, a communication studies student, was
named the College’s fourth Kemper Scholar. Students in this
prestigious program, which is funded by the James S. Kemper
Foundation, receive academic scholarships and stipends to
cover the costs of two summer internships in major nonprofit
and for-profit organizations. Augsburg is one of only 16
U.S. liberal arts colleges with the Kemper Scholars Program
distinction.
NEWMAN CIVIC FELLOWS AWARD
Vincent Henry ’15 was named a Newman Civic Fellow for
2014. The Newman Civic Fellow Award is a Campus Compact
distinction recognizing students who—through service,
research, and advocacy—work to identify the root causes of
social issues and effective mechanisms for creating lasting
change.
PHILLIPS SCHOLARSHIP
Each year, the Minnesota Private
College Council awards six
scholarships from the Jay and
Rose Phillips Family Foundation
of Minnesota to students
who attend its 17 member
institutions. This year, two of the
six were awarded to Augsburg
students Sagal Ali ’16 and Muna
Mohamed ’15. Ali will work on a
project that addresses the high
risk of obesity and the rise of
diabetes among Somali women,
while Mohamed’s project will focus on engaging Muslim
women in sports while honoring their religious and cultural
beliefs.
2014 PRESIDENTS’ CIVIC ENGAGEMENT STEWARD AWARD
The Augsburg student group Students for Racial Justice
won the Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward Award at
the Minnesota Campus Compact Summit that took place
this spring. This award recognizes those who have advanced
their campus’s distinctive civic mission by forming strong
partnerships, supporting civic engagement, and working to
institutionalize a culture and practice of engagement.
Student research awards and
achievements
ROSSING PHYSICS SCHOLARS
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN
ZYZZOGETON 2014
Two Augsburg College students have been named Rossing
Physics Scholars for 2014-15. Juan Tigre ’16 and Fikre
Beyene ’16 will receive $10,000 and $7,000, respectively.
The Rossing Fund for Physics Education Endowment in
the ELCA Foundation was established in 2005 for physics
majors at the 27 ELCA colleges.
TRAVELERS EDGE SCHOLARS AND TRAVELERS INTERNSHIPS
Stella Richardson Hohn ’15 and Lee Thao ’15 are interning
in St. Paul and Hartford, Conn., respectively, as part of the
Travelers Insurance Empowering Dreams for Graduation
and Employment (EDGE) program. This program focuses on
college recruitment and retention of low-income and firstgeneration students, and enhances awareness of careers in the
insurance and financial industries. In Minnesota, the focus
specifically is on students graduating from both the St. Paul
and Minneapolis public school districts.
Five additional Auggies—Lorreal Edwards ’16, Liban
Elmi ’16, Lyton Guallpa-Naula ’16, Angela Hernandez ’16, and
Seng Vue ’16—also will complete internships at Travelers
Insurance in St. Paul. This group will participate in professional
and leadership development workshops supported by the
Kemper Foundation to prepare for their internship opportunity.
VANN FELLOWSHIP
Michelle Grafelman ’15, an
Augsburg Presidential Scholar,
was awarded the $5,000 Vann
Fellowship in Biomedical Ethics at
Mayo Clinic. As a summer fellow,
she is working with physician and
research mentors within Mayo’s
Program in Professionalism and
Ethics to examine issues such as
end-of-life care, genetic therapies,
and patient consent, among others.
Zyzzogeton is an opportunity to
hear about the exciting scholarship
happening on campus. This year,
more than 80 students presented
their research and creative activity
to the Augsburg community in
the annual spring poster session,
which is sponsored by the Office
of Undergraduate Research and
Graduate Opportunity (URGO),
the McNair Scholars program, and
the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
program.
SUMMER 2014 OFF-CAMPUS RESEARCH APPOINTMENTS
This summer, several Auggie researchers will be building their
skills to support graduate school admissions and careers in
the sciences.
• Elly Bier ’14—physics; National Institute of Standards and
Technology
• Weih Borh ’16—chemistry; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
(LSAMP Summer Research Program)
• Chris DeVet ’15—chemistry; CIMA Labs pharmaceuticals
• Becca Freese ’16—biology and mathematics; University of
Minnesota (Summer Institute in Biostatistics)
• Kirubel Frew ’14—chemistry; working with Armon Sharei and
Katarina Blagovic at Harvard University and Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, respectively
• Cedith Giddings ’15—biology; University of Minnesota
(CHE-CTSI Advanced Research Program and Undergraduate
Research Program)
• Michelle Grafelman ’15—biology; Mayo Clinic (Vann
Fellowship in Bioethics)
Summer 2014
7
CELEBRATING STUDENT SUCCESS
• Daniel Hildebrandt ’15—biology and chemistry; Mayo Clinic
(Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship)
• Taylor Kuramoto ’15—mathematics; University of Tennessee,
Knoxville (National Institute for Mathematical and
Biological Synthesis)
•
Oscar Martinez ’16—
chemistry; Scripps Research
Institute in Jupiter, Fla.
(Summer Undergraduate
Research Fellows Program)
• Bethany Marlette ’14—biology;
Mayo Clinic
•
Yemi Melka ’15—chemistry and
international relations; Friends
Committee on National
Legislation in Washington, D.C.
• Lily Moloney ’15—chemistry;
Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, Calif. (Summer
Undergraduate Research Fellows Program)
• Promise Okeke ’15—biology; Harvard Stem Cell Institute of
the Harvard Medical School
• Andrew Roehl ’15—chemistry; Colorado State University
(Summer Research Experience for Undergraduates)
• Ben Swanson ’15—chemistry; Northwestern University
(Materials Research Science & Engineering Center)
• Sadie Tetrick ’16—physics; Dartmouth College Physics
Department
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Augsburg Now
POSTERS ON THE HILL
Each spring,
the Council on
Undergraduate
Research hosts its
annual undergraduate
poster session,
Posters on the Hill, in
Washington, D.C. At
the event, students
meet members of
Congress, funding agencies, and foundations, and have the
opportunity to advocate for undergraduate research programs.
Summa cum laude English graduate Margo Ensz ’13
was among the top 10 percent of applicants selected to
present and received an honorable mention for her URGO
summer research project, “Analyzing the Persistence of a
Sense of Place Among Young Adults in the Technology-Rich,
A-Contextual 21st Century,” advised by Colin Irvine, Augsburg
College associate professor of English.
SCHOLARS AT THE CAPITOL
During spring semester, Augsburg
TRIO McNair Scholars Amineh
Safi ’14 and David Fowler ’14
participated in the 11th annual
Private College Scholars at the
Capitol event. Each private
college in Minnesota annually
selects two students to attend the
event and present their research.
Safi’s research topic, “Racializing
Islam: Newspaper Portrayal of
Crime Involving Muslims and
Islam,” is a descriptive content
analysis examining how crimes
involving Muslims are portrayed
in the Star Tribune and the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Fowler’s
research focused on methods for studying heart development
and function in the model organism Daphnia magna.
MY AUGGIE EXPERIENCE
PEASANTS
AND TROLLS,
COLLABORATIONS
AND CHALLENGES
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
▲ Nearly 1,000 theatergoers visited the
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for
Peer Gynt’s three-day run. The character
of Peer Gynt was played by University of
Minnesota student Joe Kellen.
I
▲ Peer Gynt visits the troll kingdom in an attempt to marry the troll princess.
Imagine it’s spring and you are at a site
USA Today named as among the nation’s
10 greatest places in America to smell
the flowers. You start to meander along
a footpath that will lead you through a
natural habitat of trees and ferns to rolling
prairie and lowlands, all while birds sing
after a long winter.
As you round the corner from the
Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s
visitor center, you come across a small
homesteader’s cabin. It’s nestled among
the trees. A group of people, dressed as
peasants from the 1800s, bicker with one
another. You’ve just walked smack into the
middle of the set of Peer Gynt, a play by
Henrik Ibsen, being performed by students
from Augsburg College and the University
of Minnesota-Twin Cities.
The site-specific performance—a
production shaped by the unique place in
which it is performed and that relies upon
existing landscapes and features to serve
as the stage and sets—was the first time
the two schools collaborated and probably
the first site-specific production of this
▲ [Top of page] An audience watches an opening scene from Peer Gynt, a production by Augsburg College and the
University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. The Minnesota Landscape Arboretum’s historic Berens Cabin serves as the
backdrop for dialogue between the Peer Gynt character and his mother, seated on the wheelbarrow.
Summer 2014
9
said. “We thought the universe might
like them to meet. We wanted to see
new alliances formed and to create more
opportunities for artistic intersections
because theater and artists are best
served when more and more connections
can be made.”
The staging of this classic
Norwegian tale at a Minnesota landmark
also was a testament to the academic
excellence driven by Augsburg faculty
and alumni who create multifaceted
student-learning experiences.
“Faculty know that in order to
develop students’ abilities to think
critically and to solve problems—
essential 21st-century skills—we
need to expose them to hands-on
opportunities to work together,
to interact with people who think
differently from themselves, and to
provide time to reflect upon and voice
what they learn,” Engen said.
STUDENTS CO-CREATE SCRIPT
That multi-layered complexity drew
students to the story. Boo Segersin ’15,
an Augsburg theater major pursuing
A children’s playground serves as the set for a scene in Peer Gynt.
Existing landscape features are used to stage site-specific theater.
▲
scale for Twin Cities’ theatergoers.
“This adaptation demanded new
partnerships between schools and with
many theater artists—puppeteers,
movement specialists, musicians, [and]
fight choreographers. We pummeled
students with new experiences and
gave the audience a spectacular
performance,” said Darcey Engen
’88, associate professor and chair of
Augsburg’s Theater Arts program.
Collaborating with the University
of Minnesota allowed Engen and her
counterpart, Luverne Seifert ’83, to
assemble the large cast required by
the play: about 40 student actors in
all. And the complexity of the script
meant students would build new skills
in collaboration, forge friendships,
and nurture the beginnings of new
professional networking relationships
in the tightly connected world of Twin
Cities theater.
“It seemed odd to Darcey and me
that each night there were groups of
students creating all of this amazing
artistic energy, and they were only three
blocks away from one another,” Seifert
minors in musical theater and
Norwegian, said she was drawn in by the
density of Peer Gynt.
“I read the play over winter break
and wondered how we could do it. It’s
on mountains. It’s in mountains. There
are trolls. Just the landscapes were a
challenge in themselves,” Segersin said.
The students worked with Sarah
Myers, Augsburg College assistant
professor of theater arts, to adapt the
script and halve the length of the play.
“I was nervous to work on the script,
but one of the best parts was working—
as a full cast—with Sarah to cut things
down,” Segersin said. “We found the
‘red thread,’ the core storyline that runs
through the script, and, with that, found
our way.”
That thread allowed the students
to take the play from the three-hour
adaptation by famed Minnesota poet
Robert Bly to a compact 90 minutes
that was accessible to newcomers of all
ages but that remained engaging and
challenging for seasoned theatergoers.
It’s quite a feat when one considers that
Ibsen’s original was a hefty seven hours.
Boo Segersin ’15 (top) played the role of Solveig, a young woman who leaves her
family and insists upon living with Peer Gynt in his hand-hewn cabin. The role of
Peer Gynt’s mother, Åse, was played by Nikki Whittaker ’17 (bottom).
▲
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Augsburg Now
▲ Nearly 40 performers were involved in the Peer Gynt wedding scene.
▲
Students worked with professional master puppeteers to build and coordinate
the movement of a giant raven puppet with a nearly 20-foot wingspan.
NAVIGATING CULTURE, CAST,
WEATHER, AND LANDSCAPE
Wrestling with the script of the play—a
story of loss due to procrastination and
avoidance followed by redemption late in
life—was just one of the challenges faced
by students. They also had to identify
features in the arboretum’s landscape that
could serve as sets, deliver their lines in
open-air scenes with acoustics affected
by the landscape and ambient noises not
usually present in a theater, and learn
original music, all while getting to know
the culture and student performers from
another school.
Then there were the logistics for
which no planning can be done.
“Because of the variables involved,
site-specific theater provides attendees
the chance to see what is a once-in-alifetime performance and to leave having
been an active traveler in the play,” Engen
said. “For performers, there’s a textured
chaos that you can’t plan for and that
forces you to think fast and improvise
within boundaries. It leaves you exhausted
and exhilarated at the end.”
Being faced with those challenges
was just what Engen and Seifert wanted
for students. The two worked closely
to co-direct students in this first-ever
collaboration between the schools.
“Students learned to perform to
the moment at hand,” Engen said.
“Sometimes that meant changing the
energy and volume of lines to overcome
wind or a noisy attendee. Other times
it meant staying in character but
improvising when a young child persisted
in trying to break into the scene.”
Segersin said that it was a rewarding
experience to work with peers from the
University of Minnesota and to perform for
the nearly 1,000 attendees who visited
the arboretum for the production.
“This beautiful thing happened: We
became a team,” Segersin said. “And
now, sometimes, when I sleep, I dream
about them.”
BUILDING PROFESSIONAL
NETWORKS
The relationships and networks, though,
extend beyond just the student peers
at the two institutions. Engen used the
production to help students connect with
other theater professionals.
“Students built experience in creative
problem-solving with some of the Twin
Cities’ foremost theater professionals,
including master puppeteers, musicians,
and movement professionals,” Engen
said. “It was a chance for students to
explore the many ways to work in theater
and to challenge themselves to meld
these disciplines.”
Seifert added that making
connections with artists across disciplines
and fields is critical for the future of
theater and the artists.
“These students now can reach out
to one another to collaborate on future
projects,” he said. “This model allowed
us to give students an understanding of
how major companies in regional theater
increasingly are combining resources to
produce shows.”
That goal wasn’t lost on Segersin, who
was invited to work as a summer intern
with Sod House Theater, a production
company founded by Engen and Seifert.
“We’re still working out what it
means. But I will have the chance to work
with the performance of Peer Gynt at sites
around the state, to meet professional
Twin Cities’ actors and local actors, and to
network,” Segersin said.
Summer 2014
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faithful
strengths
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articulate
path
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relationships
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Faithful
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
experience
theology
service
vocation
reflect
Pictured [top to bottom]: Whitney Pratt ’11, Cody Tresselt-Warren ’09, and Jessica Spanswick ’10
Photo by Thomas Kosa
ith careers in accounting, education,
Grappling with vocation
military service, and pastoral ministry,
One of the aspects that Auggies in the Christensen Scholars
and Interfaith Scholars programs valued most about the
experience was the dedicated time to learn and to grapple
together with difficult topics and questions.
“Having that regular, dedicated time for discussion
helped us to better articulate our gifts, strengths, and
passions,” said Emily Wiles ’10, a youth and family ministry
major who this spring earned a Master of Divinity from Luther
Seminary. “We pushed each other to articulate our positions,
which helped me really connect with what I think and who
I am,” she said. As a result, “things that I might have
otherwise taken for granted, I came to ‘own’ as my gifts.” In
having to express and explain your perspectives, Wiles said,
“you really get to know yourself better.”
Also beneficial, according to several alumni, was the
opportunity to reflect on the full meaning of vocation. “My
generation is going to have 15 different jobs or careers in
our lifetimes,” said Cody Tresselt-Warren ’09, who majored
in accounting and religion at Augsburg and today is a tax
accountant at Wells Fargo & Company.
“You think, when you’re in college, that once you
graduate and get a job, you’re set,” he said. But there are
so many other important layers—from family obligations to
the needs of the wider world—that, “you have to interpret
your calling from a number of perspectives. It’s a dynamic,
evolving journey.”
Sylvia Bull ’10 agreed, noting that, especially in the
U.S.—a generally career-oriented culture—it is important
to expand the view of vocation beyond just a job or career.
Bull, an international relations and religion double major who
this spring completed her third year at Princeton Theological
Seminary in Princeton, N.J., sees faith as serving an
important role in considerations about vocation. We need to
“open our eyes of faith to see all of the things that we do in
our lives as part of God’s call,” she said.
six recent Augsburg alumni are finding
that their undergraduate experiences studying vocation and
interfaith leadership are paying off well beyond their
college years.
These Auggies participated in the Christensen Scholars
and Interfaith Scholars programs at Augsburg—programs that
provide scholarships for students to take upper-level religion
courses that thrust them deep into topics of faith, religious
diversity, service, theology, and vocation.
Meeting on weeknight evenings throughout the academic
year, students engaged with these topics—and each other—
through focused discussion, inquiry, service-learning, and
reflection. The number of scholarships available each year is
limited, so getting into the program is a competitive process,
involving writing an essay and obtaining a recommendation
from an Augsburg College faculty or staff member. Students
accepted to the programs earn four religion credits and a
$2,000 scholarship for the year. But, according to some of the
early alumni from the programs, the value of the experience
extends well beyond course credit and financial support.
Pictured [left to right]: Peter Weston Miller ’10, Emily Wiles ’10, and Sylvia Bull ’10
Summer 2014
13
And “even if faith is not explicitly part of the
conversation,” said Jessica Spanswick ’10, who today works
as director of career services at Globe University, “it is a
profound, shared human desire to seek and find meaning in
our lives.”
fully effective.” To function as a citizen in today’s world,
“you have to understand how people think and the beliefs on
which they base their social and moral codes.”
Welcoming difficult conversations
In the end, these Auggies agreed that the programs’ greatest
value was that they equipped participants to ask challenging
life questions—seemingly simple (but, actually, not-sosimple) questions like, “Where have you come from—and
where are you going?” and “How do you know you’re on the
right path?”
Consistently, all of these alumni said it was the
questions—not the answers—that were most meaningful
to them. In fact, they have each continued the practice of
asking and reflecting on difficult questions and they shared
some of the questions they regularly encounter in their lives
today:
Asking tough questions
Alumni from these programs also shared an appreciation
for how their experiences helped them develop the listening
and interpersonal skills to learn from and understand others.
“We learned to step boldly and respectfully into difficult
conversations,” said Peter Weston Miller ’10, “meeting
people where they were at, where God had uniquely called
them to be.”
Weston Miller, an English major who also completed his
Master’s of Divinity at Luther Seminary this past spring, said
these conversations taught the participants how to “build
relationships based on human integrity and dignity, not just
[based on] topics” that they agreed upon.
“We learned to know ourselves better through the eyes of
others, despite different backgrounds, political leanings, and
socio-economic statuses,” he said.
In particular, alumni from the programs valued the
opportunity to interact and work with people who bring
different faith perspectives. “Speaking with people from
many different faith backgrounds helped me learn to listen to
and understand others’ views and beliefs,” said Spanswick,
who majored in international relations at Augsburg and
recently completed her MBA at Globe University. In her
current work, Spanswick meets people from many different
cultures, and she noted that their cultural practices often
differ because of faith traditions.
Whitney Pratt ’11, who majored in economics at
Augsburg and serves as a first lieutenant in the U.S. Air
Force, agreed that interfaith competency is an important life
skill. “Religion is such an important facet of our lives,” she
said. “Most of our political struggles center around topics
that stem from the moral foundations” that different groups
of people use to guide their behaviors and interactions in
society.
“You can try to build intercultural competence, but
without understanding religion,” Pratt said, “you won’t be
• “Am I questioning my current path because I don’t like it
[today] or because it’s really not my calling?”
• “How do I remain true to my Lutheran beliefs and still
operate in an ecumenically diverse organization?”
• “How will what I want to say affect this other person?”
• “If this current path is not my calling, what’s the best step
to take to explore what is right?”
“As our lives and our world change,” Weston Miller said,
“we need to keep asking these questions in order to keep
ourselves expanding, growing, nurturing, and propelled
forward in God’s calling for all of us.”
Continually asking these questions and searching for
meaning helps us to see the world not just as it is, Wiles
added, but as it could be.
reflection
• And, the question that Martin Luther is famous for: “What
does this mean?”
learn
care
journey
leadership
life welcoming
pathdiverse
call
world appreciation
respectfully discussion citizen
moral calling competence
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Augsburg Now
skill passions opportunity
work answers
FROM GAME TIME TO LIFETIME
Influence of Auggie icons shapes alumni and today’s campus
August 18 marks the 100th birthday of legendary Augsburg
College coach Edor Nelson ’38.
Nelson is one of the elite Augsburg coaches who profoundly
impacted the College’s athletic programs and whose influence
echoed in the lives of student-athletes beyond their competitions
on athletic fields, rinks, and courts.
At Augsburg, the legacies of renowned coaching staff
and faculty live on in the facilities that carry their names, are
exhibited in their own philanthropy, and can be seen in the
generosity they inspire in others.
Bruce Nelson ’71, son of Edor Nelson, said coaches such
as his father grew up in an era in which sacrifice for the greater
good was common, and coaches played larger roles in the lives of
student-athletes than simply running drills.
“These coaches taught student-athletes about commitment
and that a team is bigger than the individuals,” said Bruce, who
lives out what he learned—in part—by serving as president of the
Augsburg A-Club, a service organization of former and current
Auggie student-athletes and friends of the College.
Bruce knows from first-hand experience that student-athletes
see, understand, and appreciate the ways their mentors continue
to influence their lives as they move on to new opportunities.
“Very few athletes, when they’re older, talk about wins and
losses. They talk about camaraderie, support, and struggles,”
Bruce said. “They remember that my dad helped them get jobs
out of college—that the support didn’t stop after graduation.”
Nelson is one of a group of long-tenured coaches who are
pillars in the Auggie community. Others include:
•
Ernie Anderson ’37–Coach of Augsburg’s men’s basketball
team from 1947-1970, Anderson also was athletic director
for 33 years from 1947-1980. His tenure inspired the Ernie
Anderson Court in Si Melby Hall.
•
Marilyn Pearson Florian ’76–Coach of Augsburg’s women’s
volleyball team from 1981-1998, she also was the women’s
athletic director from 1988-2007. She increased the number
of women’s sports and of female student-athletes.
AUGGIE ATHLETICS
•
Edor Nelson ’38–An Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame member,
Nelson coached football from 1947-1969 and baseball from
1946-1979. Augburg’s outdoor athletic field bears his name.
•
Lavonne Johnson Peterson ’50–“Mrs. Pete” led the ‘Auggiettes’
basketball team in 13 unbeaten seasons from the 1950s to
the 1970s and was an instructor until 1980. Augsburg named
the health and physical education center in her honor.
•
Joyce Anderson Pfaff ’65–A pioneer in women’s athletics and
in the establishment of varsity women’s sports, Pfaff was
Augsburg’s first women’s athletic director, serving from 19721998. She also taught for 43 years.
•
Ed Saugestad ’59–Coach of the men’s hockey team from
1958-1996, Saugestad’s championship teams claimed three
NAIA national and six MIAC state titles. One of Augsburg’s
hockey rinks is named in honor of Saugestad, who passed
away in March.
•
Jeff Swenson ’79–Wrestling team coach for 25 years,
Swenson has served the past 10 years as athletic director.
Auggies brought home 10 national wrestling titles under his
leadership, and the wrestling wall of fame bears his name.
Today the commitment of these coaches continues to be honored
through philanthropic initiatives by alumni whom they inspired.
Corky Hall ’71, Augsburg’s first men’s hockey All-American,
is challenging fellow student-athletes-turned-Augsburg-alumni
to raise funds for a named space in the Center for Science,
Business, and Religion (CSBR) to honor Saugestad. (Read more
about Saugestad’s legacy on page 33.)
Mark Rabbe ’53, one of Edor Nelson’s baseball players, is
funding a faculty office in the CSBR to honor the coach. And
additional challenges are underway to honor the centennial of
Edor Nelson’s birth.
These Augsburg alumni—and many others who have stepped
up to join a philanthropic challenge—demonstrate that alumni
athletes recognize the role coaches played in positively shaping
their lives and are willing to seize the opportunity to make a
positive impact on the Auggies of tomorrow.
Summer 2014
15
WE
LOVE
AUGSBURG
THE CLASS OF 2014 SHARES MEMORIES, STORIES,
AND TAKEAWAYS FROM THEIR TIME AS STUDENTS
EDITED BY LAURA SWANSON
This spring, hundreds of new alumni celebrated their graduation at Augsburg College
Commencement ceremonies. While these events often are treated as a conclusion—the
grand finale at the end of years of study and hard work—it’s important to remember that
commencement, in its very definition, marks a beginning or start.
As Augsburg’s newest graduates prepared to launch into new challenges and opportunities with an Augsburg degree in hand, we began to wonder, “What was it about this
campus…this curriculum…this College that they came to appreciate during their time
as students?”
So, we asked.
And the Class of 2014 answered.
This list, in no particular order, includes a brief sample of the things Auggies love about
Augsburg. While it cannot represent all of the College’s valued traits, it does help depict
just how unique the institution is. Our students, our alumni, our location, our heritage,
and our mission help influence this place, just as the College—in turn—shapes many of
these entities. Let’s take a look at why there’s so much to love about Augsburg College
and why it’s such a privilege that WE ARE CALLED AUGGIES.
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Augsburg Now
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1
The mission
AUGSBURG COLLEGE
EDUCATES STUDENTS TO BE
INFORMED CITIZENS,
THOUGHTFUL STEWARDS,
CRITICAL THINKERS, AND
RESPONSIBLE LEADERS.
Working to be
“Green by 2019”
“I love [Augsburg’s] effort to make
the world a better place through
means such as eliminating the
It says it all, doesn’t it?
“I love Augsburg’s commitment to being an institution that prepares
students for life beyond academics.” —KIMBERLY CLUB ’14
carbon footprint.”
—MITCHELL FUCHS ’14 MSW
Intentional diversity
“I appreciate Augsburg’s dedication
not only to being a diverse community but also to giving students the
opportunity to fully acknowledge this
through various assignments and
campus activities.”
—SIERRA BARGER ’14
That small-college feel
4
“Augsburg is big enough to
fit your needs, and small
enough that you’ll be noticed.”
Summer 2014
17
The faculty
Professors, teachers, faculty members, instructors, mentors, and
friends. The Class of 2014 used many names to describe the people
at the head of the classroom and the backbone of their education.
And, not surprisingly, these people were the most-cited aspect to
love about Augsburg.
“The faculty are top notch and some of the most caring and
conscientious people I have ever met.” —HOLLY HANSON ’14 MAN
“Professors are understanding and accommodating of nontraditional students’ individual circumstances.”
—MAYA SUTTON ’14 MAE
“I love the close-knit community between students and professors.”
—ANDREW DENT ’14
Life in the city
Augsburg is the only college of the ELCA located in
the heart of a large urban area, and students use
the Twin Cities as a metropolitan classroom where
they can engage with College neighbors, community
partners, and companies large and small.
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“I love Augsburg because of its strong commitment
to its mission and its dedication to being a College
of the city. I have never been anywhere that has a
clearer sense of its identity or that has tried harder to
be a ‘good neighbor.’” —MARTHA TRUAX ’14 MAL,
DIRECTOR OF ANNUAL GIVING
Athletics
Augsburg teammates develop bonds akin to a “second family.” From
hockey to swimming and from basketball to lacrosse, approximately
450 students participate in varsity athletics at the College each year.
It’s a good thing maroon is always in style.
“The bond that was built over the years of workouts, practices, games,
wins, losses, and just hanging out was one of the biggest benefits to
me throughout my college career.” —GARY MARISCAL ’14
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Augsburg Now
The dress code
Okay, okay. Wearing Norwegian sweaters to Velkommen Jul and
bowties with formalwear isn’t actually required. But, it’s fun!
Experiential education
Augsburg was the first Minnesota college or
university to receive the Presidential Award for
Community Service. Each fall, incoming first-year
and transfer students participate in City Service
Day—a day on which the students volunteer at
organizations matched to their degree programs
and learn in the neighborhoods that surround
Augsburg’s Minneapolis campus. Undergraduate
students begin their experiential education on
Day 1, and it’s a priority that extends throughout
each of Augsburg’s degree programs.
9
“I learned how to be a ‘citizen professional,’ and
work collaboratively with others to solve problems.”
—JUDY SCHLAEFER ’14 DNP
Global learning
opportunities
Cohorts
Augsburg undergraduate and
graduate students take courses
around the world. Whether studying business in Germany, nursing
in Namibia, or psychology in Slovenia, Auggies find that learning
and living in a foreign culture
catalyze academic, intercultural,
and personal leadership skills and
Some of Augsburg’s programs follow a cohort
model that allows students to travel together
from course to course, fostering strong relationships between classmates and outlining a clear
path toward a degree.
“The cohort model for the MBA program allows
for great camaraderie!” —AVA BEILKE ’14 MBA
responsible global citizenship.
12
Dining together in Rochester
“Meals for the Rochester students kept [our]
energy up for long evening classes.”
—HEIDI OCHTRUP-DEKEYREL ’14
Small class sizes
13
Augsburg’s undergraduate classes average 13
to 17 students, which allows Auggies to learn
from—and with—their professors and classmates.
Summer 2014
19
Nearby restaurants
When it comes to dining out, the CedarRiverside neighborhood has something for
everyone.
15
“I love that I can get a gyro, chicken curry,
or Chicago-style hot dog all within a couple
blocks of my dorm.”
—SAMANTHA CANTRALL ’14
Tracy’s (just across I-94 on Franklin
Avenue) serves up the “Augsburger,” which
features two beef patties, sharp cheddar
cheese, barbecue sauce, bacon, lettuce,
tomato, mayo, and a side of school spirit.
Yum, yum.
“Tracy’s is amazing and within walking
distance!” —EMMA WINEGAR ’14
Auggie Days
Leading up to the start of the fall semester, this on-campus orientation for
incoming first-year students is so memorable that people think of it as a
highlight of their Augsburg experience—even four years later. Part of the
fun includes a Neighborhood Challenge relay in Murphy Square.
The campus
Not every school is so lucky as to have a
7 ½ Street on campus.
“I love that you can walk anywhere on
campus in less than 10 minutes.”
16
—MOLLIE KING ’14
Peers (of course)
“The people—friendly, genuine, and approachable.”
—DENISE HERRERA ’14 MAL,
SENIOR ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR
“I love the ability to build life-long relationships
with people from many different backgrounds and
from many different places around the world.”
—MATTHEW SCHIRBER ’14
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Augsburg Now
StepUP®
Augsburg’s StepUP Program helps students champion lives of recovery, achieve
academic success, and thrive in a community of accountability and support.
StepUP annually serves more than 100
students and is the largest residential
collegiate recovery program in the U.S.
18
The skyline
19
The Minneapolis campus has an
eagle-eye view of downtown that’s
perfectly fitting for the Auggie
mascot. (We’ll let you know how
things are coming on the new
Vikings stadium).
“There’s a stellar view of the
city from the top of Mortensen.”
—JOE VOKRACKA ’14
On-campus art galleries, pop-up exhibits…
The staff
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…guest speakers, music ensemble performances, and research festivals.
It isn’t an exaggeration to say that there’s always something happening at Augsburg. Each spring, Zyzzogeton celebrates the creativity and
scholarship of undergraduate students. It’s fun to say—and to attend. The
College also hosts scholars and professionals at the leading edge in students’ academic disciplines and showcases artwork by visiting artists and
Auggies. The exhibition spaces around
campus transform multiple times each
year in order to present an array of
innovative and inspirational pieces.
Zyz·zo·ge·ton
“I love the changing art exhibits.” —WHITNEY WORLEY ’14 MPA
You name it; they do it. In many ways, Augsburg locations are like
small cities unto themselves where students eat, sleep, shop, socialize, learn, and live. Augsburg staff members foster an exceptional
student experience at locations in Minnesota and around the world.
“I love the super helpful and nice financial aid advisers, and the wellorganized Registrar’s Office staff.” —HOLLY REDDY ’14
The changing seasons
Winter sometimes can last a tad too long, but
Minnesota’s seasons certainly add variety to
Augsburg’s academic calendar. Each year the
Quad features fall colors, spring blooms, summer
picnics, and winter snow angels, which means
the weather outside helps to emphasize the timeliness of the College’s in-house traditions.
Summer 2014
21
Nearby sidewalks, trails, and bike lanes
Home of the Greenway and the Chain of Lakes, Minneapolis has
92 miles of on-street bikeways and 85 miles of off-street paths,
not to mention an abundance of pedestrian-only zones.
“I love running and walking on the River Road.”
—LAUREN RICE ’14
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A snapshot of graduation
The graduating class of 2014 added more than
750 Auggies—from our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs—to the College’s
alumni ranks.
Commencement ceremonies held May 3-4
featured the theme “Thoughtful Stewards,”
which was inspired by the College’s mission
statement and reflected the Augsburg communi-
Arts and culture
Minneapolis has world-class museums, a vibrant dance
scene, and more theater seats per capita than any U.S.
city outside New York. It’s no wonder Minneapolis was
named one of America’s most creative cities, and it’s no
surprise that Auggies take advantage of the visual and
performing arts in their midst.
“I love seeing new work at the Playwright Center just
down the road.” —HANNAH YOUNGQUIST ’14
22
Augsburg Now
ty’s passion for social justice and sustainability.
To see additional photos or watch Commencement
ceremony videos, go to augsburg.edu/now.
25
Its influence
“Augsburg changed how I think.”
—PETER MOORE ’14 MAL
Philosophy
The
AUGGIE VOICES
BEHIND A CAREER
She’s a lawyer, a seasoned business operations
executive, a mother of two, a biotech entrepreneur,
and a restaurant owner. She’s also a philosophy and
political science double major, and an Auggie.
In the years since she graduated from Augsburg
College, Naomi Williamson ’78 has charted a career
path that has taken her into multiple, disparate
industries and types of organizations.
“I like the challenge,” Williamson said. Each new
opportunity introduces “a new orbit of people and a
different knowledge area.”
Indeed: After completing her bachelor’s degree,
Williamson went on to earn a law degree at the
University of Minnesota Law School and worked as
a litigator at Larkin Hoffman, one of Minnesota’s
largest full-service law firms. From there, she joined
Honeywell, where she spent 15 years in contracts,
marketing, sales, process quality, and supply chain
management. After that, she helped a medical
pathologist with a successful biotech start-up, and,
then, in 2007, she started a restaurant with her
husband, Roger Kubicki, and veteran restaurant
owner Michael Kutscheid—while also working on
the side as an aircraft manufacturing contracts and
negotiations consultant.
Williamson’s appetite for digging into a challenge
and seeking new knowledge was evident even before
she launched her professional career, however. She
fell in love with philosophy, she said, after trying to
make sense of the writings of Immanuel Kant.
“It took me four hours to read 40 pages” she
said. “I didn’t fully understand it, but I thought that
if I did, I might be able to find the answers I was
looking for.”
This willingness to do the hard work to make
sense of things is so consistently woven into
Williamson’s educational and career choices that it
appears to be more of an internal drive, a calling,
than a choice.
“I just can’t get myself on easy street,” she
joked. “I’m always doing something to make sure that
my next step is just as hard as the last one.”
Naomi Williamson ’78 is co-owner of Sanctuary, a
restaurant in Minneapolis’ Mill City district. Of all her
career experiences, Williamson said that the restaurant
business is “far and away the most difficult.”
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
Summer 2014
23
What is it
Scenes from undergraduate students’
ON-CAMPUS RESEARCH
BY LAURA SWANSON
Each summer, undergraduate students at Augsburg College work directly
with faculty mentors to complete individually designed research projects
and creative activities. Auggies seeking to enhance their education gain
rich, hands-on experience by participating in research opportunities
sponsored by the College, funded through grants and private gifts, or
offered through federal programs.
Students from all disciplines can participate in summer research.
This year, their topics included designing a tool to sample motor vehicle
pollution; examining immigrants’ influence in community organizations
and politics; cloning and characterization of Daphnia magna, a water flea;
and analyzing the effects of the No Child Left Behind Act on Minneapolis
youth, among many others.
During the research process, students often use specialized materials
and technologies, investigate complex and specific concepts, and explore
existing scholarship and literature.
Can you match each summer research image with its academic discipline?
History
2
Photo by Bill Capman
CAN YOU IDENTIFY
THESE ITEMS?
Exercise Science
English
5
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Augsburg Now
Social Work
Leading
IN UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
ONE KEY WAY Augsburg College delivers on its commitment to experiential education is through
undergraduate research projects in which Auggies employ their talents and passions. On campus,
these projects are funded through several sources, including Augsburg’s Office of Undergraduate
Research and Graduate Opportunity (URGO), National Science Foundation and corporate grants,
private donations, and the McNair Scholars program—a federal TRIO program funded by the U.S.
Department of Education and designed to increase graduate degree attainment by students who are
first-generation, low-income, and/or members of groups underrepresented in graduate education.
3
Chemistry
Physics
Political Science
Women’s Studies
Courtesy image
1
Economics
4
Biopsychology
Computer Science
Biology
Mathematics
6
ANSWERS
Summer 2014
25
Q: What is it?
A: A column that contains a catalyst and through which a stream of reactants move.
Reactants are substances that undergo change during a chemical reaction, and “flow
chemistry” is a process that gets its name from the movement of these materials.
Chemistry
ALAN MEDINA-GONZALEZ ’16
Major: Chemistry, Minors: Biology and Mathematics
Research mentors: Z. Vivian Feng, associate professor of chemistry; and Michael
Wentzel, assistant professor of chemistry
Alan Medina-Gonzalez ’16 chose to participate in summer research because it granted
him the opportunity to spend more time in the lab optimizing a chemical reaction, which
is a fun—albeit time-consuming—puzzle he enjoys solving. “I wanted to see what it was
like to work on a project all day long versus only going into the lab four hours per week as
part of a class,” he said.
Medina-Gonzalez’s research involved setting up chemical reactions using flow
chemistry—a process that helps make reactions more “green” by allowing chemists to
lessen waste generation and to improve energy efficiency and safety. His research goal
included producing a variety of molecules, including acetaminophen—the primary active
ingredient in Tylenol and other medicines—to demonstrate the uses of flow chemistry in
the pharmaceutical industry.
Q: What is it?
A: A foam roller, a tool that breaks up fibrous
tissue in order to increase muscle elasticity
and circulation flow.
Exercise
Science
CAN YOU GUESS?
26
Augsburg Now
BRIANA FELTON ’14
Major: Exercise Science, Minor: Psychology
Research mentors: David Barrett, assistant
professor of health, physical education, and
exercise science; and Tony Clapp, associate
professor of health, physical education, and
exercise science
Briana Felton ’14 chose a summer research project that will help to prepare her for the dream
of attending graduate school to study physical therapy. Felton is a member of the Augsburg
women’s soccer team, and she loves sports and fitness. Athletes commonly use a foam roller
on their muscles for self-myofascial release—a process that applies pressure to trigger points
within muscle tissue and is thought to cause the tissue to relax and become more flexible.
Although the use of foam rollers has become a common practice in therapy and fitness
centers, few peer-reviewed studies have examined its effectiveness. For Felton’s research
project, she conducted a study in which middle-aged adult males participated in an exercise
program utilizing foam rollers. Felton then assessed the study participants’ balance and
functional movement patterns using industry-standard tests to see whether their scores
improved over the course of the study. Higher scores have been shown to correlate with a
person’s decreased risk of injury.
To read a brief overview of Felton’s research findings,
go to augsburg.edu/now.
Biopsychology
Q: What is it?
A: An electroencephalogram (EEG) recording cap, which is used to capture the brain’s
electrical activity while at rest or engaged in mental activity.
BRAD MARCY ’15
Major: Biopsychology, Minor: Chemistry
Research mentor: Henry Yoon, assistant professor
of psychology
Research conducted on substance use disorders often extends to either the biological or
the behavioral aspects of addiction. This summer, Brad Marcy ’15 took on the challenge of
combining both of these aspects into a single study incorporating behavioral information—
in this case, a person’s age of first alcoholic drink (AFD)—and biological data, which was
derived from brain patterns collected through EEG scans.
Marcy and other Augsburg psychology students gathered data by working with student
volunteers, including those in the College’s StepUP® program, which serves students who
are in recovery from addiction. Marcy’s research project involved processing and analyzing
participants’ EEG data in order to identify telltale signs of being at biological or genetic
risk for dependence in these brainwave patterns. He then examined whether an association
exists between this biological information and AFD. By evaluating these variables, Marcy
can later assess their usefulness in refining the diagnosis of substance misuse.
Q: What is it?
A: The examination of journal articles, images, and academic texts—illustrated here—
are key aspects of student researchers’ literature review process. A literature review
discusses published information in a particular subject area.
AWALE OSMAN ’15
Major: Communication Studies, Minor: Women’s Studies
Research mentor: Adriane Brown, assistant professor of women’s studies
“I’ve always wanted to be a teacher,” said Awale Osman ’15, a McNair research scholar
whose project almost perfectly aligned with his desired career path. Osman began his
undergraduate education at a community college before transferring to Augsburg, and
his research project involved examining the establishment and evolution of women’s
studies, the emergence of gender and masculinity studies, and current dialogue
regarding the field. This work allowed him to combine his interests in communications
and women’s studies into a project that enhanced his academic skills.
Osman would like to return to a community college one day—this time as a
professor instead of as a student. Osman chose his research topic in order to establish
a foundation in the research he hopes will be incorporated in a future doctoral program
that will, eventually, lead to a teaching role in higher education. “I realize I have to be
grounded to be successful in my track,” he said. “So, I’m going for it.”
Women’s Studies
MORE ANSWERS
Summer 2014
27
Biology
Photo by Bill Capman
Q: What is it?
A: The parasitic plant dodder (Cuscuta
pentagona) attached to a host plant from which it
acquires all its water and nutrients.
LUCY BUKOWSKI ’16
Major: Biology, Minor: Environmental Studies
Research mentor: Bill Capman, associate
professor of biology
Courtesy image
Augsburg College students have studied the interactions between dodder and its host
plants since 2008, and this summer Lucy Bukowski ’16 worked on an experiment testing
the hypothesis that a decline in the health of the host plant triggers the dodder to flower.
Bukowski’s project benefitted from the help of a plant pathologist at the University of
Minnesota-Twin Cities who offered greenhouse space, thus providing a larger growing
area and better growing conditions for Bukowski’s research.
Go to augsburg.edu/now to learn more
about the dodder project.
Q: What is it?
A: The Bengali pronoun “Ētā,” which is similar to the English pronoun “it.”
PRITI BHOWMIK ’15 AND BRAM OOSTERLEE ’16
Majors: Computer Science
Research mentor: Shana Watters, associate professor of computer science
Computer
Science
As international students, Priti Bhowmik ’15 and Bram Oosterlee ’16 were attracted
to research linked with the official languages of their home countries. In 2011,
Bhowmik left Bangladesh to attend Augsburg, and she seized the opportunity to use
her background in the Bengali language in combination with her computer science
major. Her research project fell in the field of computational linguistics—a branch
of linguistics in which computer science techniques are applied to the analysis
of language and speech. She explored whether the pronoun “Ētā” has the same
cognitive status as the English pronoun “it.” That is, whether a Bengali speaker, in
determining what Ētā refers to in a sentence, uses his or her short-term memory in
the same manner that an English speaker does when determining what the word “it”
refers to.
Oosterlee, a student from the Netherlands, performed a similar study by
examining the cognitive status of the Dutch pronoun “het.” Bhowmik and Oosterlee’s
work ultimately will contribute to developing systems that enhance how computers
extract information, summarize text, and translate language. One example of the
usefulness of these processes is that they increase the likelihood of returning
accurate content descriptions when doctors use digital medical reference materials
to find information that pertains specifically to a disorder.
28
Augsburg Now
GRANTS GAIN GROUND
Funding enhances the Augsburg experience
How can you better predict the weather on Earth—or in space?
Why do elementary students learn the way they do? And what
makes one person attracted to another?
Augsburg faculty and students are committed to asking
difficult questions and seeking equally complex answers. Each
year, the College’s faculty, staff, and students apply for—and
receive—prestigious grant awards to fund research, continued
scholarship, and academic travel opportunities.
There’s tough competition among grant-seeking institutions,
but Augsburg continues to gain ground and to obtain funding
for new projects. That’s because when Auggies recognize
an opportunity to improve teaching, advance scholarship, or
enhance the student experience, they ask another great question:
WHY NOT?
Participation grows across campus. More and more departments
and groups are seeking grants as a way to enhance students’
educational experience, to build the hands-on problem-solving
skills employers and graduate schools demand, and to propel
Augsburg’s research scholarship to the next level. This past
year, 13 academic departments and groups—up from just seven
departments the previous year—submitted grant proposals,
including:
1. Biology
8. Nursing
2. Chemistry
9. Physics
3. Education
10. Psychology
4. History
11. Social Work
5. Interdisciplinary Collaboration
12. Sociology
6. Mathematics
13. STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, and Mathematics)
7. Management Information
Systems
Here’s a brief overview of Augsburg’s recent grant
achievements:
Augsburg ranks as top-tier NSF grant recipient. Augsburg College
was ranked the top private college in Minnesota for the total
dollar amount awarded by the National Science Foundation in
2012. With three grants totaling just more than $1 million, the
College ranked third among all Minnesota institutions—behind
only the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of
Minnesota-Duluth.
Faculty steer student involvement. Tremendous faculty dedication
is part of the mix, too. More than 50 faculty and staff members
are the driving force behind the College’s 38 active grants.
These teachers coach and guide 324 students in rigorous
research related to climate change, human health, understanding
addiction, and more.
COMPILED BY STEPHANIE WEISS
GRANTS BY THE NUMBERS
Augsburg received 18 new grant awards in
2013-14—up from just seven two years earlier
At the time this publication went to print, Augsburg had 14 grant
proposals still pending, representing a total of $3.2 million
NEW
GRANTS
2012-13
2013-14
17
GRANT
PROPOSALS
24
7
$1.6 MILLION
18 NEW
GRANTS
In 2013-14, Augsburg submitted 24 grant proposals—
up from 17 the prior year
1%
The BREAKDOWN of grants*
by sponsor type
PRIVATE
GRANTS
10%
STATE
GRANTS
89
%
FEDERAL
GRANTS
GRANT
PROPOSALS
*Does not include grants secured by Corporate and Foundation Relations
Summer 2014
29
ALUMNI NEWS
ways to get
involved
FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
A-Club
I
Dear alumni and friends,
have served as a member of the Augsburg College Alumni
Board for more than six years, and I am looking forward
to taking on the role of president. During my time on the
Alumni Board, I have seen an increase in the level of our
alumni engagement with the College, and I am inspired by the
alumni who were generous on Give to the Max Day; the alumni who volunteered by planning reunions or mentoring current
students; and the alumni who have invested in Augsburg’s top
priority—the campaign for the Center for Science, Business, and Religion.
Like many of you, I care deeply about this College. Augsburg is one of the most
diverse private colleges in Minnesota, serving more than 2,700 undergraduate students
and 838 graduate students participating in nine advanced degree programs. Augsburg is
committed to its Lutheran heritage with an eye on the 21st century.
At this year’s Commencement, we welcomed hundreds of new members to our
Alumni Association. As alumni, we are a product of Augsburg College and benefit from
its local and national reputation. Alumni play a vital role in the rich history, present success, and future vision of the College.
I invite you to join me and fellow Auggies who are making a difference in the life of
the College.
Sincerely,
CHRIS HALLIN ’88, ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Photo by Mark Chamberlain
ALUMNI BOARD
Front Row [L to R]: Chris Hallin ’88, Marie
Odenbrett ’01, Jill Watson ’10 MBA, Sharon
Engelland ’87, Melissa Hoepner ’92, Patricia
Jesperson ’94, Adriana Matzke ’13; Back Row
[L to R]: Brent Peroutka ’02, Adrienne Kuchler
Eldridge ’02, Meg Schmidt Sawyer ’00, Sarah
Grans ’01, Nick Rathmann ’02, Tracy Severson
’95, Rick Bonlender ’78; Not Pictured: Rachel
Engebretson ’98, Frank Grazzini ’96, Holly
Knutson ’03, ’07 MBA, Michael Loney ’03,
Sharon Mercill ’09, Jerry Polland ’92, Greg
Schnagl ’91, Nick Slack ’02, Nick Swanson ’09
The Augsburg College Alumni Board is pleased to welcome new members.
ADRIENNE KUCHLER ELDRIDGE ’02 graduated from Augsburg with a major
in youth and family ministry and a minor in sociology. As a student, she was
involved in Campus Ministry and Residence Life, served as an orientation leader,
and studied abroad. Today Eldridge works at River’s Edge Academy charter school.
This fall, she will begin a graduate program at St. Catherine University, where she
plans to study ethics and leadership.
“I chose Augsburg for my college education as an undergrad student because
of the Youth and Family Ministry program and [the College’s] solid Lutheran values.
My experiences at Augsburg were always hands-on, service-oriented, and growth-filled.”
30
Augsburg Now
All new Alumni Board member
photos by Mark Chamberlain.
The A-Club is an organization of
former and current Augsburg College
athletes—as well as friends of the
College—committed to providing
student-athletes with the opportunity
to have a quality athletic experience.
A-Club members participate in events,
service projects, and fundraising
initiatives that support Auggie athletic
teams, the athletic department, and
the mission of the College.
Alumni Board
The Alumni Board is the governing
body of the Alumni Association.
Together with the Office of Alumni
and Constituent Relations, the
Alumni Board provides resources and
opportunities to engage alumni with
the College and each other through
consistent communication, inclusive
programming, and intentional
relationship building.
Auggie in Residence
The Auggie in Residence program is
a way for alumni and friends of the
College to share their professional
expertise and vocation. This flexible
program allows the community to
connect with current students, faculty,
and staff members through a variety of
opportunities that range from speaking
to a class to having lunch with a
student organization.
Augsburg Builds Connections (ABC)
The ABC mentoring program is
designed to enable alumni and parent
professionals to provide information,
encouragement, and support to
students. This flexible volunteer
program allows mentors to connect
with students via email, phone, or
face-to-face meetings and assist them
in navigating their career paths and
achieving their professional goals.
Augsburg College Associates
MELISSA HOEPNER ’92 attended Augsburg from 1988 to 1990 before transferring
to California Lutheran University where, in 1992, she graduated with a major in
psychology and a minor in art. Today, Hoepner is a human resources consultant.
As an alumna, she has remained involved by serving as a mentor for current
students. She has also served as a member of the church council at Peace
Lutheran Church in Bloomington, Minn., and is a programming volunteer with the
Twin Cities Human Resources Association.
PATRICIA JESPERSON ’94 graduated from Augsburg’s Weekend College with a
major in business administration and minor in marketing. She serves as the
area vice president for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. Jesperson’s career in business
has been distinguished by her extensive volunteer experiences in the areas of
program development and diversity.
“While I see Augsburg as innovative and inclusive in its approach to
education, I also see this as a time for significant change and opportunity in
private, four-year educational programs—a time that drives the need to think
beyond the box in light of competition from MOOCs [Massive Open Online Courses], for-profit colleges,
technical programs, the economy, etc. It’s an exciting time to be part of a team invested in Augsburg’s
long-term success.”
ADRIANA MATZKE ’13 graduated from Augsburg’s Weekend College with a degree
in business management. She serves as the director of financial assistance and
admissions coordinator for The Blake School. Matzke served a year on the parish
council at her church, and on Blake’s original diversity committee. She and her
husband served as presenters with World Wide Marriage Encounter.
“I am confident that serving on the Alumni Board will be a positive way
for me to give back to the community and to stay connected to a school that
I felt so a part of for the last few years. I am a strong advocate for the [adult
undergraduate] program and would love to help find ways to support other students.”
NICK RATHMANN ’02 graduated from Augsburg with a degree in education. As
a student, he played on the baseball and basketball teams and worked in the
athletics office. His experience as a student prepared him for his career serving
as the director of athletics and PK-12 physical education department chair for
The Blake School. Rathmann volunteers for his church, and serves on The Blake
Road Collaborative.
“Serving on the Alumni Board will give me an incredible opportunity to give
back to a school that has given me so much. Augsburg was a transformational
experience for me, and anything I can do to help others have that same type of experience is important
to me.”
MEG SCHMIDT SAWYER ’00 graduated from Augsburg with a major in business
administration and a minor in information systems. As a student, she played
hockey, softball, and golf. She was involved in Campus Ministry, a contributor for
The Echo, a Regents and Community Service Scholar, and part of the studentathlete mentor program. Today she is the chief communications officer for Youth
Encounter. She has served on the A-Club Board, and was inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame for women’s hockey in 2012.
“I had a life-changing experience at Augsburg College and welcome the
opportunity to give back to the College that made me who I am today.”
GREG SCHNAGL ’91 graduated from Augsburg with a major in management and minors in economics
and management information systems. As a student, he played football and hockey. He is the founder
and editor of TeacherCentricity.com. Schnagl is pursuing an advanced degree in educational leadership
at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. He taught elementary and middle school for the past twenty
years, both nationally and internationally. His most recent position was in the Centennial School District
where he also served as a coach and board member for Centennial Youth Hockey Association.
“I am looking to deepen my commitment to Augsburg by engaging in a leadership role designed to
facilitate the financial and personal participation of alumni and promote the benefits of an Augsburg
education to future students.”
The Augsburg College Associates
is a service auxiliary of volunteers
whose mission includes fundraising
for special projects and scholarships.
The Associates’ commitment to the
College is evident in the group’s
ongoing support of fundraising events
including estate sales, Velkommen
Jul, and the Scandinavian boutique.
Funds raised each year support special
projects and scholarships.
Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE)
AWE is a catalyst for tapping the
potential for women to connect, learn,
and give. AWE members believe all
women have knowledge, experience,
and resources to share. Therefore,
Augsburg alumnae are invited to make
meaningful connections with and for
women by participating with an AWE
Action Team.
Campus Kitchen
The Campus Kitchen program at
Augsburg College makes healthy food
accessible to people in and around the
Cedar-Riverside neighborhood while
also providing opportunities for service
learning, leadership development, and
engagement between the College and
community. Campus Kitchen serves
2,000 meals a month at community
centers, provides about 80 community
garden spaces on campus, hosts two
farmers markets, and offers educational
programming to the community.
College Liaisons
Augsburg College Liaisons are alumni,
parents, and friends of the College
from across the U.S. and around
the world who serve as an extension
of the College by connecting with
prospective students at college fairs.
Dozens of fairs are held each year—in
high schools, churches, hotels, and
conference centers. College Liaisons
help to describe the Augsburg
experience to interested students and
their families.
Summer 2014
31
Augsburg Centennial Singers
honor Al Reesnes ’58
The Augsburg Centennial Singers, men of
faith sharing that faith through songs of
praise, honored Al Reesnes ’58 by performing a
special concert in mid-May at House of Prayer
Centennial Singers [L to R]: Paul Christensen ’59,
Mert Strommen ’42, and Al Reesnes ’58
Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
Reesnes served as director of the group for 11 years and will move from his
leadership position to a vocalist role with the ensemble. Paul Christensen ’59 succeeded Reesnes as director of the Singers. Christensen is the third director for the
group, which was established in 1993 under the direction of Mert Strommen ’42.
The chorus originally was formed by former Augsburg quartet members who came
together to sing for the College’s Homecoming celebration. The group traveled to
Norway in 1994 to mark the centennial of the first Augsburg College gospel quartet,
and toured again in Norway in 2001.
Courtesy Photo
A 500-year anniversary
celebration in Germany, October 2016
On October 31, 2017 Lutherans
worldwide will mark the 500th
anniversary of when Martin Luther
posted the 95 Theses on the church
doors in Wittenberg, Germany. Augsburg
College is rooted in the faith and values
of the Lutheran church and is offering
alumni and friends of the College the
opportunity to learn about this heritage.
For travelers interested in discovering
more about the Germany of Luther
and the Reformation, October 2016
is a great opportunity to make the
pilgrimage! Join Hans Wiersma and
Mark Tranvik, Augsburg College religion
faculty members and Reformation
32
Augsburg Now
historians, for an enriching experience
in the Land of Luther.
The tour itinerary includes stops in
the German cities of Berlin, Dresden,
Eisenach, Erfurt, and Leipzig and in
Prague, Czech Republic. This is an
opportunity to explore the connections
among people, cultures, and historical
events while examining the Reformation
as an ongoing influence in the 21st
century.
To receive updates about this
alumni tour as plans are finalized, email
alumni@augsburg.edu, or call
612-330-1085 to be included on a
mailing list.
Photo by Ben Krouse-Gagne ’11
ALUMNI NEWS
ways to get
involved
Master of Arts in Leadership (MAL)
Alumni Board
The MAL Alumni Board engages MAL
students and alumni in advancing
the Center for Leadership Studies at
Augsburg College.
Parent and Family Council
The Parent and Family Council
includes parents and families of
current Augsburg students, and helps
Augsburg families stay up to date on
campus events and feel connected
with students and the College.
Scholastic Connections
Scholastic Connections is a
scholarship and mentorship program
for high-achieving undergraduate
students of color at Augsburg
College. The program is designed to
assist students in completing their
undergraduate degrees. Through
career planning and development
support, it prepares them to be
engaged, successful citizens of the
world upon graduation.
StepUP® Advisory Board
StepUP is a program for men and
women pursuing a college education
while in recovery from addiction. The
StepUP Advisory Board increases
philanthropic support for, and visibility
of, the program’s endowment.
Young Alumni Council
This volunteer group is comprised of
alumni who have graduated within
the previous 10 years. The Young
Alumni Council’s mission is to
provide dynamic and engaging social
and educational opportunities for
alumni. Members serve as an advisory
council to the Office of Alumni and
Constituent Relations.
To participate, email
alumni@augsburg.edu.
AUGSBURG ALUMNI HONOR
Archive p
hotos
ED SAUGESTAD ’59
THROUGH FUNDRAISING CHALLENGE
Ed Saugestad ’59 is “plain and simply, a legend,” according to
Jeff Swenson ’79, Augsburg College athletic director. Saugestad
led the Auggie men’s hockey team to 503 victories and three
national championships. He was football coach and athletic
director. The ice arena’s main rink carries his name.
But the legacy of “Big Man,” who died in March of
pancreatic cancer after serving Augsburg for 39 years and
retiring in 1996, goes far beyond athletics. As a soft-spoken
teacher, mentor, and source of courage and inspiration, he
made a difference. If Corky Hall ’71 is any indication, he also
instilled generosity and gratitude.
“He is the person who kindled the fire in me, and I think
he did that for many, many people,” Hall said. He and his wife,
Lori, led the charge to name Saugestad Hall in the Center for
Science, Business, and Religion (CSBR) with their $25,000
pledge—a first step toward the $150,000 naming goal and
a tribute to the CSBR as a visual symbol of strength and
connection.
When we build the CSBR, “[Augsburg’s] facilities will grow
to match the quality of our faculty,” said Hall. “Coach had a
huge effect on all of us.”
A gifted athlete who became both hockey and football
captain, Hall had few academic expectations when he entered
Augsburg. His parents hadn’t finished high school, no one in
his family had attended college, and homework was a foreign
concept. Yet, one day, he managed to ace a test in Saugestad’s
tough physiology class.
“Ed was the first person to tell me that I was smart,”
he recalled. “He set me on a path I wouldn’t have found
otherwise.” That path led him to a career that included starting,
with classmate Bill Urseth ’71, one of the nation’s leading
promotional marketing agencies, U.S. Communications, U.S.
Restaurants, and U.S. Studios; launching a brand consultancy,
Hall Batko; and founding Stellus Consulting, which helps
corporate leaders envision and brand their companies.
It also led him to realize that great mentoring builds strong
bridges—between athletics and academics, between teachers
and students, and between gratitude and giving back.
“Augsburg needs great facilities for athletes to develop
their academic side,” he said. “Ed made the bridge for me
between athletics and academics, and if I hadn’t gotten strong
academics at Augsburg, I wouldn’t be the person I am today.
I want to give a gift that says ‘thank you’ to Ed for making such a
difference in my life.”
Hall has found that his fellow
Augsburg alumni have similar gratitude for
Saugestad’s commitment and are willing to
echo his “thank you.”
“Corky is so respected by the Augsburg
community that, when he steps forward, he sets
a tone with his leadership. That’s the momentum
we need,” said Keith Stout, Augsburg College
director of principal gifts. “He wants everyone
involved, participating at any level. If they’re grateful for their
time with Ed, it’s their chance to honor his legacy.”
By May, the initiative had raised $105,000.
“He deserves it,” Hall said. “Ed did so much to make our
lives better. Now it’s our turn.”
Get Social
Find Augsburg Alumni across a variety of social media channels.
“Like” the Augsburg College Alumni Association on
Facebook for fun contests, trivia, photos, news, and more.
facebook.com/AugsburgAlumni
Tag @Augsburg_Alumni in your tweets, and the College
may help share your news. Or, simply follow
@Augsburg_Alumni on Twitter to learn about upcoming
events and read College updates.
twitter.com/augsburg_alumni
Make connections with fellow Auggies and join
discussions about careers and networking through the
Augsburg College Alumni group on LinkedIn.
goo.gl/UJ9BkO
Check out the “Auggies through the ages” board on
Pinterest for a slice of College history.
pinterest.com/augsburgcollege
Visit Augsburg’s YouTube channel for a video archive of
alumni lectures, events, and more.
youtube.com/augsburgcollege
No matter where you are in the world, you can join the Augsburg
College social media conversation!
Summer
Spring 2014
2014
17
33
ALUMNI NEWS
HOMECOMING 2014
SEPTEMBER 22-27
IS BACK!
Save the date for Give to the Max Day 2014.
On Thursday, November 13, Augsburg College
once again will participate in Give to the Max
Day, a one-day online giving event in which
donors around the world support their favorite
Minnesota nonprofits.
Give to the Max Day is also a competition,
and last year Augsburg raised more money
than any other Minnesota college or
university. A total of 837 donors gave more
than $313,000 to Augsburg in just 24
hours. Augsburg also placed fourth among all
nonprofits overall. Many alumni, parents, and
friends took to social media throughout the
day to share Augsburg’s rankings and to keep
tabs on the College’s progress.
Augsburg faculty, staff, and students
from across campus are preparing for
another successful Give to the Max Day by
setting up their own fundraising projects
and encouraging donors to support Augsburg
causes close to their hearts—such as
volleyball, student research funding, the
StepUP® program, and more. There is no limit
to the number of projects donors can give
to. In fact, many Augsburg donors gave to
multiple projects last year.
Watch for updates about Give to the Max Day in
the coming months.
For more information, contact Martha Truax at
612-330-1652 or truaxm@augsburg.edu.
34
Augsburg Now
Homecoming 2014 is a great time to come home to Augsburg. Alumni,
families, and friends—get ready for a fun-filled week of celebration. New
events along with old favorites make this one of the best times to visit
campus. Go to augsburg.edu/homecoming to find additional information
and to register.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
Friday, September 26
Saturday, September 27
Homecoming Convocation with
Distinguished Alumni Awards
Taste of Augsburg
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center,
10 to 11:30 a.m.
Recognizing the First Decade, Spirit
of Augsburg, and Distinguished
Alumni Award winners.
Faculty and Faculty Emeriti
Meet and Greet
Old Main, 4 p.m.
Reconnect with faculty from
your time at Augsburg College
and take the opportunity to meet
current faculty from a variety of
departments.
Auggie Hours
Old Main, 6 to 8:15 p.m.
Back by popular demand, this
homecoming social hour is being
brought to campus.
Homecoming Weekend Fireworks
Murphy Square, 8:15 p.m.
All are invited to kick-off
homecoming weekend with a full
fireworks display.
Murphy Square, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This event includes carnival-style
booths operated by student groups,
alumni, and local restaurants, as
well as games, inflatable bounce
houses, and fun for the entire
family.
Homecoming Football Game vs.
Gustavus Adolphus College
Edor Nelson Field, 1 p.m.
Cheer on the Auggie football team
as they take on the Gustavus
Gusties.
Auggie Block Party
Parking Lot K, 3:30 to 6 p.m.
Immediately following the football
game, enjoy live music, s’mores,
and more.
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
77
70
Ray Hanson is working
for TASC, Inc. Hanson
is a scientist working on
countermeasures for multi-drugresistant bacteria.
72
Kathleen Edmond joined the
law firm of Robins, Kaplan,
Miller & Ciresi LLP as counsel with
the business litigation group in
Minneapolis. She most recently
served as chief ethics officer at
Best Buy. Edmond serves as an
advisory board member for the
University of St. Thomas Law
School where she provides curriculum guidance for the master’s
degree in organizational ethics
and compliance. She is also an
executive fellow at the Center for
Ethical Business Cultures at the
University of St. Thomas.
Sonja (Daniels) Zapchenk has served Eaglecrest, a Presbyterian
Homes community in Roseville, Minn., for 20 years and is now
recreation and volunteer director. She is also the intergenerational
coordinator, which provides the special opportunity to lead
activities for senior residents and the toddlers and preschoolers
who attend a childcare center in the same facility.
74
William “Bill” Axness is the
2014 Minnesota Society
of Health-System Pharmacists
(MSHP) Hallie Bruce Memorial
Lecture Award recipient. The
award is presented to an individual of high moral character, good
citizenship, and high professional
ideals who has made significant
contributions to the profession of
pharmacy in Minnesota. Axness
is a pharmacy manager at Allina
Hospice and Palliative Care.
79
Rev. David Halaas was
installed as pastor of St.
Mark Lutheran Church in Sioux
City, Iowa.
87
Jenni Lilledahl co-founded
the new Twin Cities location
of Gilda’s Club after losing her
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
69
Janis “Matty” Mathison had a banner
year in 2013. She organized Walk to
School programs at several schools, served
on the Board of Shawano Pathways (a
Shawano, Wis., group promoting safer and
better pedestrian and cyclist opportunities),
raised $20,000 in matching grant funds for
sister, Teri Svare, to cancer. Gilda’s
Club serves cancer patients and
those who love them. Named after
Saturday Night Live comedian
Gilda Radner, who died of ovarian
cancer, this new clubhouse is
a place where cancer patients
and their families and friends
can de-stress in the mind-body
studio, take a nutrition class in the
kitchen, and meet with others for
emotional and social support. Not
only is Gilda’s Club an oasis for
those touched by cancer, it offers
all of its services free of charge.
62
Shawano Pathways, and led the effort to host
a supported bike tour of Shawano County
called Bike the Barn Quilts. Wisconsin Public
Television came to Shawano to interview her
about the bike tour, which in its first year drew
180 participants and 50 volunteers. Mathison
also organized a large fundraiser for a former
student who was battling brain cancer. These
and many other community contributions
earned Mathison the “Distinguished Citizen
of the Year” award for Shawano County. This
year, she is planning the second Bike the Barn
Quilts ride, organizing a Let’s Get Moving!
campaign, and finalizing maps for Park to
Park walking and biking routes in the city of
Shawano. She also was among the inaugural
inductees into the new Wisconsin Volleyball
Coaches Hall of Fame.
89
Sue Hakes has been
selected as a 2014 Bush
Fellow. The Bush Foundation
is committed to supporting and
developing leaders who are better
equipped and better networked to
effectively lead change. The work
of the fellowship is to blend opportunities for personal development
with efforts to effectively engage
with others.
In January, Luther Seminary honored Pastor Ron
Nelson with the 2014 Faithfulness in Ministry
Cross Award, which recognizes seminary alumni
who have demonstrated exemplary ministries
as a symbol of the multitudes of graduates who
serve faithfully wherever they are called.
90
Jennifer Carlson moved back to
Washington, D.C., in fall 2011. In
December 2013, she accepted a position
with Evolent Health as director of technical
project management for data warehouse client
implementations. She was in Italy for 10 days
this past October.
Summer 2014
35
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
89
Brynn (Mundahl) Watson was honored by Lockheed Martin with a 2013 Full Spectrum
Leadership NOVA Award. The company grants the NOVA Award to select employees who
have made outstanding contributions to customers, business, and strategic goals. In a
workforce of more than 115,000, only 58 awards were granted in 2013.
in income. As part of his award,
Thrivent Financial will donate
$5,000 in his name to VEAP, and
he will be recognized at a national
conference in front of his peers.
89
Devoney Looser has taken
a position as professor of
English at Arizona State University.
She and her husband, George
Justice, are Jane Austen scholars
and were featured in a chapter of
Deborah Yaffe’s book, Among the
Janeites: A Journey Through the
World of Jane Austen Fandom.
90
Alex Gonzalez, a member of
the Augsburg College Board
of Regents, received the 2013
Thrivent Financial “Volunteer of
the Year” award for work in his
community. Gonzalez is one of three
financial representatives recognized
for community involvement and
generosity out of the more than
2,400 Thrivent Financial representatives nationwide.
Gonzalez works with Volunteers
Enlisted to Assist People (VEAP), an
organization with service programs
that help alleviate the financial
stress that low-income individuals
and families face as the result of
unexpected expenses or lapses
Beth (Josephson) Cronk
completed the master of
library and information science
degree through the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee in December.
She is the Meeker County librarian
for Pioneerland Library System.
01
Carrie (Lind) Cabe earned a
master of arts degree with a
community education administration emphasis from the University
of St. Thomas in 2013. She is
the community resources and
adult involvement coordinator for
Edina Public Schools Community
Education.
08
Sara Horishnyk is enrolled
in the arts and cultural
management graduate program at
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota.
06
Maureen Parker Marrandino
with her husband, Martin
Marrandino, and son, Cyrus,
welcomed daughter Penelope
Carol on January 11.
06
Sara Schlipp-Riedel and
Aaron Riedel ’07 welcomed
daughter Charlotte Elizabeth on
New Year’s Eve 2013.
10
In April, Roxanne (Johnson)
Nelson accepted a new job
as a rebate assistant at Donaldson
Company in the engine aftermarket
rebate program.
68
Augsburg Now
Maja Lisa FritzHuspen was
married May 25, 2013, to
Don Roupe. Auggies from the
Class of 2004 attending included
Adam Nugent, Carolina (Chiesa)
Nugent, and Jennifer (Holm)
Schmitt. FritzHuspen is selfemployed as an opera singer and
voice teacher.
93
In February, a Rotary Club in Loveland, Colo., honored Earl Sethre with
its Citizen of the Year Award. The award recognizes a non-Rotarian in the
community who lives out the four-way test, which asks the
questions: Is it the truth? Is it fair to all concerned? Will it
build good will and better friendships? Will it be beneficial to
all concerned? Sethre stood out to the selection committee
because of his charitable work and the number of groups
he serves.
36
04
09
Abby Ferjak married Becca
Seely on September 1
at Yale Divinity School in New
Haven, Conn. Attendants included
Bethany Hellerich, Stephanie
(Holman) Hubbard, and Kayla
Skarbakka, Augsburg College
alumnae from the Class of 2009.
12
Alison (Witt) Ellertson married Cory Ellertson ’11 in
June 2013. Four Auggies pictured
at the wedding are [L to R]: Ashley
Kappes ’11, Alison, Cory, and
Brittany Rueb ’11.
AUGGIE SNAPSHOTS
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
Beth Franklin was featured in
a Star Tribune article in which
she described how her studies
led her to a “dream job” as a
Certified Public Accountant at
a firm serving writers, artists,
and musicians. At Augsburg,
Franklin had a double major in
music business and accounting.
The article quoted her as
saying, “I thought I’d work in
international business or for
Sony in New York. The first day
of class, the professor said,
‘Accounting is the most fun
you could have with a pencil.’ I
took my first test and aced it. I
decided, ‘I like this.’”
09
06
While at Augsburg, Kasey Yoder started
coaching youth hockey and has seen his
hard work pay off. During 2013-14, his first
year at Orono (Minn.) High School, he took
his team to the state hockey tournament. He also
was selected Section 2A Coach of the Year. Yoder
says one of the most exciting challenges in coaching
high school hockey is keeping the kids focused,
especially with everything else they have going on
in their lives. Yoder works to help young people find
balance while still being committed to success at
the arena.
WE ARE CALLED.
AUGGIES.
Andrew Kent served as goalie coach for the
Finland women’s hockey team during the
2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. A
goalie for the Augsburg men’s hockey team
from 2005 to 2009, Kent turned his love of
hockey into a profession and serves as a
director of goaltender development for MEGA
Goaltending, a Twin Cities-based development
center for hockey goalies. He also has served
as a volunteer goalie coach for the University
of Minnesota’s women’s hockey
team for the past four seasons,
which led to his role on the
Finland coaching staff for the
Olympics.
09
14
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
While studying elementary education at Augsburg, Josh Thelemann
founded a nonprofit organization that
takes at-risk kids off the streets and
provides programs that give them a
fair shot. He named it SOS (Saving
Our Schools).
RESOURCE promoted Heidi
Kammer ’00 MSW from director
of its center for recovery services
to vice president of chemical and
mental health. She is regarded
highly by her peers and has
a passionate commitment to
RESOURCE’s mission of reducing
the disparities experienced by
the people they serve. Once
functioning as two separate
divisions, RESOURCE’s chemical
and mental health programs are in
the process of being integrated.
Susie Schatz ’09 MSW was
named director of advocacy
and volunteer services for St.
Paul-based Lutheran Social
Service of Minnesota, the state’s
oldest and largest human service
organization. In the new position,
she oversees advocacy efforts
to improve services and public
policies for people served by
the statewide organization. She
also oversees volunteer efforts
across Minnesota that advance
the mission of Lutheran Social
Service.
John Cerrito wrote the article “It’s Not
About Getting a Job, It’s About Finding a
Vocation,” for College News. In the story, he
described how internship opportunities at a
Twin Cities radio station helped him discover
and develop an enjoyable career before he
completed his degree.
11
Summer 2014
37
In memoriam
JOHN AND NORMA PAULSON
The Atrium-Link, funded in part by the Paulson family, is adorned with
a Dala horse, a nod to John’s pride in his Swedish heritage. The link is
named in memory of John’s parents, Rose E. and Johnny E. Paulson, and is
dedicated by John R. Paulson, Sr., and his children, John Reid Paulson, Mary
Jo (Paulson) Peterson ’80, Deborah Stansbury, Laurie (Paulson) Dahl ’76,
and Lisa Paulson ’80.
This summer, scenes of remembrance and honor unfolded on the the Center for Science, Business, and Religion—a capital project
John’s daughter Lisa said is fitting given her family’s numerous
beaches of Normandy as World War II veterans and their loved
career ties to the health, science, and business fields.
ones marked the 70th anniversary of D-Day—the battle recogAugsburg College President Emeritus William Frame recalls
nized as the largest sea invasion in history. The occasion was
that John and Norma were passionate about their family and
reminiscent of commemorations attended years ago by John and
friends, their hobbies and interests, and their call to better the
Norma Paulson, caring parents of Augsburg alumni and generous
world. “They were a sight from the 1930s—John driving Norma
benefactors of Augsburg College. John returned to France several
in a Packard touring car up to Augsburg House, stamping down
times as a D-Day +1 survivor. Norma joined him as a passionate
to applause…more of his panache than of his great car,” Frame
steward of history. And, together, they formed a couple who—
said. “That’s the way they ‘drove up’ to the dedication of the
when abroad—could unite people across countries and—when at
Link” and their gifts to the College.
home in Minnesota—could connect a congregation, campus, or
Throughout their lives, John
community.
and Norma connected the past to
John, who passed away June
the present and future. Whether
7, 2012—68 years to the day
Norma was funding fieldtrips for
after D-Day +1—and Norma,
grade school students from her
who passed away March 5, are
hometown of Redwood Falls,
remembered for their commitMinn. to visit the Minnesota
ted involvement in Twin Cities
Historical Society in St. Paul or
organizations ranging from Rotary
John was contributing to an organ
to Shriners, and from the Classic
fund that allowed young musiCar Club of America to the Purple
cians to practice, the Paulsons
Heart Association. The Paulsons
ensured future generations could
were successful in their careers—
At the 60th anniversary commemoration of D-Day,
engage with varying aspects of
John as a builder and Norma as a
Norma and John met and talked with actor Tom Hanks.
history.
banker—and made deeply meaningAugsburg College Pastor Emeritus David Wold recalls the
ful philanthropic gifts throughout their lives.
Paulsons as “people of tremendous faith and commitment.”
While neither John nor Norma attended Augsburg, three of
“I learned so much from John in my days at Calvary Lutheran
John’s children and a son-in-law are alumni of the College—Mary
Church and in my years at Augsburg College,” Wold said. “I
Jo (Paulson) Peterson ’80, Laurie (Paulson) Dahl ’76, David Dahl ’75,
learned about patriotism…about work ethic, about family,
and Lisa Paulson ’80. The couple’s lifetime gifts to Augsburg
about resiliency through tragedy, about benevolence, and about
exceed $2 million. In 2001, the Paulson family provided major
Packards.”
funding to complete the Atrium-Link that connects Lindell
And, Wold says he learned about the Paulsons’ “commitment
Library via skyway to an atrium between Memorial and Sverdrup
to the young and the old and to those in between.”
halls and, in 2006, they were early donors to the campaign for
38
Augsburg Now
In memoriam
Ruth A. (Guldseth) Kallevig ’43,
New Hope, Minn., age 92, on
January 29.
Cora A. (Rishovd) Steen ’44,
Phoenix, Ariz., age 93, on
January 26.
Tenner C. Thompson II ’45,
Alexandria, Minn., age 89, on
December 23.
Willis H. Johnson ’47, Willmar,
Minn., age 88, on November 1.
Carroll N. Anderson ’48, Madison,
Wis., age 89, on April 6.
Sylvia G. (Sateren) Elness ’48,
Turlock, Calif., age 87, on
December 1.
Carl N. Germundson ’48, New
Brighton, Minn., age 92, on
February 24.
Gloria (Gregguson) Johnson ’48,
Golden Valley, Minn., age 87,
on April 23.
Richard “Dick” V. Lucas ’50,
Jordan, Minn., age 87, on
January 18.
Ida Marie (Eggen) Benson ’51,
Wanamingo, Minn., age 83, on
December 24.
Wayne E. Sampson ’51,
Stillwater, Minn., age 84, on
February 22.
Bernice E. Broberg ’52, Dunseith,
N.Dak., age 83, on February 13.
Glenn E. Sieth ’52, Appleton,
Wis., age 84, on January 31.
Professor Emeritus Erwin D.
Mickelberg ’54, Bloomington,
Minn., age 87, on May 3.
Helen (Halvorson) Hjermstad ’55,
Jacksonville, Fla., age 80, on
March 17.
Ruth L. (Loland) Jarvis ’56,
Greenacres, Wash., age 79, on
March 30.
Arthur N. Johnson ’58, Crystal,
Minn., age 82, on December 1.
Gary E. Turner ’58, Hemmet,
Calif., age 78, on April 13.
Marcus W. Johnson ’59,
Moundsview, Minn., age 76, on
November 27.
Ock “Peggy” H. (Kim) Moss ’59,
Longwood, Fla., age 78, on
January 11.
Professor Emeritus Edwin J.
Saugestad ’59, Minneapolis, age
77, on March 20.
Audrey M. (Halvorson) Hovland ’61,
Alexandria, Minn., age 76, on
February 25.
Jeanette “Jeanie” L. (Robinson)
Thorpe ’62, Kandiyohi, Minn.,
age 73, on February 27.
Judy (Thompson) Eiler ’65,
Minneapolis, age 70, on
January 25.
John A. Fundingsland ’69, Eden
Prairie, Minn., age 67, on
November 26.
Stephen E. Smestad ’70, St. Clair,
Minn., age 65, on February 2.
Lavonne “Vonnie” L. Pearson ’73,
St. Paul, age 63, on April 19.
Kevin L. Boettcher ’84, Eagan,
Minn., age 52, on March 23.
Send us your news and photos
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don’t forget to send photos! (Digital photos must be at least 300 dpi
or a 1MB file.)
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g., an obituary, funeral
notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, MN 55454, or email alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also
submit news at augsburg.edu/alumni.
______________________________________________________
Full name
______________________________________________________
Maiden name
______________________________________________________
Class year or last year attended
______________________________________________________
Street address
______________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP code
Is this a new address? q Yes q No
______________________________________________________
Home telephone
______________________________________________________
Email
Okay to publish your email address? q Yes q No
______________________________________________________
Employer
Richard T. Olson ’86,
Minneapolis, age 55, on
December 9.
______________________________________________________
Position
Sean A. Danforth ’91, Monticello,
Minn., age 45, on February 1.
______________________________________________________
Work telephone
Susan G. (Strawn) Strawn-Whitney
’94, Excelsior, Minn., age 48,
on April 27.
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No
Melinda R. Longfors ’02, Maple
Grove, Minn., age 34, on
January 28.
______________________________________________________
Spouse’s name (include maiden name, if applicable)
Rae S. Ormsby ’03, Pine Island,
Minn., age 68, on February 14.
Professor Emerita Beverly C.
Durkee, Edina, Minn., age 83,
on March 31.
If yes, class year___________________________________________
Your news:
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
______________________________________________________
q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
Wayne C. Johnson ’58,
Minneapolis, age 83, on
March 10.
Summer 2014
39
IT TAKES AN AUGGIE
AN AUGSBURG LEGACY
LARRY AND CHERYL ’89 CROCKETT
Whether they are traveling five states
by motorcycle from Minnesota to
Tennessee, he’s teaching across
two of Augsburg College’s academic
departments, or she’s pursuing an
undergraduate degree while raising
toddlers, there’s one thing Larry and
Cheryl ’89 Crockett know well: How
to cross boundaries to arrive at a
destination that expands their horizons
and inspires others.
40
Augsburg Now
The Crocketts have a shared love
for exploring the richness that exists at
the intersections of seemingly different
frontiers. For more than 30 years, Larry
has served as an Augsburg professor of
religion and computer science. During
that time, Cheryl has experienced—
both as a student and as an Augsburg
volunteer—the rich conversations that
cross disciplines at the College.
That’s why the Crocketts decided
to make a $50,000 estate gift to the
Augsburg College campaign for the
Center for Science, Business, and
Religion (CSBR).
Both Larry and Cheryl recognize that
students in today’s world must engage in
discussions and solve complex problems
in a multinational world where science,
business, and religion intersect. And,
they’re helping to pollinate those
conversations by supporting the CSBR:
Augsburg’s boundary-breaking academic
building.
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
To read more about Larry and Cheryl or to learn about the Center
for Science, Business, and Religion, go to augsburg.edu/now.
GET IT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW
Get the print edition of Augsburg Now, and more,
on your Apple or Android tablet.
Current and previous digital issues of Augsburg Now are moving out of Apple Newsstand and into a new standalone app called “Augsburg Gallery,” available on your Apple or Android tablet and offering readers even more
dynamic content. This digital experience allows you to interact with the content in a whole new way.
The new Augsburg Gallery app includes the latest issue of Augsburg Now and a special publication called
President’s Messages 2012-14. To find this new app on your tablet, search for “Augsburg Gallery” (include the
quotation marks in your search) on the Apple App Store or Google Play. For more information, go to augsburg.
edu/now/tablet.
These tablet versions are available.
AUGGIE HAS AN
APP FOR THAT!
Augsburg Gallery app
The current issue is available in
the new Augsburg Gallery app.
Photo by Tom Roster
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 2031
Auggies go green!
Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow was one of several Auggies to take an inaugural ride on
the Metro Transit Green Line during its grand opening June 14. The Green Line runs from downtown
St. Paul to downtown Minneapolis and is the second Light Rail Transit (LRT) line to pass through
Cedar-Riverside—the only neighborhood in the Twin Cities with access to both LRT lines.
The addition of the Green Line expands student access to jobs, internships, and experiential education
opportunities; enhances safety in the neighborhood; and contributes to a vital urban environment for
all who live and work in the area.
Show less
Finding meaning in work
Auggies on the job
The future of history
CSBR gains momentum
Auggies on the soccer field
WE ARE CALLED
TO INSPIRE
PEACE
SPRING 2014 | VOL. 76, NO. 2
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Dire... Show more
Finding meaning in work
Auggies on the job
The future of history
CSBR gains momentum
Auggies on the soccer field
WE ARE CALLED
TO INSPIRE
PEACE
SPRING 2014 | VOL. 76, NO. 2
INSIDE
AUGSBURG NOW
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing
Communication
Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL
rumpza@augsburg.edu
NOTES FROM PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
Reflective practice
As I write, I am on my way back to Minneapolis
after spending meaningful time at our Center for
Global Education campus in Cuernavaca, Mexico,
and my mind and heart are full with what I
learned and experienced alongside our students.
For more than 30 years, students who travel
to our campus in Mexico have been offered
remarkable experiences engaging local residents
in their various realities. In my short stay, I saw
this work on the ground as I was able to visit
local host families who share their homes with
our students for several weeks; an indigenous
village, where our students face the realities
of poverty and personal struggle; and a clothing assembly plant, made possible by the North
American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), creating opportunities for economic progress and at
the same time challenging our sense of economic
well-being for workers.
This is education “off the main road,”
which I first described in 2011 (see augsburg.
edu/now/archives/summer-2011), an education
that promotes what Massachusetts Institute
of Technology professor Donald Schön called
“reflective practice,” the dynamic relationship
between learning and experience that is at the
heart of Augsburg’s academic mission.
This vision of education challenges us to
see that our various experiences are inextricably
linked with our reflection and learning. When
we see poverty, what questions do we ask, what
do we feel, what will we do? When we experience injustice, what are the causes and what
options are available for our response? When we
are jarred out of our normal perspectives, what
will we see and do? This integrated link between
experience and learning defines reflective
practice.
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate
This issue of Augsburg Now illustrates in
myriad ways how this commitment to reflective
practice is at the heart of an Augsburg education.
The interviews with alumni in “Finding
meaning in work” advise students to be able to
reflect upon and explain their choices (in college
activities, academic major, and career moves) as
they equip themselves for the workplace.
The story on Augsburg’s women’s soccer
team tells how the student-athletes chose to go
to Nicaragua to combine community engagement
and learning with their soccer games. They partnered with the Center for Global Education (perhaps the first Auggie team to do so), and had the
full “off the main road” educational experience.
And on and on. In the stories that follow, we
celebrate our relationships with the Mdewakanton
Sioux community, with some of the leading business people in the Twin Cities, with our Somali
neighbors in Cedar-Riverside, and even with His
Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, who came to
campus as part of the 26th annual Nobel Peace
Prize Forum. These stories powerfully illustrate
Augsburg’s diversity, hospitality, and embrace of
“the other”—all of which point to a college community dedicated to equipping our students for
lives of meaning and purpose in the world.
Reflection and practice—small to our
students and big for the world. Our vision for
Augsburg in the 21st century. We welcome your
support and engagement in the important work
before us.
Denielle Johnson ’11
johnsod@augsburg.edu
Integrated Communication
Specialist
Laura Swanson
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Marketing Copywriter
Christina Haller
haller@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Production Manager/Now Online
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President
of Advancement
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
Graphic Design
Jen Nagorski ’08
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
Faithfully yours,
ISSN 1058-1545
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services, CB 142
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
langemo@augsburg.edu
Email: now@augsburg.edu
Hennepin County Library Special Collections
Archive photo
7
24
11
21
spring 2014
AUGSBURG NOW
Features
07
11
21
32
Finding meaning in work
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
The future of history
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
2014 Nobel Peace Prize Forum
BY LAURA SWANSON
Losar: Celebration of
Tibetan New Year
Departments
inside
front
cover
Notes from President Pribbenow
02 Around the Quad
16 My Auggie experience
18 It takes an Auggie
19 Auggie voices
24 Auggies on the field
26 Alumni news
16
On the cover
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama blessed Augsburg College student Tenzin Yeshi
Paichang ’16 during a keynote event at this year’s Nobel Peace Prize Forum (NPPF),
held March 1 and 7-9 in Minneapolis. When he was two years old, Paichang was
cast as the Dalai Lama in Martin Scorsese’s movie, Kundun. At the NPPF, Paichang
added a new role to his résumé—that of the Dalai Lama’s student attaché.
Read more about the NPPF on page 21.
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
19
29 Alumni class notes
31 In memoriam
Designed by Laura Humes
AROUND THE QUAD
AUGSBURG IS A TOP PRODUCER
OF U.S. FULBRIGHT STUDENTS
This past fall, the U.S. Department of State recognized Augsburg College
for being among the top colleges and universities for producing Fulbright
students. The College, ranked No. 11 among master’s institutions, has had
17 Fulbright students since 2007. The Chronicle of Higher Education also
recognized the College in 2010-11 for being a top producer of Fulbrights.
Augsburg earns perfect score
Two Auggies were recognized for outstanding work as filmmakers at the 2013 Student
Film Festival hosted in November by the
Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities
(ACTC) at the Main Theatre in Minneapolis.
•
Chessdogs, an experimental film by Nial
Nelson-Hopkins ’14, won the award for
Best Experiential Film. Watch the film at
chessdogs.com.
•
Black Sun, Red Sky by J.C. Calubayan ’14
won the Best Dramatic Narrative award.
See the film at vimeo.com/71923072.
on Campus Pride Index
Augsburg College recently scored a
perfect 5 out of 5 stars on Campus Pride’s
LGBT-Friendly Campus Climate Index. This
tool assesses colleges and universities
across the United States on a number
of variables, including policy inclusion,
housing, campus safety, counseling,
support and institutional commitment,
academic life, student life, and recruitment and retention. Campuses that
receive the highest score are considered
“leader(s) for LGBT-inclusive policies,
programs, and practices.”
More than 150 people attended the
film fest screenings. The Student Film
Festival celebrates ACTC students’ digital
storytelling.
More than 160 students from throughout the Twin
Cities’ metro area participated in Augsburg’s third
Native American Youth Day held in January. The students
from grades 6-12 learned how post-secondary education
can influence their futures, got a feel for what college
is like, and were able to interact with current American
Indian college students.
2
Augsburg Now
Courtesy photo
Native American YOUTH DAY
Shakopee Mdewakanton scholarship
The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community (SMSC)
recently contributed $250,000 to increase endowed scholarships for American Indian students at Augsburg College.
This grant funding will be added to the existing SMSC
endowment fund, which was established in the mid-1990s.
The scholarship is utilized to recruit and retain talented
American Indian students who are enrolled or are eligible
for enrollment in a federally recognized tribe or are identified as American Indian by the Indian Education Act.
Bonnie Wallace
“On behalf of all those involved with our request to the
SMSC, we are absolutely thrilled and extremely appreciative of this most generous
gift. The SMSC, once again, serves as a shining example of its ongoing commitment
in the area of ‘cradle to career’ educational opportunities in our native communities, and in our case, [of providing] scholarship support to American Indian students
seeking degree completion at Augsburg College,” said Bonnie Wallace, enrolled
member of the Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and member of the
Augsburg Board of Regents.
IME Becas scholarships
from Mexican consulate
Augsburg College was one of seven
Minnesota colleges and universities to
receive a grant from Consul Alberto Fierro
Garza, Consulate of Mexico in St. Paul. Garza
presented grants from the Instituto de los
Mexicanos en el Exterior (IME—Institute for
Mexicans Abroad) Fellowship Program to colleges and universities in Minnesota to benefit
Mexican or Mexican-American students. The
presentation took place during a ceremony
hosted by Minnesota State Colleges and
Universities (MnSCU) following the October
meeting of the Board of Trustees. A total of
$55,000 in scholarships was presented at
the ceremony, placing Minnesota among the
top states nationally for the amount received
from this competitive grant. The colleges
and universities will match the awards for a
total impact of $110,000.
THE CEDAR, AUGSBURG RECEIVE GRANT
A grant awarded to The Cedar Cultural Center and Augsburg
College will support a program to build cross-cultural
awareness, knowledge, and understanding of Somali culture through
music. One of only six grants of its type in the nation, the $200,000 award
was made as part of the highly competitive Building Bridges: Campus
Community Engagement grant by the Association of Performing Arts
Presenters funded by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Doris
Duke Foundation for Islamic Art.
The grant will be used to launch a two-year project titled Midnimo: Music
for Unity, Campus, and Community. Through Midnimo, the Somali word
for “unity,” Augsburg students, Cedar-Riverside residents, and the general public will engage in a series of educational and experiential events
focused on Somali music.
Spring 2014
3
AROUND THE QUAD
SPORTS EXTRAVAGANZA
SABO CENTER
for Citizenship and
2013
Learning
The November Martin Olav Sabo Symposium focused on creating
policy change and featured three panelists who spoke about
their experience working on climate change, the Minnesota
Dream Act, and marriage equality.
Speakers included Kate Knuth, Boreas Leadership Program
Coordinator at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on
the Environment and a citizen member of the Minnesota
Environmental Quality Board; Juventino Meza ’11, a founding member of NAVIGATE, a network of immigrant youth and
allies seeking to widen the path to higher education for young
people; and Sen. Scott Dibble, a third-term state senator.
Sports Extravaganza was founded in 1999 and continues to be an annual College tradition because of the
benefits it provides for Twin Cities area children, and
Augsburg health and physical education (HPE) and
exercise science students.
In mid-November, more than 200 Minnesota students
in grades 3-6 took part in the event, in which participants played adapted games and completed physical
education activities. The event is an opportunity for
Augsburg students to problem solve, use encouraging
messages and motivation techniques, and increase
their adeptness at instructing children with disibilities.
Kate Knuth
Juventino Meza ’11
Sen. Scott Dibble
STROMMEN SPEAKERS SERIES
The Clair and Gladys Strommen Executive Speakers Series at Augsburg
College, which brings local business leaders to campus to share insights
and expertise, kicked off in November with John Taft, CEO at RBC Wealth
Management, and his presentation on “Stewardship: Lessons Learned
from the Lost Culture of Wall Street.” He made a compelling argument
that Wall Street leaders and institutions experienced a failure to fulfill
their stewardship responsibilities by putting their own interests before the
interests of the constituencies they serve.
John Taft
The series continued in February with Dave St. Peter, president of the Minnesota Twins. St. Peter,
who joined the Twins in 1990 and was named president in 2002, talked about the baseball
industry in his presentation, “The Business of Baseball.” St. Peter oversees the Twins’ day-to-day
operations, strategic planning, and interaction with Major League Baseball.
4
Augsburg Now
Dave St. Peter
CONVOCATION SERIES 2013-14
HEAD COACH
DENNIS
BARKER
RETIRES
First held in 1990, the Augsburg College Convocation
Series is an annual speaker series that incorporates longstanding endowed and special programs. This winter, the
26th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation honored one
of the United States’ visionary civil rights leaders with song.
T. Mychael Rambo and Brian Grandison hosted the event,
“Music for Martin.”
In February, the Batalden Seminar
in Applied Ethics featured Sister
Peggy O’Neill, president and director of Centro Arte para la Paz in
Suchitoto, El Salvador. Her presentation was titled, “Awakening
to the Reality of a Crucified World:
Discovering What It Means to Be
Human.”
Augsburg College men’s and women’s track and field
and cross-country head coach Dennis Barker resigned
his coaching positions after the fall season. Barker had
served as coach for both sports for the past 20 seasons.
Barker coached 59 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference (MIAC) event champions and 147 All-MIAC
and 126 All-MIAC Honorable Mention honorees, and
his teams earned several U.S. Track and Field and
Cross Country Coaches Association Team Academic
Awards, among others.
Photo by Caleb Williams
The Sverdrup Visiting Scientist
Lecture in April featured Bonnie
L. Bassler, professor in molecular
biology at Princeton University,
whose presentations included
“Tiny Conspiracies: Cell-to-Cell
Communication in Bacteria” and
“Manipulating Quorum Sensing to
Control Bacterial Pathogenicity.”
The annual Sverdrup Visiting
Scientist Lecture series brings renowned scientists to campus to share their expertise with the Augsburg community,
the College’s aspiring scientists, and members of the larger
scientific community.
To find out more about the Augsburg Convocation series,
go to augsburg.edu/convo.
Spring 2014
5
AROUND THE QUAD
BOOK PROCEEDS to benefit Augsburg College
Book describes Augsburg professor’s
heritage as Norwegian immigrant
Profits from lost manuscript
designated for CSBR
Author Phillip Formo’s new
book, Papa: A Life Remembered,
describes the experiences of his
grandfather, Andreas Helland, a
Norwegian immigrant and a longtime Augsburg College professor.
In the book, Formo shares memories and insights about Helland’s
teaching and commitment to the
Church. Proceeds from the sale
of the book will go to an Augsburg student
scholarship in Helland’s memory.
The family of Erwin Mickelberg
is donating all profits from
his lost manuscript, It’s About
the Ripples, to the Center
for Science, Business, and
Religion. The book breaks down
1 Corinthians 13, line by line,
giving meaning and scope to
the well-loved passage.
A NEW PATH
TO DEGREE
COMPLETION
New bachelor’s
degree program for
working professionals
augsburg.edu/pro
Augsburg is rolling out a new, evening bachelor’s degree program for working professionals beginning
fall 2014. It will be offered in a flexible, hybrid-learning format, combining traditional weeknight
classes with convenient online components on an alternating, every-other-week schedule.
The new degree program format is designed to help working professionals complete their major in as
little as two to three years. With small classes of working professionals, students will be able to learn
from and with professors and classmates.
The program includes degrees in high demand among working adults—including business, communications studies, education, nursing, and psychology. More information about available majors,
tuition, and financial aid is available at augsburg.edu/pro.
6
Augsburg Now
Finding
MEANING
In Work
BY STEPHANIE WEISS
The value of a college education is greater
than it’s been in nearly 50 years. This is
the key finding of a 2014 Pew Research
Center study, which showed a wider earnings gap between college-educated and
less educated people ages 25-32 compared with those in the same age bracket
in previous generations dating back to
1965. The report, “The Rising Cost of Not
Going to College,” found that individuals
ages 25-32 who hold a bachelor’s degree
and work full time make $17,500 per year
more than working adults in that age range
who have only a high school diploma. This
disparity, the report states, “has never
been greater in the modern era.”
But life after college is about more
than just getting a job to earn a paycheck.
And that’s where Pew’s research provides
even further evidence of the value of a
college education: According to the study,
recent college graduates are more satisfied
with their jobs and are more likely than
those with a high school degree or less to
see themselves on a career path, rather
than simply working at a job to make ends
meet.
So what can Augsburg families do to
make the most of college and to ensure
that the investment in education pays off
over time and helps pave the way from
early jobs to a rewarding career?
On the next page, you’ll meet four
alumni who work in human resources
management and with whom we spoke
about finding meaning in work. The group
provided tips and insight into how Auggies
can improve job search outcomes, intentionally build their careers, and seek ways
to use their gifts and talents in a meaningful manner in the world. See their advice
on pages 9 and 10.
AUGGIE NETWORKING EVENT
[L to R]: Rick Bonlender ‘78, of the
Augsburg Alumni Board, talks with Michelle
Grafelman ‘14 and Donny Hunter ‘03 at an
Auggie networking event.
7
MEET THE EXPERTS
LARRY MORGAN ’76
President, Orion HR Group, LLC
Studied: communication/mass communication and
political science, minor in psychology; also holds a
master’s of arts in industrial relations from the University
of Minnesota
What makes work rewarding: “Helping clients solve
human resource-related challenges such as hiring and
dealing with difficult employees; designing compensation
programs; and getting thanked by top executives for
resolving problems.”
Augsburg College Regent
LISA NOVOTNY ’80
Vice President, Human Resources,
General Mills Inc.
Studied: social work and Spanish; also holds master’s
of arts in industrial relations from the University of
Minnesota
What I learned from a liberal arts education: “The liberal
arts taught me to think beyond what was in front of
me. It helped me find linkages to other coursework and
the world, and to other systems. Grad school taught
me about my discipline. Augsburg taught me to think
of all the factors that impact someone and the role of
the organization as something that can play a role in
impacting the person.”
MARCIA WRIGHT ’89
PAUL RENSTED ’87
Director of Human Resources, City
of Annapolis, Md.
Studied: international relations and East Asian studies,
minor in history
What I learned from a liberal arts education: “The liberal
arts will make you well-rounded by allowing you to have
a major focus area and to build around that. A liberal
arts education teaches people how to think, write,
communicate effectively, and relate to others. These are
critical skills to succeed in the work world. They also are
critical to succeed in life.”
8
Augsburg Now
Global Human Resources
Consultant and Human Resources
Manager, Toshiba Global
Commerce Solutions, Inc.
Studied: psychology and business administration; also
holds a master’s of arts in industrial relations from the
University of Minnesota
What makes work rewarding: “I get excited about making
a difference—whether by driving business results or
creating a positive experience for an employee. I enjoy
creating programs and a work environment that optimizes
our human capital.”
FINDING MEANING IN WORK
These four human resources professionals stressed that the starting point for Auggies is to take advantage of the rich
opportunities that Augsburg College has to offer. Getting involved in student activity groups, attending networking and career
events, having an internship, and more, will give Auggies a jumpstart on the skills, experience, and networks needed to land a
job and grow a career. The group stressed the need for Auggies to:
DO AT LEAST ONE INTERNSHIP
Students should seek at least one hands-on learning
opportunity while at Augsburg. Larry Morgan said that
internships offer a way to practice what you are learning in the
classroom and to identify skills that interest you and at which
you excel. Internships are a way to explore where your gifts
intersect with the needs of the world.
BE MINDFUL OF ALL THE WAYS YOU COMMUNICATE
Be aware of the many manners in which you communicate.
“At least 40 percent of employers check social media during
the background check,” Morgan said. “Many people are
screened out based upon inappropriate social media [posts],
and many also are screened out based upon inappropriate
email addresses and voice mail messages.” But not all uses
of communication tools need to cause anxiety. Morgan said
that for people who are seeking jobs in the visual arts, such
as in graphic design, creating an online website and portfolio
to showcase work is a good way to raise your profile and
professional reputation.
PARTICIPATE WITH A PURPOSE
Join student organizations, community groups, and professional organizations. Being involved provides opportunities to
build leadership skills and a network of peers. Marcia Wright
said these groups also provide students the chance to develop
a reputation for doing excellent work and for showing a willingness to embrace challenges. It’s important to know what
you hope to get out of a group, she said, and to be able to tell
potential employers about the influence you made and results
you drove.
NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK
While getting involved in student groups and professional
organizations is an important component of building a face-toface network, it’s also important to take advantage of campus
networking events. Morgan said these events offer an easy
way to take advantage of the interest that alumni have in
students and in staying connected to the College. Face-to-face
networking also can be a starting point for building an online
network on LinkedIn.
CUSTOMIZE COVER LETTERS AND RÉSUMÉS,
RESEARCH COMPANIES
Human resources professionals spend only 15 to 30 seconds
scanning a résumé for an initial screening. Morgan said to
help ensure your résumé is sorted into the “closer look”
pile, it’s critical that your résumé be spotless, that it share
achievements via metrics—it should “show how you made a
difference, not tell them your qualifications.”
“Show how you made a difference, not tell
– LARRY MORGAN
them your qualifications.”
Cover letters and résumés should be tailored to each job and
should highlight the areas in your skills and experience that
dovetail with the job for which you are applying.
MAKE THE MOST OF EVERY JOB YOU HOLD
It’s not uncommon at some point to hold a position that is
not ideal. However, as Paul Rensted pointed out, all jobs offer
opportunities. “Always strive to learn everything you can in
any job you hold,” he said. “Work toward self-learning and
skill growth because you get to take those skills with you. Do
the same with relationships because you never know where
your next job will be or who will help you get there.”
STRATEGICALLY NAVIGATE FROM ONE JOB TO THE NEXT
“By moving around in one company or strategically moving to
different companies, you can start to focus on building your
depth of expertise and interpersonal and technical skills,”
Wright said. “Be sure to ask yourself before you start a job
what it is that you want to get from it.”
TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR CAREER
“We all spend a lot of time at work. We need to try to enjoy
that time—or change it if we don’t,” Rensted said.
Spring 2014
9
FINDING MEANING IN WORK
Augsburg College Regent Lisa Novotny agreed with
her colleagues and added another level of insight into how
Auggies can create meaning in work. She said that Auggies
not only need to be taking advantage of the city as an
extension of the classroom and more, they also should be able
to articulate choices and decisions to potential employers.
“If students don’t pay attention to where they are putting
their energy, they will not be prepared to explain or represent
what they did,” Novotny said. “We [hiring managers and HR
professionals] don’t necessarily want to hear that a student
never deviated from a path or that they never looked back. We
want to hear why and how students made their choices and
decisions.”
“If students don’t pay attention to where they are
putting their energy, they will not be prepared to
explain or represent what they did.” – LISA NOVOTNY
Early in their work lives, Auggies should be prepared to
explain to potential employers why they took courses beyond
their major or minor, how they spent their summers, what
types of internships they sought, and what fuels their passion,
she said. This type of deep questioning helps employers learn
how a person thinks and whether they will be a good fit at an
organization.
In her work for one of the largest food companies in the
world, Novotny said she asks probing questions to determine
whether people are curious, authentic, and able to explain
how they may have served as a leader even when they weren’t
in obvious positions of leadership.
But not every employer will ask deep questions or ask
for thoughtful explanations, and that, itself, could serve as a
warning sign to job candidates.
“Organizations that don’t poke and prod, but that look
10
Augsburg Now
only for certain coursework and a specific major, may be
looking just to fill a job rather than help someone build a
career of meaning and differentiating contributions,” she said.
Novotny also stressed the importance of reflection after a
person has landed a job. “You need to pause and ask yourself
why you are doing something, what you are learning, what you
are contributing to the organization and the world. But you
also have to ask what it—the work—is doing for you and how
it is changing you.”
This diligence will help signal whether and when it is time
to seek change.
“Pay attention to your energy level and when and why
and how it is high at work. Do the same when it is low. Ask
yourself what is behind that,” Novotny said.
While being intentional is critical to building toward
and finding meaningful work, it’s not always the case that a
vocation, or call, is apparent right away.
“Sometimes meaning doesn’t come until we are ‘doing,’”
Novotny said.
“We need to learn what we don’t know and let some stuff
be uncovered over time. Be patient while you uncover what
leaves you high and low, but don’t be passive. Passive is really
close to indifferent. Indifferent is close to apathy. Apathy is a
hair’s breadth from disengaged. It’s hard to come back from
disengaged,” she said.
In the end, Novotny said, “you will find meaningful work
and make meaningful contributions when what you are really
good at lines up with where your skills are, what you are
passionate about, and what the organization needs. Careers
are 40 years or longer for a reason. They are just like life, they
are a journey.”
The Historyapolis Project
The Future of History
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
When professional historian Kirsten Delegard published her book in 2012—her first publication where
she was the sole author—she sold 300 copies. “And
that includes sales to my parents, in-laws, and large
extended family,” she said.
After nearly a decade of research, writing, and editing, her total proceeds were $96. Of course Delegard,
who currently serves as a scholar-in-residence in the
Augsburg College History Department, asserts that she
hadn’t done the work of publishing the book to make
money.
“I published it to share my ideas—to tell a story
about the past that few people knew.”
Delegard’s book, Battling Miss Bolsheviki, describes
the emergence of conservative women political activists in the United States after women won the right to
vote in 1920. It was published by one of the leading university presses in the United States and was
reviewed favorably by the largest professional journals
in Delegard’s field. “It addresses an important and even
provocative topic,” Delegard said, “something that
should be interesting to lots of people—particularly
in a state that includes political figures like Michele
Bachmann.
“But only a few people will ever pick up this book,”
she said. And, so, it is not likely to “shift popular
understandings of politically conservative women or
women’s politics.”
It was this lack of impact—not the lack of monetary
reward—that caused Delegard to become disillusioned
with the conventional approach to scholarly publishing in her profession. Our system squanders precious
cultural resources, she said, by encouraging “our most
highly trained interpreters [of history] to write things
that no one reads.”
History that does work in the world
Instead, Delegard wanted to write history in ways that
challenge people to rethink their perceptions and that
give them new context to help them make sense of the
world.
She said she felt drawn to respond to the words
American Historical Association president Carl Becker
used in his 1931 annual address. Becker called on
scholars to do “history that does work in the world, the
history that influences the course of history,” instead of
the history “that lies inert in unread books.”
The question Delegard then faced was: How?
Photo from the Library of Congress
Spring 2014
11
“How do humanities scholars reach the people who
want to hear their insights? How do they speak to broader
publics?” she asked.
Delegard responded to these questions by upending academic conventions and launching a history
project that is digital first and “old media” second.
The Historyapolis Project, as she has named it, focuses
on producing a comprehensive history of the city of
Minneapolis that adheres to high-quality scholarly standards and, at the same time, is accessible to the broadest
possible audience.
Bringing the story of a city to life
Today, the Historyapolis Project is a multi-platform,
historic storytelling endeavor, spanning Facebook and
Twitter as well as the newly launched Historyapolis.com
website. Delegard also has developed a research plan for
the project as well as an outline for a narrative history of
Minneapolis, which will be published by the University of
Minnesota Press.
A year before launching the Historyapolis Project,
Delegard, a third-generation Minneapolis native, met with
a wide range of community stakeholders. She spoke with
representatives from museums, higher education institutions, historical archives, and policymaking and arts
organizations about the need for a “usable” history of the
city. “In all of these places, I heard the same thing—that
the citizens of our state are hungry for complex stories
about the past, for narratives that will help them understand how Minneapolis became the wonderful, complex,
and contradictory place that it is today.”
The last overview of Minneapolis’ history was written in 1940, Delegard said. That project, Minneapolis:
The Story of a City, was a 94-page volume compiled
by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and sponsored by the Minnesota Department of Education and
the then-Minneapolis Board of Education. Since then,
many aspects of the city’s history have been covered in
various publications, she said, but “in the largest city in
our state, we do not have a central clearinghouse where
people can go to find a full story of our past.”
12
10
Augsburg Now
Engaging Minneapolis
So, the Historyapolis Project was launched—first on
Facebook—in April 2013. Delegard’s decision to undertake this work using digital tools was definitely a step
outside the comfort zone of a self-proclaimed “digital
convert” (as opposed to a “digital native”). But, Delegard
explained, “by making [my work] available to anyone on
the internet, I could reach a broader community and find
the audience I was seeking—an audience interested in
serious and accessible historical work that would bridge
the gap between the academic domain and the larger
world.”
Today, Delegard posts on the Historyapolis Facebook
page five days a week. Each post has an image accompanied by roughly 300 words that explain the significance
of the image. “I try to challenge pre-conceived ideas
about the city’s past. I present primary sources that are
meant to engage readers and to catalyze conversations
about difficult episodes” in Minneapolis’ history.
One of the most widely read and shared Historyapolis
posts was on January 1 this year, when Delegard posted
an archival image and brief history of the building at
512-516 Cedar Avenue, which was destroyed in a tragic
New Year’s Day explosion and fire that killed three
people, and injured and displaced many others. (See a
reproduction of the post on page 14.)
Other examples of Historyapolis topics that have
generated audience response and interaction range from
a 1954 burning of a trolley car to celebrate the end of
the city’s streetcar operations to a post about the beginning of desegregation in the Minneapolis schools in 1971
to various historic maps, which Delegard posts on “Map
Mondays.”
Because of the social nature of platforms like
Facebook, Delegard’s readers not only can provide feedback about the posts that interest them, they also often
share additional historical information about the topic
and even engage with each other in dialogue or debate on
various subjects.
It’s the interactive aspect of digital media that
Delegard finds most valuable. “It took me almost 18
months to get the reviews when I was publishing Battling
Miss Bolsheviki,” she said. “On the Historyapolis
Facebook page, I get instant and thoughtful feedback
from a diverse range of readers. Almost every day these
citizen researchers teach me something I didn’t know
about the city. They direct me to new sources. They
inspire me with their suggestions for new work and their
enthusiasm for the material.”
As evidence of that enthusiasm, the Historyapolis
audience has grown steadily during the past year, reaching a weekly audience of nearly 3,000 by the end of
February—“almost ten times as many as the total sales of
my book,” Delegard noted.
Historyapolis at Augsburg College
The project also is gaining attention and support
beyond its immediate online readership. In January, the
Minnesota Historical Society (MHS) awarded an $82,000
Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage grant to the History
Department at Augsburg College for the Historyapolis
Project—the first time that an academic department of
history has received funding from the Arts and Cultural
Heritage program for such a project. The grant supports
engaging students in the research process and, according
to an MHS news release, creates a “central hub for the
interpretation of Minneapolis history and an innovative
model for urban collegiate history departments.”
“The awarding of this grant establishes Augsburg
as a center for the study of Minneapolis’ past, one in
which the broader public will play a powerful role,” said
Michael Lansing, associate professor and chair of the
Augsburg History Department. It builds on the History
Department’s long-term commitment to the public work
of history and to expanding its role in the discipline
of “public history”—a discipline that comprises the
many and diverse ways in which history is applied to
real-world issues. According to the National Council on
Public History, public history is practiced by “historical consultants, museum professionals, government
historians, archivists, oral historians, cultural resource
managers, curators, film and media producers, historical
interpreters, historic preservationists, policy advisers,
local historians, and community activists, among many,
many other job descriptions.”
As part of its commitment to history education at
every level, the Augsburg History Department has, for
years, hosted Minnesota History Day, which is one of
12 National History Day venues and provides more than
30,000 Minnesota social studies students in grades 6-12
with the chance to be actual historians. Augsburg is also
home to the ACTC Museum Fellows Program, a semesterlong course taught by MHS historians and available to
students from any of the five Associated Colleges of the
Twin Cities (ACTC) institutions.
Bringing the Historyapolis Project to Augsburg,
Lansing said, extends this commitment into the digital
arena, incorporating tools and skills that are increasingly
critical for the practice of public history. The first year of
the project at Augsburg is focused on research and, this
spring, Delegard has engaged several Augsburg students,
funded through April by the MHS grant, in conducting
research that will lay the foundation for specific digital
projects in the future—including projects that may serve
as the foundation for future grant applications, Lansing
said.
“This transformational research project creates an
incredible immersion experience for students,” Lansing
said. Plus, it supports both the Augsburg College History
Department and the people of Minnesota by creating a
collaborative, “public work that brings the practice of history into the world.”
Delegard agrees. “The Historyapolis Project focuses
on the history of Minneapolis, but the practices and
collaboration it represents are as much about the role
of higher education in shaping our shared future as it is
about our historical roots.”
Editor’s note: Portions of the background about the
Historyapolis Project were derived from a presentation
delivered in November by historian Kirsten Delegard to
Augsburg students in The History Workshop course.
Spring 2014
13
The Historyapolis Project
Minnesota Historical Society
Historyapolis.com
Featured on these pages are reprints of three posts
from the Historyapolis Project. To read about, discuss, and engage with the history of Minneapolis,
go to Historyapolis.com and click to the blog or to
the project’s Facebook and Twitter sites.
R.I.P., 514 Cedar Avenue
Posted January 1, 2014
Tragic news from the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, where
514 Cedar Avenue exploded this morning. At least 13
people were injured in the blaze; as of this writing, three
people have not been found in the icy ruins. The building’s first floor contained a small grocery that catered to
the tastes of the immigrant neighborhood. Upstairs were
inexpensive apartments that provided basic housing for new
African immigrants.
When Peter Nordberg constructed this building in
1886, he designed it to house two stores on the first floor
and “twenty room flats” above. At this time, this section
of Cedar Avenue was known as “Snusgatan” and was the
commercial center for new Scandinavian immigrants. The
traditional gateway for newcomers to the city, the neighborhood began to transform once immigration slowed to a
trickle during the Great Depression.
In 1968, the struggling Cedar-Riverside neighborhood
provided the perfect location for a new commercial endeavor
envisioned by two [University of Minnesota] students. Ron
Korsh and Dan Foley started the Electric Fetus music store
at 521 Cedar Avenue in 1968, hoping to sell the psychedelic rock music they heard coming out of San Francisco.
Korsh quickly became bored with the store and sold his
share to Keith Covart, who is credit[ed] with making the
business a long-lasting success.
These counterculture entrepreneurs kept their store in
14
Augsburg Now
the news. In 1969, police confiscated a poster from the
store that depicted a nude couple resembling President
Richard Nixon and his wife. Notoriety (and low record
prices) helped the store to grow, forcing it to seek larger
quarters across the street. In October 1969, it moved into
514 Cedar Avenue, the building destroyed in this morning’s
blaze.
In 1970, Covart was arrested after the store displayed a
United States flag with a peace symbol superimposed in the
spot usually reserved for the 50 white stars. In 1972, the
store held a “naked sale,” offering free records and pipes
to nude patrons. After fifty people showed up to claim their
free merchandise, the store lost its lease on Cedar Avenue.
With the influx of Somali immigrants, Cedar-Riverside
has once again become a first stop for new arrivals to the
city. And the building at 512-516 Cedar had reverted to its
original purpose. The tiny apartments and ethnic businesses
destroyed this morning would have seemed very familiar
to Peter Nordberg, the nineteenth-century entrepreneur
who recognized the economic potential of a new immigrant
community.
Photo from the Minnesota Historical Society. And material for this post is taken from the excellent history of the
Electric Fetus, [“A History of the Electric Fetus”], written by
Penny A. Petersen and Charlene K. Roise in July 2006.
School Desegregation in Minneapolis
Hennepin County Library Special Collections
In November 1970, the Minneapolis Public Schools announced a
modest proposal meant to begin the desegregation of its schools.
Aimed at undermining the effects of residential segregation in
the city, it recognized that neighborhood schools were stratified
by race. In the scheme announced by the School Board, two
elementary schools would be paired. The all-white Hale School
would trade students with nearby Field School, which was almost
entirely African American. Children in the youngest grades would
attend Hale; grades four through six would go to Field.
The proposal was poorly received by a vocal minority, which
coalesced behind Mayor Charlie Stenvig, a former police detective. Stenvig ran for mayor in 1969 as an independent, on a
platform of law and order. Anxieties about the urban disturbances
on the North Side dissipated quickly after Stenvig took office.
They were completely eclipsed by rising concerns about the racial
integration of the school system. District officials knew that if
they could not come up with a workable integration plan, they
would soon find themselves under a court order to begin widespread busing. A determined group of parents sought to block
these efforts, calling on officials to defy any legal orders.
By 1970, anxious parents were voicing their opposition in
marathon meetings; one meeting stretched twelve hours long,
breaking up at 5 a.m. after everyone had spoken for three minutes. Concerned citizens were not content to express their opinions in public forums. School board member Harry Davis—the
only African American on the board—had to keep his phone off
the hook to prevent a constant barrage of threatening phone calls.
Minnesota Historical Society
Posted November 13, 2013
Despite the popular opposition, Minneapolis moved forward
with its plan to combine Hale and Field in the fall of 1971. The
paired schools attracted a committed group of parents, who
worked to build an integrated school community that could be a
model for the rest of the city.
This photo shows Monica Lash (left) and Molly Johnson (right)
on their first day on the bus in 1971. The image comes from
Dave Kenney, who curates the MN70s tumblr, and the Minnesota
Historical Society.
Minneapolis Streetcars
Posted June 19, 2013
The city has decided to invest millions to build new streetcar
lines. Which [begs] the question, what happened to our old
streetcar system? It met its demise in June of 1954 when this
sinister-looking photo was taken. This image records the celebration organized by the Twin City Rapid Transit Company [TCRT]
when it declared streetcars to be relics of the past. On this early
summer day, the company actually burned streetcars—like the
one in the background-—to demonstrate its commitment to
progress and innovation. The men in this photo were celebrating
the purchase of 525 buses, which had been financed with liberal terms from General Motors. This allowed them to discard the
streetcars and dispose of assets necessary to maintain the rail
network. This image shows TCRT treasurer James Towey handing
a check (from NSP for the company’s Main Steam Station) to
company president Fred Ossanna, who was later investigated for
shady business dealings and political bribes.
Spring 2014
15
MY AUGGIE EXPERIENCE
THEHeart OF MINNEAPOLIS
Archive photo
BY STEPHEN GEFFRE AND LAURA SWANSON
with thanks to Augsburg Archivist and
History Professor Kristin Anderson
Since 1872,
Augsburg—and many
Auggies—have called
Minneapolis home. The history of the College
is interwoven tightly with that of Mill City
and its vibrant Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
These archival images portray the College’s
ever-changing campus and illustrate its
connection to the broader municipality. Take
a close look. And take a moment to recall
your own Augsburg history.
Archive photo
›
The group photograph shows the Augsburg Seminary
community in February 1918. At that time, Augsburg
Seminary had three areas of focus—a theological
school, a college, and a preparatory department.
›
Built during the 1948-49 academic year, Augsburg’s Science Hall in its early years served
several functions, including as the campus entrance; the home of student publications,
administrative offices, and the economics department; and—naturally—the site of lecture rooms
and science laboratories, as seen here.
16
Augsburg Now
›
In 1967, the construction of Augsburg College’s Christensen Center and Urness Tower buildings coincided
with Interstate 94 development occurring at the campus periphery. The freeway changed the College’s
southern border, creating a finite boundary between its Cedar-Riverside home and the Seward neighborhood,
although pedestrian bridges were in place prior to freeway completion.
Archive photo
‹ In 1872, Augsburg established its campus next to Murphy Square—Minneapolis’ oldest public park—and this 1905 photograph by Sweet Studio shows children at play. The
image is in the Minnesota Historical Society’s collection and was enlarged for display in
Murphy’s, a dining establishment formerly located in the Christensen Center.
Archive photo
On October 8, 1972, Augsburg held groundbreaking and site dedication ceremonies for
a new student apartment tower that later
was named Mortensen Hall after Gerda
Mortensen, long-time Dean of Women at
the College. In addition to housing Auggies,
the tower initially was intended to serve
students from St. Mary’s Junior College and
the Fairview Hospital nursing program, as
well as St. Olaf College nursing students
who trained in Minneapolis hospitals. ›
[L to R]: Oscar A. Anderson, Augsburg
College president; Sr. Mary Madonna
Ashton, executive vice-president of St.
Mary’s Hospital; Sr. Anne Joachim Moore,
president of St. Mary’s Junior College;
Suzann Olson ’73, Augsburg student body
president; Leonard F. Ramberg, chairman
of Augsburg’s Board of Regents; Kent
S. Knutson, president of the American
Lutheran Church; and Carl Platou, chief
administrator of Fairview Hospital.
Spring 2014
Archive photo
17
IT TAKES AN AUGGIE
THE TEMPERATURE’S
RISING
As we expectantly watch outdoor temperatures climb this
spring, the Augsburg community has seen the mercury
rise on another attention-drawing gauge. The fundraising
thermometer for the campaign for the Center for Science,
Business, and Religion (CSBR) has surpassed its halfway
mark, reaching nearly $27 million* thanks to donors who
continue to demonstrate support for the largest building
project in the College’s history.
An outgrowth of the campaign’s continued success
is that we’ve heard new stories about why Augsburg
College means so much to so many. Augsburg is a place
where faculty members connect with students, helping
them to troubleshoot assignments and to work through
life’s tough decisions. Augsburg is a place where coaches
inspire teamwork, sparking an enduring dedication to
collaboration and a passion for cooperation. Augsburg
is a place where alumni are proud to call themselves
Auggies, supporting current students and recent
graduates who will carry the legacy forward. And,
Augsburg is a place where people flourish, meeting some
of their dearest friends and making some of their fondest
memories. Here are a few such stories.
Class of ’52 couple gives $250,000 to sponsor
physics laboratory
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Peterson ’52 believe the CSBR
demonstrates how Augsburg prepares students for the
future with energy and vitality. Combined, these Auggie
sweethearts were involved in activities ranging from
athletics to the Augsburg Choir, and beyond their student
years, they have maintained deep ties to the College.
Bill Anderson ’56 sponsors new biology laboratory
Bill Anderson ’56 found a creative way to make a big
difference with his support for the CSBR. Currently
president of the Minnesota Federation of Stamp Clubs,
he is a lifelong collector who gives Augsburg valuable
18
Augsburg Now
stamps each year and has named the College as a major
beneficiary of his estate. Anderson taught high school
biology for 34 years, and he said he enjoys seeing
Augsburg’s plans for the CSBR move forward.
Marilyn ’61 and Tom Breckenridge sponsor two
faculty offices for CSBR
Rev. Marilyn Saure Breckenridge ’61 is Augsburg’s first
female graduate to be ordained as a Lutheran pastor.
She and her husband, Tom, initially planned to sponsor
one office in the Religion Department in gratitude for
Marilyn’s undergraduate education and her Distinguished
Alumna Award, but—as their excitement about the
CSBR project grew—they sponsored an additional
office located in the Business Department to reflect an
important aspect of Tom’s ministry.
Roommates from ’45 sponsor adjacent
rooms in CSBR
Beth (Buesing) Opgrand ’45 and her college roommate,
Genevieve (Larson) Hendrickson ’45, reconnected after
50 years and both decided to give a naming gift for a
faculty office in the CSBR. It seems only fitting that
these faculty offices sit side by side.
Oliver Dahl ’45 sponsors faculty office in CSBR
Oliver Dahl ’45 has had an 80-year relationship
with Augsburg College. From age 10 to 15, he went
to campus to practice basketball while on a Trinity
Lutheran Church youth team in Minneapolis. Dahl
enrolled at Augsburg in 1941, and in 1942, served as
the College’s first wrestling coach before leaving to join
the U.S. Army during World War II. Dahl has named
Augsburg’s athletics program and the CSBR project the
major beneficiaries of his estate, and he says, “I’ve been
thinking about Augsburg College all of my life.”
LAURA SWANSON
These stories—and many others—are available in an
extended format on the CSBR campaign blog.
To read more, visit augsburg.edu/now.
*Figure represents fundraising total as of February 28.
AUGGIE VOICES
JOB
ON THE
Young alumni
value networks formed and opportunities
available at Augsburg College
As excitement and anticipation grow regarding the campaign for the Center for Science, Business, and Religion, Augsburg’s
newest alumni can articulate why studying at a college that emphasizes thinking across disciplines and beyond convention
proved beneficial in their education and invaluable when launching their professional careers.
BY LAURA SWANSON
TRENT ANDERSON ’12
Studied: accounting, business administration, and economics
Current role: Certified Public Accountant and Assurance Associate,
CliftonLarsonAllen
People have the wrong idea about accountants, according to
Trent Anderson ’12. “It’s not really as math-intensive as you’d
think,” he said. Sure, Anderson admits that part of his job entails
adding or multiplying large groups of numbers, but he also
stresses that teamwork and client relations are equally important—and, for him, energizing—aspects of his career. Anderson
chose to attend Augsburg because the College offered him the
opportunity to exercise his passion for teamwork as a student
athlete. During his undergraduate experience, Anderson found
that he and his baseball teammates developed friendships with
bonds as strong as family and a network with the potential to
influence their careers. It was an Augsburg alumnus and former
baseball player employed by CliftonLarsonAllen who introduced
Anderson to what turned out to be his first employer—and one of
the top 10 accountancy firms in the United States. Both Auggies
benefited from the College’s small-school experience, Anderson
explained, where it is possible to develop meaningful relationships with professors, fellow students, and Twin Cities professionals. “It’s an interesting mix,” he said. “Augsburg is about
more than mastering one subject. It’s about being a well-rounded
student, a well-rounded individual. Now that is something I value
to this day.”
To watch Trent Anderson discuss his start at
CliftonLarsonAllen, go to augsburg.edu/now.
Spring 2014
19
ANGELA BONFIGLIO ’13
Studied: sociology, youth and family ministry
Current role: Director of Youth Programs, Redeemer Center for Life and Redeemer Lutheran Church
During her second year at Augsburg, Angela Bonfiglio ’13 sought the opportunity to become involved in Minneapolis’ community
partnership work, and the College’s Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning was able to connect her with an organization matching
her interests and her studies. By the next fall, Bonfiglio was an afterschool program coordinator at Redeemer Center for Life, a
nonprofit seeking to meet the housing, employment, and youth development needs of Harrison and North Minneapolis neighborhood
residents. Her work—funded through a Batalden Scholarship at Augsburg—turned out to be a near-perfect fit, and she continued to
lead the program during her senior year. A few months prior to completing her degree, Redeemer’s executive director offered Bonfiglio
a full-time position following graduation. She accepted the offer, recognizing that she could use the knowledge and skills she’d gained
during college in her future position. “I loved youth ministry classes, and sociology challenged me in a new way,” she said. Today she
couples her sociological research experience with her background in youth programming to guide the “big picture” for the nonprofit’s
youth activities. “The work is completely interdisciplinary,” she said. “I can ‘plug into’ contexts for both sociology and youth ministry,
and that’s because of Augsburg.”
ALEX SORUM ’13
To watch Alex Sorum discuss the URGO project he
completed with Jennifer Bankers-Fulbright, associate
professor of biology, in Augsburg’s summer research
video series, go to augsburg.edu/now.
Studied: biology, chemistry
Current role: Postbaccalaureate Cancer Research Training Award Fellow, National Cancer Institute
Daily tasks vary widely for Alex Sorum ’13, a research fellow in one of the National
Cancer Institute’s chemical biology laboratories. Some days he tests enzyme activity,
and other days he synthesizes compounds. Synthesis, it seems, is a common theme
between his college experiences and his life since graduation. As a double major, Sorum
was quick to take part in every opportunity available to him, oftentimes combining his
interests. “I always knew I wanted to go into research,” he said. “The biggest benefit
for me was that Augsburg professors use a hands-on approach in their teaching.”
Sorum satisfied his appetite for research through on- and off-campus opportunities that
allowed him to gain valuable experience and strengthen his relationships with faculty
mentors. It was Michael Wentzel, assistant professor of chemistry, who helped introduce
Sorum to the National Cancer Institute, and other faculty members’ thoughtful letters
of recommendation that allowed him to secure the prestigious position. The National
Cancer Institute was “looking for someone with the ability to perform in this research
position,” he recalls. “With my past experience, I had the ability to both think critically
and to problem-solve. Now that’s key.”
20
Augsburg Now
1
2
3
4
BY LAURA SWANSON
The 26th annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum—an event that celebrates the importance, consequence, and controversy of the
Nobel Peace Prize—was held March 1 and 7-9 in three Minneapolis locations, including Augsburg College.
With “Crossing Boundaries to Create Common Ground” as
its theme, the 2014 Forum brought Nobel Peace Prize winners,
civic leaders, and scholars together with students and other citizens to contemplate questions of peace and conflict. Now in its
third year of permanent residency in the Twin Cities, the Forum
welcomed more than 5,700 ticket holders who explored topics
ranging from science to law and from music to global affairs and
business.
His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the 1989 Nobel Peace
Prize laureate, delivered the Forum’s opening address at Faith
and Peace Day. Leymah Gbowee—a 2011 Nobel Peace Prize
winner and Liberian peace activist—spoke at Global Day, and Dr.
Deane Marchbein represented Doctors Without Borders/Médecins
Sans Frontières (MSF)—the 1999 Nobel Peace Prize laureate—
on Science and Health Day. Representatives from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the 2013 Nobel
Peace Prize winner, also led a breakout session.
In addition to engaging attendees in speeches, book signings, networking events, and more, the 2014 Forum premiered a
partnership with social networking service Google+ that enabled
online attendees to live-stream events, submit questions to keynote speakers, and participate in thought-provoking dialogue—all
from their unique locations around the globe.
“The opportunity to host the Nobel Peace Prize Forum offers
our students, alumni, and international community inspiring
examples of those people who strive to make peace and to make
a difference in our world,” said Augsburg College President Paul
Pribbenow. “At the heart of Augsburg’s mission are our commitments to educating informed global citizens and to embracing
the links between faith and learning.”
Spring 2014
21
6
5
PEACE ON THE STREET
BRAD ST. AUBIN ’15
The Dalai Lama is looked at as a paragon of peacemaking,
but his address helped reinforce that he is also human.
When doing peace work, we want solutions, but his ability
to say, ‘I don’t know,’ gave a nod to the fact that even our
revered leaders don’t have all the answers.
The 2014 Forum was an event that united the Augsburg
community, and Auggies participated both as guests
and as volunteers.
One Auggie who worked at the Nobel Peace Prize
Forum was Banna Kidane ’15. A Sabo Scholar studying
computer science, Kidane was an intern for the Nobel
Peace Prize Forum and acknowledged the rarity of his
chance to serve.
“Being an intern with the NPPF is a once-in-alifetime opportunity that I’m happy I didn’t pass up,”
Kidane said.
It is through making memories, sparking ideas, and
spurring action that the Forum lives out its mission to
inspire peacemaking. A few Auggies shared reflections,
takeaways, and highlights from their NPPF experiences:
HUMAN
KIM BESTLER ’10, Augsburg program assistant and tutor
coordinator, TRiO/Student Support Services
It’s a privilege that Augsburg gets to host an international
event that so tightly corresponds with our College mission.
MISSION
PEACE
LOVE
UNAFRAID
COMPASSION
COMMUNITY
CHARMAYNE SLETTEN, AUGSBURG PARENT
The presentations inspired peacemaking that starts
with love and compassion by each individual.
PAUL BATALDEN ’63
I realize I can’t personally control the emerging,
complex world. I, too, have no other choice but to
control what I pay attention to, what words I use,
what relationships I maintain, and what community
I foster. Through these recognitions, choices, and
actions, I can exert my influence and do my part
for peace and a better world.
INFLUENCE
22
Augsburg Now
SHELBY ANDRESS ’56
Augsburg is unafraid to enter a complicated world,
guide its entire community in ways of peace and
noble action, and use its spheres of influence.
LIZZIE FONTAINE ’16
The NPPF brings together a whole community.
That’s a huge gift for Augsburg.
BRAM OOSTERLEE ’16
My favorite part of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum is
the connections you make with the speakers and
the audience. The speakers open up discussions
that are not held often enough, and the audience is
excited and encouraged to take action.
CONNECTIONS
7
8
9
ABOUT THE PHOTOS
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM SPONSORS
PAGE 21:
The Forum is housed and coordinated by Augsburg College in
partnership with the University of Minnesota Humphrey School
of Public Affairs and the School of Public Health. It was founded
in 1989 through a unique partnership between the Norwegian
Nobel Institute and five Norwegian Lutheran colleges—Augsburg,
Augustana (Sioux Falls, S.Dak.), Concordia (Moorhead, Minn.),
Luther (Decorah, Iowa) and St. Olaf (Northfield, Minn.).
1 His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, the 1989 Nobel
Peace Prize laureate
2 Dr. Deane Marchbein, American president of Doctors
Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières, the 1999
Nobel Peace Prize laureate
3 Leymah Gbowee, Liberian peace activist and 2011
Nobel Peace Prize laureate
LAW AND BUSINESS DAY SPONSOR
4 Jay Nordlinger, senior editor of National Review;
Stephen Young, global executive director of the Caux
Round Table; and Geir Lundestad, director of the
Norwegian Nobel Institute
MAJOR EVENT SPONSORS
PAGE 22:
5 Singer/songwriter Mason Jennings
6 Arjia Rinpoche, director of the Tibetan Mongolian
Buddhist Cultural Center in Bloomington, Ind.
Page 23:
7 Burroughs Community School students performing
at the Nobel Peace Prize Youth Festival
8 Dr. Maureen Reed, executive director of the
Nobel Peace Prize Forum
9 A Peace Quilt Labyrinth exhibited at Oren
Gateway Center
To view additional photos, watch laureate
addresses and keynote presentations, or learn
more about the Forum, go to augsburg.edu/now.
EVENT SPONSORS
Barbara Forster and Mary Tjosvold, Smaby Family Foundation,
U.S. Embassy-Oslo, and Winds of Peace Foundation
FESTIVAL PRODUCTION PARTNER
Spring 2014
23
AUGGIES ON THE FIELD
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT,
COMPETITION,
& CULTURAL LEARNING
Photos courtesy of Augsburg’s Women’s Soccer Team
It’s easy to say that students at Augsburg
College are interested in the world around
them and that they strive to make a
difference by serving their neighbors. It
shows a deeper commitment to living
out the College’s mission to be engaged
citizens when a group of student-athletes
chooses to take a winter break trip to
Nicaragua instead of a destination beach
vacation in Costa Rica.
This winter, the women’s soccer
team showed just what it means to be
an Auggie when the group of student
athletes voted to go to Nicaragua for a trip
comprised of community engagement,
reflective service work, and soccer. When
the student-athletes combined their desire
for such a trip with the rich programming
that comes from partnering with the
College’s 30-year-old, award-winning
24
Augsburg Now
Center for Global Education (CGE), the
team landed an experience that pushed
their boundaries and understanding of the
world.
“The players genuinely have hungry
hearts and open minds,” said Mike
Navarre, head coach of the women’s
soccer team. “They voted to have an
immersion experience, and I am proud
that they feel they have a responsibility to
make the world better.”
By collaborating with CGE, the
women’s soccer team became the first
of the Auggie teams to participate in a
winter break trip that met the College’s
“Augsburg Experience” requirement,
a distinctive feature of an Augsburg
education that links classroom theory
with off-campus learning through
activities including internships, practica,
service-learning courses, study abroad,
special and individualized off-campus
immersion experiences, and more.
“Our CGE program has deep
relationships and a permanent presence
in Nicaragua, as well as other locations
in the world. We have established mutual
trust with our international partners,
so students who go abroad engage in
meaningful ways with the communities
that they visit,” said Leah Spinosa de
Vega, director of Augsburg Abroad and
International Programs.
“The result is that we deliver a
customized experience that aligns
students’ talents and interests with the
wants and needs of the community. The
programs also challenge students to
see that the community also serves the
students—that both groups experience
a mutual gain from the engagement and
that there is reciprocity of giving.”
For the Auggie women’s soccer team,
CGE designed a program that included
service at a preschool and soccer clinic,
competition against Nicaragua’s national
women’s soccer team, and cultural
learning activities.
The student-athletes spent about
a third of their time serving two
organizations, Nica HOPE (nicahope.
org) and Casa Alianza (casa-alianza.
org). The team painted the preschool
operated by Nica HOPE, an organization
that evolved to serve the needs of people
who live around and near the site of the
now-closed Managua City trash dump and
who depended upon foraging in the dump
for income and survival.
For the second service project,
student-athletes conducted a soccer
training clinic with Casa Alianza—an
organization that serves young people who
are homeless, or may have been trafficked
or exploited.
“We were humbled by the
challenges of the kids at Casa
Alianza and grateful to share in
their love of soccer.” -MIKE NAVARRE
The clinic prepared the Casa Alianza
youth soccer team to represent Nicaragua
in the international Street Child World
Cup (streetchildworldcup.org), a soccer
tournament that is held in late March in
Brazil with the goal of raising international
awareness of issues of homeless youths.
“We were humbled by the challenges
of the kids at Casa Alianza and grateful
to share in their love of soccer,” Navarre
said.
The Auggie team also had the
opportunity to compete in a series of three
games against the Nicaragua women’s
national football (soccer) team. While the
Nicaraguan team won two games, the
Auggies tied in the third game. All the
games received coverage in Nicaraguan
newspapers, an added bonus because it
raises awareness of the value and impact
of women’s sports.
“Our players work hard and respond
well to raised expectations on and off the
field,” Navarre said. “We showcase who
we are by how we play soccer. It’s our
medium. It has proven to be a significant
medium through which our players can
grow individually and collectively.”
The team also visited a coffee growing
cooperative, La Reina Agroecotourism
Project, in the small, rural community
of Matagalpa. The visit was a chance to
learn about the cooperative, which has
55 members of whom 22 are women,
about the impact of coffee and ecotourism
on the national economy, and about the
culture and typical lifestyle in Nicaragua.
All the experiences—working to
improve the Nica HOPE preschool,
working on soccer techniques with
homeless youths through Casa Alianza,
visiting the coffee cooperative, and even
the bits of free time—not only help
students build a greater understanding of
the world we share, but also help them
prepare for the work world.
“Employers today are looking for
employees with intercultural skills,” said
Spinosa de Vega. “Augsburg and CGE
programs require that participants take
time to reflect upon their experience.
Reflection is fundamental to driving
intercultural skills development. This
process undertaken by the team—to
engage and reflect—will help bolster their
success in their professional and personal
lives.”
To make the trip possible, studentathletes conducted soccer camps and
clinics, fundraisers, and an online auction.
In all, they raised about $20,000.
Team co-captain Alekzandra “Ali”
Miller ’14, a business management
major responsible for the online auction,
said she knew the value and impact that
playing soccer and studying abroad can
have. During high school, Miller played
soccer in Sweden and Denmark, and
earlier in her college career, she spent a
semester studying in Spain. Miller wanted
her teammates to have an experience like
the ones she had, but also knew finances
would be a challenge for some of her
teammates.
The trip was highly rewarding to all
the participants and Navarre and Spinosa
de Vega are hopeful that the success of
the trip will spur other athletics teams
to explore how to mix sport, community
engagement, and reflective service for the
type of meaningful learning experience
for which Augsburg College is nationally
known.
“It’s hard to say how much of an
impact we were able to make in just eight
days,” Miller said. “But I can say for
certain that our team was impacted for
the better. These types of experiences are
the kind of catalysts that give a direction
to people’s lives, that spark a new type
of gratitude, and that change the way we
think about and live our lives.”
“This trip confirmed for me and the
players that we have an obligation to make
ourselves and the world a little better,”
Navarre said. “In doing so, we also make
our own lives better. We don’t need to be
overwhelmed by the enormity or gravity
of the world’s problems. We can embrace
the world to make meaningful connections
and improvements.”
STEPHANIE WEISS
Spring 2014
25
ALUMNI NEWS
FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
t
Dear alumni and friends,
used as a resource by alumni and students, and it features
posts specifically for Auggies from local and national employers. The next time you or your employer are hiring, consider
employing a fellow Auggie.
We have already seen what can happen when Auggies
work together—we accomplish great things. I would like to set
another goal. Currently, approximately 1,000 alumni are posting jobs on AUGPOST. I would like that to increase to 5,000
alumni submitting internship, job, and volunteer opportunities. Imagine the influence we can have on current Augsburg
students and their future opportunities. Learn more at
augsburg.edu/strommen.
Sincerely,
Courtesy photo
his fall, I reached out to you, my fellow Auggies, to ask
that you support our alma mater on Give to the Max Day
by donating to more than 25 different Augsburg fundraising projects. I am grateful to the 837 donors who
helped us raise $313,639 in one day and achieve our
goals of coming in first place among colleges and
universities and fourth place among all Minnesota
nonprofits! This proves that when Auggies pull
together, we can accomplish any goal!
I am often asked, “How, in addition to supporting Augsburg with gifts, can I help the College and the
current students?” Here’s an answer: draw upon your
experience, expertise, and networks to help students who
are looking for jobs and internships.
Our students are bright, ardent, and ambitious. They
represent our best hope for the future. Their most immediate
challenge in moving on to life after Augsburg is aligning their
liberal arts degree with a career path that will be personally
rewarding and provide them with financial independence.
I encourage all Augsburg alumni and parents to post internship, job, or volunteer opportunities—for free—on AUGPOST
through Augsburg’s Clair and Gladys Strommen Center for
Meaningful Work. AUGPOST is an online job posting board
TRACY (ANDERSON) SEVERSON ’95
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Join the women of Augsburg for
CONVERSATION, LAUGHTER, AND INSPIRATION
The leaders of AWE (Augsburg Women Engaged) and the Augsburg Associates
are teaming up to host an interactive alumnae event in which women discuss
issues prevalent in contemporary culture, including their reflection on the question, “Am I measuring up?” At this inspirational event for Auggie women of all
ages, attendees will engage in conversation on what it means to be daughters,
mothers, grandmothers, women in public leadership and business, and involved
community members. Join us for brunch and hear insightful remarks from
author, speaker, and TV host Joan Steffend, as well as from an alumnae panel.
The event will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 17. The cost is
$25, which includes the meal. RSVP at augsburg.edu/alumnievents. For more
information, call 612-330-1085 or email alumni@augsburg.edu.
26
Augsburg Now
170 ALUMNI
JOIN THE CHALLENGE
Courtesy photo
as class leaders
Celebrating Lutheran heritage
and the Reformation
In the past year, Wayne Jorgenson ’71 and Chris Ascher ’81 have
made a concerted effort to seek the financial support of Augsburg’s
entire alumni community through the campaign for the Center
for Science, Business, and Religion. The Class Challenge goal they
set—for each Augsburg class to contribute a total of $1 million
toward this effort—has generated great momentum that has carried
forward into 2014. So far, the classes of 1952, 1965, and 1971 have
each exceeded their $1 million goal.
Their passion is catching on. As the momentum builds for this
essential and visionary project, Jorgenson and Ascher have been
joined by more than 170 alumni from across the years, each of
whom has made an individual campaign commitment and encouraged classmates to join them in contributing to the campaign.
Currently, every class from 1942 to 2014 has at least one
classmate who has contributed to the campaign. Since the challenge began, there has been a 53 percent increase in the number
of alumni donors supporting the CSBR.
For 2014, Jorgenson and Ascher set a goal of 40 or more
people from each graduating class to become financial supporters
of the campaign. The highest class participation award (so far) goes
to the Class of 1972 with 27 donors. Which class wants to exceed
their goal?
“Each additional classmate who joins with their support for this
wonderful project will find the satisfaction of adding their generosity
to the cause,” said Jorgenson. “The goal is ambitious, and we truly
need a lot of you to say, ‘Yes, I believe, and I will help.’ The size of
all contributions will vary, as they should, based on each person’s
situation and ability to give. Please know that, for each gift, we are
truly grateful.”
Visit the CSBR blog (augsburg.edu/csbr) for the latest progress
on the campaign and alumni participation in the Class Challenge.
Augsburg College is designing a custom travel program
for October 2016 that will celebrate the Reformation
and the upcoming 500th anniversary of when Martin
Luther in 1517 nailed the 95 Theses to the church
doors in Wittenberg, Germany. A highlight of the trip
itinerary will be a visit to Wittenberg over October
31—a time when the town annually celebrates Reformation Day with a parade, medieval fair, special
church service, and evening concert. In addition
to visiting Wittenberg, the itinerary includes stops
in the German cities of Berlin, Dresden, Eisenach,
Erfurt, Leipzig, and Prague, Czech Republic.
Led by Augsburg Department of Religion faculty
members Mark Tranvik and Hans Wiersma, program
participants will explore the lives and ministries of
Martin and Katie Luther and the legacies of influential Lutheran musicians Johann Sebastian Bach
and Paul Gerhardt. They will learn about Dietrich
Bonhoeffer, a 20th century German theologian and
martyr, and Jan Hus, a church reformer of 15th century Prague—100 years before Luther. Participants
also will hear about the church’s role in the Peaceful
Revolution that brought down the Berlin Wall and
remember the sobering days of WWII at the Buchenwald concentration camp. This travel program is
an opportunity to explore the connections between
people, cultures, and historical events while examining the Reformation as an ongoing influence in the
21st century.
To receive updates about this alumni tour as
plans are finalized, email alumni@augsburg.edu, or call
612-330-1085 to be included on a mailing list.
Spring 2014
27
homecoming
ALUMNI NEWS
CELEBRATE YOUR REUNION
SAVE THE DATE FOR
HOMECOMING
2014
SEPTEMBER 22-27
Join Augsburg alumni and friends for Homecoming 2014
Whether or not you are celebrating a
class reunion this year, new events
accompanied by traditional favorites
make Homecoming Week one of the
best times of year to come back to visit
campus. Reconnect with alumni and
favorite faculty members, and experience
the Augsburg of 2014.
The week will include reunion
events, networking and educational
opportunities, and fun for the entire
family. The Homecoming Convocation
on September 26 will kick off the weekend at a morning celebration where the
College will bestow the First Decade,
Spirit of Augsburg, and Distinguished
Alumni awards, and recognize members
of the class of 1964 celebrating their
50-year reunion.
This year’s Taste of Augsburg
28
26
Augsburg Now
pregame festival on September 27 will
include excitement for all ages, with
fair-style booths operated by student,
parent, and alumni groups. Following
the picnic, cheer on the Auggies at the
Homecoming Football Game as they
take on St. Olaf College.
The Auggie Block Party is back by
popular demand! Following the football
game, gather in the parking lot to the
north of Si Melby Hall to enjoy food,
entertainment, and camaraderie. The
activities don’t end there! Homecoming weekend truly has something for
everyone. For more information and a
complete schedule, visit augsburg.edu/
homecoming.
[
REUNION CLASSES
60th Reunion
1954
50th Reunion
1964
40th Reunion
1974
25th Reunion
1989
10th Reunion
2004
If you would like to help make your reunion a success, call the Office of Alumni
and Constituent Relations at 612-330-1085 or email alumni@augsburg.edu.
]
ALUMNI CLASS NOTES
50
John Shelstad was inducted
into the Minnesota Livestock
Breeders Hall of Fame at the
University of Minnesota.
62
Ron C. Nelson received the
Faithfulness in Ministry
Cross Award from Luther Seminary
in January. The honor was given in
the category of “25 years or more”
of faithful ministry.
66
Grace (Estenson) Fladeboe
retired after 30 years of work
as a family and consumer science teacher, and she continues
employment with her husband
and children for Fladeboe
Auctions.
67
Marlys (Ruona) Thomsen
and her husband, Tom,
have enjoyed traveling in their
RV since his retirement. They
have especially enjoyed the
Susquehanna River and mountains in Pennsylvania; Florida; the
southeastern United States; the
Pacific Coast (Southern California
to the Olympic Peninsula); the
vineyards of Washington, Oregon,
and California; the gorgeous sights
of Alaska; and the Texas coast.
At home, they are working on a
backyard garden and are active in
their church, Grace Lutheran of
Apple Valley, and Sons of Norway.
74
Scot Davis became the
winningest wrestling coach
in U.S. high school history when
his Eden Prairie, Minn., team beat
Columbia Heights, Minn., 58-17 on
December 12. Davis, who is in his
36th season as a high school head
coach, is the first high school wrestling coach in the nation to surpass
the 1,000 dual meet wins mark.
77
Randy “Goggles” Nelson was
inducted into the Minnesota
State High School Golf Coaches
Association Hall of Fame in June.
His teams have earned three state
titles, two second-place finishes,
and one third-place finish. He has
had an individual champion and
numerous other state participants in 21 years of coaching at
the Academy of Holy Angels in
Richfield, Minn.
Jodi and Rick Pelishek have
advocated for the rights of people
with disabilities for many years.
They began a statewide disabilities coalition in North Dakota and
later, Rick was hired by Disability
Rights Wisconsin (DRW), the state’s
protection and advocacy system,
to work on a rural transportation
project in Northwest Wisconsin
and to begin the development of a
Northwest Wisconsin DRW office.
He and Jodi received a national
award for their efforts on behalf of
the Rice Lake (Wis.) DRW. Rick
currently is retired and shares these
thoughts with his fellow Auggies:
“Your education is to help you
pursue your passion and to follow
your dreams. Wealth or poverty may
follow, but in the end you will find
more joy and inner peace by following your heart.”
David B. Wattman and John
Karason ’78 were married at
Bethany Lutheran Church in
Minneapolis on November 9.
Officiating were Susan Masters
of Bethany Lutheran Church
and Justin Lind-Ayers, Augsburg
College associate pastor.
99
83
Ryan Adrian-Hendrick Rivard
and his wife, Kristin, had a
baby girl, Maeve Wren Rivard, on
July 8.
Debra Hannu was selected
as 2013-14 Minnesota
Art Educator of the Year and
also Minnesota Middle School
Art Educator of the Year by Art
Educators of Minnesota, the state’s
only professional organization for
visual and media arts educators.
She is in her 25th year at the
Duluth Public Schools, teaching
63
Carol (Erickson) Zwernik retired in the summer of 2013 after serving for 45 years at Calvary Lutheran in Golden Valley, Minn. She
was director of pre-kindergarten for 30 years, a teacher for 12 years,
and director of children’s choirs for 25 years. She was awarded the
Vetter Educational Service Award in 2011 from the Evangelical Lutheran
Education Association and named Director of the Year in 2006 by the
ELCA. She is spending time with her husband, Don, at their lake home
and traveling. Future plans include spending time with her two sons and
six grandchildren, and writing a collection of stories about her family.
87
and serving as a curriculum coach
for visual and media arts. For the
past several years, she has served
on the Visual Arts Writing Team
for the National Coalition for Core
Arts Standards. The new national
standards were released in March.
Hannu and her husband, Patrick
Thomson, have a small community supported agriculture (CSA)
operation called Uncle Herman’s
Farm. They spend their summers
growing food and raising honeybees, and currently help feed
15 Duluth, Minn., families. Their
goal is to develop a model of a
small enterprise fashioned around
sustainability and creativity.
Andrew Altenburg works for the Bank of Tokyo as an associate
events manager. During the past nine years, he has produced
and emceed 450 installments of his weekly fundraising event, The Will
Clark Show. Recently, he was honored for his fundraising by the Gay/
Lesbian Anti Violence Project (2012), acknowledged by United for the
Ride (2013), and knighted by New York’s Imperial Court (2013). He
continues to officiate mainly—but not exclusively—same-sex weddings.
Jump for joy with him at jumpingforjoy.net.
Jennifer Grimm recently performed in Theater Latté Da’s
Steerage Song and in Words By…
at the Park Square Theatre.
06
Sara Schlipp-Riedel was promoted
to Alumni Relations Program
Director at Augsburg College in
2013.
ie
augPg
SHOTS
SNA
99
Mark Joseph and his wife,
Danielle, welcomed their
second child, a daughter, on April
30, 2013. Her name is Emily
Renee Joseph and she joins big
sister Ella (age 3) at home.
Spring 2014
29
auggie SNAPSHOTS
Send us your news and photos
Tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don’t forget to send photos! (Digital photos must be at least 300
dpi or a 1MB file.)
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g., an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside
Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454, or email alumni@augsburg.edu. You can
also submit news at augsburg.edu/alumni.
_________________________________________________
Full name
01
Hilary English Crook and
her husband, Jacob Seljan,
welcomed Britton Samuel Seljan
on September 26.
04
Dayle VanderLeest and
Karley Kielty ’06 welcomed
their son, Jack, on September 30.
_________________________________________________
Maiden name
_________________________________________________
Class year or last year attended
_________________________________________________
Street address
_________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP code
Is this a new address? q Yes q No
_________________________________________________
Home telephone
05
Laree (Lother) Schouweiler
opened Reefuel, the first
indoor cycling and yoga studio in
Decorah, Iowa.
06
Belinda (Painschab)
Estrem and Andrew Estrem
welcomed Allison Jo Estrem on
March 24, 2013.
_________________________________________________
Email
Okay to publish your email address? q Yes q No
_________________________________________________
Employer
_________________________________________________
Position
_________________________________________________
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No
If yes, class year_____________________________________
_________________________________________________
Spouse’s name (include maiden name, if applicable)
07
Carolyn (Mollner) Mason married Justin Mason on September 1 at
Faith Lutheran Church in Forest Lake, Minn. Bridesmaids included
Augsburg alumnae from 2007, Beth Chalstrom, Sarah Pahl, and Jenn
Oliver. Carolyn is the daughter of Joe ’75 and Nancy Mollner ’75, and
granddaughter of John Soli ’54.
Your news:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
30
Augsburg Now
In memoriam
Thora O. (Torvick) Anderson ’39,
Fergus Falls, Minn., age 98, on
January 12.
Edith A. (Sorem) Gudim ’52,
Mayville, N.Dak., age 82, on
October 11.
Eleanor R. (Ortonstone) Gustafson ’40,
Brainerd, Minn., age 95, on
January 17.
Marvin L. Hagen ’53, St. Paul, age
84, on November 29.
Arlene (Olson) Borgendale ’44,
Chandler, Ariz., age 92, on
September 16.
James D. Bartsch ’45, Charleston,
W.Va., age 92, on December 24.
Orrin O. Agrimson ’46, Vancouver,
Wash., age 90, on September 2.
Glen M. Springer ’46, Barron, Wis.,
age 90, on October 30.
Carol J. (Ysteboe) Lindsay ’47,
Dilworth, Minn., age 86, on
January 4.
Shirley J. (Vance) Menzel ’48,
Spearfish, S.Dak., age 91, on
October 20.
Nathalie M. (Anderson) Peterson ’48,
Bloomington, Minn., age 87, on
September 1.
Ruby A. (Johnson) Sharp ’53,
Minneapolis, age 83, on January 5.
Audrey E. (Knudson) Boettcher ’54,
Suamico, Wis., age 81, on
November 2.
Gerald D. Baxter ’56, Bellevue,
Neb., age 79, on October 24.
Peggy-Joyce (Sorenson) Grable ’57,
College Place, Wash., age 78, on
November 9.
Norman R. Matson ’57, Evanston,
Ill., age 78, on January 12.
Albert N. Kemmer ’59, Eagan,
Minn., age 75, on November 6.
Helen J. Bergan ’61, Las Cruces,
N.Mex., age 76, on September 6.
Stephen A. Nelson ’69, Edina,
Minn., age 67, on September 5.
Debra K. (Chase) Anderson ’77,
Onamia, Minn., age 59, on
December 19.
Peder J. Wilcox ’49, Bloomington,
Minn., age 87, on December 10.
Philip S. Johnson ’79, Ashland,
Wis., age 58, on October 4.
Roy A. Bogen ’50, Bloomington,
Minn., age 86, on December 26.
Thomas S. McCleery ’87, Eden
Prairie, Minn., age 49, on July 4.
Robert E. Paulson ’50, Crystal,
Minn., age 86, on December 2.
Matthew E. Smith ’02, Minneapolis,
age 51, on April 9, 2013.
Robert “Bob” V. Ryan ’50, East
Helena, Mont., age 85, on
December 18.
Laura A. Peterson ’04, St. Cloud,
Minn., age 31, on December 31.
Virginia “Ginny” L. (Thompson)
Smith ’50, Hendricks, Minn., age
85, on January 1.
Clarice E. (Glamm) Madsen ’51,
Kasson, Minn., age 85, on
October 31.
Celia J. (Hanson) Burk ’52, Fargo,
N.Dak., age 86, on September 24.
Adjunct Psychology Faculty Member Megan Shroat
Linda K. Johnson ’70, Sarasota,
Fla., age 64, on September 15.
William “Bun” W. Fischer ’49, Barrett,
Minn., age 92, on October 21.
Gretchen M. Myers ’05, Waconia,
Minn., age 37, on January 14.
Associate Professor of Social
Work Annette Gerten, Inver Grove
Heights, Minn., age 52, on
December 31.
Adjunct Psychology Faculty Member
Megan Shroat, Minneapolis, age
38, on February 6.
The “In Memoriam” alumni listings in this publication include
notifications received before January 31.
Annette Gerten, 52, a passionate and valued member of
the social work faculty and the
Augsburg community, passed
away in late December from
an aggressive cancer. Her time
with us and our students was a
blessing we will long remember and greatly miss.
Her colleagues in the Social Work Department
said Gerten was an innovative teacher, a tireless
collaborator, and an incurable knitter. She dedicated her whole heart to her students and to her
colleagues, serving as a Fellow with the Center
for Teaching and Learning, on the Committee for
Tenure and Promotion, as assessment director for
the social work program, and as field placement
coordinator for undergraduate social work students.
“As she did with yarn so beautifully and creatively, she wove
us all together more tightly centered on the important work of
serving others...What a good mother, social worker, educator,
and human being! May we carry on in her hopes and dreams as
her spirit lives in our hearts.”
–Anthony Bibus, professor emeritus, Social Work Department
Courtesy photo
Ruth C. (Anderson) Blanshan ’44,
Green Bay, Wis., age 91, on
October 29.
Courtesy photo
Associate Professor of Social Work Annette Gerten
Megan Shroat, 38, a long-time
adjunct faculty member in the
Psychology Department, passed
away in February. An accomplished academician as well as
a gifted teacher, she was deeply
connected and committed to
the fabric and mission of Augsburg.
She also was a strong advocate of Augsburg’s
StepUP® program for students in recovery and shared
the College’s commitment to making higher education accessible to diverse groups of students. She was
willing to listen to her students, their opinions, and
even their struggles, but was also not afraid to challenge them to dig deeper and achieve more.
“I have had students tell me that Megan was the reason
[they] chose to major in psychology and pursue a profession
dedicated to improving the lives of others. Her example, her
presence, her genuine love for students and their growth had
this impact. She taught not simply to impart knowledge but to
change lives.”
–Scott Washburn, assistant director, StepUP
Spring 2014
31
LOSAR
Tibetan New Year Celebration
AUGSBURG WAS THE SITE OF A HISTORIC EVENT
March 2 when it hosted the Tibetan American
Foundation of Minnesota’s Losar celebration in Si Melby
Hall. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama presided over
this Tibetan New Year ceremony—the first time he
observed the holiday in the western hemisphere.
Sitting on the floor and filling the bleachers, more
than 2,500 guests packed Augsburg’s gymnasium,
which had been transformed (literally) overnight from the
site of a wrestling tournament to an ornately decorated
space. After the ceremony and the departure of attending
dignitaries—including Augsburg College President Paul
Pribbenow and Abigail Pribbenow, Minneapolis Mayor
Betsy Hodges, and U.S. representatives Keith Ellison
and Betty McCollum—guests continued the festivities
with traditional music, dancing, and food—rice, jerky,
deep-fried pastries, dumplings, butter tea, and more.
Dozens of Augsburg staff, students, and volunteers
worked the event, demonstrating how Augsburg lives out
its commitment to hospitality.
LAURA SWANSON
32
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Photo by Richard Tsong-Taatarii, Star Tribune
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Tibetan New Year
Three Auggies, all sisters, participated in the historic Tibetan New Year celebration held at Augsburg
College in March. [L to R]: Tenzin Dolsel ’16, a master of social work student; Dechen Dolma ’16, who
is pursuing a bachelor of science in nursing degree; and Kalsang Chodon ’15, a master of business
administration student. Chodon served as a volunteer for the event, working in one of the VIP reception
rooms for the Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota. See page 32 for more about the celebration
or scan the QR code to see event photos.
Show less
inside
AUGSBURG NOW
What the world wants is a good job
Augsburg College Homecoming 2013
Keeping track of Auggies
Augsburg 2019: A strategic vision
CELEBRATING
auggie
PRIDE!
FALL 2013 | VOL. 76, NO. 1
Auggie class challenge
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
NOTES
NOTES F... Show more
inside
AUGSBURG NOW
What the world wants is a good job
Augsburg College Homecoming 2013
Keeping track of Auggies
Augsburg 2019: A strategic vision
CELEBRATING
auggie
PRIDE!
FALL 2013 | VOL. 76, NO. 1
Auggie class challenge
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
NOTES
NOTES FROM
FROM PRESIDENT
PRESIDENT PRIBBENOW
PRIBBENOW
“Big
“Big for
for the
the world…”
world…”
In this issue of
In this issue of
Augsburg Now, you
Augsburg Now, you
will find a summary of
will find a summary of
Augsburg 2019,
Augsburg 2019,
a strategic framework
a strategic framework
developed over the
developed over the
past several months
past several months
with the involvewith the involvement of Regents,
ment of Regents,
faculty, staff, and
faculty, staff, and
students. Focused on
students. Focused
Augsburg’s 150th anniversary in 2019, the plan sets
on Augsburg’s 150th
out an ambitious vision, which claims that in 2019,
anniversary in 2019, the plan sets out an ambitious
“Augsburg will be a new kind of student-centered, urban
vision, which claims that in 2019, “Augsburg will be a
university—small to our students and big for the world.”
new kind of student-centered, urban university—small to
I hope you find in this vision statement a glimpse
our students and big for the world.”
of the Augsburg we all know and love—and that we all
I hope you find in this vision statement a glimpse
want to support and help strengthen for the future.
of the Augsburg we all know and love—and that we all
The Augsburg that we all know is a college where
want to support and help strengthen for the future.
students are central to our daily lives; where personal
The Augsburg that we all know is a college where
relationships and a sense of community combine to
students are central to our daily lives; where personal
provide rare opportunities to learn and serve; and
relationships and a sense of community combine to
where academic, civic, and faith commitments are
provide rare opportunities to learn and serve; and
explored and strengthened. A college that is small to
where academic, civic, and faith commitments are
our students.
explored and strengthened. A college that is small to
At the same time, we are a college that makes
our students.
a remarkable impact on the world—as a community
At the same time, we are a college that makes
and through our thousands of graduates pursuing
a remarkable impact on the world—as a community
their vocations in various settings around the globe.
and through our thousands of graduates pursuing
A college that is big for the world.
their vocations in various settings around the globe.
When reviewing the editorial plan for this issue
A college that is big for the world.
of Augsburg Now, I was struck with how this vision
When reviewing the editorial plan for this issue
of “big for the world” is evident in so many different
of Augsburg Now, I was struck with how this vision
ways. And at the risk of violating what my predecesof “big for the world” is evident in so many different
sor, President Bill Frame, called Augsburg’s “militant
ways. And at the risk of violating what my predecesmodesty,” allow me to brag a bit about this very
sor, President Bill Frame, called Augsburg’s “militant
special college…
modesty,” allow me to brag a bit about this very
s !BOUTONEOFTHELARGESTlRST
YEARCLASSESIN
special
college…
Augsburg’s history this fall—more than 460 first• About one of the largest first-year classes in
year students—and the effect they already are
Augsburg’s history this fall—more than 460 firsthaving on campus with their spirit and activism.
year students—and the effect they already are
s having
!BOUTTHEFACTTHATOURSCIENCEFACULTYHAVEGENERon campus with their spirit and activism.
ated unprecedented funding from the National
• About the fact that our science faculty have generScience Foundation and other federal agencies,
ated unprecedented funding from the National
ranking Augsburg third in the state among all higher
Science Foundation and other federal agencies,
ranking Augsburg third in the state among all higher
Rebecca John ’13 MBA
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing
Communication
Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL
rumpza@augsburg.edu
education institutions, behind only the University
education institutions, behind only the University
of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of
of Minnesota-Twin Cities and the University of
Minnesota-Duluth.
Minnesota-Duluth.
s !BOUTTHEFACTTHATWEWERENAMEDTHISPASTFALLAS
• About the fact that we were named this past fall as
one of the top 25 colleges in the country for service
one of the top 25 colleges in the country for service
learning programs, exemplifying how our commitlearning programs, exemplifying how our commitment to education for service is imbedded in the
ment to education for service is imbedded in the
curriculum and recognized by others as a highcurriculum and recognized by others as a highimpact way of learning.
impact way of learning.
s !BOUTTHEFACTTHATWEAREPARTNERINGWITHMORE
• About the fact that we are partnering with more
than a dozen colleges and health care institutions
than a dozen colleges and health care institutions
in the Twin Cities to combine our human and fiscal
in the Twin Cities to combine our human and fiscal
resources in support of neighborhoods along the
resources in support of neighborhoods along the
new Central Corridor Light Rail Line between downnew Central Corridor Light Rail Line between downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul.
town Minneapolis and St. Paul.
s !BOUTTHEFACTTHATWERAISEDMORETHANMILLION
• About the fact that we raised more than $19 million
in gifts and pledges during the 2012-13 academic
in gifts and pledges during the 2012-13 academic
year from alumni, parents, friends, corporations, and
year from alumni, parents, friends, corporations, and
foundations—another record year in fundraising for
foundations—another record year in fundraising for
Augsburg, our third record year in a row—and that
Augsburg, our third record year in a row—and that
WEHAVENOWRAISEDMORETHANMILLIONFORTHE
we have now raised more than $25 million for the
planned Center for Science, Business, and Religion.
planned Center for Science, Business, and Religion.
s !BOUTTHEFACTTHATWECONTINUETODEVELOPINNOVA• About the fact that we continue to develop innovative academic programs, including our new Master
tive academic programs, including our new Master
of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, which was launched
of Fine Arts in Creative Writing, which was launched
this past summer with a first cohort of 16 students,
this past summer with a first cohort of 16 students,
and a partnership with the Minneapolis Community
and a partnership with the Minneapolis Community
and Technical College to offer the first fast-track
and Technical College to offer the first fast-track
RN/Bachelor of Science in Nursing professional
RN/Bachelor of Science in Nursing professional
program in Minnesota between a two-year public
program in Minnesota between a two-year public
institution and a four-year private college.
institution and a four-year private college.
And I could go on. There’s more in the pages
And I could go on. There’s more in the pages
that follow and even more in the daily life of the
that follow and even more in the daily life of the
Augsburg community. Come and visit, as Minnesota
Augsburg community. Come and visit, as Minnesota
State Senator Terri Bonoff, chair of the Senate
State Senator Terri Bonoff, chair of the Senate
Higher Education Committee, did recently, and see
Higher Education Committee, did recently, and see
for yourself what she described this way: “This is a
for yourself what she described this way: “This is a
special college—one where being small to students
special college—one where being small to students
and big for the world is really true.” I couldn’t have
and big for the world is really true.” I couldn’t have
said it better.
said it better.
Faithfully yours,
Faithfully yours,
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
Senior Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski ’08
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Integrated Communication
Specialist
Laura Swanson
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Marketing Copywriter
Christina Haller
haller@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Production Manager/Now Online
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President
of Advancement
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect
reflect official
official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
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Email: now@augsburg.edu
fall 2013
AUGSBURG NOW
16
Courtesy photo
12
Features
20
18
02
09
14
18
20
Augsburg 2019
What the whole world wants
is a good job
Augsburg College annual report
Mixing teamwork into the
courseload
Homecoming 2013
Departments
inside
front
cover
4
Notes from President Pribbenow
Around the Quad
12 Auggie voices
16 Auggies on the court
19 My Auggie experience
23 It takes an Auggie
2
On the cover
Edor Nelson Field, home to Auggie football, softball, lacrosse, and soccer,
was resurfaced with more durable and safe FieldTurf Revolution this summer. The field is named for Edor Nelson ’38, longtime Auggie athletics coach
and World War II veteran. Read about other Auggie veterans on page 12.
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
19
24 Keeping track of Auggies
31 In memoriam
AUGSBURG
2019
A STRATEGIC VISION
In January 2013, the Augsburg College Board of Regents
launched a strategic planning initiative that involved conversation and input from across the campus community. The outcome
of that work is a strategic vision statement that looks out to
2019, Augsburg’s sesquicentennial year:
In 2019, Augsburg College will be
a new kind of student-centered,
urban university that is
small to our students and big for the world.
“Small to our students” reflects the relationships, community,
and personal attention that are hallmarks of the educational
experience at Augsburg. “Big for the world” acknowledges the
significant impact we know our students—and alumni—do and
will make in the world.
The strategic plan is grounded in Augsburg’s mission statement,
which was updated in 2010. The plan is organized into three
categories, or dimensions, each with three goals. Detail about
each of the strategic planning dimensions is provided on the
next page. The strategic vision will anchor the College’s institutional initiatives and priorities throughout the next five years,
reflecting the values and commitments stated in our mission:
AUGSBURG EDUCATES STUDENTS TO BE
INFORMED CITIZENS,
THOUGHTFUL STEWARDS,
CRITICAL THINKERS,
AND RESPONSIBLE LEADERS.
THE AUGSBURG EXPERIENCE IS SUPPORTED BY AN ENGAGED COMMUNITY
THAT IS COMMITTED TO INTENTIONAL DIVERSITY IN ITS LIFE AND WORK.
AN AUGSBURG EDUCATION IS DEFINED BY EXCELLENCE IN THE LIBERAL ARTS
AND PROFESSIONAL STUDIES, GUIDED BY THE FAITH AND VALUES OF THE
LUTHERAN CHURCH, AND SHAPED BY ITS URBAN AND GLOBAL SETTINGS.
2
Augsburg Now
DIMENSION 1
DIMENSION 2
DIMENSION 3
EDUCATING FOR LIVES
OF PURPOSE
AT THE TABLE
BUILT FOR THE FUTURE
The first dimension articulates OUR ACADEMIC
The second dimension focuses on OUR
The third dimension is about how OUR
DISTINCTION: Augsburg educates students for
REPUTATION AND IDENTITY: Augsburg is “at
INSTITUTION WILL THRIVE NOW AND IN THE
lives of purpose. The goals in this category
the table” with our neighbors and institutional
FUTURE. The goals in this category call on
challenge us to:
partners in shaping education to address the
Augsburg to be:
world’s needs. The goals here call on us to:
• rigorously integrate the liberal arts and the
professional studies;
• a welcoming, sustainable campus,
• prepare an intentional mix of diverse learners for a complex, interconnected world;
• use high-impact teaching and learning
practices, enriched by our core com-
• provide experiential opportunities that
mitments of faith and spiritual inquiry,
enable students to discover their gifts,
vocational discernment, civic engagement,
discern their vocations, and open doors to
and global understanding; and
careers; and
anchored in our community and designed
for educational excellence;
• organized for collaboration, efficiency,
and effectiveness; and
• committed to maintaining a sound and
sustainable financial footing.
• provide each student with pathways for
success to graduation and beyond.
• publicly advance the core commitments
that enrich our learning environment—
faith and spiritual inquiry, vocational
discernment, civic engagement, and global
understanding.
Fall 2013
3
AROUND THE QUAD
COLLEGE AWARDS
Top 25 schools for service learning
U.S. News & World Report designated Augsburg College
as one of the top 25 colleges and universities in the
nation for its dedication to service learning. Schools
named to the list were nominated by college presidents,
chief academic officers, and deans from more than
1,500 higher education institutions. Augsburg was the
only Minnesota school named to the list.
Best Regional Universities by U.S. News & World Report
U.S. News & World Report named Augsburg one of the
Best Universities in the Midwest. Rankings are based
on several factors, including average first-year retention rates, graduation rates, class sizes, student-faculty
ratios, acceptance rates, and more.
“Best in the Midwest” by Princeton Review
Augsburg College is one of 155 colleges that The
Princeton Review has named “Best in the Midwest” for
academic excellence.
Named Top 200 school by Winds of Change
The American Indian Science and Engineering Society
Winds of Change magazine has selected Augsburg as
one of the Top 200 Schools in 2013 for Native American
and Alaska Native students pursuing degrees in science,
technology, engineering, and math.
Recognized nationally for contribution to the public good
Augsburg College was the No. 2 institution in Minnesota
named by Washington Monthly in its 2013 Master’s
Universities Rankings. The list rates schools based upon
their contribution to the public good in three categories:
social mobility, research, and service.
Named a High ROI College by Affordable Colleges Online
Augsburg College was named a top college for return on
investment (ROI) in Minnesota for having high-earning
graduates in comparison to tuition and fees. The ranking,
by Affordable Colleges Online, is the result of a partnership among the National Center for Education Statistics,
Integrated Post-Secondary Education Data System, the
Carnegie Foundation, and PayScale.com.
4
Augsburg Now
BOARD OF REGENTS
WELCOMES NEW MEMBERS
At its annual meeting in September, the Augsburg
Corporation elected two new members to the Board of
Regents and re-elected five others.
Wayne Jorgenson ’71
Dennis Meyer ’78
Elected to their first term on the Augsburg Board of Regents:
•
Wayne Jorgenson ’71 serves as senior vice president
of wealth management with UBS Financial Services,
Inc. and brings decades of financial planning and
investment management experience to the Board.
•
Dennis Meyer ’78 has extensive experience in strategic
marketing and global business development. He has
held executive positions in several industries, most
recently in architecture and building engineering with
AECOM Ellerbe Becket, as well as in communications,
printing and imaging, and supply chain management.
Elected to a second or third term:
•
Ann Ashton-Piper, president of The Bridge Group
•
Norman Hagfors, president (retired), Norsen, Inc.
•
Jodi Harpstead, chair of the Augsburg Board of
Regents and chief executive officer, Lutheran Social
Service of Minnesota
•
Dr. Paul Mueller ’84, physician and chair of general
internal medicine, Mayo Clinic
•
Lisa Novotny ’80, vice president human resources,
International, General Mills
Mike Good ’71 and Jennifer Martin were named Regents
Emeriti at the May meeting of the Augsburg Board of
Regents. Each had served three four-year terms on the
board. Marie McNeff also was named Regent Emerita by
the Board at that meeting. McNeff, who passed away
in September, was elected to the Board in 2005 and
served as a Regent for the College until her retirement
from the Board earlier in 2013.
Augsburg science faculty
awarded more than $695,000 in grants
Augsburg College science
faculty continue to be awarded grants from the National
Science Foundation (NSF) for
research. During 2012, the
College was ranked third in
Minnesota for the total dollar
amount awarded to a school,
behind only the University of
Minnesota, Twin Cities and
the University of Minnesota, Duluth. In addition, science faculty members recently were awarded an additional $695,087
in grants. These grants include:
MARK ENGEBRETSON, professor of physics, was awarded a
three-year, $185,940 grant for continued study and probing of
Earth’s space environment, known as the magnetosphere. The
project will help society better understand the relationship
between Earth’s magnetosphere and its interaction with the
solar wind and the interplanetary magnetic field. The project, which builds upon a long-standing relationship with the
University of New Hampshire and that also makes data available to space physics researchers throughout the world, will
study ultra-low-frequency waves on Svalbard, Norway, which
is the only place in the northern hemisphere where the Aurora
Borealis (Northern Lights) can be observed for longtime periods in darkness at noon. The grant, Federal Award ID Number
AGS-1202267, brings to more than $2 million the awards
earned by Engebretson since mid-2008. Funds will support
the continued operation of four search coil magnetometers
and the analysis of the data gathered.
DAVID HANSON, assistant professor of chemistry, was awarded in
excess of $386,000 for a three-year project that ultimately will
help increase understanding of the sources of particulate matter that are harmful to human health. Hanson will test models
for what is called nucleation rates that can be incorporated
into global climate models. Nucleation is a process that drives
the formation of new particles in the atmosphere. Hanson’s
team will look specifically at nucleation in sulfuric acid, water,
and amines. The funds from Federal Award ID Number
AGS-1338706 also will support work by eight students in
Hanson’s lab.
David Hanson, assistant professor of chemistry, will use National Science
Foundation funding to advance atmospheric chemistry research and support
Augsburg students working in his lab.
ANN IMPULITTI, assistant professor of biology, received an NSF
grant for nearly $123,000 to investigate the physiology and
productivity of economically important plants infected by
parasitic, mutualistic, and commensal fungi. Research will
focus on soybean due to its high economic value and the
diverse uses of soybean products. The funds from Federal
Award ID Number 1337582, along with an additional award
of more than $52,000 that Impulitti received from the LiCor
Environmental Education Fund, will be used to purchase a
suite of instruments for plant ecophysiology research. The
instruments will support interdisciplinary research in the
plant biological sciences, mathematics, and environmental
sciences, and also support collaboration between Augsburg
College and the University of Minnesota. The instrumentation will enhance research experiences for undergraduates
and will improve student instruction and discovery-based
labs in plant biology, environmental science, and mathematics. Co-principal investigators on the grant include John
Zobitz, Augsburg associate professor of mathematics, and
Dean Malvick, associate professor of plant pathology at the
University of Minnesota.
Editor’s Note: Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this material are those of
the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
National Science Foundation.
Fall 2013
5
AROUND THE QUAD
AUGSBURG HONORS PRESIDENT EMERITUS
CHARLES S. ANDERSON
Augsburg College renamed its music building the Charles S.
Anderson Music Hall to honor the legacy of the College’s eighth
president, who passed away June 14. Anderson oversaw significant growth in the College’s enrollment, program offerings,
commitment to its Lutheran heritage, and student diversity.
He was a constant advocate for Augsburg and helped to
establish the College’s public presence in the Twin Cities.
During his 17-year tenure, Augsburg launched the Weekend
and Evening College (WEC) program, established the Center
for Global Education, and introduced the StepUP® program
for young people in recovery and the CLASS office for differently abled students.
“Charles Anderson’s influence on the Augsburg community is deep and long-lived,” said Augsburg College President
Paul C. Pribbenow. “The priorities Anderson outlined and
championed during his tenure continue to shape how we live
out our institutional mission and celebrate life and learning in
the city each day.”
Anderson Music Hall occupies a central location on
campus and houses an array of music programs that welcome
students of diverse musical interests. More than 100 students each year pursue traditional liberal arts music studies as well as degrees in music business, music education,
[L to R]: Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow with Charles S. Anderson’s
family: daughter Kristin Anderson, Augsburg College professor of art history
and archivist; wife Catherine Anderson, an active Augsburg Associates
member; and son, Eric Anderson.
music performance, and music therapy. More than 350 music
majors and non-music majors alike participate in the College’s
numerous vocal, concert band, symphony orchestra, and jazz
ensembles.
Anderson’s legacy also includes the College’s beautiful
annual Advent Vespers—celebrating the Advent season with a
service of traditional and contemporary hymns, anthems, and
carols. The celebration is one of the largest seasonal events in
the Twin Cities, with 300 participants, including choral and
instrumental performers, readers, a full liturgical party, and
more than 10,000 worshipers annually.
Each year, two Augsburg music students receive the prestigious Orville and Gertrude Hognander Music Scholarship.
Initiated during Anderson’s tenure, Orville and Gertrude
(Lund) Hognander, both 1936 Augsburg graduates, established the Hognander Scholarships in 1998 to provide up to
full tuition for students with exceptional music performance
and academic achievement.
Students present AT BERKELEY
In front of Dwinelle Hall on the University of California, Berkeley campus:
Front row [L to R]: McNair Scholars Program Assistant Director Brian Greening, Mahelet Maru ’14, McNair Scholars Program Administrative Assistant Lara
Crombie, Amineh Safi ’14, Sawiya Hassan ’14; middle row [L to R]: Magaly OrtizAucapipa ’14, Enrico Barrozo ’14; back row [L to R]: Raesean Sneed ’15, David
Fowler ’14, Dereck Dasrath ’14, and Amir Rose ’14
6
Augsburg Now
Last summer, nine researchers from Augsburg College
traveled to California for one of the largest national gatherings of McNair Scholars. The Auggies presented findings
from their summer research at the University of California,
Berkeley for the 21st Annual Ronald E. McNair California
Scholars Research Symposium, which boasts more than 300
student attendees. Augsburg students spent an average
of 400 hours exploring their research topics, developing theses, collecting and reviewing data, and preparing
formal paper presentations. Scholars were paired with a
faculty mentor in their discipline to gain extensive skills
and knowledge, learn research methods, and practice writing and public speaking. The students represented a wide
range of disciplines including biology, philosophy, physics,
and sociology.
CONVOCATION SERIES 2013-14
First held in 1990, the Augsburg
College Convocation Series is
an annual speaker series that
incorporates long-standing
endowed and special programs.
This fall, the series kicked off
with the Bernhard M. Christensen
Symposium featuring Krista Tippett,
host and producer of the public
radio show, On Being. Tippett
shared thoughts from her book, Einstein’s God: Revisiting
Science and Religion in a New Century.
During the Center for Counseling
and Health Promotion Convocation
in October, Sian Beilock, an expert
on performance and cognitive science, revealed the brain science
behind “choking under pressure”
in a lecture based on her book,
Choke—What the Secrets of the
Brain Reveal About Getting it
Right When You Have To.
GIVE FROM YOUR HEART
GIVE TO THE
MAX
GiveMN, an online resource that helps Minnesotans
donate to the state’s nonprofit community, hosted its
annual Give to the Max Day on November 14. Auggies
created more than 20 fundraising projects to help raise
money for an Augsburg cause that they are passionate
about. Contributions from Give to the Max Day help:
• Faculty develop creative course offerings that
encourage Augsburg students to think beyond the
classroom.
• Augsburg graduates prepare for their next chapter.
• Keep Augsburg affordable—thanks to the generosity of donors, more than 94 percent of Augsburg day
undergraduate students receive financial aid through
grants and scholarships.
The Humanities and Fine Arts Convocation in mid-November
featured the Rose Ensemble’s performance of Portraits of
Peru, 1785 Exotic Folksongs and Dances from Trujillo,
inspired by a collection of watercolor paintings compiled by
the local bishop for Spanish King Carlos IV, imaginatively
depicting the plants, animals, people, and archaeological
monuments of this diverse region in northern Peru.
The next event, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Convocation, is
scheduled for January 20 and will celebrate the life and
legacy of this important civil rights leader. Convocations are
free and open to the public.
• Encourage a tradition of vocation and faith, going
back to Augsburg’s roots as a Lutheran seminary.
• Make healthy food accessible to all people in and
around the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood and provide
for basic needs, service learning, leadership development, and genuine engagement between the College
and the community through Campus Kitchen.
Check out the final results from the challenge online at
givemn.org/auggiesgive.
Fall 2013
7
AROUND THE QUAD
Innovative partnership
allows students to earn
BACHELOR’S IN NURSING
IN ONLY THREE YEARS
A new partnership between Augsburg College and Minneapolis
Community and Technical College (MCTC) gives students the
opportunity to earn a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
in only three years. The program, the first fast-track BSN
professional program in Minnesota between a two-year public
institution and a four-year private college, allows the schools
to respond to the changing needs of health care professionals
and local communities.
“Augsburg has long been committed to offering high-quality
bachelor’s and master’s programs in nursing,” said Augsburg
College President Paul C. Pribbenow. “We are excited to
partner with MCTC given our shared commitment to educating
diverse student populations.”
The partnership leverages unique relationships and
strengths in each program. Students will study for two years
Minn. Senate Higher Education
Committee visits campus
Photo by Laura Swanson
To view additional photos from the event or watch a video in
which Sen. Bonoff discusses Augsburg’s unique emphasis on
service learning, go to augsburg.edu/now.
8
Augsburg Now
at MCTC and then transfer to Augsburg for the third year.
During their study at Augsburg, students will experience
first-hand community health nursing in diverse settings including
at the Augsburg Health Commons in downtown Minneapolis
and at Dar Ul-Quba in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood. In
addition, third-year students in the program will be offered
BSN practicum opportunities locally or abroad in Namibia or
Nicaragua. Prior to their time at Augsburg, students will study
in new, state-of-the-art classrooms and labs at MCTC.
State, local, and education officials attended an opening
ceremony at MCTC to announce the partnership. Those in attendance included Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton, Hennepin County
Commissioner Peter McLaughlin, and leaders from Augsburg,
Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and MCTC.
Dozens of Augsburg College students, faculty, and staff took part in
a September town hall meeting with Minnesota Rep. Phyllis Kahn and
Sens. Terri Bonoff, Greg Clausen ’69, and Kari Dziedzic. The legislators
visited Augsburg as part of a statewide “listening tour” effort launched
by Bonoff, chair of the Minnesota State Senate Higher Education and
Workforce Development Committee.
The legislators were enthusiastic to learn more about private colleges in Minnesota and invited Auggies to consider ways to improve the
state’s higher education system. The Augsburg students discussed with
the legislators a number of issues, including transfer credits, financial
aid options, career preparation, and on- and off-campus service learning
experiences. One of the key themes the legislators stressed during the
meeting was the important role colleges and universities play in educating the nation’s future leadership and workforce.
“Education is the engine that runs our Minnesota economy,” Clausen said,
addressing the Augsburg crowd. “We need to invest in you, and you need to
invest in your education.” Clausen is part of an Augsburg legacy family—his
wife, Roberta ’69, and son, Steven ’96, also attended the College.
“What the whole world wants
IS A GOOD JOB.”*
BY REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
Today, higher education has come under question—
is the debt worth it, are students graduating at sufficient rates, are we educating enough of our population, are students actually learning what they need?
In this environment, the value of higher education increasingly is being
defined—by parents and prospective students alike—as “getting a good
job.” In fact, this is the No. 1 reason cited by U.S. respondents in the 2012
Gallup/Lumina poll for pursuing education beyond high school. And the second
reason? To earn more money.
“When college students and their parents think about the value
of higher education, they typically think about it too narrowly,”
said Brandon Busteed, executive director of Gallup Education.
“People tend to get caught up with things—like potential
income or getting a job with a ‘blue chip’ company—that don’t
matter” when it comes to predicting career success and satisfaction, Busteed said. “Focusing on those things is not the best
way to think about a great job and a great life.”
“WELLBEING” AS A MEASURE OF CAREER SUCCESS
What factors do predict career success? According to Gallup,
it’s being able to respond affirmatively to statements like the
following:
•
•
•
•
“I like what I do each day.”
“I do what I do best every day.”
“My supervisor cares about my development.”
“I have a best friend at work.”
Agreeing with statements like these indicates that a person
is engaged in interesting and meaningful activities at work,
is using his or her strengths to achieve goals, is motivated by
the team leader, and is supported by colleagues who share a
common purpose. Those characteristics, according to Gallup’s
“wellbeing” research, correlate more with top performance than
income or title or working for a prestigious organization.
Gallup has been studying wellbeing, on a global basis,
since the 1930s.
“Wellbeing is not ‘wellness,’” Busteed said. “It is a multidimensional measure of how people rate their lives.”
In the past several decades, Gallup’s study of people in
more than 150 countries has revealed five universal, interconnected elements that shape our lives: career wellbeing, social
wellbeing, financial wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and community wellbeing.
“We didn’t invent these categories,” Busteed said. “The
factors that correlate with wellbeing are what we found from the
data collected over time and across populations.” Of those five
*Source: Gallup World Poll, 2010
Fall 2013
9
Opportunities to learn and grow
Progress in last six months
How do
we grow?
10
Augsburg Now
What do I get?
ic
Bas s
d
Nee
The career wellbeing issue is connected with low worker
engagement, Busteed said. According to Gallup’s 2012 “State
of the American Workplace” report, only 30 percent of full-time
U.S. workers are engaged and inspired at work. Fifty percent
are not engaged, the report states—“they’re just kind of present, but not inspired by their work or their managers.” The
remaining 20 percent of all full-time U.S. workers are actively
disengaged in their jobs.
One significant driver of high or low engagement is a person’s manager, Busteed said. People looking for a “good job”
focus so much on income and landing a position at a “good”
company, but finding a good manager is vastly more important
than working for a well-known company, he explained.
Another factor causing low worker engagement is whether
a person is using her or his strengths every day. “Not just once
in a while, not once every week or so, but every day,” Busteed
said. Among college graduates, he said, the lack of opportunity
to use one’s strengths at work every day points to career misalignment—either getting a degree in a field in which one isn’t
What do I give?
.
WELLBEING AND WORKPLACE ENGAGEMENT
In c
interconnected elements of wellbeing, career wellbeing is the
most important, Busteed said.
“Our careers are a fundamental piece of how we define
ourselves,” Busteed said. “Plus, work is where you spend the
majority of your waking hours,” so it is going to have a major
impact on your life evaluation—not to mention your social,
financial, and physical wellbeing.
Gallup’s research shows that those who have high career
wellbeing are 4.5 times more likely to be “thriving”—versus
merely surviving or, worse, suffering—in life. However, just 31
percent of the U.S. population has very high career wellbeing.
p,
llu
ual
Ga
ivid
Ind ibution
tr
Con
Materials and equipment to do the job
I know what is expected of me at work
ce:
Someone encourages my development
Supervisor/someone at work cares
Recognition in the last seven days
Do what I do best every day
ur
So
Do I belong?
ork
mw
Tea
I have a best friend at work
Coworkers committed to quality
Mission/purpose of company
At work, my opinions seem to count
wth
Gro
What does a
‘GOOD JOB’
look like?
able to get a job or pursuing a field because of others’ expectations instead of based on one’s own strengths.
“The onus is certainly on the individual [student], but it is
also on the college and mentors to make sure that students are
asking themselves” what they are truly good at, what engages
and excites them, Busteed said.
EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES THAT SUPPORT CAREER SUCCESS
In addition to studying workplace dynamics that correspond
with career wellbeing, Gallup also has identified specific college
experiences that correlate with subsequent career success. In
its research, Gallup has found two educational experiences
that are twice as likely as other factors to predict high work
performance:
1) Working on a long-term project that took several classes to
complete, and
2) Using what was learned in class to develop solutions to
real-world problems.
In short, Busteed said, “what works in school is ‘real work.’”
“Real work”—including problem-solving and experiential
education opportunities—helps prepare students for success
after graduation, but Gallup also has done extensive research
on the factors that predict success during college. Here,
Busteed said, Gallup has found that “hope” is statistically a
stronger predictor of educational outcomes than test scores or
grade-point averages. (In fact, according to the work of Gallup
Senior Scientist Shane Lopez, hope is the leading indicator of
success in relationships, academics, career, and business—as
well as of a healthier, happier life.)
HOPE: AN IMPORTANT FACTOR IN COLLEGE SUCCESS
“Hope is a strategy,” Busteed said. However, it is not just wishful thinking, he explained. Instead, it refers to one’s ideas and
energy for the future and includes the following three elements:
1) Attainable goals,
2) The ability to see multiple pathways to achieve those goals,
and
3) Agency—i.e., a belief that you can achieve your goals.
Measures of hope, engagement, and wellbeing account for
one-third of the variance of student success in college, Busteed
reported. And, although college success is also driven by other
things—such as academic preparation and content knowledge—those things are being measured fairly consistently and
systematically through cognitive measures, such as tests.
“But no one is paying attention to measuring the noncognitive factors that account for a whopping one-third of
student success,” Busteed said. “We need better balance and
alignment around how we track and promote student success
[in college].”
The same is true for college outcomes, where job placement percentages and average salaries tell only part of the
story. “What’s the ultimate outcome of an education?” Busteed
asked. “To have a better life,” he said. We need to pay attention
to how we measure that.
Augsburg and Career Wellbeing
MATCHING YOUR GIFTS TO THE NEEDS
OF THE WORLD
According to Gallup, career wellbeing requires
that people understand what they are truly good
at and pursue career opportunities that allow
them to use their strengths every day.
Augsburg calls this vocational discernment.
“Augsburg is about forming and shaping
students to lead lives of meaning and purpose,”
said Mark Tranvik, professor of religion and
director of Augsburg’s Bernhard Christensen
Center for Vocation. “At Augsburg, we encourage
students to move beyond self-enhancement and
think about their lives within a wider horizon. We
want them to ask questions like, ‘What am I good
at?’ and ‘How can my gifts best be used to make a
difference in the world?’
“For many at the College,” Tranvik said,
“faith plays an important role in how those questions are answered.” The exploration of one’s
gifts is rooted deeply in the Lutheran theological
tradition of vocation, and it is a critical part of the
educational journey at Augsburg—for students of
all faith and spiritual backgrounds, Tranvik said.
FINDING THE RIGHT WORKPLACE
ENVIRONMENT
Another important part of the self-discovery
journey is determining what types of work environments might suit you best, said Keith Munson,
director of the Clair and Gladys Strommen
Center for Meaningful Work. “You can get a job
doing something you love, but if that job is not
in the right place—the right work environment
or culture—you won’t be able to sustain your
motivation for the job very long,” he said.
In other words, you need to pay attention to
where and how your gifts will be used.
A good way to learn about work environments is through informational interviews,
Munson said. “Networking, of course, ensures
that people learn more about you than can be
picked up from your résumé, but that’s not
the only reason to network,” he said. It is as
important “for you to actually find out if a given
company or department is a good place for you
to work.”
Determining whether a given work
environment is a fit, however, requires that
you understand what kind of work cultures and
relationships are best for you. This involves
self-reflection and, usually, some amount of
coaching. But many students—and many adults
in job transitions, for that matter—skip that
step and just focus on securing a job.
EXPANDING THE DEFINITION OF A
“GOOD JOB”
Munson said he understands why students (and
their parents) think it’s important to get a “good
job” after college. “For many students, following
their passion without worrying or thinking about
their income is not a realistic option,” he said.
“I always tell these students that it’s okay for
them to think about the realities of their career
choices. You can be practical about those matters and still pay attention to the other piece”—
the search for work and work environments that
suits you—as well.
“You’re looking for a job anyway,” Munson
tells students. “Why not also try to find something
that you are going to like to do?” In fact, Munson
said, by actively seeking work environments that
suit them, students tend to be more effective in
the job search process. “When you are looking
for something—and someplace—that’s interesting to you, you are likely to be more motivated in the job search,” he said. You’ll do more
background preparation, seek more informational
interviews, and ask more purposeful questions.
In the end, Munson said, students shouldn’t
think that they need to choose between following
their hearts and getting a “good job.” You can—
and should—do both.
Fall 2013
11
AUGGIE VOICES
Launching a new mission
Augsburg College celebrated 56 Master of Social Work graduation candidates at the June 2013 Commencement, and it’s
quite possible that Christine Dawson ’13 MSW was the only
graduate who began her professional career as a mechanic.
Shortly after high school, Dawson joined the United States
Marine Corps where she spent three decades and worked in two
distinct military occupations.
While Dawson met her goals of traveling the world and
doing something “most women didn’t do” at the time, she felt
called to serve the Marine Corps troops—rather than Marine
Corps vehicles—and began a new assignment as a licensed
alcohol and drug counselor. This role turned out to be a perfect
fit because of her ability to help “people go on to live their best
life and achieve their goals,” she said.
Dawson completed a 17-year tenure with the Marine Corps
and served an additional 13 years in the Army National Guard
where she continued work as a mental health specialist. When
she approached military retirement, she returned to school to
earn a graduate degree at Augsburg College, which offered her
the opportunity to advance in her civilian career and integrate
her military experience into a challenging professional role.
Augsburg, she found, was a place that understood her desire to
live a purpose-driven lifestyle and to embed meaningful service
within her career.
Military and veterans support
CHRISTINE DAWSON ’13 MSW
12
Augsburg Now
Many of Augsburg’s students with military experience enroll in
an undergraduate or graduate degree program to build upon the
education and training that were part of their military service.
For other students, Augsburg is a way to prepare for a civilian
career that’s unlike any past duties.
Some students who have served in the armed forces are eligible for state and federal financial aid assistance to help pay
for college. At Augsburg, more than 100 students with military
experience are working one-on-one with the College’s Student
Financial Services and Registrar’s offices to successfully claim
their education benefits and get individualized help navigating
complex eligibility rules.
Augsburg College also directly supports these students by
hosting an on-campus space for them to meet and by employing a Student Veteran Liaison who mentors peers and works to
connect students with College resources.
A.J. ANDERSON ’15
“We’re seeing more nontraditional-age students in
our undergrad population and some of those people
have been around the world and have served our
country,” said Lori York, assistant registrar and
Veterans Affairs certifying official. “A veteran’s sense
of ‘a call to serve’ totally meshes with Augsburg, and
we want to make sure they can make the most of their
education here.”
From call to campus
During four years of Marine Corps service, A.J.
Anderson ’15, Augsburg’s student veteran liaison,
led an amphibious assault team as the crew chief for
vehicles that he likens to those that carried troops
onto Normandy beaches during World War II. At age
25, Anderson had reconsidered his decision to attend
a large public university and left school to become a
Marine.
“I felt that joining the military was my calling for a
little bit,” he said. “Other people backpack in Europe
or just take a break. I went to war.”
Anderson served around the globe and later joined
the Marine Corps Reserve military police unit at Fort
Snelling in St. Paul before he began thinking about
his long-term career.
He said his military experiences didn’t translate
into a civilian profession, but—through his service—
solidified his aspirations. He resumed his education
and in 2012 transferred to Augsburg with a plan to
serve his country in a new way.
“I’m devoting my life to helping veterans,” he
said. “I didn’t know I wanted to do social work until I got out
of the military, so coming to Augsburg and working toward
that goal is a big part of my life.”
And, Anderson is getting a jumpstart on this career
through his student involvement.
“We know that peer mentors and peer leaders play an
important role in students’ achievement,” said Ann Garvey,
vice president of Student Affairs. “For example, student
athletes serve on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee and
Orientation Leaders welcome our new Auggies to campus. Our
Student Veteran Liaison does outreach with a different group,
but the premise is the same.”
For Anderson, helping other veterans succeed at Augsburg
College couldn’t be a better fit.
“I want to give other students the tools I’ve been working with,” he said, “and make sure they have the support I’ve
experienced.”
From assisting veterans on campus to one day serving
them as a clinical social worker, Anderson’s Augsburg education has prepared him for a meaningful career that aligns with
his passions. And Dawson, who has been working with
veterans for decades, shows that this path is clearly a worthwhile one.
LAURA SWANSON
Fall 2013
13
Augsburg College
2012-2013
ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS
Thanks to the generosity of our donors, Augsburg College realized another record year of fundraising in 2012-2013, with
$19,367,258 received from more than 4,500 donors.
This philanthropy helps Augsburg to attract gifted, engaged
students and the talented faculty and staff who teach and guide
them. Your gifts provide financial aid, building and maintenance
support, and instructional and other resources that help
Augsburg provide a quality education to more than 3,500
undergraduate and graduate students at our Minneapolis and
Rochester, Minn., campuses—students like Zach Baltich, Jenna
Leahy, and Hector Camarena.
Zach Baltich ’14 is studying music performance. Originally from Ely, Minn., Baltich received the
Sampson and Carlson scholarships.
The Sateren and Gyllstrom scholarships were awarded to Jenna Leahy ’15, a music education
major. Leahy is from New Richmond, Wis.
14
Augsburg Now
Hector Camarena ’16, a physics major from Fridley, Minn., received the
Grindal and Gjerde scholarships.
2012-2013 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
REVENUE BY SOURCE
Tuition
72%
Room and board
12%
Private gifts and grants
9%
Government grants
4%
Other sources
3%
EXPENSES BY CATEGORY
Salary and benefits
45%
Financial aid
26%
Operating expenses*
17%
Debt service
3%
Equipment and capital improvements
4%
Utilities and insurance
3%
Student salaries
2%
*Expenses in this category include: facility repairs and maintenance, information technology expenditures, marketing expenditures, membership dues
and fees, outside consultants, supplies, and travel and business meetings.
$25.4
$34.6
$33.3
$32.4 $31.5
$27.2 $27.8
ENDOWMENT MARKET VALUE
$29.8
$28.2
May 31, 2013
$34,552,615
$24.5
In the year ending May 31, 2013, the value
of the endowment increased by 16.04
percent. Our five-year average annual return
on the endowment is 2.24 percent and
the ten-year average annual return is 4.22
percent. We are committed to maintaining
the value of the principal and to providing
support to the College in perpetuity.
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
(IN MILLIONS)
Please visit augsburg.edu/giving/report for our 2013 Honor Roll of Donors.
Fall 2013
15
[L to R]: Assistant Men’s Basketball
Coach Charlie Scott ’08 and Head
Men’s Basketball Coach Aaron Griess
AUGGIES ON THE COURT
[L to R]: Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach Charile Scott ’08 and Head Men’s Basketball Coach Aaron Griess
Communication. Accountability. Service.
Nine years ago, Aaron Griess moved from
Pacific to the middle of
the middle of the Pacific
the United States to become the Augsburg
College men’s basketball coach. It was a
path back to his Midwest roots and to a
culture that values college athletics.
“Living in paradise has its obvious
advantages, but athletics just isn’t part
of the culture in the same way it is in
the Midwest,” said Griess about serving as coach at Chaminade University in
Honolulu. “Here, lots of families go to
games together, many kids grow up in
organized sports.”
Griess found in Augsburg not only
a school that values the student-athlete
experience, but also one whose mission
refl
ects his own vision for coaching and
reflects
leadership.
“Coaching gives me a chance to instill
important principles of life in the athletes
I work with,” he said. “I want to provide
these students tools that will help them
succeed beyond the court.
“My vision of success in coaching is
fairly unique in this profession,” said the
head men’s basketball coach. “I want
16
Augsburg Now
to build a sustainable program of fi
rstfirstclass leaders who don’t complain about
challenges, and who solve problems. A
team that consistently wins. A program
that helps graduates land good jobs, and
helps them understand the value of giving
back.”
Augsburg College Athletic Director
Jeff Swenson said the program epitomizes
what Augsburg College strives for throughout its teams.
“Coach Griess and his staff exemplify
what we want to see in all our sports—student athletes who display great athleticism
and who work hard to achieve in the classroom and in the community,” Swenson
said. “Griess’ program has helped studentathletes become leaders on and off the
court during their time at Augsburg—leaders who stay connected and who give back
when they graduate.”
Griess also requires that players take
seriously their academics. “We communicate throughout each semester about their
academic progress. We expect our studentathletes to know exactly where they stand
in their progress toward graduation,”
Griess said. “They need to learn to be able
to talk about progress or struggles, and to
be able to communicate that with us, their
professors, and families.”
Mentoring and service work also are
components used by Griess. Juniors and
seniors help younger players understand
the culture and values of the team. The
team currently is part of an Adopt-a-Road
program and is exploring the start of a
reading program with a neighborhood
school.
The impact of Griess’ effort is visible
in the players’ grades, the team’s standing,
and the players’ actions after graduation.
“Coach Griess’ guys are known for
their work ethic. We never have to worry
about his student-athletes meeting eligibility standards,” said Kelly AndersonDiercks, associate athletic director and
compliance director.
During his nine seasons with the
Auggies, the team’s overall winning percentage steadily has climbed to .750. The
team, which is a member of the Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC),
has made it to conference playoffs four
times, twice reaching the semifinals.
semifinals.
In 2012-13, the team earned a spot in
the championship game. In the past five
five
seasons, the Auggies have won 65 percent
of their games—the second-highest men’s
basketball winning percentage in the MIAC
for that time period. Griess’ work earned
him MIAC Men’s Basketball Coach of the
Year honors during the 2009-10 season.
Assistant coach comes full circle
The impact of Griess’ vision also can be
seen in the growing number of players
who contribute to the team and College
after they graduate. One of the best
examples of this can be seen in Charlie
Scott ’08, who now serves as Griess’
assistant coach.
Scott, who hails from Ely, Minn.,
was recruited as a fi
first-year
rst-year student
to Augsburg by former Coach Brian
Ammann. Scott picked Augsburg because
of its urban location, which he said
allowed him to make campus as small
or as large as he wanted. He played for
Ammann for two years and for Griess for
two years.
Griess and Scott both acknowledge that at the time Griess arrived at
Augsburg, just as Scott finished
finished his
second year as an Auggie, Scott wasn’t yet
the leader he later grew to be.
“When we met, Charlie wasn’t ready
to be a team leader. He didn’t completely
believe in himself because he hadn’t put
in the necessary work. I talked to him
about whether he wanted to be a leader,”
Griess said. “I wanted him to take himself
seriously, and to use the tools he had. I
knew the players would follow him, but he
had to become our team’s hardest worker.”
Scott said he was ready, and he was
in the weight room and gym every day the
summer before his fourth year of college.
He also talked to Griess every day, picking
his brain for advice on how he could help
the team and reach his potential.
“Coach sparked the drive and
determination in me,” Scott said. “When
Coach shared his vision for how he wanted
the team to be, I wanted to be part of
that. I wanted to help the team accomplish its mission to be nationally known
and respected as a first-class
first-class program and
to cultivate student-athletes who understand the values of hard work, perseverance, honesty, integrity, and teamwork.”
Scott was so committed to the success of the team that he wanted to stay
involved even after his four years of eligibility expired. He served as a volunteer
coach during the fifth
fifth year of college that
it took him to finish
finish his double major in
finance
finance and business management.
After graduation, Scott continued
to volunteer while working full time in
financial
financial services. He gradually became a
part-time coach. Then, when the opportunity to apply for the position of full-time,
assistant coach opened up, Scott chased
it. He was one of more than 100 applicants who wanted to work with Griess at
Augsburg.
“I look for leadership qualities in my
assistant coaches, no matter whether they
are volunteers, fellows, or paid coaches.
They have to be willing to learn and work,”
Griess said. “Charlie is the guy who jumps
in and works as hard as anyone. He leads.
He digs in.”
Developing strong relationships with
prospective families is one thing Scott is
looking forward to as he works to fulfill
fulfill his
recruiting responsibilities.
“I have a huge passion for Augsburg,
for basketball, for working with Coach
Griess,” Scott said. “I’m excited to meet
prospective athletes and their families,
helping them learn about Augsburg
and our program, and decide whether
Augsburg is the right place for them as it
was—and is—for me.”
While Scott exemplifies
exemplifies a studentathlete turned servant-leader, he’s just one
of Coach Griess’ players who is finding
finding a
way to give back to a program and school
that means much to them.
Some players give back by volunteering as Scott did. Others serve as a
resource to students to help ready them
for the working world, and some have
hired qualified
qualified alumni to work at their
companies, knowing they are hiring people
with shared ethics and determination to
succeed—qualities honed on and off the
basketball court at Augsburg. Others give
back in the form of gifts to the College.
Today, the two coaches are continuing to build a special program founded
on communication, accountability, and
service. They know that the program will
support student-athletes in their studies
and when they look for their first
first jobs.
They also know that new recruits are coming to a college that will help them not
only develop as an athlete, but also as a
whole person.
STEPHANIE WEISS
Fall 2013
17
Courtesy photo
A promising experiment in organic chemistry:
MIXING TEAMWORK INTO THE COURSE LOAD
Capitalizing on an opportunity to recreate Augsburg College’s advanced organic
chemistry class, assistant professor of
chemistry, Michael Wentzel, has developed a highly attractive approach to a
complicated subject matter. He forces his
students to work together.
“Originally, I wanted to make it so
everybody understood how to write a
reasonable organic mechanism,” said
Wentzel. “But after taking a step back, my
major goals became communications, and
group work, and teaching students how to
work together and how to communicate
better as scientists.”
Each week Wentzel breaks his students up into teams of four. The groups
are then given a simple assignment:
prepare to send a randomly selected group
representative to a guest lecture at the
University of Minnesota.
After the lecture, each group is
required to put together a presentation on what they feel is the essence of
the subject matter. “Every person got
a chance to be the point person for his
or her group,” said Wentzel, in reference to his first class. “I wanted to see
people work together. To force them to be
uncomfortable.”
Inside the lab, Wentzel’s unique
approach to teaching ensues. He delegates
his workload by directing his students’
questions to other students. He assigns
18
Augsburg Now
As for the class itself, Wentzel’s
methods are driving enrollment. “You can
imagine how many people are excited to
take organic chemistry, let alone advanced
organic chemistry,” joked Wentzel. “I
think the most students to ever take
the course at one time was maybe five
students before I got it,” he said. “And
now we have [another] 20 or at least 15
people for next year. It’s been exciting.”
individual students specific pieces of lab
equipment, has them write out instructions for that equipment, and then dubs
them the go-to person for that instrument’s
technical support moving forward.
The results of this interactive style
of teaching are compelling. “The biggest
thing I’ve seen is the students are confident in talking about science,” he said.
Using the confidence learned in his
class, some of Wentzel’s former students
have landed internships and entry into
competitive graduate degree programs following graduation from Augsburg. Wentzel
is clearly proud. “We had a Goldwater
Scholarship winner and an honorable
mention [this year]. These were kids that
were in [my] classes,” he said.
Editor’s Note: An integrated course design
grant from Augsburg College’s Center for
Teaching and Learning funded peer-review
sessions and other opportunities allowing
Wentzel to revise the advanced organic
chemistry class.
Reprinted with permission. Article by
Phil Meagher for JoVE, the Journal of
Visualized Experiments. JoVE is a peerreviewed journal dedicated to publishing
methods and research in a visual format.
MY AUGGIE EXPERIENCE
Augsburg shifts student’s dream into high gear
Trevor Rodriguez-Sotelo ’13 was the kid who was fascinated
by anything with a steering wheel and motor. From a young
age, instead of playing with Matchbox cars or Tonka trucks, he
would tinker with real engines in his uncles’ garages.
Later, when Rodriguez-Sotelo enrolled at Augsburg
College, he had a clear vision of his dream: to work as an
engineer designing automobile—specifically BMW—engines.
He knew entering this highly specialized field was going to be
a challenge, but he soon learned that Augsburg faculty and
staff were eager to help him achieve his dream.
During his first semester at the College, Rodriguez-Sotelo
took Calculus Workshop, an elective course designed by
Rebekah Dupont, the coordinator of an Augsburg program
that seeks to increase the number of minority students who
complete degrees in science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics.
Rodriguez-Sotelo said Dupont helped prepare him for
success in college-level mathematics courses, supporting him
inside and outside the classroom. She recognized RodriguezSotelo’s remarkable abilities and suggested that he take them
to the next level through undergraduate research on campus,
which he went on to conduct with Benjamin Stottrup, associate professor of physics.
“Trevor came with a dream, and he had to slog through
my biophysics lab to get to that dream,” said Stottrup, who
for two years advised Rodriguez-Sotelo in the use of scientific
instruments to measure resistance to flow in biomaterials.
Rodriguez-Sotelo said he knew this research wasn’t linked
perfectly to his automotive engineering interest, but would
give him priceless experience.
Part of Rodriguez-Sotelo’s on-campus research was made
possible through Augsburg’s McNair Scholars Program, a federal grant-funded graduate school preparatory program to help
ready underrepresented students for doctoral study.
“Stottrup stressed writing skills even though we’re in the
sciences,” Rodriguez-Sotelo said. “This helps you become
more articulate and allows you to present yourself better—
those skills are applicable in my future.”
Rodriguez-Sotelo’s work on campus bolstered his offcampus research applications and opened the door to a prestigious summer automotive engineering position at Oakland
University outside of Detroit, Mich.
In addition to conducting research on and off campus,
Rodriguez-Sotelo was a member of the men’s track team,
was president of Augsburg Latin American Students and of
As Trevor Rodriguez-Sotelo ’13 crossed the stage at Augsburg’s May
Commencement, he celebrated a successful undergraduate experience that accelerated his ability to achieve his dream of becoming
an automotive engineer.
Augsburg’s Society of Physics Students chapter, mentored
first-year STEM students, and more.
“I had the opportunity to do all the academic, cultural and
social activities I liked,” he said. “I was able to do everything
because of personal and academic support from faculty and staff.
I followed their advice, and they put me on the right path.”
Rodriguez-Sotelo graduated last May, and in August took
a step closer to achieving his goals by beginning a master’s degree program at the renowned Clemson University
International Center for Automotive Research. He earned a
competitive BMW fellowship, which will help fund his graduate
studies and allow him to intern at BMW Manufacturing Co. next
summer. He credits earning this award to his “whole body of
work” at Augsburg.
“The beautiful thing about Augsburg is that faculty and
staff pay attention to their students…they care what kind of
person I am and where I go after Augsburg,” he said. “Since
I was a little kid, I knew this was where I wanted to be, and
now I’m here—an automotive engineer.”
LAURA SWANSON
Fall 2013
19
IT’S NOT YOUR
AVERAGE WEEK.
IT’S HOMECOMING.
20
Augsburg Now
Homecoming brings alumni, friends back to campus
Homecoming 2013 reunited former classmates, friends, roommates, and professors, and invigorated the Auggie spirit in everyone in attendance.
Traditional celebrations ensued, including the Homecoming
Convocation with Distinguished Alumni Awards; the Taste of
Augsburg event in Murphy Square featuring food, carnival-style
booths, and bounce houses; and lively athletic events including an
alumni baseball game and dugout dedication ceremony, as well as
volleyball, soccer, and football games.
The week also boasted the Eye-Opener Breakfast featuring Augsburg alumnus Dr. Paul Mueller ’84; reunion brunches;
campus tours; an Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony to
honor 2013 inductees; an Auggie Author book reading with Cheri
Johnson ’99; a panel discussion about the Center for Science,
Business, and Religion; and the Augsburg Associates luncheon
with a presentation by Jacqueline deVries, Augsburg professor of
history and director of general education.
The merriment came to a close at the Auggie Block Party with
live music and s’mores.
Homecoming is just one of many ways for Augsburg alumni to
stay connected to the College. If you are interested in serving on
your reunion committee or volunteering to help plan next year’s
events, contact alumni@augsburg.edu. For more information, visit
augsburg.edu/alumni.
AUGGIES AREN’T ORDINARY.
NEITHER IS THEIR HOMECOMING.
Fall 2013
21
ALUMNI AWARD RECIPIENTS
First Decade Award
Honors an Auggie who graduated during
the past 10 years who has exemplified
the mission of the College while achieving significant progress in his or her
professional achievements and contributions in the community.
Alexa Halford ’03
Halford, who graduated from Augsburg
with a bachelor of arts
in physics and mathematics, currently is
a lecturer and postdoctoral researcher in
physics at Dartmouth College.
After graduating from Augsburg, she
earned a master’s degree in astronomy
and planetary sciences from the University of Colorado Boulder and a doctorate
in physics at the University of Newcastle. Shortly afterward, she won a highly
competitive Visiting Young Scientist
fellowship from Dartmouth College.
“Augsburg is small, but that’s what makes
it so special. I have people here in my
corner, and you will, too.”
director from 1993-2001.
“I’ve had the wonder of studying music for
many years…it’s for Him we sing, to tell
the wonders of His love.”
Alan Rice
Rice, an Olympic athlete and coach, is one
of the most respected
and honored men in
U.S. Greco-Roman
wrestling. He also is a member of the
U.S. Wrestling Hall of Fame. He is a
long-time friend and supporter of the
College, and responsible for the worldclass Alan and Gloria Rice Wrestling
Center in Kennedy Center.
“I’ve been so privileged to be so involved
in Augsburg. Thank you for allowing me to
participate. Thank you, Augsburg.”
Distinguished Alumni Awards
Honors alumni in recognition of a significant achievement in their vocation,
for outstanding contribution to church
and community, and for leading a life
that exemplifies the ideals and mission
of the College.
Spirit of Augsburg Award
Honors alumni and friends of the College who have given of their service to
substantially impact the well-being of
Augsburg’s mission and programs.
Alfred Reesnes ’58
Reesnes is dedicated
to using his love of
music to serve the
College. For 33 years,
he taught high school
music and developed choirs noted for
high-quality performance and literature.
He was a charter member of the Augsburg
Centennial Singers and assistant
22
Augsburg Now
H. Theodore Grindal ’76
Grindal is former
chair of the Augsburg
Board of Regents
and a partner in the
law firm of Lockridge
Grindal Nauen PLLP. He repeatedly has
been recognized as one of Minnesota’s
top lobbyists.
“I’ve tried to follow five principles throughout my life: God, family, friends, work, and
service. Remember who you are. Be true
to yourself, be authentic, let that be your
guidepost.”
HOMECOMING
2013
Clayton McNeff ’91
McNeff is vice
president of research
at SarTec, Ever Cat
Fuels LLC, Mcgyan
Biodiesel LLC, and
other family businesses. He is known as
the co-creator of the patented Mcgyan
process, which uses non-food sources to
create biodiesel.
“I dedicate this award to my mother,
Marie Olive McNeff, and I urge you to use
your gifts to help those around you. Work
together to pay it back and pay it forward.”
Roselyn Nordaune ’77
Nordaune is founder
of the law firm,
Nordaune & Friesen
PLLC, and is known
for her work in family law. She is a former member of the
Augsburg Board of Regents and dedicated to engaging Augsburg alumnae in the
philanthropic priorities of the College.
“I pledge you: I’m not done yet. I pledge
to Augsburg my work, my resources, my
service.”
IT TAKES AN AUGGIE
Class Challenge spurs friendly competition
among Auggies to build new academic building
Alumni from throughout the decades have responded to a
charge presented by Augsburg College Regent Wayne
Jorgenson ’71 and former Alumni Board President Christopher
Ascher ’81. The two men established alumni Class Challenges
to create a friendly philanthropic-giving competition between
their respective classes, and to invite all alumni to give back to
the College to help build the Center for Science, Business, and
Religion (CSBR).
“Early gifts from alumni and friends of the College made
it possible for each of us to experience a great Augsburg
education,” Ascher said. “We are convinced. Now is our time to
make the investment and help open doors for others.”
“No other campus we know has created such an exciting intersection of disciplines—science, business, and
religion—to serve students and forge a pathway to a better
future for all of us,” Jorgenson said.
Many classes already are involved in Class Challenges,
and some have surpassed their goal of donating $1 million to
the campaign. As of October 15, 42 classes had contributed
more than $25,000 (see chart below).
The Class Challenges, combined with a recent gift of $10
million from a member of the class of 1965, bring the CSBR fund
to more than $25 million. The overall goal for the campaign is
$50 million.
To see the status of all Class Challenges—and to learn more
about the CSBR—visit blogs.augsburg.edu/alumni. To join an
existing Class Challenge or to start a new Class Challenge, contact Kim Stone at 612-330-1173 or stonek@augsburg.edu.
Surpassed the
$1 million challenge
Contributed between
$250,000-$499,999
Contributed between
$50,000-$99,999
Contributed between
$25,000-$49,999
1962
1965
1945
1956
1963
1968
1971
1972
1977
1950
1953
1955
1959
1961
1962
1964
1966
1974
1982
1991
1994
1946
1951
1954
1960
1969
1970
1973
1978
1986
1987
1998
2002
2014
Contributed between
$500,000-$999,999
1981
1984
1985
Contributed between
$100,000-$249,999
1957
1967
1975
1979
1980
1962 1977 1968
1972 1956 1965
1971 1984
1981
1963 1985
1945
Fall 2013
23
ALUMNI NEWS
Dear alumni and friends,
t
hank you to those of you who participated in the
alumni survey that was conducted earlier this
fall. We received a tremendous response: More
than 4,000 alumni records have been updated, and
the Alumni Board is able to more effectively connect
with alumni with whom we had lost touch.
We’ve included many of the alumni updates from
the survey in a special “Keeping Track of Auggies”
Class Notes section on pages 24 to 30 of this issue
of Augsburg Now. You can also discover information
about your fellow Auggies in the recently relaunched
Auggie Maroon Pages online. To open the door to this
network, go to augsburg.edu/alumni and click “Auggie
Maroon Pages.” This will take you to an overview page
for the Auggie Maroon Pages, where you can click the
“Sign In or Sign Up” button and log in or register as a
new user.
In reading all the wonderful notes sent in
response to the survey, it is obvious to me that an
Augsburg education has made a huge difference in
the lives of our alumni!
healthy and active at ages 89 and
86, respectively.
Reprinted with permission
from Duluth News Tribune
FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Joseph T. Seto received a
Congressional Gold Medal in 2011
in Washington, D.C., for Military
Intelligence, Service Veteran WWII.
Ebba (Johnson) Brooks
recently was presented the
Swedish Council of America’s
Award of Merit. She was acknowledged in the Duluth News Tribune
with an article and photo (above).
Brooks is pictured in the center of
the image.
42
Evelyn H. Sonnack Halverson
married Dr. Bill Halverson on
July 14, 2013. They honeymooned
in Norway and England, and currently reside in Edina, Minn.
43
Mary Lou Nelson received
a scholarship to Syracuse
but got married instead. She is 90
years old, and a 50-year member
of AAUW and LWV.
45
Jack E. Jacobsen was
ordained as an Auxiliary
Bishop in 2010 by the Ordaining
Council of the Minnesota Graduate
School of Theology.
46
Courtesy photo
Sincerely,
TRACY (ANDERSON) SEVERSON ’95
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Peter A. Lokkesmoe retired
after 36 years with the Boy
Scouts of America. Immediately
after college, he served in the U.S.
Navy.
47
Eugene Hasselquist was
ordained in 1951 at Holy
Communion Lutheran Church in
Racine, Wis. He retired in 1987
from St. Paul Lutheran Church in
Red Wing, Minn.
48
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Beatrice M. Walker moved to
Otterbein North Shore, a senior
continuing care facility. She and
her husband, Tom, celebrated
their 63rd wedding anniversary
September 10.
49
24
Augsburg Now
J. Forrest Anderson and
his wife are blessed to be
Arne Simengaard is blessed with
a loving family of five daughters,
11 grandchildren, and two great
grandchildren.
Carol V. Larson, at age 85,
was thankful to walk up the
203 steps of Florida’s Ponce De
Leon Lighthouse. She and her husband have four sons: Gary Larson
’72, James Larson ’73, Daniel
Larson ’77, and Fred Larson ’81.
50
Norman F. Nideng retired from his
service in the U.S. Navy Chaplain
Corps.
James E. Christopherson
served since 1954 as a
Lutheran pastor, primarily in South
Dakota. He and his wife have
three grown children: John, Mary,
and Tom.
51
Lillian K. Ose trained and worked
as a medical laboratory technologist at Minneapolis General
Hospital from 1951-57 when she
married her husband, Kenneth.
She worked at various hospitals
and/or clinics in Minnesota until
her retirement in 1994.
Arvid D. Dixe published a
book titled Come, Meet
the Church, which included a
foreword written by Minnesota
journalist Jim Klobuchar.
52
Charlotte M. Rimmereid served
for three years as a teacher in
North Branch, Minn., where she
directed two choirs and taught
music, geometry, and algebra for
grades 1-12.
Dorothy Christopherson
recently retired from serving 11 years as director of the
women’s choir for First Lutheran
53
KEEPING TRACK OF AUGGIES
Church of Sioux Falls, S.Dak. She
also has directed choirs for children, youth, adults, and handbell
ensembles.
Minnesota. Their sons, Dan, Dave,
and Brad, all work for Dart Transit.
Daughter, Angie, is very busy at
home with her three sons.
59
Reidun H. Newquist had several music therapy students
from Augsburg observe at Michael
Dowling School.
Lawrence E. Gallagher and his
wife, Barbara, celebrated their
50th wedding anniversary in
August.
Gloria M. Thorpe and her husband, Gordon, celebrated their
60th wedding anniversary on
August 23.
Ellayne V. Velde-Conyers retired
in 2011 but continues to write a
weekly column in the Marshall
Independent newspaper. She hosts
a public access television program
in Marshall, Minn., once per week,
and was elected to the Marshall
City Council in November 2012.
60
Lois A. Agrimson’s son Erick
Agrimson ’98 welcomed son,
Anders David Agrimson, on June
22, 2012.
James N. Holden recently received
the Distinguished Service Award
from the Northfield (Minn.) High
School Booster Club for support of
the tennis program.
Helen Witt is very thankful for her
two years spent at Augsburg while
earning her nursing education at
Deacon’s Hospital from 1949-52,
also being included in the class of
1953 at Augsburg College. Both
the school and the hospital were a
major influence in her life.
Woodrow W. Wilson’s niece, Catha
Jones, attended Augsburg and
graduated in 1970. After graduation she was diagnosed with
cancer and passed away. In 1975,
her parents, Kenneth and Carmen
Jones, endowed the Catha Jones
Scholarship, which has supported
21 students who share Catha’s
interest in elementary education
and music.
Herbert W. Chilstrom and his
wife, Corinne, recently wrote
Every Morning New—a book of
devotional readings for every day
of the year.
54
George W. Fisher and his wife,
Mary, began their 18th year
singing with the Lexington County
(S.C.) Choral Society. George has
played violin for 17 years and
recently began learning clarinet.
James W. Anderson taught
music for 40 years and was
a real estate agent for 27 years.
Four of his children also graduated from Augsburg College.
55
Dorothy Devick worked for three
years as a school teacher, then
worked with her husband at their
business.
Beverly J. Oren and her husband
have 12 grandchildren. All of their
children have children of their
own and live close to them in
E. William Anderson taught
at Bagley High School and
Mound-Westonka High School.
He has visited more than 100
countries.
56
Robert R. Lockwood was inducted
into the Augsburg College Hall
of Fame in 1994. He taught and
coached for 42 years in Golden
Valley and Hopkins (Minn.)
District 270. At 82, he continues
to spend his time swimming, skiing, biking, and golfing.
Mark C. Thorpe retired from a
lifetime of aircraft design work at
McDonnell Aircraft, McDonnell
Douglas, and Boeing in St. Louis.
Oscar E. Olson taught for
many years, including as
a substitute for Willmar (Minn.)
Public Schools. He partially retired
to Bozeman, Mont., where he
substitute taught for several years
before moving to Billings, Mont.
57
Dennis E. Barnaal and his
wife, Doris, in 2011 traveled
to Norway and the Barnaal Farm/
Mountain Hotel with their children
and children’s families. While
in the Luther College Physics
Department, he conducted three
research sabbatical leaves in
Norway, including one with Keith
Anderson ’54.
58
Harland P. Danielson continues
crop farming in Wisconsin. He
and his wife have 10 children,
23 grandchildren, and four
great-grandchildren.
Luther A. Anderson is a founding
board member of the Lake Region
Writers Network, and serves
as the managing editor of Lake
Region Review, an annual regional
literary magazine.
Carol A. Casperson’s granddaughter, Harley Ann Fulton, was born
on September 1 to parents Laura
Casperson and Scott Fulton.
Karen (Erickson) McCullogh in
2012 walked the pilgrimage route,
Camino Frances, from St. Jean
Pied de Port, France, to Santiago
de Compostela, Spain.
Philip Q. Bauman was
blessed with three greatgranddaughters in 2013.
62
Arden Flaten with his wife, Alice,
celebrated a 50th wedding anniversary in September.
Dennis E. Glad continues to cocoordinate work teams for the
United National Church to the
Caribbean and Central America.
Glad will lead work teams with the
Caribbean Mission Cruise in 2014.
Gordon L. Syverson retired in 2008
but continues to lead worship services. He welcomed grandchildren
in 2011 and again in 2013.
Lowell “Zeke” Zieman was honored by Marshall (Minn.) High
School in April and inducted into
the school’s Hall of Honor.
Kenneth L. Akerman and his
wife, Marilyn A. Akerman ’62,
celebrated their 50th wedding
anniversary in 2012.
61
Larry B. Cowl practiced law for
more than 30 years prior to his
retirement in 2005. He continues to work part time as a legal
consultant.
James E. DeMars has been married to Susan for 52 years, and
they have six grandchildren.
Roger and Judy Lerstad Hill ’62
reunited with Gretchen Carlson at
the Miss Minnesota/Miss America
Sisters Reunion Gala held at the
Radisson Blu in Bloomington,
Minn., in June. Hill was Augsburg’s
first Miss Minnesota in 1962, and
Carlson was Miss Minnesota in 1987
and Miss America in 1988. Hill was
the first Alumni Director for the Miss
Minnesota Pageant from 1964-78.
Glenn D. Peterson retired
in 1997 after 35 years as a
teacher of choral music in Rush
City, Minn., and Duluth, Minn. In
2001, he founded Garden Street
Landscape.
63
David D. Proctor was ordained into
the Lutheran ministry in 1963. He
served congregations in Ohio and
Michigan before his retirement in
2000.
Andrew M. Berg and wife,
Jean, are retired near
Willmar, Minn. They have visited
64
Fall 2013
25
all 50 states, Norway numerous times, and many European
countries.
Roger G. Johnson, a Minnetonka,
Minn., native, was awarded
Fergus Falls (Minn.) High
School’s Hall of Fame award for
Distinguished Service.
Arla P. Landon retired in 1985.
Jean S. Olson retired in 2011
following 23 years of service as
an employee of the Minnesota
Historical Society.
her husband have done a lot of
traveling around Colorado and the
U.S., plus trips to Norway, China,
Mexico, Costa Rica, and Hawaii.
third grandchild, Bridget Erin
Causby, on July 3. Their other
grandchildren are Charles Lawton
Ogburn, IV and Selah Eliot Ogburn.
Adeline R. Sarkela is involved in
volunteer ministry with church
music and children.
Jan Pedersen Schiff was honored
and inducted into the Marin
Women’s Hall of Fame for her
community service as the founder
and artistic director of Singers
Marin. For the past 26 years,
Pedersen Schiff has created
structured programs to develop
vocal skills that support musical
development.
When Harold J. Bagley
graduated in 1966, he was
the last (youngest) of several children of Rev. Emil G. Bagley ’49 to
attend Augsburg College. He also
was the first lawyer from a family
of ministers, teachers, and social
workers.
66
Carolyn E. Anderson celebrated 50 years of marriage
with her husband, Don Anderson
’66, in September.
67
Larry G. Buboltz and his wife,
Adrienne, recently celebrated 50
years of marriage. Larry served as
the Director of Rural Minnesota
CED, Inc. He was a member of
the Detroit Lakes (Minn.) City
Council from 1976-1988, and
elected mayor from 1988-2008.
Bruce L. Hansen is a retired
English teacher from
Minneapolis Public Schools, and
now serves as a lay minister for
his local church.
Myrna J. Sheie retired in 2011
after more than 30 years working in the Twin Cities, Minn.,
and Chicago for the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) and the American
Lutheran Church (ALC).
Susan E. Ferguson earned her
masters of theology in 2004 from
Trinity Lutheran Seminary in
Columbus, Ohio.
Diane J. Tiedeman is retired from
Bloomington (Minn.) Public
Schools where she taught secondthrough fourth-grade students.
Kay E. Jenness and her husband,
Dave, moved from New Mexico to
Washington to be closer to their
family.
Karen M. Alm recently retired
after 31 years teaching elementary education in the Forest
Lake (Minn.) School District.
69
Dennis D. Miller and his wife,
Christine, are members of the faculty at Cornell University in Ithaca,
N.Y. Miller serves as the chair of
the Department of Food Science.
Richard E. Cummings has been
active in civic and service organizations, including the Stillwater
(Minn.) City Council and, since
1983, Rotary International for
which he is proud of his 30 years
of perfect attendance.
65
Dennis D. Gray celebrated 50 years
of marriage to Marilyn Rokke Gray
on July 13. They have three sons
and eight grandchildren.
Carmen D. Herrick studied
Norwegian at the University of Oslo
International Summer School from
2008 to 2010. In 2011-2012, she
attended Elverum Folkehogskole in
Elverum, Norway.
Marie D. McNally retired from her
work as an English teacher. Her
husband, Tom, continues employment as chief operating officer of
Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in
Plymouth, Minn.
Diane S. Ristrom sang in a special
choral concert in October with
hundreds of alumni to celebrate
the 100th birthday of Augsburg’s
Leland B. Sateren ’35.
Marlys Tron, retired, stays involved
in her community through church
activities and as chair of a polio
support group.
Richard E. Sandeen retired from
teaching and coaching in Edina,
Minn.
Jerome Schaubach was inducted
into Minnesota Cross Country
Coaches Hall of Fame in 2013.
Margaret P. Albright and her
husband have two daughters. One is a kindergarten teacher
in Bemidji, Minn., and the other
works for Mayo Clinic in the Legal
Department.
70
James Fischer was inducted into
the Augsburg Athletic Hall of
Fame and received the Excellence
in Coaching award.
Ric Hovda retired last June from
San Diego State University, where
he served as dean of the College
of Education for six years. Prior
to his work at SDSU, Hovda was
dean of the College of Education
at the University of Memphis.
Susan M. Pursch was awarded the
ELCA’s Tom Hunstad Award for
Excellence in Youth and Family
Ministry in 2007. She currently
works as a development officer at
The Cancer Support Community
of Philadelphia, Penn.
Mary J. Loken Veiseth retired last
July following 24 years of work
at Apple Valley (Minn.) Medical
Clinic.
68
Lois J. Peterson enjoys living in
Colorado, spending time with
her grown children, friends, and
family, and spoiling her six-yearold granddaughter. She and
Paul A. Andell retired from
his call of 39 years as senior
pastor of St. James Evangelical
Lutheran Church in Philadelphia,
Penn.
Mim Jacobson and Marian Korth
were married in September in
Augsburg’s Harbo Meditation
Chapel.
Charles A. Niles and Bonnie
(Board) Niles ’71, welcomed their
Glen J. Peterson has been
employed for 27 years as the
Augsburg Now
Patricia A. Piepenburg was
inducted into Augsburg’s Athletic
Hall of Fame in 2011.
Bonnie K. Risius retired during
2010.
Jane M. Norman is a business coowner of Kultur Hus, a Norwegian
heritage shop in Sunburg, Minn.
26
director of the Hyland Snow
Sports Academy in Bloomington,
Minn.
Jane C. Bracken retired in
2012 from Cannon Falls
(Minn.) Area Schools after teaching
first grade for 41 years. She continues to work as an organist and
pianist at St. Ansgar’s Lutheran
Church in Cannon Falls, Minn.
71
KEEPING TRACK OF AUGGIES
Wayne D. Jorgenson has long
enjoyed Civil War re-enacting
and studying the Civil War. He
recently published a book on the
First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry,
titled Every Man Did His Duty.
Janice K. Thompson retired in
2012 after 35 years of teaching.
She enjoys traveling with her
family, and she is the Pine Island,
Minn., WCCO Weather Watcher.
Darrell L. Skogen is in his 43rd
year of teaching, with a goal of
continuing until his 50th anniversary. He recently retired from 47
years of charting statistics for high
school and college games, and
from maintaining statistics for St.
Michael-Albertville (Minn.) High
School football.
Clarence D. Anderson is a
retired Air Force Bandsman
stationed mostly in Northern
California.
72
Robert A. Engelson’s son, Matthew,
graduated from Luther College
with a degree in music education
this past May.
Kristin P. Parbst Rohde retired in
June.
Scott J. Brown is a customer
service specialist at Walser
Honda in Burnsville, Minn.
73
Joyce L. Casey retired after
39 years of teaching elementary grades in the St. MichaelAlbertville (Minn.) School District.
Mark A. Ladwig is retired and
enjoying his grandchildren, running, playing viola, genealogy, and
learning German.
Beth C. Walen retired in
January after more than
33 years of service as a flight
attendant.
74
Debra D. Johnson has worked
as a pediatrician and clinical
geneticist for HealthPartners since
75
1985 and is the mother of two
daughters.
Patti (Edwards) Kramlinger
was honored with the Claire
E. Faust Public Service Award
from Minnesota State University,
Mankato, Minn. The award is presented to faculty or staff members
in recognition of their years of
dedicated service to the university,
the Mankato community, the state
of Minnesota, and the United
States.
Clifford G. McCann’s three
children, Kevin, Meredith, and
Allison, are married and he has
three grandchildren.
Heidi (Leaf) Haagenson
recently was named vice
president of Academic and
Student Affairs at Anoka Technical
College.
77
Ruth A. Underdahl-Peirce welcomed her first grandson, Cyrus
Steven Richard, born to her
daughter, Beth Underdahl-Peirce,
on August 9 in Bloomington,
Ind. Son, Jon Underdahl-Peirce,
served in the Peace Corps in
Burkina Faso, Africa, and now
works for the U.S. Department of
Labor in Washington, D.C.
Roberta Aitchison Olson
gets together with five of her
former classmates and roommates
on a regular basis, and cherishes
lifelong friendships and professional support. They call themselves “chez nous” and started
out by forming an intentional living
community based on social justice
principles: Megan Webster Stemper
’78, physical therapist; Jackie
Goheen ’78, gardening business
owner; Grit Youngquist ’79, health
educator, adjunct professor at
the University of Minnesota; Patty
Frazier, psychology professor at the
University of Minnesota; and Jane
Bjorndal McAdams ’78, pharmaceutical compensation director.
78
Marion G. Hinz is an “empty
nester” with her only child
now in college in Chicago.
79
David L. Norgard was
appointed a teaching
faculty member in the Graduate
Management program at Antioch
University Los Angeles.
80
Roxanne K. Williams is in her 34th
year of teaching physical education and credits Lavonne “Ma
Pete/Mrs. Pete” Peterson for her
skills in the classroom.
Jennie Clark-Anderson is
the executive director for
the Living at Home of the Park
Rapids (Minn.) Area, which
helps seniors remain in the home
of their choice. She performs
with the Northern Light Opera
Company and the Park Rapids
Area Community Band.
81
Kyle A. Anderson’s daughter, Kaitlyn, married Peter
Langston, Jr. on July 14 in
Delwood, Minn. Both Kaitlyn and
Peter are graduates of Bethel
University.
84
Janet B. Bolm welcomed her
grandson, Brody, on November
13, 2012.
Brent J. Crego co-founded
Comfort Love Care Assisted Living
Operations. Crego helps nonprofit
organizations care for their elder
members while generating income.
Charles K. Evans retired as a correctional police officer in 2013.
Kathi A. Osmonson has a new
job with the State Fire Marshal
Division as the youth firesetting prevention and intervention
specialist.
Kirsten M. Schwappach is a fulltime proofreader at Medical Arts
Press. She began her career as
an assistant librarian at the Blake
Upper School and a reference
librarian at Hamline University.
Liz Sheahan recently became
the director of transformational
gifts with Society of St. Andrew,
a national nonprofit focused on
getting fresh produce to hungry
Americans.
Jodi L. Holden is enrolled at
Saint Mary’s University pursuing a master’s degree in counseling and psychology, and she
expects to graduate in May 2014.
Holden works as a career counseling graduate intern in the career
and internship services center of
the University of Minnesota. She
holds an MBA in international
management from the University
of Dallas.
88
82
Lynda C. Ott has worked at Seward
Montessori School for seven years,
and many Augsburg students
have volunteered in her fourthand fifth-grade classrooms. Ott
and her husband, Peter, have two
grown sons.
Diane Wells received the 2012
Lifeworks Advocate of the Year
award.
Matthew Butler in 2013 was
promoted to Lt. Colonel.
Jacqueline E. Forrester is working
to establish a nonprofit in her
home country of Jamaica. The
organization will provide food,
clothing, and other services to
children.
Dan Wright and his wife, Kristen
Haglund, celebrated the birth of
their second son, Bjorn Arthur.
Their first son, Johan Rowen, is
now 8 years old. Dan is a senior
applications engineer at Nike,
Inc. and Kristen is a naturopathic
physician.
Michele L. Boyer and her
wife, Melissa Conway, have
two kids, Evan (age 10) and Rita
(age 9)—both adopted from
Nepal. They came home in 2003
and 2006.
89
Fall 2013
27
Michelle C. Goldberger is the
program director of COR Retreat,
a nonprofit spiritual retreat for
food addicts. She is mother to five
children ranging in age from 10
to 24.
Marilee A. Mowry completed three
degrees through Augsburg College
and recently retired from teaching
music and kindergarten in St.
Paul Public Schools. She continues to teach piano and woodwinds
in her home.
Julie A. Edstrom accepted a
new position in enrollment
management at the University of
Great Falls in Great Falls, Mont.
Her son, Cameron, began his first
year at Augsburg in August.
90
Joel B. Bue has an
18-month-old daughter and
another baby due in February
2014.
91
Stephanie A. Trump is serving as
adjunct professor of music at
the University of NorthwesternSt. Paul, and she directs the
Women’s Chorale.
Madelyn D. Browne earned a
Green Belt certificate at the
University of St. Thomas in 2012.
92
Terri A. Burnor is a student at
United Theological Seminary of
the Twin Cities, and she will intern
with two Unitarian Universalist
congregations.
Sharol Tyra, a professional certified coach at Life Illumination
Coaching, was elected president
of the Board of Directors, effective in 2014, for ICF Minnesota,
a chartered chapter of the
International Coach Federation.
Marilyn J. Vick-Kalar is a working
artist.
She recently was crowned Mrs.
Arizona International 2013 and
competed in the Mrs. International
competition in July. Throughout
her reign as Mrs. Arizona
International, McCune continues
to support Adopt a Senior Citizen
programs as her platfom and raise
awareness for the nation’s growing
senior citizen population.
Lisa M. Zahn recently opened her
own business as a Co-active Life
Coach.
Michael P. Schmidt married
Steven A. (Bartkowicz) Schmidt in
Decorah, Iowa, on April 6.
Kristin A. Lehne is a physical therapist and works at
Pediatric Therapy Services, Inc. in
Mankato, Minn.
97
93
Summerei-Dawn Hamille is
creating an original ballet to
“Thumbelina.”
94
Beryl J. Deskin is semiretired and employed parttime as a business writer and
facilitator.
95
Jennifer S. Kvidt welcomed son,
Ethan, on February 13, 2012.
Michelle Boyum Breen and
Trenda Boyum-Breen legally
were wed on August 1.
Shari Hornseth welcomed
daughter, Claire, on February
19. She joins big brother, Andrew.
Shari is a social work MSHO manager with HealthEast. The family
lives in Farmington, Minn.
99
Lillian
Lillian Jane
Jane Moore
Moore was
was born
born
January
January 23
23 to
to proud
proud parents
parents Anne
Anne
(Osberg)
(Osberg) Moore
Moore and
and Scott
Scott Moore,
Moore,
and
and prouder
prouder grandparents
grandparents Jack
Jack
Osberg
Osberg ’62
’62 and
and Nina
Nina Osberg.
Osberg.
Kat
Kat Wolfe
Wolfe and
and her
her husband
husband
opened
opened aa talent
talent agency,
agency, Wolfe
Wolfe
Talent,
Talent, which
which serves
serves the
the Twin
Twin
Cities.
Cities.
Robert P. Wasik retired from
corporate life in 2012 and
opened his own business in White
Bear Lake, Minn.
96
Holly (Kolander) McCune, a
Minnesota Vikings cheerleader
for five years, recently was
interviewed by the NFL Alumni
Organization for its “Where are
they now?” series. McCune lives
in Scottsdale, Ariz., with her
husband and twin daughters.
Ryan R. Ball welcomed
his son, Owen Ball, on
February 20.
01
Jesse (Lipelt) Moen and Jason
Moen ’98 welcomed daughter,
Ada, on May 15.
Emily
Emily E.
E. Larsen
Larsen Scaglia
Scaglia and
and
her
husband
recently
her husband recently welwelcomed
comed their
their son,
son, Logan
Logan Thomas,
Thomas,
born
on
February
born on February 10.
10.
02
Jacob
Jacob M.
M. Wegscheider
Wegscheider welcomed
welcomed
aa daughter,
daughter, Whitney
Whitney Nichole,
Nichole, on
on
June
June 6.
6. She
She joins
joins brother,
brother, Henry
Henry
Tate,
Tate, born
born April
April 6,
6, 2011.
2011.
Brian
Brian L.
L. Kuhl
Kuhl graduated
graduated
summa
summa cum
cum laude
laude from
from
the
the University
University of
of Wisconsin
Wisconsin Law
Law
School,
School, fifinishing
nishing in
in the
the top
top 1
1
percent
percent of
of his
his graduating
graduating class.
class.
He
He is
is an
an associate
associate attorney
attorney at
at
Mayer
Mayer Brown’s
Brown’s Chicago
Chicago offi
office,
ce, aa
proud
proud husband,
husband, and
and aa father
father of
of aa
fifive-year-old
ve-year-old son
son and
and 10-month10-monthold
old daughter.
daughter.
03
Carl Grulke ’07 and Bart
Rall ’05 graduated from
Concordia Seminary in
St. Louis, Mo. Grulke will
serve as associate pastor
at Christ Lutheran Church
in Lincoln, Nebr., and
Rall will serve as pastor
at Bethlehem Lutheran
Church in Monterey, Calif.
28
Augsburg Now
Mac Gordon and Nicki
Gordon welcomed their
daughter, Vivian, on May 16. She
joins big brother, Foster.
00
Michael G. Hargadine completed
his 18th year working for the St.
Paul Public School system.
Matt
Matt Christensen
Christensen and
and his
his wife
wife
Katie
Katie Lindenfelser
Lindenfelser ’02
’02 welcomed
welcomed
their
their baby
baby boy,
boy, Daniel
Daniel Gordon
Gordon
Christensen,
on
Christensen, on January
January 16,
16,
2012.
2012. They
They are
are working
working to
to build
build
KEEPING TRACK OF AUGGIES
a children’s hospice and respite
care home for kids with life-limiting conditions and their families,
the first in the Midwest.
Kari A. Badali and partner,
Jodi, welcomed their first
son, Oliver Joseph Badali-Winters,
November 29, 2011.
04
Deanne M. McDonald performed
as Rosalind in “As You Like It” in
Chicago’s Hamlin Park with her
theater company, The Traveling
Players.
Colleen R. Peterson welcomed son,
Cole Lee Peterson, on August 5.
Lauren Wood relocated to San
Francisco, Calif., after accepting
a position as an associate at the
law firm, Glynn & Finley LLP. Her
practice focuses on commercial
litigation.
Dallas Worth, and her husband,
Jarod Worth, welcomed their son,
Kainen David Worth, on June 15.
Jennifer L. Galvin-Anderson
published her memoir about
overcoming cancer and traumatic
brain injury, Crawl Walk Run, and
welcomed son, Evan Craig, in 2012.
05
Bethany Stolle recently graduated
from an interaction design and
social entrepreneurship program
at the Austin Center for Design.
She won the Intel-sponsored
Student Design Challenge at the
Interaction Design Association’s
annual international conference.
Her concept was playful technology to support communication
and connection for nonverbal
people on the Autism Spectrum.
Perry D. Mathison’s son,
Alex, attended St. Thomas
University and graduated in
May of 2013 with a major in
neuroscience.
06
David L. Nash is planning to
pursue a fellowship and career
in pediatric ophthalmology and
strabismus. Sara Nash ’06 is a
senior marketing coordinator for
HDR Engineering. The couple
is expecting their first child in
February.
Jennifer L. Annett married
Douglas Annett on May 18,
2008. Their son, Julian, was born
on October 7, 2010.
07
Lenette M. Baron is married to
Jason with three daughters, ages
8, 5, and 3; another baby due in
November.
Therese M. Maas completed her
master’s degree and graduated
as adult-nurse practitioner from
the College of St. Catherine. She
is completing her doctorate of
nursing practice degree at the
University of Minnesota.
Brooke H. Brown welcomed
Morgan Elizabeth to her family in November 2012.
08
Chad Greenwaldt and his wife welcomed their third child, Nikolas
Nielsen Greenwaldt, on April 10.
Kevin M. Haglund graduated from
the doctor of physical therapy
program at A.T. Still University and
began a physical therapist position
at Spooner Physical Therapy in
Fountain Hills, Ariz.
Jessica H. Snider is teaching
English as a Second Language
(ESL) in Guanajuato, Mexico. Prior
to teaching in Mexico, Snider
taught in Istanbul, Turkey.
Webster L. Ford teaches
through the Minnesota Math
Corps, and he is the sports director of a small-market radio station.
09
Shonna L. Fulford began a senior
admissions counselor position at
Augsburg College in the Office of
Undergraduate Admissions.
Cody Lewis Oaks graduated from
Luther Seminary with a master’s
degree in systematic theology. He
and his wife, Melody, recently welcomed their first son, Theodore.
Jenni Pickford is completing her
master’s in philosophy at Northern
Illinois University. She and her
husband, Thomas R. Anderson,
Jr., live in DeKalb, Ill.
Ryan Sorensen and Kristi Castelic
’09 were married in Green Bay,
Wis., on August 3. Ryan is the St.
Francis High School boys’ varsity
head coach and Augsburg men’s
soccer assistant coach. Kristi
is employed at DCM Services
in Richfield, Minn. The couple
resides in Maple Grove, Minn.
Brett T. Thompson works fulltime as a customer service team
member at Whole Foods Market in
Minnetonka, Minn.
Whitney P. Holman recently
graduated from St. Cloud
State University with a master’s
in communication sciences and
disorders. Holman received the
Mary E. Weise Clinical Excellence
Award and Plural Publishing
Master’s Research Award for her
work on Parkinson’s disease and
pre-motor brain potentials, which
was presented at the American
Speech-Language and Hearing
Association Conference.
10
Stephanie A. Hubbard married
William (Will) Hubbard on May 4.
Stephanie started a master of arts
in music therapy program at Saint
Mary of the Woods College in July.
Roxanne L. Nelson is a loan document specialist at Wells Fargo.
She and her husband, Miles
Nelson, live in Bloomington,
Minn. Augsburg librarian Mike
Bloomberg was the officiant at
their wedding, which included
several other Auggies: mother
of the bride, Teresa Lynch ’95;
maid of honor/sister of the bride,
Charlotte Johnson ’15; and father
of the bride, Bruce Johnson ’68.
Kirsten (Bar) Wells married Garth
Wells on July 27 in Evergreen,
Colo. Kirsten is a music therapist
at Mountain Vista Retirement
Community, and Garth is a helicopter pilot for Flight for Life. The
couple resides in Evergreen, Colo.
Jaclyn D. Willis became a certified
trainer for Proloquo2Go assistive
software, a communication program that helps those with speech
impairments and with challenges
in communicating with others.
Jennifer L. Avery is a freelance muralist. She recently
completed her first project for
CND’s Nuts N Bolts, a machine
shop in South St. Paul, Minn.
11
Fall 2013
29
Seth Lienard was named in the
July/August SpecialEvents.com
list of “25 Young Pros to Watch”
for the admirable work he is doing
and for his belief in the ongoing
power of special events.
School in Rockford, Minn., and
Brett is a team lead in the Margins
Department at the Royal Bank of
Canada in Minneapolis. They live
in Maple Grove, Minn.
Ali Rapp finished her master’s
in communication studies at the
University of Minnesota, and
began a position as product marketing specialist at Nintendo of
America in Redmond, Wash.
Angela L. Lee and husband,
Adam, in August welcomed their
son, Alexander Michael Lee.
Andrew J. Witte’s undergraduate
research is being reviewed for the
Journal of Geophysical Research.
Meghan A. Novak has a new
job as executive team leader
of hardlines at Target Corporation.
She is engaged to marry Ryan
Bachman ’13 in 2014.
13
John W. Truax welcomed son,
Parker Wayne Truax, on July 14.
Jessica and Stephen Westby
welcomed daughter, Olivia Grace
Westby, born November 23, 2012.
Brett Quick and Jenna (Forbrook)
Quick ’10 were married on
December 1, 2012, at Incarnation
Lutheran Church in Shoreview,
Minn. Auggies in the wedding
party were Steven Quick ’06 (best
man), Ashley (Hovey) Holten ’10
(bridesmaid), Seth Lienard ’11
(usher), and Kendra (Christiansen)
Oxendale ’11 (photographer).
Jenna is a kindergarten teacher at
Rockford Elementary Arts Magnet
Kristin G. Bunge lived in
Costa Rica earlier this year,
teaching English through English
Volunteers for Change.
12
Brittany A. Juntunen and Scott
Hemann ’12 moved to Oklahoma
City, Okla., where Juntunen teaches fifth grade as a special education corps member with Teach for
America. She was accepted into
Johns Hopkins Graduate School of
Education.
100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
A special choral concert in honor of Leland
B. Sateren ’35, on what would have been his
100th birthday, took place on October 13
at Normandale Lutheran Church in Edina,
Minn. Sateren taught at Augsburg from
1946 through 1979, during which time he
also served as chair of the Music Department. Sateren was also a renowned composer, having composed hundreds of choral
works. More than 180 Augsburg choir alumni,
spanning four decades and coming from all
over the U.S., participated in the concert,
which was directed by several of Sateren’s
former students, many of whom now serve
as choral directors across the country.
30
Augsburg Now
Mary Simonson Clark ’07 MSW
recently received the David and
Nancy Olson “Leadership for a
Missional Church Award” at the
Minneapolis Area Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America Assembly.
Sandra J. Laski ’07 MSW was
awarded Veteran’s Administration
national recognition for work on
LGBT issues.
Rachel Loftus ’10 MAE teaches
math at Kennedy High School in
Bloomington, Minn.
Kirsten Spreck ’10 MAL recently
accepted a new role at Thrivent
Financial as vice president of talent management.
Hector R. Matascastillo ’10 MSW
began a private practice and
recently developed a batterer
intervention program for veterans.
He received the Returning
Veteran’s Resiliency in Response
to Trauma award and the Veteran’s
Voices award from the Humanities
Center in Minnesota.
Julie A. Lundberg ’12 MAN works
in an enhanced critical care unit
(E-ICU). She is the founder of the
patient family advisory council,
One World, which is dedicated to
understanding health and wellness needs.
Photo credit: Johanna Kitzman ’11, johannakitzmanphotog.wix.com/jkphoto
Leland B. Sateren’s
Graduate programs
Christopher Annand ’09 MBA was
named the global ethics and
compliance program director for
Cargill, Inc. and is responsible for
representing and administering
Cargill’s Code of Conduct.
In memoriam
Roy A. Johnson ’41, Fargo,
N.Dak., age 94, on May 14.
Sylvia (Sevig) Rovenko ’41,
Minot, N.Dak., age 93, on
February 21.
Franklin John Skolos ’56,
Bloomington, Minn., age 83, on
January 30.
Virgil Robert Gehring ’57, Eagan,
Minn., age 82, on June 16.
Muriel M. (Melhus) Rufsvold ’42,
Lisbon, N.Dak., age 93, on
May 11.
Sylvia P. (Ostergaard) Dixen ’62,
Circle Pines, Minn., age 74, on
January 17.
LaVille Caroline (Henjum) Larson
’44, Bozeman, Mont., age 89,
on June 7.
Robert “Bob” W. Tyson ’65,
Murphysboro, Ill., age 69, on
July 5.
Mildred E. (Serstock) Boxrud ’45,
Minneapolis, age 90, on June 1.
Victoria Mae Koelling ’66, Fertile,
Minn., age 68, on July 10.
Edna Marion (Carlson) Johnson
’45, Yuma, Ariz., age 90, on
July 24.
Dale E. Sturzenegger ’66,
Olympia, Wash., on June 2.
Send us your news and photos
Tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don’t forget to send photos! (Digital photos must be at least
300 dpi or a 1MB file.)
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g., an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside
Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454, or email alumni@augsburg.edu. You can
also submit news at augsburg.edu/alumni.
_________________________________________________
Full name
_________________________________________________
Maiden name
Suzanne Marie (Lundeen)
Matthews ’69, Minneapolis, age
66, on July 31.
_________________________________________________
Class year or last year attended
George M. Sverdrup ’46, Edina,
Minn., age 88, on September 20.
Christine E. (Hansen) Scott ’70,
Glasgow, Ky., age 64, on
July 24.
_________________________________________________
Street address
Ruth G. (Pederson) Cashman ’47,
Margaretville, N.Y., age 88, on
July 13.
Brian Christian Nielsen ’74,
Cold Spring, Minn., age 60, on
January 3.
Theodore “Ted” LeRoy Anderson
’48, Iowa City, Iowa, age 89, on
April 26.
Mary Jean (Clapp) Overend ’74,
Grand Rapids, Minn., age 85,
on July 21.
_________________________________________________
Home telephone
Calvin Bryan Hanson ’48,
Bellingham, Wash., age 87, on
May 10.
Susan Heidi (Thorkelson) Ryan
’74, Ivanhoe, Minn., age 61, on
July 6.
_________________________________________________
Email
Ravonna Deon (Nelson) Lassle
’48, Sioux Falls, S.Dak., age 86,
on June 30.
Doris Winnifred (Larson) Sunde
’74, Maryville, Tenn., age 86, on
January 4.
Barbara A. (Schindler) Berg ’49,
Janesville, Wis., age 85, on
May 31.
Joseph Rafael Becquer ’85,
Naples, Fla., age 50, on
April 20.
Erling M. Helland ’49, Olmsted
Falls, Ohio, age 87, on April 12.
Kathleen George Tobin ’87,
Minneapolis, age 90, on July 12.
Marilynn Avenell (Halvorson)
Parker ’50, Trempealeau, Wis.,
age 86, on June 2.
Keith Emmet Hanrahan ’89,
Minneapolis, age 53, on May 27.
Wedel Daniel Nilsen ’45, Cape
Girardeau, Mo., age 90, on
July 5.
Joann (Wicklund) Welinski ’50,
Northfield, Minn., age 85, on
July 19.
Harold Roy Schafer ’51, Windsor
Heights, Iowa, age 91, on
August 15.
Eleanor Marian (Landsverk)
Gargrave ’52, Northfield, Minn.,
age 82, on July 24.
Jerome “Jerry” M. Engseth ’53,
Elm Grove, Wis., age 82, on
August 4.
Richard “Dick” John Larson ’54,
Litchfield, Minn., age 80, on
June 1.
26
Ray Stanley Ganyo ’91, Grand
Forks, N.Dak., age 52, on
July 27.
_________________________________________________
City, State, ZIP code
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Okay to publish your email address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
_________________________________________________
Employer
_________________________________________________
Position
_________________________________________________
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
If yes, class year_____________________________________
Jill Marie (Sculthorp) Stich ’96,
Hudson, Wis., age 43, on
May 20.
_________________________________________________
Spouse’s name (include maiden name, if applicable)
Ann Kristin Johnson ’00, St. Paul,
age 49, on July 21.
Your news:
_________________________________________________
Leslie Kathlene Lynch ’04,
Savage, Minn., age 54, on
March 22.
_________________________________________________
Settar M. Altiok ’09, Plymouth,
Minn., age 43, on February 11.
_________________________________________________
❑ I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
Regent Emerita Marie Olive
McNeff, Anoka, Minn., age 76,
on August 23.
Fall 2013
31
IN MEMORIAM
Lifelong teacher.
Pilot.
Regent.
Dean of Academic Affairs.
Mom.
Entrepreneur.
Cook.
These are only a handful of words and titles that describe
Marie Olive McNeff, a dedicated leader in the Augsburg
College community for nearly 40 years, who passed away
August 23 at her home following a yearlong battle with cancer.
McNeff’s commitment to the College crossed all departments, but started in 1968 when she was a member of the
Education Department. McNeff taught for 27 years in the
College’s elementary education, adult undergraduate, and
Master of Arts in Leadership programs.
“Marie’s willingness to think ‘large’ and beyond traditional
bounds and take calculated risks serves as a model for all of
us in the Education Department,” said Vicki Olson, director of
the Master of Arts in Education program, in a 2001 nomination of McNeff for the Spirit of Augsburg Award.
“Always we have been challenged by Marie’s ‘reach for
the stars’ attitude,” Olson said. “She pushed, prodded, and
encouraged us to think large. Sometimes we could, often we
couldn’t. As I grow older, I find that those stars don’t seem
as far away, and that is largely due to the conditioning and
practice that Marie has led me through.”
In 1995, McNeff was appointed vice president of academic affairs and dean of the College. She left this position in
1999 to spend her last year prior to retirement as Augsburg’s
academic master planner, creating a blueprint to implement
the academic provisions of Augsburg 2004, a College vision
document. She was elected to the Board of Regents in 2005
and served in that position until her retirement.
“I became Marie’s student when I arrived at Augsburg
and slowly realized that this remarkable woman did indeed
have the heart of a teacher. She did strive each and every
day to create opportunities for learning—learning that was
grounded in community, learning that was lifelong, learning
that changed lives,” said Augsburg College President Paul C.
Pribbenow in his eulogy for McNeff.
32
26
Augsburg Now
Archive photo
Marie Olive McNeff
“I was invited into her extended classroom, where she
taught me about Augsburg and its deeply held values—about
community and shared leadership and walking the talk. She
taught me about ways in which a small business such as
SarTec can partner with a college like Augsburg to serve our
mutual needs and aspirations. She taught me to dream big
and then give away what you find. She taught me courage and
resilience.”
McNeff’s reach extended into many areas outside of Augsburg, most notably in her commitment to McNeff family businesses where she served in varied roles, including as assistant
to the president at SarTec Corporation, president of McNeff
Research Consultants, and member of the Board of Directors
of Ever Cat Fuels.
It was in her role with SarTec that McNeff’s commitment
to mentoring, leadership, and hospitality was again made
evident. Every day McNeff prepared lunch for employees of
the company. Staff and family would gather in fellowship and
community just upstairs from the offices.
McNeff was a graduate of Genoa High School in Genoa,
Nebr., and earned bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees
in education from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She was
a member of the Anoka United Methodist Church and held a
private pilot’s license.
As an educator, leader, entrepreneur, and philanthropist,
McNeff was deeply committed to the vision for the Center for
Science, Business, and Religion, and the McNeff family is a
great benefactor of the College.
She was preceded in death by her parents and a brother,
LeRoy Rockey. She is survived by her sister, Marece; her husband, Larry; her son, Clayton ’91, and daughter-in-law, Denise;
and three grandchildren: Charles, Alexander, and Bridget.
Memorials may be directed to the Augsburg College Center
for Science, Business, and Religion (augsburg.edu/giving).
An Augsburg Legacy:
Dr. Paul and LaVonne Batalden ’63
Since their graduation in 1963, Paul and LaVonne Batalden
have seen Augsburg grow and change, and—at the same
time—have appreciated the ways in which the College
upholds its founding traditions. The Bataldens attend several
Augsburg events each year, and—as the holiday season
approaches—recognize that the upcoming Advent Vespers
services and on-campus Velkommen Jul celebration play an
integral part in many Auggies’ annual traditions.
We hope you are able to take part in these treasured
Augsburg celebrations. And, whatever your plans,
we wish you a blessed holiday season.
To learn more about Velkommen Jul and
Advent Vespers, go to augsburg.edu/now.
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 2031
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Charles S. Anderson Music Hall
This fall, Augsburg renamed its music building the Charles S. Anderson Music Hall to honor the legacy
of the College’s eighth president (see story, page 6). To watch a stop-motion video of the building sign
installation, go to augsburg.edu/now or scan the QR code.
Show less
inside
AUGSBURG NOW
Augsburg Commencement 2013
Student success and achievements
Hybrid teaching and learning
Auggie teachers shape our future
New women’s lacrosse program
SHAPE
oUr
WORLD
SUMMER 2013 | VOL. 75, NO. 3
auGGiEs
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
NOTES
from P... Show more
inside
AUGSBURG NOW
Augsburg Commencement 2013
Student success and achievements
Hybrid teaching and learning
Auggie teachers shape our future
New women’s lacrosse program
SHAPE
oUr
WORLD
SUMMER 2013 | VOL. 75, NO. 3
auGGiEs
Vice President of Marketing
and Communication
NOTES
from President Pribbenow
Faithful and Relevant
During the past several months, Augsburg’s Board of
Regents has invited the campus community into a
strategic mapping process focused on our priorities
and aspirations leading up to the College’s sesquicentennial in 2019. Fittingly titled “Augsburg 2019,” the
plans emerging from extensive research and conversations are aimed at enabling the College to live into a
vision we have stated this way:
In 2019, Augsburg will be a new kind of studentcentered, urban university, small to our students and
big for the world.
As we have engaged in this important strategic work
for Augsburg, I have been struck by the synergy we
have found between what it means to remain faithful to our core values—our Lutheran faith, the liberal
arts, diversity, and urban life—while at the same time
looking for ways to be relevant in the world—equipping students for lives of meaning and purpose in the
21st century.
Some might note the paradox in such a framework—faithful and relevant—but as good Lutherans,
we know well how to live as people centered in the
gifts of our faith and of service to God’s good creation.
It seems especially fitting that this issue of
Augsburg Now includes a meaningful tribute to
Charles Anderson, who served as Augsburg’s eighth
president from 1980 to 1997, and whose legacy is
very much the foundation for the College’s work today
and in the future.
Chuck Anderson believed deeply in the College’s
Lutheran heritage. He was a tireless advocate for the
liberal arts. And he made the College’s urban setting
an even more central part of its daily life and work.
At the same time, Chuck paid close attention to
the needs of the world. He championed Augsburg’s
ground-breaking Weekend College for adult undergraduates, its Rochester campus, the StepUP®
program for students recovering from addictions,
Rebecca John
rjohn@augsburg.edu
Integrated Communication
Specialist
Laura Swanson
swansonl@augsburg.edu
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL
rumpza@augsburg.edu
the CLASS program for students with learning challenges, the Center for Global Education, and the
College’s first graduate programs. Chuck also set
the stage for Augsburg’s commitment to intentional
diversity, a commitment that has been realized in
the increasing diversity of our student body during
the past several years.
Chuck Anderson’s legacy of sustaining Augsburg
as a faithful and relevant institution may be best captured in our new vision statement. He put students at
the center of the College’s life. He cared deeply for the
urban neighborhoods around campus and saw them
as an extension of the classroom. And he watched
over the expansion of Augsburg’s academic programs,
leading to the comprehensive range of undergraduate
and graduate programs that characterize the College’s
academic profile today—the profile of a small university, a new kind of 21st century university.
As this issue of Augsburg Now so powerfully demonstrates, this vision is very much alive and thriving
on campus and around the world today: Keeping students at the center of our lives through scholarships
made possible by the generosity of remarkable alumni
like Milt Kleven ’46. Students and faculty achieving at
the highest level and being recognized nationally and
internationally for their work. Innovative new curricula,
aimed at sustaining Augsburg’s abiding commitment
to face-to-face instruction, while at the same time
using technology to enhance student experiences.
Augsburg’s ground-breaking work to educate teachers
for diverse schools, bringing the best of new classroom
methods together with the College’s strengths in the
sciences and mathematics. And so much more. It is a
great time to be an Auggie!
Augsburg is a new kind of 21st century university.
Small to our students—the reasons we exist—and
big for the world. Thanks for all you do to help keep
Augsburg faithful and relevant.
Senior Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski ’08
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
Stephanie Weiss
weisss@augsburg.edu
Production Manager/Now Online
Mark Chamberlain
chamberm@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President
of Advancement
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
CB 142
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
langemo@augsburg.edu
Email: now@augsburg.edu
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
summer 2013
AUGSBURG NOW
22
20
36
10
Features
10
20
22
24
Shaping our future
BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 AND
REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
Commencement 2013
Success after college
BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
Hybrid learning
BY LAURA SWANSON
Departments
inside
front
cover
Notes from President Pribbenow
2
Around the Quad
9
My Auggie experience
18 The Center for Science, Business, and Religion
19 It takes an Auggie
28 Alumni news
30 Alumni class notes
36 Auggies on the field
9
On the cover
Kassie Benjamin-Ficken ’12, an Augsburg elementary education and math
major, and a member of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, teaches first grade
at Tatanka Academy in Minneapolis. She is one of the seven Auggie teachers
and education alumni featured in “Shaping our future,” page 10.
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
19
quad
around the
Augsburg top-ranked in
Dave Wold named
NATIONAL SCIENCE
FOUNDATION GRANTS
Campus Pastor Emeritus
Augsburg was ranked third in Minnesota for the total dollar
amount awarded in 2012 by the National Science Foundation
(NSF). Augsburg received three awards from NSF last year, totaling more than $1 million. The top two Minnesota NSF grant
recipients are the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and the
University of Minnesota, Duluth—which means that Augsburg
was the leader in NSF funding among private higher education
institutions in the state. This achievement was highlighted
this past spring in a list published by the Minneapolis/St. Paul
Business Journal.
Auggies had the rare opportunity to go on stage at the Bon Jovi concert this past spring.
The group was interviewed by television stations—including KARE 11, KSTP 5, and
WCCO 4—about their community service, education, and experiences working backstage.
Auggies earn
behind-the-scenes opportunity
on Bon Jovi tour
Six Augsburg College students were given the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get an inside look at the music business when they worked
backstage during the Bon Jovi “Because We Can” tour held in April at
the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The students were selected for the
band’s Community Service College Campaign based on their community
engagement and leadership. Participants included [pictured L to R]
Alom Martinez Aleman ’13, Andrea Batt ’13, Alexandra Jamieson ’14, James
“Bear” Mahowald ’13, Thu Nguyen ’15, and Morgan Waldorf ’15. The
group got hands-on experience in public relations, media, management,
and ticketing; and took advantage of the opportunity to network with
media and music professionals.
To read more about Auggies backstage at
Bon Jovi, go to augsburg.edu/now.
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Augsburg Now
Pastor Dave Wold—Augsburg’s pastor
since 1983—retired at the end of the
2012-13 academic year, and, in its May
meeting, the Augsburg College Board
of Regents resolved that he would be
named Campus Pastor Emeritus. Pastor
Dave served faithfully and well for three
decades, ministering in a variety of ways
to individual members of the Augsburg
community and the entire College. His
service in organizing and leading daily
chapel services, his accessibility to all
with spiritual needs, his inimitable style
as announcer for Auggie athletic events,
his leadership of outreach programs such
as the Augsburg High School Basketball
League, his guidance of the annual
Advent Vespers worship services, and his
ubiquitous presence at College events—
especially student events—all of this and
so much more have been Pastor Dave’s
remarkable contributions to Augsburg. A
community-wide celebration of his ministry at Augsburg is being planned for fall.
Excellence
in teaching and learning
The 2013 Distinguished Contribution recipients [L to R]:
Laura Boisen, David Matz, Darcey Engen ’88, and Colin Irvine.
Each year, the Augsburg College faculty recognizes select colleagues with Distinguished
Contributions to Teaching and Learning awards—
acknowledging those who have demonstrated
outstanding support for students through
teaching, advising, and mentoring. The 2013
recipients include:
• For Excellence in Teaching—Colin Irvine,
associate professor of English
• For Excellence in Mentoring and Advising—
Laura Boisen, professor of social work
• For Excellence in Scholarship—Darcey Engen
’88, associate professor of theater arts, and
David Matz, associate professor of psychology
COMMUNITY CELEBRATES
STEPHEN ‘GABE’ GABRIELSEN
The Augsburg College community celebrated the life, music,
and contributions of Professor Emeritus Stephen “Gabe”
Gabrielsen ’63 in an April ceremony at Hoversten Chapel.
Gabe, as he was known to students, staff, and faculty, taught
at Augsburg for 47 years. He is known for his service to the
community as College organist. His majors in music and
religion were the foundation for his vocation, which found
expression in music and faith. He played organ in daily chapel
throughout his time at Augsburg and was organist for 28
Advent Vespers services.
URBAN DEBATE LEAGUE
Minnesota Urban Debate League is affiliated with Augsburg College’s Sabo Center for Citizenship and
Learning. The Center, named for former Congressman Martin Olav Sabo ’59, is home to programs that
foster civic engagement, including Bonner Leaders, Campus Kitchen, the Center for Democracy and
Citizenship, and more.
The Minneapolis Public School District committed to provide Minnesota Urban Debate
League (MNUDL), with funding of $100,000
over a two-year period. The funding, combined with support the program already
has from the St. Paul Public Schools,
means the MNUDL will add seven schools
to its program. MNUDL serves more than
500 middle- and high-school students
in the Twin Cities, and students in the
program have a 100 percent on-time high
school graduation rate.
Summer 2013
3
quad
around the
STATE GRANT PROGRAM
Augsburg Day at the Capitol, held in
March, gave students a voice in the
important debate surrounding the
Minnesota State Grant program.
Patrick DuSchane ’13, Augsburg’s
former day student body president,
said the event was a chance to help
ensure that legislators understand
the value of the state grant program
to Augsburg students and their
families. The program is designed
to help make college more affordable to more than 88,000 Minnesota students. In addition to their
visit to the Capitol, students were invited to a post-event reception
with former U.S. Representative Martin Olav Sabo ’59. Earlier in the
legislative session, Ben Yawakie ’13 testified at a committee hearing
on behalf of the Augsburg College community. Rosie Benser ’13 and
Charlie Olson ’13 spoke about
the value to their education
of participating in undergraduate research.
The 2013 Minnesota Campus Compact Presidents’ Awards recognized leaders on the Augsburg campus and in the College’s
surrounding community.
• The Presidents’ Civic Engagement Steward Award went to
Augsburg’s Health Commons programs at Central Lutheran
Church and Dar Ul-Quba. It recognizes those who advance a
campus’s distinctive civic mission by forming strong partnerships, supporting others’ civic engagement, and working to
institutionalize engagement.
• The Presidents’ Student Leadership Award was presented to
Rachel Svanoe ’13 for her commitment to civic responsibility
and leadership.
• The Presidents’ Community Partner Award was presented
to the Brian Coyle Community Center for supporting Augsburg
students’ experiential education.
4
Augsburg Now
HIGH-DEMAND TRACK ADDED TO
DOCTORAL NURSING PROGRAM
The Augsburg College Nursing Department added
an innovative, accredited, and high-demand track to
its Doctor of Nursing Practice program to respond to
the evolving needs of nurses, communities, and the
medical industry. The new track, DNP—Family Nurse
Practitioner (FNP), is geared toward preparing students
who already hold their bachelor of science in nursing
to apply for certification as FNPs through the American
Nurses Credentialing Center. It is the second doctoral program offered by Augsburg. The first doctoral
program, the DNP—Transcultural Nursing Leadership,
readies nurses who hold a master’s degree in nursing
for advanced transcultural nursing across care settings
and care systems.
Ensembles perform throughout Turkey
The Augsburg College Concert Band and Augsburg Jazz
delivered their annual Bon Voyage Performance the
day before May Commencement. The two groups then
went on an international tour to perform throughout
Turkey. The groups played in cities including Istanbul,
Izmir, and Bodrum; met in small groups with school
children in grades K-12; and took time to tour destinations including the Blue Mosque and world heritage
site Hagia Sophia, which was built in 537 A.D. as an
Orthodox Christian church. Each year, Augsburg music
ensembles tour and perform both domestically and
internationally. Read the Augsburg Concert Band and
Jazz Tour blog to learn about the full trip:
augsburgmusic.blogspot.com.
Honoring our retired faculty
Marilyn Pearson Florian ’76, assistant
professor of health, physical education,
and exercise science, joined the College
in 1980. She received a master’s from
St. Cloud State University. Along with her
classroom teaching, she served as chair of
her department, head women’s volleyball coach, and, most recently, women’s
athletic director. She has been a strong
advocate for gender equity in athletics
throughout her career.
Garry W. Hesser, professor of sociology
and metro-urban studies and Martin
Olav Sabo Professor of Citizenship and
Learning, started his career at Augsburg
in 1977. He received a bachelor’s from
Phillips University, a Master of Divinity
from Union Theological Seminary, and a
master’s and PhD from the University of
Notre Dame. Hesser played a key role in
the development of the College’s metrourban studies program and the intensive
curriculum for the hybrid Master of Arts in
Leadership (MAL) program. He is recognized nationally as a leader in the field of
experiential education and urban education. His scholarship and accomplishments in these areas reflect the College’s
mission as a “College of the city.”
Kenneth S. Kaminsky, professor of mathematics, began his work at Augsburg in
1987. He received a bachelor’s in mathematics, a master’s in statistics, and a
PhD in statistics from Rutgers, The State
University of New Jersey. Along with his
classroom teaching, Kaminsky is an active
scholar, having published books and
articles in the areas of statistics and financial mathematics. Through a bi-weekly
newsletter and by inviting alumni, industrial mathematicians, and local academics
to speak in the mathematics colloquium
series, Kaminsky keeps mathematics
alumni and current students connected.
Ned D. Kantar, assistant professor of
music, joined the College in 1999. He
received his bachelor’s and master’s
from the University of Minnesota. Before
joining Augsburg, Kantar taught music
to students from elementary school age
through college. Drawing upon his wide
ranging professional experiences that
included performance (jazz and classical),
booking, and production, Kantar brought
to Augsburg the music business degree,
which has grown significantly in both
numbers and innovation, and in which
Kantar taught classes in improvisation,
aural skills, and music business.
Anne M. Kaufman, associate professor of
education, began working at Augsburg
in 1987. She received her bachelor’s,
master’s, and PhD from the University of
Minnesota. Kaufman has been a leader in
secondary social studies teacher preparation at Augsburg College and for the State
of Minnesota. She is the director of the
Paideia Institute at Augsburg and has led
teacher professional development workshops in this area for the past 20 years.
Kaufman has been active in statewide
efforts to set social studies standards and
has been a member of the Minnesota
Board of Teaching.
Laura K. Lazar, assistant professor of
business administration, has worked at
the College since 2005. She received
her bachelor’s from Valparaiso University,
and her MBA and PhD from Indiana
University. Lazar teaches all levels of
accounting in both the undergraduate and
graduate program. She is uniquely gifted
to make this information accessible to
students of all abilities. Along with her
teaching responsibilities, Lazar has served
as the coordinator for the accounting
program and its faculty.
Susan K. Nash, associate professor of
nursing, began teaching at Augsburg in
1977, and in her full-time role in 1998.
She received her bachelor’s, master’s, and
EdD from the University of Minnesota.
Nash received the Augsburg College
Distinguished Contribution to Teaching
and Learning award for Mentoring in
2009. She has been instrumental in
developing a partnership and agreement
with Rochester Community and Technical
College that has introduced hundreds of
students to Augsburg. Nash was one of
the initial architects for the adult learner
programs in nursing on the Minneapolis
campus. Her scholarship has focused on
complexity science in family nursing.
Ronald W. Petrich, assistant professor of
education, began his career at Augsburg
in 1980. He received his bachelor’s from
Augsburg College and his master’s from
United Theological Seminary. Petrich
returned to Augsburg as a member of the
faculty following an extensive career in the
Minneapolis Public School system, giving
him a rich history of hands-on experience
from which to teach his students. Petrich
integrated these experiences in the undergraduate education program and also in
the MAL program, where he examined
the role of the school in modern society
as well as the significance of mentoring
relationships, models of leadership, and
professional development.
David G. Schwain, assistant professor of
business administration, began teaching
at Augsburg in 1995 and five years later
started in his full-time role. He received
his bachelor’s from the University of
Cincinnati and his MBA from Harvard
University. Prior to joining Augsburg,
Schwain had a distinguished career in
general management with more than 15
years in positions at the executive level.
Schwain brought this extensive experience to bear as one of the architects of
Augsburg’s MBA program. For the past
several years, he has coordinated the Clair
and Gladys Strommen Executive Speaker
Series, while teaching marketing classes
in the undergraduate and graduate business programs at Augsburg.
COMPILED BY JUDI GREEN
Summer 2013
5
quad
around the
CONVOCATION SERIES 2012-13
The Koryne Horbal Lecture in April
featured Gloria Steinem, a prominent
spokesperson for women’s issues.
Steinem has traveled the globe speaking on the topic of women’s equality,
has led awareness rallies, is author
of six books, and has launched two
magazines including Ms. She spoke
to a packed Hoversten Chapel about
the founding of the women’s movement, the gains made to find equity
for all people, and areas in which
improvement still must be realized. In
addition to Steinem’s talk, recipients
of the Women’s Resource Center’s
Courageous Woman Award (CWA) were
acknowledged at the lecture. Recipients
included Kristina Monje ’14 and Bo
Thao-Urabe, a long-time advocate for
Hmong women, children, and refugee
families. The CWA recognizes women
who strive for social justice and peace
on campus or in the community.
Strommen
Executive Speaker Series
Augsburg College welcomed HealthPartners
CEO Mary K. Brainerd, a national leader
known for her business acumen and unwavering commitment to the community, as a
featured presenter in the Clair and Gladys
Strommen Executive Speaker Series in
April. Brainerd, who spoke on the topic of
health care reform, is the president and
chief executive officer of Minnesota-based
HealthPartners—the largest, consumer-governed, nonprofit health care organization in
the United States.
The Sverdrup Visiting Scientist Lecture
in April featured Harvard University
Professor David Weitz who talked
about the everyday physics involved
in cooking food. Weitz explored with
attendees the manners in which foods
change during cooking as a way to
illustrate scientific processes. The
annual Sverdrup Visiting Scientist lecture series brings renowned scientists
to campus to share their expertise with
the Augsburg community, the College’s
aspiring scientists, and members of
the larger scientific community.
Augsburg welcomes new Provost/Chief Academic Officer
In July, Augsburg College welcomed Karen L. Kaivola as provost and chief academic
officer. Kaivola serves in a key leadership position as the second in command to
Augsburg College President Paul C. Pribbenow.
Kaivola has wide-ranging responsibilities, including working with faculty, administration, and the Board of Regents to implement the College’s strategic vision; providing oversight of the accreditation process, as well as planning, development, and
administration of the academic program for graduate, undergraduate, and international programs; academic budgeting; and leadership of and advocacy for the faculty.
She most recently served as the associate provost for faculty development and
J. Ollie Edmunds Chair in English at Stetson University in DeLand, Fla. She holds
a master’s and a PhD in English from the University of Washington and a bachelor’s
degree in English from Georgetown University.
6
Augsburg Now
cElEBraTIng
student success
Scholarships and fellowships
Augsburg students earned a range of prestigious accolades
during spring semester. Some of the awards include the
following:
Allison Zank ’14
Kayla Johnson ’13
• FULBRIGHT SCHOLARS: Kayla Johnson ’13 and Emily Jensen ’08
were awarded English teaching assistantships. Johnson,
who graduated with degrees in biology and mathematics,
will teach in Taiwan. She plans to attend medical school in
the future. Jensen, who earned her bachelor’s in international relations and peace and global studies, will teach in
the Czech Republic. Jensen has worked in the Minnesota
State Senate and House of Representatives, most recently
as a research director. She hopes to pursue a master’s
in social work and public policy following her year as a
Fulbright Scholar. In 2010-11, Augsburg was recognized
as a top producer of Fulbright students by The Chronicle of
Higher Education.
• GILMAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS: Four Auggies
received Gilman International Scholarships from the U.S.
State Department to study overseas this summer and fall.
Celia Hernandez Payan ’13 traveled this summer to Amman,
Jordan, while Mariam Ali ’15, Darius Sean Gray ’14, and
Magaly Ortiz ’13 will study abroad this coming fall. Thirty
Auggies have been awarded this prestigious scholarship since
fall 2008.
• GOLDWATER SCHOLARSHIP: Allison Zank ’14, who is studying chemistry, received a Barry Goldwater Scholarship.
Ashley Waters ’14
This $7,500 award is given to students from throughout
the United States who excel in STEM (science, technology,
engineering, and math) disciplines and who plan to work
in a STEM field upon graduation. Zank is Augsburg’s first
female Goldwater Scholar and one of only eight students
in Minnesota to receive the award. Augsburg’s Ashley
Waters ’14 was recognized for her outstanding scholarship when she was named one of seven Minnesotans to
receive an Honorable Mention in the Goldwater Scholarship
competition.
• KEMPER SCHOLARS PROGRAM: Keisha Barnard ’16, who is
studying sociology and international relations, was named
the College’s third Kemper Scholar. Students in the prestigious Kemper program receive academic scholarships and
stipends to cover the costs of two summer internships in
major nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Augsburg is
one of only 16 U.S. liberal arts colleges with the Kemper
Scholars Program distinction.
• NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION GRADUATE RESEARCH
FELLOWSHIP: Joe Buchman ’13, who graduated with majors
in chemistry and biology, received a National Science
Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship that will provide
$40,500 each year for the first three years of his doctoral
study in chemistry. The selection of these fellows is very
competitive and is based on the viability of the student’s
proposed research.
Summer 2013
7
cElEBraTIng
student success
Student research awards
and achievements
STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN ZYZZOGETON
2013: More than 70 Auggies presented
their research in the annual poster
session, Zyzzogeton. The spring event
is an opportunity to celebrate student
research, creativity, and scholarship.
The festival is sponsored by the McNair
Scholars Program, the Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity, and the Louis Stokes Alliance for
Minority Participation.
POSTERS ON THE HILL: Three Augsburg
College students were recognized
for outstanding research at Posters
on the Hill in Washington, D.C. This
highly competitive annual celebration of student research, sponsored
by the U.S. Council on Undergraduate
Research, featured the work of only 60
students out of a pool of more than 800
applicants.
Brianna Noland ’13, a mathematical economics major, was selected to present
her research on college loans and firstyear retention in Washington, D.C., to
members of Congress and congressional
staff. She also met with U.S. Sens. Al
Franken and Amy Klobuchar, both of
Minnesota.
Samantha Cantrall ’14, a communication
studies major, received an Honorable
Mention, ranking within the top 80
applicants, for her investigation of the
influence of hip hop on the Arab Spring.
Megan Rich ’13, a biology alumna and
Master of Arts in Education student,
also received an Honorable Mention.
She studied ways to reduce the growth
of soybean pathogens.
Auggies conduct
off-campus research
At least a dozen Augsburg students are
spending their summer doing off-campus research at locations throughout the
United States as well as on the European and African continents.
• Katherine Aleman ’14, psychology,
research intern at Mayo Clinic
• Elianna Bier ’14, physics, National
Institute of Standards and Technology
• Eric Bowman ’14,
biology and chemistry,
University of Nebraska
• Emma Capman ’14,
physics, University
of Maryland Robotics
Center
Brianna Noland ’13 [at left] met with U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
[center], when Noland was in Washington, D.C., to present her research at
Posters on the Hill. Noland traveled with Stella K. Hofrenning [at right],
associate professor of economics.
8
Augsburg Now
• Haley Diem ’13,
environmental studies, field research in
Tanzania on sustainable
agriculture
• Kirubel Frew ’14, chemistry, Johns
Hopkins University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology
• Ben Grant ’14, physics, Colorado
School of Mines National Renewable
Energy Lab
• Anna Herauf ’14, biology and chemistry, North Dakota State University’s
program for research on prairies
• Dan Kornbaum ’14, physics, Department of Atmospheric, Oceanic, and
Geospace Sciences Research Experiences for Undergraduates at University of Michigan
• Marie-Aimee Ntawkulityayo ’14, international relations, research in Belgium on ethnic identity and conflict in
the Kivu Region of Eastern Congo
• Promise Okeke ’15, biology, Johns
Hopkins University Malaria Research
Institute
• Casey Powell ’15, biology, University
of Minnesota Plant Pathology Lab
• Emily Rutten ’14, biopsychology and
psychology, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
• Rachel Shaheen ’15, biology, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine
and Public Health
• Ryan Sullivan ’14, computational
philosophy, Carnegie-Mellon University Summer Workshop on Cognitive
Science and Epistemology
my
auggie
experience
Janice Murphy Gladden—
an Auggie All-Star
When it came time for Janice Murphy
Gladden ’14 to think about returning to
college, she found herself taking advice
from her college-aged daughter.
Several decades earlier, while studying at a junior college in Cupertino, Calif.,
she and Dan Gladden met. The two later
would marry.
She would leave school to focus on
being a wife and mother, and also would
work to support the family. She would put
on hold the education her father urged her
to pursue while her husband developed
his baseball-playing career, going from an
amateur free agent to a major league star.
“It was one of those things where Dan
had the opportunity,” she said. “Someone
needed to work. It’s worked out really well,
and we’ve been very fortunate.”
Dan would become a champion
left- and center-fielder for the Minnesota
Twins, a core part of the dream teams that
propelled the Twins to victory in two World
Series.
A couple of years ago, Gladden
decided that the time was right for her to
return to college to finish what she started
some 30 years ago. She talked with and
listened to one of her two daughters,
Whitney Nicole Gladden ’12.
“My daughter had such a great experience at Augsburg,” Gladden said, “so she
encouraged me to visit.”
Gladden met with an admissions
counselor, and said she was hooked from
the very beginning—even though the
idea of again being in the classroom was
daunting. Augsburg faculty and staff supported her and made easier her transition
to life as a college student in communications studies, she said.
“I thought I’d be on my own, navigating this journey,” Gladden said. “But
there are so many ways to access services
and help and to be connected.
“I feel valued in class. My thoughts
matter, my opinions matter,” she said.
“As adult learners, we kick around our
experiences, and I get to hear from people
at Medtronic and Target and other places.
I’m more well-rounded.”
In addition to benefitting from the
experiences shared by her peers, Gladden
said her Augsburg education has helped
her develop valuable workplace tools
including stronger interpersonal and nonverbal communication skills that she is
using in her career. For 18 years, she has
worked for Target Corp. in the financial
and retail services division.
While Gladden chose on her own
to return to college, she also said the
decision was made easier because her
company encourages employees to continue to develop and supports pursuit of
education. But perhaps one of the biggest
influences stretches back through the
decades to her days as a child growing up
in California.
“My father would be so proud, so
proud I stuck to it, no matter my age,”
she said. “Education was the biggest
deal to him. It’s what I remember him
emphasizing when I was little: ‘Education.
Education. Education.’”
Gladden is less than a year away from
finishing her undergraduate degree, and is
thinking about what is next in her life. She
said her positive experience at Augsburg
has her pondering a graduate degree.
“I love Augsburg. I love the vibe. I like
the peer networks. I like that it is small
enough that even after 30 years I could
find a way to come back,” she said. “I’m
thinking now about getting a master’s
degree at Augsburg. I’d love to teach.”
WENDI WHEELER ’06 AND STEPHANIE WEISS
Summer 2013
9
Shaping our future
“TO PREPARE AMERICANS FOR THE JOBS OF THE FUTURE…
WE HAVE TO OUT-EDUCATE THE WORLD.”
—WHITEHOUSE.GOV
10
Augsburg Now
BY WENDI WHEELER ’06 AND
REBECCA JOHN ’13 MBA
The programs in Augsburg’s Education
Department prepare teachers—
at both the undergraduate and graduate levels—to meet our national education challenge.
The U.S. government recognizes that “the strength of the American economy is inextricably linked to the strength of [our] education system,” which means “America’s ability to
compete begins each day, in classrooms across the nation.”
Auggie teachers and education alumni are leading these classrooms, improving education outcomes, and shaping our future. They are igniting student interest in math and
science, educating an increasingly diverse youth population, bringing global perspectives
and learning into the classroom, and leveraging new technologies and teaching practices
to enhance learning. The following are just a few examples of the ways Auggie teachers
and education alumni are leading the advancement of education in our schools.
Cutting-edge science research for
middle and high school students
When Dan Forseth ’08 was a student at Augsburg, he spent
many hours in the lab with associate professor of physics Ben
Stottrup. It was Stottrup, he said, who helped him realize he
wanted to be a teacher. “He taught me how to make things
work with what you have,” Forseth said.
Today Forseth uses that lesson in his own classroom to
excite students about science and to inspire the next generation of teachers. He teaches biology, physical science,
and robotics at St. Paul Preparatory School, an international
college-preparation program in St. Paul. He said he enjoys
teaching because he loves the transformation when students
grasp a difficult concept after struggling with it. “When they
get it, seeing that light bulb turn on for them is very exciting.”
During the summer of 2012, Forseth was one of six
teachers who participated in a research program at Augsburg
funded by a grant from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation.
The program paired Augsburg undergraduate science education students studying to be secondary teachers with current
science teachers. The teams conducted college-level research,
which was supervised by Augsburg faculty, and developed
curricula to adapt science projects for middle and secondary
school classrooms.
The Augsburg education students in the program learned
about the practical realities of teaching from their interactions
with current teachers, Forseth said. “And teachers like me
were revitalized by the opportunity to work in new labs and
develop new and different topics for our classes.”
Along with engaging in scientific research, participants
had opportunities to expand their scientific professional
networks through conversations and workshops with scientists in the workplace and college science faculty, said Tracy
Bibelnieks, Augsburg associate professor of mathematics
and director of the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation grant.
Summer 2013
11
“Feedback from last year’s participants was very positive.”
she said. “We are looking forward to building on that experience to continue developing ways that cutting-edge research
and engaging experiences can be integrated into 9th- through
12th-grade STEM (science, technology, engineering, and
mathematics) classrooms.”
Forseth will participate in the program again this summer,
working with Augsburg faculty to create a website to share
materials produced in the program with 9th- to 12th-grade
STEM teachers across the state. “This program provides an
opportunity for Augsburg students pursuing secondary STEM
licensure to learn from experienced science teachers and
helps current teachers integrate more research and authentic
learning experiences into their classrooms,” he said.
Teaching in a diverse world
When Will Ruffin ’13 MAE moved from California to North
Dakota to attend college, he left his little brother behind. “He
struggled in school. I was the smart older brother who wasn’t
there for him, and that always bothered me,” Ruffin said. It’s
the memory of leaving his brother that today drives Ruffin to
make a personal connection with each of his students.
For Kassie Benjamin-Ficken ’12, it’s her ability to relate
to the experiences of first-generation and minority-culture
12
Augsburg Now
students that has strengthened her connections with her students. “As a first generation student, I think it’s easier for me
to explain to my students why it’s important to get an education,” she said.
Ruffin and Benjamin-Ficken are examples of Auggie
teachers working in increasingly multicultural communities—
where the ability to connect with students of diverse backgrounds is critical to student success.
Despite his passion for teaching, Ruffin didn’t begin his
career in education. He first completed a bachelor’s and a
master’s degree in business and began working for a retail
company in southern Minnesota. Then one of his customers—
a teacher—asked if Ruffin would volunteer at his school
because the teacher wanted a strong, black, male role model
to work with his students. “There was just something about
being with kids that hooked me,” Ruffin said, “and I fell in
love with teaching.”
Ruffin became a substitute teacher and eventually was
teaching full time, so he decided to attend Augsburg to pursue
a master’s degree in education. For the past five years, he has
been teaching fifth grade at Riverside Central Elementary in
Rochester, Minn.
For many students, Ruffin is the first black teacher and
the first male teacher they have had, so he takes seriously
his responsibility to be a role model in a community that is
increasingly more ethnically and culturally diverse. Judging by
the drawings and awards posted by students on his classroom
walls, and by the former students who often stop in at Riverside
to visit, Ruffin is making a difference in students’ lives.
As a student himself, Ruffin said, he was quiet and
seldom participated in class discussions. As a teacher and
leader, however, he’s learned that his voice is important. “I
know I have a lot to share, and I can enrich others’ experiences through my own,” he said. “I can’t be a leader and be
silent. I have a perspective that too often is lost or overlooked,
and I need to share that.”
Benjamin-Ficken, a member of the Mille Lacs Band of
Ojibwe, also embraces the opportunity to bring her cultural
perspective into the classroom. “My culture teaches that you
are on this Earth to help others,” she said. “Education is how
I can make a difference.”
At Augsburg, Benjamin-Ficken double majored in elementary education and math. This July, she completed her first
year at Tatanka Academy in Minneapolis, where 13 of her 14
first-grade students were Native American.
In working with students from minority populations,
Benjamin-Ficken strives to instill in them the belief that
they can—and should—excel in school, especially in STEM
fields where populations of color and females are significantly
underrepresented. For example, this past spring, BenjaminFicken celebrated “Pi Day” (which falls on March 14, or
3/14, representing the first three digits in the mathematical
constant, pi) with her students. A self-professed “math nerd,”
Benjamin-Ficken believes that these types of classroom experiences will help her students see math as a subject they can
succeed in and, potentially, choose to pursue in their lives.
Augsburg’s focus on urban education and teaching in a
multicultural classroom were an important part of her educational experience, Benjamin-Ficken said. “My education
studies at Augsburg really taught me to reflect,” she said.
“Taking time to ask what went well [in class], what didn’t, and
whether you reached every student—that’s what makes you a
better teacher.”
NATIONAL RECOGNITION
Since 2004, five Augsburg education graduates have received the prestigious Milken Award for Excellence
in Teaching. This award provides public recognition and financial awards to elementary and secondary
education professionals. Only 30 Milken Awards are given annually across the United States.
Summer 2013
13
KATE WOOLEVER ’11
14
Augsburg Now
Bringing global issues and perspectives
into the classroom
Teaching and traveling are more than passions for Kate
Woolever ’11—they are vital to her own education as a citizen
of the world. As a studio art and education major at Augsburg,
Woolever combined her interests into a career that today
allows her to continue her own education and to provide
meaningful learning experiences for her students.
Woolever’s mother, father, and brother are teachers, so
it’s no surprise that she also chose to become a teacher.
“Teaching is completely a part of my life,” she said. “For me
it’s about service to others.”
Woolever came to Augsburg because she wanted to
teach in an inner city or international school, and she felt
Augsburg’s program would best prepare her for that career. As
a student, Woolever took advantage of opportunities to study
abroad through the College’s Center for Global Education. She
studied in Namibia, Thailand, and Ghana, where she completed her student teaching. She said she has always “traveled
with a purpose,” using travel to learn about others by experiencing their lives firsthand.
After she became an art teacher at St. Paul Preparatory
School in the Twin Cities, Woolever had another opportunity
to travel and teach abroad. She was one of five U.S. teachers
selected to participate in a program through World Savvy and
the U.S. State Department. With 30 U.S. high school students, she studied the environmental, social, economic, and
political impacts of climate change in Bangladesh. The group
spent one month living with host families while participating
with Bangladeshi students in research and service projects.
Woolever lived in the Rayer Bazar slum located on the
edge of the capital city of Dhaka—the fastest growing city in
the world. She interviewed and photographed climate refugees
who had moved to the city from outlying areas because the
flooded coastal lands are uninhabitable and the soil is too
saline-contaminated to support crops.
“These climate refugees now live in indescribable squalor,” Woolever said. “There are a thousand people per square
kilometer living in Rayer Bazar; 100 people sharing three
open gas flames for cooking and a single squat toilet.”
This experience, Woolever said, made her more aware
of the global effects of climate change and emphasized the
importance of spreading the word. “The guilt I felt—coming from my bountiful country and witnessing these people’s
atrocious living conditions—constantly tugged at me, and I
needed to find a way to respond.”
One way Woolever responded was to turn her photos and
stories into a traveling exhibit, which she hopes to show at
numerous venues across the state. This past March, her work
was displayed in Augsburg’s student art gallery in Old Main;
the exhibit then was shown in the Pelican Rapids (Minn.)
Library during May and June.
Because of her experiences in Rayer Bazar, Woolever also
is committed to finding ways to incorporate real-world issues
into her classroom. The Bangladeshi trip was a stark lesson in
how much we consume and how wasteful we are as a culture,
Woolever said. Education, at the very least, “is not something
we should take for granted.”
To see samples of the photos and stories from Woolever’s studies
in Rayer Bazar, Bangladesh, go to augsburg.edu/now.
Flipped classrooms: Creating studentfocused learning environments
Most of the time, a noisy middle school classroom doesn’t
seem like a productive learning environment. But, when
the classroom is “flipped,” noise is a sign that students are
engaged in the learning process and working constructively
with each other.
Tara Martinson ’09 MAE leads a lively seventh-grade
INNOVATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAMS
In 2009, the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation awarded Augsburg more than $400,000 in support of its
teacher preparation programming. Augsburg was one of only four Minnesota colleges receiving these
grant funds. Augsburg also participates in the Network for Excellence in Teaching (NExT) and is one of six
private colleges in the Twin Cities working to improve teacher education through the Twin Cities Teacher
Collaborative (TC2), made possible by major funding from the Bush Foundation.
The College also gives education majors an opportunity to engage elementary school children in the
sciences through Girls in Engineering, Math, and Science (GEMS) and Guys in Science and Engineering
(GISE), two summer programs held on the campus.
Spring 2013
15
pre-algebra class at Central Middle School in Eden Prairie,
Minn. The reason for all the activity is that Martinson uses
the flipped learning model of instruction. With this particular
method, students listen to an online lecture at home and complete a “note sheet”—a structured note-taking guide—on the
lesson. The next day in class, students spend the majority of
their time in “hands-on” learning exercises, working out practice problems and completing small group activities. Students
can ask each other for help and are required to check their
work with Martinson.
Martinson, who has taught middle school math for five
years, flipped her classes in January 2012 after learning about
the method at the 2011 Education Technology Conference
hosted by TIES, the St. Paul-based education technology training organization. During the winter break, she recorded lectures
and set up the resources for her classes and then introduced
the model to her students at the start of the new term.
With flipped learning, Martinson said her students are
more engaged because the responsibility for learning the
material rests with them. “Before [flipping the class format],
I typically would lecture for 35 minutes, and the students
would have the last 10 minutes of class to start their assignment,” Martinson said. “Then, if a student got lost, they
would just shut down. Now there is a much higher level of
engagement and retention.”
Flipped learning changes education from a teachercentered classroom to a student-focused learning environment, said Kari Arfstrom ’89, executive director of the Flipped
Learning Network, a nonprofit organization dedicated to
providing educators with the knowledge, skills, and resources
With research support from George Mason University and sponsored by Pearson, the Flipped
Learning Network this summer released the first comprehensive literature review on the flipped
learning model. The full-length literature review, along with an executive summary and white
paper, are available to download for free at flippedlearning.org/research.
16
Augsburg Now
TARA MARTINSON ’09 MAE
to successfully implement flipped learning.
“When I went to school,” Arfstrom said, “it was the
teacher who was imparting information to the student. Now
the students are leading and determining what they need.”
This model makes students more accountable because the
teacher has an opportunity to talk with them every day,
Arfstrom said.
With flipped learning, teacher interaction with students
increases dramatically, said Taylor Pettis ’03, ’09 MAE, senior
manager of marketing communications at Minneapolis-based
Sophia Learning, which has worked with thousands of teachers to create flipped classrooms. “One of the teachers we
worked with said his feet hurt after class because he’s walking up and down the aisles so much more.”
Teachers also have a greater opportunity to provide differentiated instruction to each student when they use a flipped
learning model, Pettis said. This customized, student-centered attention leads to improved student learning. “Eightyfive percent of teachers we work with report improved grades
in their flipped classes.”
For Martinson, the benefits go beyond improved performance in class. In the flipped environment, she said,
students learn social skills, relationship building, and selfadvocacy—abilities that will serve them well in high school,
in college, and beyond.
STATE FUNDING TO EXPAND THE DIVERSITY OF
MINNESOTA’S TEACHER WORKFORCE
In May, the State of Minnesota approved legislation granting
Augsburg College nearly $400,000 over the next two years
to launch the East African teacher preparation program.
The new Augsburg EAST (East African Students to Teachers) initiative will provide scholarships, academic support,
and service learning opportunities for East African students
who are education majors at Augsburg’s Minneapolis and
Rochester campuses.
The number of East African students in K-12 public
schools is growing in many communities throughout
Minnesota. School systems are challenged to meet the
needs of these students, many of whom are the first in their
families to receive education in the United States.
Augsburg’s strong relationships with the Somali and East
African communities and its successful record of teaching
East African education majors, in both Minneapolis and
Rochester, make it uniquely qualified to lead this initiative.
Every year
, more than 600 Auggies are enrolled in education degree
programs at Augsburg’s Minneapolis and Rochester campuses. About 250 of those
students are undergraduates—of all ages—pursuing bachelor’s degrees in education.
The remaining 350 are enrolled in the College’s Master of Arts in Education program,
which provides training for professionals to begin a career in teaching or for current
teachers to obtain additional licenses or endorsements. Every day, these Auggie educators—both in and outside of the classroom—are preparing our children to live and
grow in our increasingly diverse, globally connected, and technologically sophisticated
world. They are, literally, shaping our future potential.
Summer 2013
17
THE CENTER FOR
SCIENCE, BUSINESS, AND RELIGION
Expanding undergraduate research
THE CENTER FOR SCIENCE, BUSINESS, AND RELIGION at Augsburg College
will bring together the study of global business, advanced science and
technology, and religion and the search for meaning into a first-of-its-kind
education center.
The Center will house classrooms, labs, and key Augsburg initiatives, including programs that support our success in undergraduate
research. It will enable Augsburg to accommodate a greater number and
larger scope of year-round research projects across disciplines—the kind
of long-term educational projects that help students gain 21st-century
problem-solving skills.
The tremendous impact of these research programs is evidenced
by the growing number of students who leverage the robust, hands-on
skills they learned in their on-campus experiences to obtain off-campus
research positions and continue to graduate programs. Augsburg students
are sought after by institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, the Mayo Clinic, the University of Maryland Robotics Center,
and many other organizations. (See more examples on page 8.)
We know that Augsburg’s faculty-led research makes a profound difference in the educational experience of our students—and, through their
work, will shape advancements in science, technology, and other fields
across the globe. The Center for Science, Business, and Religion (CSBR)
is a fitting manifestation of our commitment to the growth of this work.
18
Augsburg Now
it takes an
auggie
Leading the way for others
ALUMNI ENGAGE IN SUPPORT OF THE CENTER FOR SCIENCE, BUSINESS, AND RELIGION
“We know what a difference the
generosity of others made for us. Truly,
it was the acts of strangers, other
Augsburg leaders, whose gifts provided
foundational support for the College,
before our times here. It’s our turn.”
So said Wayne Jorgenson ’71, as
he and Christopher Ascher ’81 met
recently on campus to help plan a
series of Alumni Leadership Summits
for their classmates from the decades
of the ’70s and ’80s.
“Those early gifts from alumni and
friends of the College made it possible
for each of us to experience a great
Augsburg education,” Ascher said.
“We are convinced. Now is our time to
make the investment and help open
doors for others.”
Both Jorgenson and Ascher know
some things about good investments
through their accomplishments in the
field of finance. Jorgenson has applied
his business degree from Augsburg,
now serving as senior vice president of
investments at UBS Financial Services
in Bloomington, Minn. Ascher, a finance
major with a psychology minor, also
played on the Augsburg soccer team.
Ascher now leads and manages the
wealth management office for Morgan
Stanley, also in Bloomington, Minn.
“We are convinced. Now is our
time to make the investment
and help open doors for others.”
Both men chose to step up,
inspired by the message of CSBR
Campaign Chair Mike Good ’71 to
“Believe.” By first making their own
leadership gifts in support of the
building, and then by chairing their
respective Alumni Leadership Summits
and $1 million class challenges,
they are adding their enthusiasm and
leadership to the cause. Their goal
is to ensure the success of the effort
to build a new Center for Science,
Business, and Religion at the very
heart of the Augsburg campus.
“We both see this building as the
essential next step in the College’s
development. No other campus we
know has created such an exciting
intersection of disciplines—science,
business, and religion—to serve students and forge a pathway to a better
future for us all,” Jorgenson said.
Watch for updates on the Alumni
Leadership Summits in future alumni
communications.
CATHERINE REID DAY
Wayne Jorgenson ’71 [left] and Christopher Ascher ’81 [right].
Summer 2013
19
INTRODUCING
AUGSBURG’S
NEWEST ALUMNI
The graduating class of 2013 added more than
700 Auggies—from our undergraduate, graduate,
and doctoral programs—to the College’s alumni
ranks. This brings the total number of alumni to
more than 28,000 people living in all 50 states
and 57 countries around the world.
We Are Called | Auggies!
INFORMED CITIZENS
The 2013 Augsburg College Commencement theme—
“informed citizens”—was inspired by the College’s
mission statement.
“To me, an informed citizen is someone—in any profession, living out any vocation—who seeks information, digests it, and vigorously participates in society
by putting their knowledge to a good, collective use.
It means that we are prepared to inform, encourage
and uplift people to make a difference for themselves and for the world we live in.”
— MARY GODI ’13, MAY COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER
To see additional photos, read Commencement
addresses, or watch ceremony videos from May
and June, go to augsburg.edu/now.
20
Augsburg Now
May 4, 2013
June 23, 2013
Summer 2013
21
auggies
ARE ACHIEVERS
Each year, Augsburg College mints hundreds of new graduates who
go on to continued education in graduate schools and workplaces
across the nation. Preparing students for success is a key part of
an Augsburg education and central to the College’s mission of educating students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders. Here’s a snapshot of facts
and figures—and student stories—that show how recent Auggie
graduates are having an impact early in their careers.
SUCCESS AFTER COLLEGE
COMPILED BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
Each year, more than
100 employers
60%
visit campus to recruit students
or to participate in career-related events
More than
OF AUGSBURG STUDENTS
including Fairview Riverside Hospitals
and Clinics, the federal government,
KDV consulting, KPMG, Target Corp.,
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans™, and
Twin Cities television and radio stations
More than
ENGAGE IN INTERNSHIPS and major-related work with
business, non-profit, and government employers,
gaining professional experience before graduation
90%
OF AUGSBURG STUDENTS
are fully employed or enrolled in graduate school
within 18 months of graduation
LAURIE BARGER ’13
Associate Analyst—Merchandising and Business Intelligence,
Target Corporation
At Augsburg: Mathematics and Spanish major, played on the women’s
soccer team, studied abroad in Mexico and Cuba, tutored for the
Mathematics Department, volunteered at a local social service agency
doing taxes for low-income families, member of the Augsburg Business
Association
“From the moment I stepped on campus, I knew that Augsburg was
going to give me the drive, motivation, and opportunities I would need
to become successful. Through networking and community involvement, making strong relationships with my professors and peers, as
well as being educated in a high-level, real-world environment, I was
able to build a résumé that made me stand out from everyone else.
With the help of the Strommen Center and my professors, I was able to
confidently take what I had learned and comfortably transition from a
full-time student and intern to a full-time employee.”
22
Augsburg Now
The CLAIR AND GLADYS
STROMMEN CENTER FOR
MEANINGFUL WORK provides
individualized assistance with
choosing a major, finding an
internship, writing résumés,
developing interviewing skills,
attending job fairs,
and helping students
find meaningful work
after college
JOHANNA FRYKMARK KITZMAN ’10
EDI implementation analyst,
SPS Commerce
JENS OLSON ’10
Medical student, University of Minnesota
Medical School
At Augsburg: Double major in international business and business management, Honors program, co-captain
of women’s golf team, worked in the
alumni relations office
At Augsburg: Biology major, Honors
program, did research related to asthma
and presented at a national conference,
first-year orientation leader, studied abroad
in Vietnam, volunteered and worked at
hospitals, was a Fulbright English Teaching
Assistant in Vietnam
“When I moved from Sweden to begin
school at Augsburg, it was the first
time I had set foot in the U.S. The
international student staff, my golf
coach, my team, and my professors all
helped me get past my homesickness
and establish friendships. Thanks to
their support, I finished my degree
and today I am happily married, am
working in the city, and own my very
own American house in the suburbs.”
“Augsburg’s emphasis on service and
openness to all members of our world community not only aligned with my beliefs but
helped me develop and shape myself into
who I am today. The experiences I had at
Augsburg and the relationships I developed
with staff and faculty helped me decide
that I wanted to serve others as a doctor
and then get into medical school—definitely an accomplishment I am proud of.”
Graduates from the class of 2012
SECURED FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT
with organizations including:
3M, Advanced Medical Electronics, Air Force Research Labs,
Ameriprise Financial, Cargill, Comcast, Dart Transitt Company,
Com
Delfi Technologies Inc., Delta Airlines, Hennepin County,
t
Marriott, the Mayo Clinic, the Minnesota Department of
Revenue, Minnesota Twins, Piper Jaffray, Prudential, Regions
Hospital, Robert Half Technology, Robotics Redefined Inc.,
Sherwin-Williams, Target Corp., Teach for America, Thomson
Reuters, University of Minnesota, and Wells Fargo
KATHLEEN WATSON ’12
Editorial assistant at a GLBT
media company that produces a
bi-monthly magazine, web content,
international news, and podcasts/
entertainment
At Augsburg: Double major in theater
arts and English, Honors program, Honors house president, did
research on dramaturgy, member of
Feminist Collective
“My experience at Augsburg College
allowed me to not only create a successful and fulfilling career—
it allowed me to embrace and love
who I am and use my talents and
skills to work for a community I
believe in. My job truly feels like my
vocation: I’m using my gifts to meet
a need in a community I advocate
for and support.”
Spring 2013
23
LEARNING
or Lisa Benjamin ’06, ’12, the possibility of going back to school
was appealing, but finding time to spend in a classroom was
challenging.
In 2010, Benjamin sought a license to teach in Minnesota and to
sharpen her skills in American Indian student instruction—a field
she has been passionate about since her youth. But, like many of
Augsburg’s non-traditional learners, Benjamin had the busy schedule
and family responsibilities of a working adult.
That’s why a unique Augsburg College program that takes
advantage of the strengths of both classroom and web-based learning environments—called hybrid or blended learning—offered an
ideal opportunity. Courses delivered in a hybrid format combine
traditional face-to-face components and online learning activities to
optimize student engagement.
F
24
Augsburg Now
BY LAURA SWANSON
Students will earn degrees
through combination of online
and in-person instruction
“I thought the Augsburg program was a perfect match for
what I was working toward,” Benjamin said. “I liked the fact
that a partially online course meant I didn’t have to go into
school every weekend or every day. My son was 3 years old,
and I didn’t want to be away from him all the time.”
By taking advantage of the strengths of a hybrid program
structure, Benjamin met her teaching licensure goal and
joined a tight-knit community.
“The other students were a remarkable, supportive group
of people,” she said. “I got to learn from them and their
experience.”
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF HYBRID LEARNING
Augsburg historically has offered only select hybrid classes.
However, beginning this fall, the College will expand the num-
ber of courses offered in a blended format.
Augsburg will launch a hybrid instruction model for a
significant number of graduate and adult undergraduate
courses at its Minneapolis and Rochester campuses, shifting
approximately half of students’ course contact time to a webbased format. Students in these blended courses will follow a
schedule in which in-classroom meetings and online instruction alternate every other week.
Augsburg already employs a variety of approaches to
hybrid instruction, and the proportion of in-class versus online
course contact time varies from program to program based
on student demographics. For example, Augsburg’s Master of
Arts in Leadership and Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing
programs offer a low-residency schedule in which one- or
multi-week intensive face-to-face sessions are paired with
Summer 2013
25
“Many organizations are finding out that, where possible, combining
face-to-face meetings with work in an online environment increases
student satisfaction, student learning, and retention when compared to a
course that’s offered solely online.”
online coursework completed throughout the term.
The new initiative to expand hybrid program offerings
with an every-other-week format is based on recommendations made following multi-year studies through which faculty,
staff, and administrators identified how the College could best
further its tradition of delivering high-quality, face-to-face
instruction; integrate technology into programs for non-traditional students; align with the changing demands of the adult
education market; and satisfy federal education regulations.
“Much of the inspiration for this work stems from the
opportunity we identified as an institution to enhance the
way we serve our students,” said Lori Peterson, assistant vice
president and dean of graduate and professional studies.
Peterson, who chaired a task force on academic program
structure, said the College is taking a thoughtful approach to
integrating online elements into teaching and learning. “Our
faculty and curriculum committees have done tremendous
work to ensure quality in our blended learning approach and
to identify the ways in which we will achieve the highest level
of learning outcomes,” she said.
By shifting additional academic programs to a hybrid
format, the College will meet the needs of current and future
non-traditional learners. A 2010 U.S. Department of Education analysis of online-learning studies concluded that hybrid
courses were at least as good if not marginally better and more
engaging than a fully online model.
26
Augsburg Now
“Many organizations are finding out that, where possible, combining face-to-face meetings with work in an online
environment increases student satisfaction, student learning,
and retention when compared to a course that’s offered solely
online,” said Dan McGuire, an education and communication
specialist who is working with the College as the project manager for a hybrid teaching and learning transition team.
Nationally, 6.7 million higher education students took at
least one online course in 2011, accounting for nearly onethird of all such students. These figures, released in the 2012
Survey of Online Learning, detail those classes in which at
least 80 percent of the course content was delivered online,
but schools offer online learning in varying degrees—including
a web-facilitated instruction model with few online elements
as well as the blended learning model Augsburg selected.
Non-traditional students 21 and older constitute the majority of online learners. Frequently, adult students prefer to
take courses online or to have some combination of an online
and a face-to-face format because it affords greater flexibility
as the students juggle full- or part-time employment, family
commitments, and other obligations while attending school.
By implementing a hybrid model for adult students,
“Augsburg is retaining the power of its physical community—of
a social, spiritual place that exists within a long, vibrant history—and is fusing the educational tradition of the College with
an effective teaching and learning system,” McGuire said.
A COLLEGE-WIDE ENDEAVOR
Rolling out a new academic program structure is an effort that
requires diligence, commitment, and coordination. In order
to offer adult undergraduate programs in a hybrid format,
Augsburg faculty and staff for almost a year have worked to
re-conceptualize and redesign face-to-face classes so that
content can be presented through online course management
software.
Often times, students in hybrid courses master more
basic material online at their own pace so that the classroom
becomes a place where the application of that knowledge can
be refined through lab experiments and discussions with peers
or the professor.
The online component in Augsburg’s hybrid courses will
be delivered through Moodle, a website in which educators
create micro-sites for each unique course. Augsburg has used
Moodle since 2005 and selected this learning management
system because the platform is “grounded in sound teaching
principles,” according to Scott Krajewski, director of information technology.
Moodle is recognized for supporting activities common in
a classroom, and it “provides an elegant structure to ask and
answer questions, to present information, and to engage in an
educational community in between meeting times,” McGuire
said. “The beauty of Moodle is that it’s a very powerful tool—
all of the different variations of interacting with students have
been thought through.”
According to Krajewski, Augsburg faculty and staff are
working in collaboration to design the hybrid courses and to
implement best practices for teaching online. Members of
Augsburg’s information technology staff are certified in online
course design and are experts at tailoring classes so that they
“best match the institutional mission as well as the needs
of distinctive academic departments, course sections, and
students.”
By the end of May, nearly 200 faculty members had begun the process of converting adult undergraduate courses for
fall 2013 into a hybrid model, and their work continues this
summer. Together, faculty and staff members will convert approximately 300 unique courses into a new format—tasks that
McGuire said require a time commitment ranging from 10 to
40 hours per class.
Developing high-quality hybrid courses requires sufficient
time for planning, designing, developing, and testing. Moodle
then allows professors to maximize the productivity of the inclass portion of their instruction and to use innovative, multimedia elements online. In contrast to an in-person course with
minimal supplementary material, the instructor and students
in a hybrid course interact with each other online—they engage in discussion, complete activities, and consume entirely
new information in textual, visual, and auditory formats.
Susan O’Connor, associate professor of education, has
been teaching in a hybrid model for the past five years and
served as a co-instructor for Benjamin’s teaching licensure
program. O’Connor found that while she initially was hesitant
to instruct online, she quickly realized the benefits of the new
format. “It turned out to be one of the best teaching experiences of my career,” she said. “This teaching method calls
students to take more ownership in their learning, it offers
a lot more freedom of time around their schedules, and it
sharpens the objectives that they need to fulfill during each
class session.”
Benjamin found that the blended learning model pushed
her to be specific and clear in her written communication and
to master course content by approaching assignments at her
own pace.
“I feel like the program helped me in my career and
served the K-12 students I work with,” she said. “I was challenged, but at the same time it was possible for me to be a
mom, to be a student, and to have a full-time job.”
Summer 2013
27
alumni news
FROM THE ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Dear alumni and friends,
a
s a third-generation Auggie, I am thrilled to be serving
as the new president for the Augsburg College Alumni
Board. My grandparents, Rev. Waldemar and Thora
(Torrick) Anderson, attended Augsburg in the 1930s, and my
father, Dan Anderson, graduated in 1965 and is currently a
member of the Board of Regents. I have fond memories of
attending Augsburg basketball games with my dad as a little
girl, and I’m proud to carry on the Augsburg legacy.
Graduating from the Augsburg Weekend and Evening
College program in 1995, I was immediately grateful for the
flexibility of the program, which allowed me to work full time
while pursuing my degree. Today I am an accomplished Realtor®
in Minneapolis and its western suburbs, and I live in Woodland,
Minn., with my husband, Scott, and our new baby boy, Finn.
My first order of business as president is to inform you
that the Auggie Alumni Directory and the Maroon Pages have
joined forces to provide you with an all-encompassing resource
to find professional and personal information about your classmates in one simple-to-use location. The new Auggie Maroon
Pages will make it easier for you to stay connected with fellow
Auggies and your alma mater.
This fall you will be asked to complete an alumni survey.
The personal and professional information collected in this
survey will appear online in the re-launched Auggie Maroon
Pages. As a business owner, I’m excited about the potential
the Auggie Maroon Pages offer for connecting with other
alumni, but the success of the new service depends on user
participation—so log in now! To open the door to this network,
go to augsburg.edu/alumni, click on “Maroon Pages,” create
your own login name and password, and click again on the
“Maroon Pages” box.
The Alumni Board is committed to lifting up the accomplishments of our fellow Auggies. The new Auggie Maroon
Pages is one more tool that will help us discover and share the
many success stories of Augsburg graduates. Please consider
sharing an update for class notes that will be featured in
future issues of Augsburg Now and the NOW@Augsburg online
newsletter. Help us share the difference an Augsburg education can make.
Sincerely,
TRACY SEVERSON ’95
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
28
Augsburg Now
ALUMNI BOARD Front Row [L to R]: Jill Watson ’10 MBA, Holly Knutson ’03,
’07 MBA, Marie Odenbrett ’01, Kathy Amos ’87, Rachel Engebretson ’98; Back Row
[L to R]: Chris Hallin ’88, Jerry Poland ’92, Jordan Moore ’12 MBA, Sarah Grans ’01,
Tracy Severson ’95, Chris Ascher ’81, Brent Peroutka ’02, Rick Bonlender ’78
NEW MEMBERS
“The College is doing tremendous work, and I want
to be a part of this great team. I also will be a visible
promoter of Augsburg College in my workplace,
church, and community.”
BRENT PEROUTKA ’02
FINANCIAL ADVISOR, COMPREHENSIVE WEALTH SOLUTIONS
“I want to serve on the Augsburg College Alumni
Board because I believe that building a strong
network of current and former students—from
both the Rochester and Minneapolis campuses—
will enrich the experience had by all.”
JORDAN MOORE ’12 MBA
FINANCE MANAGER, IBM
“It’s difficult to express what Augsburg College means
to me. Augsburg has been a huge part of my life and
has offered me opportunities to gain a great education,
see the world, and discover that anything is possible.”
NICK SWANSON ’09,’12 MBA
HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATOR, ALLINA HOSPITALS & CLINICS
“Simply put, my experience at Augsburg was much
more than I had hoped for from any college. I enjoy
the sense of community that came with being an
Auggie.”
RACHEL ENGEBRETSON ’98
ATTORNEY, BINSFELD & ENGEBRETSON, PA
“I look forward to helping spread the word about
the transformation taking place at Augsburg, to
getting classmates reconnected and engaged with
the College, and to improving the board’s ability to
leverage connections to achieve larger goals.”
RICK BONLENDER ’78
BUSINESS BANKER
Leland B. Sateren’s
100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION
On October 13, 2013, Leland B. Sateren ’35 would have been
100 years old. Family and friends will commemorate Sateren’s
legacy at a musical celebration at 4 p.m. on his birthday at Normandale Lutheran Church, 6100 Normandale Road, Edina, Minn.
The event is open to the public.
Sateren taught at Augsburg from 1946 through 1979,
during which time he also was chair of the Music Department. His work includes more than 400 choral pieces that
are sung in churches throughout the United States. Sateren’s
accomplishments include premieres of works with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra and a piece that was commissioned
by the United Nations.
Peter Hendrickson ’76, director of the Augsburg Choir, is
the music advisor for the event. He is assembling a program
of Sateren compositions in addition to a couple of pieces by
good friends of Sateren. Each piece performed will be conducted by an Augsburg alum who was mentored by Sateren.
The program also will include hymns and Sateren anecdotes.
Nearly 160 alumni from the 1950s-80s plan to participate
in the event by singing. A rehearsal—and reunion—is Saturday,
October 12, at Normandale Lutheran Church.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 13
4 p.m., Normandale Lutheran Church
Edina, Minn.
Every effort was made to reach
all music alumni who sang during Sateren’s career at Augsburg.
If you would like to participate, email
sateren100@gmail.com.
Mike Walgren ’64 is chair of the
planning team. Others working on the event include
Hendrickson, David Clarke
’76, Jim Erlandson ’76, Tom
Fischer ’72, Bill Halverson
’51, Sally (Hough Daniels)
Herron ’79, Anne (Mollison) Klus ’76, and Naomi
(Christensen) Staruch ’81.
In addition, John Hanson
’76 and Paul Read ’77 were
instrumental in the early
stages of planning.
Meet David ‘DJ’ Hamm ’08
The Augsburg College Alumni Association
welcomes David “DJ” Hamm ’08 as the new
volunteer and alumni engagement manager
within the alumni and constituent relations
office. David comes to Augsburg with a
background in event planning, social media
communication, and philanthropy.
“Civic engagement and service learning are major parts of the Augsburg experience,” Hamm said.
“As Auggies, ‘we are called’ to serve the community beyond
Augsburg as I did in 2008 as an AmeriCorps VISTA member. I
want to build upon the tradition of giving back by creating meaningful opportunities for alumni, current students, and local residents
that instill pride and strengthen our collective community.”
David lives in Minnetonka with his wife, Emily Crook ’07. He
can be reached at 612-330-1329 or hammd@augsburg.edu.
Follow David on twitter @DJHamm1.
GIVE US YOUR
FEEDBACK
Later this year, Augsburg
will invite alumni to participate in a magazine readership survey created by the
Council for Advancement
and Support of Education (CASE). This web survey
is designed to help colleges and universities evaluate how readers view their campus magazine and
to benchmark the results.
Email langemo@augsburg.edu to update your email
address. A random sample of Augsburg Now readers
will be emailed to participate in this survey.
Summer 2013
29
alumni class notes
John Luoma published an
article in the book Religion:
A Clinical Guide for Nurses 2012.
65
Tom Koplitz was named
Director of the Minnesota
Prevention Resource Center. He
has managed several federal
and state prevention projects
during the past 22 years. He also
manages the drug-free coalition,
Partners for a Drug Free Chisago
County.
74
Scott Seal released an online
video that brings to life a scene
from his 2011 novel Convergence:
A Novel of Science Fiction.
Doug Greseth, boy’s basketball coach at Wesley Chapel
High School near Tampa, Fla.,
won his 400th career game in
December. He has coached 26
people who have gone on to play
college basketball or football,
including three players in the
NFL and one in the NBA. He was
named the Sunshine Athletic
Conference Coach of the Year in
2011-12 and 2012-13.
79
Terri Bocklund was chosen
by jury as an Artist in
Residence at Isle Royale National
Park, located in the northwestern
section of Lake Superior.
81
Kristine West Denton
performed Beethoven’s
“Emperor” piano concerto with
the Erie (Pa.) Philharmonic
Orchestra at Edinboro University
on February 12. She is an associate professor of music at Edinboro
University.
82
Jacquie Berglund, owner
of FINNEGANS Inc. and
the FINNEGANS Community
Fund, was awarded the Social
Impact Award for Best Social
Entrepreneur from Minnesota
Business Magazine. Berglund also
received the Best Small Business
Award from the Minneapolis
Regional Chamber of Commerce
in March. For the past four years,
Berglund has been coached
by Buffie Blesi ’90, ’97 MAL,
owner of the KnowledgeSphere
Group of AdviCoach. Blesi helps
FINNEGANS grow its profits so
that it can continue to purchase
fresh produce for food banks in
each of the markets where its
beer is sold.
87
Heather Johnston was
promoted to city manager of
Burnsville, Minn.
92
Heather Cmiel, account
director with Minneapolisbased public relations firm
02
Auggie Legacy Family
The fourth of five children from the Schmit family graduated this past
May from Augsburg College. This fall, the College will welcome to
campus the fifth Auggie from the Schmit family. The Schmit children,
shown holding their fingers up in their birth order, include [L to R]:
Hannah Schmit ’18, Peter Schmit ’13, Caitlyn Schmit ’11, Michael
Schmit ’09, Christianna “Christi” Lobermeier ’08. These Auggies are
the children of Kathy and Dave Schmit of Tomahawk, Wis.
Weber Shandwick, was named
to the board of directors for the
Minnesota chapter of the Public
Relations Society of America
(PRSA).
Mel Freitag completed her PhD in
curriculum and instruction with
minors in composition/rhetoric
and educational psychology at the
University of Wisconsin-Madison.
She has accepted a position as
a clinical assistant professor and
director of diversity initiatives for
ie
augPg
SHOTS
SNA
Allison (Cornell) and Matt
Broughton ’06 welcomed
their son Calvin Patrick Broughton
on April 24. Calvin joined the
family as the first grandchild for
Randy and Pam Cornell and Cal
and Alice Broughton, and the first
nephew for Jeff Cornell ’15.
05
Iris Grace Terrell was born on
February 25 to Lisa (Ritchie)
Terrell and Chris Terrell. She joins big
sisters Julia, age 9, and Cece, age 7.
94
30
Augsburg Now
Tara (Cesaretti) McLeod and
Chris McLeod ’00 welcomed
daughter Maren on October 11.
She joins big sister, Cora.
97
the University of Wisconsin School
of Nursing.
James Pope, instrumental
music instructor at North
Branch (Minn.) High School
organized the North Suburban AllConference Honors Band program
this past January with 10 high
schools represented. Bob Stacke
’71, chair of the Augsburg College
Music Department, directed the
concert band’s performance. The
festival also included a separate
03
CORRECTION:
On page 25 of the Spring
2013 issue of Augsburg
Now, Cristina M. Olson ’00
’05 MSW was incorrectly
listed as the assistant
vice president for student affairs at Towson
University. She is the
assistant to the vice president for student affairs.
HOMECOMING
All-Conference jazz band under the
direction of Dave Mitchell, director of the
Minnesota Youth Jazz Ensembles.
2013
Elsa Maxwell and her husband,
Rodrigo Bello, have relocated to
Duluth, Minn., after residing in Santiago,
Chile, for nine years. Elsa completed her
master’s degree in Latin American Studies
at the Universidad de Chile and is working
on her doctorate in literature.
04
Kimberly A. Cruce was appointed
to the University of Michigan Mott
Children’s Hospital Nursing Governance
Committee. Before joining Mott, Cruce was
on staff at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.
08
Alissa Nollan started a new position in November as coordinator for
the graduate business programs at Saint
Mary’s University in Minneapolis.
09
Jenni (Pickford) Anderson married Thomas
R. Anderson, Jr. on July 28, 2012, in
Rosemount, Minn. They now live in
DeKalb, Ill. where Jenni is working on her
master’s degree in philosophy at Northern
Illinois University, after which she hopes to
pursue a doctoral program.
Matthew Curtis joined The Principal
Financial Group’s Minnesota
Business Center. He serves as a financial
advisor and financial representative.
10
Graduate programs
Dan Dierfeldt ’94 MSW was elected to
represent Minnesota as a delegate to the
2012 National Education Assembly in
Washington, D.C.
Kathy Thoreson ’96 MSW retired in January
after serving as chief executive officer of
Lutheran Services in Tennessee.
Ed Frizell ’05 MAL was promoted during February to deputy chief of the
Minneapolis Police Department. He previously served as the First Precinct inspector
and has had a career with the Minneapolis
Police Department since 1993.
Dr. Amit K. Ghosh ’12 MBA earned the
Certified Physician Executive (CPE)
degree from the Certifying Commission in
Medical Management. The CPE degree
indicates that the physician has achieved
superior levels of professional excellence
and management experience while also
demonstrating effective knowledge and
leadership skills.
SEPTEMBER 23-28
Come back to campus to enjoy Homecoming 2013 and Parent and Family
Weekend with alumni, parents, and friends. New events along with traditional
favorites make this one of the best times to visit campus all year. Visit
augsburg.edu/homecoming for more information and to register.
PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
Friday, September 27
Saturday, September 28
Homecoming Convocation with
Distinguished Alumni Awards
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center,
10 to 11:30 a.m.
Recognizing the First Decade,
Spirit of Augsburg, and Distinguished
Alumni Award winners.
Breakfast with the Provost
Oren Gateway Center Atrium, 9:30 a.m.
Current Auggies and their parents are
invited to a breakfast to meet Karen
Kaivola, the College’s new Provost and
Chief Academic Officer.
Homecoming Convocation Luncheon
Dining Commons, 12 p.m.
Enjoy a time for fellowship as we continue to recognize and celebrate our
distinguished alumni award winners
as well as the 50-Year Club inductees
from the class of 1963.
Faculty and Faculty Emeriti
Meet and Greet
Lindell Library, 4 p.m.
Reconnect with faculty from your
time at Augsburg College and take
the opportunity to meet current
faculty from a variety of departments.
Refreshments will be served.
Auggie Hours
Republic, 6 to 9 p.m.
Augsburg Young Alumni, 10th
Reunion, and 25th Reunion will come
together for an all-out Homecoming
bash! Republic is located at 221
Cedar Ave. S., Minneapolis.
Augsburg Legacy Family Event
Admissions Suite, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Augsburg legacy families—past,
present, and future—will enjoy time
together at this special reception.
Taste of Augsburg
Murphy Square, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The event includes carnival-style
booths operated by student groups,
alumni, and local restaurants, as well
as games, inflatable bounce houses,
and fun for the entire family.
Homecoming Football Game vs. Hamline
Edor Nelson Field, 1 p.m.
Cheer on the Auggie football team as
they take on the Hamline Pipers!
Auggie Block Party
Parking Lot K, 3:30 to 6 p.m.
Enjoy live music, barbecue fare,
reunions, and more.
Summer 2013
31
Augsburg College President Emeritus
Charles S. Anderson dies at 83
Charles S. Anderson, respected reformation scholar, higher
education leader, and president of Augsburg College from
1980 to 1997, passed away June 14.
As the eighth president of Augsburg, Anderson led the
College to expand diversity in enrollment and programs; to
advance its curriculum to draw more fully on the resources of
the city as an extension of the College’s campus and classrooms; and to strengthen its commitment to spiritual growth,
freedom, and liberal arts education.
During his tenure, Anderson said, “A liberal arts education
answers what business leaders say they need: people who can
communicate, people who can think, people equipped for change…
people who understand history and the possibilities of the future,”
and he led the College to be clear and focused in its mission
while embracing opportunities for growth and progress.
Anderson was a constant advocate for Augsburg and
helped to establish the College’s public presence in the Twin
Cities, said David Tiede, Augsburg College Regent and former
Bernhard M. Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation.
Tiede, who studied under Anderson and served as his faculty
colleague at Luther Seminary, said that Anderson “brought
Augsburg into the public square of the city of Minneapolis in a
way that it hadn’t been previously” and put the College on “a
trajectory that has been taken effectively forward.”
“Chuck Anderson was a careful steward of Augsburg’s
distinctive legacy of liberal-professional-experiential education
in the city,” said President Emeritus William V. Frame, who
succeeded Anderson at Augsburg. “He took the view that the
College was, in fact, the Church at 22nd and Riverside, and
he made it profoundly hospitable to a daring array of diversity—not only religious and cultural, but of learning styles and
varying physical capacities.”
Anderson wears the Knight’s Cross, an honor presented in 1993 by His Majesty King Harald
V of Norway to recognize Anderson’s work to strengthen ties between the U.S. and Norway.
Anderson advanced the College vision he inherited from
Oscar Anderson and, before him, Bernhard Christensen and
passed on “an extraordinary College of the Church, which
continues today along the path he and his predecessors laid
out for it,” Frame said.
Anderson was born in Madison, Wis., in 1930—the 400th
anniversary year of the Augsburg Confession, the statement of
faith for which the College was named. He earned a bachelor’s
degree from St. Olaf College in 1951 and after graduation
went on to serve as a Marine Corps officer. He later continued
his studies, earning a master’s degree in English from the
Anderson pictured during his tenure as a
Luther Seminary professor.
Anderson attends Augsburg College’s 1994 Commencement
ceremony with his wife, Catherine.
His Majesty King Olav V of Norway and Anderson meet in 1987.
32
26
Augsburg Now
University of Wisconsin in 1954, a bachelor of theology degree
from Luther Theological Seminary in 1957, and a doctor of
philosophy degree from Union Theological Seminary in 1961.
For 15 years Anderson taught church history at Luther
Seminary in St. Paul, and for six years he also was director of
graduate studies. He was a guest professor in 1968 at
Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Mo., and for five years was
a guest lecturer at St. Paul Diocesan Seminary. A frequent
guest pastor and educator at Lutheran churches throughout
the United States, his publications include four books: The
Reformation, Then and Now; Augsburg Historical Atlas of
Christianity in the Middle Ages and Reformation; Readings
in Luther for Laymen; and Faith and Freedom: The Christian
Faith According to the Lutheran Confessions.
As a lifelong scholar, Anderson completed postdoctoral
study in Strasbourg, France, and at Columbia University, the
University of Minnesota, Harvard University, and Union
Theological Seminary.
Anderson came to Augsburg in 1976 as vice president for
academic affairs and dean of the college—a role he served
until his election as College president.
During the 17 years of Anderson’s presidency, Augsburg
instituted two graduate degree programs, launched the Weekend and Evening College program, and established the Center
for Global Education. The College amplified its support of
students of diverse backgrounds and abilities by creating the
StepUP® program for young people in recovery and the CLASS
office for differently abled students. Augsburg also celebrated
the addition and improvement of numerous campus facilities
such as the Foss, Lobeck, Miles Center for Worship, Drama,
and Communication; the Oscar Anderson Residence Hall; and
the James G. Lindell Family Library.
At the time of Anderson’s retirement, then-Board of
Regents Chair Barbara Gage described his legacy as one in
which “leadership, energy, faith, and pursuit of new ideas...
helped Augsburg fulfill her mission to create leaders in service.”
Gage said Anderson epitomized the servant leader and left
Augsburg strong, healthy, and ready to have a positive impact
in the 21st century.
Anderson, a respected leader in higher education service
learning, was appointed chair of the Youth Works Commission by former Minnesota Gov. Arne Carlson. He received the
Knight’s Cross, First Class of the Royal Order of Merit, from
His Majesty King Harald V of Norway in 1993 for his work
to preserve and strengthen ties between the two countries.
Anderson was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
degree from Augsburg College in 2007.
“Charles Anderson’s influence on the Augsburg community
is deep and long-lived,” said Augsburg College President Paul
C. Pribbenow. “The priorities Anderson outlined and championed
during his tenure continue to shape how we live out our institutional mission and celebrate life and learning in the city each day.”
Anderson is survived by his children, Eric and Kristin,
Augsburg College professor of art history and archivist; five
grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and his wife,
Catherine, with whom he established the Charles and Catherine
Anderson Diversity Scholarship in 1989 and with whom he was
recognized by the June and Julian Foss family with the establishment of the Charles and Catherine Anderson Scholarship in
1997. The scholarship awards help the college fulfill its mission
of being an intentionally diverse community and supporting
students’ exceptional academic ability and Christian service.
A memorial service was held at St. Anthony Park Lutheran
Church on June 18. The Anderson family has requested that
memorials be sent to St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church,
Luther Seminary, or Augsburg College.
Anderson greets American folk singer Peter Yarrow,
the 1990 Augsburg College Commencement speaker.
Anderson pictured in 1980, the year of his
inauguration as Augsburg College President.
To learn more about
President Emeritus
Anderson’s legacy,
view archival images
from his tenure at
Augsburg, and read
articles from the
Star Tribune and
Pioneer Press, go to
augsburg.edu/now.
Summer 2013
33
In memoriam
Irene (Hagen) Kyllo ’39,
Donovan A. Moe ’56, Canton,
Bloomington, Minn., age 96,
on January 26.
Julia (Sletten) Benson ’42,
Minneapolis, age 98, on
January 18.
Muriel (Quanbeck) Turrittin ’42,
St. Peter, Minn., age 93, on
March 10.
Orloue N. Gisselquist ’43,
Minneapolis, age 91, on
March 16.
Ruben N. Egeberg ’45, Rock
Island, Ill., age 89, on
March 2.
Joyce K. (Opseth) Schwartz ’45,
Minneapolis, age 88, on
February 3.
E. Milton Kleven ’46, Edina,
Minn., age 90, on April 11.
Gudrun (Vik) Kampen ’48,
Plentywood, Mont., age 90, on
October 27.
Reynold “Ray” J. Skotte ’48,
Long Beach, Calif., age 92, on
January 28.
Iris J. (Johnson) Brustad ’49,
Eden Prairie, Minn., age 85,
on November 4.
Glenn C. Grahn ’49, Atwater,
Minn., age 87, on April 6.
James Cleatus Hodge ’49,
Minneapolis, age 89, on
April 22.
Norman C. Hoium ’50, Coon
Rapids, Minn., age 87, on
May 3.
Allen D. Hanson ’52, Knoxville,
Tenn., age 82, on April 10.
Elwood “Woody” H. Larson ’52,
Roseville, Minn., age 83, on
January 12.
John R. Madsen ’52, Spring
Park, Minn., age 85, on
April 30.
Arnold Paulson ’52, Woodbury,
Minn., age 84, on March 6.
Dean L. Lapham ’53,
Bloomington, Minn., age 81,
on March 29.
Donald J. Reimer ’53, Mound,
Minn., age 81, on March 31.
Jeneane (Abrahamson) Stein ’53,
Killen, Minn., age 82, on
February 7.
Ga., age 78, on December 29.
Harlan C. Christianson ’57, Los
Angeles, age 77, on
December 15.
Janice “Jan” M. (Bremseth) Larson
’55, Sparta, Minn., age 79, on
April 23.
34
26
Augsburg Now
Leona M. (Samuelson) Nelson
’57, Payson, Ariz., age 75, on
March 14.
Marvin S. Rodvik ’57, Franklin,
Minn., age 85, on April 5.
Genevieve T. (Trenne) Michelsen
’61, Charlotte, N.C., age 73,
on April 7.
Stephen “Gabe” Gabrielsen ’63,
Minneapolis, age 73, on
April 8.
David S. Ziegler ’64, Crystal,
Minn., age 71, on April 13.
Francis W. Monseth ’65, Rogers,
Minn., age 71, on March 29.
Carolyn A. (Hanson) Schildgen
’68, Northbrook, Ill., age 66,
on April 20.
Timothy J. Wattman ’70,
Minnetonka, Minn., age 66,
on April 8.
James “Jim” M. Genia ’87,
Shoreview, Minn., age 48, on
March 30.
Scott E. Humphrey ’89,
Plymouth, Minn., age 47, on
January 17.
Erika L. (Timm) Rodriguez ’96,
Alexandria, Minn., age 39, on
December 11.
Kirsten (Kvamme) Salmi ’99,
Golden Valley, Minn., age 38,
on March 23.
Allan T. Davey ’00, Maple
Grove, Minn., age 50, on
September 16.
Juli Elisabeth Crees ’05,
Plymouth, Minn., age 30, on
March 3.
Ana M. Strandemo ’12,
Minneapolis, age 29, on
January 26.
President Emeritus Charles S.
Anderson, St. Paul, age 83,
June 14.
CORRECTION:
The name of Richard “Dick”
Vevle ’57 name was misspelled
in the Spring 2013 Augsburg
Now.
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notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
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submit news at augsburg.edu/alumni.
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In memoriam
E. Milton Kleven
E. Milton “Milt” Kleven ’46, active Augsburg alumnus, generous scholarship benefactor, teacher, businessman, Navy
Reserve commander, and friend of Augsburg College, passed
away April 11.
Kleven, son of a Norwegian immigrant mother and a
Norwegian-American father, grew up two blocks south of
Augsburg College. He enrolled in the College in 1940,
but his studies were interrupted by World War II. Kleven
returned to Augsburg after the war and graduated with a
bachelor’s degree in mathematics and a minor in physical
education. He later earned a master’s degree in vocational
education from the University of Minnesota.
Kleven began his career teaching mathematics in the
Minneapolis Public School District in 1946. He was an
educator in Minneapolis for 34 years. In 1947, he founded
Kleven Flooring Service, a hardwood flooring company that
he led for more than 60 years.
“The impact on Augsburg students—past, present, and
future—of Milt’s incredible generosity will be felt for generations to come,” said Augsburg College President Paul C.
Pribbenow. “Growing up and teaching in Minneapolis, Milt
understood what a full scholarship could mean to students
from low-income families. He loved getting to know the
students his family supported, and he was a strong advocate
among his peers for greater scholarship funding for even
more students.”
Kleven and his wife, Dorothy, who met at Augsburg in
1943, were generous supporters of the College and student
scholarships for more than 50 years. In 2001, he established the Dorothy Lijsing Kleven Scholarship in Choral
Music, the College’s first endowed President’s Scholarship,
providing a full scholarship to students interested in choral
music. Dorothy was interested in choral music throughout
her life. In 2007, the Kleven family created two additional
endowed President’s Scholarships: one in memory of Milt’s
and Dorothy’s parents, Magnus and Kristofa Kleven, and
David and Florence Lijsing; and a second in Milt’s name—
the E. Milton Kleven Scholarship in Public Service.
Kleven also helped to facilitate two other scholarships.
The Margaret E. Andrews Scholarship was established by
Kleven and his fellow trade and industry coordinators in the
Minneapolis Public Schools to honor Andrews, who founded
the district’s Cooperative Education Training program. The
Reverend Donald C. Carlson Scholarship, through the
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation, is named for
Normandale’s founding pastor, a 1942 Augsburg alumnus.
This scholarship supports students from Normandale who
attend Augsburg College. The Klevens also provided major
support for the construction of the James G. Lindell Library.
Kleven joined with Glen Person ’47 and Dick “Pork Chop”
Thompson ’61 to provide funding to name the Jeroy C.
Carlson ’48 A-Club Hospitality/Classroom in the Kennedy
Center, in honor of Carlson, their longtime friend.
“The impact on Augsburg students—past, present,
and future—of Milt’s incredible generosity will be
felt for generations to come.”
AUGSBURG COLLEGE PRESIDENT PAUL C. PRIBBENOW
Summer 2013
35
auggies on the field
Lacrosse team maps new ground in women’s athletics
Being first can be daunting.
It’s intimidating because no one before you has done what
you are trying to do. There’s no road map to keep you on track.
But it’s also exhilarating to create the map for others and
to leave an indelible mark on everything that follows.
“I am excited to be at the forefront of Augsburg College’s
varsity women’s lacrosse team,” said Coach Kathryn
Knippenberg. “I’m looking forward to building a team that
knows winning is as much about team chemistry and bonds as
it is about the stick.”
It’s not just that Knippenberg is Augsburg’s first women’s
collegiate varsity lacrosse coach.
It’s bigger than that. Knippenberg is the first women’s collegiate varsity lacrosse coach at any college in Minnesota, and
at the one that launched in 1995 the first women’s collegiate
varsity hockey team.
“It’s an honor to help pioneer this great sport,”
Knippenberg said. “Getting to lead at a place that believes in
the value of women’s athletics is thrilling and challenging.”
Knippenberg, who as a student at the University of
Minnesota was captain and president of the school’s club
lacrosse team, said the commitment that Augsburg is making
to lacrosse has significant meaning for student athletes.
“Auggie athletes won’t have to spend time like my college
club team did on fundraising for equipment and travel. They
won’t have to worry about budgets and scheduling practice and
game time,” she said.
“They just have to show up, practice, and play hard. My
job is about having things in place so our student athletes can
improve their skills on the field, and to help make sure they
stay on track and are achieving in the classroom.”
Jeff Swenson, athletic director for the College, said
Knippenberg is accomplished in Minnesota’s fast-growing
lacrosse community and that the players will benefit from her
experience and leadership.
“Coach Knippenberg will lead us in realizing our goal of
expanding opportunities for women, and continuing to prepare
them for success beyond Augsburg,” Swenson said.
“These student athletes will develop their skills on the
field, and carry into life and work valuable lessons about how
to balance multiple priorities and to work as part of a diverse
team.”
Knippenberg said her primary work now is focused on
recruiting and preparing for the first sanctioned and regulated
games scheduled for spring 2014.
36
Augsburg Now
“I hope the community comes out to watch our games. It’s
fast paced and intense,” she said.
“Whether the team wins or loses, one thing is sure:
Everyone in the stands will be part of something bigger. We’ll
all be making history as Augsburg continues to blaze a new
trail for women’s varsity athletics in Minnesota.”
Knippenberg has served as head lacrosse coach at
Academy of Holy Angels since 2009, is cofounder and president of the North Central Women’s Lacrosse League, and works
with Winning For Life, an organization that develops positive
leadership and life skills through sports.
STEPHANIE WEISS
Reconnect with Augsburg through
ALUMNI LEADERSHIP SUMMITS
AUGGIES ARE ENGAGED.
Each year, students dig into life at Augsburg by participating in
City Service Day and working at community organizations in the
neighborhood; build teamwork and leadership skills through athletics and student organizations; and develop and hone research and
technical skills through on- and off-campus research programs.
Each year, alumni shape the Augsburg community by mentoring students; engage with the College through volunteer work,
including serving on the alumni board and Board of Regents; and
celebrate life as an Auggie by returning to campus for signature
events including Homecoming and Velkommen Jul.
This year, we invite all of our alumni to reconnect with the College
by attending an Alumni Leadership Summit. It’s your chance to learn,
first-hand, about the Center for Science, Business, and Religion. It’s an
opportunity to be part of the change that ensures Augsburg continues shaping and preparing students for lives of meaning.
Visit augsburg.edu/alumni/events to learn more
and to register for an Alumni Leadership Summit.
1-800-273-0617 augsburg.edu/giving
Non-Profit Org.
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Twin Cities, MN
Permit No. 2031
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Augsburg Sneak Peek
First-year students got a chance to gear up for fall at the Sneak
Peek event this past spring. Those attending had the opportunity
to tour campus and residence halls, sample classes, and talk
with current students, faculty, and staff. Jordan Tayor ’13
(pictured, left) was one of the students on hand to answer questions and meet and greet future Auggies.
Alisha Olson ’15, Admissions Counselor Shonna Fulford ’09, and
Admissions Counselor Jenna Obler [pictured L to R] greeted students
at Sneak Peek registration.
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