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The Magazine of Augsburg College
English 111 Bishop Marl< Hanson
Annual report Velkommen Jul sweets
Homecoming 2009 Professor Lisa Jacl<
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Betsey Norgard
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Kathy Rumpza '05 MAL
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T V
.a
The Magazine of Augsburg College
English 111 Bishop Marl< Hanson
Annual report Velkommen Jul sweets
Homecoming 2009 Professor Lisa Jacl<
'J
!.,
þ
Ir
possrible
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norga rd@a ugsbu rg.ed
u
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza '05 MAL
ru mpza@augsburg.edu
from President Pribbenow
Creative Associate-Editorial
Wendi Wheeler'06
wheelerw@a ugsbu rg.ed u
Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski'08
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geff re@a ugsburg.edu
.
few years ago my good friend and predecessor as Augsburg's president, Bill Frame,
introduced me to Burton Clark's work on the
concept of saga as it relates to the distinctive character and identity of colleges and universities. A saga, according to Clark, is more than
story-all of us
a
have stories. A saga is more of a
mythology-a sense of history and purpose and
direction that is told in vocabulary and narrative that
accounts for a college's DNA, its essence even-and
it abides in the people, programs, and values that
define an institution.
Clark contends that not every institution has a
saga. Sometimes this is a function of not being true
to founding values. At other times it can be occasioned by a change of location or core mission. Still
other institutions have not found a way to link theìr
pasts, presents, and futures in a coherent narrative.
I believe firmly that Augsburg does have a saga,
and it runs deep in the culture and meaning of our
work here together. My exploration of Augsburg's rich
history has surfaced several themes that are central
to our saga. I think you will recognize them:
founders who believed that education should be for
all, no matter their circumstances, and that the
quality of that education should be of the highest
order because that is what God expects of those
faithful servants who have been given the gift to
teach. This is our distinctive gift for the world, an
educational experience like no other available to
those who might otherwise not have the opportunity.
This is our distinctive gift for students from many
different backgrounds and experiences. This is our
distinctive gift to have a community in which access
to education is celebrated and encouraged and, yes,
even demanded. We dare not keep back any of the
educational opportunity with which we have been
entrusted because it is our distinctive gift from our
You
will read in the following
rent students and alumni who have been welcomed
at Augsburg and offered a demanding and relevant
education that serves them for a lifetime. ln these
stories I trust that you will find-as I have come to
know in my experience here-that our saga, our
DNA, our values, and character lead us to pursue
the pursuit of freedom through a liberal arts
approach to learning, by serving our neighbor and
the world, and by the centrality of faith to our vision
Augsburg experience available to all who will be
formed by our college's rare and distinctive vision of
education for lives of meaningful work and faithful
of education.
service. lt's a saga worth retelling and celebrating!
Another central theme in our saga is powerfully
illustrated in the articles in this issue of the
Augsburg's high-quality education accessible to all
learning, and service. Our commitment to an accessible education is a remarkable legacy from our
Jeff Shelman
shelman@a ugsbu rg.edu
Sports lnformation Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.ed
u
l)irector of Alumni and
Constituent Relations
Kim Stone
stonek@a ugsbu rg.ed
u
wwwaugsburg.edu
I
I
Augsburg Nowis published by
Augsburg College
f
I
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
I
i
221 1 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
0pinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
lr
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tssN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to
Advancement Services
cB t42
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
hea lyk@a ugsb
We believe deeply in making
those who seek to learn at the intersections of faith,
Director of l{ews and
Media Services
pages about cur-
ever more avidly a commitment to making an
/Vor.,r¡.
barnesb@a ugsburg.ed u
ancestors and our gracious and loving God.
Augsburg is shaped by an immigrant sensibility, by
Augsburg
Webmaster//far 0nline
Bryan Barnes
u
rg.ed u
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1 181
Fax:612-330-1780
fall 2009
Features
English 111
compiled by Wendi Wheeler '06
Velkommen Jul's sweet traditions
compiled by Betsey Norgard
Finding perspective
by
Jeff Shel
man
Iliscovering joy in the challenges of leadership
by
Jeff Shelman
Making Augsburg possible
by Wendi Wheeler '06
Annual report to donors, 2008-09
ct)
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Depa rtments
4
Around the Ouad
6
Spotlight-Trip to Egypt
I
Auggies on the field
g
It takes an Auggie
12
Auggie voices
't3
Homecoming 2009
47
Alumni news
52
Class notes
56
My Auggie experience
0n the cover
Juventino Meza Rodriguez arrived in St. Paul from Mexico at age 15
Through determination, hard work, and a lot of support, he's one of
the many students helped into college by Admission Possible.
6 ffi
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All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
6
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First-year day students began their semester with
City Service Day, spending an afternoon working on
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Augsburg keeps going green
Sustainability Awareness Month
September on campus not only included the beginning of fall
classes, but a month-long series of events and activities
designed to raise awareness and change habits related to
sustai nabi I ity.
Sustainability Awareness Month (SAM) was the brainchild of
Augsburg students, several of whom participated in faculty-led
study abroad programs, including Sustainable Cities in North
America with Professors Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer in
the summer of 2008.
After students in the course worked with A'viands to create a
composting program in Augsburg's dining facilities last year,
their next step toward a more environmentally friendly and sus-
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Augsburg was the afternoon location of the West Bank Farmers Market each week, bringing
fresh, locally-grown vegetables to the Augsburg community.
tainable campus was a month of events.
"We want this to bring the campus together," said senior
Kjerstin Hagen, a leader on the project. "lt takes all of us to
e
make this happen."
Each week was centered around a different theme, with
tabling, information, activities, and speakers, including nationally known author and activist, Bill McKibben. The themes for
SAM were waste reduction and management, alternative trans-
portation, alternative energy and consumption, and connecting
communitìes through food.
Community Garden and Farmers Market
Augsburg's community garden increased this summer as an additional area was turned into garden plots. A total of 40 plots grew
produce and flowers for the Augsburg community and neighborhood residents and organizations.
didn't grow their own vegetables in the commugarden,
nity
fresh produce was available each week on campus
at the West Bank Farmers Market, a project of the Brian Coyle
Augsburg students joined 5,000 groups around the world that marked the lnternati0nal
Day of Climate Action sponsored by 350.0rg. The number signifies the highest safe level of
carbon emissions in parts per million.
For those who
Center and Augsburg Campus Kitchen. Three farm families sold
their locally-grown and eco-friendly vegetables and herbs during
the summer and into the early cold fall at Brian Coyle Center in
bring about action to reduce atmospheric carbon emissions to 350
ppm, deemed the highest safe level by NASA scientists.
Auggie students led bikers to the State Capitol for a rally on the
Capitol lawn, sponsored by the Will Steger Foundation, Oxfam, 1Sky,
and Augsburg in support of global climate change action. Rep. Betty
the morning and at Augsburg by Foss Center in the afternoon.
McOollum and Rep. Keith Ellison, among other legislators, told
those gathered to "keep your voices loud."
350 lnternational l)ay of Climate Action
Augsburg students planned a full day on October 24 as part of
the lnternational Day of Climate Action, the project of Bill
The bikers arrived back on campus in time to join a crowd at halftime on the footballfield for a photo that was posted online at
McKibben and 350.0rg. Activities around the world aimed to
and Day Student Body Government.
4
www.350.org. The halftime event was sponsored by Campus Ministry
Augsburg Now
I
7-
Mayor meets with students
After returning from New Zealand last summer,
Richmond Appleton '09 was so enthusiastic that he
wrote a letter t0 Minneapolis mayor
R.T. Rybak.
Applelon was in l{ew Zealand lor five weeks
with 25 students led by biology professor Brian
Corner and political science professor loe
Underhill to study Biodiversity and Environmental
Politics. "tveryone is aware of the environment,
of sustainability, of food production, and energy
use. From the north island to the south island,
everything is consistent."
Appleton, a senior environmental studies maior,
Ever Cat Fuels in lsanti, Minn., opened its plant t0 produce biodiesel from the Mcgyan process, which has
student, faculty, and alumni r00ts at Augsburg.
Ever Cat Fuels opens in lsanti
Minneapolis. He contacted Rybak, a strong sup-
What began as a student research project in a Science Hall laboratory made
another step toward changing how fuel will be produced in the future when Ever
porter of sustainability efforts, who welcomed
Cat Fuels held a grand opening for its biodiesel plant in late September.
wanted to bring ideas from l{ew Zealand back to
such a meeting.
Kjerstin Hagen'10, an American lndian studies
major who studied urban sustainability last summer in Portland, 0re., and Vancouver, 8.C., joined
The plant, located about 40 miles north of campus in lsanti, Minn., is expected to
produce about 3 million gallons of biodiesel per year when fully operational. lt represents the first large-scale application of the Mcgyan process of making biodiesel.
The Mcgyan process came out of research by Augsburg undergraduate and
Appleton at the meeting. She was one of the stu-
Rhodes scholar Brian Krohn'08 and creates biodiesel from waste oils. The process
dents involved in implementing Augsburg's com-
doesn't require food stock to work and doesn't create any waste products.
The Mcgyan process-named for Ever Cat Fuels founder and Augsburg alumnus
posting program and planning Sustainability
Awareness Month.
Ihe students shared their travel experiences
with Rybak and told him about ongoing sustainability efforts at Augsburg, many of which were initiated by students. "Augsburg is doing exactly what
I believe in," Rybak said.
The three agreed that informing and educating
the community is an important factor in promoting
urban sustainability. Rybak encouraged Appleton
Clayton McNeff '91, Augsburg chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg, and Ever Cat scientist Ben Yan-has certainly attracted a lot of attention.
"When I see something like this, it's everythingthat we talk about in
Washington," said U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who spoke at the grand opening.
McNeff said Ever Cat Fuels is already planning to expand its facility in lsanti. ln
addition, the company is licensing the Mcgyan process, and it is expected that
other biodiesel facilities will be built across the country and the world.
McNeff also said that a donation to Augsburg's planned Center for Science,
Business, and Religion will be made for each gallon of biodiesel sold.
and Hagen to sign up for one of the city's committees so that they could continue lheir work outside
of Augsburg.
22nd Annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum
Striving for Peace: A Question 0f Will
March 5-6, 2010 at Augsburg College
Honoring 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate
Martti Ahtisaari
lnternational peace negotialor
and former president of Finland
www.peaceprizeforum.org
Sponsored by Augsburg College, Augustana College (Sioux Falls), Concordia College
(Moorhead), luther College, and St. 0laf College
Fall
2009
5
around the
Augsburg's first travel to Egypt
As a child, I spent most of my summers in Egypt. When I became
language and culture. After learning about the history of Nubia and
director of the Pan-Afrikan Center, I proposed taking students to
Egypt so they could study in a country with both a rich history and
current events of interest. After a year-and-a-half of planning and
its relationship to Egypt, the students spent the day with a Nubian
community located in Aswan.
We later ventured to Hurghada, a city on the Red Sea located in
the Eastern Desert. We drove over an hour to visit a Bedouin community with only 30 members. Due to the harsh nature of the
desert, all of their water comes from a local well, and they raise
the animals needed to survive. We shared a meal with this community, which allowed the students to experience the vast expanse
and isolation of the desert. lt was eye-opening to see what it takes
to survive there.
0ur trip to Egypt evoked a lot of thoughts and feelings within
our students. They had to interact with people who speak different
languages, practice different religions, and come from a very differ-
collaborating with Professor Phil Adamo, who teaches ancient history at Augsburg, we arrived last May in Cairo wilh 22 students. We
began our journey in Africa's largest city, a 1,OOO-year-old metropolis that is home to more than 20 million people. Beyond Cairo,
our three-week excursion took us through Alexandria, Luxor,
Aswan, and Hurghada.
0ur two courses covered Ethnicity and ldentity in Ancient and
Modern Egypt, focusing on Egypt's ancient past and exploring its
modern identity, including a discussion of religion. Although Egypt
has an overwhelming Muslim majority there is also a significant
Orthodox Christian community. As such, students visited some of
the oldest lslamic mosques and Christian churches and monasteries in the world. 0ne stop was Al-Azhar University and mosque,
which is one of the oldest higher education institutions in the
world. We later went to the Hanging Church, one of the sites said
to have been visited by Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Outside of Cairo,
we visited St. Makarios Monastery, another monastery on the Holy
Family's travels through Egypt.
ln discussing Egypt's place in the ancient world, we acknowledged that ancìent Egyptian
society is often over-romanti-
cized, Ieading to a diff iculty in
reconciling the past with the
current state of affairs. To give
context and help students
understand the many changes
Egypt has undergone, we
explored Egypt's relations with
its neighbors, both past and
present. Our f irst stop, Abu
Simbel, is an ancient temple
built by the Egyptians, in an
area then known as Nubia, to
show Egypt's dominance in the
region. Although Nubia is no
longer a separate kingdom, the
Nubian people have a distinct
6
Augsburg Now
È
ent worldview. We challenged stereotypes, explored history, and
dug deep into what it means to be an American traveling overseas.
cities, resorts, mountains, and deserts on our
quest to learn more about Egypt. lt was a wonderful experience to
take students to the place where my family originated, and I look
forward to possibly going back.
We traveled through
MOHAMED SALLAM
Director of the Pan-Afrikan Center and instructor in the Departments of Sociology and History
a7-
Two new regents elected to board
The Augsburg Corporation,
at its annual meeting in
September, elected two new
members to the Board of
NEW
Bt00MlNGIf)l{ CEI{TER-Augsburg students
can now study toward an MBA or a Master of Arts in
Leadership degree in Bloomingon at St. Stephen
Regents and re-elected six
lutheran Church, conveniently located near l-494
others.
and France Ave. For graduates of nearby
Elected to a four-year
term on the Augsburg Board
of Regents:
Ann Ashton-Piper (above
left)
Ann Ashton-Piper is a graduate of the University of Minnesota and has worked
extensively in the information technology field and is president of The Bridgie
Group, a small lT consulting firm. She is active in her church, Peace Lutheran
Church in Bloomington, where she recently chaired the Call Committee. She
and her husband, Ken, who is an architect, are also active in theìr community,
supporting local nonprofit and charitable organizations such as Lake Country
School, Groves Academy, and the Children's Theater Company. They have five
children and live in Bloomington.
Normandale Community Gollege, a bachelor's
degree completion program (AA to BA)
i¡
communi-
cation studies or business administration is
planned at the new Bloomington Center.
NEW S()ClAl- W0R|íMBA DUAL DEGREE-A new
MSWMBA dual degree is specifically designed
for
MSW alumni who completed the Program I)evelop-
ment, Policy, and Administration (PDPA) c0ncentra-
tion; it will offer the knowledge, experience, and
values necessary for success in both business and
human services systems.
Lisa Novotny'80 (above right)
URBAII DEBATE IEAûUE AT AUûSBURG-llow part
Lisa Novotny'80 is vice president, Human Resources at General Mills, and
Augsburg's Sabo Genter for Citizenship and Learn-
has responsibility for human resource strategy and leadership across the sup-
ing, the Minnesota Urban Debate league (MNUI)L)
ply chain and iechnology organization. Prior to General Mills, she held similar
positions for Dain Bosworth and First Bank System. Novotny received her
sponsors six high school programs and three junior
Bachelor of Science degree in social work and Spanish from Augsburg College
St. Paul, serving several hundred students, teach-
ol
high school debate programs in Minneapolis and
in 1980 and a Master of Arts in industrial relations from the University of Min-
ers, and coaches. lt is one ol the college-readiness
nesota. She and her husband, Rev. lVìark Flaten, are members of Edina Community Lutheran Church. They have two daughters; one of them is a current
partnerships Augsburg supp0rts t0 provide access
to underserved and low-income high school stu-
Augsburg sophomore.
dents in the Twin Cities.
Elected to a second, six-year term was:
'65, chairman, Swenson Anderson Financial Group
"LlVE l-lFE
. Dan Anderson
AT THE STRETï
LEVEI"-Day student
body president Sam Smith welcomed first-year
Elected to second, four-year terms were:
Hagfors, founder and president (retired), Norsen, lnc.
. Jodi Harpstead, chief operating officer, Lutheran Social Service of lVìinnesota
. Dean Kennedy'75, president, TFI Securities
. Marie McNeff, academic dean (retired) and professor emerita of education,
. Norman
.
Augsburg College
Paul Mueller'84, physician and chair of internal medìcine, Mayo Clinic
students at the opening convocation with a mes-
sa!e: "At Augsburg my life and my learning have
been enriched by the constant reminder thal the
city and the community are the largest classrooms
you can find.
... Where I currently live,
on the
l3th floor of Mortensen Hall, the view of downtown
Minneapolis is both beautiful and intimidating. Up
that high, it's impossible to make out faces or
street signs. At street level, though, life in the
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Cedar-Riverside and Seward neighborhoods
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doesn'l seem as complicated, foreign, or hectic
as it appears from the bedroom. My hope [is that
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youJ will evenlually learn to live life in the city at
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slreet level."
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2009
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Campus Kitchen wins youth philanthropy award
{ugsburg's Campus Kitchen program was honored by the Association of Fundraising Professionals with the Outstanding Youth Award
for 2009 at National Philanthropy Day in Minneapolis in November. Augsburg students were recognized for the program they
largely plan and run that serves more than 1,700 meals each
month to low-income and homeless persons, and communities in
need in the Cedar-Riverside and Phillips neighborhoods.
The student leadership team of 8-12 Augsburg student volunteers provides the essential component for the program-people
power. Under direction of the staff coordinator and two student
interns, the team coordinates other volunteers for three cooking
shifts and six food deliveries each week. Meals are prepared, stored
overnight, and delivered the following day. The students also gìve
of their heart, providing conversation and offering companionship
to the individuals they serve.
The Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College was established in
October 2003 and is one of only 15 Campus Kitchen organizations
around the country. The program brings together the college dining
service, local community groups, and individuals to plan, prepare,
The Campus K¡tchen at Augsburg received the y0uth philanthr0py award, recognizing
lhe work ol the students and volunteers who serve 1,700 meals per month in the
neighborhoods around Augsburg.
deliver, and serve meals.
ln the past two years, Campus Kitchen has expanded its activities:
.
A'viands food service-From their arrival at Augsburg ìn June
2008, A'viands, a local food service provider, has embraced
Campus Kitchen and provides access to food that would otherwise be thrown away. Donations also come from community food-
.
. Summer Garden
and Nutrition Education Project-Augsburg students teach neighborhood youth from the Brian Coyle Community
Center and Somali Confederation about health, nutrition, garden-
banks and other institutions.
.
Communìty Supported Agriculture (CSA)-Campus Kitchen is the
site coordinator for all Augsburg CSA shares and receìves six
shares through Ploughshare Farm's Food for Folk Project.
Community garden-Over three years, Augsburg's community garden has provided space for neighborhood residents, Augsburg
employees, and community organizations to grow their own food.
ing skills, and cooking nutritious meals.
.
West Bank Farmers Market-ln partnership with the Coyle
Center, local farmers selltheir produce once a week during the
summer in the morning at Coyle Center and in the afternoon at
Augsburg-and often donate unsold food to Campus Kitchen.
. Service-learning-Augsburg
history students get hands-on learning about how resources are collected, distrìbuted, and controlled
in the "living text" of Augsburg's Campus Kitchen.
ln its six years, Campus Kitchen has been the recipient of three
awards recognizing the program's outstanding service and
achievements: Student Organization of the Year, given by
Augsburg College; Harry Chapin Self-Reliance Award, given by
World Hunger Year in 2OO4; and the Great ldea Award, given by
America's Promise. Read more about Campus Kitchen at
www.
a
ugsbu rg. ed u/cam puskitchen.
BTTSEY NORGARD
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View more photos and learn more about why Campus Kitchen was nominated
for the youth philanthropy award at www.augsburg.edu/now
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age 77, Herb Chilstrom '54 got an offer he couldn't refuse. The retired ELCA
presiding bishop was invited to serve as interim director of the Linnaeus Arboretum
at Gustavus Adolphus College while its director is overseas for ayear. The transition
from Chilstrom's 50-plus years as pastor and bishop to administrative gardener, he
AI
tells his friends, was easy: "l'm going from tending flocks to tending phlox."
Chilstrom gained an appreciation and love for gardening from his mother, a gardener ahead of her time who, along with her husband, pul organically grown food
on their table. He pursued that interest in retirement when he studied to become a
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master gardener.
"lt turned out to
be one of the most enjoyable educational experiences l've ever
had," he says.
When the Chilstroms moved to a townhome in St. Peter, Minn., Herb volunteered
his services to the arboretum. For seven years he nurtured flowerbeds back to
blooming beauty and created a vegetable garden behind the restored settlers'
cabin-which was a necessity for every settler, as well as his own family, During this
time the arboretum began to restore more than 80 acres back to its native prairie.
Now as interim director, he has enjoyed launching "The Linnaeus Order of
Nasturtiums," a cadre of volunteers who tend the arboretum's flora. lVlostly retirees,
the order has "taken off like gangbusters," Chilstrom says. Despite the initiation,
that is, which requires each volunteer to eat a nasturtium blossom laced with
cream cheese.
"People are almost begging to get into the order," says Chilstrom. He has
recruited 20 volunteers in two months, and all have passed the initiation.
For Chilstrom, this second "calling" also has theological roots. He says that
while Lutherans consider Christ's life, death, and resurrection in the Second Article
of the Creed as the heart of Christian faith, "we may have emphasized it to the
point where we don't appreciate as much as we should the First Article, about creation as the gift of God."
"Being involved in a place like the arboretum," Chilstrom continues, "gives me a
chance to create some balance, to be committed to making this place as beautiful
as it can be in a world that is quite broken, where we don't appreciate the gifts of
nature, and where there's so much desecration of the environment."
It's also a chance for some historical reflection. Chilstrom recounts how so many
settlers, including his great-grandparents, arrived in lVìinnesota penniless and
began breaking up the prairie, with disregard for Native peoples and their land.
"Now when we recapture part of that into native prairie, we are helping people
step back and think about what it was like for Native Americans to live here, how
they survived in that setting, and the beauty of the prairie," he says.
ln sum, Chilstrom says, "lfeel that in my retirement I've been uniquely blessed
to be located in a place like this where I can think about some of these good ihings
that are important to us."
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HfIMECOMING 2OO9
September 28-0ctober 4
Despite the rains and chilly weather, spirits were high at the 2009
Auggie Adventure, as hundreds of alumni, students, faculty/staff,
and friends celebrated Homecoming. 0ueen Jamie Krumenauer
and King Kevin Khottavongsa presided at the football game halftime festivities and cheered the Auggies despite their loss to
Hamline, 38-28. Alums sampled classes from Augsburg professors, met fellow alumni authors, enjoyed their reunions, and
ended the weekend with a bang at the fireworks display.
Fall
2009
13
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i
1
2009
Augg¡e Adventure
14
Augsburg Now
DISTINGUISHEIl ALUMNI
FIRST ]lECA]lE AWARIl
Tove Dahl'84 and Curt Rice'84
Tove Dah
l-Associate
Professor,
Psychology, University of Tromsø, Norway
Curt Rice-Director, Center for Advanced
Study in Theoretical Linguistics, University
Brenda Talarico, '99 PA
Assistant Professor, Physician
Assistant Program, Augsburg Col lege
of TromsØ, Norway
SPIRIT fIF AUGSBURG
AWARD
Phebe Hanson '50
Poet, teacher, founding member of
The Loft Literary Center
James E. Haglund, Augsburg Regent
Emeritus and Parent
President and Owner, Central
Contai ner Corporation ; Co-owner of
Spectrum Screen Printing
Joyce (Anderson) Pfaff '65
Professor Emerita of Health and
Physical Education, Augsburg College
2flO9 ATHLETIC HALL flF FAME
Bob Arvold '82, Wrestlìng
Joel Engel '87, lvlen's Basketball
Matt Farley'88, Baseball
Dallas Miller'88, lvìen's Hockey
Ruth 0lson '60, Women's Basketball
Sonja Slack Payne '91, Softbatt, Tennis
Drew Privette '89, Football, Men's Hockey
Richard Thorud '56
Daniel Roff '82, Football
Retired engineer, Toro Company
Stefanie Lodermeier Strusz '98, women's Basketball
@
For more aboul Homecoming and the alumni award winners, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall
2009
15
THE DESTINATION IS THE SAME: EARNING A COLLEGE DEGREE. BUT THE PATHS
TO THAT CAN BE AS DIFFERENT AS DAY AND WEEKEND/EVENING.
For many, Augsburg College is a traditional liberal arts college with 18- to 22-year-olds
ENGLISH
living on or near campus. lt's the place where they went just a few months after graduating from high school and spent the next four years.
There is another side to Augsburg as well. lt's one where classes are held on Fridays,
Saturdays, Sundays, and some evenings. ln this evening and weekend program, students
are older, they are more likely to have a full-time job, and they often juggle more family
responsibilities than traditional day students. They study in both Rochester and
lVinneapolis, at four locations.
While the two groups are demographically different, the education they receive is as
close to the same as possible. For example, business majors in the day program take the
same courses as business majors in the evening and weekend program at all locations.
Where the education differs has more to do with the life experiences students bring to
the classroom.
As one way to see this, we talked to students and faculty members in a day and
weekend section of English 111. This class, Effective Writing, is one that nearly every
Augsburg student takes. As seen in their favorite books and authors, the younger day
students tend toward escape fantasy and horror fiction, exploring the dark and the
macabre. The older weekend/evening students show more interest in philosophy, psychology, and spìrituality-perhaps seekìng more understanding, meaning, and comfort
their lives. Enjoy "meeting" these Augsburg students.
COMPILED BY WENDI WHEELER
16
Augsburg Now
in
by the numbers
EVENINû/WËEKENI)
UNI|ERGRADUATE
PR0GRAM (Minneapolis Campus)
DAY UNDERGRAI)UATE PR()GRAM
Total students enrolled: 809
Total students enrolled: 2,01 3
Average age: 35
Average age:
Male/female rat¡o: 37/63
21
Male/female ratio: 50/50
Students of color: l5%
Students of color (total): 25%
Students of color (first-year class): 42%
Fall
2009
17
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{Ulli lli E}l
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sweet trad¡t¡ons
Velkommen Jul is one of Augsburg's most popular traditions, a Scandinavìan
welcome to the holiday season. Augsburg alumni and friends look forward each
year to the splendid banquet of sweets and treats provided by the Augsburg
Associates.
Enjoy these cookie recipes that come from the hands and hearts of the
Associates. Some recipes date back generations to family members who
attended Augsburg Seminary in the late 1800s.
JOIN US AT VELKOMIVìEN JUL ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4,
BEGINNING WITH CHAPEL AT 10:15 A.M.
COMPILED BY BETSEY NORGARD
Fall
2009
19
{
{
Grandma Rand's Krumkake
1 pt. whipping cream
1 c. sugar
l tsp. vanilla
2 c. f|our
Pinch of salt
1 c. milk
Whip cream until stiff . Add sugar gradually. Mix vanilla and
add flour and salt, which have been sifted together. Add milk
slowly, beating constantly. Bake in krumkake iron, a teaspoon-
ful at a time (no more). Remove from iron and roll immediately.
Makes about 10 dozen.
Fattigmann
Berliner Kranser
Þ
6
6
6
2
6
egg yolks, 3 egg whites
Tbl. sugar
Tbl. cream
Tbl. melted butter
2 hard cooked egg yolks
Il2 c. sugar
2 raw egg yolks
1 c. butter
f
2-712 c. flour (use less)
fat for frying
cardamom seeds
lour
salt
van
Beat egg yolks and whites together until
illa
thick and lemon colored. Add sugar and
Mash cooked egg yolks with fork. Add sugar and
continue beating; add cream and beat
again; blend in butter. Crush cardamom
seeds to powder and add with enough
flour to make a dough f irm enough to roll
work into a wet and pasty mixture. Add raw egg
yolks and mix well. Add butter and mix. Add flour,
salt, and vanilla. Take dough about the size of a
walnut and roll into pencil shape about seven
inches long. Form a ring, overlap ends (like a pret-
Roll thin as paper, cut into diamond
shapes about 5 x
sprinkle with powdered sugar.
*
Augsburg Now
inches. Deep-fry
brown. Drain on absorbent paper and
e,
20
2-Il2
in hot fat 2-3 minutes or until golden
zel). Dip in raw egg white, then into crushed loaf
sugar. Bake a|325 degrees until light brown.
Mom's Rosettes
4,t
I
1
1
I
2 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt
2 Tbl. sugar
3/4 c. milk (can use whole or skim)
.#
dü
Il4 c. waler
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. f lour
canola or vegetable oil for deep frying
Heat oil in a deepfryer to 375 degrees. (Be sure to
have a thermometer in the oil as you fry the
rosettes and maintain an average of 375.) Put the
rosette iron in the oil as it heats-a hot iron and
oil temperature are most important for crisp
rosettes.
Jule Spritz
{
1 c. butter
1 tsp. almond extract
2-tl2 c. flour
Batter: ln a deep bowl, lightly whip the eggs, salt,
and sugar with a fork, just to mix. Don't overbeat
it. Combine the milk, water, and vanilla. Alternately add 1/3 of the liquid and 1/3 of the flour to
the egg mixture and repeat until all are mixed. lf
the batter isn't smooth, put through a sieve to
remove the lumps.
4 small egg yolks (or 3 large)
2/3 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
Cream sugar and butter, add almond extract
and egg yolks and beat well. Add flour and
salt. Put cookie dough in cookie press and
press out cookies on cookie sheet. Decorate
Lay out paper toweling on cookie sheets to cool the
rosettes after frying. Have a bowl of sugar for dipping the hot rosette into after it comes off the iron.
with red and green sugar. Bake about 12
minutes at 400 degrees.
A couple of forks will be useful to remove the
rosette from the iron.
With hot oil and hot iron a|375 degrees, and
absorbent cloth or several paper towels ready,
quickly remove the rosette iron from the oil,
quickly shake off any excess oil over the deepfryer,
dab the iron on the paper towel, and quickly
immerse the iron into the rosette batter-not going
over the top edge of the rosette iron-and quickly
return the iron to the deepfryer. After about 15-20
seconds in the oil for a light brown color, gently
remove the rosette from the iron using a fork. Be
sure to keep the iron in the oil heating as the
rosette continues to brown; turn it with the forks to
get uniform browning; and remove from the oil
with the forks and place on paper toweling with
the hollow side down to drain off any excess oil
While warm, dip in sugar. Cool completely and
store in large cookie tin in a cool place. Makes
approximately 36 rosettes.
Fall
2009
21
Ð
perspective
BY JEFF SHTLMAN
I
22
Augsb
s'
Lisa Jack
It was a summer of mood swings
and wide-ranging emotions.
ln May, Lisa Jack found herself on the
cover of the los Angeles Times'Calendar
section. The Augsburg psychology professor had a camera around her neck as
is talk of a Paris showing of the photos
"The majority of students, they enjoy
being engaged and challenged," Jack
said. "l love challenging them and to be
that until two years ago were housed in a
chal lenged. "
basement box, Jack is far less interested
than she was even this summer.
That's because real life suddenly
While Jack's photos have been seen
across the globe and she has been inter-
While the 36 photos of 0bama are
now on display at Occidental, and there
reappeared.
0n July 25, doctors told Jack's
viewed by outlets ranging from The New
York Times to the television show Exfra,
Jack has never heard a word from
mother that she has ovarian cancer. ln
examining her family history, Jack and
Obama or anyone at the White House.
her sister were then told that they are
ings with Obama in recent years, is all
right with that. She understands the job
he has to do and that the photos are
from a long time ago. And she also has
display at a hip West Hollywood art
genetically predisposed for the disease.
And because there isn't a way to screen
for ovarian cancer, the only way for Jack
to protect herself would be to have sur-
gallery.
gery herself.
she sat cross-legged and dressed in
black in the California sun. Her 1980
photographs of now-President Barack
Obama-which were originally published
in
Time magazine-were about to go on
She had become the photographer
she wanted to be at the time she took
those photos when they were both under-
graduates at Occidental College. There
was now enough buzz about her work for
singer-songwriter Seal to check out the
photos. Her photographs captured what
she has described as Obama's youth and
playfulness. And she knew she wanted
some sort of platform."
With Jack needing to help provide
care for her mother in New York and
planning for a significant medical
procedure of her own, Jack was
pictures.
forced to adjust her teaching load
at the last minute. Jack was not
years.
New camera in tow, she spent part of
her summer in North Dakota shooting
photos of professional rodeo cowboys
and the livestock they ride. She began
conversations about some photography
projects. She was excited about rediscovering what she had once thought
would be a career.
"Once I purchased the camera, I went
to practice at the IUniversity of
able to teach an AugSem first-year
seminar and is llmited to one psychology internship course for
upperclass students.
"l was adamant that I teach
this semester," she said. "l have
to have a life. I can't be all cancer all the time. And I love to
teach. I have a class of seniors
and I know them all. lt'll be
fun."
Because while Jack's love
of photography was rekindled
Minnesota'sl Raptor Center," Jack said.
"When I put everything in my computer,
I said, '0h my God.' I didn't lose any
when she unearthed the
nearly 3O-year-old photos of
vision. "
Obama, she still wants to
All was great, right?
Not so fast. Because that part of the
summer seems so long ago.
some new-fou nd perspective.
"lt's an ugly, horrible, heinous disease," Jack said. "They call it the
silent killer. I've done a U-turn into a
cancer activist. But maybe it was the
point in finding those photos, to have
to continue telling stories through
That's why Jack began taking photographs again for the first time in many
Jack, who has had two chance meet-
teach. With an extremely outgoing personality and non-stop
professor
energy, Jack loves the classroom setting.
Fall
2009
23
Mafk
HanSOn calls it a "kicking and
screaming" calling. The son of a parìsh
pastor, Hanson had no interest in follow-
difficult times, ELCA presiding bishop Mark Hanson '68 finds
great joy in his calling and seeks to stay focused 0n Ggd's w3rk in the world.
Even through
ing his father into mìnistrY.
Sure, Hanson went to Union Theologi-
cal Seminary after graduating in 1968
from Augsburg with his wife, lone
(Agrimson) '68, but ihat was onlY
because he received a scholarship to try
it for a year. Even when he f inished up
at Union, Hanson went as far as to stand
in line to regìster to begin graduate
school classes in psychology before he
realized that wasn't what he wanted to
do with his life.
"l ended up going to therapy for six
months to f igure out what was going on
ìn my lìfe," Hanson says. "And it was
only after sìx months of therapy that
realized I was f ighting, for all the wrong
I
reasons, the call to ministrY."
Now, nearly 40 years later, Hanson
f
inds himself as the presìding bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America at one of the most challenging
times since the Lutheran Church in
America, the American Lutheran Church,
and the Association of Evangelical
Lutheran Churches merged to form the
ELCA in the late 1980s.
The nation's financial instability has
led to a downturn in contributions to the
church. The nation's changing demographics have left the ELCA as a graying
organization with ìts strength in parts of
the natìon that aren't growing. And, in
the wake of votes taken at August's
Churchwide Assembly on topics of
human sexuality and homosexual clergy
in committed relationships, there are
many individuals and congregations
pondering whether the ELCA is the place
for them.
And despite the current challenges
"I think that ìn anxious times that
have dimensions of conf lict in them, the
temptation ìs to go into enclaves of likeminded people to both reinforce the convictions one holds with those likeminded people, and often to articulate
that those whom you are not in agreement with are so wrong," Hanson says.
"l have worked to be very connected
relationally.
"ln a culture that is so polarized,
facing the ELCA, Hanson loves his job.
"l f ind great joy in what I do,"
especially around issues of personal
Hanson says, while sitting in his 11th-
morality, and tends to be increasingly
f
loor off ice that overlooks Chicago's
0'Hare lnternational Airport. "I use joy
very intentionally. Joy, for me, has its
source in my faith. I literally f ind great
joy in this call. I told a group of pastors
that I have the best call in the church
and what was fun was that a bunch of
them lìned up to argue with me about
why theirs is better. I liked that."
But Hanson acknowledges that these
times are challenging. And that's why
Hanson has spent-and will be spend-
ing-a
signif icant amount of time engag-
fractious, contentìous, and too often
mean-spirited, can we exemplify in our
witness another way to live-together
and honoring our dìfferences, but in the
context of our unity?"
J
im Arends, a I97 4 Augsburg gradu-
ate and current bishop of the LaCrosse
lWisc.l Area Synod,
saYS one
of Han-
son's biggest strengths as presiding
bishop is his ability to communicate in
general and to listen in particular.
"lt
is going to help, it can't but help,"
Arends says. "He respects you. I don't
ing in conversation, even if the actions
think I've ever seen anything even close
at the Minneapolis Convention Center
to disrespectful. With his authority and
height, he's still able to make people be
make things a little awkward and
u
ncomf ortable.
comfortable and relax around hìm.
That's tough with the height of his collar
and the big cross he needs to wear."
How does he do it? Hanson saYS some
of it is because of what he learned at
Augsburg. Because while there are challenges within the church, there are far
Discovering
in the
Challenges
of leadership
BY JEFF SHELMAN
Fall
't
2009
25
1l
more sign
if
icant issues-poverty, dis-
ease in third-world countries, and health
concerns among them-that the ELCA is
trying to tackle.
"The call for us as Christians is not to
be turned inward in conf lict with each
schools of higher education. We have
great colleges and universities in the
church, but I think Augsburg has really
positioned itself where I would want to
see a college of this church to be."
for work about 80% of the time.
"There are some days when I've gone to
the airport where I've given the United
desk my driver's license and said,
'l forgot
to look, where am I going again?"' Hanson
other and miss this moment to be
engaged in God's work in the world;
And as Hanson progressed from
parish pastor to bishop of the Saint Paul
Area Synod to, now, presiding bishop,
Augsburg gave me that perspective," he
Hanson sees a thread that goes back to
says. "Augsburg always reminded me
that whatever is going on with you,
Augsburg.
will have a lot to do with continuing com-
"My whole life has been shaped by
the intersection of intellectual curiosity,
faith, and how faith and intellect shape
one for a life in leadership," Hanson
says. "The phrase I use for what I got
from Augsburg and Union is an
unquenchable curiosity of faith and life.
I've never stopped being curious. I think
Augsburg fostered that. I'm going to be
free to ask questions and to serve my
neighbor, particularly the one who is
struggling with issues of justice and
munications, building relationships, and
leading a church that has members asking
serious questions about the future. While
the conversations and e-mails aren't
always positive from individuals concerned
about the ELCA's actions, Hanson remains
within your family, within the church,
there is a world that calls you."
That was true in the mid-to-late
1960s when Hanson studied sociology,
and it is true now as Hanson also
watches Augsburg as a parent. Four of
his six children have or currently are
attending Augsburg. His daughter
Alyssa, an alumna of the College, is also
teaching math in the Weekend College
program.
"When lone and I were at Augsburg,
we were invited, encouraged, challenged
to immerse ourselves in the city, CedarRiverside, North Minneapolis, and that
has not stopped," he says. "0ur daughter who is a senior there now has been to
Central America twice. The immersion
and context have grown from the immediate Cedar-Riverside neighborhood to
now the world.
"l'm all
26
over the world looking at
Augsburg Now
says with a laugh. "That's pretty bad. I'm
prepared for where I'm going, but there's a
lot of travel."
That travel, in the upcoming months,
upbeat.
"l
am proud to serve in leadership right
"l lead 70 million Luther-
now," he says.
ans in the world and lead the largest
Lutheran Church in the United States;
around Lake Harriet for Chicago's Edge-
that's just an amazing thing that I am
called into that sort of leadership. lf the
criticism begins to take a personal toll,
then I can no longer be an effective leader.
I think that the gospel is too good news for
me to get so discouraged that I can't, with
brook neighborhood, he's rarely there.
It's tough to be at home when you travel
great passion, proclaim the good news of
Jesus. "
poverty."
And Hanson has plenty of opportunities to be curious as presiding bishop.
While he and lone have traded the area
"We have great colleges and universities in the church, but I think Augsburg has
really pos¡t¡gned itself where I would want t0 see a college of this church t0 be."
rl
I
ï
H
ffi
\t'/ith more than 4,000 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs,
Augsburg College strives to create an intentionally diverse and vibrant community by welcoming students of varied backgrounds and experiences.
For many of the students who come to Augsburg, being an Auggie is a
dream come true because at one time in their lives, the idea of going to college was nearly impossible to imagine.
That's where Admission Possible comes in. This program, which was
founded in Minnesota in 1999 to help low-income high school students get
into college, has brought more than 100 students to Augsburg since its found-
H
ing. Ihis fall, 63 Admission Possible alumni joined the Augsburg community as
first-year students-more than any other private college in the country.
E
tr
Admission Possible made Augsburg possible for these students. Not only
has this program enriched the lives of students and their families,
it has also
benefited the Augsburg community.
Finding Admission Possible
Juventino "Juve" Meza Rodriguez'11 came to the U.S. from
Mexico when he was 15 years old. Unlike his parents or siblings,
Meza Rodriguez had been fortunate to attend school beyond the
sixth grade and, though he did not speak English, he was excited
m
H
m
about continuing his education in a Minnesota high school.
"l come from a low-income working family; my parents and
their parents didn't go to school. My mom made a big push for
education for her children because she wanted us to do something she wasn't able to do," he says.
Meza Rodriguez tested into the ninth grade and began classes
at Arlington High School in St. Paul. ln his neighborhood and in
his family, no one had gone to college. "As kids we always said
we want to be this or that," he says, "but realistically I wasn't
thinking that college would be a possibility for me. And my parents of course didn't think it was an option either."
ln his sophomore year, he dropped out of school, following his
friends who had started working and were making money. "l was
out of school for one week, and I did not enjoy life," he says. He
asked his parents to help him get back into school, and after
that week he appreciated his education more than he had before
"l knew I wanted something more, but I wasn't sure what that
was and I didn't have people around me who had done it either."
With a renewed enthusiasm for high school, Meza Rodriguez
asked a guidance counselor about college. "She told me
I
couldn't go," he says, but she eventually found a program for him
and suggested he apply. That program was Admission Possible.
From the moment he was accepted into the program, Meza
Rodriguez was on his way to college, but he was in unfamiliar
28
Augsburg Now
q F
n
Ð
territory. "When I told my parents that I wanted to go to college,
theyasked how I wasgoingtodo it. I said,'l have no idea."'
Because his parents were unable to support him f inancially
and because they had no experience with higher education, lVleza
Rodriguez says they left many of the decisions about school up to
him. "They would always say, 'Tu sabes lo que haces,'(You know
what you're doing). But I didn't know what I was doing."
Getting to Augsburg
l-lis Admission Possible coach did know what to do to navigate
the complicated and sometimes intimidating landscape of college application. Twice weekly in his junìor and senior years,
lVIeza Rodriguez met with his coach and other students. He prepared for the ACT and learned how to select a college that
matched his interests, complete the admissions applications,
and apply for financìal aid including scholarships.
Admission Possible also encouraged lVeza Rodriguez to make
connections at schools by going on campus visits and attending
education fairs. At one such fair for Latino students, he met Carrìe Carroll, Augsburg's assistant vice president of admissions.
"When I got to Carrie's booth, I told her I had heard about
Augsburg and she started asking me questions. We talked for two
hours," he recalls. "She was very welcoming and showed an
interest in me that other schools didn't bother to show." After
their meeting, Carroll e-mailed lVleza Rodriguez and encouraged
him to apply to Augsburg.
"I applied, and Carrie called my AP coach within six days and
said I had been admitted. I was the flrst student in my AP class
to apply and the first to get accepted."
il
I
I
Carroll says Admission Possible students are attracted to
Augsburg because of the f inancial aid that helps make college
possible for more than 90% of traditional day college students.
Two programs-Augsburg College Access Program (ACAP) and
the Augsburg Promise are aimed at assisting f irst-generation
and low-income students.
ACAP provides a four-year grant for students who have participaled in a college readiness program. The grant covers the cost of
luition not met with federal or state grants for students who are
Minnesota residents, have an ACT score of 20 or belter, and have
cunrulative grade point average of at least 3.25.
lVlore
a
importantly, Carroll says studenls come because ALrgsburg
has made an institutional commitrnent
to providing access for nrany
different types of studenls, to creating an intenlionally diverse cam
pus, and to engaging students in service to the conrmunity. All of
these commitments connect closely to Admission Possible values.
"At Augsburg, we are aware of the obstacles some students
have faced and will continue to face. We value our students." As
Fall
2009
in
29
Meza Rodriguez's case, Carroll says often a student will make
the choice to come to Augsburg, even though they have been
accepted elsewhere, simply because the Augsburg staff takes the
time to get to know them personally.
accessible to anyone, regardless of his or her background or
circumstances.
Beyond admission
onto their campuses." lt has also helped colleges and universities
address much of the stigma that is attached to low-income stu_
Meza Rodriguez says that Admission possible has also changed
campus atmospheres by introducing students who might not have
considered college in the past. ',Ap helps colleges get out of their
comfort zone," he says, "by welcoming more and more diversity
Once students are accepted and begin their college studies, they
still encounter
d
many challenges that can make staying jn school
iffic u lt.
dents, challenging the notion that they are low-achieving or unpre_
pared. ln fact, while the fall 2009 first-year class includes 40%
ln the past, a team of Admission posstble staffers did some
tracking and outreach to their alumni after they had started
college. Most of their assistance had been reactionary, however,
and they were often brought in when a student was in the midst
students of color, the average ACT score and class rank have
of a crisis.
pared for success and dedicated to making the most of their college
This year, Admission Possible has developed a structured col_
remained consistent among Augsburg's incoming classes over the
past four years.
Carroll agrees, adding that Admission possible students are pre_
on their individual campuses.
experience. "These are smart, capable students who work very hard
to succeed. They just need to be taught how to do this.',
Meza Rodriguez is just one example of the motivated and tal_
Ben Pierson is the college coach at Augsburg this year. Having
an office on campus is important because for Admissjon possible
ented students who find a fit at Augsburg through coilege readiness
programs. He received a president,s Scholarship, which recognizes
alumni, "AP" means "help." Students know they will find a caring adult in Pierson as well as a reliable source of information
academic achievement and leadership potential, and he is an
Honors program student. ln his three years at the College, he has
and support.
also been a senator in student government, helped found a Latino
lege program with coaches who work one-on-one with students
Pierson works with Augsburg's director of retention, the
Enrollment and Financial Services staff, admission counselors,
and with the other student support programs. His objective is to
maintain contact with students and help them find the resources
they need before they want or need to drop out.
student organization, and conducted summer research with
President Pribbenow as his mentor and adviser.
This fall Meza Rodriguez is studying poverty, inequality, and
social change in the Metro Urban Studies Term (MUST) through
HECUA, the Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs, and
is doing an internship with the Citizens League in St. paul. He
Making dreams poss¡ble
has also organized a group at Augsburgto help connect the more
than 100 Admission Possible alumni who are now enrolled at the
College readiness programs like Admission possible are just one of
College.
When he participates in Commencement, Meza Rodriguez knows
the many ways students find Augsburg and realize their dreams.
But this program benefits more than the students who enroll and
graduate.
Meza Rodriguez and the other Admission possible alumni fea_
tured here set examples for their peers, siblings, and their commu_
nities. Their experiences demonstrate that a college education is
@
30
will be an inspiration not only to members of his community but
to his younger siblings, ages 4 and g, whom he hopes will one
day follow in his footsteps. "My siblings can see that college is pos_
sible. So many people around me can now see that it is possible.,,
he
also
Learn about Adm ission possi ble at www.adm ission possi ble.org.
Read more about the other
Augsburg Admission possible
students pictured here at
wwuaugsburg.edu/now
Augsburg Now
lucky Dirie'13
Houa
lor '13
Farrington Starnes'12
È!
b¡
Fall
2009
31
DEAR FRIEI{tlS,
As I write to report to you on the successful completion to a most extraordinary year of economic challenges, I remain filled
with gratitude for your steadfast support to Augsburg College.
While each week last fall brought more bitter news than the previous regarding our financial institutions, we maintained a
watchful and cautious eye over our students, our revenues, and our gifts. I was so pleased and humbled that through these
difficult months our enrollments remained high, our programs strong, and your giving constant.
During this difficult year, your gifts made an Augsburg education possible for many students who would not have otherwise been able to continue theìr studies. At Augsburg, we are committed to providing the access for these students of differing faiths, cultures, and ethnicities to thrive and to become the
next leaders in creating safe and sustainable communities.
Together, we continue to learn how "We are called to serve our
neìghbor. "
Durìng this past year, as a teaching and learning community,
WE ARE CALLEI}
TO SERVE (lUR NEIGHB(lR
we also explored in many ways what it means to live more sustainably in the city. I was so proud of our students, who pushed the College for changes that made us better stewards of our
gifts and of God's creation. Augsburg is now a leader among educational institutions in the use of renewable energy, in support of alternative transportation practices, and in the adoption of a food composting program.
As we move forward, I ask for your abiding and increased participation and support in the next years as we continue to
work together for a stronger and more vibrant future for our college, and for our students.
S
incere ly,
*
L-
?
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW
PRTSIDENT
32
Augsburg Now
\
Your annual fund gift helps to
1
.., retain talented faculty, like chemistry professor
maintain Augsburg's low
2
...
l4:l
Vivien Feng, and
4
...
keep Augsburg affordable by providing a portion of the academic
scholarships and financial aid received by 90% of day students.
studenUfaculty rati0.
make it possible for curious and talented students to stay on campus
5
during the summer to engage in full{ime research with a faculty mentor.
3
...
provide up{o-date computers and technology services critical to
...
fund student programs and co-curricular activities, like campus
ministry, athletics, internships, and ethnic student services.
6
...
provide the special equipment, safety equipment, and supplies for
our science laboratories.
teaching and learning.
È1.
r,' ,ç $¡
"$,ft..,
t{Ol\¡b^
GIVING IN ACTI(¡NWhat Students and Alumni Say
Nate Johnson '11
Rossing Physics Scholar, StepUP program
Ali Rapp '11
Honors student, "Homemade" blogger
ln Augsburg's unique Honors program, Ali and her fellow students participate in deep discussions about controversial questions. "There's a degree of openness in Honors that you don't
find in other classes," she says. Another way Ali expresses
her-
self is through her blog on Homemade, the site that gives current and future Auggies a sense of what life is really like for
students at Augsburg. "We really get to the heart of issues, and
I'm glad we have that kind of freedom to be ourselves and to be
Junior Nate Johnson has an interest in how things work and
was drawn to the problem-solving part of physics. This year he
was named one of four Rossing Physics Scholars in the nation
by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Johnson grew
up in St. Croix Falls before entering substance abuse treatment
in high school. At Augsburg, Johnson is in the StepUp pro,
gram, a program that is much of the reason why he chose the
College and where he f inds community, support, faith, and discipline. "When I was looking at colleges, every time I went to
genuine."
Augsburg, I felt excited about it," Johnson says, "... other college settings felt daunting."
Your giving supp0rts personal growth in Augsburg's
Your giving supp0rts paths to healthy lives in Augsburg's
Honors program
StepUP program
re
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Shonna Fulford'09
Myles Stenshoel Scholarship
The Augsburg faculty did more
than just teach Shonna Fulford,
a 2OO9 graduate from Perham,
Minn. "They are truly there to
teach you what they know, to let
you discover things you may never
Annika Gunderson '11
have otherwise, and to help you
President's Scholar, world traveler
ln her three years as an Auggie, Annika Gunderson '1 t
succeed in everything you want to do," she says. As the recipient of the endowed scholarship for students pursuing careers in
political science, she also had the opportunity to get to know
has
almost spent more time away from Augsburg than on campus.
This international relations and Spanish major from Winona,
Minn., has studied abroad three times, spending five weeks in
is named. This student orientation leader and Homecoming
queen hopes to return to Augsburg some day, perhaps as a
Cuernavaca, Mexico; a semester in Central America; and
member of the administration.
another semester in Brazil. Gunderson suggests that all students take advantage of the many study abroad opportunities
Your giving supp0rts scholarships endowed to honor
Professor Emeritus Myles Stenshoel, for whom the scholarship
available to Augsburg students. "lt's important to be able to
challenge yourself to go beyond, to experience something unfa-
faculty careers and commitment
miliar."
Your giving supports life-changing experiences thr0ugh
Augsburg's Genter for Global Education
Michele Roulet '10
WEC Student Senate
Michele Roulet found Augsburg at the State Fair. Returning to college
after a two-year degree and full-time work, she enjoys working at her own
pace for "a chance to figure out who I am." The studio art major has
studied abroad in Central America and Europe. She has also found a
niche in the Weekend Student Senate and has served as its president,
making sure that Augsburg's weekend and graduate student voices are
represented on campus.
Your giving supports leadership in Student Government
Fall
2009
35
GIVING IN ACTIflNSupporting Augsburg Chemistry Students:
John and Marvel Yager
John Yager '7 4 was not a typical Augsburg f reshman. Although
born in Minnesota, he grew up traveling in a military family. He
picked Augsburg because his parents were expected to retire in the
Twin Cities; his uncle, Dr. 0. Lewis Zahrendt, was an Augsburg
graduate; and Augsburg's admissions materials were the most
appeal i ng.
It was a good choice. Yager says he considers Augsburg "one of
the most fortunate events of my life as far as my education was
concerned." His goal was medical school and he majored in chemistry and biology.
Yager credits his academic success to what he believes are still
the hallmarks of Augsburg's chemistry department-high levels of
integrity, dedication, and a commitment to achievement-as well
as the dedication of the chemistry faculty-Courtland Agre, John
Holum, Earl Alton, and Arlin Gyberg. Yager also credits his classmates, the "phenomenal group of very bright and hard-working students, who helped me work all the harder."
But even more crucial to his college success was the support
Yager received when his older brother, with whom he was living,
was tragically killed in an accident. ln coping with grief and trying
to decide whether to stay at Augsburg, Yager contacted Rick Thoni,
the director of student advisers, who arranged for housing options
that Yager needed to stay in school and supported him through the
While his first job involved hands-on chemistry, his subsequent
work has taken him into related fields and aspects of immuno-
chemìstry-q ual ity assurance, regu latory affairs, cl in ical trials, and
literature research and publications. He is a patent-holder on a
medical device used in endoscopy.
"l've had great opportunity to really apply chemistry," Yager
says, "to apply the discipline of what I've learned over the years to
a career that has been extremely rewarding personally." He notes
that while he didn't pursue a medical career, his work has contìnually helped people through development of better medical
products.
Yager currently'works for a new company,
Acist Medical
Systems, which manufactures products that help physicians
ing them reach out to me was something l've never forgotten,"
administer the contrast agent used in angiography.
Yager has continually remained connected to the Chemistry
Department and Augsburg. He has lectured in senior seminars,
Yager says.
served as a mentor to chemistry students, and coached students
After graduation Yager took additional chemistry courses and
worked as a pathology assistant at St. Mary's Hospital. While medical school did not become part of his future, in the pathology lab
through the hurdles of f inding their first jobs. He enjoys maintain-
crisis.
"Feeling that connection and that bond to the College, and feel-
he met Marvel, who also worked in the lab and later became his
wife.
Yager turned
to industry and took a position with an immunodi-
agnostics company, researching and manufacturing products that
improve medical diagnostic testing. Thirty-f ive years later he has
worked at all of the major immunochemistry companies in the Twin
Cities and has been on the cutting edge of medical research in
number of start-up companies.
36
Augsburg Now
a
ing this connection and being on campus once in a while.
"l just
feel at home," he says.
John and Marvel Yager value education and have supported
Augsburg chemistry students through the Augsburg College Chemistry Alumni Scholarship. At times, Yager has also been able to
provide an employer match to their funds.
"As my career has advanced and we've looked at our values as a
family," Yager says, "the idea of giving back has been fundamental."
Yager says that for them Augsburg is the natural place to give,
and with the scholarship endowment, the gift keeps giving.
T
2OO8.2OO9 FINAI{CIAt H¡ûHLIGHTS
Where the Money Comes From
Where the Money Goes
7o/o
3o/"
Government grants
3o/o
Equipment
and capital
improvement
2o/"
Other sources
Student salary
5%
\
3o/o
Debt service
\
Private gifts and grants
.3o/o
/utititi"t
t2/"
Room and board
ffi
m
ffi
$34.5
$33.7
$30.5
$26.6
$26.2
$24.8
2009 Endowment Market Value
$23.2
Ï22.7
$23.3
May 31, 2009
$20.0
$26,211,136
As
$r 6.4
of May 31, 2009, we have
annual realized and unrealized
losses of 2I.7% on our endowment.
$r 4.2
$11.5
Our five-year average annual return
on the endowment is .18%, and the
lO-year average annual return is
I.42%.
We are committed to maintaining the value of the principal
gifts and to provide support to the
College in perpetuity.
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
2ît7
2008
2009
Endowment Assets
(in millions)
June
l,
1
995
-
May 31, 2009
Fall
2009
31
llEAR FRIEI{llS,
It is my distinct pleasure to share with you news about the many gifts and contributions made to Augsburg College between June 1, 2008, and May 31,
2009. I am filled with gratitude at the generosity of our thousands of alumni,
parents, and friends who wholeheariedly supported the College during this past
year
of unprecedented economic challenges and uncertainty.
Together, for the benefit of our students and community, we were able to witness many successes and end our year with an operating surplus.
I'd like to
highlight just a few examples.
.
We increased the number of donors who made gifts during the year to a total
4,75L This support went to The Augsburg Fund, student scholarships,
capital projects, and fine arts, athletics, signature programs, and other
important i n itiatives.
of
¡
Perhaps most exciting, especially in a challenging economy, was the success of The Augsburg Fund, our fund for unrestricted gifts for
the College. For the second year in a row, it reached its $1 million goal, surpassing last year's mark for a total of $1,003,210 from
3,400 donors.
¡
Also for the second year in a row, I am proud to tell you
that we received 100% participation in The Augsburg
Fund from the Augsburg Board of Regents, the Alumni
Board of Directors, the President's Cabinet, and-for the
first time-the staff of the lnstitutional Advancement
Division. This was a gratifying sign of commitment from
WE Lfl(lK BACK WITH GRATITUDE
ANIl F(lRWARD WITH EXPECTATION
F()R A YEAR OF CflNTINUED
SUPPflRT FflR flUR STUDENTS
these key groups of leaders.
.
Augsburg also received 619 gifts totaling $387,000 to new or existing scholarship funds. Scholarships are a primary source of financial aid for many students at Augsburg, and we are again grateful for the 334 generous individuals who chose to establish or con-
tribute to these funds,
this new academic year with the largest enrollment and greatest diversity of any incoming first-year class, we look back with
gratitude and forward with expectation for a year of continued support for our students. I thank you for your continued, unfailing support.
As we enter
Sincerely,
JIRTMY R. WELLS
VICT PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
38
Augsburg Now
t¡FEÏIME ûIVI}IG
The following
list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given a minimum 0f $100,000, including
planned gifts, over a lifetime. We are immensely grateful for their examples of loyalty and commitment to the College.
'68 and Tamra Nelson
Ernest+ and Helen Alne
Phillip+'55 and Lynne Gronseth
George
Donald '60 and Violet Anderson
Carolyn and Franklin Groves
Barbara Tjornhom
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Norman and Evangeline Hagfors
Robert'51+ and Carolyn Odegard
R. Luther Olson '56
'54 Nelson and Richard
Nelson
Brian Anderson '82 and Leeann Rock'81
James and Kathleen Haglund
Charles and Catherine Anderson
Hearst Foundation
Beverly Halling '55 0ren and Donald '53 Oren
Earl and Doris Bakken
Loren Henderson
John and Norma Paulson
Loren and Mary Quanbeck'77 Barber
Elizabeth '82 and Warren Bartz
Donald Hennings
Grace Forss
Robert '50 and Ruth Paulson
Glen Person '47
Paul '63 and LaVonne Olson
'63 Batalden
'57 Herr and Douglas Herr
Donald '39 and Phyllis Holm
Harvey
Sidney '57 and Lola Lidstrom '50 Berg
Allen and Jean Housh
Addison and Cynthia Piper
Barbara and Tane Birky
Garfield Hoversten '50
David Piper
Roy'50 and Ardis Bogen
Huss Foundation
Harry and lVlary Piper
John+ and Joyce Boss
Sandra and Richard Jacobson
Philip '50 and Dora Frojen'49 Quanbeck
Donald Bottemiller and Shellie Reed
Kinney Johnson '65
Mark'53 and Jean Raabe
Rodney and Barbara Burwell
James Johnson and Maxine lsaacs
Alan
Bush Foundation
Dean '75 and Terry Kennedy
Curtis and lVlarian Sampson
Carlson Companies
Bruce and Maren Kleven
Ward C. Schendel
The Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation
David and Barbara Kleven
Ruth Schmidt '52
Richard '74 and Nancy Colvin
E. Milton Kleven '46
James and Eva Seed
David and lVìary Brandt '79 Croft
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Rodney
Theodore and Pamala Deikel
Kraus-Anderson Construction Company
John and Martha Singleton
Corporation Foundation
Darrell '55 and Helga Egertson
Rhonda
Tracy L. Elftmann '81
Diane and Philip Larson
Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri
George
Leland and Louise Sundet
Philip and Laverne Fandrei
Winifred Helland '37 Formo+ and Jerome
Formo'37+
James Lindell '46
Dean '81 and Amy Sundquist
Gary'80 and Deanna Tangwall
Jeny and Jean Foss
Jennifer and Richard Martin
P. Dawn Heil
William and Anne Frame
Barbara and Edwin Gage
General Mills Foundatìon
Marie and Larry McNeff
Teagle Foundation
Gerard and Anne lVeistrell
Hoyt '39+ and Lucille lVlesserer
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Robert '63 and Marie Tufford
Michael '71 and Ann Good
Robert '70 and Sue lVidness
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
'84 and Jean Taylor '85
H. Theodore '76 and lVlichele Grindal
Raymond '57 and Janice Grinde
Paul '84 and Nancy Mackey '85 Mueller
Robert Wagner '02
William and Stephanie Naegele
Ronald '68 and lvlary Kay Nelson
Scott Weber '79
Del uxe
Roger Griffith
Spitzer'85 Kwiecien and Paul Kwiecien '86
ice
'74
and Catherine L. B. Schendel
Sill '82
Glen and Anna Skovholt
Gladys Boxrud Strommen '46 and Clair
David Lankinen'88
Strommen'46+
'61 and lVary Larson
Harris '57 and Maryon Lee
Arne '49 and Jean Swanson
R
'52 and Joanne Varner '52 Peterson
'52
lVarkland
Glen A. Taylor Foundation
laylor'78
Robert Wick '81
Every effort has been made t0 ensure that all nanes are included and spelled correctly.
lfyou notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
39
PRESItlENT'S CIRCTE
GIFTS RECEIVTD JUNE 1, 2OO8 TO MAY 31, 2OO9
The following
list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously made leadership gifts to the College 0f $1,000 or more in
the 2008-09 fiscal year.
Ruth Aaskov'53
Margaret Clyde
Andra Adolfson
Joseph Cook'89
William '51 and Marolyn Sortland '51 Halverson
Elling and Barbara Halvorson
Peter '70 and lVìary Agre
Walter and Janet Cooper
Jill Hanau
Lois Richter '60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson
Brent Crego '84
Clarence Hansen'53
Edward '50 and Margaret Alberg
George
Craig Alexander and Roberta Kagin
Sally Hough Daniels '79
'72 and Janet Dahlman
Mark '68 and lone Agrimson
'68
Hanson
Jodi and Stanley Harpstead
Bartley Davidson '76
Hunt and Diane Harris
Julie Edstrom'90
Richard and Dail Hartnack
Leif Anderson
Judy Thompson Eiler '65
Christopher Haug'79 and Karl Starr
Deloris Anderson '56
Dantel'77 and Patricia Eitrheim
David '67 and Karen Jacobson
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Richard '72 and Tamara Ekstrand
Helen Haukeness'49 and James Ranck
Robert'77 and Katherine Anderson
Brian Anderson '82 and Leeann Rock '81
Fuad and Nancy EI-Hibri
Lisa Svac Hawks '85
Avis Ellingrod
Mark Hebert '74
Catherine and Charles Anderson
Rona Quanbeck'48 Emerson and Victor Emerson
Philip'42 and Ruth Helland
Scott'76 and Lisa Anderson
Ronald Engebretsen
Leo Henkemeyer
Steven and Stephanie Anderson
Susan Engeleiter
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
Frank'50 and Georgette Lanes'50 Ario
Christine Pieri '88 Arnold and James Arnold '88
Stephen '68 and lVìarilyn lVcKnight '67 Erickson
Donald '39 and Phyllis Holm
Dean '68 and Diana Olson '69 Ersfeld
L. Craig'79 and Theresa Serbus '79 Estrem
Linda Baìley '74 Holmen and Kenneth Holmen '74
Paul Holmquist '79
Richard '87 and Carla Bahr
lVlark and Margie Eustis
Joeì and Alice Houlton
Dorothy Bailey
John '82 and Joan Moline'83 Evans
Kermit '50 and Ruth Hoversten
Robert Barber'56
Allison Everett'78 and Kenneth Svendsen '78
Clarence '41 and lVarguerite Hoversten
Elizabeth '82 and Warren Bartz
Paul '63 and LaVonne Olson '63 Batalden
Barbara Farley
Jane and Patrick Fischer
Allen '64 and Lenice Hoversten
Philip '71 and Patricia Hoversten
Duncan Flann '55
Jerelyn Hovland '63 and Clyde Cobb
Paul '59 and Pearl Almquist
.James
'58 and Beverly Almquist
Jean Hemstreet'68 Bachman and Harold Bachman
Vera Thorson Benzel
'45
'67
Haugen
Dawn Formo
fom'72
Jerome Formo'37+
Joseph Hsieh'61 and E. Mei Shen Hsieh
Birgit Birkeland '58
William and Anne Frame
Andrew Fried '93
Glenda and Richard Huston
Nancy Paulson '70 Bjornson and
JoAnne Digree '68 Fritz and Barry Fritz
Brandon Hutchinson'99
J. Ragnar Bjornson
Buffie Blesi '90 and John Burns
David '68 and Lynn Boe
Leola Dyrud Furman '61
Barbara and Richard Hutson
Karon Garen
Duane'68 and Diane llstrup
John '47 and lrene Jensen
Sidney'57 and Lola Lidstrom '50 Berg
Norman '59 and Delores Berg
John Berg'59
Ann Garvey
and Karen Howe
lVlichael and Barbara Hubbard
Anthony'85 and Traci Genia
Glen'52 and lrvyn Gilbertson
Carol Oversvee Johnson '61
Bruce Brekke
Orval and Cleta Gingerich
Michael Brock
Andrew and Carolyn Goddard
Ruth E. Johnson '74 and Philip Quanbeck ll
lVerton '59 and Jo An Bjornson '58 Johnson
Adam Buhr'98 and Laura Pejsa '98
Alexander '90 and Simone Gonzalez
Danìel Johnson'75
Robert and Brenda Bukowski
lVichael '71 and Ann Good
Gary'74 and lVelody Johnson
Carolyn Burfield '60
Shirley Larson '51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud
Thomas Gormley and Mary Lesch-Gormìey
Craig Jones
Marilyn Saure '61 Breckenridge and
Tom Breckenridge
Charles Bush
Bruce '68 and Lois Hallcock '68 Johnson
Eric Jolly
Paul and Judy Grauer
Cynthia Landowski '81 Jones and Rick Jones
Carrìe and Peter Carroll
Charles and Barbara Green
H. Theodore '76 and lVichele Grindal
Jennifer Abeln
John and Peggy Cenito
lVabeth Saure '58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom
Janet L. Karvonen-Montgomery and Alan
Keith '65 and Lynn Chilgren
Herbert'54 and E Corrine Chilstrom
David and Kathy Haaland
Norman and Evangeline Hagfors
Patricia and Paul Kaufman
C. Lee Clarke
James and Kathleen Haglund
Dean '75 and Terry Kennedy
Marion Buska '46
Christine Coury '91 Campbell and Craig Campbell
40
Augsburg Now
Carol Jones
'78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow
lVontgomery
lVichael Kivley '89
Jellrey'77 and Becky Bjella '79 Nodland
Charles and Ritchie Markoe Scribner
Linda Klas '92
Norma Noonan
James and Eva Seed
E. lVlilton Kleven '46
Roselyn Nordaune'77
Adam '01 and Allison Seed
Elsie Ronholm Koivula '49
Lisa Novotny '80 and lVark Flaten
Phyllis '58 and Harold Seim
Joanne Stiles '58 Laird and David Laird
Richard '70 and Linda Seime
Kalhryn'72 Lange and Dennis Sonifer
Teny'7O and Vicki Nygaard
Leroy Nyhus '52
Ruth Ringstad '53 Larson and lVarvin Larson
Robert Odegard '51+
Frankie and Jole Shackelford
Earl '68 and Lisbeth Jorgensen '70 Sethre
Norman '85 and Kim Asleson '84 Okerstrom
Stephen and Kay Sheppard
Harris '57 and Maryon Lee
Sandra Larson '69 Olmsted and Richard Olmsted '69
Chad '93 and lVìargaret Shilson
Thomas and Gratra Lee
R, Luther 0lson '56
David Soli '81
Andre Lewis '73 and Kathleen McCartin
Orville '52 and Yvonne Bagley '52 0lson
Earle '69 and Kathleen Kupka '69 Solomonson
Debora and John Liddell
William and Mary 0'lVìeara
Donald '53 and Beverly Halling '55 Oren
Allan '53 and Eunice Nystuen '50 Sortland
Alice Lindell '58 and Gordon '59 Lindgren
Mary Sue Zelle Lindsay and Hugh Lindsay
Beverly Ottum
Arne and Ellen Sovik
Patricia and John Parker
Carolyn Johnson
Dana Lonn
John and Norma Paulson
Robert and Joyce Engstrom '70 Spector
Kathy Lowrie
Robert'50 and Ruth Paulson
Richard '74 and Karen Pearson
Alan Petersen '58+
Harvey '52 and Joanne Varner '52 Peterson
Todd '89 and Amy Steenson
Karin Peterson
Gladys Boxrud Strommen '46
Eugene'59 and Paula Peterson
Corwin and Doris Peterson
Philip '79 and Julia Davis '79 Styrlund
Arne'49 and Jean Swanson '52 Markland
Ron '69 and Jane Petrich
Terry Marquardt'98 and Gary Donahue
Carol Pfleiderer
Jennifer and Richard lVartin
Sandra Phaup'64
Dean '81 and Amy Sundquist
Jeffrey'79 and Melissa Swenson
Nicole Swords '01 and April Leger '02
Jo Anne Sylvester '68 and Larry Dieckman
Gary '80 and Deanna Tangwall
Jean Taylor '85 and Roger Griff ith '84
Paul '60 and Nancy Thompsen
Dick '61 and Jane Thompson
lVlartin Larson
'80
James Lindell '46
Wenona '55 and Norman Lund
Thomas'68 and Carol Batalden '68 Luukkonen
Pamela and Robert lVlacDonald
Philip '79 and Diane Madsen
Kay Malchow'82 and Stephen Cook
Lyle '68 and Susanne Starn
'68
Robert '71 and Cheryl Lindroos
lVìalotky
'72 Marlin
Paul C. Pribbenow and Abigail Crampton Pribbenow
Donald '66 and Margaret fVattison
Karl D. Puterbaugh'52
Donna McLean
Philip '50 and Dora Frojen '49 Quanbeck
lVlark'53 and Jean Raabe
Tara Cesaretti
'97 lVcleod
and
Chrìstopher McLeod '00
Lori Lassi '80 Rathje and Tim Rathje'86
IVarie and Larry lVìcNeff
Clayton '91 and Denise Sideen
Beverly Ranum
'78
'94 McNeff
Meyer and Dennis Meyer'78
John
'62 and Ruth Sather '63 Sorenson
'80 Spargo and Lawrence Spargo
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz
lVìyles
and Eunice Stenshoel
Beverly and Thomas Stratton
Ralph and Grace Kemmer '58 Sulerud
Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach
Harold and Maureen Thompson
Eunìce Kyllo '62 Roberts and Warren Roberts
Gordon '52 and Gloria Parizek'53 Thorpe
E. Palmer Rockswold
David and Martha Tiede
Deidre Durand 'BB and Bruce lViddleton
John '68 and Linda Roebke
Frances Torstenson
Robert '70 and Sue Midness
Laura and Martin Roller
Lawrence '69 and Susan Turner
Frances Roller
Peter Turner
Timothy '74 and Deborah Anderson '73 Miller
John'77 and Gail Ronning
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
Joyce Schroepfer lVliller '02
Philip Rowberg'41
Gerald '48 and Judith
Betty and Paul Tveite
Julie Lien '82 and Steve Vanderboom
Paul '70 and Barbara Durkee
Gay Johnson
'71
lVikelson
'66 Minear and Spencer
lVlinear '66
Ryan
'59 and Sylvia Sabo
Robert Minicucci
Thomas'59 and Ruth Carlsen '60 Moen
Mark'79 and Pamela Hanson '79 Moksnes
Curtis and lVìarian Sampson
'70 and Dennis Veiseth
Norman '76 and Kathryn Anderson '76 Wahl
Judith and William Scheide
David and Sarah Warch
Thelma lVlonson '41
Carolyn Hanson '68 Schildgen and
Loìs
Thomas and Lorraine Morgan
William Schildgen
Ruth Schmidt '52
Jeremy and Tracy Wells
LaWayne
'51 and D. LaRhea Johnson '51
IVlorseth
lVlartin
Alne'65 Schroeder and William Schroeder
lVìary
'76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw
John '49 and Arnhild Werket
Wheelock Whitney and Kathleen Blatz
James lVloulsoff
lVlarilee
Paul '84 and Nancy Mackey '85 Mueller
Suzanne Ziemann Schulz '87
Robert Wick '81
Donald Murphy '43+ Ruth lVurphy
John Schwartz'67
Diane Pike and Stephen Willett
Ronald '68 and lvlary Kay Nelson
lnez'59 and Lyall Schwarzkopf
David and Catherine Woìd
Mildred Nelson '52
Erik and Leigh Schwarzkopf
Todd Yeiter
Beverly Omdahl Nelson '55
Douglas Scott and Grace Schroeder Scott
Estate of E. lrene Lasseson Neseth '38+
Michael
'08
'71and Bonnie Scott
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
lf you notice an errot please clntact Kev¡n Healy at l-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
41
flRGANIZATIflNS
GIFTS RECTIVED JUNE 1, 2OOB TO MAY 31, 2OO9
The following
list recognizes organizations that provided generous gifts to Augsburg College 0f $1000 0r more in the 2008-2009 fiscal year
Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Carl & Eloise Pohlad Family Foundatjon
3M Foundation
Halleland Lewis Nilan Sipkins & Johnson PA.
Accenture Foundation
Hazelden Foundation
Al Franken for Senate
Charles and Ellora Alliss Educational Foundation
Hennepin County
Charles N. and Florence S. Hensel Education Fund
American Lutheran Church
Huss Foundation
Robins, Kaplan, Miller and Ciresi L.L.P Foundation
Ameriprise Financial
IBM Corporation
The Summit Group
Ameriprise Financial Employee Gift Matching
lnstitute of American Physics
TCF Foundation
Kresge Foundation
A'viands
Lockheed Martin Corporation
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans Foundatìon
Bassford Remele
lVìacalester College
UBS Foundation
Beckman Coulter, Inc.
lVarble Lutheran Church
Bonner Foundation
lVat Bandits Wrestling Club
US Bancorp Foundation
Vista De La Montaña United Methodist Church
Campus Kitchens Project, lnc.
The McGee Group
Wabash College
Collegiate lVìarketing
IVlDTA
Data Recogn ition Corporation
Merck Partnership For Giving
Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program
Wells Fargo Foundation Community Support
Deloitte Foundatron
Minneapol is Public Schools
Winthrop & Weinstine, PA.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
M
Program
FPL Group Foundation, Inc.
nnesota Legislative Society
Minnesota Private College Foundation
i
The New York Academy
Gethsemane Professional & Benevolent Fund
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust
GI\4AC.RFC
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation
E
N 0 FTE D At
The following
Research Corporation
National Trust For Historical Preservation
0f Medicine
Bill& Melinda Gates Foundation
General Mills Foundation
SV
Presser Foundation
S0G
IETY,
SupportingAugsburg's mission intothefuture
list recognizes those members wh0 have documented planned gifts to Augsburg College during 2008-09, becoming charter members of
the Sven Oftedal Society.
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Anna J. Hanson
L. Beth Buesing Opgrand '45
E. William Anderson'56
Rodney E. and Arlene B. (Selander) Hill
John Peterson+
Keith and Beverly Anderson
Lorna Hoversten
Elìzabeth Anne and Warren Bartz
Sherry Jennings-King
Quentin '50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck
Nancy M. (Joubert) Raymond
Oliver Dahl '45
Clair Johannsen '62
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Gladys Boxrud Strommen
Sally Hough Danìels '79
Laura Kompelien Delavie '92
Paul Kwiecien and Rhonda Kwiecien
Robert '65 and Kay Tyson
Avis Ellìngrod
David W. Lankinen '88
fVìary Loken Veiseth
Duane M. Esterly
Luther and Janice Larson
Beverly Gryth
Al
lVlarvin and Ruth Larson
ice Evenson
Allison M. Everett and Kenneth
Svendsen
H
I
'52 Villwock+ and H.
Robert Villwock
Julie (Gudmestad) and Joe Laudicina
Robert Wagner '02
Rev. John and Grace (Nydahl) Luoma
Dr. Scott J.M. Weber '79
Rev. Terry Frovik
Lyle and Susanne lVìalotky
Ann Garvey
Orval and Bernell Moren
James and Corrìne Hamre
Roger lVì. Nelson
42
Gary Tangwal
Augsburg Now
,-t
c0r{sEcuTtvE ûtvtNG
The following
list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given for 10 or more consecutive fiscal years.
lVlarcellus '54 and Thelma Johnson
Rachel Hendrickson '71 Julian and Bruce Julian
George'46 and Jean Christenson '49 Sverdrup
Jennings '51 and lVìary Schindler '48 Thompson
Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander
Allan Tonn '75
Sharon Dittbenner'65 Klabunde and
Sheldon '49 and Margery Manger'47 Torgerson
Consecutive Giving, 25 !€âts 0r nì0t0:
Ruth Aaskov'53
Harold'47 and Lors Black '47 Ahlbom
Kenneth '61 and lVìarilyn Ellingson '62 Akerman
Charles and Ellora Alliss Educational Foundation
Raymond and lVlargaret Anderson
Jerome Kleven '58
Frances Torstenson
Catherine and Charles Anderson
Lowell '54 and Janice Kleven
Daniel '65 and Alice Anderson
Elsre Ronholm Koivula '49
Margaret Sateren Trautwein '37
Rebecca Helgesen '67 Von Fischer and
Kristin Anderson
Joan Johnson
l. Shelby Gimse Andress '56
Frank'50 and Georgette Lanes'50 Ario
Stanley'57 and Mary Esther Baker
Archie Lalim '5O
George '61 and lVary Larson
Linda Larson '70 and C. jerry Sells
Harris '57 and lVìaryon Lee
lrene Ppedahl Lovaas'45
Roger'57 and Fern lVlackey
lVlarie and Larry McNeff
Paul'70 and Barbara Durkee '71 Mikelson
Spencer'66 and Gay Johnson '66 Minear
Andrew'50 and Barbara Kolden '50 Balerud
Paul '63 and LaVonne Olson '63 Batalden
John Benson'55
Vera Thorson Benzei '45
Jack'49 and LeVerne Berry
Doris Frojen Bretheim '51
Beth Torstenson '66
Richard Klabunde
'53 Kuder and Calvin Kuder
'60
Thomas Von Fischer
Thomas '63 and Gloria Joyce Wadsworth
David and Catherine Wold
20 -24 year s consecutive
Lois Richter '60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson
Charles'63 and Lois Luthard '65 Anderson
Julie Teigland '69 Anderson and Gary Anderson
Ray Anderson '49
Hamar'34 and Wanda Severson '40 Benson
Theodore '51+ and Carolyn Berkland
James'49 and Barbara Ekse'48 Carlson
Jeroy'48 and Lorraine Carlson
Thomas '59 and Ruth Carlsen
Thomas and Lonaine Morgan
Birgit Birkeland '58
Linda Carlstedt '63
Mildred Nelson '52
Mary Twiton
Gloria Burntvedt Nelson '43
John and Carolyn Cain
Carl '59 and Kathleen Aaker'62 Casperson
Paige Nelson '74
David '72 and lVlichelle Karkhoff '72 Christianson
Roselyn Nordaune'77
Wayne '69 and Pamela Bjorklund '69 Carlson
Addell Halverson Dahlen '43
Richard '74 and Nancy Colvin
Laverne lVoe '48 Olson and Paul 0lson
Orville '52 and Yvonne Bagley '52 Olson
Joyce Catlin
'73 Casey and Paul Casey
Lester Dahlen '39
Moen
'59 Bosben and Robert
LeVon Paulson
Bosben
Dinter'52
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
lVlarsha
Fred '60 and Janet Engelmann
Roger
Reynold '41 and lVarian Erickson
Ruth Ann Gjerde Fitzke '67
'68 and Dean 0lson-Strommen
'56 and Janet Ose
Patricia Strecker'64 Pederson and Dean Pederson
John '82 and Joan Moline'83 Evans
Marilyn Pearson '76 Florian and Kenneth Florian
Glen Person '47
Edward Evenson'41
Jerome Formo '37+
Robert'68 and Alice Draheim '68 Peters
Harvey '52 and Joanne Varner '52 Peterson
Rachel Rohde '76 Gilchrist and Chris Gilchrist
Leonard '52 and Anabelle Hanson '51 Dalberg
James Ericksen '69
Alan'67 and lVarilyn Albaugh '67 Gierke
Shirley Larson '51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud
Janet Evenson
Paul and Judy Grauer
David Proctor'63
Raymond '57 and Janice Grinde
Philip '50 and Dora Frojen '49 Quanbeck
James'61 and BettyAnn Redeske
James '68 and Linda Gilbertson '71 Romslo
Olive Ronholm '47
'63 Potratz and Edward
Potratz
Leland '53 and Eunice Fairbanks
Paul '62 and Susan Grover
Sonia Overmoen'62 Gullicks and lVlilton Gullicks
Kenneth '58 and Aldemar Johnson
'57
Hagen
Evelyn Amundson Sonnack '43
Arvin '55 and Twila Halvorson
Herbert '51 and M. Joyce Tallman '52 Hanson
Philip '42 and Ruth Helland
Thomas'57 and Arlene Hofflander
Norman and llene Holen
Allen '64 and Lenice Hoversten
Florence Retrum Hovland'40
Ruth E. Johnson'74 and Philip Quanbeck ll
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz
Wayne Johnson
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
lVyles and Eunice Stenshoel
Duane and Ruth Johnson
Howard'51 and Nouaneta Hjelm
Gladys Boxrud Strommen '46
James '61 and Caroline Holden
Merton '42 and lrene Huglen '42 Strommen
Marvin'49 and Dorothy Quanbeck '48 Johnson
Daniel '70 and lngrid Kloster þ9 Koch
Bradley '63 and Linda Holt
Luther'39 and Helen Strommen
James Kottom '52
Gloria Johnson'51
Grace Kemmer '58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud
Joanne
lVìarlys Ringdahl
'53 Gunderson and
Charles Gunderson
Arlin Gyberg
lVabeth Saure '58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom
Edward+ and Shirley Hansen
Sylvia Kleven Hanson '50
Betty Johnson '58 Haas and Charles Hass
Marjorie Wilberg Hauge '50
Marilyn Peterson
'63
Haus and George Haus
lVartín '59 and Sylvia Sabo
Ruth Schmidt '52
James'54 and Ethel Nordstrom '55 Shiell
Arnold '48 and Carol Skaar
'58
Stiles'58 Laird and David Laird
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correcily.
lf you notice an enot please clntact Kevin Healy at 1-800-2/3-06J7 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
43
l\4artin Larson '80
Robert '56 and lVary Erickson
'58
Lockwood
David '53 and Janice Anderson '54 Rykken
Scott Daniels '82 and lVlarcia Pape-Daniels
Ann Erkkila Dudero '86
Audrey Nagel '51 Sander
'68 and Janice Bell '70 Schmidt
Brent Lofgren'88
Dann Forsberg'80
Gary
Susan Lageson '77 Lundholm and lVlark Lundholm
Joann Koelln Frankena'72
Kevin '78 and Catherine Rosik '00 Shea
Lynn '50 and lVliriam Hoplín
'50 Lundin
'66 Luoma
Ronald '56 and Christine Munson '56 IVlain
Kristin Settergren '86 l\4cGinness and
Gary and Barbara Glasscock
Glen and Anna Skovholt
John '65 and Gracia Nydahl
Alexander'90 and Simone Gonzalez
Allan '53 and Eunice Nystuen '50 Sortland
Robert and Nancy Granrud
Paulette Nelson '67 Speed and John Speed
Lloyd Grinde'56
David '63 and Karen Henry'64 Steenson
Tito Guerrero
Steve McGinness
Donna lVlcLean
Bonnie Johnson
'67 Nelson and Bryce
Nelson
lll
Beverly and Thomas Stratton
Suzanne Overholt'67 Hampe and John Hampe
Dorothy Joy Swanson '51
Jacquelyn Bagley'51 Hanson and Kenneth Hanson
Jelfrey'79 and Melissa Swenson
Karla lVorken '81 Thompson and
Shirley Christensen '75 Nickel and Daniel Nickel
Christopher Haug'79 and Karl Starr
lVìargaret Nelson Foss Nokleberg '48
Carolyn Hawkins
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust
Rodney'62 and Jane Helgeson
Robert '55 and Karin Herman
Rodney'59 and Arlene Selander'59 Hill
Robert Nordin '64
Jonathan Nye
Thomas Thompson
Kenneth
'83 Ogdie and Al Ogdie
Norman '85 and Kim Asleson '84 Okerstrom
W. Donald '34 and Glenda Olsen
Edith Hovey
Glenda and Richard Huston
Rosemary Jacobson '69
IVìary
0lson
Lawrence'69 and Susan Turner
Jeanne lvl Kyllo '69 Wendschuh and
'74 and Linda Bailey '74 Holmen
Leroy Nyhus'52
lVìaren Lecy
Mark'79 and Janelle Tonsager
Ronald Wendschuh
Donald '89 and Melinda Mattox '91 Wichmann
Janet Cooke '59 Tilzewilz and Donald Zilzewilz
Robyn Arnold Zollner
'80
Kinney Johnson '65
James'64 and Rose Parks
Janet Batalden'61 Johnson and
10-14 years consecutive
Eugene'59 and Paula Peterson
Eileen Quanbeck '46
Dennìs'61 Johnson
Morris '52 and Marjorie Danielson '52 Johnson
Ordelle Aaker '46
Norman '59 and Ardelle Skovholt '54 Quanbeck
Luther'68 and Joanne Kendrick
The American Foundation
Paul '59 and Pearl Almquist
Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach
E. fVilton Kleven '46
Scott'76 and Lisa Anderson
Stephen '76 and Karen Reinarz
Carrie Kosek'85 Knott and Gerald Knott
Dean'74 and Janet Nelson '76 Anderson
Judith Sandeen'72
Janet Griffith '83 Sandford and David Sandford
Joyce Opseth Schwartz'45
Ronnie'62 and Karen Scott
Kari Beckman '81 Sorenson and Neil Sorensen
La Vone Studlien '58
lVlillard '52 and Dorothy Knudson
Leif Anderson
Duane and lVìary Alyce Krohnke
Scott Anderson '96
Lois Knutson '62 Larsen and Paul Larsen
lVargaret Anderson
Elizabeth Mortensen '56 Swanson and
Annette and Col. Henry C. Lucksinger, Jr.
LeRoy'52 and Carole Anenson
Bill and Anne McSweeney
Daniel '65 and Mary Tildahl '65 Meyers
Charles '63 and IVlary Jo Arndt
Robert '70 and Sue Midness
Mary Arneson and Dale Hammerschmidt
James '88 and Christine Pieri '88 Arnold
Viclor'42 and Rhoda Miller
Susan Hanson '82 Asmus and Kevin Asmus
Ruth Weltzin '45 Swanson and Edwin Swanson
Andrew Moen '87
Dorothy Bai ley
Norman H. Tallakson Charitable Trust
Alan Montgomery and
Lawrence'52 and Jayne Balzer
James Swanson
Jacqueline'80 and John Teísberg
Janis Thoreson '78
Dennis'58 and Doris Barnaal
Janet Karvonen-lVontgomery
Lawayne
'5i
and D. LaRhea .Johnson
'51
lvìorseth
Arlin Becker '88
'73 Becker and Charles Becker
'50 Berg
Adrian Tinderholt '38
Karl Nestvold'54
Catherine Berglund
Wells Fargo Educational IVatching Gift Program
Norma Noonan
Sidney '57 and Lola Lidstrom
Gunnar+ and Mary Wick
Betsey and Alan Norgard
Robert Wick '81
Robert Odegard '51+
Gertrude Ness Berg'51
Andrew '64 and Jean Amland
Pamela Zagaria
Ruth Pousi Ollila'54
Carolyn Berkland
Gary
'65 and Jean Pfeifer '64 0lson
'65
Berg
Anthony and Kathy Bibus
'65 and Jean Blosberg
15-19 years consecut¡ve
Brian Anderson '82 and Leeann Rock'81
Robert'77 and Katherine Anderson
R. Luther 0lson '56
Jack'62 and Nìna Osberg
John '79 and Rebecca Lundeen '79 Aune
-iohn and Norma Paulson
Dennes'57 and Florence Helland '54 Borman
Richard and Nancy Borstad
Willard Botko
Rosemarie Pace
Gary
Ronald and Anna Marie Austin
Daniel '51 and Lois Pearson
Bruce '64 and Nancy Braaten
The Batalden Advised Fund
Donald Peterson'49
Daniel and lrene Brink
Christine Wacker'87 Bjork and Steven Bjork
Rebecca
'63 and lVavis Bjurlin
Davìd '68 and Lynn Boe
Elizabeth Pushing'93
Quentin '50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck
l\4ichael Burden '85
Barbara Hanson
David Christensen'52
Joyce and Walker Romano
lVlorris
44
Augsburg Now
'88 Pfabe and lVìaurice Higgins
'68 Raymond and David Raymond
Roxanne Raunschnot'82 Buchanan and
Jim Buchanan
Eìnar Cannelin
'38
William Capman
Gregory Carlson '74
'65 MacNally and Thomas MacNally
John and Peggy Cerrito
lrene Shelstad Henjum '52
Marie Haf ie
Herbert'54 and E Corrine Chilstrom
Gregory'61 and Kay Hanenburg'62 Madson
Judith Christensen
Jeff Christenson '82
Rand'82 and Kay Kennedy'82 Henjum
Peter'92 and Becky Hespen
Kristen Hirsch '91 Montag and Paul Montag
Janet Niederloh '58 Christeson and
Sylvia Hjelmeland
Carlos Mariani Rosa
John '70 and Lynn Benson '69 Hjelmeland
Julie Magnuson '61 Marineau and Richard
John Christeson
Raymond lVlakeever
Patrick'72 and Nancy lvlarcy
C. Lee Clarke
iohn'81 and Karen Hofflander
Joseph '53 and Connre Cleary
Dean '57 and Jane Holmes
Donald '60 and Ruth Thorsgard '59 Homme
John '59 and De Anne lVartinsen
James'59 and Joanne Horn
Jon '58 and Judith lVlatala
Elizabeth Horton
Phillip '62 and Karen Tangen '63 lVattison
Lillian and Vernon Maunu
Dana Holmes '81 lVclntyre and Vernon Mclntyre '79
Tara Cesaretti '97 lVlcLeod and Christopher'00
Judith Norman '66 Coppersmith and
Norman Coppersmith
Cheryl Solomonson '89 Crockett and
Marineau
Donald '65 and Delores Hoseth
Larry Crockett
0liver Dahl '45
Kermit '50 and Ruth Hoversten
Tom'72 and Karen Howe
Sally Hough Daniels '79
Rhoda lVonseth
Lois Mackey Davis '58
Mark '88 and lVìarya lVlattson
Laura Bower '91 Cunliffe and Wayne Cunliffe
'59 Huglen and Erling Huglen
'83 Hultgren
Suzanne Doree
Bruce and Jean lnglis
Julie Edstrom '90
Darrell '55 and Helga Egertson
Judy Thompson Eiler '65
Carolyn Ross
Robert '71 and Cheryl Lindroos
'72 Mar|in
lVlcLeod
Meca Sportswear lnc.
Robert '59 and Mary Lundquist '60 Meffert
'89 lsaak and James
lsaak
Joan and Richard lVleierotto
Jeffrey '80 and Jacqui Jarnes
David '68 and Elaine Melby
Thomas '86 and Susan Miller
David '79 and Amy Eitrheim
'63 Johnson and Charles Johnson
Laurel Jones '69 Johnson and Larry Johnson
Bruce '68 and Lois Hallcock '68 Johnson
Daniel'77 and Patricia Eitrheim
Carolyn Johnson '63
Mark 'BB and Tamie lVlorken
Avis Ellingrod
Douglas'66 and Kathryn Wall '66 Johnson
Kari Elsila and lVlichael Buescher
Glen and Marlys Johnson
Rona Quanbeck'48 Emerson and Victor Emerson
Margaret Johnson
Paul '84 and Nancy Mackey '85 lVìueller
Scott '81 and Debra Musselman
Michael Navane
and Lynette Engebretson
Ellen Stenberg Erickson '51
Joan '94 and Mark Johnson
Doris Wilkins
Curtis '84 and Jody Eischens
Dean '68 and Diana Olson
'69 Ersfeld
Martha Johnson
Theodore '68 and lVlichelle Johnson
Duane Esterly'75
L. Cratg'79 and Theresa Serbus
'79
Estrem
'78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow
Jennifer Abeln
'78
Moren
Edor'38 and Dorathy Nelson
Lany '65 and lVarilyn Nelson
Ronald '68 and Mary Kay Nelson
David '64+ and Johnson
lVlark
Ronald '59 and Elizabeth Miskowiec
Jonathan '78 and Bonnie Lamon
E. lrene Lasseson Neseth '38+
Steven '64 and Rebecca '64 Nielsen
John '68 and Martha Fahlberg
Suzanne Kelley'69
Robert '73 and Linda Nilsen
Karen Faulkner
Benjamin and Christine Kent
James '57 and Shirley Norman
William and Anne Frame
James Kerr
Donald '65 and Carolyn Francis
Richard '69 and Cheryl Nelson
lerry'67 and Pauline
North Dakota Community Foundation
'70 King
Linda King '78
Terry'7O and Vicki Nygaard
Edward '54 and Winifred Nystuen '54 Nyhus
Ann Garvey
Marie Gjenvick Knaphus '45+
Richard '69 and Sandra Larson '69 Olmsted
Barbara Gilbert'81
LaRhae Grindal Knatterud '70
Howard and Bettye Olson
Lorraine Vash '67 Gosewisch and David Gosewisch
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Cedric '61 and Marlys Olson
John '66 and Mary Jo Greenfield
Carmela Brown
Cindy Greenwood '05
Joan Kunz
Beverly Halling '55 Oren and Donald '53 Oren
ith '84 and Jean Taylor '85
H. Theodore '76 and Michele Grindal
Steven '81 and Kathy Grinde
Julia Ose'62 Grose and Christopher Grose
Jean Venske '87 Guenther and Stephen Guenther
Richard '72 and Carol Habstritt
Robert'80 and Lori LaFleur
George '50 and Vivian Lanes
Steven 0'Tool '74
Andrea Langeland
Ervin '56 and Sylvia Moe '59 Overlund
Marvin and Ruth Ringstad'53 Larson
Patricia Solum Park'02
Julie Gudmestad '65 and Joseph Laudicina
John '52 and lvlary Peterson '54 Leak
Roger'50 and Donna Wang'52 Leak
Jacqueline Kniefel Lind'69
Patricia and John Parker
James'67 and Laurie Lindell
Dwight '60 and Marion Pederson
Rosemary and Andrew Link
Dale Pederson'70
Arlene and Gene Lopas
Linda Christensen'68 Phillips and Gerald Phillips
Frovik
Roger Griff
Lucille and Roger Hackbart
Shirley and Hansen
John '69 and Barbara Harden
Robert'83 and Lynne Harris
Burton '72 and Rollie Haugen
Lisa Svac Hawks '85
Dawn Hendricks '80
Gerald '59 and lVaxine Hendricks
Olivia Gordon
'84 Kranz and David
Kranz
'62 Lorents and Alden Lorents
Vicki and Daniel 0lson
Russell '63 and Ruth Osterberg
Robert'50 and Ruth Paulson
Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Howard '53 and Vicki Skor'59 Pearson
Leanne Phinney'71 and Mark Schultz
Jack'53 and Darlene Lundberg
James Plumedahl '57
lVlarissa Hutterer Machado '99
Jill Pohtilla
Every effort has been made to ensure that all nanes are included and spelled correctly.
lfyou notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
*
Deceased
Fall
2009
45
lnez Olson '59 Schwarzkopf and Lyall Schwarzkopf
Richard '70 and Linda Seime
Drew'87 and lVìolly Privette
Jerry '83 and Susan Warnes 'BB Quam
lVlark '53 and Jean Raabe
Dick '61 and Jane Thompson
Sue Thompson
'85
Nicolyn Rajala '70 and Bill Vossler
John Rask '71
Frankie and Jole Shackelford
Gordon '52 and Gloria Parizek '53 Thorpe
lVarlys Holm '57 Thorsgaard and Arlen Thorsgaard
Charles Sheaffer
Richard '56 and Darlene Thorud
Paul Rensted'87
John '50 and Norma Shelstad
lVlìchael
James'75 and Jude Ring
David '59 and Arline Ringstad
James'63 and Patricia Steenson '65 Roback
Donavon '52 and Ardis Roberts
Stella Kyllo Rosenquist '64
Chad '93 and lVargaret Shilson
l\4ark and Ann Tranvik
Eugene and Margaret Skibbe
Gordon '57 and Karen Egesdal '61 Trelstad
'72 and Nancy Becker '72 Soli
Joyce Engstrom '70 and Robert Spector
Heidi Wisner '93 Staloch and l\4ark Staloch
Ronald '58 and Naomi Stave
lVìerry Tucker
Earl '68 and Lisbeth Jorgensen '70 Sethre
Alan
Philip Rowberg'41
'85 and Rhonda Riesberg '84 Tjaden
Betty and Paul Tveite
Robert'50 and Dee Ulsaker
Joan Swenson Van Wirt '78
Joan Volz
Richard Sandeen '69
Roger'54 and Bonnie Stockmo
Calvìn '51+ and Bonnie lVlartinson '59 Storley
Mary Mether'69 Sabatke and Bruce Sabatke
'68
Sharon and Stephen Wade
Pauline Sateren
Steven '65 and Chynne Strommen
Rebecca and Michael Waggoner
Carol Watson Saunders'68
Philip '79 and Julia Davis '79 Styrlund
Norman '76 and Kathryn Anderson '76 Wahl
Jan Pedersen '68 Schiff and Tom Schiff
John '69 and Stephanie Johnson '71 Sulzbach
Michael '64 and Carla Quanbeck '64 Walgren
Rodney and Elizabeth Schmidt
Kenneth Svendsen '78 and Allison Everett'78
l\4ichael and Leslie Schock
Stephen '76 and Antoinette Laux'77 Sveom
Lois '76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw
John '49 and Arnhild Werket
Larry '65 and Muriel Berg '67 Scholla
Brian Swedeen '92 and Teni Burnor'92
Heidi Norman '88 Wise and John Wise
Arvid '63 and Lillian Schroeder
Diana Talcott
Edmund '53 and Rose Youngquist
Roger'62 and Jean Schwartz
Barbara and Eugene Thompson
ALUMNI GIVING BY CTASS YEAR
The following
list indicates the percentage of alumni from the traditional day program in each class year who made a gift during 2008-09
Total participation for all class years, 21%.
7934
1935
1936
r937
1938
1939
1940
T94T
40.007"
50.00%
50.00%
62.50y"
64.7'I"/"
25.00%
52.94%
L949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
37.36"/.
1970
24.37"/.
45.83"/"
24.307"
7994
t7.49y"
1981
7982
L8.97"/.
17.44%
1995
1996
7997
1998
1999
70.73%
13.92%
4.23%
9.72%
10a?
18.4I"/"
17.73"/.
17.42y"
13.46"/.
14.34%
15.69%
2004
2005
5.247"
9.45"/.
Lr.48%
7.58%
43.657"
47.75%
46.O9"/"
I97 4
26.42%
38.31%
36.88%
37.97%
40.76%
7975
24.68%
I976
23.5a%
1991
8.70%
2006
4.78%
I977
24.65%
23.92%
t992
70.o7%
993
ro.7t%
2007
2008
5.56y"
3.05%
48.t5%
1961
45.83%
L962
42.86%
1963
Augsburg Now
29.90ï.
46.4O"/o
19.09%
1958
1959
1960
1947
1948
46
37.447"
30.70y.
4L85"/.
34.357"
1979
1980
I957
t946
1944
34.75%
r
r972
r973
1945
1943
35.
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1984
1985
1986
7987
1988
1989
1990
40.63%
48.44%
38.10%
45.65%
48.72%
L942
i0%
L964
47.27%
33.52%
44.53%
50.86%
197
1978
26.IO"/.
25.,ry"
1
1132%
19.I2"/.
t2.20%
2000
2007
8.37%
2002
2003
8.74%
5A3%
alumni news
,fi,
,ì.
Dear valued alumni ancl friends,
s I write this article, we are passing
;! into autumn, and every year this
', brings a palpable sense of nostalgia and ref lection. This year I have been
considering some of the principles and
ideals I learned while a student and at
Augsburg.
As alumni we are all aware of the
another in our closely def ined lives. We belong to chatting commu_
nities, Facebook, MySpace, and thousands of other digital groups,
which could be argued constitute a community.
We cannot deny that technology has grven us the ability to stay
in contact and have more access to informatlon than ever before,
but the question we need to consider is, are we truly following our
duty and responsibllities of our fellowship in humankind?
Each of us will have a different answer to this question, but none
of us can deny that we are living in a time that needs all of us to
themes of vocation, caritas flove), and the duty to be an active part
of our community. These themes were the foundation of the educa_
actively be involved in the world we live. My call to dutyto each of
you, as alumni, is to take some time to rediscover the communities
tion we received from Augsburg and are stillthe foundation for stu-
in which you belong and consider how you can participate and
make a difference. A great place to start is by examining one
community in which you belong: Augsburg College. As a member of
the Augsburg community, a great first step would be to visit the
dents today.
However, my question is, what does each of these tenets mean
to us today, as alumni? Vocation and caritas are def ined without
much difficulty in our lives. We know that through our education
we are able to work in our various fields and through love have last_
ing and def inable relationships with our fellow human beings. But
in our hectic lives, how do we def ine our community?
The notion of community has gone through some interesting
changes over the years. We used to define community by main fac_
tors of geography and/or common goals and ideals. However, this
has evolved over the years with the advancement of digital capabil_
ities and how we communicate. Today we use Twitter, write brief emails, and compose quick text messages to communicate with one
Augsburg Col lege al umn i relations page, www.augsburg.edu/alum
and go to Get lnvolved. There are many opportunities to get
n i,
involved and volunteers are always needed.
I wish you all happy ref lections in this autumn season.
ù'* &*uDANITL HICKLE '95
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Alumni Board
Augsburg Associates
Campus lfitchen at Augsburg
Alumni mentors
Advent Vespers volunteers
GET INVÍ}NE.D
There's a place for youl
Learn more at www.augsburg.edu/alumni
Fall
2009
4l
.:
alumnl news
0ur 'Uniquely Augsburg' faculty add a special touch to alumni events
Have you ever wondered if those
Þ
costumes at the Renaissance Festival are really accurate? Did you
have any idea how the government's
€
stimulus billwould affect you? Ever
considered what it would be like to
see the ltalian countryside through
the eyes of an art historian?
These and many more are the
opportunities you have when
Augsburg faculty join you in the
Uniquely Augsburg alumni events
and programs. While not everyone is able to come to Augsburg's
campus, a number of professors are bringing the Augsburg experience to areas around the Twin Cities, sharing their expertise and
passions, answering questions, and helping interpret policies and
issues into news you can use.
Michael Lansing, assistant professor of history and director of
environmental studies, talked about the value of hands-on learning
in Augsburg's new environmental studies program. He led the Lake
Minnetonka eco-tour cruise in June, describing environmental
issues of the large lake and answering questions about its ecology.
Phillip Adamo (pictured left), associate professor and chair of
the History Department and director of medieval studies, hosted
lunch in Augsburg's tent at the Renaissance Festival and answered
questions about what's real and what's not. He also led a tour
around the grounds, stopping at a 16th-century lrish cottage
replica to give a glimpse of what life was like then.
When Auggies gathered in August for "Auggie Night at the
Races" in Shakopee, accounting professor Stu Stoller kicked off
the night with a presentation on "The Odds of Winning."
The quarterly Eye-Opener Breakfast Series provides alumni professionals an opportunity to start the day with networking and a
talk by an Augsburg academic. ln April, Economics Department
chair Jeanne Boeh spoke about the stimulus package, how it
affected the economy, and what it meant for most people.
The Uniquely Augsburg concept also extends to travel opportunities. The November tour to ltaly was led by art professor Kristin
Anderson, whose passions include the art, archìtecture, history,
and culture of this region.
Uniquely Augsburg alumni events have succeeded in engaging
alumni in great ways to experience an Augsburg education without
coming to campus. Watch for upcoming events in your area; the
next one may be just around the corner.
Keep up on all alúmnì events at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Journey to the Emerald lsle of lreland
à
Join friends from lhe Augsburg College community for an in-depth journey through lreland. Explore centuries of heroic history, visiting
archaeological sites dating lo S,000 BC. Experience the intense rugged
beauty of land carved from the sea, contrasling with the meticulous
gardens of stately castles. D¡scover the spirit of Celtic Christianity at
ancient monaslic communities where Christianity flourished during the
Dark Ages. Celebrate contemp0rary lrish culture with passion-filled
music and food at local pubs.
The tour departs in early 0ctober 2010 and will be hosted by
Augsburg faculty. A detailed tour brochure will be available in December. To receive the brochure, contact Alumni Relations, 6l 2-330-1
1
73
or alumni@augsburg.edu.
Kylemore Abbey, in County ûalway, the oldest ol the lrish Benedictine abbeys,
is one of the sites on the alumni itinerary in 0ctober 2010.
48
Augsburg Now
The Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings
Continuing the Augsburg Choir's
75th anniversary celebration,
Augsburg is proud to announce that
the Augsburg Choir
recordings from 1949-1979 will
CD versions of
Box 3: Sateren Finale
I972-73: An Ascription of Praise; includes Sateren's composition
by the same name
I974-7ú
Day of Pentecosf; includes Sateren's composition by the
same name
soon be available. These re-mastered historical treasures will be
I975-76: And Death Shall Have No Dominion; visiting director
released as The Augsburg Choir
1977-78: Here Comes Our Kingi includes Sateren's composition
legacy Recordings.
by the same name
ldar Karevold
I978-79: Gloria; includes the title piece by
leland
Lars Edlund
B. Sateren '35
Three boxed sets, each containing five CDs, will be produced:
Box 1: From Opseth to Sateren
1949-50: Augsburg Choir, with Henry P. Opseth conducting.
lncludes Jeg er saa glad, Praise to the Lord, and Song of Mary
I95I-52: includes Sateren's Cycle for Christmas and his arrange-
The Augsburg Cho¡r Legacy Recordings
will add to the richness of
the choral tradition of the past, present, and future. Dr. Bill
Halverson '51 has written a monograph about Leland B. Sateren's
life and career that will be included with the recordings. These
ment of The Sun Has Gone Down
1954-55: includes Sateren's Christmas Canticle
1956-57: includes Knut Nystedt's Cry Out and Shout
recordings will also confirm the historical and continued significance of Augsburg College as a place of preparation for service in
community and church.
The Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings will be available early
next year through the Augsburg College Bookstore. For information
196I-62: includes Sateren's His Compassions Fail
on ordering the CDs, go to the Music Department website,
Not
www.augsbu rg.ed u/m usic.
Box 2: Sateren lntermezzo
1964-65: includes music from the European tour, spanning 400
years of music from Corsi and Bach to Jean Berger
1967-68: Praise to God; includes Sateren's Seek
Not
Cost: $49 per boxed set; $135 for all three boxed sets, plus shipping and handling.
Afar for
Beauty
1969-7O: Thy Truth Within; includes Sateren's composition by the
same name
I970-7I: Make a Joyful Noise; includes Sateren's The Poor
and Needy
I97I-72:
The Redeemef includes Sateren's A Choral Cycle
The Redeemer
co8
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Fall
úrr
2009
49
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alumni news
Experience the beauty and culture of Norway
e
JC
\
Join Augsburg's Center
for Leadership Studies
e
for an educatìonal and
cultural tour to Norway,
The tour includes:
r
Five days in Oslo-located on a fjord, surrounded by hills, and
full of the excitement of a large, cosmopolitan city
.
A journey westward by motor coach through Kongsberg, the his-
June 5-15,2010. This
toric Numedal Valley, and Hardangervidda (the mountain
special ly-designed tour
plateau home of large reindeer herds) to stay in a charming traditional hotel in Geilo
includes visits to Oslo,
Kongsberg, Geilo,
o
A famously scenic train ride to the fjord village of Flåm and a
.
Two nights in picturesque and historic Bergen on Norway's
.
west coast
A journey south by motor coach and ferry to Stavanger, designated "European Capital of Culture" for 2008. Stavanger was the
Bergen, and Stavanger.
While in Oslo, the group
will be hosted
Diakon
cruise on the Aurlands and Naeroy Fjords
by
hjemmet
U n
iver-'
sity College, an Augsburg partner school that
maìn departure point for Norwegian immigrants to Amerìca. After
offers a master's degree
ExperiencethespectacularbeautyofNorway's invalue-based leaderfiordswiththeCenterforLeadershipStudies ship.Accommodations
nextlune'
wiil be on or near campus. Faculty from Diakonhjemmet will lead three morning sessions
to complement the travel, providing an inside perspective and an
opportunity to reflect on what is seen and learned.
an overnight stay, the tour departs for home from Stavanger.
Cost: $3799 (includes airfare, accommodations, in-country travel,
entrance fees during group excursions, tour guides, workshops at
Diakonhjemmet, and 15 meals). Space is limited to 26.
For information about the tour and a PowerPoint preview, con-
tact Patty Park at 612-330-1150 or parkp@augsburg.edu.
Welcome home, 0ld Main bell
augsburg
Augsburg's first 0ld Main building opened in 1 8i4, and until it was razed to build
Sverdrup Hall, its bell called the campus communityto meals and events.
This bell has recently come back to Augsburg, and will find a new place and pur-
pose 0n campus. We're planning a story about the bell in the spring issue of Augsburg
I'low,about its history, its travels, and its return home. Scouring our archives, we haven't
been able to learn much about it, or find it pictured in archive photos.
I)o you rememberthis ()ld Main bell? Please help us learn more about
how and when did
it-where
was it located,
it ring? What do you remember about it?
After the bell served its duty in ()ld Main,
il became part of Augsburg student traditions-participating
in sports and other student activities. What do you
remember-tell
us, even anonymously, if you wish!
E-mail information and stories to now@augsburg.edu or call 612-330-1 181. We invite you to become
part of the "rest of the story" about the 0ld Main bell.
50
Augsburg Now
)
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5g-Y[:Aft: ftliüNîoil|-$LAlifi
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ß59,
lyngdal, Walter Lundeen
HflMECOMING 2OOg
{g-YF,Aftj ftlîUNï01,f-$LA$$ ûF 1gõg
Front row (L t0 R): Arlene Uejima, Karl Sneider; Row 2 ([ to R): l{ancy (Rolfe) Rolfe-Bailey, Lynn
(Benson) Hlelmeland, Janice (Hawkins) Halvorson, Kristi Holden; Rows 3,4 combined (L to R):
Roberta (Halseth) clausen, J0an (Halverson) Holt, Diana (0lson) Ersfeld, Ardell (Th0rpe) Bengtson,
Ron Holden; Row 5 (L to R): Greg Clausen, Eunice Helgeson, Judy (Johnson Kangas) Lies, pam
(Fredrickson) Gunderson; Row ô ([ to R): Diane (Helgeson) carter, lois (peterson) Bollman, Julie
(Kreie) Eidsvoog, sue (Halvorson) Bjerkestrand; Row 7 (L to R): sharon (Mielke) Eian, shirley (Swee)
Seutter, Alvina (Strand) Skogen, Linda (Stewart) Miller, larry Turner; Rows B, I combined (l to R):
Jacqueline (Kniefel) [ind, Joel Branes, Daryl Miller, wayne carlson, pamela (Bjorklund) carlson,
25- I FA ft, ftElf$l,i0l,f
gLAf,-: 0f rue+
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laurie (Ofstedal) Frattallone, [aurie ([indell) Miles, Sonja Thompson,
Carmela (Brown) Kranz, Kim (0lsen) Melotte, lisa (Rykken) Kasfler
(L to R)
Richard Fenton; Rows 1 0, 1 1 combined ([ to R): ûlen Peterson, larry Matthews, Bruce Mestemacheç
Mike Essen, Bob Bliss, Gary Boen
Fall
2009
51
ass nOtes
c
FlSheldon
Johnson beean in Sepas interim sJperintend
ent at lVleadow Creek (Minn.)
Christian School. He retired in 2000
after 33 years as superintendent of
the lVlonticello School District, and
has since served four prior stints as
an interim superintendent.
Ult.ro.r.
Richard E. Lund, MD, is a retired
radiologist, living in Edmonds, Wash
He and his wife, Ann, have been
married for 43 years and have five
grandchildren. rlxrad@aol.com
tltSusan
Nelson has been teachlne elementary special education for 23 years in ihe Davenport
(lowa) Community Schools. She
coached lhe 1995 and 1999 World
Games Special Olympics lowa tennis
teams and the 2006 National
Games lowa tennis team.
Uf
l!fllon
Uü.r
Hageseth retired in Sepo.itro m his 27 -year
tenure as co-founder and director of
the Counseling and Testing Center at
the University of Wisconsin-La
Crosse. He plans to pursue photography and woodworking, as well as
play tennis and golf, and volunteer
in the community.
Kathy 0lson entered the contest in
September for an at-large seat on
the Waverly (lowa) City Council. She
retired last year as CUNA Mutual
human resources director and
serves on two non-profit boards in
her community.
FSii;:
i'iåi,' H tilì:t
åi^
David Ctoss works at U N IVAC/
UNISYS Cadence Design Systems.
Robert Strandquist has taught high
school English around the world. He
has been a twolime Fulbright
exchange teacher, a scholar at
Oxford and in lreland, and has run
15 marathons. Now he's "tiredno, re-tired."
[arry Turner has raised a family,
retired from the Burlington Northern
Santa l-e Railway, served22 years in
the Naval Reserve, and now enjoys
opportunities to travel and expand
his photography hobby.
]
!
(Johnson) Sullivan
llSharon Ann
lJreceived the "Excellence in
Jacqueline (Kniefel) l¡nd'94 MAt
works at the Airport Foundation
MSP to recruit, train, and recognize
300 volunteers for Travelers Assistance. She completed her Master of
Arts in Leadership degree at Augsburg and has served as Augsburg's
Alumni Board president.
52
Jill (Beck) Burch works at Accenture
Kay (Peterson) Sauck is president
and CEO of Sauck Media Group, a
publishing company that she
founded in 2009 in Fairmont, lVlinn
She launched Womeninc magaÀne
in 2004. ln 2008, after a series of
personal tragedies, she started
Midwest Caregìver, which has now
become Caregiving in Ameñca.
Coming in spring 2010 is a third
publication called MN Rivers.
Bank.
at Best Buy.
Shari Kay (Hackbarth) Hunter completed an MBA at the Unìversity of
St. Thomas and works at Provincial
Karen Jensen works for the State of
Minnesota. After graduation she
look an Oulward Bound course,
found a passion for outdoor adventure, and has paddled around the
world. Five years ago, she lost her
husband, Jim Rada, when he died
while paddling a whitewater river.
Teaching Award" from the California
Council for Adult Education. She is a
kay@sauckmed ia.com
metropolitan ad ult education
¡nstructor at Hope Services, San
Jose, Calif., where she teaches life
skills to over 150 adults who are
developmentally disabled.
O,4ì Mary
Saturday evening lazz
show, Corner Jazz, on KBEM Radio,
after working for 12 years at Minnesota Public Radio.
't
f
(}rjworkshop in music therapy,
lJane (Catlin) Bracken, a firstlgraOe teacher at Cannon Falls
(Minn.) Elementary School, was
selected by her peers as the elementary Teacher of the Year in
Ann Sullivan began host-
Ctl,tnea
Q 2Xt]l
luedtke-Smith organized
a
"lVlusical Play: Learning through
Music," at the Fraser School last
February.
T flJanice Nelson is a new memt l,nu, of the board of directors ot
Southwest lnitiative Foundation in
Hutchinson, Minn. She is an attorney with the law firm of Nelson Oyen
Torvik in lVlontevideo, IVlinn., and
works with real estate, estate planning, elder law, and probate.
Lisa (Rykken) Kastler is program
executive at Youth Encounter and
oversees national and international
traveling ministry teams and weekend events. She has enjoyed opportunities to use her theatre studies in
youth minislry.
Kim Marie 0lsen taught elementary
and middle school and served as
a youth minister. Her husband
retired from active duty in the U.S.
Navy, and they are now settled in
Wisconsin.
Ja nuary.
@'/f-Wanda (Hemphill) Borman has
O¡Þworked, traveled to Europe
and Asia, and ¡s an instructor in the
Eagan Art House and manager of
the Eagan Ad Festival.
Liz (Peterson) Sheahan has worked
at Ministry Home Care, Inc., where
she has created Telly-award-winning
videos on home healLh and hospice
care used in fundraising.
(Strommen) Johnson is
J9'ùco-chairing
f,Andrea
Paul
St.
Children's
Hospital Association's CHAnging
Lives 60th Annual Ball. Proceeds
from the November 21 benefit go to
Children's Hospitals and Clinics of
M in
Kristi (Sanford) Goetsch enjoyed a
wonderful 30-year career in the
Seattle Public Schools from 19691999. Since then she has been
doing volunteer work with the elcierly
and teaching Sunday School.
management consulting firm,
Drakulic & Associates, which currently contracts in the operations
and development areas w¡th Hope
Chest for Breast Cancer.
t
f
nesota.
ÊRev. David Halaas was called
Uìo ,.ru.
as senior pastor at
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Williston, N.D.
Church of Christ and Nerstrand
(Minn.) United lVlethodist Church
A group of Auggies from the late 1970s found an occasion to get
together for dinner in Minneapolis last April.
Front row, L to R: Laura (Berg) Nelson '79, Steve Nelson'78, Steve
Wehrenberg'78, Sue (Johnson) Wehrenberg'79, Pam (Hanson) Moksnes
last summer.
'79, Lynn Schmidtke'79; Back row, Llo R: Steve Pheneger, LuAnn
(Johnson) Drakulic spent
$Sue
{22years working at Honeywell, and then left to run her own
Pheneger, Mark Moksnes'79, Tim Gordon'80, Ga¡l (Wagner) Gordon'80,
Karin (Larson) Monson, Greg Monson'79 (in back), Susan Streed
McNaughton, Bill Voedisch. Laurie (Carlson) Voedisch, Chris Geason '78,
Julie (Edson) Geason'79
7 8::'3f,:iii:i:l j;i1Ï,ïñ:;
J
I
Augsburg Now
)
rr
.þ
è
þ
q
Adrienne (Kuchler) Eldridge
Jason, welcomed a son, Hudson lsaiah, on
June 12. She is the program and
lff,¡
V-3.and her husband,
ø
organizational manager at the First
Lutheran Church and Bay Lake
q
Camp. aeke@hotmail.com
Q.flSven
9l.his
OEllir¡am Zien Edgar and Scott Edgar were married on July 5 in St. Louis
U UPark, Minn. Auggies in the wedding party included Molly Rivets'06,
Erlandson has published
fourlh book, Badass
Alia Sheirman'08, Laya Theberge'06, Dayle Vanderleest'04, Peter lindemann
'04, and Karley Kielty'07. Music professors Robert Stacke'71 and Ned Kantor played in the klezmer/jazz band. Miriam is orchestra director at J.F.
Kennedy High School in Bloomrngton, and Scott is completing his master's
degree in counseling and psychological services at St. Mary's University of
Jesus: The Serious Athlete and a
Life of Noble Purpose. Written for
"the most ¡ntense, focused, and
fiercest athletes," the book is rooted
in "Jesus' First and Greatest Commandment and his personal ethos
of radical other-centered love."
Minnesota.
Natasha Hamann is a family medicine physician at Allina Medical
Clinic in Buffalo, lVinn.
flfi.Sarah Huerta'06 MBA and
her
U Uhusband, C¡aig'09, wel-
comed theìr second child, Connor
Brian, on April 24. He joins big
brofher Brady,2-112.
(l
ÇAllison
(Cornell) and Matt
llUBroughton'06 were married
in
a small ceremony on June 27 . f he
couple lives in Hanover, N.H.,
where Malt is a graduate student in
physics at Dartmouth College and
Allison works for the Dartmouth
Medical School Development Offìce.
The photo was taken by Ryan
Bethke'09,
fì
Roper-Batker is the presiÚÚoent uÅo cro of the women's
Foundation of lVinnesota, which she
has served since 2001. She received
a diploma from the Higher Trade
Union College in lVloscow, where she
studied trade union movements.
flLee
Bethany Buchanan married
Micheal Scott, a high
school special education teacher, in
June 2008. A year later they started
Grace Homes-Williston House, a
residential care home for seniors in
lVlinnetonka. After working as a
O.tì
rll.Charles
social worker, Bethany graduated
from nursing school in 2001, and
worked at Fairview University Medical Center and Methodist Hospital
as a medical-surgical nurse prior to
opening the care home. ln 2003,
2004, and 2005 she did month-long
medical mission tours in Nigeria.
Tracy (Glumich) Hovland and her
husband, Erik, have a six-month-old
daughter, Ava.
June (Kirk) Nelson returned to West
Africa 15 months ago, where she
works at the Hopital Protestante in
Ngaoundere, Cameroon, a mission
hospital that trains Christian African
physicians to become surgeons.
Megan Renze has been in Florida for
10 years. She completed her Juris
Doctor degree at the University of
Miami Law School.
O OAaron
Shatol Tyra received a Star Award
2008 from the lVlinnesota Organization of Leaders in Nursing (N/l0LN)
in recognition of her commitment to
volunteering and dedication to influencing health care by advancing
professional nursrng leadership, particularly with the Metro Alliance Education and Service Collaborative for
Expanded Enrollment of Baccalaureate Nurses.
Petrasek married David
Alan Hurley on Oct. 28, 2008,
in Van Nuys, Calif. Paul works at
FedEx and David Alan works at the
VA Medical Center. They traveled to
Disneyland for a honeymoon and
Gabriel directed the
lJ
lJregional premiere of How Can
You Run with a Shell on Your Back
at the Stages Theatre in Hopkins,
lVlinn., in lVlarch. The musical won a
regional Tony award following its premiere in Chicago last year.
Chiho Okuizumi is program coordina-
tor at VH1 Save the lVlusic Foundation in New York City, which provides
access to instrumental music education to children in more than 1,600
public schools across the U.S.
OTPaul
r'l I
live in Avon, Calif.
Q$toucin da
(0lson) Bjorklund
rJ.rJ-works at Vascular Solutions,
I
nc.
employed at the time of her wedding
at Appleton Cardiology Associates in
Appleton, Wis., as a physician assistant. Kevin is a high school math
teacher and head track coach at
Clintonville High School.
Marcy received his MBA
the Carlson School of
Management, University of Minnesota, in 2008 and accepted a promotion to senior internal auditor at
Valspar in Minneapolis. He travels
fl
2Max
U úfrom
widely doing internal audits, including the U.S., Europe, and China. ln
2OO4 he married his wife, Jessica, in
a Celtic mass held in Syracuse, N.Y.
They live in lVinneapolis with their
Persian cat, Eleanor Rigby.
fddam Nugent and Carolina
U T(Chiesa) are living in College
fi
Station, Texas. Adam is studying for
a lVlaster of Landscape Architecture
degree at Texas A&M, and Carolina
is teaching at South Knoll Elementary School.
Bourn works as a promanager with youth
service agencies and the Minneapolis Public Schools on the North Side.
He has run for the Minneapolis Park
and Recreation Board to keep parks
on the North Side safe and pro-
O FBrad
tlilgram
and has moved to Los Angeles.
grammed. He has received the Presidential Service Award for his work
with youth.
(l{¡
(l'fleremy
fl lEm¡ly Nugent'07 MA[, '09 MBA
lJ lis engaged to Nick Loiacano
Jennifer Langman married
Reese in Cameron, Wis.,
on August 9, 2008. Jennifer earned
a master's degree in health science
from Duke University and was
U-LKevin
Anderson adapted one
of his poems into a l0-minute
play, "Jones'n," which was produced
as part of the Bedlam Theatre's TenMinute Play Festival in May.
Uf
Fall
2009
53
prof ile
A Colombian Auggie in
Europe-
Paola Murcia '99
s
,1
È
How did a Latin American Auggie from Colombia end up in
Belgium via Minneapolis and Costa Rica?
Paola lVurcìa has lived in Antwerp, Belgium, for three years
now, working for Dole Fresh Fruit as the banana allocation
assistant for Europe. ln this role, she is the contact person
between the European market for Dole bananas and the production in Latin America.
This journey began in the mid-1990s when another Auggie
from Colombia introduced Paola to Eloisa Echavez, then the
director of Augsburg's Hispanic/Latino Student Services.
Echavez met with Paola's parents when she traveled in
Colombia, and they agreed to Paola's going to Augsburg.
She studied international relations, political science, and
Apart from her work, Paola Murcia '99 enjoys traveling in Europe and had a great view
ol the Thames in London from the london Eye ferris wheel.
French, and graduated in 1999. A year later, she took a posi-
tion in San José, Costa Rica, with Dole, and over the next six
years she was continually promoted and grew in the company
about those subjects," Paola says, "and it's important when
you live abroad that you try to blend in as much as possible.
toward the appointment in Dole's European division.
Also, to be open-minded!"
Shortly after arriving in Belgium, Paola ref lected on how she
felt Augsburg had provided a foundation for this new
When Paola arrived in Europe, for the first time she found
herself in a place where she didn't understand anything at all.
experience.
ln Antwerp, although most people speak English, the language
is Dutch (Flemish). But, since Belgium's off icial languages are
Dutch, German, and French, she could use her French from
Augsburg and fully appreciated the efforts of professor Pary
Pezechkian, who pushed her to master it.
As of now, Paola plans to stay in Europe, working in the
international f ield. She has studied Dutch and is striving to
"l have used what was learned in political
science and international relations to be the professional and the person I have
become," Paola wrote. "As Professor Norma Noonan puts it
better than I could, [she wrote to me,] 'You are living international relations, which is even better than merely studying ìt!
You are living the multicultural experiences that you have had
in all the countries through which you have passed."'
Paola would encourage current students to pay a lot of
attention to history and geography, as well as language.
"There is still an ìmage that Americans don't know much
perfect her French and German. She is also now accustomed to
the continental European winter, and she credits her years in
Minnesota for preparing her for this, as well.
BEÏSTY NORGARD
Shannon Olson works as a marketing
associate within a new type of teaming structure at Thrivent Financial
for Lutherans, called Professional
Office Practìces (POP).
0uincy Osborn joined the athletic
staf f at Ohio University as an assislanI coach in wrestling, after serving
in the same position for Augsburg's
wrestling team.
at an outdoor ceremony along the
Mississìppi River and drove to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon.
Daniel Manley is a police officer in
Glen Ridge, N.J. and saved the life
of a choking baby on the second day
on his job after having recently completed police academy training.
Alia Scheirman began her service in
the Peace Corps in Ukraine al the
fl QTasha Christensen married
l, [tNikolaus Browne on June l3
54
Augsburg Now
end of September.
fi
$Abigail Ferjak, with a major in
U üyoulh and
family ministry, is
beglnning study at Yale Divinity
Graduate College and wants to
explore the possibility of teaching in
a college setting.
Matthew Tonsager has joined the
Elm Creek Associates of Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans as a financial
associate with the organization's
Central l\4innesola Regional [inancial Office.
Of;ATUATI PfiO$f;AMIì
Jeff Falkingham '95 MAL received
favorable reviews from the Sherlock
Holmes Society of London for his
second novel, Sherlock Holmes: In
Search of the Source, released on
January 6, the 155th birthday of
Holmes, The historical f¡ction ¡s set
in l896 in Sl. P¿ul. Read Lhe review
at www.sherlockhol mes.org. u k/pdf/
DM290.pdf.
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 photosl
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary, funeral notice,
0f program from a memorral service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to: Augsburg
llow
Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 14È,2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55454, or e-mail alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news at
www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
ln Memoriam
[arson, Gertrude (Amundson)'35,
Denver, Colo., age 100, on Aug. 3.
Dahl, Jeffrey'74, Cottonwood,
Minn., age 56, on Sept.30.
Street address
Pautz, Richard'37, Minneapolis,
age 96, on July 4. Former athletic
director, director of public rela-
Treichel, Scott G.'76, Webster, Wis.,
age 55, on July 31.
City, State, Zip
tions, Augsburg regent emeritus,
and 7972 Distinguished Alumnus.
Ahlberg, Ruth C. '¿14, Chesterton,
Ind., age BB, on Aug. 25.
Johnson, Edwin 0. '44, Minneapolis,
age BB, on Aug. 16.
larsen, Marguerite (Greguson)'45,
Carlton, Minn., age 86, on July 4.
Strand, Carl '46, Owatonna, Minn.,
age 87 , on Aug. 12.
Wessman, Rev. Willis'48, Topeka,
Kan., age BB, on July 26.
ls this a new address?
O Yes D
No
Olsen, Daniel ,1. '78, Apple Valley,
IVinn., age 53, on May 4.
Mason, WilmaÆom-Ba-Equay (Windy
Woman) '81, Bemidji, Minn., age
61, on Sept.10.
Home telephone
E-mail
Ballot, Sarah (Carlson) '98, Minneapolis, age 33, in early July, in
an auto acc¡dent.
Okayto publishyoure-mail address?
Allegrezza, Genevieve'04, Anchorage, Alaska, age28, on Aug.3.
Employer
Johnston, Hannah (Bratzel)'07, St.
Paul Park, lVinn., age 27, on June
25, of cancer.
Position
OYes trNo
Work telephone
Garstenbrock, Walter '49, Austin,
Minn., age 86, on July 7.
Brown, Orpha (Grimsrud) '50,
Wick, Cheryl '11 PA, Rochester,
IVìinn., age 25, on July 25, of cardiac arrhythmia.
Phoenix, Ariz., and Portland, Ore.,
Druck, Rachel
age 80, on July 27.
Oct.17.
'12, age 23,
[alim, Archie'50, lVladison, Conn.,
age 80, on Aug. 9. 1990 Distin-
Sulzen, Zoya'12, Minneapolis, at
the end of July.
ls spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? O Yes
tr
No
lf yes, class year
on
Spouse's name
guished Alumnus.
Berkland, Rev. Theodore'51,'54
Sem, Grantsburg, Wis., age 80, on
June 20 of multiple myeloma.
Sortland, Rev. Howard'51, Plymouth, Minn., age 86, on Aug. 3.
Balerud, Paul'54, North Platte,
Neb., age 79, on Aug. 5.
Nelson, Judith (0lson) '65, Shell
Knob, lVlo., age 66, on Aug. 29.
Jones-Hermerding, Ertwin'69, Otter
Anderson, Margaret (Klinner), Edina,
Minn., age 86, on June 19, She
lVlaiden name
Your news:
taught home economics at Augsburg and was the widow of Ernie
Anderson'37.
Pedersen, Myrtle Edith, Hudson,
Wis., age 100, on Aug. 12.
Wrightsman, Rev. Bruce, Garnavillo,
lowa, age 75, on Oct. 4, of heart
failure and amyloidosis. He taught
in the Department of Religion and
Philosophy,1960-63.
O
I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
Tail, Minn., age62, on Aug. 11, in
a motorcycle accident. 2003 Distinguished Alumnus.
Fall
2009
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To see
other photos of Auggie Eagle around
campus during the week of Homecoming,
go to www.augsburg.edu/now
What will Auggie do next?
As part of the Homecoming celebration, Auggie (or a paper
cutout of Auggie from the Homecoming brochure) wandered
around campus and had his photo taken for the online photo
of the week. Here Auggie is studying sociology in the library.
Show less
AUGSBURG NOW
SPRING 2009
VOL. 71, NO. 2
inside
auggies
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Photo
Years
of Life-Changing
contest winners Augsburg Choir, 75 years
Twin sisters, twin dreams Core to compost
Travel
How green is Augsburg? Studying sustainability
page
20 the neig... Show more
AUGSBURG NOW
SPRING 2009
VOL. 71, NO. 2
inside
auggies
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Photo
Years
of Life-Changing
contest winners Augsburg Choir, 75 years
Twin sisters, twin dreams Core to compost
Travel
How green is Augsburg? Studying sustainability
page
20 the neighborhood youth Green planning
Feeding
go
green
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
notes
from President Pribbenow
Generosity and Sustainability
t
his issue of the Augsburg Now offers many
inspiring stories of ways in which our community is learning about and practicing what
it means to live sustainable lives in the city.
I’ve been thinking a good bit lately about why the
Augsburg community has made such great progress
in living out its commitment to urban sustainability,
and I’ve found myself exploring the meaning of the
original motto for Augsburg Theological Seminary
and College, the bold claim found in John 1:14:
“And the Word became flesh.” I’m struck by how
this scriptural promise is both a statement of generosity and of sustainability. Augsburg College practices generosity most authentically when it lives as
the Word made flesh—sustainable, present, rooted,
of service, and faithful.
My teacher, Martin Marty, taught me that colleges
are indigenous communities—that is, they are native
to a particular place, a particular environment, a particular set of values, and practices that define the
institution—and that means something for the way
they live their lives.
What does it mean to think about Augsburg
College as an indigenous community? What does it
mean that the Word has become flesh and lived
among us here?
I lift up for our attention three simple aspects of
Augsburg’s identity—ways in which the Word becomes flesh here and the values we seek to sustain:
• The central focus of our identity is that wherever
Augsburg College is found—here in this neighborhood, in the city, in Rochester, or around the
world—our most authentic work is learning and
teaching. And the wonder of learning is that it involves acts of generosity and sustainability in its
every detail—from teachers who teach what they
love; to students who seek to learn out of curiosity
and passion; to texts that bear the wisdom of the
ages for our reflection; to conversations that help
us pay attention to the Word, to each other, and to
the world; to practices and commitments that help
sustain our environment.
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza ’05 MAL
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Editorial
Wendi Wheeler ’06
wheelerw@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski ’08
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Webmaster/Now Online
Bryan Barnes
barnesb@augsburg.edu
Director of News and
Media Services
• A second aspect of our identity is the way in
which this city, a particular place—much different
now than in 1869—is still a place that demands our
attention and respect and concern. Democracy still
is practiced in this place with our neighbors. Education still happens in this place with learners and
teachers all around us. Engagement and service still
are at the center of our lives with each other in this
place. Sustaining this urban place, this urban environment, is an act of generosity—for our diverse
neighbors, for our diverse selves, for the whole of
creation, now and into the future.
Jeff Shelman
shelman@augsburg.edu
• The final aspect of our identity is our firm grounding in the Christian faith—a confident faith that
frees us to learn, to live, to practice hospitality with
all of our neighbors, to be a force for good in the
world, to affirm our calling as people of faith and a
college of the church, to be God’s people in this
place, and to know that grace and truth abound
where the Word becomes flesh.
www.augsburg.edu
I celebrate the generosity that is Augsburg’s faithful
work in the world—the Word made flesh here, each
and every day. I celebrate the sustainability of our indigenous character, our indigenous work, and our indigenous place. And I recall the concluding words of
John 1:14 that remind us that the Word made flesh
is “full of grace and truth.” Oh, how the world needs
a Word of grace and truth. And here it is!
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President of
Marketing and Communication
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni and
Constituent Relations
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
CB 142
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
spring 2009
Features
6
10
12
Augsburg Choir - celebrating 75 years
by Betsey Norgard
16
30
Twin sisters, twin dreams
by Jean Spielman Housh
International Programs Photo Contest
14
20
23
auggies
go green
16 Toward a more sustainable Augsburg
by Betsey Norgard
contents
19 How green is Augsburg?
26
augsburg now
20 Environmental connections: Green starts here
by Jeff Shelman
23 Studying sustainability
by Wendi Wheeler ’06
26 Green Planning
28 Core to compost
Photos and text by Stephen Geffre
30 Feeding the neighborhood youth
by Wendi Wheeler ’06
32 How green is our magazine?
Departments
2
4
5
8
33
36
40
Around the Quad
Auggies on the ice
Auggie voices
It takes an Auggie
Alumni news
Class notes
My Auggie experience
On the cover
We celebrate in this issue all the commitments, changes, and
progress that Augsburg has embraced in learning how to be a
more sustainable college in the city.
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
around the
quad
Augsburg receives Carnegie classification
Augsburg was recently selected by the Carnegie Foundation as
one of 119 colleges and universities in the nation to receive the
classification for Community Engagement. This affirms that the
school has institutionalized community engagement in its identity, culture, and commitments. It also affirms that the practices
of community engagement are aligned with the institution’s identity and form an integral component of the institutional culture.
The classification has three categories—curricular engagement, outreach and partnerships, and a category for both engagement and outreach—and Augsburg received the latter,
comprehensive classification.
In a letter to Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow, Jim
Scheibel, executive director of the Minnesota Campus Compact,
congratulated the College on this recognition. Scheibel wrote, “As
a country that faces an economic crisis, and as a community that
witnesses division and strife across the globe, we need students,
faculty, and campuses that are fully engaged. This recognition
says you are doing your part and acknowledges that you are serious about fulfilling the mission of the College.”
Augsburg has included “student engagement” as one of nine
specific academic goals for the institution. The Augsburg Experience signature curriculum requirement encourages direct involvement with people and organizations external to the College,
All first-year students spend an afternoon during September Auggie Days working on
community projects—painting, gardening, cleaning up, or whatever needs doing in the
neighborhood with Augsburg’s community partners.
first-hand discovery and application of knowledge, self-awareness
through reflective and critical thinking, and exploration of what
one is called to do in the world.
Augsburg is a committed partner to particular nonprofit and
educational groups within the nearby urban neighborhoods, including Cedar-Riverside, Seward, and Phillips.
In addition, the College has instituted programs and policies
that support community engagement for the campus community.
All staff members receive two days of paid leave time for community service.
A note to the editor
“I found the ‘Lights, camera, and action’ feature in the fall 2008 Augsburg
Now very interesting. This photograph was taken in the Augsburg Art Studio in the early 1970s during a session of a hands-on class teaching 16mm
filmmaking with synchronized sound. As a student from 1965-1970, I had a
work-study job showing films and doing photography working for Robert
Zeller, who at that time was director of instructional services. He is the
first person whom I recall to have taught a course in film studies at
Augsburg. Warren Hanson, John Mitchell, and Larry Glenn (left to right in
the photo) were all students in the course taught by local filmmaker Paul
Rusten. Warren was a registered student. As John was a faculty member
and I was director of the audio-visual center, we were invited to participate in the class without receiving credit.”
LARRY GLENN ’70
2
Augsburg Now
Brian Krohn—Augsburg’s first Rhodes Scholar
Brian Krohn ’08 arrived at Augsburg with plans of being a film major and eventually became a chemistry
student. In November he was selected as a Rhodes Scholar—Augsburg’s first.
Krohn, a native of Cloquet, Minn., was one of 769 initial U.S. applicants from 207 colleges and universities for this year’s Rhodes Scholars. After making it through an interview process and being selected,
Krohn became one of 32 Americans who will study at Oxford University beginning in fall 2009. There, Krohn
will focus on environmental change and management in order to combine public policy expertise with the
scientific knowledge he has gained at Augsburg.
In the summer of 2006, Krohn began research into new ways to produce biodiesel fuel. He acknowledges that he didn’t really expect to break any new ground, but he wanted to give it a shot.
The combination of Krohn’s research, the teaching of chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg, and
Augsburg alum Clayton McNeff led to the discovery of the Mcgyan Process to produce
biodiesel in a cleaner and more environmentally friendly way.
“For me, Brian’s work on the biodiesel project is a great liberal arts story,”
President Paul C. Pribbenow said. “There’s a connection between a student with a
question, a faculty member, and an alum. They work on a problem and come out with
a response that, in this case, is pretty groundbreaking.
“Brian stands for the well-rounded education that we provide for all of our
students. We’re proud of him and proud that his Augsburg education prepared
him,” Pribbenow continued.
In addition to his work with biodiesel, Krohn is a Goldwater Scholar who was
a founder of the Honors Review, a new journal for student scholarship at
Augsburg. He organized the inaugural Agre Challenge, an event in which teams
were challenged to build a catapult to fling a 20-pound sandbag various distances.
Diane Pike receives the Stewart Bellman Award
Diane Pike, director of the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) and professor of
sociology, is the 2008 recipient of the Stewart Bellman Award for Exemplary Leadership from The Collaboration for the Advancement of College Teaching and Learning.
She was honored in November at The Collaboration’s annual conference.
For more than 25 years at Augsburg, Pike has been recognized for her excellence
as a classroom teacher and as a role model for other faculty members, in large part
due to her ongoing leadership in faculty development workshops, consulting, and summer institutes, and her avid attention to the research literature on the scholarship of
teaching and learning.
Pike’s accomplishments at Augsburg have included re-envisioning the work of the
Committee on Faculty Development, integrating activities for faculty and professional
staff members, and creating dedicated space for student learning and CTL in Lindell
Library. Most notably, however, has been her leadership in the creation of the new
AugCore general education program—guiding the design team work and faculty collaboratives on specific issues, as well as securing a Bush Foundation grant for implementation and work on the course evaluation project. She is the incoming president of the
Midwest Sociological Society.
Spring 2009
3
Auggies on the ice
Tiffany Magnuson—
a star on ice and on the field
If it weren’t for finding cheap hockey skates at a tent sale,
Tiffany Magnuson’s athletic career might have been quite
different than it is today.
“My dad didn’t want me playing hockey. They bought me
figure skates, because my dad didn’t want me messed up
with the hockey guys,” said Magnuson, whose father is a
hockey coach in their hometown of Green Bay, Wis. “They
bought the figure skates for me, and I couldn’t skate in them
because of the toe pick. But my dad always said that I had a
natural hockey stride, and I kept telling him that I wanted
black skates.”
So Magnuson’s mom found her a pair of black skates—
hockey skates.
“My mom always said, ‘Wal-Mart started your career,’
because they had a tent sale at Wal-Mart on hockey skates,”
Magnuson said.
A senior, Magnuson has excelled at two sports during her
Auggie career—hockey and softball—and will leave Augsburg
as one of the top all-around female athletes in school history.
Magnuson finished her hockey career as the school’s second
leading goal-scorer and No. 3 point-producer. She was a
four-time All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
selection.
In softball, Magnuson played three positions—second
base, first base, and pitcher—during last season’s run to the
MIAC playoffs for the first time in program history. A threetime All-MIAC selection, she enters this season with a .379
career batting average as the Auggies leadoff hitter.
Magnuson, a finance major and accounting minor, was recruited to play hockey at Augsburg and she said she chose
Augsburg because it was a small school in a large city. Being
active in back-to-back sports has helped her learn to manage
her time.
“Sports have taught me about leadership, being committed and competitive, about interacting with others, and having to all come together for a goal,” said Magnuson, who
wants to work on the business side of a sports team. “It’s a
family [atmosphere], and for me being away from my family,
it helps me with my life. That’s what I like about Augsburg,
the close-knit atmosphere.”
DON STONER
4
Augsburg Now
auggie voices
Engaging in the big questions
The Lilly Scholars seminar is a place where students can feel
comfortable talking about the big questions in life. Questions
like, Is Christianity the only true religion? What does it mean to
forgive someone? What is God calling me to do?
For Mark Tranvik, associate professor of religion and director of
the Lilly grant program, the seminar is the heart of the year-long
program designed for juniors and seniors who are considering
seminary or graduate study in theology or sacred arts. Once a
month they meet to discuss assigned texts, engage with guest
speakers, and reflect on biblical passages or issues in the
Christian tradition.
Each year, 10 or 11 Lilly Scholars, who receive a $2,100
scholarship, are selected from more than twice that number.
Among the current scholars, the average GPA is 3.75. In addition
to the seminar, Lilly Scholars visit Luther Seminary and can take
courses there.
“There is an ongoing hunger in the intellectual community for
genuine theological conversation among students that the Lilly
Scholar program honors,” says Tranvik, who is also an ordained
minister in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Creating
a comfortable place for these critical conversations is his goal.
And, he adds, “doubters are welcomed.”
Jenni Pickford, a philosophy and religion major, finds the seminar most valuable for “the openmindedness I’ve gained from
hearing about views that differ from my own.” What she appreciates is that “there are other students out there who are interested
in more than just a grade and do this for the love of learning.”
“The greatest impact for me is the group friendship and discussions that carry throughout other classes,” says religion major
Denise Shuck, a Weekend College senior who is planning to enter
Luther Seminary. “I have a great appreciation for the diversity of
opinions about the topics we’ve discussed.”
Abby Ferjak, a senior, finds it easy to integrate what she does
in the Lilly Scholars program to her youth and family ministry
classes. “It’s important for youth to understand that vocation is
not simply what one might do as a career; but rather, that everyone has many vocations, and [that] they don’t have to wait to fulfill their vocation.”
And that’s exactly what the Lilly Endowment hopes to hear.
Their goal for funding programs in church-related, liberal arts colleges that explore vocation is to nurture a new generation of voca-
In their monthly seminar, Professor Mark Tranvik (above, in blue shirt) seeks to
create a comfortable atmosphere for the Lilly Scholars to discuss and explore
vocation. (L to R) Denise Shuck, Leah Jarvi, Tranvik, Cody Oaks, Allison Streed,
Alexander Garver, Abigail Ferjak, Natalie Sasseville, and Ashley Weston.
tionally-guided leaders—both pastoral and lay—for church congregations. Lilly Scholars are one part of Augsburg’s $2 million
grant program, Exploring Our Gifts, that began in 2002 and is
directed by Tranvik.
Over its six years, Lilly Scholars have included a mix of
younger and older students and have cut across disciplines, for
example, among science and social work majors seeking ways to
combine faith life with their fields.
Last year four Lilly Scholars continued to Luther Seminary (all
with full scholarships), two chose law school, one entered the
Lutheran Volunteer Corps, one is in congregational youth ministry,
and one began graduate study in social work. About half of all
Lilly Scholars have entered seminary.
During their year as Lilly Scholars, the students serve as role
models within the larger community. They develop a portfolio, reflecting on vocation and what they carry with them from the year.
Cody Oaks, a current Lilly Scholar, finds inspiration in
Tranvik’s ability to merge the pastoral with the academic. “He
provides the model of a pastor-scholar I would like to embody in
my own work and call to teach,” Oaks says. He will enter
Princeton Theological Seminary this summer and begin to seek
ordination in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.).
Kyle Zvejnicks, a 2006-07 Lilly Scholar, reflected on community. “The seminar has reminded me of the importance of community in vocation, namely that we need each other. … Just as
much, we don’t come with the same vocation for everyone, but
each with their own, and not for themselves but for others.”
To learn more about Exploring Our Gifts, go to
www.augsburg.edu/lilly.
BETSEY NORGARD
Spring
Fall 2008
2009
5
The Augsburg Choir—
celebrating 75 years
This academic year, the Augsburg Choir celebrates 75 years—a
choral tradition of distinction and excellence.
The Augsburg Choir was founded in 1933, when the Men’s
Glee Club and the Ladies’ Choral Society, who had sung together
on various occasions, voted to unite, under the direction of music
department chair Henry P. Opseth. The first student president of
the choir was a third-year music major and future choir conductor
Leland B. Sateren.
The new choir lost no time in preparing for tours and performances. In 1935, their tour through the Midwest took them more
than 2,000 miles for 20 concerts, including a coast-to-coast broadcast in Chicago with the National Broadcasting System. On their return, they sang a home concert at Central Lutheran Church.
Choir business manager Orville C. Hognander ’36 planned the
tour, plus arranged for a series of 18 Sunday evening radio broadcasts on WCCO radio, the “Hour Melodious.” This program also
was accessible over open channel across the country and brought
visibility to Augsburg, reconnecting many alumni to the College.
In 1946, Leland B. Sateren ’35 returned to Augsburg to join
the music faculty. Following Opseth’s death in 1950, Sateren
was named conductor of the Augsburg Choir.
For the next 29 years, the Augsburg Choir developed its own
distinctive tone quality, musicality, and professionalism under
Sateren. While the choir continued to share the Gospel through
church music, Sateren evolved a more contemporary classical
sound, especially in his own compositions. His passion for
1933
Scandinavian music brought attention to music and composers
relatively unknown in the U.S.
In 1975, the Augsburg Choir’s 40th anniversary tour took
them to Scandinavia. They traveled by boat down the Norwegian
coast, from above the Arctic Circle to Oslo, and sang in the
Trondheim Cathedral.
Leland Sateren retired in 1979, and the direction of the choir
passed to Larry L. Fleming, a noted choral conductor and composer. In his first year, the choir was chosen as the official representative from the U.S. to sing in Augsburg, Germany, at the
450th commemoration of the Augsburg Confession.
Fleming also established Advent Vespers, the College’s annual
1975
Augsburg Choir
is founded
40th anniversary
choir tour
Leland B. Sateren ’35—choir director
Peter Hendrickson ’76—student choir president
and future choir director
Henry P. Opseth—choir director
Leland B. Sateren ’35—student choir
president and future choir director
6
Augsburg Now
The majestic Advent Vespers service each year at
Central Lutheran Church presents Augsburg’s four
choirs, with part of the service sung as a massed choir
of over 200 voices.
holiday program, as a service of music and liturgy, which now attracts up to 8,000 people at its four services and will celebrate
its 30th anniversary in 2009.
Fleming left Augsburg in 1986, and for the next several years
the Augsburg Choir was under the direction of Thomas Rossin.
In 1994, after serving a short time as interim director, Peter
Hendrickson ’76 was appointed the choir’s new conductor. Over
the past decade and a half, he has realized his vision for
Augsburg’s choral program—one that offers distinct choral experiences for all students, including the extended Augsburg family,
with different repertoires:
• Augsburg Choir—a cappella touring choir
• Riverside Singers—women’s chorus
• Cedar Singers—men’s chorus
• Masterworks Chorale—symphonic chorus
All four choirs, as well as an orchestra and liturgical party, participate annually in Advent Vespers. In 2004, for the 25th anniversary,
Twin Cities Public Television recorded the service and won a
Regional Emmy award for the production. The program has been
shown on public television during the holiday season since then.
One of Hendrickson’s passions is language, and to date, his
choirs have sung in more than 15 languages. “We owe it to our
students in the choral program to educate them not only in
Augsburg’s commitment to the Lutheran choral tradition, but also
in creating, through music and language, a better understanding
of other cultures and our responsibility to be world citizens,”
Hendrickson says.
The Augsburg Choir’s March tour this year took them south,
traveling from Nebraska to Texas, and locations in between. Currently the choir is planning next year’s tour, a trip that will take
them to China in 2010.
2009
The Masterworks Chorale marks 15 years
Hendrickson founded the Masterworks Chorale in 1994 as a symphonic chorus of approximately 100 voices, made up of students,
faculty and staff, alumni, and others connected to the Augsburg
community. Unique to a college campus, Masterworks Chorale
presents programs of great choral works and explores new
masterworks.
In 1996, the chorale performed for the first time the entire
Visions from Hildegaard by Minnesota composer Stephen Paulus.
In 1997, it presented the English-language premiere of
Norwegian composer Egil Hovland’s opera, Captive and Free, and
in 2001, the English-language version of Finnish composer and
conductor Kari Tikka’s opera, Luther.
The Masterworks Chorale performs three times per year—at
fall and spring concerts, and for Advent Vespers. A number of
chorale members are Augsburg alumni who sang as students in
Leland Sateren’s choirs.
“The Sateren choir alumni in Masterworks keep the legacy and
spirit of the Sateren era alive,” Hendrickson says. “It’s a wonderful connection for our current students, a passing of the torch, so
to speak, from then to now.”
BETSEY NORGARD
75th anniversary year
For a longer story about choir history with
additional photos, go to www.augsburg.edu/now.
Peter Hendrickson ’76—choir director
7
it takes an
Auggie
A legacy for promising students
President’s Scholarships recognize students with exceptional academic ability and leadership potential and can provide financial
support up to full tuition for four years. Donors who choose to
endow a President’s Scholarship make special connections with
these students, and those that follow them, one after another, as
they see an Augsburg education made possible.
E. Milton Kleven ’46 taught school in Minneapolis for 33 years
and knows what this means to students from low-income families. He and his family have endowed three President’s Scholarships and enjoy being part of the lives of the students who
receive them, helping them begin their work and careers free
from college debt.
Milt Kleven’s Augsburg story began in a home two blocks from
the College, where his Norwegian immigrant mother and father
raised nine children. Since Augsburg was the college in the
neighborhood, six of the Kleven children attended, with three
completing their degrees.
In 1940, Milt followed his sister Agathe, who had just graduated from Augsburg. Like most students then, Milt’s studies were
interrupted by World
War II, and in 1946
he returned and
finished. Their
brother Luther
graduated in
1950.
Milt graduated with a
major in
mathematics
and a minor in physical education. His strongest
and longest friendships he formed in the Augsburg
A-Club, even though his student job downtown at
the Minneapolis Club kept him too busy to participate in most sports, except for lettering in golf.
Kleven’s Augsburg story has a romantic twist on
a broken leg. In late 1943 he left Augsburg to
enter Navy pilot training. When he suffered a broken leg, he decided to spend the eight-week recovery period back at Augsburg, completing his
math major with Professor George Soberg.
8
One evening in Augsburg’s library, in the basement of Old
Main, he met Dorothy Lijsing, the daughter of a Swedish immigrant father and mother, and she became his wife and partner for
53 years. Dorothy transferred to Gustavus Adolphus College and
graduated there. They were married in 1947.
Soon after graduating, Kleven began teaching mathematics in
the Minneapolis Public Schools. In addition to teaching, he also
served as the teacher representative with Great West Financial on
a voluntary investment fund created following a strike in 1970.
From that experience, he learned a great deal about investments
and wise financial planning that has served him well.
In the 1950s, the Klevens were approached by Sig Hjelmeland
’41, Augsburg’s development director, and asked for the first
time to consider giving back to Augsburg.
“My parents always set aside their tithe,” Kleven says, “and
taught us that giving is a part of our responsibility.”
In 1958, he and Dorothy established a scholarship in honor of
his parents, Magnus and Kristofa Kleven. In its 50 years, more
than 200 Augsburg students have benefited from the financial
support of this scholarship.
During the 1960s, the Klevens continued their philanthropic
support to Augsburg, and for many years worked closely with development officer Jeroy Carlson ’48.
In 2001, when Dorothy passed away, Kleven established a
scholarship in her name. With college costs skyrocketing, he
knew from his large family what a difference a full tuition scholarship could make for students from low-income families, like
those he had taught in Minneapolis.
“That’s the main thing,” Kleven says. “I want to help kids who
have a need, and I want it to be a full scholarship.”
So, the Dorothy Lijsing Kleven Scholarship became the first
endowed President’s Scholarship, and provides a full scholarship
to a student interested in choral music, as Dorothy had been
throughout her life. This endowment was created by Milt and
their four children and families—Bruce and Maren Kleven, David
and Barbara Kleven, Barbara and Zane Birky, and Diane and
Philip Larson.
In 2007, the family created two additional endowed
President’s Scholarships. They added Dorothy’s parents, David
and Florence Lijsing, to the original scholarship for Milt’s parents
and raised it to the level of a full President’s Scholarship.
The third was created in Milt’s name—the E. Milton Kleven
Scholarship for public service, so he can enjoy supporting students with a real financial need who plan to enter public service.
Kleven helped to facilitate two other scholarships. The
Margaret Andrews Scholarship was established by Kleven and his
fellow Trade and Industry coordinators in the Minneapolis public
school system to honor their supervisor, Margaret Andrews. The
Donald C. Carlson Scholarship, through the Normandale Lutheran
Church Foundation, is named for founding pastor Donald Carlson
’42 to support a Normandale member attending Augsburg.
The Kleven legacy also includes major support to capital projects. In 1995-96, the family worked with President Charles
Anderson and gave $1 million toward the construction of
Lindell Library.
Milt founded Kleven Flooring Service, which installed hardwood flooring in houses in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area. Over
the years, he provided hardwood floors throughout the Augsburg
campus, including the Augsburg Room in
Christensen Center and Augsburg House.
His most recent gift celebrates his over
60-year tie to Augsburg A-Club and close
friendships with Glen Person ’47 and Dick
“Pork Chop” Thompson ’61. Together, as part
of the construction of the new press box on
Edor Nelson Field, the three provided the
funding to name the Jeroy C. Carlson
Hospitality Room in Kennedy Center in honor
of their longtime friend and colleague.
For more information about endowing a
President’s Scholarship honoring Augsburg’s
most promising students, contact Doug Scott,
assistant vice president for development, at
612-330-1575 or 1-800-273-0617.
BETSEY NORGARD
Becky Shaheen ’11
Becky Shaheen is a sophomore from Elk River, Minn., majoring in
vocal music performance and composition, with a pre-engineering
minor. She sings in the Augsburg Choir, Gospel Praise Jazz Ensemble,
and other ensembles. This is her second year as the recipient of the
Dorothy Lijsing Kleven President’s Scholarship in choral music, and
she keeps in touch with the Kleven family.
“Music is my life, and this semester I’ve been able to dedicate
more time than ever before to music. I am finally realizing that being
a musician is possible …
“This scholarship has opened so many doors for me. I don’t have
to worry so much about the financial issues, and it has provided me
with confidence and such an ‘I can do anything!’ attitude.
“When I first met the family, it was like meeting a huge part of my
extended family that I didn’t know about. … A picture of the family
and me taken at the scholarship brunch hangs by my desk, a reminder of the people who are making this journey possible. “
twin sisters
Twin sisters
Twin dreams
“Our Augsburg professors were supportive
and encouraged us to pursue our dream ...”
BETTY BOWERS, MD
Barbara and Betty Bowers knew they wanted to grow up to be
doctors when they were six years old. The twin sisters were born
in Mora, Minn., and graduated from Augsburg in 1972. They attended medical school at the University of Minnesota and graduated in 1976.
“Our family doctor, Dr. Harry Berge, encouraged and supported us in our dream,” says Barbara Bowers, MD, “although
we’d never even seen a woman doctor.”
The Bowers twins were two of George and Opal Bowers’ four
daughters. The family lived in Brook Park, Minn., when the twins
were young. “Our parents raised us to believe that if we worked
hard we could achieve anything.”
Betty and Barbara studied diligently through grade school and
graduated from Forest Lake High School.
“We never took a test without thinking about our goal,”
Barbara explains. “We would not be dissuaded by naysayers.”
Today, Barbara Bowers is medical director of Fairview Southdale Breast Center and Fairview Southdale Hospital Medical
Oncology Clinic.
Betty Bowers, MD, is medical director and an anesthesiologist
with the McGee Eye Surgery Center in Oklahoma City, Okla.
10
Augsburg Now
How did two young women from small-town Minnesota make it
through college in the big city?
“We received incredible personal attention and felt cared for
at Augsburg,” Barbara says. The twin sisters found the small
class sizes and nurturing environment a perfect place to study
the sciences.
“Our Augsburg professors were supportive and encouraged us
to pursue our dream,” Betty explains. Although, there was one
science professor who did not give them full credit for their class
work. “He had a special curve for us,” Barbara says. “His attitude
really was indicative of society at the time. It was the late 1960s,
and few women were pursuing careers in science, let alone medicine. But we didn’t lose heart.”
At Augsburg, the Bowers sisters were exposed to different cultures and religions. “Our professors knew us as people, not just
students in the classroom,” Barbara explains. “Rabbi Schwartz
took us to his synagogue and invited us to his home for Seder.”
While it took a lot of hard work to get through medical school,
“We were encouraged by those who meant the most to us,” Betty
says. “Sometimes naive belief serves you well.”
Claus Pierach, MD, a professor at the University of Minnesota
twin dreams
Medical School, recognized right away that the Bowers sisters
were unique. “Not only were they identical twins—they were
equally enterprising.”
Pierach serves on the admission committee for the University of
Minnesota Medical School. “I see and study many applicants, but
I see few students as determined as Betty and Barbara Bowers.”
After completing medical school, Barbara Bowers did her residency at what was then Northwestern Hospital. Pierach worked
closely with Barbara in her internal medicine rotation. “It was no
surprise that she earned the title of chief resident.” It was during
her internal medicine residency at Northwestern Hospital that
Barbara became intrigued by the cancer patients she treated.
“They were strong people, and it really sparked my interest in
medical oncology,” she explains.
Barbara decided to specialize in medical oncology. “At that
time, I thought I’d work in cancer treatment and work myself out
of a job in about 10 years.”
While cancer has not been cured, Barbara has seen significant
advances in cancer treatment and prevention. “We are seeing
more cancer patients live longer. There has been progress in preventing certain cancers through increased patient understanding
of the role diet and exercise play in our lives.”
“As a physician, my role is to partner with patients. To do that,
we need to educate patients, give them the information they need
to make decisions regarding their care, and communicate on the
same wave length—making sure that they know they are the most
important person on our care team.”
For Barbara, caring for cancer patients is where medical science and compassion meet. “I’m a scientist,” she explains. “I
love studying the periodic table. Everything in the universe is up
there except one thing—the heart, the human element.”
Barbara is married to a physician and has two daughters and
a son.
While in medical school, Betty thought she’d become a surgeon. She was the first female surgery resident at Hennepin
County Medical Center. In the fourth year of her general surgery
rotation, Claude Hitchcock, MD, approached her about taking a
six-month anesthesia rotation at the Mayo Clinic. “It’s been a
good fit for me. I’ve been practicing anesthesiology since 1981.”
She’s been with the McGee Eye Surgery Center since 2005.
Betty is married to a physician and has two daughters.
Looking back, Barbara and Betty remember many good times
amid the grueling schedule of medical school. “But we got through
it all by tucking our chins in and working hard,” Betty says.
Both physicians say they have enjoyed tremendous job satisfaction from their careers in medicine. “I would encourage anyone
dedicated to helping people to choose a career in medicine,”
Barbara says. “The medical field is constantly changing and offers
academic challenges, but most of all it is personally rewarding.”
JEAN SPIELMAN HOUSH
Housh is married to Allen Housh, a former Augsburg regent. She came to know
Dr. Barbara Bowers when she was treated for breast cancer in 2004.
Photos submitted by the families and Fairview Southdale Hospital.
“As a physician, my role is to partner with
patients. To do that, we need to ... make
sure that they know they are the most
important person on our care team.”
BARBARA BOWERS, MD
Betty Bowers, MD
Barbara Bowers, MD
Spring 2009
11
International Programs
3
Photo
Contest
Portraits
1st place: Bethany Thompson
“Doi Suthep Girls”
Chiang Mai, Thailand
2nd place: Katie MacAulay
“Llamas and the Lost City of
the Incas”
Peru
3rd place: Sara Black
“Another Walk of Life”
Ibarra, Ecuador
Landscape/cityscape
1st place and Best of Show:
Emily Hanson
“Holocaust Memorial”
Berlin, Germany
2
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2nd place: Katie Woolever
“Looking Through Mada’s
Dwelling”
Northern Namibia
3rd place: Kayla Skarbakka
“Boireann”
County Clare, Ireland
2
Photojournalism
1st place: Emily Hanson
“GDR Shopkeep”
Wittenburg, Germany
2nd place: Tyla Pream
“Festival of San Giovanni–Boy
with Flag”
Florence, Italy
Augsburg Now
3
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Augsburg Now
3
3rd place: Christine Tresselt
“Coffee in the Cloud Forest”
Miraflor, Nicaragua
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sustain. respond. recycle.
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Augsburg Now
“The Augsburg College community is deeply committed to
what it means to build a sustainable urban environment.”
—President Paul C. Pribbenow
clean. reduce. build. Save.
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BY BETSEY NORGARD
Living sustainably is no longer merely an
option. As a vast majority of the world’s
people struggle for resources to sustain
even simple lives, a small minority consume at rates that will quickly deplete
Earth’s resources and imperil future
generations.
Environmental concerns are now front
and center on our national agenda. But
beyond these, the broader considerations
of sustainable living—economic and social policies that determine how resources
are shared—remain difficult to tackle.
Augsburg’s history, mission, and vision
call for the College to engage in these
broad discussions of sustainability. The
two vision documents of 1997 and 2005
spell out an institutional vocation for the
College rooted in a blending of Lutheran
heritage, immigrant history, and urban location that demands a caring stewardship
of God’s creation.
As the College explores how it lives out
its institutional vision—We are called to
serve our neighbor—it must look beyond
the changes brought about by green practices and invite the deeper conversations
in community that probe the meaning of
living sustainably in the city.
The greening of Augsburg
The Environmental Stewardship Committee (ESC), made up of faculty, staff, and
students, leads the environmental initiatives of the College. Created in 1990 as a
task force, it was revitalized by President
William Frame in 1999 and given both
purpose and strength.
Tom Ruffaner, longtime committee
chair and custodial supervisor, believes
that the comprehensive “Waste Wise”
audit carried out in 1999 became the
“driving force behind ‘greening’ at
Augsburg.” The audit “not only identified
areas of waste and inefficiencies across
campus but also offered resources to
make improvements.”
The ESC Vision Statement in 2004
summarized its goals: “The stewardship of
the urban and global environment can only
be pursued if we take these steps toward
using less, living more simply, and acting
with the care and awareness of the impact
of actions on the people and ecosystem
within which we live and on which we all
depend.”
In 2006, Augsburg’s new president,
Paul C. Pribbenow, quickly embraced the
growing urgency to address issues of sustainability and gave voice to a deeper understanding of sustainability within
Augsburg’s mission and vision.
The changes across campus in the past
three years have been significant. Sustainability is infused through Augsburg’s curriculum and grounded in its daily
practices—on campus, in the community,
and around the world.
Augsburg participates in two important institutional collaborations:
• Presidents Climate Commitment—President Pribbenow joined more than 600
American college and university presidents to sign an agreement to “neutralize greenhouse gas emissions and to
accelerate the research and educational
efforts of higher education to equip
society to re-stabilize the earth’s climate.”
One person’s difference
if
mr. green
16
Augsburg Now
Augsburg had a “Mr. Green” contest,
TOM RUFFANER ’98 might well be the best
candidate. Over the past decade, he has
led Augsburg toward greater commitments in
sustainable living.
Ruffaner has pushed Augsburg to bring about environmental improvements in energy use, safer
cleaning products, and recycling and waste reduction
(starting with a comprehensive Waste Wise audit). He
also helped the College study its transportation
habits and commuting alternatives. And, he has
chaired the Environmental Stewardship Committee
and supported community efforts.
In fall 2007, Ruffaner received an Individual
Achievement Commuter Choice Award, given by Metro
Transit, that recognizes organizations and individuals
for their creative solutions in promoting alternatives
to driving alone. He also served on the advisory committee that helped design the light rail station nearest
Augsburg.
A 1998 graduate in metro-urban studies, Ruffaner
is the custodial supervisor at Augsburg.
A report has just been completed that
measures the College’s carbon footprint.
• Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities
(ACTC)—Five colleges (Augsburg,
Hamline, St. Thomas, St. Catherine,
Macalester) are exploring ways to create
a stronger academic identity that clearly
expresses their shared identity as an
urban institution and centers on the
theme of sustainable urban development. Ideas may include curricular development, community outreach,
research, service-learning, internships,
study abroad, and faculty development.
Students step forward
green vehicles, and become engaged in the political
process.
Augsburg’s chapter of the Minnesota Public Interest
Research Group (MPIRG) began the initial efforts to recycle in the 1970s. Recently, its Environmental Task
Force, along with student groups, has led projects on
campus, including:
• Focus the Nation teach-in—Augsburg joined organizations across the country in setting aside a day to engage the entire campus in conversations on
sustainability.
“MY DAD TELLS ME, ‘DREAMS ARE FREE.
DREAM BIG, IT WON’T COST MONEY.’”
Some of the most exciting projects for sustainability have come from student-led initiatives. Students have researched
alternative fuels, organized teach-ins,
gained student backing to support wind
energy, pushed the College to purchase
—Alex Hoselton ’08
Focus leads to wind energy
My dad tells me, “Dreams are free. Dream big, it won’t
cost money.” I listened and dreamt and acted big by forming an ad hoc organization and, with other students,
started organizing for the Focus the Nation teach-in in
January 2008. The teach-in provided rich liberal arts perspectives to more than 500 attendees and launched momentum towards switching Augsburg’s energy
consumption from fossil fuel to wind energy.
The organizing students petitioned Day Student
Government for a referendum to impose a fee of $14.75
per semester to purchase wind energy. The referendum
passed, with 68% of the vote, and day students now contribute more than $54,000 annually. Contributions from
Weekend College Government and the administration enable us to purchase enough wind power to make
Augsburg’s Minneapolis campus 100% free of fossil fuel
electricity. We have reduced the equivalent in carbon
emissions of taking 26,000 cars off the road or planting
69 square miles of trees each year.
17
The case for a green vehicle
• Wind energy purchase—Both day and
weekend student governments held referendums in which students voted to add a
new student fee to contribute to wind energy purchase. It enables Augsburg to
offset 100% of its fossil-fuel electricity
costs on the Minneapolis campus, making the College one of the largest purchasers of wind power in the state.
• Hybrid security vehicle—When a security
vehicle was due for replacement, a student group pushed for the College to buy
a hybrid fuel vehicle.
• Food services changes—Students initiated the practice of composting food,
saving three-quarters of a ton of trash.
• Environmental history of Augsburg—
The 2007 Environmental Connections
class researched and wrote “From Rural
to Urban: The Environmental History of
Augsburg College 1872-2005,” studying
its relationship to nature, technology,
and humans.
• Trash audit—In order to call attention to
lackadaisical attitudes toward recycling,
a group of students went through twodays’ worth of garbage and showed how
nearly 70% of it was either compostable
or recyclable.
Much work remains before Augsburg can
be satisfied it is consuming only what
Earth can renew. But now, that work is increasingly carried out with greater consciousness of the impact made by personal
choices and practices, both on the self and
on an interconnected and interdependent
global community.
18
Augsburg Now
The green vehicle initiative developed from
the inspiration of Brian Krohn’s biofuel discoveries and my resources as a member of
Augsburg Day Student Government in fall
2008. Almost immediately Reid Larson and
Steve Eichten also committed themselves
fully to the project. Collectively, the four of
us found that our goal was to ensure that our
next Department of Public Safety vehicle was
both a fiscally and environmentally sound investment. After hearing estimates that the
department puts nearly 150 miles daily on
their vehicle, we realized that having either a
biodiesel or hybrid would surely be cost effective. It turned out that a Ford Escape
Hybrid would save the college $30,000 annually by our low-end estimates.
Initially finding little support in the
purchase of a hybrid, the group prepared for
a meeting with President Paul Pribbenow. We
presented him with graphs on two- and fouryear savings, a list of ways that he would be
supporting the Presidents Climate Commitment he had signed earlier in the year, and a
list of colleges, universities, and police departments that all had successfully integrated
hybrid vehicles into their programs. By meeting’s end the president had given us an oral
commitment to the Ford Escape, and said that
John Pack, director of public safety, had also
expressed his support earlier in the day. By
September 2008 the College’s new hybrid vehicle was in use on campus. The Green Vehicle Coalition, as it has developed into, sees
this particular project only as a first step toward many long-term goals.
“THE GREEN VEHICLE INITIATIVE DEVELOPED FROM THE
INSPIRATION OF BRIAN KROHN’S BIOFUEL DISCOVERIES.”
—Jake Quarstad ’10
How GREEN is Augsburg?
how
College initiatives
• American College and University Presidents
Climate Commitment—completed the Greenhouse
Gas Emissions Inventory for 2001-08
• Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities will
collaborate on studying urban sustainability
• HourCar hub on campus
• Discounted transit passes
• Reserved carpool parking
• Fair trade items sold in bookstore
• Purchasing enough wind energy to offset electricity
Student-led initiatives
• Led Focus the Nation teach-in—Jan. 2008
• Proposed and passed extra student fees for
purchase of wind energy
• Friends of the Mississippi River stewardship
• Pushed for green vehicle initiative to
purchase hybrid security vehicle
• Environmental studies major and minor
• Presented at Campus Compact conference
• Fall 2009—Fate of the World i-term class
• Created bike-share program
• Campus Kitchen program and community garden
• Launched composting in dining area
green is
Food service
• Composting program
?
• Gradual move toward trayless dining, starting with Trayless Tuesdays
• Take-out materials—all corn-based and compostable
• Purchase all produce from a five-state region
• Fair trade coffee available in campus eateries
Internal practices
• Double-sided printing on all campus copiers
• All copy paper on campus—30% post-consumer waste
• Ongoing re-use center
• Recycling of cans, glass bottles, plastic, paper, cardboard, and yard waste
• Recycling for appliances, carpets, furniture, batteries, electronics, ink
• Compostable paper towels in all public restrooms
• Changed all faucets and showers on campus to water-saving fixtures
• Energy-efficient fluorescent lamps in public areas, increasing use of CFL bulbs
augsburg
• Moving toward 100% “Green Seal” cleaning chemicals
• Display board and fairs to facilitate public transportation
Environmental studies program
• Paddled the Mississippi River to study environmental and river politics
• Built rain gardens to capture runoff
• Researched and wrote an environmental history of
Augsburg College
• Studied, prepared, and served a healthy, local,
sustainable lunch
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GREEN STARTS HERE
The topic of conversation on this early December afternoon was pumpkin ice
cream, a dessert that summed up many of the conflicts that go along with making environmental change.
In Environmental Connections, the gateway course for Augsburg’s new environmental studies major, history professor Michael Lansing and political science
professor Joe Underhill take an issue and break it down over a semester. In fall
2007, the topic was water. This past fall, a dozen Augsburg students looked at
food and just how it ends up on our plates.
At the end of the semester, the Environmental Connections students had to take
what they learned and plan a menu for a lunch that was served in the
Christensen Center Commons. Nutrition and taste were important to the students.
But so were environmentally friendly practices, the use of vegetables grown in the
Augsburg greenhouse, and supporting local farmers and companies.
And that led to the lengthy discussion about whether they should serve
pumpkin ice cream from Kemps or buy it from Izzy’s, a St. Paul ice cream
shop. The students knew they wanted the Izzy’s because the
ice cream is made with organic products and the
shop uses solar power. But there was the issue with
price. Kemps wasn’t as environmentally friendly,
but the students could get more ice cream at a
lower price.
Because while it’s easy for people to say that they
want to take environmental concerns into consideration when making decisions, the tone sometimes changes when being green is more expensive. In the
end, the class reached a compromise and would get ice cream from both.
“That discussion was everything the class was about,” says Kathy DeKrey, a
first-year student from Bemidji, Minn. “I thought we should have put up the cost
and got just the Izzy’s ice cream.
“A lot of people aren’t willing to put forth the initial costs to make good decisions and that is too bad.”
It was the kind of broad, big-picture thinking that the professors hope comes
out of this interdisciplinary class. Because things like food, water, and energy—
a potential topic for next year—impact so many parts of society, Underhill and
Lansing bring in guest lecturers from departments across campus.
“WHATEVER YOU DO, IT IMPACTS SOMETHING.”
—Peter Klink ’12
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Augsburg Now
BY JEFF SHELMAN
Studying the urban
environment
Here’s what you won’t find in Augsburg’s
new environmental studies major: a windmill suddenly being constructed in the
middle of Cedar-Riverside, repeated trips
to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, and
anything that could be considered rural.
“That’s not what we want,” Lansing
says. “That’s not who we are.”
The term “environmental” is often
equated with rural, with wetlands, and
with ecosystems. But Lansing and Underhill are much more interested in making
an impact on and around campus. After
all, the Mississippi River is only a few
blocks away. There is a Superfund site in
Minneapolis’ Phillips neighborhood because of high amounts of pesticides and
herbicides previously produced there. The
local Sierra Club office is just across
Interstate 94 in the Seward neighborhood.
Students in both the water and the food
classes took the light rail to downtown
Minneapolis to learn about the impact of
St. Anthony Falls. For the initial class, the
falls demonstrated the importance of water
in relation to the creation of energy. Last
semester, the falls taught about the milling
process and the history of Minneapolis.
In addition to being a vehicle for teaching, studying environmental issues in an
urban environment creates opportunity.
“If you’re interested in the wilderness
and studying ecosystem dynamics, this
probably isn’t the right program,”
Underhill says. “But if you want to do
something on human impact, you have to
be where the people are. Humans are having a huge impact so we have to spend
time where the most people are.”
In the water class, the students constructed rain gardens on the Augsburg
campus. The gardens are positioned to
collect water runoff from campus buildings. In addition to adding plant life to
campus, the rain gardens keep runoff
water from eventually reaching the
Mississippi River.
“We are uniquely situated in a city neighborhood and are privileged to have
a variety of opportunities to explore the interconnectedness of urban life
with both human and natural forces.”
—President Paul C. Pribbenow
21
Getting students out of the classroom and getting their hands,
quite literally, dirty very much fits into the experiential teaching
Augsburg is known for.
“We want students to be aware of their immediate surroundings,”
Lansing says. “We don’t want to put them in a sealed classroom and
learn about grand theories while ignoring what’s going on around them.”
Changing attitudes
Peter Klink is in his first year at Augsburg after taking classes a year
ago at Minneapolis Community and Technical College. He always had
an interest in the outdoors, but he didn’t really know just how complex food is.
“Most cows are fed corn hay because it gets them fat quicker, but
it’s not as good for people,” Klink says. “But if you stop feeding them
corn hay and feed them grass, the corn industry is hurt. Whatever you
do, it impacts something.”
Klink, who grew up in Stillwater, Minn., found his habits as a consumer changing as the semester progressed. His biggest change—the
result of learning about the environmental cost of transporting food
across country—has been to make a greater effort to buy locallygrown food.
“I want to know where it comes from,” Klink says. “Also, it’s a way
to support local businesses. The way the economy is, I’m all about
supporting local businesses rather than some big corporation.”
Because the Environmental Connections class is a gateway course
and largely for first-year students and sophomores, the students enter
at different points.
“Clearly the most satisfying thing is when they start with no clue
and as the semester goes on, the light bulb starts to come on,” Underhill says.
The environmental studies major—which will feature classes from
a variety of departments on campus—is very much in its infancy at
Augsburg. While the curriculum has been approved and the requirements laid out, simply offering a major doesn’t guarantee student interest.
In addition to providing a base of knowledge, the gateway course
also shows students with interest in the environment some of the
possibilities that are out there, that an environmental studies major
isn’t limited to a job in nature or working as some sort of scientist.
“There’s a lot of green stuff that’s going to be used in the future,”
says Klink, who is going to major in business and at least minor in
environmental studies. “I think there is going to be a lot of opportunities for jobs in that area. There’s wind energy, solar energy, green architecture. To have a background where you
understand that is a key thing.”
And getting students on the path toward
understanding is what the Environmental
Connections class is all about.
22
Augsburg Now
studying
y
t
i
l
i
b
a
sustain
BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
If you want to study sustainability, you need to go where it’s done best.
Students in the Sustainable Cities in North America summer course spent
three weeks in Portland, Ore., and Vancouver, B.C., learning about the successes and challenges of two of North America’s most sustainable cities.
What they discovered, amidst green buildings and miles of bike trails, is
that being sustainable requires attention to many interconnected aspects of
life. This interconnectedness, they learned, means that what is beneficial
for some may be detrimental to others, so working together to build strong
communities is crucial to the success of sustainability measures.
In the end, the students not only learned more about their world; they
were also empowered to bring their creativity and enthusiasm back to
Minneapolis to implement a plan that would help Augsburg become a
greener, more sustainable campus.
“EDUCATION IS KEY. IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHY
YOU ARE DOING IT OR WHY IT’S IMPORTANT,
YOU WON’T CONTINUE.”
—Kjerstin Hagen ’10
Studying sustainability
Sustainability is a measure of the quality of life for citizens in an area. It involves water and air quality, access to transportation, ability to find work and
make a living, local food systems, energy use, the creation and maintenance
of green buildings, housing availability and affordability, land use, and waste
management—for starters.
To be ranked high on the sustainability scale, a city
must do more than pave bike trails and purchase hybrid buses. Citizens must be educated about greenhouse gas emissions produced by their cars and
about the effect of those emissions on the environment. The city must provide resources that
citizens and businesses need to start and continue environmentally friendly efforts, such as
incentives to use public transportation, access
to buses or light rail, and routes that bring
people easily from their homes to the places of
work and back again.
To be truly sustainable, these efforts must
be culturally appropriate and make the best use
of the resources available in the area. And finally, the practices of sustainability must not only
continue over time, they must improve as the city
changes and grows.
The Sustainable Cities course was a short-term
Augsburg Abroad program led by sociology and metro-urban
studies professors Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer. The professors wanted not only to study sustainability in an urban context
23
While in Portland and Vancouver,
the students and instructors:
but also to travel sustainably and to minimize the impact of their program on the
cities they visited. Rather than rent a van
or bus, Christiansen and half of the class
traveled by bicycle while Fischer and the
remaining students used train, street car,
and their own two feet to get around in
each city.
“You really get to learn a city when you’re
‘behind bars,’” says Jon Peterson ’10, a sociology major from Excelsior, Minn. “When I
went to Portland with my family, we rented
a car. I didn’t learn nearly as much about
the city and didn’t have the appreciation.”
Traveling by bicycle helped the class reduce
its greenhouse gas emissions and also gave
the students an opportunity to experience
the cities more fully.
• Stayed in Epler Hall at Portland State University, a green
dormitory and Portland’s first LEED-certified building
• Explored neighborhoods using the five-minute walk exercise
• Met with city government officials and policymakers to
learn about urban planning, waste management and recycling, and transportation
• Met with community organizers to learn about grassroots movements and civic engagement
• Visited several professors to learn about sustainable development research and sustainability
efforts on university campuses
• Toured farmers markets and community gardens and talked with the people who sell and grow
in these spaces
• Participated in Portland’s Night Ride and a Critical Mass bike ride in downtown Vancouver
For a video interview with Christiansen and Fischer to learn
more about what they and their students did, saw, and
learned in the Sustainable Cities in North America class
go to www.augsburg.edu/now.
Sustainability is complicated
As they studied and explored Portland and
Vancouver, the students began to gain an
appreciation for the complexity of creating
and maintaining a sustainable city. “A lot
of our experiences brought up the idea of
equity,” says Ricky Oudekerk ’09, an international relations and peace and global
studies major from St. Paul. “What might
be a sustainable idea for the wealthy or
for the government might not work for
everyone.”
The class went to Vancouver’s East
Hastings neighborhood—a site of controversy centered on an effort to clean up an
The students cool off in Jamison Square.
24
Augsburg Now
area nestled between popular tourist destinations as the city prepares to host the
2010 Winter Olympics. There, many students said they witnessed poverty and desperation unlike anything they had ever
seen.
“Basically they’ve quarantined the
homeless and addicts into a four-block
area,” explains Oudekerk. “While it’s sad,
the support resources for those people
could be centralized. And they have activists from their community. That was the
first time I’ve ever seen homeless and addict activists.”
Though both cities offer a robust transit
system, the students learned that if citizens don’t have access or aren’t able to afford the fares, the system is not truly
sustainable. “The transit system in
Vancouver severely marginalizes lower income people,” Peterson says.
Bus fare in Vancouver ranges from
$2.50 to $5, and the fare covers only 90
minutes. In a city with a median income of
$62,600 (CDN) where the average home
price is more than $410,000, many
people have been pushed out of the city
and away from their places of work. “We
discovered that fare didn’t last very long
once you are trying to get out to the suburbs, where many people have moved
who are seeking cheaper residences,”
Fischer says.
“Before this course, I thought sustainable cities would be utopias where nothing bad ever happens,” says Meagen
Swartzer ’08, a media writing major and
urban studies minor. “With every good
comes something bad. Once you reach
perfection, not everybody can afford it.”
Sustainability at Augsburg
Once students learned about the many
dimensions of urban sustainability and
began to understand its intricacy,
Christiansen and Fischer challenged
them to turn their knowledge into action.
The professors knew that in order for the
class’ project to succeed, it had to be
driven by the students so that they
would educate and motivate each other.
The class visited City Farmer, an organization that promotes sustainable urban farming in Vancouver.
Through their site visits and conversations,
the students had learned that their project
had to be right for Augsburg. “The recipe for
sustainability is different and unique in every
place,” says Oudekerk. “The mix of what
you’ve got to work with, including the people
and the culture, needs to be taken into account in order to build a sustainable city.”
In Portland, the class saw many of the
one-block parks for which the city is known.
As he explored the city, Peterson thought
about the park in the center of Augsburg’s
campus. “We saw a lot of urban spaces the
size of Murphy Park where they had done
great things,” Peterson says. “I thought we
could really pay tribute to our heritage by rethinking and reforming that park and creating
a more usable public space.”
Several members of the class also discussed creating a mural with other community groups on the wall bordering I-94 at the
southern edge of campus. “We wanted to
transform that space and bring people together,” says Kjerstin Hagen ’10, an
American Indian studies major.
One idea that has been successfully implemented is a composting program in campus dining facilities.
Working with Augsburg’s foodservice
provider, a group of students formulated a
plan to collect organics and compostable
paper products and to reduce the amount of
waste in the Commons cafeteria. Composting
bins and signage were added to the cafeteria
in the fall. Students from the class helped
diners place their compostable items and
trash into the appropriate containers and an-
Leann Vice-Reshel ’10 (and Jon Peterson ’10 background)
navigated the cities on bicycles.
swered questions about the program. “Education is key,” says Hagen. “If you don’t
know why you are doing it or why it’s important, you won’t continue.”
According to Jay Cross, Augsburg Dining
Services manager, the effort has resulted in
a significant reduction of waste. “Now we
have only one bag of garbage per day,” compared to 12 to 15 six-gallon bags that were
collected daily prior to the implementation
of the program. Currently, Swartzer and
Hagen are working on a grant to purchase
more composting bins for the campus’ retail
foodservice operations and for offices and
residence halls.
Sustainable lessons
For many of the students in Sustainable
Cities in North America, studying in Portland
and Vancouver gave them much more than a
comfortable acquaintance with the two
cities. They learned lessons that changed
their habits, their choices, and their lives.
Michael Wethington, with other Augsburg
students, is organizing a bicycling tour back
to Portland from Minneapolis. The group
plans to contact policymakers and examine
current legislative standing on alternative
transportation with a focus on cycling in
both Minneapolis/St. Paul and Portland.
They’ll perform a cross analysis of the cities:
future directions and applications from one
city, that may work effectively in the other.
Others who already had an interest in sustainability developed a deeper understanding of the issue. “This class trip really
helped to broaden my view of the multi-
Street musicians played at a Portland farmers market.
faceted nature of sustainability,” Peterson
says, “and helped to strengthen my personal values for all the dimensions of sustainability.”
The experiential nature of the program
helped Oudekerk make connections to past
classes and his personal interests. “This
class made it easy for me to connect the
dots between what I have read and what I
was doing in the cities.”
Oudekerk, who plans to work in the area
of sustainable urban development in the future, came to understand that change happens when people work together. “This
class influenced my understanding of the
importance of community. Things that bring
people together create sustainable relationships and healthy community. There are
profound and significant benefits when this
happens.”
Fischer and Christiansen have received a
grant from the Canadian Studies Faculty
Enrichment Program and plan to return to
Portland and Vancouver with another
group of students in 2010.
The photos from Portland and Vancouver were
taken by students in the Sustainable Cities in
North America class.
25
n
e
e
r
G
planning
The Center for Science, Business, and Religion (CSBR) is Augsburg’s first new academic
building in 60 years and will replace the 60-year-old, inefficient Science Hall. CSBR will
have a story to tell—of excellence in the sciences, of intersections and connections among
disciplines, of transforming city hardscape to more welcoming green space, of sustainability on display. Students like Andrew Nguyen and Reid Larson will benefit from the learning
opportunities this state-of-the-art building will offer.
The CSBR will be a LEED-certified building, created in collaboration with a prestigious,
experienced, innovative team of consultants:
Holabird & Root Architects have won awards for sustainability
and design for college science centers they’ve created. Their
design is based on Augsburg’s concept of intersections, offering a physical and intellectual framework for bringing disciplines into dialogue with each other.
McGough Construction’s “Bright Green” pre-construction and
planning consultation helps CSBR to take advantage of the
most innovative green building techniques and goals.
oslund.and.associates approaches landscape design
as art, as simplicity, and, at Augsburg, as a laboratory
for sustainable environmental practices in dialogue
with themes of intersections.
Key concepts of the CSBR
The building—organized around a “necklace” of public spaces that encourages the community at large to
cross paths
Linking circle—serving as a gateway to the neighborhood and
city, with connections to Lindell Library and Sverdrup Hall
Expanded quadrangle—a landscape laboratory, creating green
commons on campus from west to east, articulating with
Murphy Square, the city’s first public park
“THE NEW BUILDING WILL BE A FRAMEWORK
FOR HIGH EXPECTATIONS, AND WILL EXEMPLIFY
THE EXCELLENCE AND HIGH ACHIEVEMENTS AT
AUGSBURG COLLEGE.”
—Andrew Nguyen ’10
26
Augsburg Now
Environmental task force
What’s green about CSBR
Specific planning for LEED certification carried out at the
preplanning stage among architects, contractors, and landscape designers
Sharing of interdepartmental resources in efficient academic
“neighborhoods” throughout the building
Building siting and design encouraging pedestrian traffic,
moving auto traffic away from commons area, plus welcoming green space replacing city hardscape
Rainwater cisterns collecting water to irrigate greenhouses
and flush toilets
Landscape laboratory—on-site stormwater containment, integrating native species, and interpreting features of urban
sustainability
Highly efficient HVAC and heat recovery systems, with optimal siting for solar exposure and for harvesting daylight deep
into the building
Air quality systems recycling gases and fumes
Innovative, sustainable materials, preferably locally-sourced
and expressing themes of intersections in panels, forms,
surfaces
Transportation hub—center for bicycle storage
and conveniences; site for shuttle
transfer to light rail
MPIRG (the Minnesota Public Interest Research Group) is a student group at
Augsburg that has been hard at work on environmental sustainability issues
on campus. I’m the leader of the Environmental Task Force within MPIRG …
[that] has been involved in many environmental sustainability projects over
the past few semesters, including working with the current and past food
services companies on introducing compostable cups to the dining locations, composting food wastes, and introducing another day of trayless dining in the cafeteria. We have also been an integral part of converting the
College to buying 100% wind energy, made possible largely by the Focus the
Nation event last year. In addition, the task force works on environmental
education and awareness, one example being the Detox Forum.
Most of our work last semester was centered around putting together a
survey on the commuting habits of Augsburg’s students, faculty, and staff. This
survey looked at the distance people commute from their homes to Augsburg
and how they get here, the results of which were put into the larger Greenhouse Gas Inventory of the entire College for the Presidents Climate Commitment. As a student, I have been central in the discussions around the science
building, especially around the “green” or sustainable features of the new
building. I have done a lot of work, some of it through MPIRG, ensuring that the
science building has a green roof.
I hope to continue my work in environmental sustainability as I graduate
from Augsburg and go on to graduate school in mechanical engineering, and
then ultimately find a career in the renewable energy field.
“AS A STUDENT, I HAVE BEEN
CENTRAL IN THE DISCUSSIONS
AROUND THE SCIENCE BUILDING,
ESPECIALLY AROUND THE ‘GREEN’
OR SUSTAINABLE FEATURES.”
—Reid Larson ’09
CSBR by the numbers
134,000 square feet, LEED certified, an addition to Sverdrup Hall, 75,000 square
feet for eight academic departments (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics,
computer science, psychology, business, and religion)
•
•
•
•
•
•
8 classrooms
21 teaching labs
6,000 square feet of student-faculty research space
2,000 square feet of greenhouse space on the roof of the building
Informal gathering spaces for learning and conversation
Skyway linking circle to Lindell Library
core TO
t
s
o
p
m
co
BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
THE JOURNEY OF AN APPLE
A year ago, all food waste from Augsburg’s dining center was hauled away and dumped
in a landfill with the trash of thousands of other Twin Cities businesses, homes, and
schools.
Last fall, however, the fate of Augsburg’s garbage changed when students from the
Sustainable Cities in North America course (see story on p. 23) worked with A’viands,
the College’s food services provider, to launch a campus composting program.
Photojournalist and staff photographer Stephen Geffre followed an apple as it traveled more than 60 miles—from a Wisconsin nursery through Augsburg’s kitchen and
dining center to a composting facility in Chaska, Minn., where it once again will travel
to nurture spring plantings.
In the autumn, workers at Nesbitt’s Nursery, near Prescott, Wis., harvested the
apple and shipped it more than 60 miles to the Augsburg kitchen where it was served
to diners. The remains of the apple were tossed into the composting bin with napkins,
chicken bones, jello, pizza crusts, etc.
The apple remnants and its compostable companions were transported to Chaska, in
the regular twice-a-week pick-ups. There, the apple core was mixed with other
biodegradable materials like tree clippings and yard waste. Over the course of 90 days
the mixture was turned, separated, mixed again, and heated until it’s ready to emerge
as compost.
This nutrient-rich material will be sold this spring to landscapers, community gardeners, and to the nearby Minnesota Landscape Arboretum to provide nourishment,
perhaps, to an apple seedling there.
“We strive to use up no more clean air, water,
energy, and raw materials in a year than the
earth can provide for it.”
—President Paul C. Pribbenow
28
Augsburg Now
“ALL YOU NEED IS A BUCKET,
AND EVERY LITTLE THING HELPS.”
—Meagen Swartzer ’09
29
Feeding
The Campus Kitchen program at Augsburg College not only
feeds people’s bodies—it also feeds the minds of students.
Last spring, the program moved a part of its operation from
the kitchen to the garden, opening an outdoor classroom to
children from the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
The idea for Augsburg’s community garden blossomed last
spring when students and staff prepared 40 plots on the west
side of campus. The plots are available to Augsburg faculty,
staff, and students as well as neighbors from Cedar-Riverside
and Seward. Brian Noy, coordinator of the Campus Kitchen
program, says, “The garden provides a beautiful entrance to
our campus and a way to welcome the community. It’s a
common space for people to work together to do something
meaningful.”
Through an internship program developed with the Center
for Service, Work, and Learning, the garden has also become
an extension of Campus Kitchen. Last summer, two Augsburg
30
Augsburg Now
THE NEIGHBORHOOD
youth
BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
students worked with youth from day programs at the Brian Coyle
Center and the Confederation of Somali Community. The interns
worked in the garden and in the kitchen, teaching students how food
is grown and how to prepare healthy meals. “This is a whole new program that feeds youth in a fuller way,” Noy says.
Augsburg junior Ruth Senum was the “garden intern” last summer.
She and approximately 50 elementary school children planted seeds,
“I THOUGHT OF THE WATERING, WEEDING, AND
HARVESTING AS OUR CLASSROOM CHORES.”
—Ruth Senum ’10
tended plants, and harvested much of the produce from four
garden plots.
Senum says the children were surprised to learn where food
comes from and that it can look different in the garden than in the
grocery store or on their plates.
“When I showed them the broccoli plant, they thought it was
huge,” she says. “They only see it all chopped up.” She says students also were interested in the fact that some plants have flowers before they produce fruit or vegetables. “Just seeing the whole
process from seed to produce was a very new experience for
them,” she says.
The children were disappointed about the limitations of a
Minnesota growing season. “They asked where the banana tree
was, and it was interesting for them to understand why we can’t
grow a lot of fruit here.”
The internship taught Senum, an education major, techniques
for her future classroom. “I thought of the watering, weeding, and
harvesting as our classroom chores,” she says, but she discovered
the students liked being in the garden more than they liked doing
garden chores. “You need to find a good system to keep them
working,” she says.
Senum also learned that students liked interactive learning activities much more than sit-down learning. “They wanted to talk to
each other, run around, do arts and crafts,” she says. “Getting
them out of their desks and walking around is important.”
The garden also serves as a learning environment for Augsburg
students, but Noy says opportunities were limited because the
bulk of the work is needed when most students are away from
campus. As a solution, a simple greenhouse was added to the garden area, extending the growing season by one month in the
spring and in the fall. “It makes a huge impact because we can
engage actual students and classes outside the garden and allow
them to get involved with the growing space,” Noy says.
The students in Environmental Connections, the introductory
course in Augsburg’s environmental studies major, used the greenhouse in the fall to grow vegetables and herbs for their final project. The class studied how food fits into socio-economic and
ecological systems and prepared and
served a meal in the campus dining
center (see story on page 20).
31
?
HOW GREEN IS
our magazine
How green is our printing?
The paper used in the printing of this magazine is certified to the Forest
Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody standard and contains 10 percent
post-consumer waste.
What does this mean?
In the process of writing and designing a
“green” issue of the Augsburg Now, we asked
ourselves what we could do to make the magazine itself more environmentally friendly. Using recycled paper and safe inks is an easy way to accomplish
this, but we wanted to do more.
So, instead of adding more pages we’re utilizing one
of the most valuable resources available to communicators and marketers—the World Wide Web.
This issue of the Augsburg Now is the second in
which we’ve added “Web Extras” at www.augsburg.
edu/now. These online features allow us to add material to tell richer, more creative stories than we can
using print alone.
In this issue, we have added a story on sustainable
study abroad, a growing trend in education. The story
connects our readers to tools they can use to minimize
their impact on the environment while traveling.
We also have a video interview with the professors
and some of the students involved in the Sustainable
Cities in North America course (see page 23). On camera, they share their enthusiasm about the work they
are doing to create a more sustainable Augsburg.
In the future, we will continue to use the Internet to
improve our communication with alumni and friends of
Augsburg College. As we continue to expand Now online, we invite our readers to share ideas and feedback
with us at now@augsburg.edu.
32
Augsburg Now
FSC is an independent, non-governmental, nonprofit organization established to promote the responsible management of the world’s forests. Through its certification
program, foresters, paper manufacturers and distributors, and printers all agree to
abide by strict standards. These standards are designed to ensure social, economic,
and ecological needs are met for current and future generations. This Chain of Custody ensures responsible handling of the paper product from forest to printed piece.
The percentage of post-consumer content indicates that at least 10 percent of the
paper in the magazine has been reclaimed from what would have otherwise ended up
in a land fill.
FSC Chain of Custody can trace a printed piece back through the production process to
identify where the wood pulp came from. Find out where this magazine had its roots and
how our corporate partners are committed to being green at www.augsburg.edu/now.
Please recycle this magazine after you’re done reading.
10%
PLEASE RECYCLE
E
R
A
s
e
i
augMgENTALLY FRIENDLY
ENVIRON
We know many readers love to open their mailboxes to a new magazine, but we also
know many are concerned about the use of our natural resources. Please let us know
if you wish to read Augsburg Now online instead of receiving a copy by mail. E-mail
now@augsburg.edu with the subject line “Read Now online.” Include your full name
and current mailing address so we can identify and adjust your record. You’ll receive
an e-mail message when the Now is posted online.
auggie
alumni news
From the Alumni Board president …
February 2009
Greetings, alumni and friends,
d
uring these interesting and turbulent
times, I am certain that most of you are
feeling the effects of this economic climate in your personal lives. As members of the
Augsburg community, we are called to be fundamentally concerned about our neighbor, which means to be concerned and care about the household of all people. We are to work
toward full inclusion of all of our neighbors assuring that everyone
has access to the resources necessary for life, and that everyone is
allowed to fully participate in the life of the community.
This emphasis on community may come in direct conflict with
our modern lives. We often live for ourselves and focus on our own
family needs. But as members of a community, we are called to invest time and effort in responding to the needs of others. As a
member of the Augsburg alumni community, we are reminded that
we no longer live in a world of fixed boundaries. We need to maintain a sense of commitment to our neighbors around the globe.
Keeping alumni who live in the city, state, and around the world
engaged with the Augsburg community is important to the life of
the College. The Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations has developed the following activities encouraging alumni engagement:
• Project IGNITE (Involving Graduates Now In Thoughtful Engagement) is a new program to build stronger relationships with
College alumni, many of whom are not currently connected to
Augsburg. Read more about Project IGNITE on p. 34.
• A corporate alumni plan will engage young professionals, midcareer professionals, and sole practitioners through networking
events, continued education opportunities, and an alumni benefit that will help promote their businesses to other Augsburg
graduates. Alumni will host receptions at their places of business for President Pribbenow to connect with alumni and update them about the College.
• A program for recent graduates will focus on engaging alumni
who have graduated within the past 10 years. An advisory
board of recent grads will assist in planning events for their fellow alumni.
• Outreach events will engage alumni who reside in the outer
metro area and in Rochester; Duluth; Washington, D.C.; and
Norway. Interesting events that infuse an Augsburg connection
include a Lake Minnetonka eco-cruise tour led by an Augsburg
faculty member, an alumni-directed theatre production in
Anoka, and a “Down by the Riverside” event in Rochester.
Being an Auggie is a gift and staying engaged is priceless.
NOW@augsburg, a new monthly e-newsletter, has been initiated to
update you on current happenings and events, continuing education
opportunities, and Augsburg news. So, do your part by keeping connected and staying engaged with the Augsburg community.
Sincerely,
JOYCE P. MILLER ’02 (BSN-ROCHESTER), ’05 MAN
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Spring 2009
33
auggie
alumni news
Project IGNITE set to launch
Many Augsburg graduates stay connected with the College through
the years. They come to events or games on campus, they volunteer, and they donate to The Augsburg Fund. But there are others
who just don’t stay connected.
That's something the College—thanks to a nearly $230,000
grant from the Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Foundation—
hopes to change over the next three years.
Project IGNITE (which stands for Involving Graduates Now In
Thoughtful Engagement) will work very directly and personally with
alumni. Over the next year, Augsburg students will conduct face-toface visits with more than 500 alumni to ask them about their
views on Augsburg and their interest in volunteer opportunities with
the College. The hope is that more than 1,600 alumni will receive
visits in the next three years, mostly those alumni living in and
around the Twin Cities metropolitan area.
“For a college, our alumni are a strategic advantage and if you
don’t use that, you’re missing an opportunity,” President Paul C.
Pribbenow said. “This gives us an opportunity to link current students and recent grads with alumni of all ages. Your current students and recent graduates are often your best spokespeople for
what’s really happening.”
Student representatives have been hired and trained by the
Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations, and visits to alumni
are already underway.
Alex Gonzalez ’90, a senior financial adviser for Thrivent Finan-
(L to R) Denise Aasen, Manager of Lutheran Relationships for Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans; Alex Gonzales ’90, Senior Financial Advisor, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans,
and Augsburg regent; President Pribbenow; Megan Benrud ’10, Student Body President;
and Kim Stone, Director of Alumni and Constituent Relations.
cial for Lutherans and an Augsburg regent, said the grant is part of
the mission for the not-for-profit organization.
“Our goal is to help grow Lutheran communities and Lutheran
institutions,” Gonzalez said. “It’s not just the money, these dollars
will help grow engagement. It will help get alumni engaged into
giving to the school.”
The grant is part of the foundation’s Lutheran Grant Program,
designed to help Lutheran institutions and organizations take advantage of unique growth and service opportunities. It also supports the interests and needs of the Lutheran community. In
2007, the program distributed approximately $5 million through
100 separate grants.
Project IGNITE is designed to become a model program for
alumni programs in other ELCA colleges. For additional information, contact Kim Stone in the Office of Alumni and Constituent
Relations at 612-330-1173 or stonek@augsburg.edu.
Discover Italy with fellow Auggies
“WAS IT IN SHORT, EVER TO BE ELSEWHERE WHEN ONE COULD BE IN ITALY” —EDITH WHARTON
You are invited to join the fellowship of other Augsburg alumni and friends on a journey of discovery to Italy in early November.
Travel among the medieval hill towns of Tuscany, discovering history along with the beauty of the surrounding vineyards and olive
groves. In Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, learn and understand how art pulled Europe out of the Dark Ages. In
Umbria, where art is prayer, visit the town of Assisi that stands out for its inspiration and reflection. Find an education in history and a tapestry of art, architecture, and culture woven over thousands of years in the Eternal City of Rome, one of the
founding cities of Western civilization and a significant place in the story of Christianity. All along the way enjoy the delights of the Italian people and cuisine.
The details of this custom-created travel experience are being finalized. Contact the Office of Alumni and
Constituent Relations at 612-330-1085 or alumni@augsburg.edu to learn more about this unique travel opportunity.
34
Augsburg Now
Called to Lead
Professionals Moving from Success to Significance
Augsburg College admits a diverse group of established alumni and friends each
year for the Called to Lead program. Six weekly seminars give you an opportunity
to examine your life and work. The seminar is co-sponsored by the Center for
Faith and Learning, and the Center for Leadership Studies at Augsburg.
Called to Lead is designed to expand the skills and knowledge of individuals who have demonstrated leadership within their profession and the community. Through collaborative and interactive experiences, participants engage
with each other and their facilitators as they explore their own call to lead.
Augsburg College accepts applications and nominations for the Called to
Lead program from a diverse group of alumni and friends, including business
leaders, professionals and academics, directors and staff of community service organizations and civic associations, managers from government agencies
and community activists. For more information contact Norma Noonan in the
Center for Leadership Studies, at 612-330-1198 or noonan@augsburg.edu.
@
w
o
n AUGSBURG
More ways to keep in touch
Do you receive NOW@augsburg? It’s the new Alumni
and Constituent Relations e-newsletter that goes
out the first week of each month to alumni and parents. Get quick updates on College and alumni
news, and check the calendar for alumni events
during the month. To receive NOW@augsburg,
e-mail alumni@augsburg.edu.
Thrivent rewards your volunteer time
Your volunteer hours for Augsburg can count even more through the GivingPlus program at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent will give Augsburg
$25 for your volunteered hours for Augsburg (25 or more per year) working on
projects or activities, or participating on committees, boards, and task groups.
Report your volunteer hours on the Thrivent matching form and make your
time even more valuable. To find out about volunteer opportunities, e-mail
volunteer@augsburg.edu.
Have you “friended” Auggie Eagle on Facebook?
Go to his profile and check out what Auggie is up to.
Join your classmates
to celebrate!
50th Reunion —1959
40th Reunion—1968, 1969, 1970
25th Reunion—1983, 1984, 1985
10th Reunion—1998, 1999, 2000
Recent Grad Reunion —2004-2009
Homecoming football game
vs. Hamline University
’09
E
T
A
D
E
H
4
SAVE T
October 1-
lege
l
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C
g
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b
s
Aug
9
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0
2
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i
Homecom
ing
u/homecom
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www.au
Spring 2009
35
alumni class notes
52Pines, Minn., was selected for
Rev. Arvid “Bud” Dixon, Circle
a 2008 Honorary Award of the Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation for
Peace and Justice, given for long
and significant contribution to the
causes of peace and social justice.
68professor of biology and direc-
Ted Johnson, Northfield, Minn.,
tor of biomedical studies at St. Olaf
College, gave an address, “Students,
New Science Building, and the Liberal Arts,” at St. Olaf’s Opening Convocation, on Sept. 4.
69
Rev. Peter Strommen,
Shakopee, Minn., accepted a
call to Shepherd of the Lake
Lutheran Church in Prior Lake,
Minn., that began on Sept. 1. He
has just completed a long tenure as
the bishop of the Northeastern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA.
tary children and conversational
English with adults at the Bible
School.
Larry Turner and Robert Storeygard
’76, along with David Tiede, Bernhard Christensen Professor of Religion and Vocation, attended the
10th anniversary of the Bible School
(Center for Christian Education) in
Martin, Slovakia, a Lutheran school
that educates adult students for
serving in congregations and communities. The “Decade of Miracles”
celebration, July 4-6, included performances from the St. Andrew’s
Lutheran Church choir, Mahtomedi,
Minn., who also performed elsewhere in Slovakia. Participants from
18 U.S. congregations taught Vacation Bible School with 330 elemen-
Peter Agre, Baltimore, Md.,
was awarded the Annual Prize
for Outstanding Contribution to Lung
Research on Dec. 11 at the annual
meeting for the Will Rogers Motion
Picture Pioneers Foundation
(WRMPPF), for his groundbreaking
work in aquaporins and potential
benefits to lung research. He is director of the Johns Hopkins Malaria
Research Institute in the Bloomberg
School of Public Health.
70
77Wash., began as director of
Rev. Arne Bergland, Puyallup,
church relations for California
Lutheran University in September,
acting as a liaison between the university and the church community.
Rod Skoe, Clearbrook, Minn., was
honored in November as a recipient
of a 2008 Torch and Shield, the
highest award presented by the University of Minnesota-Crookston. He
represents District 2, northwestern
Minnesota, in the Minnesota Senate
and has been involved in farming in
Clearbrook, Minn., since 1985.
78Lake, Minn., has been named
Steven Hoffmeyer, White Bear
commissioner of the Minnesota Bureau of Mediation Services by Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty. He
served as deputy commissioner and
has been with the bureau since
2002.
In October, Augsburg religion professor Phil Quanbeck II and his wife, Augsburg regent Ruth Johnson ’74, led “An Aegean Odyssey to Turkey and Greece,”
with a group of 23, including seven other Auggies. For 10 days, they traveled and studied the world of the Apostle Paul, Byzantium, and modern-day Greece
and Turkey.
(Back row, men, L to R): Jerry Kleven ’57, Art Rimmereid ’53, Paul Anderson, Jim Weninger ’92 MAL, Phil Quanbeck, Mike Bailey, Tom Stertz, Kirk Gill,
Jim Martenson, David Larson, Larry Turner. (Middle row, women, L to R): Sylvia Hanson ’50, Char Rimmereid ’52, Karen Freeman, Liz Weninger ’92, Julie
Larson, Carmen Clementson, Cindy Martenson, Nancy Anderson, Sally Tonsager. (Front row, women, L to R): Jennie Wilson, Ruth Johnson ’74, Kathy Bailey,
Lynn Stertz, Sue Turner, Alice Peterson, Denise Shuck ’09.
To read about their tour and see photos from
their travels, go to www.augsburg.edu/now.
36
Augsburg Now
79Ill., serves as the practice
Brian Carlsen, Buffalo Grove,
87
77
Neil Paulson ran in the Orlando
(Fla.) Utilities Commission race
in December. His photo appeared on
the cover of Runner magazine because he runs without a shirt in all
weather there, which is always tropical compared to Minnesota.
Scott L. Anderson and his
wife, Susan, Minneapolis,
welcomed the birth of John Scott on
Jan. 30, 2007. Scott is an insurance and financial service agent for
Farmers Financial Solutions LLC.
ScottLAnderson38@msn.com
leader of organizational learning at
St. Aubin, Haggerty & Associates, a
strategic HR consulting firm. He recently co-authored a book on business and workforce leadership,
Attract, Engage & Retain Top Talent,
from Author House books.
Leslie (Morland) and Jonathan Carlson moved from Bozeman, Mont.,
back to St. Paul where Leslie has
taken a nurse practitioner job at
HealthEast Clinics.
80St. Paul, Minn., has been apJulie (Petterson) Leslie, West
pointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty
as a parent member to a three-year
term on the State Advisory Council
on Early Childhood Education and
Care. She is a licensed educator
and the director of Augustana Preschool.
82began teaching 11th- and
Karl Spring joined Fox 21 in Duluth,
Minn., in September as chief meteorologist and travels to schools
throughout northern Minnesota to
teach students about meteorology.
Previously, he was chief meteorologist at KBJR-TV in Duluth.
94Sarya, Charlevoix, Mich., reGwendolyn (Christiansen)
ceived her Master of Arts degree in
music education in December from
the University of St. Thomas, with a
concentration in Orff-Schulwerk. She
and her husband, Dave, have a fiveyear-old son, Luke. She teaches K-4
music and movement and fifth-grade
band at Concord Academy in Boyne,
Mich. gwensarya@yahoo.com
Sara Trumm, Chicago, began in October as program coordinator for the
Center for Christian-Muslim Relations for Peace and Justice at the
Lutheran School of Theology. She
had just spent two years in India.
Rick Bennett, Morgan, Minn.,
91tag were married in Hoversten
Kristen (Hirsch) and Paul Mon-
89
Sue Hakes began a two-year
term as mayor of Grand
Marais, Minn., to which she was
elected in November.
Chapel on Oct. 18, with Auggies in
attendance: Velda (Stohr) Gabrielson
’90, Betty Christiansen ’91, Laura
(Ferry) Lee ’92, Brenda Lunde Gilsrud
’91, Liz Pushing ’93, Jennifer Tome
’99, and Aaron Pelaccia ’07. Kristen
is a marketing communication manager at Goodwill/Easter Seals Minnesota, and Paul is in sales and
marketing. They live in St. Paul.
92
Sharol (Dascher) Tyra, received a Star Award 2008
from the Minnesota Organization of
Leaders in Nursing (MOLN) in
recognition of her commitment to
volunteering and dedication to influencing health care by advancing
professional nursing leadership,
particularly with the Metro Alliance
Education and Service Collaborative
for Expanded Enrollment of Baccalaureate Nurses.
12th-grade students in chemistry
and human anatomy in Cannon
Falls, Minn.
Wendy (Shields) and Bradley
Falls, Minn., with big brother, Jackson, announce the birth of Lachlan
Bradley, on March 9, 2008. Brad is
a physician assistant at SMDC
Health System-International Falls,
and Wendy is a stay-at-home mom.
wreiners@frontiernet.net
Rachel Brist is a physician as-
of Bigfork Valley Hospital clinics in
Coleraine and Marcell, Minn.
84in Tromsø, Norway. Tove was
02artistic director for SOS Play-
named a Knight of the First Class of
the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit,
by King Harald V, for the advancement of Norwegian language and
culture in the United States. She is a
peace studies educator at the University of Tromsø and has served for
26 years as dean of Skogfjorden,
Concordia College Norwegian Language Village. Curt began on Jan. 1
as vice president for research and
development at the University of
Tromsø—the world’s northernmost
university vice president. This is a
new position resulting from the
merger of the University of Tromsø
and Tromsø College.
ers, two troupes of pre-teen actors
who perform for elementary and
middle-school audiences, helping
them cope with life. He often writes
scripts based on requests from educators to deal with particular topics.
86Minn., joined UCare health
Heather Schwartz joined the consumer marketing practice of Weber
Shandwick in Minneapolis-St. Paul
as an account supervisor. Previously
she had been a brand public relations director.
Tove Dahl and Curtis Rice live
Frank Gilbertson, Maplewood,
98Reiners ’99, International
01sistant and has joined the staff
plan in November as provider network management director. Previously, he spent 11 years at Blue
Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota,
most recently as senior director,
provider relations planning.
Andrew Bernstrom, St. Paul, is
Katie Lindelfelser’s research as a
master’s degree student at the University of Melbourne (Australia) was
published in a co-authored article,
“Bereaved Parents' Experiences of
Music Therapy with Their Terminally
Ill Child,” in the Journal of Music
Therapy, fall 2008. She is teaching
a music therapy course at Augsburg
this spring semester.
Spring 2009
37
alumni class notes
Rev. Rachel (Oldfather) Stout,
Wadena, Minn., was installed as associate pastor of Immanuel Lutheran
Church in September in Wadena.
Her husband, Ryan, is the new pastor at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church in
New York Mills. They have a son,
Soren.
04
Amanda Engesether is working
with the current city planning
director in Kinston, N.C., and will
take over that position in July when
he retires. Previous to this, she
worked as a planner in Johnston and
Onslow Counties in North Carolina
and completed an internship at the
Urban Design Center in Raleigh, N.C.
Chris Stewart, Lakeville, Minn., became vice president of operations
for BOR-SON Construction in Minneapolis. He will manage all general
construction operations for the company. Previously he was head of Target’s national field operations team.
05
Andrea (Carlson) and Riley
Conway are living in Hershey,
Pa. Andrea is a third-year medical
student at Penn State, and Riley
works at Border Books and is a student in the distance master’s degree
program at Hamline University. They
were married in 2005.
06Marrandino were married on
Maureen Parker and Martin
Oct. 25. Maureen is a board certified music therapist at KSB Hospital
in Dixon, Ill., where Martin is also
employed. He also is a student at
Sauk Valley Community College.
Kasey Yoder, Duluth, Minn., is coowner of Two Guys Pizza in Duluth,
and working 80-hour weeks, doing
everything from menu planning to
becoming a master of the pizza oven.
00Burnsville, Minn., and her
Missy (Carlson) Bakeberg,
husband, Randy, welcomed the
birth of their twins, Cooper Joshua
and Ava Morgan on Oct. 11. Cooper
weighed 7 lbs., 5 oz., and Ava
weighed 5 lbs., 13 oz.
00
Denitza (Batanova) Stevens,
Chandler, Ariz., and her husband, Joel, welcomed their son,
Roman David, on April 26 in Scottsdale, Ariz.
08Sept. 2008-Feb. 2009 in
Jenni Olson volunteered from
Iringa, Tanzania, teaching communications at Iringa College/Tumaini
University.
GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Anita Raymond ’94 MSW is a 2008
recipient of the fourth annual Shelley Joseph-Kordell Award from Volunteers of America-Minnesota for
service to older adults. She is a social worker for Volunteers of America-Minnesota’s Protective Services
and Geriatric Care Management and
Consultation Services.
05Robertson were married on
Britni Morgan and Jeremy
05Stephen Belde were married
Melynda Kleewein and
on Aug. 1 in Anchorage, Alaska.
Melynda works at New York Life in
Anchorage and coaches hockey for
the Alaska Firebirds. Stephen is a
teacher with the Anchorage school
district and also coaches hockey for
the Alaska Firebirds and the South
High School boys’ hockey team.
Oct. 4 in Crystal, Minn. Auggies in
the wedding party included Kyle
Howard ’04, Jillian Janicki ’04, Jim
Lindell ’04, Nick Collins ’04, and
Tom Delisle ’06. In March they are
moving to Brainerd, Minn., to start a
lawn/cabin care company, Bear
Paw Cabin Care.
95his second book published,
Jeff Falkingham MAL, has had
Sherlock Holmes: in Search of the
Source, a work of historical fiction set
in St. Paul in December 1896. A sequel to an earlier work, Sherlock
Holmes and the County Courthouse
Caper, it’s set in Jeff's hometown of
Browns Valley, Minn., in November
1886. Originally released in June
2007 as a fundraiser for victims of the
March 2007 flood in Browns Valley, it
has raised over $6,500 for flood relief.
Excerpts from both books can be
found at www.cccaper.com. Falkingham now lives in Eden Prairie, Minn.,
and works in advertising for Northern
Tool + Equipment of Burnsville.
38
Augsburg Now
08UST Tommie, Tony Nagorski,
Jen Janda married her favorite
07Henning on Oct. 4 in Red-
Megan Schiller married Brent
wood Falls, Minn. Auggies in the
wedding party included Marrissa
Henry-Mashuga, Maria Belen Power
’07, and Miesha Martin-Freeman
’08. Megan is an administrative assistant in the Automated Clearing
House (ACH) Operations at Wells
Fargo in Minneapolis, and Brent is
an inside sales representative for
Braas Company in Eden Prairie.
They live in Waverly, Minn.
on Aug. 2 in Eagan, Minn. An Auggie, Megan Carlson ’08, was in the
wedding party. Jen works in the
Marketing and Communication Office at Augsburg and Tony attends
the St. Thomas School of Law. They
live in downtown Minneapolis.
augsburg
then
Send us your news and photos
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, and
births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary, funeral notice,
or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to: Augsburg Now
Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN
55454, or e-mail to alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the
Augsburg Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
____________________________________________________________
Full name
____________________________________________________________
Maiden name
____________________________________________________________
Class year or last year attended
____________________________________________________________
Street address
____________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip
When today’s Old Main was conceived late in the 1870s, the College
planned for many of the new utilities and comforts of the day—plumbing
with running water and restrooms, steam heat, and built-in electric fixtures. This marked a shift from a campus that was ecologically independent (with a barn housing a horse, cow, and pig) to one that linked itself to
the growing urban infrastructure for water, waste, and energy.
Taken from “From Rural to Urban: The Environmental History of
Augsburg College, 1872–2005,” written by the students in Environmental
Connections and revised by Alex Hoselton ’08 and Alex Ubbelohde ’08.
Is this a new address? q Yes q No
____________________________________________________________
Home telephone
____________________________________________________________
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? q Yes q No
____________________________________________________________
Employer
____________________________________________________________
Position
____________________________________________________________
Work telephone
In Memoriam
Donald Murphy ’43, Mounds View,
Minn., age 87, on Nov. 24.
Dr. Nancy English ’73, Duluth,
Minn., age 57, on Aug. 8.
Robert W. Johnson ’49, Burnsville,
Minn., age 82, on Aug. 17.
Stacy Sellers ’01, Inman, Neb.,
age 31, on Jan. 2.
Pearson, Wayne ’49, Wildomar,
Calif., age 83, on Dec. 27.
Kerry Affeldt ’05, Wykoff, Minn.,
age 45, on Sept. 21, of injuries
from a motorcycle/auto accident.
Rev. James E. Peterson ’50,
Bloomington, Minn., age 79, on
Sept. 26.
Ronald Lund ’50, Wanamingo,
Minn., age 82, on Aug. 21.
Mary Ann Olsen ’53, Minneapolis,
age 78, on Sept. 18.
Beverly An (Gryth) Villwock ’52,
Charlottesville, Va., age 78, on
Nov. 29.
Mavis (Strand) Hafstad ’54, Eagan,
Minn., age 75, on Aug. 11.
Ahmednur Ali ’10, Minneapolis,
Minn., age 20, on Sept. 22.
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No
If yes, class year ________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
Spouse’s name
____________________________________________________________
Maiden name
Your news:
____________________________________________________________
Kathleen (“Katie”) Wiltgen ’10,
Winona, Minn., age 21, on Nov.
29, in an auto accident.
____________________________________________________________
Mathew Ackerman ’10, Dallas,
Texas, age 23, on Dec. 7.
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
q I know a high school student who is interested in attending Augsburg.
Spring 2009
39
my
Auggie experience
Richmond Appleton ’09
Environmental Studies
Richmond Appleton is passionate about giving back to his
communities—the Twin Cities and his birthplace of Liberia.
Early in his Augsburg career, he was a biology major and
planned to attend medical school. However, when the environmental studies program began, Appleton knew this was
the path he should take. He became the first student to formally declare the major.
Appleton has overcome a great deal in his life. As a young
boy, he contracted polio and was paralyzed on his left side.
He often had no access to medical care, but his parents took
him to native healers. “There were no social services or hospitals,” he says. “There was nothing to count on in emergencies.” Over time, he recovered the use of his arm and leg.
When civil war broke out in Liberia in the early ’90s, his
family fled to the Ivory Coast. Appleton’s mother was separated from them, and he also lost his father, brother, and sisters for four weeks because he couldn’t run fast enough to
keep up with them. Eventually the family was forced to Ghana
where they stayed in a refugee camp until they immigrated to
the U.S. in 2004.
A desire to make a difference influenced Appleton’s decision to join the environmental studies program where classes
in ecology and biodiversity fuel his interests in social work
and public service. Although he wants to help his country, he
likely won’t return to live permanently. He says Liberia is rebuilding after years of violence and destruction, but that
much remains to be done. “People are sick from the effects
of a polluted environment.”
While at Augsburg, Appleton has been active in the
neighborhood. He chairs the Augsburg Student Activities Council diversity committee and serves as a residence life community adviser. In January, he traveled to Cuernavaca, Mexico,
with students from the Scholastic Connections program to learn
about sustainable agriculture practices in Mexico.
Appleton plans to graduate in December and is researching
graduate programs in environmental studies. “I am interested
in public policy in urban areas, conflict management in war
torn countries, community development, agriculture, sustainability, and bio-agriculture.” Appleton plans to study sustainable food production and how it can minimize the human
impact on the environment.
JENNIFER L. HIPPLE, WEEKEND COLLEGE STUDENT
40
Augsburg Now
an
augsburg legacy
Mr. Augsburg still supporting students
Jeroy and Ainy Carlson
Kirsten Bar ’10
In 1958, when Minnesota celebrated its centennial, Jeroy
Carlson ’48 was one of 1,958 state champions honored by the
state. “Jack Dempsey was at the ceremony,” Carlson said,
“and he told us, ‘The greatest asset America has is its youth.’
That’s still true.”
Carlson and his wife Lorraine “Ainy” support Augsburg students through planned gifts because they believe what
Dempsey said. Carlson, known to many as “Mr. Augsburg,”
spent 44 years as a student-athlete, teacher, coach, and staff
member with the College. “I tried to be of help to anyone I
could,” he said.
With a charitable gift annuity, the Carlsons fund a scholarship that supports students who are studying music or physical
education and who demonstrate a commitment of service
to others.
This year’s recipient of Jeroy and Ainy Carlson’s scholarship is
Kirsten Bar ’10, a music therapy major who has worked
throughout her education with people with Hungtington’s disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.
“The students and faculty in the music department have a
special place in our hearts for those who have contributed to
scholarships,” said Bar. “For some students, these scholarships make a huge difference from year to year. We appreciate
the financial support and very much enjoy seeing the donors at
our performances.”
After completing her studies, Bar hopes to return to her
hometown of Billings, Mont., to start the city’s first music therapy practice.
“Investing” with an Augsburg charitable gift annuity rather than with a bank gives the Carlsons a locked rate of
return for their lifetimes, and they will be sure that the remainder will go to the scholarship after their death.
1-800-273-0617
www.augsburg.edu/giving
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
River Politics
Students in Professor Joe Underhill’s Environmental and
River Politics class travel through Lock 1 on the Mississippi
River. During the class, students study current debates
about the extent of environmental problems, and examine
how those problems are manifested on campus and in our
immediate surroundings. Exploring the issues from a canoe
gives them different perspectives.
Show less
AUGSBURG NOW
FALL 2008
VOL. 71, NO. 1
inside
auggies
1
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Nursing
Years
of Life-Changing
at the grassroots level Travel that
transforms Clever student + wise professor +
Travel
expert alum = awesome discovery Ready, action,
page
film20
suc... Show more
AUGSBURG NOW
FALL 2008
VOL. 71, NO. 1
inside
auggies
1
Augsburg Now
The Magazine of Augsburg College
25Nursing
Years
of Life-Changing
at the grassroots level Travel that
transforms Clever student + wise professor +
Travel
expert alum = awesome discovery Ready, action,
page
film20
success! Street pastoring in Wales
get
political
Editor
notes
from President Pribbenow
Our neighbors
o
ne of the most compelling moments in the
Christian scriptures is the question asked
of Jesus by one of his disciples: “And who
is my neighbor?” His answer, of course, is
the parable of the Good Samaritan.
For me, the disciple’s question is at the
heart of the mission and vision of Augsburg College—a question that is at once theological, reflecting our understanding of what God intends
for us to be and do, and also educational and
practical, helping us to link our learning with
service.
So, let’s do some theology! Ask yourself—
who is my neighbor? Is it the Somali woman I
met this morning on Riverside Avenue struggling to carry her groceries home from the bus
stop? Or is it the family in the ravines of Cuernavaca, Mexico, who will offer me both refreshments and life lessons when I meet them on a
Center for Global Education trip? Or is it my
classmate, who is struggling with balancing
school with life at work and home, and who
needs my time and comfort? Once the question
is asked, we are compelled, as was Jesus himself,
to answer with stories and parables—stories of
how being educated at Augsburg prepares us to
serve our neighbors no matter when or where
we encounter them. In that way, the question
leads us to think about the links between learning and service.
A central aspect of an Augsburg education is
to nurture and sustain the work of civic engagement—the practices of citizenship, negotiating
our lives together, navigating what political
philosopher and Roman Catholic theologian John
Courtney Murray once called the “intersection of
conspiracies,” his definition of democracy.
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Creative Director
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Editorial
Wendi Wheeler
wheelerw@augsburg.edu
Creative Associate-Design
Jen Nagorski
nagorski@augsburg.edu
Here at Augsburg, we believe we are called
to serve our neighbor. I am so proud of our
Augsburg community for its abiding commitment to civic engagement, to meeting the needs
of our neighbors—there are abundant examples
of ways in which students, staff, faculty, regents,
parents, and alumni are modeling for all of us
and the rest of the community what it means to
be reflective, productive, and responsible citizens of our campus, our neighborhood, and our
world.
At the same time, I want to challenge all of
us to think at an even deeper level about the
work of civic engagement, to see it not simply as
acts of service and compassion, but also as the
abiding and messy business—the lifelong business—of being educated, of building communities of trust and accountability, and of helping to
create a more just and humane world.
The stories in this issue of Augsburg Now
about the Center for Global Education (CGE)
offer fine examples of how the Augsburg community has answered the question of “Who is
my neighbor?” time and again in parts of the
world where our neighbors are partners in the
work of teaching and learning. We celebrate
CGE’s remarkable legacy and promise in Augsburg’s continuing and common work to serve
our neighbors.
Yours,
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President of
Marketing and Communication
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni and
Constituent Relations
Kim Stone
stonek@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published by
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now
do not necessarily reflect official
College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
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Augsburg College
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Minneapolis, MN 55454
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E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
a
fall 2008
Features
14
Lights, camera, and action
by Bethany Bierman
A new film major has come of age and now attracts
students from around the world.
augsburg now
19
Get Political!
by Wendi Wheeler ’06
Augsburg students got up front and backstage as interns for The
Washington Center at the Republican National Convention.
24
Travel that transforms
by Betsey Norgard
contents
Augsburg’s Center for Global Education reached the quarter
decade mark last year and continues to transform the way
students and participants view global issues and challenges.
29
Annual report to donors, 2007-08
Departments
2
4
6
13
45
56
Around the Quad
It takes an Auggie
Auggies on the Field
Augsburg Voices
Alumni News and Class Notes
My Auggie Experience
On the cover
(L to R) Erik Franzen, Mai Lee, and Ben Krouse-Gagne—three of Augsburg’s interns for The Washington Center at the Republican National Convention—each found unexpected discoveries in the experience.
Editor’s note:
Welcome to Augsburg Now’s new look! If you visited us at the State Fair last
summer or at our Web site lately, you’ve noticed more vibrancy and energy—
with just a touch of edginess. We’re in the city and we’re all about learning
by doing—whether it’s in the classroom, on the playing field, around the
world, or on the floor of the Republican National Convention. Please let us
know what you think, or what you’d like to see in the Now. Auggies are everywhere, and we want to connect with you. E-mail us at now@augsburg.edu or
call 612-330-1181. — Betsey Norgard, editor
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
around the
quad
Regents elected and honored
Five new members were elected to four-year terms on the
Augsburg Board of Regents at the annual meeting of the Augsburg Corporation Governing Board in September. In addition,
Anthony L. Genia Jr., MD ’85, was re-elected to a second fouryear term.
Mark A. Eustis, president and CEO of Fairview
Health Services.
At the board’s fall meeting, outgoing regents were honored for
their commitment, loyalty, and service. Those leaving the board
after serving several years are Michael Freeman and Beverly
(Halling) Oren ’55. Regents who retired after two six-year terms
are Rev. Gary Benson ’70, Ron Nelson ’68, and former board chair
Ted Grindal ’76. In addition, two ELCA bishops completed ex officio terms: Rev. Harold Usgaard, Southeastern Minnesota Synod,
and Rev. Peter Rogness, Saint Paul Area Synod.
Three retirees worked closely with students
Darrell Wiese ’59 has always had a knack
Alexander J. Gonzalez ’90, senior financial advisor
at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Eric J. Jolly, president of the Science
Museum of Minnesota
Gloria C. Lewis, president and CEO of Big Brothers
Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities
Marshall S. Stanton, MD, vice president
for clinical research and general manager
of the cardiac rhythm disease
management business of Medtronic, Inc.
Appointed to three-year terms on the
board, ex officio, are Bishop Craig E.
Johnson, Minneapolis Area Synod of the
ELCA, and Bishop Duane C. Pederson,
Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, ELCA.
To read more, go to
www.augsburg.edu/regents
for finding “diamonds in the rough,” baseball and football players who may not have
put up the big numbers in high school, but
had the potential to shine.
It’s estimated that Wiese, a 1959 Augsburg alumnus, helped to bring literally
hundreds of students to Augsburg over the last several decades
as a recruiter and assistant coach. For his lifetime of service to
Auggie athletics, Wiese was honored with the Distinguished
Athletic Service Award this fall.
“I always had a genuine concern for youth and athletics,
and something always kept drawing me back to Augsburg over
the years,” Wiese said. “I would talk about Augsburg and say it
was a great school with friendly people; they’ll give you a
chance to succeed and get your degree.”
After Wiese had been scouting for talent as a volunteer for
more than 20 years while still owning and operating his family
farm in rural Northfield, Minn., he spent more than a decade as
an assistant coach for both the football and baseball teams.
Several of his football recruits provided the backbone of
the Auggies’ 1997 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference title team, the school’s first since 1928. Many of his players were key members of the 2005 MIAC baseball playoff team.
“One of the things that strikes me so much about Darrell is
his ability to identify potential talent,” said former football
coach Jack Osberg, now a football coach and A-Club advancement manager. … “When he recruits, he doesn’t just recruit the
athlete, he recruits the family and gets great connections with
the families and siblings of the athletes he recruits.”
Wiese officially retired from coaching after the 2008 baseball season. A baseball team trophy has been named in his
honor—the Darrell Wiese Most Respected Player Award.
DON STONER
2
Augsburg Now
Retiring faculty and staff, continued
Karen Sutherland, professor of computer science, came to Augsburg in
1999 and retired at the end of the
academic year in May. Often her students would find her in the small lab
in Sverdrup surrounded by computer robots roaming the floor—
AIBO dog robots used for their ease
in teaching basic programming, and
search and rescue robots designed to
stay in communication with each other during emergency situations. They were all part of National Science Foundation
grant research in which Sutherland collaborated.
These projects were at the core of Sutherland’s passion for
improving how computer science is taught to non-traditional
students, including weekend students, immigrants, women,
and first-generation college students. “These students didn’t
relate well to computer science and how we were teaching it,”
Sutherland said. With the grant funding she could do a better
job of both attracting and retaining non-traditional students.
The National Science Foundation CSEMS (Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarship) program
enabled her to offer scholarships to non-traditional students.
She had upper-class students serve as peer mentors to CSEMS
students, encouraging them toward career possibilities in
computer science.
“A number of our young people want to do something to
make this world better,” Sutherland says. “They don’t see how
computer science is going to help that. You have to show
them ways it can, and they have to see how they could make a
difference, a mark.”
Via e-mail, she keeps in touch with many former students, some who have accepted jobs in industry directly after
graduation and others going on to graduate programs.
There is no shortage of plans for her retirement, which
center around gardening and travel. Even her gardening will
keep her near a computer, as she serves as the webmaster for
the Garden Club of Ramsey County. At her lake home, she
serves as a board member of the lake association, working to
promote shoreline conservation and sustainability.
Kenneth N. Erickson ’62, in his
nearly 40-year tenure teaching
physics, allowed students to see just
how vast the world is and just what
is possible.
After one year at Augsburg in
the 1960s, Erickson returned in
1970 and never left. For much of
that time, he held a shared professorship between Augsburg and the
University of Minnesota, cooperating with the University’s
physics and astronomy faculty in grant-funded research.
“As part of the shared appointment at the “U,” I was able
to do a lot of research,” he said. In 1970, Erickson started an
active undergrad research program at Augsburg. In 1991, he
started the Minnesota Space Grant Consortium, part of a
NASA-funded program that provides research and program
development grants to students and faculty.
“His satellite studies and rocket experiments in Alaska,
often involving other scientists from around the globe, gave
his students a window to a much wider and very exciting
world,” said Mark Engebretsen, an Augsburg colleague. “He
helped many of his students catch the excitement of trying to
find out new things about our world.”
The soft-spoken Erickson is reluctant to discuss his
achievements, but colleagues and many former students appreciated Erickson’s teaching and mentoring. Stu Anderson
’78, a current member of Augsburg’s physics faculty and a former student, said, “He displayed the art of an excellent
teacher—to invite students into the voyage of discovery, to
develop an appetite and tolerance for mathematical complexity, and to give students like me the courage to be persistent.”
Matt Broughton ’06, a physics and English major who
was awarded a Fullbright grant called Erickson—who has a
scholarship established in his name—“the best instructor he
had in college.”
Now Erickson is staying busy by growing corn and soybeans and raising cattle on his farm near Cambridge, Minn.
“I haven’t done much physics lately,” he joked.
WENDI WHEELER
BETSEY NORGARD
Fall 2008
3
it takes an
Auggie
New President’s Circle recognizes annual giving
During Homecoming Week, President Pribbenow announced
the creation of the President’s Circle, a new giving society that
recognizes annual gifts of $1,000 or more, at several levels of
support. By recognizing all current gifts, the President’s Circle
shares the Augsburg story among greater numbers of alumni
and donors and builds stronger connections with the College
today.
Within the President’s Circle, one of the top funding priorities of the College is the Augsburg Fund, which provides
support across a range of critical needs of the College. Most
important is the financial support made possible through the
Augsburg Fund that helps the College fulfill its promise to a
richly diverse student body. Financial support makes an Augsburg education possible for more than 85% of its students.
The Augsburg Fund also provides needed support for
current technology to improve teaching and learning, faculty
recruitment and retention, facilities maintenance and renovation, and opportunities for community events and services.
“There’s no other way to give to so many priorities—to
touch the lives of so many students in so many different
ways—than through the Augsburg Fund,” says Jeremy Wells,
vice president for institutional advancement. “It’s giving that
moves Augsburg forward just as it also honors its past.”
The President’s Circle Challenge, through the generosity
of an anonymous donor, will match all increases in gifts to the
Augsburg Fund up to $1,000 for those who become charter
members of the President’s Circle.
President’s Circle members will receive a special pin and a
new, members’ e-newsletter plus invitations to special events
and other benefits offered for support at higher levels.
Sven Oftedal Society honors Augsburg’s legacy
Augsburg’s Heritage Society, which
recognizes donors who have made
a future gift commitment to the
College, has a new name and identity—the Sven Oftedal Society,
named for the second person appointed to Augsburg’s faculty, who
became the College’s third president and chaired the Board of Regents for over three decades.
During the 1870s, vast numThe recognition of donors who
make future gifts to the College
bers of immigrants flocked to
has been named the Sven Oftedal
western and northwestern MinSociety, in honor of Augsburg’s
third president, who saved the Col- nesota. Augsburg’s move to Minlege from bankruptcy, ensuring an neapolis in 1872 placed it closer to
Augsburg education for
the center of Norwegian-American
future generations.
settlement, but by 1877, the College faced a financial crisis that threatened its very existence.
Augsburg was heavily in debt; the region was in an economic
depression.
Sven Oftedal stepped forward to lead a heroic fundraising
effort that saved Augsburg. Oftedal rallied and inspired farmers, merchants, businesses, and churches throughout the
4
Augsburg Now
region to support Augsburg’s mission, an effort securing gifts
from over 30,000 individuals. Augsburg was no longer a
school of a select few—Augsburg truly became a school of the
people.
Exemplifying Augsburg’s commitment to civic involvement, Oftedal established a community newspaper, was
elected to the Minneapolis Board of Education, appointed to
the Minneapolis Library Board, and served as the president of
Augsburg’s board for 36 years. His legacy of service is honored
by Augsburg through the founding of the Oftedal Society to
recognize the loyalty and vision of those who make a commitment of future support to the College.
“By renaming the planned giving recognition society in
honor of Sven Oftedal, we have a wonderful opportunity to
reflect upon the nature of Augsburg’s foundation—its roots,”
noted Jeremy Wells, vice president for institutional advancement, “and to reaffirm that those ideals continue to be the
core of the College and its mission.
To learn more about the Sven Oftedal Society or making a
gift of future support, contact the Office of Planned Giving at
1-800-273-0617 or via e-mail to development@augsburg.edu.
Another million-dollar year!
• The Augsburg Fund, the College’s annual fund, reached its
goal of $1 million—for the third time and the first time
outside of a campaign year—ending the fiscal year at
$1,001,979.
• Important to achieving this goal was the President’s Challenge of $100,000, which resulted in additional giving of
nearly $69,000 in new or increased gifts, triggering a total
of $158,000 in challenge gifts. This was made possible by
Don ’53 and Bev (Halling) Oren ’55 and anonymous
donors.
• During this last fiscal year, a 100% participation rate was
reached with gifts to the annual fund from all members of
the Augsburg Board of Regents, the Alumni Board of
Directors, and the President’s Cabinet.
It’s Augsburg Calling … Mai Yer Vang ’11
Mai Yer Vang was born in Thailand and moved with her family to the U.S. in 1994. When she was in high school, Vang
was introduced to Augsburg on a tour with the Upward
Bound program. “We had a really good tour guide who
showed us everything on campus,” she said.
Vang liked Augsburg’s small campus atmosphere and was
intrigued by a presentation given by Richard Webb, a counselor for Augsburg’s TRiO program, a U.S. Department of Education program that helps first-generation college students
overcome class, social, and cultural barriers to completing
their education.
“My family is on welfare,” Vang said, “but Richard talked
about financial aid and told us that we could go to Augsburg
if we wanted to. He helped us understand that a college education was possible.” In fact, Vang became the first in her
family of eight children to attend college.
She came to Augsburg in the summer, before many of her
classmates, for TRiO’s Summer Bridge program, a five-week
residential program that introduces students to the college experience with classes, academic support seminars, workshops,
and social activities.
As a TRiO scholar, Vang must not only maintain a 3.0
GPA each term, she also meets regularly with her TRiO counselor to discuss her academic progress and financial issues.
TRiO students complete all of their financial aid application
paperwork on their own, an often-daunting procedure many
of her peers delegate to parents. Vang is grateful for this experience because she is now helping one of her older sisters
complete college and financial aid applications.
For two years, Vang has worked as a caller for the Augsburg Fund in Augsburg’s Office of Institutional Advancement.
Through her conversations with alumni, Vang has received
career advice and has learned more about Augsburg traditions
and history. “I learned that Homecoming used to be huge
here,” she said, “and there were a lot more dances and royalty
and parades during the year than we have now.”
To date, Vang and the student caller team have helped
raise more than $114,000 for the Augsburg Fund. To learn
more about the Augsburg Fund and other ways to support
students like Mai Yer Vang, go to www.augsburg.edu/giving.
WENDI WHEELER ‘06
Mai Yer Vang ’11 is one of the
student callers of Phonathon
and enjoys learning about
Augsburg in past years from
the alumni she calls.
Fall 2008
5
Auggies on the field
Jordan Berg: Football, physics, and far more
Division III athletics is more than simply the games. It’s just as much about academics, family friends, and hobbies. Augsburg senior quarterback Jordan Berg understands the importance of balancing.
On the field, the Gaylord, Minn., native is already the most accomplished passer in
Augsburg history, owning single-season and career records for passing touchdowns,
completions, and yardage. Despite starting his college career at Division II MinnesotaDuluth, Berg is on pace to break the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic
Conference career passing record of 7,290 yards.
But Berg is more than just a quarterback. He’s also a physics major
with a 3.8 GPA. In his time at Augsburg, Berg has taken classes ranging from chemistry to American Sign Language, and Christian Vocation and the Search for Meaning.
“One of the reasons that Jordan is so successful is his preparedness,” says offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Drew
Privette. “He is prepared on the field, in the classroom, and in his
social life. If we have a quarterback’s meeting and Jordan also has a
big test in one of his classes, he’ll find a way to reschedule the
meeting, so he can take care of his first priority, his academics.”
Berg, a self-described “motor head,” has a variety of other
interests. He restored his own Harley-Davidson motorcycle,
complete with a custom paint job. He designed t-shirts for the
football team. And Berg designed two tattoos for himself and a
few others for his teammates.
“Jordan is a unique blend of character, artist, and student-athlete. He is gifted in each of those areas and it is a joy to work with
such a colorful and outstanding individual,” said football head coach
Frank Haege.
KELLY ANDERSON DIERCKS
6
Augsburg Now
For the full story, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
homecoming
’08
2008 Alumni Awards
DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI
LaRhae (Grindal) Knatterud
’70, specialist on aging,
Minnesota Department
of Human Resources
Dennis Kalpin ’61, retired
mathematics teacher and
coach, Alexandria, Minn.
FIRST DECADE AWARDS
Zach Curtis ’98, actor,
artistic director, and
theatre manager
Jeffery Cameron ’96,
intellectual property
attorney, E.J. Brooks
and Associates, PLLC
Save the date for Homecoming 2009—September 28-October 3
For more about Homecoming
and the alumni awards, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall 2008
7
Grassroots health care
the CENTER CLINIC
Augsburg nursing student Eileen Johnson
confronts poverty and patient needs at the
small, volunteer-run Center Clinic in
Dodge Center, Minnesota.
arty Alemán has a
passion for public
health. She is one
of Augsburg’s Rochester
Campus nursing faculty,
and she believes that
“greater community and social awareness make a better
citizen and a better nurse,
no matter where they
work.”
Thus, it seemed fitting
that she, along with the
Augsburg nursing program,
was chosen by the Center Clinic in Dodge Center, Minnesota, a
small, rural, volunteer-staffed clinic, to receive their Social
Awareness award at their annual appreciation event.
From her office at Olmsted County Public Health, Alemán
coordinates a number of the county’s public health nursing positions. As the Community Health II nursing instructor at the
Augsburg Rochester Campus, she integrates her knowledge of
public health and connections to community health agencies
with the course content to be a catalyst for transformation in the
lives of most of the Rochester Bachelor of Science in nursing
M
8
Augsburg Now
(BSN) students. She loves it. She loves introducing her students
to a side of health care that few of them have ever seen.
Community Health II is Augsburg’s only BSN course with
significant clinical hours outside of the classroom; all 48 hours
must be spent in community health settings. Alemán notes that
about 90% of Rochester BSN students are hospital nurses. “Some
students have only worked in surgery where they see a very limited view of patient care. Community health nursing is not such
a controlled environment,” she says. It stretches and challenges
the students.
Alemán helps students to navigate the challenges of a different healthcare culture and to connect the dots of relevance between their work in a large hospital to social justice in the
community. To that end, she raises questions within the context
of diversity about the uninsured, about poverty and patient
needs upon dismissal from the hospital, and about the community resources to meet those needs. She also encourages students
to consider health issues in public schools such as drug and alcohol abuse, sexual activity, bullying, and obesity.
Clinical hours bring the questions of the classroom into the
realm of experiential knowledge. Students integrate these experiences, comparing them to their currently held beliefs, and seeing things first hand rather than in text. They return to class and
talk about the experiences and how their current belief systems
are being challenged.
For their clinical hours, students may choose from a number
of cultural immersion options or community health settings in
Olmsted County or in the county where they reside. Alemán is
fluent in Spanish, having spent four years early in her nursing
career living and working in Ecuador, and has coordinated and
led immersion trips and home stays for students in Nicaragua
and Guatemala.
It’s obvious that Alemán has a special place in her heart for
arranging student placements in county community health settings. She encourages them to divide their time among a variety
of agencies and clinics. Her students can be found at the Good
Samaritan Medical Clinic, Migrant Health Clinic, Christ United
Methodist Church Health Fair, the county jail, and working with
church parish nurses.
The Center Clinic, directed by Jan Lueth, who is also a public health colleague of Alemán, is a favorite placement for
Alemán and her students. Lueth welcomes the students and describes the clinic as “a small non-profit agency staffed by volunteer nurses, nurse practitioners, and Mayo doctors and residents
that provides family planning and limited healthcare services to
the uninsured and underinsured, many of whom are Latino.”
Some of the BSN students have chosen to continue volunteering at the clinic. One student returned for six months as a
paid staff member. Since the clinic relies heavily on volunteer
hours to stretch their limited revenue, Lueth says their services
are invaluable.
“Social awareness is an important part of our mission at the
Center Clinic,” says Lueth. “We believe that awareness is the
first step toward social change.” Part of the clinic’s motivation
for giving Alemán and the nursing program the Social Awareness
award was that “always their questions and comments challenge
us to clarify what we believe and strengthen our determination
to continue our mission,” Lueth says.
When asked about Alemán’s passion for social awareness,
Lueth says, “only a professional like Marty, who truly empathizes and appreciates the complicated world in which our
clients reside, and the positive effect that nursing students could
experience by exposure to this, would have considered the Center Clinic as a possible clinical site for her students.”
She continues, saying the clinic is “a world where, like a
messy closet, you can make the conscious choice to close the
door, so you don’t have to look at it. But, you still know the mess
is there. … Marty puts her foot in the door, so you have to look,
have to experience the ‘mess’ at least for a moment.”
LIBBY HENSLIN ’06
OPERATIONS AND ADMISSIONS COORDINATOR, ROCHESTER CAMPUS
“Social awareness is an
important part of our
mission at the Center Clinic.
Pictured, right: In her community health
nursing course, Augsburg student Eileen
Johnson (left) is learning from Center
Clinic staff person Ramona González
(center) about difficulties faced by clinic
patients, many of whom are Latinos.
We believe that awareness
is the first step toward
social change.”
Fall 2008
9
awesome
DISCOVERY
clever student + wise professor+ experienced alum =
BY WENDI WHEELER AND BETSEY NORGARD
Brian Krohn (second from right) poses
with the scientists who named the
process (“Mcgyan”—from their own
names) that they hope will revolutionize
the biofuel industry: (L to R) Chemistry
professor Arlin Gyberg, SarTec vice
president Clayton McNeff ’91, Krohn, and
SarTec chief scientist Ben Yan.
A student’s passion for research
Brian Krohn originally came to Augsburg to study film, but
after only one semester without any science classes, this lifelong scientist felt “so deprived” that he officially changed his
major to chemistry.
Even so, he was unsure where the degree would lead
him. “I thought with a degree in chemistry, I
could only be a teacher or a pharmacist,” he said.
Then in the summer of 2006, Krohn received
a grant from Augsburg’s Undergraduate Research
and Graduate Opportunity (URGO) program. It
was support to conduct research, one of his passions. He and his adviser, chemistry professor
Arlin Gyberg, were both interested in biodiesel, so
Krohn set out to find a more efficient way to produce the fuel.
Krohn describes the research process as difficult but exciting. “You have to really dig into the
whole process and read all the literature to join
into the conversation about your topic before you
can figure out what you can contribute,” he said. Whereas
most undergraduate researchers “do what they are told, like
calibrate a machine all day,” according to Krohn, he had more
freedom to explore and experiment.
Eventually his work led to the discovery of a process that
converts animal feedstock to biodiesel. Gyberg advised Krohn
to contact alumnus Clayton McNeff ’91, a chemist and vice
president of SarTec, a company specializing in yucca-based
products and CEO of ZirChrom Separations, a chromatography company. McNeff, his chief scientist at
SarTec Ben Yan, and Gyberg took Krohn’s idea and
created the “Mcgyan” Process (from their three
names), an efficient and environmentally friendly
method that will allow McNeff’s new start-up company, Ever Cat Fuels, to produce more than three
million gallons of fuel per year at a first-of-its-kind
biodiesel plant in Isanti, Minn.
Krohn says it was his research and connections
through Augsburg, not the discovery itself, that
opened doors for him. In fact, he said this opportunity might never have been available if not for
McNeff’s ties to the College.
“It’s almost unheard of that the vice president of research
would sit down with an undergraduate student and his old professor,” he said.
clever student
10
Augsburg Now
wise professor
A professor’s connections to industry
It’s an event, says chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg, that
probably wouldn’t have happened anywhere else in the
world.
He’s referring to senior Brian Krohn’s research, his
relationship with Clayton McNeff ’91, and the partnership
that ultimately yielded the invention of the Mcgyan
Process. Gyberg, who is beginning his 42nd year teaching
at Augsburg, has supervised many student research projects over the years beginning with Richard Olmsted ’69,
the husband of current Augsburg chemistry professor Sandra Olmsted ’69, in the summer following their junior
year.
Krohn began his research by poring over hundreds of
abstracts of research on biodiesel. Eventually he found two
examples of projects that had been somewhat successful,
which had suggested that solid-state strong acids might be
effective catalysts for conversion of plant oils to biodiesel.
Gyberg knew that this material was used as a bonded solid
stationary phase in chromatography, so they attempted a
conversion using a batch process that had been used since
World War II. Gyberg summed up the results: “It didn’t
work.”
Then Gyberg recalled a seminar given four years earlier by McNeff on zirconia-based stationary phases used
for liquid chromatography and the ease with which it
could be bonded with various substances. Gyberg contacted McNeff, and Krohn and Gyberg went to present
their research to McNeff at SarTec Corporation. They
asked for some bonded strong acid zirconia and again
tried a batch process experiment with no success.
“Here is where the confluence of events occurred that
would not likely have happened anywhere else,” said Gyberg. McNeff’s ZirChrom Corporation is a world leader on
zirconia and its properties. McNeff and fellow scientist Ben Yan had
been working on oven-heated zirconia-based high temperature liquid
chromatography. It occurred to McNeff that pressurized, heated, continuous column catalysis using solid-state acidified zirconia might
work—and it did, the very first time. The Mcgyan Process was born.
“It would appear that this is only the beginning,” Gyberg said.
Research continues, with SarTec and Augsburg investigating algae
growth as a feedstock source for biodiesel as well as other reactions
that are possible for new types of biofuels that have not been possible
to synthesize before.
Gyberg is also working on a project with a University of St.
Thomas engineering professor who believes that in three years all
biodiesel will be made using the Mcgyan Process. They are developing a “pickup bed biodiesel plant” that the individual farmer could
use to make his own biodiesel fuel. This would also benefit Third
World countries where jatropha, a weedy bush that grows on noncropland and needs only about eight inches of rain or so a year, is
readily available. Jatropha can produce about five times more plant
oil a year for biodiesel than soybeans, and the Mcgyan reactor is the
only one that can completely convert the oil efficiently and cleanly to
biodiesel with virtually no waste and no pollutants.
Rather than spend his summers on the golf course or on the
lake, Gyberg supervises research because, he says, “It keeps things
interesting and exciting, keeps one up with current science, and
keeps the mind sharp.” He adds, “One of the great pleasures over the
years is using my background and experience to work with students,
some of whom are smarter than I am.” Gyberg says students are fortunate to be able to do research at Augsburg, since faculty there can
spend more time working with students than at large research
institutions.
Above, left: Senior Brian Krohn and chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg explain the Mcgyan
Process, a new, improved method of making biodiesel, at a press conference in March.
Fall 2008
11
awe
som
e
SarTec vice president Clayton McNeff ’91, whose team discovered
the Mcgyan Process, shares the discovery with alumni and friends
during Homecoming in September.
“It can be cost effective and
environmentally friendly—
experienced alum
and it’s portable.”
A chemist on the cutting edge
In March 2008 at a press conference at Augsburg College,
Clayton McNeff became somewhat of a media sensation in
the biodiesel world. He is vice president of SarTec Corporation, and together with his chief scientist Ben Yan, his former
professor Arlin Gyberg, and Augsburg student Brian Krohn,
McNeff announced a discovery they said would revolutionize
biodiesel production and lessen or eliminate the country’s dependence on fossil fuels.
This was the first public announcement of the Mcgyan
Process and the biodiesel fuel it can produce more efficiently,
less costly, and without harmful byproducts than existing
processes. He went on to announce that the group was already successfully producing 50,000 gallons per year at a
pilot plant, and even powering the plant with it. Through a
new company, Ever Cat Fuels, a new large-scale production
plant is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2009 that
will yield three million gallons per year, using non-food
grade corn oil from ethanol plants and free fatty acid waste
products from the current conventional biodiesel industry.
In July the Star Tribune described the Mcgyan production
process as immensely appealing to countries and companies
around the world because “it can be cost effective and environmentally friendly—and it’s portable.” The goal is for farmers to be able to produce the biodiesel they need to run their
farms completely on site. More than 35 countries have contacted SarTec inquiring about the technology.
Algae is a large part of McNeff’s vision. He refers to it as
the “holy grail” of biodiesel production because it can be
grown utilizing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide from
12
Augsburg Now
bioethanol and coal-burning power plants, and it can potentially yield enough oil for biodiesel to replace all U.S. petroleum
needs without competing for food crops or cropland. SarTec, in
partnership with Augsburg and Triangle Energy, is pursuing this
research with grants from Great River Energy and Xcel Energy.
McNeff is a 1991 Augsburg chemistry graduate, who pursued his PhD in analytical chemistry at the University of Minnesota. He joined SarTec, the company founded by his parents
where he first worked as a high school student, fostering his
love for science.
In 1995, as he became known for his expertise with zirconia, McNeff co-founded ZirChrom Separations, Inc., along with
Steven Rupp and University of Minnesota professor Peter W.
Carr. Carr has won numerous awards in the field of analytical
chemistry and has been announced as the recipient of the 2009
American Chemical Society Award in Analytical Chemistry.
In 2002 McNeff was awarded the Tibbetts Award from the
Small Business Adminstration’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. This award was given in recognition of
McNeff’s achievement in innovation, research, and business
that contributed to the commercial success of ZirChrom Separations.
McNeff considers the success of the experimentation leading to the Mcgyan Process as “serendipity,” but it’s a success
that can extend far beyond their projected goal of three million
gallons per year and be licensed worldwide to companies seeking more efficient and sustainable fuels.
For more information, go to
www.augsburg.edu/chemistry
DIS
COV
ERY
V
Courtesy Glendine Soiseth
auggie voices
Street pastors bring care and
hope to the streets
Glendine Soiseth graduated from Augsburg and Luther Seminary in 2004 with a dual degree—Master of Social Work and
Master of Arts in Theology. She was ready for the challenge of
an international experience and is the supervisor of therapy
services for a fostering agency in Flintshire, Wales. She lives
in nearby Chester, England.
In 2006 Soiseth heard about the three-year-old Street Pastors program and trained as a street pastor leader in Wrexham, Wales. She led her team on patrol once or twice a
month, from around 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. Recently, with her
move to Chester, she also serves as a Chester lead street pastor and will alternate patrols and voluntary time between the
two locations.
In September she wrote about street pastor work for a
community ministry blog in Chester. With permission, we’ve
reprinted excerpts from it.
Call
Historically, I have consistently been involved in faith, community, and political organizations, either working with
people, programmes, or the community in developing a
voice and making a difference.
When the St. Margaret’s vicar in Wrexham started talking about Street Pastors during a service, I immediately experienced a ‘call.’ Not a lightning bolt, but it was made very
clear that this (street pastoring) was something I needed to
do. I realized I was being asked to take a leap of faith despite not knowing how the new initiative would take me.
After training and graduation, I was out on the streets
in my street pastor uniform talking and explaining to people, door staff, vendors, police, and emergency personnel
what a street pastor is and does.
Community
When I mentioned to people at the time that I lived in
Wrexham, the response was universal, ‘nothing good comes
out of Wrexham … .’ I knew it would take more than a marketer or one person to make a difference. It would take the
‘Urban Trinity’—police, civic partners, and church—coming
together in agreement on community initiatives and protocols, as a means for it to work.
Glendine Soiseth ’04 MSW/MA Theology dual degree graduate (left), is a social
worker in North Wales and volunteers as a street pastor in an interdenominational church/community initiative with Rev. Trevor Beckett (right).
Street pastors are now recognized, respected, and welcomed in the community by pub/club goers, police, emergency personnel, door staff, street vendors, CCTV, and
visitors. They have witnessed and experienced our commitment, tenacity, unconditional positive regard, and passion
for what we do.
We’ve been accepted as part of their community for not
only sticking it out when it is raining, cold, and miserable,
but, more importantly, for listening, being authentic, and
providing practical assistance—not preaching ‘heaven and
hell,’ but getting back to basics of what it means to be a ‘caring’ community and how diversity can bring together unity.
Hope
I can’t begin to tell you all the stories I have heard on the
street in my role as street pastor. … about the drug dealer,
or the rugby player, or the person we picked up off the road
just before a car came round the corner, or the person who
had been involved in a cult, or the alcoholic, or the soldier.
But they are just stories about people you don’t know. What
I do know is that Street Pastors makes a difference in our
community. I make a difference. We make a difference.
From a human perspective, getting back to basics with
the above is a step in not only providing a community with
hope, but also it can be a difference between life and death
for that person we talk to on the street. … A good deal of
our work is ‘working in the moment where that person
seems to be at that time.’ Street pastoring works. I truly feel
blessed and privileged every time I go out into the street.”
Street Pastors is an inter-denominational church response to urban problems, engaging with people on the
streets to care, listen, and dialogue. For information, go to
www.streetpastors.org.uk.
BETSEY NORGARD
Fall 2008
13
LIGHTS,
CAMERA,
AND
ACTION
BY BETHANY BIERMAN
Augsburg’s film program, based in liberal arts and
giving students knowledge in production, performance,
and theory, attracts students from around the world.
14
Augsburg Now
ugsburg film comes of age
The coffee shop in Christensen is nearly
full, so we grab two empty stools by the
computers in the back. Wes Ellenwood
sits poised on the stool, looking relaxed
in his blue jeans and vintage New York
baseball cap, balancing his coffee between his hands.
“What makes our department
unique is its three tracks,” he explains.
The former NYU professor specializes
in documentary and 16mm film and
was just last year given full-time status,
making him the only full-time film faculty member.
He breezes through the description
as if he’s told it many times before.
There’s the production track (creating
films and videos), the performance
track (acting for the camera), and the
theory and culture track (the analytical
track). “And our faculty are not just faculty—they are professionals and experts
in film.”
Picture, bottom left: For more than a decade, communication
studies professor Deb Redmond has worked with alumni to nurture
the film courses that have grown Augsburg’s film program.
Pictured, below: Auggie Mike Bodnarczuk ’85 built a career in music
video production and has helped other Auggies get a start in LA.
Just then communication professor
and director of the program Deb Redmond approaches with a young man.
“I’m sorry, but may I interrupt?” she
asks. “Matt, this is Wes Ellenwood, who
teaches our production courses. Wes,
Matt is looking at transferring to Augsburg to study film.”
The professors exchange knowing
glances. This is not the first time such
an introduction has been made. In fact,
the film department averages two visitors per week. For a program that officially finished its fourth year, numbers
are exploding. While Augsburg has a
strong history of graduating students
who have excelled in film, it was only
in 2004 that the major was added. It
jumped from one graduate in 2006 to
now nearly 40 students. Five new film
majors transferred in this past semester.
“We’re different from most of the
metro college campuses,” Ellenwood
tells Matt and me, “because there is actual film being shot on this campus.”
He goes on to explain that because
Augsburg students develop an understanding of film, video, television, and
digital media, in addition to being
grounded in the liberal arts, these graduates are better prepared than most to
truly succeed in the industry.
A seed is planted
It was the early ’80s, and every Friday
English professor John Mitchell showed
movies in his class. One student recalls
nearly leaping out of his seat with excitement.
“He really opened up the gateway
for me,” says Michael Bodnarczuk, the
son of Ukrainian immigrants and a St.
Paul Johnson High School graduate. He
Nick Vlchek
A
LIGHTS CAMERA ACTION
had come to Augsburg to study prelaw and to play
soccer. “I got very
involved with politics with my lifelong friend John
Evans … and
Franklin Tawha,
but then started
spending a lot of time with film.”
Bodnarczuk took a 16mm film
course taught by a friend of Mitchell’s
during January term. “After that, I was
completely hooked, and then it became
an addiction.” He took Julie Bolton’s television class and Stan Turner’s class in
newswriting at St. Thomas. Jeroy Carlson found him an internship at KARE11, which turned into a job editing
stories for the sunrise show.
But Bodnarczuk’s passion was
music videos, and how they told a story
in four minutes. Augsburg didn’t have
cable at the time, however, so with the
rise of the MTV boom, he persuaded the
College to invest in a satellite dish for
the top of Christensen Center. He’d
record videos and host a showing on
Sunday nights during dinner, until they
got too risqué and the administration
shut him down.
Beyond the classroom, he made
connections with several people, including Jimmy Jam, Steve Rifkin (editor of
the Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy) and
Darrell Brand (cameraman). During college, he directed videos for Twin Cities
music sensation The Jets and spent a
couple days as a production assistant on
Purple Rain.
Following graduation, he worked at
a law firm for a while but just wasn’t
satisfied. He drove to Hollywood in a
Fall 2008
15
Augsburg’s first “official” film grad, Trevor
Tweeten ’06 has won awards for his films
and is now living and working in New York.
yellow Dodge Charger, with about a
thousand dollars in his pocket, moved
in with a friend, and volunteered on an
American Film Institute film. Through
persistence and personal connections,
he eventually started to get work. His
first breakthroughs were as a production assistant on Lionel Ritchie’s “Say
You, Say Me” video and the film La
Bamba, which led to work on Stand and
Deliver.
“It snowballed from there.” Within
two years he was producing his own
videos and commercials such as
Michael Jordan’s Gatorade ads, and
within a decade was running the commercial/music video department of A
Band Apart with co-founders Quentin
Tarantino and Lawrence Bender. While
his Hollywood connections blossomed
and his résumé grew, his Augsburg connections never died.
16
Augsburg Now
Breaking new ground
“Michael [Bodnarczuk] wanted the film
major here desperately,” recalls Redmond. “He contacted us.” Redmond and
theatre professor Martha Johnson traveled to LA to spend time meeting with
him about the idea. This became the impetus for the program.
Courses in film continued to find
their way into the catalog, and when confirmation came from the dean’s office, a
film minor was established.
As more and more Augsburg graduates entered the world of film, momentum for the program continued to grow.
President William Frame visited Hollywood to raise money for the film program, and Bodnarczuk donated
equipment and money for it.
Students like Adam Schindler ’00
and Hanne Anderson ’99 came to Augsburg before the major was established,
but knowing that film was their passion.
Schindler took creative writing
classes, looking to hone his storytelling
ability, and ended up with a communication major and minors in English and
film. “As I continued churning out
scripts, taking broadcast production
courses, film-related J-term courses, I was
approached by a few students about the
possibility of forming a film group.” They
applied for a grant through Student Senate, and, with the help of Redmond, put
together the Augsburg Association of Student Filmmakers (AASF).
“We were pleasantly surprised when
we had 30 or so students show up for our
inaugural meeting,” Schindler remembers.
“It was a very collaborative effort
with all the members chipping in film
ideas, cameras, and loads of time,” says
Anderson.
While he was still a student,
Schindler had a chance to meet Bodnarczuk through a contact in Augsburg’s
Alumni Office. Bodnarczuk extended
Schindler an invitation to intern if he ever
decided to move to LA. Needless to say,
Bodnarczuk was the first person Schindler
called when he made the decision to go
west.
“I hired a lot of Auggies,” Bodnarczuk recalls. “I helped open doors for
them because I knew how hard it was for
me. I think every single one of them has
gone on to greatness. I am very happy for
and very proud of them.”
A distinctive major emerges
“It took years to put [the major] together
because we really wanted it to be interdisciplinary, and truly based in the liberal
arts,” says Redmond.
The application for approval of the
major was submitted during the 2002-03
school year and was approved for fall of
2004. In the past year, Ellenwood has
begun teaching full time, and additional
courses have been added.
Today, first-year film students are not
allowed to take production courses, but
instead start with still photography and
core academic courses. From there, they
take courses in the history of cinema, criticism, and issues in contemporary cinema, which lead into documentary and
acting courses. Students have the opportunity to take electives in areas such as
graphic design, journalism, and art, and
for their lab science requirement they may
take Physics for the Fine Arts.
Robert Cowgill, who spent years as a
dramaturg at the Guthrie and is past performer, owner, and manager of the Oak
Street Cinema, teaches courses in analysis.
Elise Marubbio, an award-winning author
on the representation of Native Americans
in film, teaches courses that cross-list between the American Indian studies and
film programs.
“Our focus is on training students to
recognize within a system like Hollywood
that there are very particular narratives
around groups of people,” Marubbio says.
“Our hope is that film students begin to
realize that when they create a film and an
image of someone, they need to be aware
of the cultural implications.”
Marubbio coordinates Augsburg’s Native American Film Festival. “The combination of things that we’re doing is unique
to Augsburg.”
The program’s first student to officially major in film was Trevor Tweeten
’06. “The whole theory side at Augsburg
was fantastic, between [John] Mitchell
and [Robert] Cowgill,” he says. “There’s a
practical side of it with Deb [Redmond]
and Wes [Ellenwood], but also the heavy
side of theory and history. I think there’s a
good balance … I feel really lucky to have
gone to a liberal arts school and have a
broader understanding of politics and life
and literature and all that stuff.”
Augsburg also brings in adjunct faculty who are experts in their field, such as
Christina Lazaridi, a New York-based
screenwriter whose first screenplay was
nominated for an Emmy. She teaches
screenwriting in the summer.
Beyond the classroom, the program
encourages study abroad and internships.
It is often past graduates who provide the
internships for current students.
“We are growing our own,” says Redmond. “When people come to Augsburg
to study film, they are not committing
themselves to four years, but for life …
We’re growing our own faculty, in
essence.”
“The thing that fits with the mission
of the College is we’re looking for people
with a commitment to a message, particularly using the language of film to tell
their stories,” Redmond states.
One such example is a film by senior film major David Siegfried, who
used still photographs with voiceover to
tell the story of the teaching career of
his grandfather, Augsburg anatomy and
biology professor Erwin Mickelberg. In
his film are photos of Siegfried’s mother
riding her bicycle in Murphy Park as a
young child. (http://davidsiegfried.com/
mycampusfinal.html)
The current crop
“We’re grounded now,” says Ellenwood,
pointing to the fact that there is now a
common place for film students to hang
out, a space shared by communication,
film, and theatre students. Just through
the hallway of faculty offices are the editing suites, then the film studio, and
the “closet” they hope will soon become
the screening room. “Loitering is happening on a regular basis. That’s a good
thing.”
Ellenwood attributes the increased
interest in Augsburg’s film program to
the fact that it is deeper and broader
than most programs. “Without any marketing, students are finding us. Word is
getting out,” he says. Students have
come from as far as Argentina, and now
India. “We need more faculty, space,
and equipment to allow for the increasing number of students.”
“Our hope is to grow donors,” Redmond says. “It can start with supply
items, like an extension cord, then volunteering to take interns, then, if
they’re in the position to hire, to look at
our graduates. Eventually, they can donate larger sums of money.”
At the end of each semester, there is
a screening of student work. The event
is not broadcast across campus, and yet
last semester’s screening filled the TV
studio, with over 100 in attendance.
“That’s an astounding number for us,”
says Ellenwood.
Starting in fall 2007, film students
Film professor Wes Ellenwood, who specializes in documentary and 16mm film,
connects students with film pros in the
Twin Cities for hands-on experience.
Fall 2008
17
were included in the Fine Arts Scholarship program, which awards $3,000 per
year to selected students who have
demonstrated excellence in film. Four
students were awarded the scholarship
in its inaugural year.
This fall Augsburg is launching a
partnership with the highly-regarded
film studies program at Minneapolis
Community and Technical College.
MCTC students will be able to complete
a four-year degree in film studies at
Augsburg, and Augsburg film students
will be able to take courses in the film
program there.
A rich harvest
Students who recently graduated have
enjoyed rubbing shoulders with professionals in the business, just as those in
the early days.
w
Ben Katz ’08, Steven Jacobson ’08,
Trevor Tweeten ’06, and Joe Lueben ’07
all worked on a film accepted into the
Minneapolis-St. Paul International Film
Festival last year. Matt Goldman, who
has written for Disney and for Seinfeld,
directed the film. “Working with Matt
opened up a lot of doors,” says Lueben.
“It was the first time we’ve taken somebody else’s story, and not our own.”
The four also created a feature film
called “Bits” with a group of Augsburg
alumni, which has been featured on
www.mnfilmtv.org and was screened at
the Uptown Theater in August.
He has freelanced for such organizations as 3M and the University of Minnesota, and worked on a Kid Dakota
music video, on a short film with the lead
singer of Motion City Soundtrack, and
made a 50-minute compilation of clips of
Minnesota-made films.
For his senior project, Katz worked
ho’s who in film alums
with Ellenwood to research the documentation needed for an independent
film. With a 90-page script, he created a
production book with scene breakdown,
shooting schedule, budget, and business
plan, which he then presented to the
writer in LA.
“I love that the program’s grown
with me,” says Katz. “When I started out
[at Augsburg], everyone was excited
about the film program, but the department was not very structured. It’s gotten
better. Once Wes was hired full time, it
changed. It’s a real program now.”
“It’s this current wave of graduates
who will probably be the best ones,” Wes
says of the dozen or so who graduated
this last spring. “They are positioning
themselves to be out in the industry, in
the field; not pumping gas.”
Bethany Bierman formerly worked in the
Office of Marketing and Communication
and lives in Minneapolis.
To learn more about Augsburg’s film program,
go to www.augsburg.edu/film
Michael Bodnarczuk ’85
Owner of Battle Creek Productions. Past president and co-founder (along
with Quentin Tarantino and Lawrence Bender) of A Band Apart, which produced videos for such megastars as U2, Metallica, and Bon Jovi (and in
1999 alone was up for 21 of the MTV Awards).
Adam Schindler ’00
Past assistant to producer Lawrence Bender. Assistant to the executive
producer of Desperate Housewives; current assistant for director Marty
Calner. Semi-finalist in the Academy of Motion Picture’s Nicholl Screenwriting Contest; horror script, “Sundown.”
Garret Williams ’89
Attended graduate school at the American Film Institute; directed Spark,
which received a Best Director Award; selected as one of nine filmmakers for
Fast Track in 2005 on his work on Lost Dog. IFP Blockbuster/McKnight Film
Fund winner.
JoLynn Garnes ’02
Editor of The Fearless Freaks, featuring the Flaming Lips documentary,
winner of the Mojo Vision Award. Has edited videos for artists such as Liz
Phair, Hilary Duff, and Prince, as well as Target commercials, the feature
documentary Summercamp!, and video visuals for Beyoncé’s 2007 world
tour.
Bryce Fridrik Olson ’97
Director of feature films The Caretaker (2008) with Jennifer Tilly and Judd
Nelson, and Be My Baby . Co-produced instructional DVD “OT for Children
with Autism, Special Needs & Typical.”
Hanne Anderson ’99
Emmy nominee for camera editing for her work on Guiding Light; editor for
digital group at Spike TV, and, as a sideline business, co-owns Riveting Productions, a DVD authoring company that works primarily with Comedy Central Records.
Jenny Hanson ’05
Completing graduate work in Austria in a trans-arts program; owns
Sprouted Wolf Productions; teaches film at North Hennepin Community
College and Normandale Community College.
Trevor Tweeten ’06
The first official film major. Won first place at the Oak Street Cinema’s 24hour film festival; recently moved to New York City to freelance; currently
shooting for TLC’s What Not to Wear.
THE PIONEERS
18
Augsburg Now
auggies
In the first days of September, while Gulf Coast residents battled
Hurricane Gustav, more than 45,000 Republican delegates, party
officials, volunteers, and members of the media converged on the
Xcel Center in downtown St. Paul for the 2008 Republican National Convention.
An event as significant as the RNC was not contained, however, to a single site. Across the Mississippi on Augsburg’s campus, students and faculty from 48 colleges and universities met
for a two-week program of the The Washington Center for Internships and Academic Seminars. Because of its commitment to civic
engagement and service-learning, Augsburg was chosen to host
the seminar in conjunction with the convention.
Twenty-three Augsburg students participated in internships
through the program, each working in the preparation and planning stages to learn about the behind-the-scenes efforts involved
with a national convention. Augsburg communication studies professors Robert Groven and Kristen Chamberlain served on the faculty of The Washington Center Seminar.
Three Augsburg students shared their convention experiences—a young Hmong woman who changed her major from premed to political science, a graduate student who entered a state
legislative race, and a politically liberal political science major
who learned that Republicans and Democrats are more similar
than he thought.
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BY WENDI WHEELER ’06
The Washington Center at the RNC
Fall 2008
19
’11
Ben Krouse-Gagne
Getting active in politics
The Washington Center at the RNC
20
Augsburg Now
Though he says he has been involved in politics for a short time—just
two-and-a-half years—Ben Krouse-Gagne has done more than some of
us will do in our lifetimes. He worked on Jack Nelson-Pallmeyer’s Senate campaign, did a summer internship with the Anti-War Committee,
served as a delegate to the 2008 Democratic state convention in
Rochester, Minn., and spends weekends door-knocking for state congressional candidates.
Krouse-Gagne, a second-year political science major who grew up
in Minneapolis’ progressive Seward neighborhood, said he was really always involved in politics because his family, neighbors, and church
community were politically active. Then in high school, he traveled to
the School of the Americas in Georgia, a military combat training school
and the site of frequent anti-war protests. “It really hit me when they
read the names of those killed in the war,” he said, “and one of the names
was ‘one-month-old baby.’”
That experience fueled Krouse-Gagne’s desire to become active and led
him eventually to a summer job at TakeAction Minnesota, where he worked
to educate voters about political issues. “People don’t understand how state
politics affects them,” he said. “A lot of people don’t even know who their state
representatives are.”
His RNC field placement was with the Bloomberg News Service. On the
first day of the convention, he covered the protests outside Xcel Center. “I
knew a lot of the people and organizations protesting,” he said, which gave
him an opportunity to get close to the action. Protestors told him their goal
was to slow down the convention. “Inside, they didn’t even know what was
happening out there,” he said. “It didn’t slow down the convention at all.”
Through conversations with delegates, Krouse-Gagne learned that he had
more in common with Republicans than he thought. “Republicans are just
the same as us,” he said. “They want what we want, just in a different way.”
Krouse-Gagne also became friends with Eric Franzen, another intern
who is currently the president of the Augsburg College Republicans. The
two are working with the Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning, with
the help of Augsburg Sabo Professor Garry Hesser, to bring speakers to
campus to further the “Get Political” civic engagement events.
Their goal is to ensure that the Augsburg community is exposed
to multiple perspectives on political issues.
Being at the RNC made Krouse-Gagne want to be a delegate
to the 2012 Democratic National Convention and to become
even more involved in politics. A lot can happen in four years.
’11
Mai Lee
Changing courses
In the Hmong culture, young people often follow the path chosen
for them by their parents. For Mai Lee, a second-year student from
Minneapolis, this meant a career in medicine. Though she had always wanted to study political science, she pushed the idea away
and filled her fall semester schedule with science courses. “I was all
set to take biology and chemistry and 99% sure about majoring in
pre-med,” Lee said. Then she attended the 2008 Republican National
Convention, and that experience changed her course.
Days before the fall semester began, Lee changed her major from premed to political science. “At the convention, I met many people who
gave me good advice about a career in politics,” she said. Lee thought
her family would disapprove of her decision, but she knew she needed
to trust her instincts. “My dad wasn’t too happy,” she added, “but I said
I just knew pre-med wasn’t what I wanted to do.”
Lee said she had always considered herself politically conservative,
but the convention gave her an “up-close look at the Republican Party”
and persuaded her to consider a career in public or government administration. She wants to change the immigrant mindset that government
is “bad” or against them. “I want to help people,” she said, “and show
people that government can be good.”
As a Hmong American woman, Lee acknowledges that she would be
a minority in the public administration world. “There are not many
Hmong women in politics,” she said. “I could change that and make a
little difference if I get involved.”
During the convention, Lee was placed with Fox News as a “runner.”
She ran errands, picked up politicians or celebrities, brought coffee to producers, and did whatever else was needed. “At one point, I had to pass out these
ridiculous Fox News hats to convention delegates,” she said. “If they didn’t
want it, I was told just to put it in their faces.”
Her convention experience not only influenced Lee’s future, it also encouraged her to become a more active citizen. She’s joined the Augsburg College Republicans and says she is watching the news and reading the paper more. “I’m
doing what voters should do,” she said.
While she plans to support John McCain, Lee says she will still not be discouraged from pursuing a career in public service if the presidency goes to the Democrats. “If McCain doesn’t win the election, it won’t be over for me.”
The Washington Center at the RNC
Fall 2008
21
’10
MAE
Eric Franzen
Because I can
Even at the RNC, Eric Franzen felt like he was in the minority. He was
certain that he and another intern from St. Louis, Mo., were the only
Republicans placed with Talk Radio News Service.
As a student in Augsburg’s Master of Arts in Education program,
Franzen is not required to complete an internship. He applied to The
Washington Center program because he said he recently became intrigued by the “reality” of politics. “Politics is real people doing real
things with real consequences,” he said. “It’s democracy in action.” He
felt the convention would provide an opportunity to become part of the
political reality.
For his internship, Franzen covered convention events with a video
camera and then posted interviews and stories on the Talk Radio News website. His most rewarding experience, however, happened after the convention
because he said he finally felt free to have open conversations about politics
with other students at Augsburg. “This campus is very politically liberal,”
Franzen said. “Some of us get a little nervous.”
Franzen is grateful to Augsburg for hosting The Washington Center program because he said it created opportunities for dialogue and has allowed
him to engage with others, including his politically liberal friend and fellow intern, Ben Krouse-Gagne. “I want to push for political diversity and inclusivity
at Augsburg,” he said, “but certain opinions aren’t always included in the discussion.”
In the future, Franzen aspires to hold a public office. He even added his
name to the ballot in the Republican slot for the District 60A state representative
seat. His opponent? Margaret Anderson Kelliher, the 10-year incumbent and current speaker of the House.
Why would a young graduate student put his name on the ballot against an
incumbent in an overwhelmingly liberal district? Franzen answered. “Because I can.”
“No one was running, and I didn’t want to see the office go unopposed,” he
said. “My goal was for voters to have a choice, so I’m doing what I can to give them
that choice.” Though he’s not likely to unseat Kelliher, he’s has been campaigning,
calling voters, and attending events to promote his candidacy. “It’s a lot of work.”
22
Augsburg Now
Paul Nixdorf
In the production of Fiddler on the Roof, Janet
Paone ’83 met John Vaughn, who became her
kidney donor. Here, as Golde and Tevye, they
once again ask, “Do You Love Me?”
The Kidney Kabaret for Janet Paone
BY BETSEY NORGARD
In a summer 2007 community theatre
production of Fiddler on the Roof, Janet
Paone ’83 played Golde. Golde’s husband, Tevye, was played by John
Vaughn, a Northwest Airlines pilot.
Four months later, she underwent
transplant surgery and received a kidney
that was given to her by Vaughn. Paone
remains amazed at how this whole series of events evolved.
Since September 2005, Paone had
appeared in the cast of Church Basement
Ladies, playing Mrs. Vivian Snustad, in
the comedy based on the book Growing
Up Lutheran, by Janet Letnes Martin ’68
and Suzann (Johnson) Nelson ’68.
While Paone had lived with reduced
kidney functioning since birth, it worsened into renal failure, and her doctors
put her on the transplant list.
Paone turned down out-of-town
gigs, and a friend told her about the Fiddler production, a show she had done as
an Augsburg student and loved. When
she got to know Vaughn, he asked about
her illness.
“Oh, I need a kidney,” Paone said
offhandedly.
“Well, you can have mine,” Vaughn
replied.
Paone took this as purely a casual
remark, but Vaughn persisted. He told
her he would contact the clinic. Prelimi-
nary tests showed him to be a potential
match, to be confirmed with a battery of
testing. They became close friends.
Four months later, Paone’s regular
check-up indicated she had reached a
crisis point and would have to start dialysis until a transplant became available.
After Fiddler, she and Vaughn had gone
their own ways, and she thought he
might have reconsidered. She set a date
for dialysis.
But the very next day, Vaughn contacted her with news that he had finally
been able to schedule the battery of
tests. He asked how she’d been. She told
him honestly, and added, “Is that kidney
still available?
“I just started crying,” Paone says.
“The timing was crazy.”
Vaughn was a good match, and on
November 27, after several heart-toheart talks with him, Paone received the
kidney he donated. She says he told her
that the true gift she could give him in
return was her good health.
Paone’s recovery went remarkably
well, and she was back on stage in the
winter, continuing her role as Mrs.
Snustad in Church Basement Ladies 2: A
Second Helping. She and Vaughn have
remained in close touch since.
What Paone now faces are thousands of dollars in medical bills, with
few resources to cover them. A month
after surgery, several friends in the theatre
community began talking about a
fundraiser, and a planning “posse”
formed, including several Augsburg classmates. Katie Koch ’06, assistant to the director at the Guthrie Theater, knows
Paone well and served as coordinator.
The “Kidney Kabaret” played at
Augsburg on April 21, with many actors
and musicians stepping forward to donate
services, time, and talents, which also included technical support for sound and
lighting, and event decorations.
A silent auction offered more than
125 items from theaters, restaurants,
churches, sports teams, and radio stations.
The program acts were all friends,
co-actors, and colleagues of Paone from
past theater productions. WCCO’s
Frank Vascellaro and Dale Connelly,
from Minnesota Public Radio, co-hosted
the evening.
Special guest Dr. Mark Odland,
Paone’s transplant surgeon, was introduced, along with staff from HCMC’s
kidney transplant program. Vaughn was
recognized and lauded for his gift of life
to Paone.
More than $15,000 was donated,
and the Janet Paone Transplant Fund
was set up at U.S. Bank with the help of
Auggie classmate David Young ’82.
Sponsors for the event were Curt Wollan and TroupeAmerica, Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, and Augsburg.
For more information, go to
www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall 2008
23
Travel
that
transforms
BY BETSEY NORGARD
The Center for Global Education
Amazing. Life-changing. Transforming. Participants are not shy about describing their experiences on trips organized by the Center for Global Education. They seek out opportunities to talk about what they learned, and they want to return. The difference is that they
have not been on casual, sightseeing trips, but reflective travel; and CGE has built a reputation as a national leader in international experiential education.
24
Augsburg Now
Courtesy CGE-Namibia
Courtsey CGE
Social work students from eight colleges spend a
semester learning about social work issues and meeting
social work students in Mexico City and Cuernavaca—
and here, posing next to papayas in rural Morelos.
While the first student seminar in Mexico
took place in 1979, it wasn’t until 1982
when Joel Mugge led a group that officially established the Center for Global
Service and Education. He did this in response to a request from the Lutheran
Church for programs to raise awareness
of international issues.
Mugge developed a new form of international education, basing the curriculum on the educational principles of
Brazilian educator and theologian Paulo
Freire. In this, students learn in a cycle of
three phases. Initially they have direct experience in the local community, listening
to the voices of people not usually heard
in mainstream media, telling their own
stories and stories of their communities.
Then, informed by readings, students reflect on what they saw and heard. Lastly,
as a group, students share their reactions,
discuss issues, and formulate actions to
carry with them. It becomes a continual
process of “learning how to learn.”
CGE’s programs include study and
travel abroad for students, faculty development in global education, and customized
group travel around specific issues or targeted for specific groups. As a result of
these programs, CGE has served as a catalyst in the Lutheran Church for a new understanding of global mission, putting
people from the U.S. face-to-face with
people in local communities around the
world to learn from each other and build
partnerships across faiths. CGE programs
tailored for small businesses have helped
their employees understand complexities
in social, economic, and political issues,
and the development of more responsible
global citizenship.
“The goal is not to simply educate
persons, but to encourage them to pursue
a life of involvement that will ultimately
lead to wisdom,” says Larry Hufford, a political science professor at St. Mary’s University, San Antonio, Texas, who has led
numerous study seminars with CGE’s as-
sistance and who finds them spiritually renewing.
During the 1980s and 1990s, CGE
planned travel seminars literally around
the world. Study centers with resident
Augsburg faculty and staff were then established in three locations—Cuernavaca,
Mexico; Managua, Nicaragua; and Windhoek, Namibia. Offices and staff are also
located in El Salvador and Guatemala.
CGE became known for the quality
of learning their travel provided; in 1988
they were hired by the American Society
of Newspaper Editors to organize a seminar for journalists to Central America and
Mexico. CGE has also received Fulbright
grants to organize several group projects.
In 2003, the program was named the National Society for Experiential Education’s
Program of the Year.
In 2001, the position of CGE director
was expanded to include the associate
dean of international programs. The Office of International Programs (OIP) was
created, which, in addition to CGE, includes Augsburg Abroad, the study
abroad office; International Partners, including European institutions in Germany,
Norway, and Finland that have reciprocal
agreements for study with Augsburg; and
International Student Advising, providing
advising and advocacy for international
students at Augsburg.
Students say…
Comments from the “Religion and
Christian Faith” travel seminar to
El Salvador, January 2007
NATALIE SASSEVILLE ’09
“Going on the trip to El Salvador was like getting
stuck in an earthquake—it shook me and all of
my values to the core…Never before have I felt
so inspired or impassioned…”
JOE SKOGMO ’08
“This trip gave me knowledge that cannot be
learned in any textbook, but it is knowledge that
one cannot do without in order to understand the
magnitude of human responsibility, vocation, and
global citizenship. Studying in El Salvador is
simply the greatest practical application for understanding why our vocations matter.”
MICHELE ROULET ’09
“The people of [El Salvador] are our textbook,
and their stories are frightening and funny and
inspiring. To say that everyone comes back
changed is to make light of the experience. People come back enriched, enlightened, and energized.”
OLEE AMATA ’11
“The concept of affecting another human being
by decisions I make made me see the world differently. … As a business major, I want to learn
how I can help be a global citizen when globalization is the enemy to developing countries.”
Fall 2008
25
Courtsey Donna DeGracia
Students training to become physician assistants visited
clinics in Guatemala, learning about healthcare practices
there and presenting health clinics—such as teaching
children about oral hygiene.
INTERNATIONALIZING AUGSBURG
EDUCATION
Shortly after the arrival of new Augsburg
president Paul Pribbenow in 2006, the
College began to focus on internationalizing Augsburg education. OIP launched efforts to integrate study abroad experiences
into the curriculum of all majors on campus, seeking to create a culture shift toward
a more internationalized campus and college experience for students. The goal is a
more seamless relationship between campus curriculum and study abroad. Students
may choose from the semesters abroad offered by CGE or participate in other study
abroad programs approved by the Augsburg Abroad office.
In addition to infusing study abroad
into all majors, CGE has made it possible
for all students—undergraduate and graduate—to have a cross-cultural experience.
For weekend students it means only a oneor two-week course, a shorter time away
from family and work than the semester
program. For graduate students, it means a
short-term seminar that directly links to
their program work or research. For all students, the direct, personal experience in
another culture is carried back into their
lives and work at home.
A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS
Following are examples of programs that
have been designed for specific disciplines or target audiences:
26
Augsburg Now
Social work in a Latin American
context
This semester-long program in Mexico for
social work undergraduate students was
developed within a unique consortium of
eight colleges and universities in South
Dakota and Minnesota—both public and
private. It provides a common experience
for students at schools lacking the resources to create a program of their own.
This experience gives future social work
professionals better preparation to serve
the needs of Spanish-speaking clients in
their home areas.
The social work students live at
Augsburg’s center in Cuernavaca. They
take classes in culture with Augsburg’s
adjunct faculty there, and classes in social
work theory and practice with a visiting
professor from one of the consortium institutions.
In 2006, the consortium was
awarded the Council on Social Work Education’s Partners in Education award for
“advancing education for international
social work.”
Exploring health care in Guatemala
In July the physician assistant studies master’s program became the third graduate
program to offer a study abroad course tailored for its students. Twelve students traveled to Guatemala for two weeks to learn
about indigenous culture, and specifically
to explore health practices and spirituality
in Mayan cultures.
While there, the students visited clinics, learned about deep social and cultural
disparities, and presented programs on
healthcare topics, such as hypertension and
diabetes. They learned and saw how
healthcare practices can be developed with
vastly fewer resources—something which
may serve them well as they seek physician
assistant positions in areas with underserved populations.
Before traveling, the PA students raised
money to buy supplies and materials to
give to the clinics, such as over-the-counter
vitamins and pain relievers, stethoscopes,
blood pressure cuffs, etc.
Lilly vocation seminars
As part of “Exploring Our Gifts,” Augsburg’s grant from the Lilly Endowment for
exploration of vocation, a total of nine
travel seminars have been designed with a
focus on vocation.
Religion professor Bev Stratton has
twice led a vocation-themed seminar—Religion and the Christian Faith (REL 480)—
to El Salvador, where students have studied
how powerfully the faith of the Salvadoran
people has impacted their struggles for social justice. These courses fulfill the students’ keystone requirement—a seminar
generally taken in their last year that pulls
together their total Augsburg experience,
combining the liberal arts foundation with
their in-depth major, while revisiting the
Courtsey Jennifer Hipple
As part of the Hoversten Peace Seminar, an Augsburg faculty, staff, and student group stopped for a photo while
touring the fields of a coffee cooperative in Guatemala.
critical conversations about vocation.
The El Salvador group visited massacre sites, met with survivors, and heard
from leaders such as Bishop Medardo
Gomez of the Salvadoran Lutheran
Church, who spoke about how he sees his
vocation at work in El Salvador. The group
also became immersed in the work and
legacy of Archbishop Óscar Romero, killed
in the civil war in 1980.
The Lilly seminars have given students
both a cross-cultural experience and a
framework to understand how Christian
vocation is part of daily life. Other Lilly
seminars have taken students to Namibia,
Mexico, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.
Hoversten Peace Seminar
Supported by the Hoversten Peace Endowment, this biennial travel seminar for
Augsburg faculty, staff, and students aims
to develop a strong learning community
among participants. Pre-departure orientation introduces the group to each other,
and living and learning together abroad
strengthens their bonds. Upon return, the
group continues to build community
around their common experience by
sharing it with the larger Augsburg community.
In August, 10 faculty, staff, and students—coincidentally, all women—par-
Courtsey Rachel Olson
“I learned how to learn”
Hannah Glusenkamp ’09
Students in the 2005 study seminar to El Salvador studied
the legacy of Archbishop Oscar Romero, who was killed
while championing the struggle of the Salvadoran people
during their long civil war.
ticipated in the 10-day “Peace and Reconciliation after Conflict: A Guatemalan Perspective.” The women learned about the
history of civil war and the peace accords, heard from leaders with differing
perspectives, and confronted the realities
of the local communities.
The efforts to internationalize the
Augsburg campus are showing results. In
2007-08, a record number of 221 Augsburg students studied abroad.
As their first quarter-century came to
a close, CGE director and associate dean
Orval Gingerich noted in their anniversary publication that “the work of CGE is
unfinished, and is perhaps more important than ever in bringing tools for critical analysis and action and ultimately
hope to a new generation of students,
professors, and global citizens.”
Stay tuned for the next 25 years.
Hannah Glusenkamp is a senior majoring in
women’s studies, with minors in Spanish and religion. At the 2008 Peace Prize Forum at Concordia College in Moorhead, she was selected as
one of Augsburg’s two Peace Scholars, a new
program that strives to develop students leaders
aspiring to careers in world peace issues.
Glusenkamp studied on two CGE programs—“Sustainable Development and Social
Change” in Central America, and “Gender, Sexuality, Politics, and the Arts” in Mexico.
“Both of these experiences challenged,
shook up, and reshaped my values, beliefs, and
world view,” she wrote. “From the first day of
the trip we, the students, were encouraged to reflect on our multi-dimensional selves and to approach education from a holistic standpoint, a
standpoint that incorporates all aspects of our
lives into the learning process.”
At the Council on International Educational
Exchange conference last fall, Glusenkamp and
nine other student panelists were asked to share
the most important thing they learned while
studying abroad. “I thought about the question
for a moment and then realized that my answer
had to be, ‘I learned how to learn,’” she said.
“I learned to become an active participant
in my education. … I learned to be curious and
to ask questions. I can no longer travel to a city
or country without wondering what the healthcare system is and if it benefits the people in
that community, or how the public transportation runs, or how subsidies in the United States
might affect the agricultural practices of the indigenous peoples in that community. … I
learned to question whose voice I am hearing
and whose voice is being left out.
“My experiences and time with the Center
for Global Education … showed me that I am
not just a student of Augsburg College for four
years, but rather that we are all students of life,
with the rights and responsibilities to engage in
the dynamic, liberating, and transformative ongoing process of experiential education.”
Fall 2008
27
TRAVEL SEMINARS
850
sponsored groups CGE has
worked with
25
Celebrating
years of
educating for transformation
by Kathleen McBride, regional co-director for Central America
and adjunct professor, Center for Global Education
Crossing borders and challenging boundaries is a
powerful metaphor for our journey of the last 25
years. It is the title of the first Center for Global
Education publication that documented the collective memory of our first years of work. The
Center’s initial experiences in 1979 included
crossing the Mexican border with students for
short-term educational experiences. Since that
time, thousands of participants have joined the
Center’s travel seminars to Mexico, Central America, the Philippines, the Middle East, Southern
Africa, and [locations in the U.S.].
As educators, we see our role as one that
engages students and participants in the world,
facilitating critical analysis and reflection that
leads to action. We believe that intercultural dialogue and collaboration with decision makers
and historically disadvantaged urban and rural
communities are a way of developing greater
understanding of the power relations in the
world and planting seeds towards more just relations and fair practices. These assumptions
are at the root our pedagogical model.
An expanded pedagogical framework
While the pedagogy of Paulo Freire continues to
be the foundation of our educational process (experience—reflection—action), in recent years
other kindred approaches, including feminist and
indigenous pedagogies, have influenced our
practice and strengthened our analysis. All of
28
Augsburg Now
the numbers
12,000+ travel seminar participants
Center for
Global
Education
SEMESTERS ABROAD
300
colleges, whose study semesters are arranged by CGE,
including institutions in the U.S., Germany,
Canada, and Norway
1,900
semester program participants
COUNTRIES VISITED
40+
in Mexico, Central America, South
America, the Caribbean, Africa, Europe, the Middle
East, India, Southeast Asia, China, and Hong Kong,
and the U.S.
CGE FACULTY AND STAFF LOCATIONS
9
Minneapolis
16
Mexico
9
Nicaragua
1
El Salvador
2
Guatemala
8
Namibia
And, millions of stories shared, hearts touched, and
perceptions changed over 25 years across the globe.
these pedagogies place significant emphasis on
learning in community. For Freire, learning in
community is one of the foundations of liberating
education. Historically, learning in community has
been a fundamental characteristic of indigenous
teaching and learning, though underrepresented
in traditional educational systems. Similarly, feminist pedagogy upholds learning in community as
central to educational processes that gives voice
to all people, particularly women, whose experience and voice have oftentimes been silenced.
Concepts of autonomy and empowerment that are
key to feminist and indigenous scholarship have
informed our methodologies and expanded our understanding of the world and of the educational
process. Our efforts to foster ongoing critical
analysis of power relations in the world are
grounded in a practice of intercultural dialogue
and experiences that continue to break open new
understandings of the world, leading us to a
deeper analysis that continually informs our
teaching.
Ongoing challenges
While our role has become clearer with regard to
our niche in the field of transformative education,
we still face significant challenges. As we facilitate
participants’ reflections on educational experi-
ences and encourage the exploration and implementation of action steps, we are confronted with an institutional challenge if we are in fact going to
continue to practice what we teach. To fully engage
the circle of praxis with the goal of transforming society, follow-up to participants’ experience as they
return to their home communities is essential. How
do we, as an institution, provide a space for participants and students to fully engage the circle of
praxis upon their return? How can we facilitate the
exploration of actions steps in participants’ home
communities? …
The Center for Global Education’s work today
continues to be the fruit of dialogue and reflections
with staff and resource people from over a dozen
countries and hundreds of students and participants
from the United States who have inspired our work,
shaped our analysis, challenged our language, and
informed our worldview. We are excited to be engaged in an educational process that will continue
to be refined and changed in the coming years by
new generations of staff and participants engaged in
transformative education.
Excerpted from Global News & Notes, Summer
2007; 25th Anniversary Issue: “Building a Just
and Sustainable World: Educating for
Transformation”
AUGSBURG COLLEGE
ANNUAL REPORT TO DONORS
2007-2008
Fall 2008
29
DEAR FRIENDS,
I write with a deep sense of humility and gratitude for your remarkable support of Augsburg College.
When I received the call to serve as the 10th president of Augsburg College, I enthusiastically accepted,
filled with a sense that God intended my life’s work to intersect with Augsburg’s mission and vision. I give
thanks every day for the opportunity to serve this special college. I am impressed by the deep commitment so
many individuals show toward Augsburg and its important work in the world. This annual report is a reminder to all of us of the importance philanthropy plays in the life of our college, and in the lives of our students. On their behalf, thank you for your generosity.
Our common work here at Augsburg calls us to be good stewards of the many gifts and resources we’ve
been given. Each year, thousands of alumni, parents, and friends make gifts not to the College, but through
the College, directly benefiting the many students we
serve. These students either embark on, or continue,
their vocational journeys here at Augsburg, and the
WE BELIEVE WE ARE CALL
many gifts we receive on an annual basis directly imTO SERVE OUR NEIGHBOR
pact their experience—in the classroom, on campus,
and in our neighborhood.
We have a new and bold way of stating the vision
of Augsburg College. It is this: We believe we are called to serve our neighbor. It is a vision statement that resonates deeply with the legacy and promise, the commitments and values, and the aspirations and reality of
our college. It is a statement that confirms our strong conviction that faith, learning, and service are at the
very heart of our identity as a college. I am especially grateful for the faculty and staff of the College who live
out this vision in educating our students.
To continue to live out this vision in a very real and meaningful way, Augsburg College needs your abiding and increased participation and support. I ask each of you to join me as we work together to secure a
strong and vibrant future for our college, and for our students.
Sincerely,
PAUL C. PRIBBENOW
PRESIDENT
30
Augsburg Now
ED
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2007-08
Six new regents
elected to board
Six new members were elected to fouryear terms on the Augsburg College
Board of Regents at the annual meeting
of the Augsburg Corporation in October
2007. In addition, Michael Good and
Jennifer Martin were re-elected to second
six-year terms. New members: Andra
Adolfson, business development director
of Adolfson & Peterson Construction,
Inc; Rolf Jacobson, writer, educator, and
associate professor of Old Testament at
Luther Seminary; Ruth E. Johnson, MD ’74,
consultant in the Department of Internal Medicine at Mayo Clinic and assistant professor of medicine at Mayo
Medical School. She was recognized as a
Distinguished Alumna of Augsburg in
1996; Stephen Sheppard, former CEO of
Foldcraft Co; Joan Volz ’68, private practice attorney specializing in mediation;
Bonnie Wallace, scholarship director,
Fond du Lac Band of Lake Superior
Chippewa.
Garry Hesser appointed new
Sabo Professor
President Pribbenow announced the appointment of Garry Hesser, professor of
sociology and director of the MetroUrban Studies program, as the College’s
first Sabo Professor of Citizenship and
Learning. His work in this new role lays
the groundwork for the establishment of
an endowed Martin Olav Sabo Center
and chair.
As the Sabo Professor, Hesser’s activities include collaboration with the
Center for Service, Work, and Learning
concerning student engagement and
leadership, and development of events,
Students from the organic chemistry and analytical chemistry class labs paused to thank Augsburg donors John ’74
(chemistry) and Marvel Yager for their gifts that support scholarships for chemistry majors. Their $10,000 annual gift is
fully matched by John’s employer, Beckman Coulter, and has provided $80,000 over the past four years to support chemistry students.
programs, and lecture series that promote civic engagement and build community outreach.
Hesser has taught at Augsburg since
1977 and is recognized as a pioneer in
experiential education. In 1997 he received the Thomas Ehrlich Award for
leadership in service-learning, and in
2004 was named the Minnesota Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation and the Council for Advancement
and Support of Education.
The Sabo Center in Citizenship and
Learning is the culmination of nearly 20
years of fundraising and advocacy by the
friends and colleagues of Martin Sabo ’59
that celebrates the College’s commitment
to education for democracy.
Metro-urban studies director and professor Garry Hesser
(right) was appointed Sabo Professor of Citizenship and
Learning, honoring the legacy of retired Congressman
Martin Sabo ’59 (left).
Fall 2008
31
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2007-08
Two Augsburg giants
are mourned
Within one month of each other last
year, Augsburg lost two of its most wellknown and longstanding faculty.
Joel Torstenson ’38,
professor emeritus of sociology,
died on October
18, 2007, at the
age of 94.
So much of
Augsburg’s identity today as a college of the city stems from Torstenson’s
work at Augsburg. He founded the sociology and social work departments, and
the metro-urban studies program. He
developed urban programs in Minneapolis that launched HECUA (the
Higher Education Consortium for
Urban Affairs) and that led to the work
of our Center for Service, Work, and
Learning, including Engaging Minneapolis, which requires all students to
connect with the city in their studies.
Torstenson graduated from Augsburg in 1938. He went on for his master’s and doctoral degrees at the
University of Minnesota in history and
sociology. In 1947, Augsburg president
Bernhard Christensen invited him back
to Augsburg, even while still completing
his PhD, to develop programs in sociology and social work.
Torstenson’s deep commitment to
social issues led him to explore and
work in farmers’ cooperative movements, rural community life, churchlabor relations, racial justice and human
rights, and urban studies, especially
studying the question of the role of a
32
Augsburg Now
liberal arts college in a metropolis.
Torstenson’s memoir, Takk for Alt: A Life
Story, opens a window into his life’s
work and thought.
Leland Sateren ’35,
professor emeritus of music, died
on Nov. 10, 2007,
at the age of 94.
Sateren graduated from Augsburg in 1935, and
for the next 10
years attended graduate school at the
University of Minnesota, where he was
music director at the KUOM radio station. After public service during World
War II he returned to Augsburg, and
four years later he became chair of the
Music Department and director of the
Augsburg Choir. He retired in 1979.
His work includes more than 400
choral pieces he composed, and he was
passionate about Scandinavian choral
music. Sateren introduced the work of
many Scandinavian composers to American choral directors.
Among Sateren’s many notable accomplishments are premieres of works
with the Minnesota Symphony Orchestra and a commissioned piece at the
United Nations to commemorate the
20th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Sateren was the first recipient of the
F. Melius Christiansen Memorial Award
for choral directors. In 2002 he was
awarded the Weston Noble Choral Directors Award. He was also honored
Home economics graduates from 1950 to 1970 honored the memory of their mentor, teacher, and friend Ruth Segolson,
who served as chair of the Home Economics Department. Following her death in 1980, a fund was established to provide a
special gift in her memory. In November, on behalf of all former home economics majors, Jerilyn Hovland Cobb ’63 presented a tea service to the College, pictured here as it was first used at the Augsburg House reception honoring convocation speaker Jane Fonda. (L to R) President Pribbenow, Abigail Pribbenow, Dora (Frojen) Quanbeck ’49, and Philip
Quanbeck Sr. ’50.
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2007-08
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton held a campaign rally at Augsburg on
February 3, just prior to the “Super Tuesday” primaries. With one day’s notice, Augsburg
staff, along with her campaign team, readied Melby Hall for the lively Sunday afternoon
event that drew nearly 5,000 people, plus local and national media.
with the St. Olaf Medal, presented by
King Olav V of Norway, and received
two honorary doctorates.
Sateren’s impact on the many hundreds of Augsburg students who sang in
his choir was remarkable. Peter Hendrickson ’76, director of choral activities
and current conductor of the Augsburg
Choir, studied with Sateren. A number
of other Sateren choir alumni currently
sing in the Masterworks Chorale at
Augsburg, directed by Hendrickson.
$100,000 Class of 1957
Endowment Fund
Congratulations to the Class of 1957
alumni and their spouses for establishing the Class of 1957 Endowment Fund
in celebration of their 50th class reunion. Their commitment and loyalty
help ensure that Augsburg can meet the
needs of its future students, especially
Jane Fonda presented the 2007 Koryne Horbal Lecture in November, sharing her
thoughts on the importance of beginning the “third act” of her life as she celebrated
her 60th birthday.
in areas of financial aid, program support, enhanced technology, and student
support services.
The endowment was jumpstarted
through the generosity of a class member who provided matches for all gifts
up to $50,000, challenging fellow classmates to participate at all levels.
Augsburg is grateful to the Class of
1957 for creating this important legacy
during their milestone year to honor
their Augsburg education. The foundation provides for today’s and tomorrow’s
students. It keeps them connected to
the traditions and heritage of the College as they craft their own legacies and
ties with students who come after them.
Spirit of Augsburg Award
Beverly Nilsson, professor emerita of nursing, taught at Augsburg from 1977 to
2001, serving as department chair from
1978 until her retirement.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Dr. Bruce Amundson ’60, a leader in the
Peace Corps, Job Corps, and in rural
community health programs; presently
works to advance the integration of
medical care and mental health care in
Washington State.
Distinguished Alumnus Award
Jim Pederson ’56 former legislator in the
Minnesota House of Representatives
and Dept. of Public Safety.
2007 Homecoming Awards
The First Decade Award
Jasmina Besirevic-Regan ’97 dean of Trumbull College, one of Yale’s undergraduate residential colleges.
To read more about the 2007 Alumni
Awards, go to www.augsburg.edu/now
Fall 2008
33
2007-2008 FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
Where the Money Comes From
Where the Money Goes
3%
5%
3%
Government grants
Other sources
3%
Debt service
Equipment
and capital
improvement
2%
Student salary
6%
4%
Private gifts and grants
Utilities
12%
Room and board
20%
47%
Salary and benefits
Financial aid
74%
Tuition
21%
Other
$34.5
$33.7
$30.5
2008 Endowment Market Value
May 31, 2008
$33,692,461
As of May 31, 2008, we have annual realized and unrealized losses
of 3.4% on our endowment. However, last year’s annualized return
was over 16%. Our five-year average annual return on the endowment is 6.21%, and the ten-year
average annual return is 5.39%. We
are committed to maintaining the
value of the principal gifts and to
provide support to the college in
perpetuity.
$26.6
$24.8
$23.2
$25.4
$22.7 $23.3
$20.0
$16.4
$14.2
$11.5
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
Endowment Assets
(in millions)
June 1, 1995 – May 31, 2008
34
Augsburg Now
$26.7
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
DEAR FRIENDS,
As we begin our 140th academic year, it is truly my pleasure to share with you the many gifts and contributions made to Augsburg College between June 1, 2007, and May 31, 2008. Even more important than the thousands of gifts received, however, are
the thousands of generous alumni, parents, and friends who made these gifts.
This past year, my first at Augsburg, was an exciting one. Following on the heels of the successful Access to Excellence campaign, a great deal was accomplished for the benefit of our many students. With deep gratitude, I would like to highlight much of
the success we accomplished together.
• We were blessed to receive over 9,000 gifts last year from more than 4,600
donors. The support and generosity of these individuals make a direct and
positive impact on the lives of our students in many ways. These gifts went to
support the Augsburg Fund, student scholarships, capital projects, the fine
arts, athletics, signature programs, and many other important initiatives.
• One exciting highlight from this past fiscal year was that the Augsburg
Fund, our fund for unrestricted gifts to the College, topped the $1 million
mark for only the third time ever and the first time outside of a campaign
year. Our result of $1,001,978.91 was a 10% increase over the prior fiscal year.
We received 5,143 gifts from 2,763 donors to reach this goal.
• Several key groups also came together last year in support of Augsburg College through their philanthropy. I am so proud to inform you that we received
100% participation to the Augsburg Fund from the Board of Regents, the
Alumni Board of Directors, and the President’s Cabinet. This type of support
from these three groups of individuals demonstrates the type of commitment
to this institution by its various groups of leaders.
• Augsburg also received 853 gifts totaling $756,094 to new or existing
scholarship funds, including the establishment of 12 new endowed
scholarships. Two additional scholarships were also funded at the
presidential level, bringing our total of President’s Scholarships to
three. Scholarships are a primary source of financial aid for many deserving students at Augsburg, and we are again grateful that hundreds
of generous individuals have chosen to establish or contribute to these
funds, directly benefiting our student learners.
YOUR SUPPORT AND
GENEROSITY MAKE A
DIFFERENCE IN THE
LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS
• The College also completed its first year of residency in the new Oren Gateway Center and its first fully-operational year in the
new Kennedy Center. These two new facilities, direct results of the generosity shown in the last capital campaign, have made a
positive permanent impact on the life of this institution. Students now directly benefit from new residence halls, state-of-theart classrooms, athletic and wellness facilities, and important gathering and meeting spaces.
As we enter yet another year with great anticipation of what the future will hold for our college, and our students, we look back
with tremendous gratitude for the many blessings we have been given. We are most grateful for each and every gift we receive
and I thank you most sincerely.
Sincerely,
JEREMY R. WELLS
VICE PRESIDENT FOR INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT
Fall 2008
35
LIFETIME GIVING
The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given a minimum of $100,000 (since 1980),
including planned gifts, over a lifetime. We are immensely grateful for their examples of loyalty and commitment to the College.
Ernest+ and Helen Alne
Charles and Ellora Alliss Education Foundation
Oscar+ ’38 and Leola+ Anderson
Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81
Charles and Catherine Anderson
Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson
Donald ’60 and Violet Anderson
Earl and Doris Bakken
Loren and Mary Quanbeck ’77 Barber
Elizabeth ’82 and Warren Bartz
Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden
Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg
Barbara and Zane Birky
Roy ’50 and Ardis Bogen
John+ and Joyce Boss
Donald Bottemiller
Rodney and Barbara Burwell
Bush Foundation
Carlson Companies
The Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation
Shirley Cherkasky
Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin
David and Mary Brandt ’79 Croft
Theodore and Pamala Deikel
Deluxe Corporation Foundation
Darrell ’55 and Helga Egertson
Tracy L. Elftmann ’81
Philip and Laverne Fandrei
Jerry and Jean Foss
William and Anne Frame
Barbara and Edwin Gage
General Mills Foundation
Michael ’71 and Ann Good
Roger Griffith ’84 and Jean Taylor ’85
H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal
Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde
Phillip+ ’55 and Lynne Gronseth
Carolyn and Franklin Groves
Stephen ’70 and Margaret Gundale
James and Kathleen Haglund
Hearst Foundation
Loren Henderson
Donald Hennings
Grace Forss ’57 Herr and Douglas Herr
Donald ’39 and Phyllis Holm
Allen and Jean Housh
Garfield Hoversten ’50
Robert Hoversten
Huss Foundation
Sandra and Richard Jacobson
James Johnson and Maxine Isaacs
Kinney Johnson ’65
Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy
Bruce and Maren Kleven
David and Barbara Kleven
E. Milton Kleven ’46
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Kraus-Anderson Construction Company
David Lankinen ’88
Diane and Philip Larson
George ’61 and Mary Larson
Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee
James Lindell ’46
Arne ’49 and Jean Swanson ’52 Markland
Marie and Larry McNeff
Gerard and Anne Meistrell
Hoyt+ ’39 and Lucille Messerer
Robert ’70 and Sue Midness
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
If you notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
+ Deceased
36
Augsburg Now
Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller
William and Stephanie Naegele
Barbara Tjornhom ’54 Nelson and Richard Nelson
George ’68 and Tamra Nelson
Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson
Robert Odegard ’51+
R. Luther Olson ’56
Beverly Halling ’55 Oren and Donald ’53 Oren
John and Norma Paulson
Robert ’50 and Ruth Paulson
Glen Person ’47
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson
Addison and Cynthia Piper
David Piper
Harry and Mary Piper
Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe
Alan Rice
Curtis and Marian Sampson
Ward ’74 and Catherine Schendel
Ruth Schmidt ’52
James and Eva Seed
Rodney Sill ’82
John and Martha Singleton
Glen and Anna Skovholt
Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46
Leland and Louise Sundet
Dean ’81 and Amy Sundquist
Glen A. Taylor Foundation
P. Dawn Heil Taylor ’78
Teagle Foundation
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans
Robert ’63 and Marie Tufford
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
Scott Weber ’79
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
ANNUAL GIVING
GIFTS RECEIVED JUNE 1, 2007 TO MAY 31, 2008
The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who generously gave a minimum of $1,000 in the 2007-08 fiscal year.
3M Foundation
Ruth Aaskov ’53
Accenture
Kate Addo
Andra Adolfson
Adolfson & Peterson Construction
Aegon Transamerica Foundation
Peter ’70 and Mary Agre
Lois Richter ’60 Agrimson and Russell Agrimson
Edward ’50 and Margaret Alberg
Charles and Ellora Alliss Education Foundation
Paul ’59 and Pearl Almquist
The American Foundation
Ameriprise Financial
Brian Anderson ’82 and Leeann Rock ’81
Charles and Catherine Anderson
Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson
Deloris Anderson ’56
Donald ’60 and Violet Anderson
Kim ’73 and Nancy Kerber ’74 Anderson
Leif Anderson
Robert ’77 and Katherine Anderson
Scott ’76 and Lisa Anderson
Steven and Stephanie Anderson
William ’86 and Kelly Anderson
I. Shelby Gimse Andress ’56
James ’88 and Christine Pieri ’88 Arnold
Carla Asleson ’91
Al Assad
The Aston Group, Inc.
Avaya Communication
B R Direct Marketing, Inc.
Dorothy Bailey
Stanley ’57 and Mary Esther Baker
Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden
Stephen ’67 and Sandra Batalden
Estate of Abner B Batalden
Tracy and Janel Beckman
Vera Thorson Benzel ’45
Norman ’59 and Delores Berg
Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg
Samuel ’97 and Melissa Wieland ’97 Bergstrom
Daryl and Marylee Bible
Birgit Birkeland ’58
Robert and Lynda Bisanz
Nancy Paulson ’70 Bjornson and J. Ragnar
Bjornson
Stephen ’74 and Janet Blake
Buffie Blesi ’90 and John Burns
David ’68 and Lynn Boe
Boeing Company
Kevin Bonderud ’79
Amy Bowar ’97
Thomas ’78 and Julie Bramwell
Marilyn Saure ’61 Breckenridge and Tom
Breckenridge
Heidi Breen
Bruce Brekke
Kyle Brown ’88
Adam Buhr ’98 and Laura Pejsa ’98
Carolyn Burfield ’60
Marion Buska ’46
BWBR Architects
Cargill Foundation
Laurie Carlson ’79 and William Voedisch
Wayne ’69 and Pamela Bjorklund ’69 Carlson
Carolyn Foundation
James and Kimberly Cassens
John and Peggy Cerrito
Shirley Cherkasky
Keith ’65 and Lynn Chilgren
Rev. Dr. Herbert ’54 and Rev. E Corrine Chilstrom
David ’72 and Michelle Karkhoff ’72 Christianson
Harlan ’57 Christianson
C. Lee Clarke
Jerelyn Hovland ’63 and Clyde Cobb
Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin
Joseph Cook ’89
Walter and Janet Cooper
The Cotswold Foundation Trust
Brent Crego ’84
George ’72 and Janet Dahlman
Sally Hough Daniels ’79
Bartley Davidson ’76
Dow Corning Corporation Matching Gifts
Downey McGrath Group, Inc.
Karen ’81 and Charles Durant
Beverly Durkee
E.A. Sween Company
Julie Edstrom ’90
Darrell ’55 and Helga Egertson
Judy Thompson Eiler ’65
Daniel ’77 and Patricia Eitrheim
ELCA
Tracy L. Elftmann ’81
Elftmann Family Foundation
Fuad and Nancy El-Hibri
Avis Ellingrod
Rona Quanbeck ’48 Emerson and Victor Emerson
The Eppley Foundation For Research, Inc.
Edna Kastner ’42 Ericksen
Dennis ’64 and Mary Lou Ervin ’64 Erickson
L. Craig ’79 and Theresa Serbus ’79 Estrem
Alice C. Evans
Barbara A. Farley
Jane and Patrick Fischer
Dawn Formo
Jerome Formo ’37
Jamie Fragola
William and Anne Frame
Andrew Fried ’93
Laurie ’80 Fyksen-Beise and William Beise
Estate of Charles T. Gabrielson
Barbara and Edwin Gage
General Mills Foundation
Anthony ’85 and Traci Genia
Glen ’52 and Irvyn Gilbertson
Hugh ’58 and Kay Lemmerman ’60 Gilmore
Orval and Cleta Gingerich
Estate of Richard Irving Gisselquist
Gerald and Susan ’76 Glaser
Global Impact
GMAC-RFC
Andrew and Carolyn Goddard
Goldman, Sachs & Co
Michael ’71 and Ann Good
Gopher Wrestling Club
Shirley Larson ’51 Goplerud and Dean Goplerud
Roger ’61 and Barbara Milne ’60 Gordon
Thomas Gormley and Mary Lesch-Gormley
Paul and Margot Grangaard
Robert and Nancy Granrud
Fall 2008
37
Paul and Judy Grauer
Greater Twin Cities United Way
Charles and Barbara Green
William and Judith Green
Roger Griffith ’84 and Jean Taylor ’85
H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal
Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde
Stephen ’70 and Margaret Gundale
Margaret and Gunderson
Mabeth Saure ’58 Gyllstrom and Richard Gyllstrom
Patrick ’78 and Debra Haar
Mark ’77 and Naomi Hall
Halleland Lewis Nilan Sipkins & Johnson P.A.
William ’51 and Marolyn Sortland ’51 Halverson
Clarence Hansen ’53
Anna Hovland ’58 Hanson
Skylar ’01 and Jennifer Hanson
Estate of Russell I. Hanson and Viola M. Hanson
Jodi and Stanley Harpstead
Robert ’83 and Lynne Harris
John H. Harris III Memorial Foundation
Richard and Dail Hartnack
Christopher Haug ’79 and Karl Starr
David ’67 and Karen Jacobson ’67 Haugen
Dorothy Haugen
Helen ’49 and James Haukeness
Lee Hawks ’84
Lisa Svac Hawks ’85
Philip ’42 and Ruth Helland
Raymond Henjum ’55
Leo Henkemeyer
Hennepin County
Grace Forss ’57 Herr and Douglas Herr
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans
Bruce ’90 Holcomb and Caroline Vernon
Kenneth ’74 and Linda Bailey ’74 Holmen
Dean ’57 and Jane Holmes
Homeland Foundation
Elizabeth Horton
Joel and Alice Houlton
Allen ’64 and Lenice Hoversten
Clarence ’41 and Marguerite Hoversten
Kermit ’50 and Ruth Hoversten
Philip ’71 and Patricia Hoversten
Joseph ’61 and Mei Shen Hsieh
Michael and Barbara Hubbard
Hubbard Broadcasting Foundation
Joseph and Linnea Daigle Hudson
Alvin John and Ruth Huss
Huss Foundation
Mohamed Hussein ’03
Glenda and Richard Huston
38
Augsburg Now
Brandon Hutchinson ’99
Barbara and Richard Hutson
IBM Corporation
Duane ’68 and Diane Ilstrup
Imation Corporation
Mary and Tony Jacobson
Sandra and Richard Jacobson
Bruce ’68 and Lois Hallcock ’68 Johnson
Carol Oversvee Johnson ’61
Ruth E. Johnson ’74 and Philip Quanbeck II
Estate of Louisa Johnson
Kinney Johnson ’65
Merton ’59 and Jo An D. Bjornson ’58 Johnson
Craig Jones
Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander
Jennifer Abeln ’78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow
Cheri Hofstad ’85 Kamp and Thomas Kamp
Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy
Mary Ann Kinney ’04
Cody Kirkham
Michael Kivley ’89
Linda Klas ’92
E. Milton Kleven ’46
Jason Koch ’93 and Heather Johnston ’92
Elsie Ronholm Koivula ’49
Dean and Susan Kopperud
Kopp Family Foundation
Joanne Stiles ’58 Laird and David Laird
Martin Larson ’80
Marvin and Ruth Ringstad ’53 Larson
Julie Gudmestad ’65 and Joseph Laudicina
Bernadine and Sidney Lee
Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee
Andre Lewis ’73 and Kathleen McCartin
James Lindell ’46
Gaye and Stephen Lindfors
Mary Sue and Hugh Lindsay
Dana Lonn
Stanley ’56 and Gailya Ludviksen
Wenona ’55 and Norman Lund
John ’65 and Gracia Nydahl ’66 Luoma
Pamela and Robert MacDonald
Janet Mackenzie ’90
Roger ’57 and Fern Mackey
Philip ’79 and Diane Madsen
Kay Malchow ’82 and Stephen Cook
Lyle ’68 and Susanne Starn ’68 Malotky
Terry Marquardt ’98 and Gary Donahue
Jennifer and Richard Martin
Norman ’57 and Gayle Engedal ’57 Matson
Donald ’66 and Margaret Mattison
Donna Demler McLean
Christopher ’00 and Tara Cesaretti ’97 McLeod
Marie and Larry McNeff
Merck Partnership For Giving
Merrill Lynch
Daniel ’65 and Mary Tildahl ’65 Meyers
Deidre Durand ’88 and Bruce Middleton
Robert ’70 and Sue Midness
Paul ’70 and Barbara Durkee ’71 Mikelson
Dennis ’67 and Christine Miller
Gerald ’57 and Frida Mindrum
Spencer ’66 and Gay Johnson ’66 Minear
Minnesota Hockey Coaches Assoc.
Minnesota Private College Foundation
Jeanette Mitchell
Thomas ’59 and Ruth Carlsen ’60 Moen
Thelma Monson ’41
Alan Montgomery and Janet KarvonenMontgomery
Thomas and Lorraine Morgan
LaWayne ’51 and D. LaRhea Johnson ’51 Morseth
Sharon Mortrud
Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller
Dylan ’97 and Wendy ’96 Nau
Gordon Nelson
Mildred Nelson ’52
Robert ’44 Nelson and Helen Johnson-Nelson
Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson
Steven ’64 and Rebecca ’64 Nielsen
Norma Noonan
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust
Roselyn Nordaune ’77
Jane Huseby ’65 Norman
Shirley and James ’57 Norman
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation
Terry ’70 and Vicki Nygaard
Leroy ’52 and Betty Munson ’53+ Nyhus
Oak Grove Lutheran Church
Robert Odegard ’51+
Richard ’69 and Sandra Larson ’69 Olmsted
Donald Olsen ’60
Bruce L. Olson ’71
Dean Olson ’00
R. Luther Olson ’56
Beverly Halling ’55 Oren and Donald ’53 Oren
Beverly Ottum
Patricia and John Parker
Subhashchandra ’75 and Annette Hanson ’74 Patel
John and Norma Paulson
Robert ’50 and Ruth Paulson
Peace Lutheran Church of Plymouth
Richard ’74 and Karen Pearson
Glen Person ’47
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
Corwin and Doris Peterson
Eugene ’59 and Paula Peterson
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson
Karin Peterson
Ron ’69 and Jane Petrich
Sandra Phaup ’64
Jay Phinney ’79
Presser Foundation
President Paul C. Pribbenow and Abigail
Crampton Pribbenow
Project Consulting Group
Karl D. Puterbaugh ’52
Linda Hanwick ’64 and John Putnam
Lois Quam and Matthew Entenza
Philip ’50 and Dora Frojen ’49 Quanbeck
Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe
Lloyd ’63 and Linnea Raymond
RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation
Donald F. and Mary Sue Zelle Reed Fund
Bruce and Sharon Reichenbach
Stephen Rivard and Christine Jett-Rivard
Eunice Kyllo ’62 Roberts and Warren Roberts
Frances Roller
Olive Ronholm ’47
Philip Jr. and Margaret Rowberg
Philip Rowberg ’41
Gerald ’48 and Judith Ryan
Martin ’59 and Sylvia Sabo
Curtis and Marian Sampson
Audrey Nagel ’51 Sander
Judith and William Scheide
Ruth Schmidt ’52
Inez Olson ’59 Schwarzkopf and Lyall Schwarzkopf
Douglas Scott and Grace Schroeder Scott
Michael ’71 and Bonnie Scott
Charles and Ritchie Markoe Scribner
Milan ’48 and Marian Sedio
James and Eva Seed
Phyllis ’58 and Harold Seim
Richard ’70 and Linda Seime
Frankie and Jole Shackelford
Shepherd of the Glades Lutheran Church
Stephen and Kay Sheppard
Chad ’93 and Margaret Shilson
Michael and Pamela Sime
Russel ’50 and Virginia Thompson ’50 Smith
Neal ’57 and Judy Fosse ’61 Snider
Steven and Pamela Snyder
David Soli ’81
Earle ’69 and Kathleen Kupka ’69 Solomonson
John ’62 and Ruth Sather ’63 Sorenson
Allan ’53 and Eunice Nystuen ’50 Sortland
Arne and Ellen Sovik
Joyce Engstrom ’70 Spector and Robert Spector
Gary ’68 and Jeanette Stangland
David ’63 and Karen Henry ’64 Steenson
Todd ’89 and Amy Steenson
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz
Myles and Eunice Stenshoel
Jeffrey ’82 and Peggy Stoks
Beverly and Thomas Stratton
Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46
Philip ’79 and Julia Davis ’79 Styrlund
Grace Kemmer ’58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud
Kenneth Svendsen ’78 and Allison Everett ’78
Brian Swedeen ’92 and Terri Burnor ’92
M. Douglas + and Solveig Swendseid
Jeffrey ’79 and Melissa Swenson
Gary ’80 and Deanna Tangwall
Elizabeth and Kenneth Tankel
P. Dawn Heil Taylor ’78
Glen A. Taylor Foundation
TCF Foundation
Jacqueline ’80 and John Teisberg
Paul ’60 and Nancy Thompsen
Harold and Maureen Thompson
Jennings ’51 and Mary Schindler ’48 Thompson
Richard ’61 and Jane Thompson
Gordon ’52 and Gloria Parizek ’53 Thorpe
Marlys Holm ’57 Thorsgaard and Arlen Thorsgaard
Thrivent Financial For Lutherans
David and Martha Tiede
Christine Toretti
The Toro Company
Allan ’75 Torstenson and Frances Homans
Frances and Joel ’38+ Torstenson
Todd Tourand ’99
Gordon ’57 and Karen Egesdal ’61 Trelstad
Lawrence ’69 and Susan Turner
Peter Turner
Emily Anne and Gedney Tuttle
Betty and Paul Tveite
F. Clayton ’72 Tyler and Jackie Parker ’76
Cherryhomes
UBS Foundation
Morris ’42 and Grace Ulring
US Bancorp Foundation
Ruth Usem
Catherine Van Der Schans
Julie Lien ’82 and Steve Vanderboom
Mary ’70 and Dennis Veiseth
Peter and Linda Vogt
Frank ’69 and Wendy Wagner
Robert Wagner ’02
Norman ’76 and Kathryn Anderson ’76 Wahl
Martha and Steven Ward
Colleen Watson ’91 and Mary McDougal
Lois ’76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw
Wells Fargo Educational Matching Gift Program
Wells Fargo Foundation Community Support
John ’49 and Arnhild Werket
Wheelock Whitney and Kathleen Blatz
The Whitney Foundation
Mary and Gunnar Wick
Robert Wick ’81
David and Catherine Wold
John ’74 and Marvel Yager
Ziemann Insurance Services, Inc.
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
If you notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
Fall 2008
39
CONSECUTIVE GIVING
The following list recognizes alumni and friends of Augsburg College who have generously given for 10 or more consecutive fiscal years,
as indicated by the number in parentheses. (Gifts received since 1980)
3M Foundation (25)
Ordelle Aaker ’46 (11)
Ruth Aaskov ’53 (29)
Lois Richter ’60 Agrimson and Russell
Agrimson (16)
Harold ’47 and Lois Black ’47 Ahlbom (29)
Edward ’50 and Margaret Alberg (11)
Paul ’59 and Pearl Almquist (10)
Charles and Catherine Anderson (28)
Daniel ’65 and Alice Anderson (29)
Deloris Anderson ’56 (17)
Elizabeth Manger ’53 Anderson and Delbert
Anderson (10)
Kristin Anderson (10)
Leif Anderson (10)
Margaret and Raymond Anderson (11)
Margaret Anderson (10)
Ray Anderson ’49 (21)
Robert ’77 and Katherine Anderson (16)
Scott ’76 and Lisa Anderson (10)
Theodore ’48 Anderson and Eliazbeth
Hibbeler-Anderson (10)
William ’86 and Kelly Anderson (12)
LeRoy ’52 and Carole Anenson (11)
Frank ’50 and Georgette Lanes ’50 Ario (28)
Elyce Lundquist ’58 Arvidson and Marvin
Arvidson (22)
John ’79 and Rebecca Lundeen ’79 Aune (17)
Dorothy Bailey (14)
Stanley ’57 and Mary Esther Baker (29)
Elizabeth ’82 and Warren Bartz (10)
Paul ’63 and LaVonne Olson ’63 Batalden (15)
Gerald ’56 and Nancy Baxter (10)
Hamar ’34 and Wanda Severson ’40 Benson (12)
John Benson ’55 (29)
Vera Thorson Benzel ’45 (25)
Gertrude Ness Berg ’51 (15)
John Berg ’59 (17)
Sidney ’57 and Lola Lidstrom ’50 Berg (10)
Jack ’49 and LeVerne Berry (27)
Anthony and Kathy Bibus (10)
Birgit Birkeland ’58 (22)
Gary ’65 and Jean Blosberg (11)
David ’79 and Peggy Boots (12)
Bruce ’64 and Nancy Braaten (12)
40
Augsburg Now
Heidi Breen (15)
Daniel and Irene Brink (13)
Michael Burden ’85 (14)
Carolyn Burfield ’60 (10)
Marion Buska ’46 (19)
Daniel ’61 and Faith Carlson (11)
Jeroy ’48 and Lorraine Carlson (29)
Laurie Carlson ’79 and William Voedisch (11)
Roger ’54 and Dorothy Carlson (10)
Wayne ’69 and Pamela Bjorklund ’69 Carlson (19)
Wendell ’63 and Grace Carlson (10)
Linda Carlstedt ’63 (29)
Joyce Catlin ’73 Casey and Paul Casey (27)
Carl ’59 and Kathleen Aaker ’62 Casperson (11)
Peggy and John Cerrito (10)
Rev. Dr. Herbert ’54 and Rev. E
Corrine Chilstrom (12)
Judith Christensen (10)
Paul ’59 and Gloria Christensen (11)
Jeff Christenson ’82 (10)
Janet Niederloh ’58 Christeson and John
Christeson (11)
David ’72 and Michelle Karkhoff ’72
Christianson (20)
Joseph ’53 and Connie Cleary (11)
Richard ’74 and Nancy Colvin (28)
Donald and Janice Conrad (18)
Laura Bower ’91 Cunliffe and Wayne Cunliffe (10)
Oliver Dahl ’45 (11)
Addell Halverson Dahlen ’43 (18)
Lester Dahlen ’39 (29)
Leonard ’52 and Anabelle Hanson ’51 Dalberg (28)
Sally Hough Daniels ’79 (10)
Lois Mackey Davis ’58 (10)
LeVon Paulson Dinter ’52 (22)
Hans ’56 and Donna Dumpys (21)
Linda Lundeen ’74 Dunn and Douglas Dunn (14)
Julie Edstrom ’90 (12)
Ruben ’45 and Thelma Egeberg (10)
Judy Thompson Eiler ’65 (10)
Curtis ’84 and Jody Eischens (10)
Daniel ’77 and Patricia Eitrheim (10)
ELCA (21)
Elftmann Family Foundation (14)
Avis Ellingrod (13)
Valborg Kyllo ’54 Ellingson and Phillip
Ellingson (15)
Rona Quanbeck ’48 Emerson and Victor
Emerson (15)
Mark and Lynette Engebretson (10)
Fred ’60 and Janet Engelmann (20)
James Ericksen ’69 (27)
Reynold ’41 and Marian Erickson (19)
Dean ’68 and Diana Olson ’69 Ersfeld (15)
Alice C. Evans (10)
John ’82 and Joan Moline ’83 Evans (22)
Leland ’53 and Eunice Fairbanks (22)
Marilyn Pearson ’76 Florian and Kenneth
Florian (26)
Jerome Formo ’37 (27)
William and Anne Frame (12)
Esther Oleson ’54 Freund and Norman
Freund (11)
R. Mark Frey (10)
Andrew Fried ’93 (11)
Marilyn Elness ’53 Froiland and Philip
Froiland (17)
Terry ’67 and Pauline Frovik (10)
Ann Garvey (10)
Alan ’67 and Marilyn Albaugh ’67 Gierke (29)
Donald ’60 and Nancy Gilberg (14)
Rachel Rohde ’76 Gilchrist and Chris Gilchrist (19)
Borghild Gisselquist (10)
Gary and Barbara Glasscock (11)
Alexander ’90 and Simone Gonzalez (18)
Shirley Larson ’51 Goplerud and Dean
Goplerud (28)
Lorraine Vash ’67 Gosewisch and David
Gosewisch (10)
Paul and Judy Grauer (27)
Douglas Green and Becky Boling (10)
Cindy Greenwood 2005 (10)
H. Theodore ’76 and Michele Grindal (22)
Raymond ’57 and Janice Grinde (29)
Steven ’81 and Kathy Grinde (11)
Paul ’62 and Susan Grover (27)
John and Laurie Grygelko (12)
Fern Hanson Gudmestad ’41 (26)
Sonia Overmoen ’62 Gullicks and Milton
Gullicks (22)
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
Marlys Ringdahl ’53 Gunderson and Charles
Gunderson (21)
Arlin Gyberg (29)
Mabeth Saure ’58 Gyllstrom and Richard
Gyllstrom (27)
Mark ’77 and Naomi Hall (20)
William ’51 and Marolyn Sortland ’51
Halverson (10)
Arvin ’55 and Twila Halvorson (28)
Edward and Shirley Hansen (24)
Sylvia Kleven Hanson ’50 (12)
John ’69 and Barbara Harden (11)
Evelyn Green ’49 Harris and Edward Harris (12)
Betty Johnson ’58 Haas and Charles Hass (28)
Christopher Haug ’79 and Karl Starr (13)
Marjorie Wilberg Hauge ’50 (25)
Burton ’72 and Rollie Haugen (14)
Marilyn Peterson1963 Haus and George Haus (27)
Philip ’42 and Ruth Helland (21)
Gerald ’59 and Maxine Hendricks (10)
Robert ’55 and Karin Herman (10)
Garry Hesser and Nancy Homans (29)
Jean Magnuson ’57 Hicks and David Hicks (10)
Rodney ’59 and Arlene Selander ’59 Hill (12)
Helen Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41 (12)
Sylvia Hjelmeland (11)
Thomas ’57 and Arlene Hofflander (20)
James ’61 and Caroline Holden (21)
Norman and Ilene Holen (20)
Dean ’57 and Jane Holmes (10)
Bradley ’63 and Linda Holt (28)
James ’59 and Joanne Horn (10)
Donald ’65 and Delores Hoseth (10)
Robert ’67 and Jane Hosman (23)
Allen ’64 and Lenice Hoversten (29)
Kermit ’50 and Ruth Hoversten (11)
Edith Hovey (15)
Florence Retrum Hovland ’40 (21)
Joseph ’61 and Mei Shen Hsieh (19)
Glenda and Richard Huston (17)
Bruce and Jean Inglis (12)
Rosemary Jacobson ’69 (14)
Jeffrey ’80 and Jacqui Jarnes (11)
Bruce ’68 and Lois Hallcock ’68 Johnson (11)
David ’64 and Karen Johnson (10)
Doris Wilkins ’63 Johnson and Charles
Johnson (12)
Duane and Ruth Johnson (21)
Glen and Marlys Johnson (10)
Gloria Johnson ’51 (20)
Janet Batalden ’61 Johnson and Dennis ’61
Johnson (13)
Joan ’94 and Mark Johnson (14)
Kinney Johnson ’65 (18)
Laurel Jones ’69 Johnson and Larry Johnson (13)
Marcellus ’54 and Thelma Johnson (10)
Martha Johnson (10)
Ruth E. Johnson ’74 and Philip Quanbeck II (21)
Kenneth & Lillian Ysteboe ’51 Ose
Ervin ’56 & Sylvia Overlund
Theodore ’68 and Michelle Johnson (12)
Wayne Johnson ’58 (26)
Helen Johnson-Nelson and Robert ’44 Nelson (13)
Roberta Kagin and Craig Alexander (28)
Jennifer Abeln ’78 Kahlow and Larry Kahlow (11)
Cheri Hofstad ’85 Kamp and Thomas Kamp (11)
Richard ’69 and Cheryl Nelson ’70 King (11)
Cody Kirkham (11)
Sharon Dittbenner ’65 Klabunde and Richard
Klabunde (22)
E. Milton Kleven ’46 (11)
Jerome Kleven ’58 (12)
Lowell ’54 and Janice Kleven (24)
Leo Klohr and Judy Occhetti-Klohr (12)
LaRhae Grindal Knatterud ’70 (12)
Millard ’52 and Dorothy Knudson (13)
Daniel ’70 and Ingrid Kloster ’69 Koch (11)
Elsie Ronholm Koivula ’49 (28)
James Kottom ’52 (23)
Joan Johnson1953 Kuder and Calvin Kuder (26)
Joan Kunz (10)
William ’52 and Edith Kuross (11)
Sigrunn Kvamme ’53 (18)
Robert ’80 and Lori LaFleur (16)
Joanne Stiles ’58 Laird and David Laird (26)
Archie Lalim ’50 (28)
George ’50 and Vivian Lanes (14)
Linda Larson ’70 and C. Jerry Sells (23)
John ’52 and Mary Peterson ’54 Leak (13)
Roger ’50 and Donna Wang ’52 Leak (12)
Harris ’57 and Maryon Lee (25)
James ’67 and Laurie Lindell (10)
James Lindell ’46 (27)
Rosemary and Andrew Link (10)
Robert ’56 and Mary Erickson ’58 Lockwood (16)
Brent Lofgren ’88 (17)
Irene Ppedahl Lovaas ’45 (15)
Jack ’53 and Darlene Lundberg (11)
Susan Lageson ’77 Lundholm and Mark
Lundholm (19)
Roger ’57 and Fern Mackey (24)
Marie Hafie ’65 MacNally and Thomas
MacNally (12)
Margreta Magelssen ’72 and David Hallan (23)
Richard ’55 and Mary Mahre (10)
Ronald ’56 and Christine Munson ’56 Main (10)
Raymond Makeever (10)
Michael ’65 and Lynne Marcy (10)
Carlos Mariani Rosa (10)
Julie Magnuson ’61 Marineau and Richard
Marineau (10)
John ’59 and De Anne Martinsen (12)
Michael McCully (12)
Kristin Settergren ’86 McGinness and Steve
McGinness (19)
Donna McLean (22)
Tara Cesaretti ’97 McLeod and Christopher
2000 McLeod (10)
Marie and Larry McNeff (28)
Meca Sportswear Inc (11)
Joan and Richard Meierotto (11)
Daniel ’65 and Mary Tildahl ’65 Meyers (17)
Erwin ’54 and Carolyn Ryan ’56 Mickelberg (10)
Robert ’70 and Sue Midness (19)
Paul ’70 and Barbara Durkee ’71 Mikelson (28)
Victor ’42 and Rhoda Miller (12)
Thomas ’59 and Ruth Carlsen ’60 Moen (10)
James Mondo (10)
Alan Montgomery and Janet
Karvonen-Montgomery (10)
Thomas and Lorraine Morgan (26)
LaWayne ’51 and D. LaRhea Johnson ’51
Morseth (20)
Mildred and Van Mueller (24)
Paul ’84 and Nancy Mackey ’85 Mueller (12)
David Narr ’94 (11)
Bonnie Johnson ’67 Nelson and Bryce Nelson (25)
Edor ’38 and Dorathy Nelson (12)
Gloria Burntvedt Nelson ’43 (26)
Larry ’65 and Marilyn Nelson (13)
Mildred Nelson ’52 (29)
Ronald ’68 and Mary Kay Nelson (12)
Steven ’64 and Rebecca ’64 Nielsen (10)
Erika Staub ’51 Niemi and Wayne Niemi (17)
Timothy ’82 and Jane Nohr (10)
Margaret Nelson Foss Nokleberg ’48 (21)
Norma Noonan (14)
Edwin and Edith Norberg Charitable Trust (20)
Roselyn Nordaune ’77 (28)
Betsey and Alan Norgard (14)
James ’57 and Shirley Norman (11)
Normandale Lutheran Church Foundation (19)
Jonathan Nye ’72 and Wendy Worner (17)
Terry ’70 and Vicki Nygaard (10)
Leroy ’52 and Betty Munson ’53 Nyhus (16)
Steven O’Tool ’74 (10)
Fall 2008
41
Maren Lecy ’83 Ogdie and Al Ogdie (19)
Norman ’85 and Kim Asleson ’84 Okerstrom (18)
Sandra Larson ’69 Olmsted and Richard ’69
Olmsted (12)
W. Donald ’34 and Glenda Olsen (20)
Bettye and Howard Olson (16)
Laverne Moe ’48 Olson and Paul Olson (22)
Orville ’52 and Yvonne Bagley ’52 Olson (28)
R. Luther Olson ’56 (11)
Vicki and Daniel Olson (10)
Kristen Olsrud ’80 (11)
Laurie Nelson ’79 Orlow and Steven Orlow (19)
Jack ’62 and Nina Osberg (18)
Jim ’64 and Rose Parks (20)
Arnold ’52 and Betty Paulson (12)
John and Norma Paulson (11)
Daniel ’51 and Lois Pearson (22)
Dale Pederson (10)
Glen Person ’47 (23)
Eugene ’59 and Paula Peterson (21)
Harvey ’52 and Joanne Varner ’52 Peterson (29)
Rebecca Arvold ’88 Pfabe and Maurice Higgins (14)
Jay Phinney ’79 (29)
Leanne Phinney ’71 and Mark Schultz (11)
Jill Pohtilla (10)
Presser Foundation (12)
David Proctor ’63 (22)
Elizabeth Pushing ’93 (14)
Jerry ’83 and Susan Warnes ’88 Quam (10)
Dagmar Dahl Quanbeck ’36 (29)
Eileen Quanbeck ’46 (15)
Philip ’50 and Dora Frojen ’49 Quanbeck (12)
Quentin ’50 and E. Lucille Quanbeck (15)
Mark ’53 and Jean Raabe (12)
Larry and Beverly Ragland (16)
James ’61 and BettyAnn Redeske (12)
Donald ’53 and Donna Erickson ’54 Reimer (10)
Robert and Gail Rice (17)
Pamela Birdsall ’75 Richard and Jerry Richard (10)
Donavon ’52 and Ardis Roberts (12)
Eunice Kyllo ’62 Roberts and Warren Roberts (17)
Leeann Rock ’81 and Brian Anderson ’82 (10)
Marion Roe ’50 (12)
Frances Roller (11)
Joyce and Walker Romano (11)
Olive Ronholm ’47 (29)
Stella Kyllo Rosenquist ’64 (10)
Philip Rowberg ’41 (10)
Martin ’59 and Sylvia Sabo (29)
Audrey Nagel ’51 Sander (16)
Pauline and Leland ’35+ Sateren (11)
Maryls Harkman ’54 Schmidt and Leonard
Schmidt (11)
Ruth Schmidt ’52 (29)
Michael and Leslie Schock (10)
Joyce Opseth Schwartz ’45 (26)
Roger ’62 and Jean Schwartz (13)
Inez ’59 and Lyall Schwarzkopf (29)
Ronnie ’62 and Karen Scott (20)
Richard ’70 and Linda Seime (12)
Charles Sheaffer (10)
John ’50 and Norma Shelstad (17)
James ’54 and Ethel Nordstrom ’55 Shiell (28)
Chad ’93 and Margaret Shilson (11)
Nora Anderson ’83 Sillerud and Jon Sillerud (16)
Patricia ’67 and Elmer Sitkin (10)
Arnold ’48 and Carol Skaar (29)
Glen and Anna Skovholt (14)
Evelyn Amundson Sonnack ’43 (27)
Angeline Rolland Sorenson ’50 (25)
Susan Lindberg ’70 Sorenson and Earl
Sorenson (11)
Allan ’53 and Eunice Nystuen ’50 Sortland (16)
Naomi Christensen ’81 Staruch and Steven
Staruch (26)
Ronald ’58 and Naomi Stave (12)
Ruth Framstad Steen ’43 (10)
Donald and Annelies Steinmetz (29)
Myles and Eunice Stenshoel (10)
Hannah Mehus Stensvaag ’38 (29)
Roger ’54 and Bonnie Stockmo (11)
Calvin ’51 and Bonnie Martinson ’59 Storley (10)
Beverly and Thomas Stratton (14)
Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46 (13)
John ’81 and Heidi Strommen (13)
Luther ’39 and Helen Strommen (26)
Merton ’42 and Irene Huglen ’42 Strommen (29)
Steven ’65 and Chynne Strommen (10)
La Vone Studlien ’58 (20)
Grace Kemmer ’58 Sulerud and Ralph Sulerud (29)
George ’46 and Jean Christenson ’49 Sverdrup (27)
Dorothy Joy Swanson ’51 (18)
Elizabeth Mortensen ’56 Swanson and
James Swanson (19)
Brian Swedeen ’92 and Terri Burnor ’92 (13)
Jeffrey ’79 and Melissa Swenson (16)
Every effort has been made to ensure that all names are included and spelled correctly.
If you notice an error, please contact Kevin Healy at 1-800-273-0617 or healyk@augsburg.edu.
42
Augsburg Now
Jennings ’51 and Mary Schindler ’48
Thompson (29)
Karla Morken ’81 Thompson and Thomas
Thompson (13)
Richard ’61 and Jane Thompson (10)
Sue Thompson ’85 (10)
Gordon ’52 and Gloria Parizek ’53 Thorpe (13)
Marlys Holm ’57 Thorsgaard and Arlen
Thorsgaard (11)
Richard ’56 and Darlene Thorud (10)
Adrian Tinderholt ’38 (28)
Michael ’85 and Rhonda Riesberg ’84 Tjaden (10)
Allan Tonn ’75 (28)
Mark ’79 and Janelle Tonsager (19)
Sheldon ’49 and Margery Manger ’47
Torgerson (23)
Beth Torstenson ’66 (28)
Frances and Joel ’38+ Torstenson (15)
Mark and Ann Tranvik (11)
Margaret Sateren Trautwein ’37 (23)
Gordon ’57 and Karen Egesdal ’61 Trelstad (16)
Trinity Lutheran Congregation (10)
Lawrence ’69 and Susan Turner (10)
Betty and Paul Tveite (12)
Beverly Gryth ’52 Villwock and H. Robert
Villwock (21)
Rebecca Helgesen ’67 Von Fischer and Thomas
Von Fischer (12)
Norman ’76 and Kathryn Anderson ’76 Wahl (10)
Michael ’64 and Carla Quanbeck ’64 Walgren (14)
Lois ’76 Wattman and Douglas Shaw (11)
Scott Weber ’79 (12)
Charleen and Donald Weidenbach (27)
Donald ’89 and Melinda Mattox ’91
Wichmann (16)
Mary and Gunnar Wick (16)
Robert Wick ’81 (22)
David and Catherine Wold (12)
E. Lorraine Yokie (22)
Edmund ’53 and Rose Youngquist (10)
Janet Cooke ’59 Zitzewitz and Donald
Zitzewitz (11)
ANNUAL REPORT 2007-08
ALUMNI GIVING BY CLASS YEAR
The following list indicates the percentage of alumni in each class year who made a gift to Augsburg College in 2007-2008
(day program, undergraduate alumni).
Total particiaption for all class years, 22%
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947
1948
40.00%
50.00%
50.00%
62.50%
64.71%
25.00%
52.94%
40.63%
48.84%
38.10%
45.65%
48.72%
48.15%
45.83%
42.86%
1949
1950
1951
1952
1953
1954
1955
1956
1957
1958
1959
1960
1961
1962
1963
47.27%
33.52%
44.53%
50.86%
46.40%
37.88%
37.36%
45.83%
43.65%
47.75%
46.09%
38.31%
36.88%
37.97%
40.76%
1964
1965
1966
1967
1968
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
35.10%
34.75%
30.70%
41.85%
34.35%
29.90%
24.37%
24.30%
26.10%
25.51%
26.42%
24.68%
23.58%
24.65%
23.92%
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
19.09%
17.89%
18.97%
17.44%
18.41%
17.73%
17.82%
13.46%
11.32%
19.12%
14.34%
15.69%
8.70%
10.07%
10.71%
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
10.73%
13.92%
4.23%
9.72%
11.48%
7.58%
12.20%
8.37%
5.43%
8.14%
5.28%
9.45%
4.78%
5.56%
Fall 2008
43
THE 2007-2008 AUGSBURG COLLEGE
ANNUAL REPORT
AUGSBURG COLLEGE
BOARD OF REGENTS
2007-2008
Andra Adolfson
Dan W. Anderson, Class of 1965
Rev. Gary E. Benson, Class of 1970
Jackie Cherryhomes, Class of 1976
AUGSBURG ALUMNI
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2007-2008
Michael O. Freeman
Dr. Anthony Genia, Class of 1985
Michael R. Good, Class of 1971
H. Theodore Grindal, Class of 1976
Norman R. Hagfors
Lew Beccone, Class of ’98 MAL
Jodi Harpstead
Buffie Blesi, Class of ’90, ’97 MAL, president
Richard C. Hartnack
Chad Darr, Class of ’04
Rolf Jacobson
Dale Hanka, Class of ’60
Dr. Ruth E. Johnson, Class of 1974
Calvin Hanson, Class of ’98
Dean Kennedy
Daniel Hickle, Class of ’95
Dean C. Kopperud
James Kline, Class of ’01
André J. Lewis, Class of 1973
Lee Anne Lack, Class of ’67
Jennifer H. Martin
Julia Mensing, Class of ’00
Marie O. McNeff
Joyce Miller, Class of ’02, ’05 MAN
Dr. Paul S. Mueller, Class of 1984
Jamie E. Smith, Class of ’04 WEC
Ronald G. Nelson, Class of 1968
Carolyn Spargo, Class of ’80
Beverly Oren, Class of 1955
Jacqueline Teisberg, Class of ’80
Paul C. Pribbenow
Jennifer Tome, Class of ’99
Rev. Peter Rogness, ex-officio
Barry M. Vornbrock, Class of ’96 MAL
Stephen Sheppard
Philip Styrlund, Class of 1979
Emily Anne Tuttle
Rev. Harold Usgaard, ex-officio
Joan Volz, Class of 1968
Rev. Norman W. Wahl, Class of 1976
Bonnie Wallace
FEW COLLEGES ARE AS WELL POSITIONED
A S A U G S B U R G T O S AY, T H I S I S O U R W O R K —
WE ARE CALLED TO SERVE OUR NEIGHBORS.
—DAVID TIEDE, BERNHARD CHRISTENSEN PROFESSOR OF RELIGION
AND VOCATION, AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF LUTHER SEMINARY
www.augsburg.edu/giving
1-800-273-0617
44
Augsburg Now
auggie
alumni news
From the Alumni Board president …
June 2008
Alumni and friends,
am writing this article on the same day
as commencement for hundreds of graduates of the Augsburg for Adults undergraduate and graduate programs. When I
was an undergraduate, Weekend College
was still in its infancy and the College did not yet offer master’s degrees in any subject area. Look how far we have come
over the last 20 years—Augsburg is now a force in education
for adults in undergraduate programs in Minneapolis and
Rochester and six programs for graduates.
Wow! Who would have thought?
Well, thankfully for all of us, so many brilliant people had
the foresight and perseverance to make it a reality. As alumni,
we benefit from all that the College is and will become. Why?
Because regardless of when we graduated, our degrees gain
value as the College increases its visibility through the accomplishments and success of its programs, professors, and students. If you are like me, you place a great deal of value on
your degree from Augsburg. Take care of it, nurture it, and invest in it through participation and giving. The students of
today will one day bring greater value to it.
With the close of the school year in June, my tenure as
your president also came to an end. I am grateful for the opportunity to represent the alumni and have had a tremendous
amount of fun. I turn this column over to a wonderful new
leader, Joyce Miller, who will represent you with vigor and
passion.
i
Good luck to you all and take care,
October 2008
Alumni and friends,
utumn is a season of great beauty. During this time, the Midwest becomes
transformed into a menagerie of colors. This transformation within nature is a
metaphor for the educational experience of
an Augsburg alumnus/a and current student. Liberal arts
courses nurture the growth of human talent and promote a
sense of metanoia, defined as embracing thoughts beyond one’s
present limitations. The menagerie of fall colors can represent
the uniqueness of individuals and the intentionality of embracing diversity within our daily lives.
Augsburg College promises an education like no other.
This promise addresses the following three areas:
a
• To have a special regard for each other—This statement entails having respect for everyone’s unique talents, core values, and cultural traditions.
• To provide an educational experience like no other—Education involves exploring a deeper understanding of faith
and the search for meaning, developing a global perspective, engaging work within the community, and finding
new ways of knowing to promote purposeful living.
• To seek opportunities to develop—This promise promotes
an expanded view of the world, stresses appreciating differences in others, seeks connections, sustains open dialogue,
and prepares to lead in this complex environment.
We can certainly look at these statements and realize how our
education at Augsburg has played a role in the discovery of our
meaningful career paths in the world.
As I begin my presidency of the Alumni Association, I
promise to use my leadership gifts to align the work of the
Alumni Board with the mission, vision, and promise of the College. The Alumni Board members are committed to support the
College’s vision—We believe we are called to serve our neighbor—through involvement in service activities, action projects,
and campus events to enhance the work of the College.
As alumni, stay connected by attending upcoming events
such as Advent Vespers, athletic activities, theatre productions,
or other alumni events. Or just simply keep in communication
with us. Stay connected wherever you are! Looking forward to
a great year.
Sincerely,
BUFFIE BLESI ’90, ’97 MAL
OUTGOING ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
JOYCE P. MILLER ’02 (BSN-ROCHESTER), ’05 MAN
ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT
Fall 2008
45
auggie reunion
Alumni from more than six decades gathered with their classmates.
Class of 1958
Reunion Attendees:
James Almquist, Elyce (Lundquist) Arvidson, Robert
Bagley, Dennis Barnaal, Vernon Berkness, Elaine
(Nelson) Bernards, Birgit Birkeland, Doris (Johnson)
Deml, Dale Evavold, Hugh Gilmore, Byron Golie, Mabeth (Saure) Gyllstrom, Aldemar (Johnson) Hagen,
Kenneth Hagen, Anna (Hovland) Hanson, Betty
(Johnson) Hass, Philip Heide, Carl Hellzen, Ruth
(Thorsgard) Homme, Jerome Kleven, Gwen (Johnson)
Krapf, Joanne (Stiles) Laird, Gary Lange, Gordon Lindgren, Alice (Lindell) Lindgren, Marilyn (Troy) Manley,
Lydia (Dyrlid) Moe, Faye (Brenni) Moen, Wallace
Oien, Roger Olson, Magne Olson, Alfred Reesnes,
Ronald Stave, La Vone Studlien, Grace (Kemmer)
Sulerud
Class of 1968
Reunion Attendees:
Ruth Aaskov, Ann (Larson) Anthonisen, W. Bruce
Benson, Priscilla (Platt) Berg, Joel Bjerkestrand,
David Boe, Donald Britt, Margaret (Engel) Catlett,
Janet (Braaten) DeGaetano, John Eckberg, John
Fahlberg, Douglas Frisk, JoAnne (Digree) Fritz, Mary
(Michaelsen) Garmer, Jane (Eidsvoog) Gisselquist,
James Gisselquist, Kim Gudmestad, Lynn Gunderson,
Pamela (Fredrickson) Gunderson, Ione (Agrimson)
Hanson, Theamarie (Loberg) Harriday, Leif Hartmark,
Claudia (Melvie) Hartmark, David Heidtke, Donald
Horner, James Hoseth, Gerald Jensen, Carole (Braud)
Jensen, Theodore Johnson, Bruce Johnson, Herald
Johnson, Frank Lawatsch, Pamela (Pilcher) Lawatsch,
Janet (Letnes) Martin, Suzann (Johnson) Nelson,
Charles Niles, Perilyn (Brown) Olsen, Kathryn Olson,
Miriam (Cox) Peterson, Richard Quenemoen, John
Roebke, James Romslo, Judith (Anderson)
Schaubach, Jan (Pedersen) Schiff, Carolyn (Hanson)
Schildgen, Gary Schmidt, Kathleen (Nyquist) Schornstein, Clair Severson, Myrna (Jorgenson) Sheie, Jo
Anne Sylvester, Constance (Ackerson) Wanner, Patricia (Korogi) Wehr, Mary (Timm) Zimmerman
46
Augsburg Now
homecoming
AN EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHER
SEPTEMBER 22-27
Class of 1983
’08
Reunion Attendees:
Amanda Barrick, Mary (Thureson) Belden, Mary
(Yurick) Bennett, William Bullock, Kevin Erickson,
Mark Hassenstab, James Haugen, Les Heen, Scott
Henderson, Annette (Walen) Hokanson, Miriam (Gisselquist) Jensen, Karina Karlen, Paul Kuehn, Pamela
(Brakke) Lanning, Susan (Hackbarth) Lundquist,
Daniel Nayman, Stephen Nayman, Karsten Nelson,
Allison (Larges) O’Day, Timothy Olson, Mary (McNevin) Saari, Janet (Griffith) Sandford, Nora (Andersen) Sillerud, John Singh, Diane (Wood) Sponheim,
Christine (Nelson) Swanson
Class of 1998
(Left to right)
August Negele, Erick Agrimson, Adam Buhr, Laura
Pejsa, Angela (Loew) Reichart, Wade Johnson, Andry
Andriambololona-Jercich, Phil Berglin
Fall 2008
47
auggie
alumni news
Meet Kim Stone …
DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI AND CONSTITUENT RELATIONS
At the end of August, Kim
Stone joined the Division of Institutional Advancement as director of alumni and
constituent relations.
Stone came to Augsburg
from the University of Miami,
Coral Gables, Fla., where she
was executive director of
alumni programs and was responsible for the overall management and implementation of
a comprehensive alumni relations program. She served as a liaison to various university offices and departments to further the
mission of the University Alumni Association and to enhance
the relationship between the alumni and their alma mater.
Her experience there includes recruiting and engaging
alumni volunteers to participate in alumni programs and
events, preparing and administering annual budgets for the
alumni programs office, and supervising a team of nine alumni
professionals.
Previously, Stone was at Nova Southeastern University in
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., as director of alumni relations and coordinator of alumni programs. In these roles she managed the strategy of the Alumni Annual Fund and other university
fundraising efforts. Stone organized and coordinated alumni
Homecoming activities, was responsible for all alumni (90,000
worldwide) communications, and oversaw and supported the
Alumni Council Board to enhance growth of the NSU Alumni
Association.
She earned a bachelor’s degree in mass communication,
with an emphasis in public relations, at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She also has a master’s degree in international
business administration from Nova Southeastern University.
Stone grew up in St. Paul and is excited to be back in the
Twin Cities serving the members of the Augsburg community.
She looks forward to engaging Augsburg alumni and constituents through strategic programming, effective communication, and volunteer development.
To contact Kim Stone, call 612-330-1173 or
1-800-260-6590, or e-mail stonek@augsburg.edu.
48
Augsburg Now
Augsburg license plates
Display your Augsburg connection! Augsburg license plates
are available through the Minnesota Department of Transportation.
www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs/PlBrochure/CollegiatePlates.htm
Alumni e-mail for life
Sign up for Auggie alumni e-mail for life. Contact Alumni
Relations at alumni@augsburg.edu to request an account.
The service is provided by Google Apps.
Augsburg offers test prep courses
Studying for the LSAT, GRE, or GMAT? Check with Augsburg’s Undergraduate Research and Graduate Opportunity
Office (URGO) for courses offered throughout the year at a
very reasonable cost. Courses are open to current students,
alumni, and others in the Augsburg community.
Go to www.augsburg.edu/urgo and select Test Prep for
the ongoing schedules of classes.
Get Involved. Volunteer!
Would you like to be part of an exciting group of people who
love Augsburg as much as you do? Volunteering is a great
way to stay connected to the College and other alumni, and
there are many ways to get involved.
Join with fellow Auggies and help engage others to be part of
the Augsburg experience. Augsburg Associates, Alumni
Board, Advent Vespers, reunion committees, mentors, and
Campus Kitchen are just some of the available opportunities.
Let us know where your interest lies—call Pat Grans at
612-330-1329 or e-mail gransp@augsburg.edu.
augsburg
then
Trinity Lutheran celebrates 140 years
Augsburg College owes much of the reason for its presence
in Minneapolis to Trinity Lutheran Congregation. In 1871,
when the fledgling Augsburg Seminary was near bankruptcy
in Marshall, Wisconsin, Trinity pastor Ole Paulson led a
committee to secure the land, materials, and funding to establish Augsburg in Minneapolis, as the city was envisioned
as a future center for Scandinavian-American culture.
In 1896 Trinity Lutheran Congregation built a new
church on the edge of Augsburg’s campus, which served as
the venue for many Augsburg events over the years. This
building fell victim to the construction in 1966 for the I-94
freeway.
The altar painting that hung in that church, painted by
Norwegian artist Markus Grønvold, was copied from his
painting in St. John’s Church in Bergen, Norway, and
shipped to Minneapolis. When Trinity’s church was razed,
the painting was placed in storage. It now hangs in Hoversten Chapel, which has been Trinity Lutheran Congregation’s worship home for a number of years.
1963 Augsburgian
In Memoriam
Sateren, Leland B. ’35, Edina,
Minn., age 94, on Nov. 10, 2007.
Samuelson, Mary ’49, Brighton,
Minn., age 81, on July 12.
Aamodt, Bradford O. ’65, Plymouth,
Minn., age 75, on Feb. 13.
Schmidt, David Hans ’85, Phoenix,
Ariz., age 47, in October 2007.
Kruse, Una (Lee) ’38, Sunnyside,
Wash., age 91, on Sept. 25, 2007.
Calderwood, David ’50, Birchwood,
Minn., age 81, on Sept. 18, 2007.
Gruidl, Daniel J. ’93, Trophy Club,
Texas, age 45, on Aug. 3, 2007.
Torstenson, Joel ’38, Minneapolis,
age 94, on Oct. 18, 2007.
Howells, Richard ’52, Bloomington,
Minn., age 78, on April 10.
Longmire, Linda (Nelson) ’67, Kronenwetter, Wis., age 63, on July 29,
of cancer.
Quanbeck, Vardon M. ’40, McVille,
N. Dak., age 86, on Dec. 24.
Lundeen, Donovan T. ’53, Northfield, Minn., age 77, on June 7.
Brooks, Chester L. ’42, Duluth,
Minn., age 89, on March 5.
Skogsbergh, Samuel P. ’53, Hayden,
Idaho, age 77, on Aug. 25, 2007.
Smith, Rev. Louis C. ’42, Riverside,
Calif., age 86, on Sept. 5, 2007.
Rykken, Franklyn “Lindy” ’56,
Roseau, Minn., age 78, on May 2.
Jensen, Rev. Louis F. ’48, Dubuque,
Iowa, age 87, on June 24.
Oliver, Rev. George “Jim” ’60, Baraboo, Wis., age 76, on Feb. 15, following complications from surgery.
Henjum, Arnold E. ’49, Morris,
Minn., age 82, on March 5.
Hoffman, H. Wayne, Bloomington,
Minn., age 82, on July 3.
DeVrieze, Jerry D. ’64, Midland,
Mich., age 66, on June 30, of multiple myeloma.
Baumbach, Cynthia ‘70, Lake City,
Minn., age 60, on July 1.
Orpen, Julie Ann (Hoel) ’76, St.
Peter, Minn., age 53, on June 15, of
breast cancer.
Quanbeck, Beth Marie ’76, West
Des Moines, Iowa, age 53, on Nov.
12, 2007.
Lumbar, Dean ’81, Edina, Minn.,
age 46, on Jan. 7, at home of complications from colon cancer.
Brusletten, Nancy (Raaum) ’84,
Shakopee, Minn., age 45, on Dec.
28, of cancer.
Bedard, Mark T. ’95, Hudson, Wis.,
age 34, on Nov. 9, 2007, of injuries
incurred on police duty.
Feuer, Aaron ’07, unexpectedly in
April.
Eriksen, Rolf, Minneapolis, age 84,
on Nov. 7, 2007, Augsburg’s first
varsity soccer coach in 1970.
Eklof, Edgar, Golden Valley, Minn.,
age 80, on Dec. 1, Music Department faculty during the 1960s.
Hoel, Mathilda, St. Paul, age 95, on
July 13, former registrar’s office and
food service employee.
Fall 2008
49
alumni class notes
50
Phebe Hanson was lauded at
an event in March commemorating International Women’s Day
and her 80th birthday. Readings by
female poets and screenings of a
short documentary about Phebe
were featured, honoring her many
years as a mentor to other writers.
56
Rev. James Parks is serving
until June 30 as an English
teacher in the ELCA’s Global Mission
Department in a Lutheran High
school in Kocise, Slovakia. His wife,
Rose Ann, and their three children
are planning trips to visit him and
travel in Eastern Europe during the
year. Previously he served an interim
ministry in Outing, Minn., for several
months, and traveled, including a
van trip to Alaska.
Lute Olson, head coach of the
University of Arizona basketball team, announced his retirement
after 24 years. His career there includes 23 consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, 11 Pac-10 titles,
four Final Four appearances, and the
1997 national championship.
Judith Reynolds has recently
retired from the Kenosha (Wisconsin) Public Library after 37 years
of employment as a librarian.
57
67
Robert Goodrich has joined
Timber Creek Golf Course in
Watertown, Minn., as a golf pro, with
43 years of teaching experience.
59
Darrell Wiese retired from
Augsburg after a longtime career as assistant coach in baseball
and football.
60
Margaret (Homme) Hiner is retired in Phoenix, Ariz., where
she has been since 1961 working as
a recreation leader, substitute
teacher, 4-H leader, and mother. At
Augsburg, she played on the 195657 Auggiettes basketball team and
has fond memories about how
Coach LaVonne Peterson “let a kid
who loved sports and basketball be
on the team.”
Lowell “Zeke” Ziemann is still working and loves his job as an agency
compliance officer with Park Avenue
Securities in Scottsdale, Ariz.
61nis in the Northland
James Holden has written Ten, a history
of boys’ high school tennis in Minnesota, covering its 75-year history
with chapters about champions,
prominent coaches and families, dynasty teams, and more. To learn
about the book, go to www.jimholden.com.
Dennis Kalpin has stepped down as
head football coach at Alexandria
(Minn.) High School after 17 years
there. His total coaching career, all
at the secondary school level, is 47
years.
50
64
Augsburg Now
65
66
Larry Hoff completed his third long-distance journey across the USA
using no motorized vehicles. Over the summers of 2006 and 2007,
Larry canoed and bike-portaged from the Atlantic to the Pacific Ocean. In
2002-2003 he hiked the 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail, a “life-changing”
event. In 2004 he bicycled approximately 10,000 miles around the
perimeter of the USA. Before retirement in 2000, Hoff was teacher and assistant principal at Superior High School in Wisconsin.
Carleen (Nordin) Tjader recently retired after teaching
third grade for 23 years in the New
Richmond (Wis.) school district (before and after a “15-year maternity
leave” to raise her children). Each
year her classes have adopted a
manatee in Florida, plus made a
quilt containing squares made by
each student. She looks forward to
traveling with her husband, Mike;
spending time with her grandsons;
volunteering at church; and trying
her hand at writing.
69
Diane (Helgeson) Carter completed a 21-year career teaching seventh-grade English in the
Hudson (Wis.) Middle School and in
retirement plans to use her time for
gardening and travel. She and her
husband, Jim, have two children—
daughter Kirsten, who also is a
teacher, and son, Matthew.
72
Tom Haas continues to work at
Park Nicollet Clinic in Minneapolis, where he recently stepped
down after a decade in department
chair leadership roles. He has now
had more time to spend at the family lake home, continue collecting
jazz and classical LPs, and more seriously resume playing his trumpet.
Jacqueline (Wolhart) Harvestine
completed her first year as a fulltime Master of Divinity student at
Luther Seminary.
Kathy (Seim) Tilderquist, a business
teacher, was selected in January by
her co-workers as “Teacher of the
70
Earlier this year, along with their spouses, five Auggies in the Class of
1970 who lived together in a house on campus celebrated the 40th
anniversary of their becoming roommates. They continue to meet once a
month for lunch as well. (L to R, back row: Lynn [Benson] Hjelmeland ’69,
Terry Nygaard ’70, Phil Walen ’70, John Hjelmeland ’70, Paul Mikelson ’70,
Barbara Harden, and John Harden ’70. Front row: Vicki Nygaard, Teri Walen,
and Barbara [Durkee] Mikelson ’71.
Year” at Cannon Falls (Minn.) High
School. She began as a math
teacher, but has taught in the business department since 1987. She
wrote the curriculum for many
courses and has taught students on
equipment ranging from manual
typewriters to modern computers.
has earned 10 medals and was the
first to earn medals in four different
sports. He is a professor of professional and physical education at Bemidji State University and was the
first person in the U.S. with a visual
impairment to earn a doctoral degree
in physical education.
73
74
Jim Mastro, a pioneer in athletics for the blind, was honored
with the 2008 Medal of Courage
award from the National Wrestling
Hall of Fame and Museum in Stillwater, Okla. As a Paralympic athlete, he
Rev. James Arends, pastor at
Prince of Peace Lutheran
Church in LaCrescent, Minn., was
elected June 7 to a six-year term as
bishop of the La Crosse (Wis.) Area
Synod in the Evangelical Lutheran
72
Ronald Johnson, principal at
Hutchinson (Minn.) High
School, was named in February as
the 2008 Minnesota High School
Principal of the Year. He is also a
candidate for the National High
School Principal of the Year, to be
announced at the 2009 National
Association of Secondary School
Principals (NASSP) convention in
February. He will join other state
honorees at the Principals Institute
in Washington D.C. this fall.
74
Scot Davis was honored as
Wrestling USA magazine’s
2007 Coach of the Year. This year
he won his 800th varsity career
coaching victory, the most career
wins of any wrestling coach in U.S.
history. He has been at Owatonna
High School for 21 years, leading
10 “Top 25” nationally-ranked
Owatonna teams.
ber of the Minnesota Baseball Association.
high school principal at Rugby High
School for the past 11 years.
77
81
Rev. Mark Braaten recently
published his second book,
Prayer as Joy, Prayer as Struggle, by
Liturgical Press. It studies prayer
through biblical and personal stories, and explores prayer as both a
gift and struggle. His first book, in
2006, is Come Lord Jesus: A Study
of Revelation. He is senior pastor at
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in
Tyler, Texas, a bilingual congregation
worshiping in English and Spanish.
Kurts Strelnieks recently joined Associated Commercial Finance, Inc.,
in Eagan, Minn., as their Minnesota
market manager.
78
Dennis J. Meyer was named
the first chief marketing officer at Ellerbe Becket, a global design firm. He will be based in their
Minneapolis office and serve on the
firm’s leadership team to develop
and execute its global marketing
strategy and implement the firm’s
vision.
Naomi Williamson opened a new
restaurant, Sanctuary, on Washington Avenue in Minneapolis.
79
77
Heidi (Leaf) Haagenson has
published a book, The Tenney Quilt, which tells the story of a
quilt with 700 signatures created
in 1928 in Tenney—Minnesota’s
smallest city of six people—as a
fundraiser for the local dance hall.
She is the special projects coordinator at Ridgewater College in
Willmar, and is married to David
Haagenson ’76.
79
Phil Madsen and his wife,
Diane, own and operate a
truck used to transport expedited
freight, traveling the 48 states and
Canada. Read their stories from
the road at www.successfulexpediters.com
Church in America (ELCA). He will
be installed on October 18.
gion Coach of the Year, and the Big
Ten Coach of the Year.
Phil Lundin was named the men’s
cross country and track and field
coach at St. Olaf College. Since
1986 he has coached at the University of Minnesota, including the last
13 years as head men’s track and
field coach. In 2003 Phil was named
U.S. Track Coaches Association
Coach of the Year, the Midwest Re-
Bill Nelson, manager of the Dundas
(Minn.) Dukes amateur baseball
team and part of that team for over
30 years, was inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of
Fame in September 2007. He has
also served as head baseball coach
at Carleton College and has been executive director and a board mem-
Linda Sue Anderson played the
part of Miss Prism in Pendulum Theatre’s production of The Importance of Being Earnest earlier
this year at the Loading Dock Theatre in downtown St. Paul.
David Cherwien directs the National
Lutheran Choir, which dedicated its
May 3 concert to the memory of Leland Sateren ’35 and performed five
of his works.
Debra (Mercier) Peters earned a Certified Management Accountant designation in April 2007. She is a
finance manager/controller for Pella
Windows and Doors and lives in
Bloomington, Minn.
David Zwingel has been named the
2007 North Dakota Secondary Principal of the Year by the North
Dakota Association of Secondary
School Principals, with sponsorship
also from Met Life. He has been the
Rev. Richard Buller was elected
chaplain of the Minnesota
House of Representatives by its
members on March 10. He is pastor
at Valley Community Presbyterian
Church in Golden Valley and a
member of the board of the Greater
Minneapolis Council of Churches.
His son, Peter, is a sophomore at
Augsburg.
Pamela Crowell began on July 1 as
the new vice president for research
at Idaho State University in
Pocatello. Previously she was the associate dean for research and graduate education at Indiana
University-Purdue University Indianapolis School of Science.
Janna (Wallin) Haug and her husband, Rev. Arden Haug, have accepted an assignment to Bratislava,
Slovakia, where he was called as regional representative to Europe for
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America’s Division for Global Mission. Janna accompanies him as the
associate in that position, along with
their two sons, Vitali and Alexei.
Dr. Erik Kanten was named the 2008
Family Physician of the Year by the
Minnesota Academy of Family
Physicians (MAFP). He practices at
the RiverView Clinic in Crookston,
Minn., and at clinics in Fertile and
Red Lake Falls. He also sees students at the University of Minnesota,
Crookston, on campus.
Dana (Holmes) McIntyre traveled to
China in fall 2007 as head coach of
one of two female Special Olympics
basketball teams from the U.S. for
the 2007 World Games in Shanghai.
She has been a recreation therapist
at Minnesota Extended Treatment
Options.
82
Jane Maland Cady joined the
McKnight Foundation in Minneapolis in April as international program director and will oversee
McKnight’s grantmaking in Asia,
Africa, and Latin America.
Fall 2008
51
alumni class notes
87
Deanna Germain published a
memoir, Reaching Past the
Wire, about her 18 months serving
as a nurse in Kuwait and Iraq, which
included time as chief nurse in the
Abu Ghraib prison following the revelations of abuse and violence.
Tammy Johndro-Pressley was named
director of external communications
at Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield, Ill. Previously, she was manager of business development at
Provena Mercy Medical Center in
Aurora, Ill.
Karen Reed received an Award for
Superior Accomplishment in December from the Department of
Mental Health of California. She is a
music therapist at Atascadero State
Hospital and was commended for
her plan to lower restraints, seclusion, and lengths of stay in restraints
for people in the Mentally Disordered Offender program by over 50
percent.
Devoney Looser’s book, Women Writers and Old Age in Great Britain,
1750-1850, was published by Johns
Hopkins University Press in August.
Go to www.press.jhu.edu/books/
title_pages/9473.html. Devoney currently serves as president of the
Midwest Modern Language Association, a non-profit organization of
teachers and scholars of literature,
language, and culture, and will preside at its meeting in Minneapolis,
Nov. 13-16.
Bruce Smith began teaching physical
education to sixth through twelfth
grades and high school Spanish, in
addition to coaching B-squad football, at LeRoy-Ostrander (Minn.)
School in September.
88
Melanie Herrera opened a
franchise in Apple Valley,
Minn., of Butterfly Life Fitness,
which focuses around solutions for
fitness, weight loss, and healthy living for women. Melanie was Augsburg’s first female All-American
athlete.
Anne Panning’s collection of short
stories, Super America, was published in October. The New York
Times Book Review said, “[It] radiates infectious optimism … Her enchanting Norahs and Alices, Tobys
and Theos drag you effortlessly into
their very American lives … ."
89
Rev. La Andriamihaja, pastor
of Jordan New Life Church in
North Minneapolis, helped launch
the “Jordan New Life Hub” to help
residents identify social services.
The project is a partnership sponsored by the ELCA between suburban and urban congregations to
bring volunteers together.
Geoffrey Gage was named in September 2007 to the University of St.
Thomas Board of Trustees. He is
founder and president of the Geoffrey Carlson Gage marketing and advertising firm.
52
Augsburg Now
94
Brad Klein and his wife, Lanica (Lynch) ’95 proudly announce the birth of their identical
twin boys, Noah Addison and
Micah Andrew. They were born on
July 1, 2007, shortly after Brad
and Lanica celebrated their 10th
anniversary on June 21. Brad is a
senior systems analyst at the ELCA
Board of Pension, and Lanica is
public school librarian turned stayat-home mom for the near future.
lanicak@att.net.
94
95
Dan Werner and his wife,
Shayne Hamann, welcomed
the birth of their twin sons, Drake
and Dylan, born on May 10, 2007,
who are on their way to becoming
future Auggie football players, like
their dad.
97
Tracy (Holloway) Drier and
her husband, Thane ’99, announced the birth of their son,
Caden August, on March 15, 2007.
He joins big brother Tristan, 3.
Michelle (Strauss) Ohnstad returned
to work after being a stay-at-home
mom and has two positions—head
librarian at La Jolla Country Day
School and library media specialist
at Pacific Ridge School. She is also
co-editor of the AIM Library & Information Staffing Bulletin Blog.
Rachel (Roth) Erkkila is the registrar
for the Des Moines (Iowa) Area Community College. Previously she was
registrar at Dakota County Technical
College in Rosemount, Minn., and
Walden University in Minneapolis.
Mark Lorenzen and Dawn Van
Tassel ’95, St. Louis Park,
Minn., welcomed their first child,
daughter Julia Grace Lorenzen, on
Aug. 2, 2007.
91
Carla Beaurline, founder, cohost, co-producer, and account
executive of “Around Town” Media,
won the Twin Cities Media Network
Diamond Award for TV Personality of
the Year. In addition, she won TV
Sales Person of the Year. “Around
Town” airs on Metro Cable Network
Channel 6 in Minneapolis.
Tom Ross is the new associate head
coach-defense at Hanover College in
Hanover, Ind.
92
Larry Anderson published a
book, Raptured Alive: Return
of a Prodigal Son, in September
2007 and writes music for his
gospel band.
Gregory Stohr was named vice president of sales at Transtar Autobody
Technologies in Brighton, Mich., a
manufacturer of automotive refinish
and bodyshop repair products.
Sharol Tyra, of Life Illumination presentation and coaching, was elected
to serve a two-year term on the Minnesota Board of Directors of the National Speakers Association.
94
Jennifer (Feine) Hellie ’04 MAL
accepted a position as development coordinator at Lake Wapogasset Lutheran Bible Camp in
Amery, Wis. Previously she worked
as an admissions counselor and academic adviser at Augsburg.
95
Noelle (Hallblade) Epp was
named as marketing communications specialist in October at
Professional Services Marketing,
Inc. in New Brighton, Minn., and will
focus on copywriting services.
Dave Manka was named assistant
volleyball coach at North Dakota
State University in February.
96
Scott Magelssen and his wife,
Theresa (Hoar) ’95, live in
Bowling Green, Ohio, with their son,
Trygg Magelssen, born in 2005.
Scott teaches in the graduate theatre program at Bowling Green State
University and published a book in
spring 2007 about living history museums. Theresa teaches first grade
at Powell Elementary School in
North Baltimore, Ohio.
98
Aaron Cross and Katrina
Grimsey were married, after
15 years of friendship, first in the
United Kingdom and then in the
U.S. on July 6, 2007. Aaron is a
motivational speaker and received
Augsburg’s First Decade Award in
2005. They live south of London.
aaron.cross@motivationonwheels.com
99
Lisa Nos-Tollefson married
Mark Tollefson in December
2006. Lisa and Mark welcomed
the birth of Taylor Elizabeth on
Nov. 20, 2007.
Dr. Martin Richards was featured in
the Hudson Star Observer in July
about the geothermal heat pump
system he had installed at his home.
He expects to use only one-tenth of
the liquid propane gas that he used
last year without the pump. He is an
emergency room physician at
United Hospital in St. Paul, at the
Baldwin (Wis.) hospital and emergency rooms in Regina and Hastings, Minn.
98
99
Chris and Jaime (Kyle) ’01
Rothe moved last fall to
Rochester, Minn., with Kennedy,
2, and AJ, three months old.
00
Kathleen (Lindquist) Blilie and
her husband, Eric, welcomed the birth of Erin Catherine,
three months early on June 15,
2007, weighing 2 lb., 9 oz. She
joins big brothers Andrew and
Alexander and is loved by her
uncle, Orville Lindquist ’96.
Philip Berglin was named the
2006 Minnesota Businessman of the Year as a top U.S. business leader successfully integrating
business and financial success. In
March 2006 he traveled to Washington, D.C., to receive the award, attend a breakfast with President
Bush, and begin to meet over a
three-month period with Minnesota
legislators. He works at the Rum
River Lumber Company in Coon
Rapids.
Stacie (Ferrazzo) Chiodi and her
husband, Ron, welcomed the birth
of Cyrus Samuel, on February 5,
born in Bennington, Vt.
Tom Ruffaner was presented the Individual Achievement Commuter
Choice Award by MetroTransit
Rideshare in November for promoting commuter benefits and alternate
modes of transportation.
99
00
Jennifer (Crego) and Chad
Carls welcomed their fourth
son on July 10, 2007. Nicholas
Isaac joins brothers Tommy, 5,
A.J., 3, and Brock, 2. Chad is getting his administrative license (in
education) and Jen is home with
the boys.
00
Trena Bolden Fields and
Jerome Fields ’01 announced
the birth of their daughter, Kayla
Lee, born Aug. 18, 2007.
Jill Ruprecht was married to
Joseph Camp on Sept. 2,
2007 in Macomb, Ill. They currently
live in Chicago.
00
MacAdam Gordon and Nicole
Robertson were married on
November 10 in Minneapolis. He
works as an insurance agent at Ray
Smith Insurance in Plymouth, Minn.
01
Hilary English Crook married
Jacob Seljan in Duluth, Minn.,
on September 29, 2007. The wed-
ding party included Emily Crook ’07
as maid of honor, Eilidh Reyelts ’06
as personal attendant, and DJ
Hamm ’08 as usher. Also in attendance were Auggies Nancy English
’73, Ann Bostelmann Webster ’96,
Karin (Sabo) Mantor ’86, Julie Sabo
’90, and Martin Sabo ’59. Norwegian professor Frankie Shackelford
also attended. Hilary is an attorney
working at Thomson West in Legal
Sales, and Jacob is vice president of
the Risk Analytics Department of US
Bancorp. They live in Minnetonka.
Jessica (Norman) Hafemeyer opened
a law firm in Faribault, Minn., on
August 1, 2007, Ibeling Hafemeyer,
Ltd. The practice includes family
law, bankruptcy, and estate/probate
law. www.ibelinghaemeyer.com.
Angie Rieger was named an assistant hockey coach at Hamline University. She has also been chosen to
join the Whitecaps, Minnesota’s first
professional women’s hockey team.
Nicole (Warner) Simml, currently living in Frankfurt, Germany, performed a recital of 20th-century
American music last November at
the American Consul General’s residence in Markkleeberg.
02
Amy Carlson has completed
the surgical technology program at Saint Mary’s University of
Minnesota and has accepted a surgical technician position at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics in
Minneapolis.
Lindsay (Bonner) Pavelka directed
the Galveston Island Children’s Chorus last year from September
through December. In summer
2007, she developed and directed
Summer on Stage, a children’s performing arts camp with the east-end
theatre company in Galveston. She
is an arts educator, voice instructor,
and actress in the Galveston area,
where she lives with her husband,
Matthew.
Zac Schnedler began last fall
03as a school/guidance coun-
selor for grades 7-12 in the Braham
(Minn.) school district.
Fall 2008
53
alumni class notes
Sara Willcut is in her first season on
the Minnesota Swarm Performance
Dance Team as well as teaching
dance, coaching dance teams, and
taking classes. She recently
launched Ascending Star Dance, an
online dance magazine, and helped
form the Ascending Star Dance
team, which performs at semi-professional football games in the MidAmerican Football League. She also
volunteers with her teams for Feed
My Starving Children.
04
Kelly Chapman graduated
magna cum laude from the
Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles, Calif.
She is the winner of a full scholarship to attend the International Koefia Academy of Haute Couture and
Art of Costume in Italy. She is currently studying Italian in preparation
for her study.
Abbey Payeur is a sixth-grade integrated language arts and social
studies teacher at Oak View Middle
School in Andover, Minn. In May she
was honored as one of the 20 recipients of the Teacher Outstanding Performance (TOP) awards, presented
by the Anoka-Hennepin School District. She was also one of four winners of a $1,000 grant for a project
at her school, plus a cash award.
Laura Simones completed the Ford
Ironman Florida 2007 triathlon last
fall, placing 872 out of the nearly
2600 participants and 18 of 68 in
her division. In addition she completed the Triple By-Pass in Colorado (100+ miles with three climbs
over 10,000 ft.) and then biked
back to Minnesota.
05
Michael Howard is a communications specialist at the Minnesota House of Representatives.
michaelhoward10@gmail.com
Jeremiah Knabe received a Master of
Divinity degree from Princeton Theological Seminary on June 16.
Rebecca Welle ran the New York
Marathon last fall, finishing 4422 in
the field of 40,000 runners. She cut
about six minutes off her previous
personal best, finishing in 3:31:56.
54
Augsburg Now
07
Aaron Dowzak and Emily Hull
were married on Sept. 1,
2007, and moved to Port St. Lucie,
Fla., where Aaron is director of
youth and family junior and senior
high at Immanuel Lutheran Church,
and where they will love happily ever
after.
Christianna Schmit is interning in
music therapy at University Hospitals, Case Medical Campus, in
Cleveland, Ohio. Her supervisor and
their music therapy program were
recently featured in the “Making a
Difference” segment on NBC Nightly
News.
01
Marie and Brent Odenbrett ’02
welcomed the birth of Emma
Louise Marie on Oct. 19, 2007.
02
02
John Goodale married Crystal
Thompson at St. Peter’s
Lutheran Church in Swanville,
Minn., on July 28, 2007. Crystal is
a 2004 graduate of the University
of Minnesota’s Carlson School of
Management and is employed at
Graco, Inc. in NE Mpls as a channel marketing specialist. John is
employed as an account executive
at Novus Print Media in Plymouth.
They live in Maple Grove, Minn.
03
Nicolas Thomley ’06 MBA was featured last fall in Twin Cities Business
and honored in January in their
2007 Small Business Success Stories as the co-founder (at age 19) of
Pinnacle Services, Inc. This company, which has grown rapidly, provides services to people with
disabilities, including help in finding
housing and employment, in-home
care, etc.
She works during the day at the
Center for International Health at
Regions Hospital. Her husband,
Rev. Tchanong Hurh, is pastor at
House of God Trinity Christian
Church in St. Paul.
Frank Huebner and his wife,
Elizabeth, announced the
birth of their son, Andrew, on July
13, 2007. They live in New
Prague, Minn.
Tim Wahl and Lisa Uehling were married on Aug. 18, 2007, in Rochester,
Minn. They live in Minneapolis
where Tim teaches math at Rosemount High School and Lisa works
in the Technology Leadership Program at Target headquarters in Minneapolis.
Katie Winter began in Sept. 2007 as
a reporter for the Pipestone County
Star in Pipestone, Minn.
Graduate Programs
Jeff Falkingham ’95 MAL was a finalist in the Young Adult Fiction category of the Independent Book
Publishing Professionals Group
2008 Next Generation Indie Book
Awards for his book, Sherlock
Holmes and the County Courthouse
Caper. The book was originally published by Beavers Pond Press of
Edina, Minn., in September 2001
and re-released in June 2007, with
all proceeds going to flood victims in
Jeff’s hometown of Browns Valley,
Minn. www.cccaper.com
Jim Addington ’93 MAL was named a
“Facing Race Ambassador” by the
St. Paul Foundation for the work he
has done over many years and
through the Minnesota Collaborative
Anti-Racism Initiative that he and
his late wife, Imani-Nadine Addington, founded in 1995. Jim has
helped more than 20,000 people at
churches, colleges, and public institutions to understand and dismantle
racism.
Heather Reeve ’00 PA has been a
physician assistant at the ELEAH
Medical Center in Elbow Lake, Minn
.
May Mua ’01 PA has partnered with
Dr. Phua Xiong to establish Quik Urgent Care Clinic, the first Asian
American privately-owned and operated urgent care facility in St. Paul.
Danny Storm and Sarah
Schultz ’04 were married in
Hoversten Chapel on Aug. 2.
Danny is an audit/tax accountant
with Denny Hecker Automotive
Group and Sarah is a child protection social worker with Hennepin
county in Minneapolis. They live in
Brooklyn Park, Minn.
Alissa Abelson ’06 MSW welcomed a
baby girl, Madilyn Gwen, on July 21,
2007. She lives in New York and is a
social worker at FEGS in downtown
Manhattan.
Gwen Nordahl ’07 PA joined the Battle Lake Clinic in Battle Lake, Minn.,
as a physician assistant in October.
Send us your news and photos
03
Emily Gerard and her husband, Craig Maus, welcomed
their daughter, Caroline Mae, on
Feb. 8.
04
Julie Andert and Jeremy Nelson ’05 were married on Oct.
20 in Pax Christi Catholic Community Church in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Wedding party Auggies included
Kiera Peterson ’04, Rebeca Welle
’05, Joshua Remme ’06, Tyler
Kraft ’06, and Joseph Wessbecker
’04. Julie works in human resources at West Side Community
Health Services, and Jeremy works
for Comcast in Sales and Marketing. They built a home together in
Blaine.
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an
obituary, funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail
to: Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the
Augsburg Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
Street address
05
Jamie Ann Johnson married
Christopher Kerestes in
Grand Teton National Park in
Wyoming. They live in Newark,
Del., where Jamie is pursuing a
Master of Public Administration
degree at the University of
Delaware and an associate degree
in nursing through Delaware Technical and Community College.
Chris is a research assistant and
PhD candidate in electrical engineering working to improve solar
cells for solar energy.
City, State, Zip
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Home telephone
05
Paul Raukar and Chelsea
Haxton welcomed the birth
of their son, Evan Tyler, on May
30, 2007, born in Virginia, Minn.
Paul is a self-employed business
owner. praukar77@hotmail.com
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Employer
Position
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
If yes, class year
Spouse’s name
Maiden name
06
Ryan Adrian-Hendrick Rivard
and Kristin Gulbrandson announce the birth of their daughter
Nora Lucille Rivard, born Dec. 31,
2006. They live in Evanston, Ill.,
where Ryan is a student at
Chicago-Kent College of Law.
riss23@gmail.com
Sara Holman married David
06Nash on July 26 in Wisconsin
Your news:
Dells, Wis. They currently live in
Omaha, Neb., where Sara is a
copywriter for THT Designs and
David is a medical student at
Creighton University.
Fall 2008
55
my
Auggie experience
Patrick Flood ’08
B.S., social work, with a minor in religion
Patrick Flood, a 2008 graduate, reflected on his four years at
Augsburg…
“During opening convocation in 2004, the freshmen marched to
the chapel as professors lined the path, clapping and welcoming
us. They didn’t know us yet but they were there to support us.
After four long years, many of those same professors once again
lined up on Commencement day, clapping and congratulating us
on a job well done. I couldn’t have imagined on that first day
what the impact of this would be.
How I became an Auggie: It was important for me to stay in the
ELCA family, since my mother is a Lutheran pastor. Attending a
small private liberal arts college in an urban setting also appealed to me. (What really sold me, however, were Augsburg’s
skyways and tunnels that make life much more comfortable in
the dead of winter!)
Augsburg highlight: During my junior year I had an opportunity to
study abroad by taking a spring semester course—Social Work in
a Latin American Context—through the Center for Global Education (CGE). The program was centered in Cuernavaca, Mexico
and focused on experiential learning, global perspectives, and
social and economic justice. During the semester I took a Spanish language class, three classes in social work, and completed
an internship at Las Palomas, a local nursing home. … I learned
a lot about the differences between our cultures. In Mexico it’s
much more traditional for the elderly to be cared for by their children; they become part of the nuclear family structure. The number of elderly in nursing homes is much lower than in the U.S.
The Augsburg impact: Conversations with professors and students had a very positive influence on me. My religion class with
Professor Mary Lowe challenged my thoughts and beliefs. Her
enthusiasm rubs off on students and pushes them to think critically and analytically about the Bible and how that can translate
into bigger issues.
Next steps: Although I am a social work major, I was a student
worker in Augsburg’s Institutional Advancement office for four
years. I learned about the importance of giving back to the community through philanthropy and stewardship. Because of those
experiences and one-on-one mentoring, I’m interested in pursuing an entry-level job in development. Wherever life takes me, I
feel well prepared for the journey, thanks to Augsburg.
INTERVIEWED BY JENNIFER L. HIPPLE, WEEKEND COLLEGE STUDENT
56
Augsburg Now
CAROLYN AND DALE ’60 HANKA are firm believers in free enterprise
and entrepreneurship, a fact that’s reflected in their successful careers. Carolyn was a university marketing instructor; Dale was a financial planner and bank president. Together they owned and managed a
title company.
Now retired, the couple is acknowledging the importance of
Augsburg College to their success by establishing an endowed scholarship.
“We thoroughly appreciated our time as students at Augsburg
College. The College gave us so much—small classes, individual attention from professors, and the opportunity to learn teamwork and
leadership.
Today the College is still a very special place. Faculty and staff
challenge students to grow in academic achievement as well as in
personal relationships. The College’s vision that “we are called to
serve our neighbor” is vital to the college community, the community
“The College gave us so much—
small classes, individual attention
from professors, and the opportunity
to learn teamwork and leadership.”
around Augsburg, and the world we live in.
When we decided to acknowledge the importance of Augsburg in
our lives by establishing the Dale and Carolyn Hanka Business Scholarship, Augsburg provided us with the ideas and counsel that made it
easy through a charitable gift annuity. Not only does it establish a
scholarship, but we receive income and tax benefits.
The best benefit? Knowing that scholarships make an Augsburg
education possible for so many students.”
YOU HAVE A VISION FOR AUGSBURG.
P L A N N E D G I V I N G C A N M A K E I T A R E A L I T Y.
Become a member of the Sven Oftedal Society at Augsburg by making a gift through your will, trust, life insurance, or other
planned gift. There are many ways to give a gift that will last a lifetime and make a difference for Augsburg students.
1-800-273-0617
www.augsburg.edu/giving
Watercolor
Taking advantage of the beautiful fall colors along
the Mississippi River, art professor Tara Sweeney
took her beginning watercolor class down along the
St. Paul shoreline.
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
Show less
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Augsburg
Now
COMMENCEMENT 2007
INTERNATIONAL PHOTO
CONTEST
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SUMMER 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 4
Diggin’ Dinos
in Murphy Square
page 6
P. 4
P. 7
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Augsburg
Now
COMMENCEMENT 2007
INTERNATIONAL PHOTO
CONTEST
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SUMMER 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 4
Diggin’ Dinos
in Murphy Square
page 6
P. 4
P. 7
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Page 2
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Design Manager
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Class Notes Designer
Students at the center of our lives
I
t is the end of July as I pen these Notes for the
summer 2007 issue of Augsburg Now, and we
have just concluded our summer orientation
for more than 400 incoming first-year
students, the Class of 2011. I am as energized
as always by the sense of wonder and hope that
comes with an incoming class of college students!
At the other end of the continuum, you will
find in the following pages the stories and images
of our two 2007 Commencement ceremonies—the
first early in May for our day undergraduates and
our physician assistant graduate students; the
second late in June for our weekend
undergraduates and the other five graduate
programs (nursing, social work, education,
leadership, and business administration). All
combined, we graduated more than 900 new
Auggie alums this spring—what grand
celebrations we enjoyed!
I have been thinking a lot about this
continuum of student experiences—and have
enjoyed some rich and important conversations
the past several months with the Augsburg
community about how we might better honor the
centrality of students to our life as a college.
It is, above all, about the promise we make to
our students. Let’s call it the Augsburg Promise. As
students come to us, no matter their prior
experience or background, we regard them as:
Photographer
As they enter the College—as undergraduates or
graduate students—we engage them in missionbased academic and social experiences that
prepare them for meaningful work and service in
the world. In the classroom, on the playing fields,
in the residence halls, on stage, and in the
neighborhood, students enter a teaching and
learning community that prepares them to make a
living and to make a life in the world.
And as they leave us, our students remain at
the center of our lives as graduates whose lives
and work are emblems of this college’s aspirations
and commitments. We expect them to have gained
an informed vision of the world, focused on
discovery and appreciating difference. We prepare
them for intelligent understanding, full of curiosity
and a commitment to dialogue. And we offer them
remarkable opportunities for relevant experience,
learning to apply what they have learned and lead
others.
Students are at the center of our lives. There is
no more energizing and engaging work. And there
are few places that do it as well as Augsburg
College. It is the Augsburg Promise, a promise we
strive to keep each and every day.
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Faithfully yours,
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services,
CB 142,
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
• Gifted—a gift to us and the world, to be cared
for, educated, and nurtured,
• Called—on a vocational path that we will help
them discern and navigate,
• Accountable—persons of responsibility
and integrity.
Signe Peterson
petersos@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Assistant Vice President
of Marketing and
Communication
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
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Page 3
Summer 2007
4
Contents
Features
4
2007 International Programs Photo Contest
Selected winners of the seventh annual student photo contest for
international study programs showcase the experiences of students abroad.
6
An “Auggieasaurus” in Murphy Square
by Betsey Norgard
7
Senior Jen Janda created the “Auggieasaurus” as Augsburg’s entry in the
Science Museum of Minnesota’s Diggin’ Dinos project.
7
Commencement 2007—May
Nearly 400 students in undergraduate semester programs
and the Physician Assistant program received their diplomas in May.
10
Commencement 2007—June
In the College’s first Commencement focused on programs in the
trimester schedule, undergraduate and graduate students who studied on
weekends and evenings received their degrees.
Departments
10
On the Cover: “Auggieasaurus” is one of
about 50 dinosaur statues decorated and
displayed by local businesses and organizations
as part of the Science Museum’s 100th-year
anniversary project, Diggin’ Dinos. Studio art
major Jen Janda created Augsburg’s entry.
2
3
13
inside
back
cover
Around the Quad
Supporting Augsburg
Alumni News
Calendar
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
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Page 4
AROUND THE QUAD
NOTEWORTHY
Social Work Student
of the Year
Lisa Luinenburg ’07 was named
Social Work Student of the Year
by the Minnesota Chapter of the
National Association of Social
Workers (NASW) for her
“outstanding scholarship and
service to the community.” She
graduated in May with double
majors in social work and
international relations.
Physician Assistant
program earns
national award
Augsburg’s Physician Assistant
program was recently awarded the
2007 American Academy of
Physician Assistants’ Constituent
Organization Award of
Achievement for a high school
curriculum project developed in
2005. With the help of the
Minnesota Academy of Physician
Assistants (MAPA), the PA faculty
developed a program to educate
high school students about the
role of a PA, increase the diversity
among PA providers, and provide
health education and hands-on
learning.
In May 2006 and 2007,
Augsburg hosted high school
groups on campus who
participated in interactive
educational activities on how
diseases, specifically HIV and
other sexually transmitted
infections, can spread, as well as
how to administer a neurological
exam and take blood pressures.
Current PA students and recent
graduates helped with the
teaching.
2 AUGSBURG NOW
Nou Chang ’09 joins
Minnesota’s Future
Doctors
Junior Nou Chang participated
this summer in Minnesota’s Future
Doctors, a program to explore the
medical profession that is
sponsored by the University of
Minnesota and Mayo Medical
School. Over three summers, it
aims to increase the number of
Minnesota minority, immigrant,
and rural physicians by helping
these students develop academic
skills, an understanding of
medicine, and an appreciation for
serving in an underserved
community.
Chang, a biology and English
major with a religion minor,
immigrated with her family to
Rochester, Minn., from Thailand
in 1988. She also is the recipient
of a Jay and Rose Phillips Family
Foundation Scholarship that
awards potential student leaders
who intend to dedicate a portion
of their lives to community
service. She works with homeless
Hmong refugee children, ages 612, in partnership with the
Southeast Asian Community
Council, and hopes to create a
center where the homeless
children can participate in
culturally-based programs.
Rick Thoni retires as
WEC celebrates
25 years
As Weekend College celebrated 25
years in May, the program’s
founder, Rick Thoni, prepared to
retire from the College in June,
after 35 years of service.
Mia Bothun, WEC student body
president, spoke at the 25th anniversary
celebration on behalf of WEC students,
urging them to become more involved
in building greater community.
Rick Thoni, with his wife, Linda, listened
as President Pribbenow announced the
creation of the Richard J. Thoni Award
for a graduating WEC student that
Thoni joined Augsburg in
1972 as a part-time psychology
professor and counselor in the
Student Affairs Office and went on
to fill such roles as associate dean
of students, acting vice president
of student affairs, vice president
for research and development,
director of Weekend College, and
vice president for enrollment
management.
On May 17, students, faculty,
staff, and alumni of Weekend
College gathered to look back on
a quarter century. President
Pribbenow commented that the
number of stories from faculty and
staff of being asked to help
students get an education clearly
demonstrates the organic nature of
how WEC grew, beginning with
the student at the center.
He also commented on the
commitment of Rick Thoni and
others in WEC who didn’t merely
launch the program, but threw
themselves into the work of
meeting students’ needs.
would honor him “in an abiding way.”
Don Gustafson, professor of
history, applauded WEC students
and described the rewards of
teaching in WEC—meeting
students who bring different
experiences, perspectives, and
commitment to class.
In Thoni’s honor, President
Pribbenow announced the
creation of the Richard J. Thoni
Award, which will be given
annually to a graduating WEC
student whose actions,
commitments, and future
aspirations most profoundly
demonstrate a commitment to
Augsburg’s motto, “Education for
Service.”
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SUPPORTING AUGSBURG
The Kennedy Center—
filled with Auggie spirit
On May 4, the dedication of the Kennedy Center, the three-story
addition to Melby Hall, brought together Augsburg alumni, donors,
regents, faculty, staff, and students in celebration of Augsburg
athletics, fitness, and health and physical education.
Greco-wrestling champion Alan Rice
President Pribbenow expressed gratitude to
was greeted by President Pribbenow
the family of former regent James Haglund
in front of the Alan and Gloria Rice
and his wife, Kathleen, whose gifts provided
Wrestling Center, a state-of-the-art
the spacious, new fitness center bearing their
training facility for Augsburg’s
family name.
championship team and GrecoRoman wrestling.
President Pribbenow (second from left), together with President Emeritus William
Frame (left) and lead donors Dean ‘75 and Terry Kennedy, cut the ribbon to showcase
the new training, fitness, locker, classroom, and hospitality facilities.
The Lute Olson Hall of Champions highlights and celebrates the accomplishments of
The open entryway provided a great gathering place for
the many Auggie student-athletes across 18 men’s and women’s intercollegiate sports.
the Augsburg community to celebrate the dedication.
SUMMER 2007 3
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2007 International Programs Photo Contest
FIRST PLACE
“Mysterious Ireland”
Anthony Porter ‘07, Wicklow, Ireland
SECOND PLACE
“Cliffside: Bonsai Overlooking Tea Hills”
Ryan Treptow ‘07, Munnar, Kerala, India
THIRD PLACE
“Beneath African Skies”
Krista Costin ‘08, Ada-Foah, Ghana
LANDSCAPE
4 AUGSBURG NOW
HONORABLE
MENTION
“Eiffel Tower“
Laura Henry ‘07,
Paris, France
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PHOTOJOURNALISM
SECOND PLACE
“Untitled”
Jennifer Oliver ‘07, Chiang Mai, Thailand
FIRST PLACE AND BEST IN SHOW
“Pilgrims and Three Oceans Converge at Sunrise”
Ryan Treptow ‘07, Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, India
THIRD PLACE
PORTRAITS
“The Boat Keeper”
Allison Hutterer ‘07, Rabat, Morocco
SECOND PLACE
“Lumbini Woman”
Ryan Treptow ‘07, Bijapur,
Northern Karnataka, India
FIRST PLACE
“Las Hermanitas” (“The Little Sisters”)
Megan Schiller ‘07,
San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala
SUMMER 2007 5
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ugsburg senior Jen Janda has
been “Diggin’ Dinos” this
summer—not on an
archeological dig in Egypt, but
in downtown St. Paul. It’s part
of the “Diggin’ Dinos” summer celebration
honoring the 100th anniversary of the
Science Museum of Minnesota. Beginning
Memorial Day weekend, 53 dinosaurs were
placed around the streets of St. Paul, mostly
downtown, and seven in the parks of
Minneapolis as part of their 150th
anniversary celebration.
Much like the Snoopy statues a few years
ago, these dinosaurs have been painted by
local artists. Until Labor Day, Janda’s 4.5 feet
tall by 8 feet long, 80 lb. dinosaur will live in
Murphy Square, Minneapolis’s oldest park,
located in the heart of Augsburg’s campus.
When the College joined the project,
Janda was selected as Augsburg’s designer by
the art faculty. In keeping with the overall
theme, she named the dinosaur
“Auggieasaurus.” All the statues were painted
during the Diggin’ Dinos Paint-Off at
RiverCentre in St. Paul, just before Memorial
Day weekend.
“My idea for the Auggieasaurus was to
incorporate Murphy Square’s history
into a ‘map’ of the various
activities that go on in the
Page 8
park each spring and fall because of its
location in Augsburg College’s campus,”
Janda says. Around the base of the statue,
she inscribed:
Murphy Square Celebrating 150 Years,
1857-2007 “From cow pasture to
community center” The Dinosaur
of Minneapolis Parks
The activities she depicts on the
Auggieasaurus are:
• Runners—The Auggie cross-country team
runs around Murphy Square every fall.
• A biker—Minneapolis has many biking
commuters who travel through the park
area every day.
• A picnic scene
• A student reading Murphy Square, the
College’s literary and arts journal
• Kayaks, representing Minnesotans’ love of
the outdoors
The four legs of the Auggieasaurus are
designed to represent the Minneapolis
skyline, Augsburg campus, Seward
neighborhood, and the University of
Minnesota.
On Sept. 9, all the statues will be
auctioned off to benefit the work of the
Science Museum of Minnesota in its next
century.
Janda is a senior in the Honors Program,
with an art studio major. During the summer
she is working on a project to illustrate a
book for children in hospitals to help them
understand medical treatments
and surgery. She also works as
a graphic designer in the
Marketing and
Communication Office.
• A Somali family, representing the rich
cultural diversity of our neighborhood
• Frisbee players
• The Campus Kitchen van that delivers
meals in the neighborhood
A
S
U
R
A
U
E
I
S
an
G
G
AU
lives in murphy square
by Betsey Norgard
and Judy Petree
page design by Jen Janda ’08
A Paint-Off took place in downtown St. Paul
as local artists created dinosaurs to be placed
around the city, all in honor of the Science
6 AUGSBURG NOW
Museum of Minnesota.
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Page 9
traditional day undergraduates and master’s program in physician assistant studies
commencement
Jeanette Clark receives Marina Christensen
Justice Award
Jeanette Clark, a senior graduating with a double major in metrourban studies and youth and family ministry, was selected as the 2007
recipient of the Marina Christensen Justice Award. Each year, this
honor is presented to the graduating senior who best exemplifies
Augsburg’s motto, “Education for Service.”
Clark, a President’s Scholar, participated in the Honors Program as
well as Concert Band. At Augsburg, she held numerous leadership
roles, including serving as a campus ministry commissioner, resident
adviser, and leadership team member for the Campus Kitchen at
Augsburg College.
As a Spanish minor, Clark spent a semester in Cuernavaca,
Mexico, through Augsburg’s Center for Global Education, where she
worked for a pre-school and after-school program.
This past year, Clark created a spring break opportunity for
students staying in Minneapolis, called “Go Away Here.” In order to
show students opportunities in the city, it included service projects,
visits to neighborhood organizations such as the Sierra Club and East
African Women’s Center, and social outings.
The award recipient must have demonstrated a dedication to
community involvement as characterized by the personal and
professional life of Marina Christensen Justice, who reached out to
disadvantaged people and communities.
— Jen Winter ’07
Senior Jeanette Clark was honored with the Marina Christensen Justice award from
President Pribbenow for her work in the community and on campus.
May
2007
SUMMER 2007 7
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Page 10
Eboo Patel, founder of the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth
Core, in his Commencement speech, described the “faith line”
that separates religious pluralists, who seek tolerance and
cooperation, from the religious totalitarians.
excerpts
from the
commencement address
“The Faith Line: On Building the Cathedrals of Pluralism”
Eboo Patel
… In his new book, Peace Be upon You,
Zachary Karabell writes: “If we
emphasize hate, scorn, war, and
conquest, we are unlikely to perceive
that any other path is viable … ”.
Hate, scorn, war, and conquest
sounds like a pretty good summary of
our newscasts; it certainly seems like
the dominant narrative of our times.
And the soundtrack of violence these
days appears to be prayer—in Arabic,
in Hebrew, in Hindi, in various
inflections of English.
There are many who are eager to
divide humanity along a faith line:
Sunnis vs. Shias, Catholics vs.
Protestants, Hindus vs. Buddhists.
I believe there is something else
going on. I believe that the faith line is
indeed the challenge of our century,
but it does not divide people of
different religious backgrounds. The
faith line does not separate Muslims
and Christians or Hindus and Jews.
The faith line separates religious
totalitarians and religious pluralists.
A religious totalitarian is someone
who seeks to suffocate those who are
different. Their weapons range from
suicide bombs to media empires. There
are Christian totalitarians and Hindu
totalitarians and Jewish totalitarians
and Muslim totalitarians. They are on
the same side of the faith line: arm in
arm against the dream of a common
life together.
A pluralist is someone who seeks to
live with people who are different, be
enriched by them, help them thrive.
Pluralists resonate with the Qur’annic
line, “God made us different nations
and tribes that we may come to know
one another.” Pluralists are moved by
the image of the Reverend Martin
Luther King Jr. marching together with
the Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel in
Selma. Pluralists love the words of the
poet Gwendolyn Brooks:
We are each other’s business
We are each other’s harvest
We are each other’s magnitude
and bond…
We pluralists far outnumber the
totalitarians. What if we let ourselves
imagine? What if we began building?
What if every city block were a
cathedral of pluralism; every university
campus; every summer camp and day
care. There would not be enough
bombs in the world to destroy all of
our cathedrals.
Read the full Commencement Address at
www.augsburg.edu/commencement/
patel.pdf
President Emeritus Charles S. Anderson (right), who led the
College from 1980-1997 during a period of significant growth,
received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.
Maria Belen Power is the third in her family to
graduate from Augsburg. She poses here with
sister and brother Ana Gabriela ’05 and Camilo
Jose ’02, and their uncle, Dennis Power, from
White Plains, N.Y. The three grads are from
Managua, Nicaragua, where their mother,
Kathleen McBride, is the Center for Global
Education regional co-director for Central
America and adjunct professor.
8 AUGSBURG NOW
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As the graduates process down the street lined with faculty, hands are shaken, hugs exchanged, and high-fives given.
m”
Theatre arts professors Darcey Engen ’88
Physician Assistant program director Dawn
(second from left) and Martha Johnson (second
Ludwig places the master’s hood on Huong
from right) pose with grads James Lekatz (left)
Timp, one of the 31 newly-graduated PA
and Justin Hooper (right).
students.
President Emeritus William V. Frame, who retired last year from
Augsburg, received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters
degree, and was lauded for his work in sharpening the mission
of the College.
SUMMER 2007 9
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The flags of the Commencement procession represent the countries of Augsburg’s graduating students.
A
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t
e
t
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s
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i
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t
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a
2007
weekend, evening, and graduate programs
commencement
Faculty line both sides of the street as
graduates march through them on their
way to the ceremony.
June
Nursing Department chair Cheryl Leuning takes a photo of instructor
Pauline Utesch ’05 MAN (right) with graduates in the Bachelor of
Science nursing completion degree program.
Roberta Kagin, associate professor and director of the
music therapy program, shares a graduation moment
with her daughter, Julia (Metzler) Mensing ‘00, who
serves on Augsburg’s Alumni Board and received her
10 AUGSBURG NOW
MBA degree.
a
d
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Angela Brand receives first
Richard J. Thoni Award
In honor of his retirement from Augsburg,
the Richard J. Thoni Award was established
earlier this year. It was awarded for the first
time on June 24 to Angela Brand, a social
work major.
Beyond the required 240 hours of public
service volunteer work Brand completed for
her major, she also provided parenting
instruction and visitation supervision to a
working mother in Chisago County. She
facilitated and organized meetings to ensure
that the transportation needs of clients at
the Chisago County Social Services office
were met.
Additionally, Brand developed an
evaluation of the youth-oriented services
provided by Chisago County Social Services.
The county is currently following up on her
recommendations to ensure that youth are
better prepared for their transition into
adulthood.
During his or her time at Augsburg, the
award recipient must have demonstrated a
dedication to the kind of community
involvement characterized by the personal
and professional life of Richard J. Thoni,
who until his retirement in June 2007,
served as a tireless advocate for higher
education at Augsburg.
— Jen Winter ’07
Social work major Angela Brand is the first recipient of the Richard J. Thoni Award, established in honor of the
retiring Weekend College founder and given to a weekend student committed to service in the community.
Dean Barbara Edwards Farley places a doctoral hood on
Srividya Raman, who received her master’s
Martin Marty, retired University of Chicago professor and
degree in social work, spoke on behalf of the
historian of religion, who was awarded an honorary Doctor
Class of 2007 and told how, after receiving a
of Humane Letters degree. In his Commencement speech,
business degree in India, she realized her
he gave suggestions about learning to live life as a process,
passion was in “doing something different that
not a product, continually questioning and testing.
was closer to [her] heart.”
A future college coed straightens the tassel of her mom’s
mortar board following Commencement.
More than 50 graduating students and their families from Rochester were able to leave the driving to
Augsburg and relax on their way to and from the Commencement ceremony.
SUMMER 2007 11
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Going to college with your mom
With more classes than ever offered in Weekend College, more
students are finding out what it’s like to attend college with their
parents. The Clark and the Spargo families are two who have had
more than one generation attend Augsburg simultaneously. Jeanette
Clark and her mother, Mary Simonson Clark, both graduated in the
spring. The Spargos have three family members graduating from
Augsburg this year and next. According to Clark, “Augsburg’s
graduate programs and Weekend College facilitate adult learning and,
therefore, increase the prevalence of multi-generational students in
families.”
The Clark family went through four commencements this past
spring. There were so many that Mary referred to their graduation
schedule as: “It’s a weekend, who needs a robe?” Jeanette graduated
from Augsburg with a Bachelor of Arts degree in youth and family
ministry and metro-urban studies on May 5. Mary graduated from
Luther Seminary with a Master of Arts in theology on May 27. Mary’s
other daughter, Marie, graduated from the New School of
Architecture and Design in San Diego, Calif., with a Master of
Architecture on June 16, and Mary received the other half of her dual
degree, a Master of Social Work, from Augsburg, on June 24.
Concerning being coeds together, Mary said, “I needed to learn
how to be on the same campus with my daughter without either of
us interfering with each other’s schedules.” Jeanette added, “To be
honest, I had some small anxieties when my mother started college at
Augsburg. It just doesn’t fit the norm to go to college with your
mother.” But both assert that not only did it work, but that the family
grew closer because of it. Jeanette claimed, “I think it was really good
for both of us to have others in our family who were going through
the stress of homework, tests, etc. at the same time. I think this really
promoted understanding.”
Jeanette Clark (left) who graduated in May, shares graduation joy with her mother,
Mary Simonson Clark, who completed dual master’s degrees at Luther Seminary and
Augsburg College. For more on Jeanette, see page 7.
The Spargos had three members attending Augsburg last year, and
all three participated in Advent Vespers. Antonio graduated in May
with a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and secondary education.
Carolyn, mother to Annika and Antonio, graduated from Augsburg in
1980 and will complete the Master of Arts in Leadership program
next year. She says, “It’s been fun to have some of the same professors
my kids have.” Annika, who will graduate next year also, with a
Bachelor of Arts in music and education, adds, “Although there are
several of us on campus, we all have our separate programs which
allow us to maintain some individuality.” Continuing, she says, “I
think the neatest thing about being a family of Auggies is that I have
seen and met so many different people from different departments at
the school whom I normally would not know.”
— Jen Winter ’07
the class of 2007—956 graduates
May 5, 2007—semester programs
31 Master of Science, Physician Assistant Studies students
409 Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Music, Bachelor of Science
440 Total graduating
June 24, 2007—trimester programs
234 Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
172 Weekend College
52 Rochester
10 United/Unity/Mercy Hospitals
20 Master of Arts, Education
26 Master of Arts, Leadership
15 Master of Arts, Nursing
178 Master of Business Administration
43 Master of Social Work
516 Total graduating
An MBA degree was also awarded posthumously to Shika Addo,
a student in the program, who died in April 2006.
12 AUGSBURG NOW
ALUMNI NEWS
From the
Alumni Board
president …
Greetings fellow
Auggies,
Well, a year has come and gone.
My time as president of the
Alumni Association is at an end.
My hat is off to all the wonderful
folks on the Alumni Board and
to the faculty and staff at
Augsburg. They’re a great group
dedicated to Augsburg and her mission.
As I handed off the president’s role to Buffie Blesi, we had a great
strategic planning retreat in June to define our new objectives.
I’m excited to report to you that our focus areas for 2007 include:
• Augsburg Stewards—Connect with the Augsburg Stewards and
build our Auggie Pride!
• Career Development Program—support Augsburg’s efforts
around Career Development for (soon to be) alumni;
• Gateway—participate in the opening of the Oren Gateway
Center and ongoing activities there
• Vespers—support the annual Advent Vespers programming
• Awards Committee—honor Auggies each year who have done
amazing things in service to the world and Augsburg’s mission
• Augsburg Now Advisory Committee—provide input and advice
to the great group of folks producing the Augsburg Now
• Affinity Groups—build connections with other groups at
Augsburg
• Fundraising—help build Augsburg’s strength through support
of the Annual Fund
Centennial
Singers perform in
the Twin Cities
The Centennial Singers, a male
chorus of Augsburg alumni and
friends, will present a series of
concerts this fall in the greater
Twin Cities area.
The chorus was formed in the
early 1990s of former Augsburg
Quartet members to revive and
continue singing the gospel
quartet tradition. Since then,
they have toured both to Norway
and the Southwest U.S. twice.
Fall Concerts/Appearances:
Fri., Sept. 28, 7 p.m.
Faith Lutheran Church,
Staples, Minn.
Sat., Sept. 29, 7 p.m.
Salem Lutheran Church,
Deerwood, Minn.
Sun., Sept. 30, 4 p.m.
Cambridge Lutheran Church,
Cambridge, Minn.
Sat., Oct. 6, 7 p.m.
Christ the King Lutheran Church,
1900 7th St., New Brighton, Minn.
Sat., Oct. 20, 7 p.m.
Calvary Lutheran Church of
Golden Valley,\
7520 Golden Valley Rd.,
Golden Valley, Minn.
Benefit—Wilderness Canoe Base
Sun., Oct. 21, 4 p.m.
Colonial Church of Edina,
6200 Colonial Way, Edina, Minn.
Sat., Oct. 27, 7 p.m.
Community of the Cross
Lutheran Church,
10701 Bloomington Ferry Rd.,
Bloomington, Minn.
Sun., Oct. 28, 4 p.m.
King of Kings Lutheran Church,
1583 Radio Dr.,
Woodbury, Minn.
Sat., Nov. 3, 7 p.m.
Minnetonka Lutheran Church,
16023 Minnetonka Blvd.,
Minnetonka, Minn.
Sun, Nov. 4, 4 p.m.
St. Michael’s Lutheran Church,
9201 Normandale Blvd.,
Bloomington, Minn.
You are invited and encouraged to participate. Please contact the
Alumni Relations office.
All my best to you and your family as the cycle turns and we
start another year.
Barry M. Vornbrock ’96 MAL
President, Alumni Board, 2006-07
SUMMER 2007 13
CLASS NOTES
1950
1969
Frank Ario, Minneapolis, was
featured on the Minnesota Public
Radio show, Midday on May 18,
in a program, “Two Minnesotans
Touched by WWII; Two
Strikingly Different Stories.”
Royce Helmbrecht, Austin,
Minn., is principal at Lyle
Community School in Lyle,
Minn., a small school of 240
students recently named by
Newsweek in the top five percent
of high schools in the nation.
1952
Robert R. Hage Sr., Hector,
Minn., was entered into the
Minnesota High School Football
Coaches Hall of Fame on April
21. He is the former football
coach at Hector High School.
Rev. Orville Olson and his wife,
Yvonne (Bagley), Excelsior,
Minn., celebrated the 50th
anniversary of his ordination. He
is currently a pastor at Mount
Calvary Lutheran Church in
Excelsior. Gifts will be given to
the Timothy Olson Memorial
Scholarship, honoring their son.
John R. Hubbling, St. Paul,
Minn., received the Max Hecht
Award from ASTM International
Committee D19 on Water. The
committee cited Hubbling for his
outstanding service and
advancing the study of water. He
is laboratory manager for
Metropolitan Council/
Environmental Services in St.
Paul, and also serves on ASTM
International’s international
committees on waste
management, and quality and
standards.
1970
1967
Gerrie Wall (Neff), Rapid City,
S. Dak., retired in May, after a
five-decade teaching career, from
Western Dakota Technical
Institute (WDTI) in Rapid City,
where she has taught in the
general education department for
the last 18 years. At this year’s
commencement ceremony, she
received the Distinguished
Service Award from the school,
and is the first faculty member to
be honored with its highest
award.
Mary (Tweeten) Gladwin,
Pocatello, Idaho, has retired after
21 years in education. She taught
in Cottage Grove, Minn., and
was the media specialist at Grace
Lutheran and Hawthorne Middle
School in Pocatello, Idaho.
physical education and aquatics
in the Glynn County (Ga.)
schools. She was also principal
horn with the Coastal Symphony
of Georgia and played in other
bands and small brass groups. At
Augsburg, she played in a brass
group named Neophonic Brass
with Mike Savold, Bob Stacke,
Johnny English, and others, and
would love to continue playing
brass music.
1982
Les Heen, Maynard, Minn., was
recently appointed president and
general manager of Pioneer
Public Television in Appleton.
He and his wife, Barbara
(Westerlund) ’89, have two
children, Chris, 9, and Erik, 6.
Barbara (Mattison) Lagrue,
Lamberton, Minn., has recently
moved back to the Midwest,
with her husband, Paul. For
many years, she taught adaptive
14 AUGSBURG NOW
John Sheehan, Lakeville, Minn.,
has been named boys varsity
basketball head coach in
Lakeville South High School. For
seven years he was an assistant
coach with the Lakeville North
girls team.
1997
Jasmina Besirevic-Regan,
Hamden, Conn., and her
husband, Matt, welcomed their
second daughter, Lejla, on June
14, 2006.
Rev. Scott M. Ludford, Hayward,
Wis., was installed as senior
pastor of First Lutheran Church
on January 21, after serving at
Concordia Lutheran Church in
Superior, Wis., for eight-and-ahalf years.
1987
Jody Abbott was recently named
senior vice president and chief
operating officer at North Kansas
City (Mo.) Hospital to provide
direction for upper management
in the areas of nursing services,
support services, and facilities.
Previously, she worked at
Hillcrest Medical Center in Tulsa,
Okla., in a similar position.
1992
1975
1993
Rev. Judith Bangsund, San Jose,
Calif., is pastor, along with her
husband, Rev. James Bangsund,
at Timothy’s Lutheran Church.
She graduated in nursing, served
with her husband in Tanzania for
several years, and became
ordained.
Join the Augsburg
Online Community
• Keep in touch with
classmates
• Find out what’s happening
on campus
• Change/update your address
and e-mail
www.augsburg.edu/alumni
CLASS NOTES
1999
Cheri Johnson, Minneapolis,
received a $25,000 McKnight
Artist Fellowship for Writers,
through the Loft Literary Center,
in creative prose. She has
graduate degrees in English from
Hollins College and the
University of Minnesota and is a
regular participant in the English
Department Homecoming
Reading and Career Night.
2000
Sara M. Quigley, St. Paul, Minn.,
graduated on May 27 from
Luther Seminary with a Master
of Divinity degree. She is the
youth director at St. Stephen
Lutheran Church in White Bear
Lake, Minn., and hopes to
become ordained in the ELCA.
Jennifer Rensenbrink, and her
husband, Adam Miller,
Minneapolis, welcomed twins, a
boy and a girl, at Fairview
Riverside Hospital on June 9.
Rowan Charles weighed 5 lbs., 2
oz.; and Anneke Rensenbrink
weighed 4 lbs., 14 oz.
certified nursing assistant/
environmental aide at Fairview
Southdale Hospital in Edina,
Minn.
2003
Natalia Pretelt, Roseville, Minn.,
was mentioned in the Money
and Business section of the Star
Tribune on April 15 for her role
as a loan specialist with the
Minneapolis Consortium of
Community Developers. She is
involved in microlending and
small loans to help immigrants
and others start businesses.
Jonathan Fahler, has studied
since 2004 in the Master of Arts
in Medical Sciences program at
Loyola University Chicago and
was recently admitted to medical
school at Des Moines University
College of Osteopathic Medicine.
John Tieben, St. Louis Park,
Minn., received his medical
degree from the University of
Minnesota on May 4. Tieben and
his wife, Danielle (Slack) ’04,
will live in Duluth, where he will
serve a three-year family practice
residency in the St. Mary’s/Duluth
Clinic Health System, St. Luke’s
Hospital, and the Duluth Family
Practice Center.
Options, a volunteer mentoring
program that connects with atrisk kids, ages 10-14, in the
Twin Cities through biking and
running. See blog photos at
bolderoptions.org.
2005
Brooke Dornbusch received a
Master of Arts in counseling
degree in May from the
Assemblies of God Theological
Seminary in Springfield, Mo.
Mark Simmonds, placed fourth
in the 120-kilogram GrecoRoman class at the 2007 USA
Wrestling Senior World Team
Trials. He is a damage
controlman third class (DC3) in
the U.S. Navy, operating out of
the Mayport, Fla., Naval Station
and is a member of the Navy’s
wrestling team.
2006
Lauren Falk, Eden Prairie,
Minn., has started her own
portrait/wedding photography
business, Lauren B. Photography,
with on-location photography of
weddings, portraits, and events
in the Twin Cities metro area.
Graduate Programs
Jeff Falkingham ’95 MAL, Eden
Prairie, Minn., donated his
services to author a 2007
commemorative edition of his
earlier book, The County
Courthouse Caper, recounting the
history of his native Browns
Valley, Minn. The publisher,
Beaver’s Pond Press, has donated
1000 copies for the city to sell as
a fundraiser for its Long-Term
Flood Recovery Fund.
Dietrich-Swanson Wedding
2004
2001
Emily Waldon, Salem, Mass.,
recently joined the Harvard
Vanguard Medical Associates at
its Cambridge internal medicine
practice as a physician assistant.
She received a master’s degree
from Northeastern University in
Boston. Formerly she was a
Max Langaard, Oakland, Calif.,
was recently featured in an
article titled, “Teaching
Leadership through Coaching.”
The article is focused on the
Sports-4-Kids program centered
in the Bay area inner city
schools. The program attempts
to help children become not only
healthier but also to learn what it
takes to lead.
Laura Simones, St. Paul, has
biked from Boulder, Colo., to
Minneapolis with Bolder
Hannah Dietrich and Nathan Swanson ’05,, Lincoln, Neb., were
married on June 8, in Luverne, Minn. The wedding included several
Auggie students and staff, including Sadie Dietrich ’09, Lynde
Kuipers ’08, cross-country and track coach Dennis Barker, Marcia
Gunz ’05, Anna (Ferguson) Rendell ’05, Kyla Rice ’05, Tim
Stowe, and Janeece (Adams) Oatmann ’05. Jeremiah Knabe ’05
also served as an officiant at the wedding. Hannah is a doctoral
student at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, and Nathan is
pursuing a job with Lincoln Public Schools.
SUMMER 2007 15
CLASS NOTES
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the Augsburg
Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
Street address
City, State, Zip
In Memoriam
Larsen, Norman ’34,
Morristown, Minn., age 97, on
June 12. He was a member of the
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Woolson, Gladys (Oudal) ’34,
Minneapolis, age 92, on May 9.
Knudsen, Rev. Richard I. ’37
Sem, Minneapolis, age 95, on
July 10.
Gilseth, Margaret (Chrislock)
’40, St. Charles, Minn., age 88,
on June 10. She was a
Distinguished Alumna.
Framstad, Rev. Waldemar ’41,
Marinette, Wis., age 87, on June
14, after a lengthy illness.
Ahlberg, Rev. G. Harold ’42,
Valparaiso, Ind., age 86, on June 4.
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Home telephone
Stolee, Magdalene (Gronseth)
’42, Kenyon, Minn., age 87, on
June 11.
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Employer
Position
Work telephone
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
If yes, class year
Spouse’s name
Maiden name
Your news:
16 AUGSBURG NOW
Estness, Borghild ’43,
Minneapolis, age 92, on July 8.
She served as a recorder in
Augsburg’s Office of the Registrar.
Gronseth, Luther C., Sr., ’43,
Apple Valley, Minn., age 86, on
June 23.
Lindahl, Burton J. ’50, Wayzata,
Minn., age 82, on May 22.
Bakken, Rev. Hardis C. ’52, San
Pablo, Calif., age 97, on May 5.
Thompson, Robert D. ’52,
Bloomington, Minn., age 81, on
June 29.
Pundy, Eileen “Dolly” ’59,
Minneapolis, age 69, on May 4.
Peterson, Rolf ’61, University
Place, Wash., on April 24.
Heimbigner, Marlene (Hanggi)
’65, Olympia, Wash., on Jan. 15.
Timmons, Peter ’74, St. Paul,
age 63, on June 16, from
pancreatic cancer.
Ness, Sheela Jo ’86, Plymouth,
Minn., on July 4, of injuries from
an auto accident.
Galland, John H. ’93, Durango,
Colo., age 56, on May 18, in an
auto accident.
Hope, Jared ’00, West Concord,
Minn., age 28, on May 8 of
injuries from an auto accident.
Neitzel, Daniel Kurt ’06, Eden
Prairie, Minn., age 27, on
June 11.
Ward, Sister Agnes, CSJ, on
April 10. She taught classical
languages at Augsburg in the
1960s.
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CALENDAR
For music information, call 612-330-1265
For theatre ticket information, call 612-330-1257
For art gallery information, call 612-330-1524
SEPTEMBER
September 10
Seventh Annual Scholastic
Connections Gala and Dinner
Celebrating the scholarship/
mentorship program and the four
ethnic services programs
Free and open to the public
6:30–8:30 p.m.—East Commons,
Christensen Center
Info and reservations: 612-359-6480
or scholar@augsburg.edu
September 24-25
2007 Christensen Symposium
Everyday Life in the Light of the
Gospel
Rolf A. Jacobson, associate professor of
Old Testament, Luther Seminary.
Free and open to the public.
September 24, “Why Do You Weep?
Sadness, Grief, and the Gospel”
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
September 25, “How Can I Keep
from Singing? Laughter, Joy, and the
Gospel”
11 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
September 27
Theatre Artist Series
From Augsburg to the Guthrie
Theater
Katie Koch ’06, stage manager and
executive assistant to Joe Dowling,
Guthrie Theater
9:40–11:10 a.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
September 14–October 26
Glass from the American-Swedish
Institute and Its Local Influence
Gage Family Art Gallery, Oren
Gateway Center
Opening reception: Friday, Sept. 14,
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Artist Presentation: To be announced
September 14–October 26
Reweaving a Life
Prints by Alejandro González Aranda
and baskets by women weavers of
Tlamacazapa, Guerrero, Mexico
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Artist Printmaking Demonstration:
Friday, Oct. 12, 8:30–10:10 a.m.
Artist Presentation and Reception:
Friday, Oct. 12, 3:30–5:30 p.m.
September 18
Theatre Artist Series
Technical Direction at the
Guthrie Theater
Craig Pettigrew, assistant
technical director
9:40–11:10 a.m.—
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
September 20
Featured Artist Presentation
A Life in the Theatre
Peter C. Brocius, artistic director,
Children’s Theatre Company
7 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
October 17
Many Voices: Bold Visions
Convocation Series
Peter Bisanz, film director,
documentary One
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
NOVEMBER
November 2–11
Life is a Dream (La vida es sueño)
by Pedro Calderon de la Barca
Directed by Martha Johnson
Nov. 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, and 10 at 7 p.m.
Nov. 4 and 11 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
OCTOBER
October 8
Theatre Artist Series
Working in the Theatre
Buffy Sedlacheck, literary manager,
Jungle Theatre
12:10–1:10 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
October 8–13
Homecoming 2007
See www.augsburg.edu/alumni for
information
October 11
Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
November 14
2007 Koryne Horbal Lecture
Anne Pedersen Women’s
Resource Center
Jane Fonda
“My Life’s Lessons about Sex and
Gender”
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
November 30
Velkommen Jul Celebration
10:15 a.m.—Chapel Service,
Hoversten Chapel
11 a.m.—Scandinavian treats and
gifts, Christensen Center
October 12
1957 50th Anniversary
Celebration
Homecoming Convocation
Homecoming Luncheon
Campaign Completion
Celebration and Oren Gateway
Center Dedication
Dept. of Sociology 60th
Anniversary Celebration
November 30–December 1
That All May Have Light
28th Annual Advent Vespers:
A service of music and liturgy
5 and 8 p.m. each night
Central Lutheran Church,
Minneapolis
For seating envelopes,
612-330-1265
English Alumni/ae Reunion
and Reading
October 13
1967 40-Year Reunion
Picnic in the Park
Football game vs.
University of St. Thomas
Auggie Block Party
SUMMER 2007
703724-Pages 1-12, 17-20:Layout 1
8/22/07
11:05 PM
Page 16
An Augsburg Mural
Augsburg’s history is celebrated in the mural across
the Barnes and Noble Augsburg Bookstore windows
at the new Oren Gateway Center. Artwork by
photographer Stephen Geffre.
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
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Augsburg
Now
KEYSTONE CONNECTIONS
URBAN LEGENDS
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SPRING 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 3
Martin Sabo retires
The ending of an era
page 16
P. 21
A PLACE OF THEIR OWN
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
P. 12
P. 26
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
Being a ... Show more
Augsburg
Now
KEYSTONE CONNECTIONS
URBAN LEGENDS
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
SPRING 2007
VOL. 69, NO. 3
Martin Sabo retires
The ending of an era
page 16
P. 21
A PLACE OF THEIR OWN
A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
P. 12
P. 26
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
Being a college in the city
B
ut seek the welfare of the city where I have
sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on
its behalf, for in its welfare will you find
your welfare. (Jeremiah 29:7, RSV)
One particular afternoon last fall, I was shepherded
through the nearby Cedar-Riverside neighborhood
by our legendary community ambassador Mary
Laurel True. She introduced me to good people
whose lives and work intersect with the College. We
sat in one of the four mosques in the neighborhood
and spoke with the elders about peace and the God
of Abraham, about our lives here together, about our
children, and about the world and how frightening
it can be to live with strangers. In other words, we
spoke as fellow humans living together in the city.
I love the city (despite my rural upbringing) and
my recent experiences in our neighborhood lead me
to revisit some of the historical themes that fascinate
me about city life.
My first thoughts go to the role that neighborhoods play in a strong urban life. Though we are a
city, we live our lives in neighborhoods. It is in the
neighborhood where I come face to face with the
challenges and joys of negotiating my life with others. I think of Jane Addams, who made the west side
Chicago neighborhood near Hull-House the sphere
of action for her efforts in the late 19th and early
20th centuries to build a stronger democracy. There
are many of us who still believe her settlement
house idea has relevance for the 21st century. It is
not a philosophical exercise—it is the daily living
with, abiding with, meeting the needs and sharing
the aspirations of neighbors that defined the work of
Miss Addams and her colleagues, and that needs to
define our lives in cities as well.
A second theme about cities is the ways in
which they reflect our abiding pursuit of civilization.
Sir Peter Hall in Cities in Civilization suggests that
great cities have been at the center of artistic growth,
technological progress, the marriage of culture and
technology, and solutions to evolving social problems. Cities are places “for people who can stand the
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Design Manager
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Class Notes Designer
heat of the kitchen: places where the adrenaline
pumps through the bodies of the people and
through the streets on which they walk; messy
places, sordid places sometimes, but places nevertheless superbly worth living in, long to be remembered and long to be celebrated.”
Finally, I think of the late Jane Jacobs, the legendary urban theorist, whose The Death and Life of
Great American Cities was a clarion call to arms for
all those who loved the diversity and energy of cities
that was being ravaged by trends in architecture and
city planning. One of Jacobs’ main points was that
the well-being of cities is defined primarily by common, ordinary things, like sidewalks, parks, defined
neighborhoods, and a diversity of architecture styles
and buildings of different ages. These common,
ordinary things, when thought about with the needs
and aspirations of citizens in mind, will create
healthy, sustainable, and vital urban centers. It is not
about spending a huge amount of money, but rather
about a reflective practice of city life—the genuine
work of urban planning.
During my short time here at Augsburg, I have
been challenged to think again about the role of colleges and universities in an urban setting. I am committed to the mutual dependency of colleges and the
city. The paradigm for the relationships between
cities and higher education must be less about
extracting benefits from each other, less dependent
on incidental impact, and more focused on the various resources that can be shared in the pursuit of a
more robust, healthy, and meaningful urban life. I
look forward to our efforts at Augsburg to give substance to this new (but not really so new!) paradigm
of urban citizenship.
Yours,
Signe Peterson
petersos@augsburg.edu
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Interim Assistant
Vice President of Marketing
and Communications
David Warch
warch@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services,
CB 142,
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
Spring 2007
21
Contents
Features
11
The Kitchen Connection
by Betsey Norgard
Weekend College student Tom Gouras uses his food service experience to feel
more connected on campus and provide service in the community.
12
Fitting the Pieces Together
by Betsey Norgard
In their keystone courses seniors synthesize all their Augsburg experiences in
preparing for the next step.
16
The Ending of an Era
Photos and text by Stephen Geffre
The boxes are packed and farewells said as Martin Olav Sabo retires from a
28-year career in the U.S. House of Representatives.
21
Urban Legends
by Bethany Bierman
Augsburg’s metro-urban studies alumni are making their marks as leaders
in public service and city planning.
16
26
A Place of Their Own
by Betsey Norgard
The East African Women’s Center bustles with activity as mothers, children,
grandmothers, and girls learn skills for living in a new community.
On the Cover: Congressman Martin Olav
Sabo, Class of 1959, retires from a lifelong
career serving his constituents in Minneapolis
and earning high respect from colleagues on
both sides of the aisle.
Departments
2 Around the Quad
6 Supporting Augsburg
8 Sports
29 Alumni News
36 Views
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
AROUND THE QUAD
Brian Krohn awarded
a Goldwater
Scholarship
NOTEWORTHY
A team of Augsburg and University of St. Thomas students received honorable men-
Junior Brian
Krohn, who is
majoring in
chemistry
with a biology
minor, was
awarded a
Barry M.
Goldwater
Scholarship for the 2007-08 academic year. A total of 317 schol-
arships were awarded from the
more than 1,000 nominations
made by college faculty in the
fields of natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Krohn will join a research
group this summer at the Graz
Technical Institute in Austria,
funded by the National Science
Foundation.
Two other Augsburg students
received honorable mentions—
Kent Bodurtha and Reid Larson,
both in physics.
tion at the National Model United Nations Conference in New York in March.
Model UN team
wins award
A team of Augsburg and
University of St. Thomas students
received honorable mention at the
National Model United Nations
Conference in New York in
March—Augsburg’s first award in
nine years of competition.
More than 4,000 students
from the U.S. and 31 countries
participated, with opening and
closing ceremonies held in the
UN General Assembly Great Hall.
The student team represented
the interests of India in the conference and met with the Indian
Mission to the UN during the
week in New York.
Matt Broughton
named a Fulbright
Scholar
Matt
Broughton’06,
who graduated summa
cum laude
with dual
degrees in
English and
2 AUGSBURG NOW
physics, has been named a
Fulbright Scholar to Germany
during 2007-08. He will spend
the year at the Technical
University of Braunschweig,
working in space physics
research.
It was during an internship
with the National Academies’
Space Studies Board that
Broughton began to see how
research he had been doing fits
into the larger context of national and international physics
research, studying the relationship between the sun and earth.
At the Technical University,
he will study ultra-low frequency
(ULF) waves in the magnetosphere, using data gathered from
four satellites in the Cluster mission. He will be able to analyze
the data with use of a wave telescope, a multi-spacecraft analysis
tool, using techniques that scientists there developed. He already
has a working relationship with
the scientists and has received
some training on the wave
telescope.
This summer Broughton will
spend 10 weeks in Washington,
D.C., in an intensive German
language program.
Coach and athletic director
Ernie Anderson dies
Ernie Anderson ’37, who served Augsburg College
as its men’s basketball coach for 23 seasons and as
its athletic director for 34 years, died on March 18
at the age of 90.
Anderson was a part of the Augsburg community for more than 40 years. He attended the
Augsburg Academy as a prep student in the early
1930s. He played basketball and baseball at
Augsburg, graduating from the College with a hisErnie Anderson ’37
tory degree in 1937.
Anderson served as men’s
basketball coach for the
Auggies from 1947-70, and as
the school’s athletic director
from 1947-80. He was inducted into the College’s Athletic
Hall of Fame in 1975.
In 1984, Augsburg named
its outdoor athletic field
Anderson-Nelson Field, in
honor of Anderson and fellow
longtime coach Edor Nelson
’38. In 2001, the center competition court at Melby Hall was
named Ernie Anderson Court
in his honor, while the outdoor
athletic field was rechristened
as Edor Nelson Field.
Men’s basketball coach Ernie Anderson is
lifted in the air as the team celebrates its
conference championship in 1963.
PA students excel on
certifying exam
Physics students
receive award
All 28 of Augsburg physician
assistant 2006 graduates passed
the National Commission on
Certification of Physician
Assistants (NCCPA) exam,
required for physician assistants
to practice in most states.
While the mean score for all
new grads nationally was 506,
Augsburg’s mean score was 581,
which put the program in the
91st percentile in comparison to
other programs.
Augsburg’s chapter of the Society
of Physics Students (SPS) was
selected as an Outstanding
Chapter for 2005-06. This is the
fourth time in the last five years
the chapter has been recognized
among the top 10 percent of
chapters nationally.
Recognition is given for the
breadth of SPS activities in
research, public science outreach, physics tutoring programs, and interaction among its
members. Brian Wood ’08 serves
Students and money—dollar/sense
Sophomore Cody Warren (left) and financial aid counselor Carly Eichhorst (right)
teamed to teach students about financial literacy.
Studies show that more than half
of all college students acquire
their first credit card during
their first year in college. Nearly
half of all college students have
credit card debt, with the average debt over $3,000.
Combine that with the fact
that most parents feel they are
neither prepared to talk to their
kids about personal finances, nor
do they feel they are good role
models concerning financial
planning and decisions. And few
high schools offer courses on
financial matters.
Last year, Augsburg’s
Financial Aid Office decided to
do something about this and
provide resources for students to
as chapter president and
Professor Mark Engebretson is
faculty adviser.
Best Workplace for
Commuters
The Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the U.S.
Department of Transportation
become more fiscally literate and
learn to make responsible money
choices. “Does Your Money
Matter?” was offered as a series
of formal presentations.
This year, financial aid counselor Carly Eichhorst and sophomore student worker Cody
Warren teamed up to revamp the
program and ratchet up the level
of conversation and participation.
“I knew my peers didn’t have
the [financial] information,”
Warren said, as they planned a
new program they called “dollar/sense.”
Five sessions (three of which
were repeated) were offered on
weekday evenings:
• Embark: Begin the Financial
Journey
• Build: Establish Credit.
Maintain Credit
• Plan: Chart Your Course
• Renew: Financial Aid Springs
Anew
• Share: Time. Talent. Gifts
included Augsburg among the
Best Workplaces for Commuters
in Minneapolis. It was recognized as an employer offering
good benefits to employees for
alternatives to driving alone to
work every day. Augsburg faculty, staff, and students can buy
discounted travel on buses and
light rail, can make teleworking
arrangements, and use carpools.
Augsburg also hosts an
HOURCAR hub in the CedarRiverside community, making a
hybrid-fuel vehicle available for
hourly rent by qualified drivers on
campus and in the community.
Lots of audience response and
visuals in a relaxed atmosphere,
plus some food, brought home
the message to 20 to 40 students
who came to each session of
“dollar/sense.”
Eichhorst was delighted at
the response. “[A student who]
attended last night’s event on
credit scores … came to me this
morning and told me he pulled
his credit report right away last
night and wanted to talk about a
discrepancy,” she said. “[Another
attendee] was a student who
experienced financial problems
last year … and he attended
every single session of
‘dollar/sense’.”
The word reached parents as
well. One mother e-mailed, “It is
really a shame that you don’t get
more students attending those
sessions since they are truly REAL
LIFE and kids so often complain
about learning things they think
they will never use. Thanks to
everyone in the Enrollment
Center who put them on.”
—Betsey Norgard
SPRING 2007 3
AROUND THE QUAD
Japanese artists visit
Augsburg
For two days in late February,
Ayomi Yoshida and Bidou
Yamaguchi engaged the
Augsburg community with their
talents and art.
Yoshida is a printmaker,
installation artist, and designer,
whose work ranges from a colorful gift wrap line designed for
Target to multi-story installation
art. She is a fourth generation
member of the illustrious Yoshida
family of printmakers, which also
included Toshi Yoshida, who
taught at Augsburg during two
summers in the early 1970s.
For an exhibit at the
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
(MIA) in 2002 featuring her family, she created a large installation
of wood grain panels. The installation was purchased by Target
Corporation and re-installed in
their corporate executive suites
in downtown Minneapolis.
“Reverberation Ad Infinitum”
is made up of four columns and
a wall, each running three stories
high, flanking a stairway. Out of
each red column, Yoshida carved
repeated lines of oval chips with
a scoop chisel. The red chips
were then glued to the white
wall, creating positive and negative polka dots. Over 60,000
chips were carved, with three
people working on it for three
months.
MIA curator Matthew Welch
led a group of Augsburg students
to Target Corporation to view
Yoshida’s installation—an opportunity for the students to see the
artwork in this restricted, nonpublic area. They appreciated the
centuries-old, handcrafted nature
of the installation, says Kerry
Morgan, Augsburg’s coordinator
of galleries, and were captured
by “the physical process, the
amount of work, and the time
and dedication needed for it.”
Morgan recounts that as people walk through the installation,
“fascinating things happen to the
eye, the grid becomes diagonal
and casts shadows.”
Bidou Yamaguchi demonstrates his master skills in carving masks from cypress wood
for Japanese Noh drama.
4 AUGSBURG NOW
Students explore the panels of a multi-story art installation created by Ayomi Yoshida
at Target Corporation headquarters.
Bob Ulrich, chairman and
CEO of Target Corporation,
greeted the group and told them
that Target employees prefer
walking the stairs through the
installation to taking the elevator.
Yoshida also is a designer for
Target. Her gift wrap line, with
polka-dot-and-lined patterns,
has been described as making
packages “too pretty to open.”
Yoshida’s husband, Bidou
Yamaguchi, is a master carver of
masks for Noh drama. He is
trained as a graphic designer, but
became enchanted with the
ancient craft of carving masks
and their long history as part of
an ancient art form.
Carved and smoothed from a
block of cypress wood by knives
and chisels with three layers of
steel, the masks are lacquer coated many times and then stressed
to show age and wear.
Yamaguchi tried his own
hand at carving, and sought out
a master carver with whom he
could apprentice. After five years
of study—only half the normal
time—he was awarded the master carver status. He was also
given his artist’s name, Bidou, a
combination of words meaning
the “god of war” and “a stack of
wood.”
Yamaguchi has lectured and
demonstrated his craft at numerous institutions in Japan and
other countries. His masks are
part of the permanent collections
of Target Corporation (which the
students also were able to view
on the tour) and the MIA.
Bringing Yoshida and
Yamaguchi to campus was a collaborative effort among the art
galleries, Art Department,
Theatre Arts Department, Art
Club, Pan-Asian Student
Services, and professor emeritus
Eugene Skibbe, a friend of the
Yoshida family. The presentations
made by the artists were open to
the public, and scheduled to
involve classes in AsianAmerican theatre, sculpture, art
history, and design.
— Betsey Norgard
Augsburg Stewards:
Preserving history,
keeping traditions
alive
The Augsburg Stewards have
been involved in nearly every
recent Augsburg event, and they
are not much more than a year
old. The 14-member group has
already participated in
Homecoming, orientation, an
event honoring the Augsburg
Associates, the annual
Scholarship Brunch, and other
events with alumni.
Augsburg students can’t help
but notice the Stewards, but
many wonder, “Who are they?”
If you refer to the group’s
official statement, the Augsburg
Stewards’ mission is “to engage
students in the mission of
Augsburg College in order to
cultivate pride in place and
purpose.”
Lead Steward Solveig Mebust
says, “We combine three important aspects of the College: we
look at the history, the present
traditions, and the future of the
College and then try to make it
all something to which students
can relate. We basically provide
the link between the students
and the alumni.
“We make connections with
people whom you might not otherwise have met, and these are
powerful people,” she says. “They
make the difference between having an Oren Gateway Center or
not, having a scholarship to go to
college or not.”
The Stewards don’t just make
connections with alumni, but
also focus on students. In an
interview in spring 2006,
Augsburg Stewards’ founder,
Paul Cumings ’06, said,
“Students are trying to find ways
to connect with Augsburg, to
The Augsburg Stewards seek ways to engage students in the history and traditions of the College and create links with alumni.
(L to R) Rikki Starich ’07, Marie Sager ’09, lead Steward Solveig Mebust ’08, Sarah Valasek ’09, Cody Warren ’09.
create meaning behind the
school.”
“That’s exactly what we try to
do,” Mebust confirms. “We want
students to be invested in this
school, to take pride in our rich
history, be involved in present
traditions, and to help sculpt the
future of the College.”
The Stewards have already
started working toward that goal.
Each Steward receives a copy of
the late professor emeritus Carl
Chrislock’s Fjord to Freeway, a
centennial history of Augsburg
College. They then share the
College’s history with the student
body.
For example, during Auggie
Days, an orientation program for
first-year Augsburg students,
Steward Chris Kuhn presented a
brief history from Chrislock’s
book.
The Stewards began in
December 2005 when Cumings,
the student body president, came
up with the idea. “It’s important
to learn the history of the
College, to open up our past.
That helps us learn why deci-
sions have been made,” he said.
Cumings asked a few students to join, wrote a constitution, and submitted the constitution to student government. In
January 2006 the Augsburg
Stewards became an official student organization.
Currently the organization is
structured into three main committees: the History Committee,
the Present Committee, and the
Future Committee, each led by a
Steward member and focusing
on one of the three main components. However, Mebust plans
changes to the structure to make
it easier for students to participate more fully. Formal recruiting for new Stewards has taken
place during spring semester.
In December the Stewards
hosted an event called “What is
an Auggie, anyway?” With information tables in Christensen
Center, the group focused on
what it means to identify as an
Auggie and provided students
with information, food, presentations, and a documentary about
the College’s history.
“There’s something unique
about Augsburg. It’s always been
the odd child out of the
Lutheran colleges because we’ve
never felt the need to compete,”
says Mebust. “We produce amazing alumni who are leaders of
both the political and religious
realms, and their children are
now attending Augsburg.”
Mebust hopes to learn more
about why Augsburg is so
unique. She assigned the
Stewards a long-term goal of discovering the personal history of
the College. “Fjord [to Freeway] is
a great history based on institutional life, but not [its] personal
life.”
Even while still evolving, the
Augsburg Stewards are working
hard to reach their goals. Mebust
says, “We do our best to be
involved … and to be the best
representation of the College.”
—Kari Aanestad ’08
Kari Aanestad is a junior, with double majors in English/writing and
political science.
SPRING 2007 5
AROUND THE QUAD
SUPPORTING
AUGSBURG
Sabo Scholars …
‘Walking the talk’
One year after he graduated from
Augsburg, 22-year-old Martin
Olav Sabo was elected to the
Minnesota House of
Representatives in 1960 as its
youngest member. In 1978 he
was elected to the first of 14
terms in the U.S. House of
Representatives and served as one
of its most liberal members.
Throughout his entire career, he
has exemplified Augsburg’s motto,
“Education for Service,” and he
leaves a legacy as one of the most
fair-minded and principled legislators.
In 1990, his friends, family,
and alumni established the Martin
Olav and Sylvia A. Sabo
Scholarship in recognition of
Sabo’s distinguished record. The
scholarship is awarded to students who study political science
and/or have engaged in public
service, and aspire to careers in
public policy.
In 1994, fundraising began to
build the Sabo Endowment for
Leadership in Public and
Community Service. In addition
to the Sabo Scholarships, a summer leadership program for high
school students, a lecture series,
and academic support to public
service are envisioned.
Since 1995, nearly 50 students have been named Sabo
Scholars, and some served internships in Sabo’s Washington office.
A number have since chosen
careers in public service.
Garry Hesser, professor of
sociology and director of the
metro-urban studies program,
says, “What we’re trying to lift up
with the Sabo initiative is that
graduates in urban studies walk
the talk … . They stand for elected office and grapple with the
complexities of public issues and
The Sabo Scholarship
The Martin Olav and Sylvia A. Sabo Scholarship, established in 1990
by friends, alumni, and family is awarded to students with demonstrated financial need and academic achievement who study political
science and/or have engaged in public service or have interest in
public policy.
“I hope your college experience has taught you to listen, and that you
will continue to listen. … I hope you will develop your convictions
and your beliefs. I hope that you will pursue your passions. And I
hope you do get involved and choose your causes. But always remember to listen. And remember—you may not be absolutely right.”
— Martin Olav Sabo ’59
Augsburg Commencement address, 1983
6 AUGSBURG NOW
public policies.”
Here are four Sabo Scholars
whose lives are centered around
walking the talk of public service.
For Minneapolis native
Breanne Dalnes ’03, it took a
year at another Lutheran college
to realize she was an urbanite at
heart.
Once at Augsburg, a metrourban studies major became an
instant fit. “I knew as soon as I
discovered there was such a thing
as neighborhood organizations
that I wanted to get involved on
such a grassroots level,” she says.
While at Augsburg, Dalnes
spent one semester with HECUA’s
Metro-Urban Studies Term
(MUST), which she says opened
her eyes to a new way of thinking. She also served as a planning
Junior Kari Aanestad’s internship teaching
a recent immigrant to write has brought
to life issues around community needs
that her classes in political science have
introduced.
intern for the City of St. Paul.
Her last semester, she spent a
week in Washington D.C., where
her group visited various nonprofits and Sabo’s office. “It was
the perfect send-off to graduate
school.”
She received a Master of
Urban/Regional Planning degree
at the University of Minnesota’s
Humphrey Institute in 2005 and
currently serves as an associate
planner for the City of Ramsey.
“I’m putting my passions to
good work and watching out for
people who are too busy making
ends meet to get involved in their
communities or politics.”
Erica Champer ‘04 chose
Augsburg “for its integration into
a world-class city.” She also chose
metro-urban studies because, in
Making a gift to Augsburg
It’s easy to make a donation to Augsburg College.
All donations are tax-deductible.
her words, “it intertwined all of
the areas I was interested in—
history, economics, sociology, and
politics, all with a focus on making the city a better place.”
She now serves as an associate
director of quality and compliance at Heartland Alliance for
Human Needs and Human Rights
in Chicago. Champer climbed the
ladder in a short period of time,
becoming the youngest director
in a company of 800.
“At Augsburg I learned about
public housing in Chicago and
what a disaster it was, and now
I’m here two years later working
on a real solution!” says Champer.
“I am working on issues that are
meaningful to me—affordable
housing, human rights, and
more.”
Kari Aanestad graduates next
year with double majors in political science and English with a
writing concentration. During her
time at Augsburg, she has taken
advantage of many opportunities
to reflect on vocation, community
service, and building democracy.
“I love helping people and
being a servant of the people,”
Aanestad says. Her Honors Junior
Colloquium, taught by President
Pribbenow, focused on humanitarian Jane Addams, and what
Aanestad took away was a deep
appreciation of Addams’ belief
that in serving people she did not
expect to teach them, but to learn
from them.
Aanestad says her four classes
during spring semester all seemed
to synthesize around public serv-
Ana Chilingarishvili’s international
interest in children’s rights stem
from her own experience growing
up in the post-Soviet Union
Republic of Georgia.
Gifts online
Go to www.augsburg.edu/giving to make a secure credit card
donation. You can use the form to make a one-time donation or
to set up recurring gifts.
Gifts by phone
To make a donation by phone, call Kevin Healy, director of
advancement services, at 612-338-6537 or 800-273-0617.
Gifts by mail
You can mail your gift to:
Development Office, CB 142
Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454
For complete information about making a gift,
including the types of giving and giving programs,
go to www.augsburg.edu/giving.
ice. In political science theory, she
studied what it means to be a
civil leader and servant of the
people. A statistics course taught
her how knowledge is used and
how public policy is translated for
the general public. An internship
gave her the chance to work oneon-one with a 46-year-old East
African man, teaching him to
write. She learned how education
is empowerment, and how leaders have a responsibility to
empower their people. Lastly, in
American literature, she studied
what it means to have a voice,
and how in poverty people do
not have any voice.
Her thoughts after graduation
include work with the Lutheran
Volunteer Corps or AmeriCorps,
giving her chances to offer community service and better understand the role of civic associations
in a democracy.
Ana Chilingarishvili graduates this year with a major in
international relations and will
begin law school in the fall. Her
sights are set worldwide, beyond
local and national boundaries. A
native of the Republic of Georgia,
she was 6 years old when the
Soviet Union came to an end and
independence was declared. Her
family endured the civil war that
followed and were fortunate to
receive help from a number of
international organizations.
Chilingarishvili’s interest is in
human rights law, especially children’s rights, so that she can help
others in the same way. She
doesn’t yet know exactly what
that will be, but feels that
Augsburg’s focus on vocation has
helped her prepare for whatever
may develop.
When the Sabo Scholars had
the opportunity to meet Martin
Sabo on campus this spring,
Chilingarishvili was amazed to
hear about the roots of this legislator who has traveled the
world—a tiny North Dakota community and a high school graduating class of three.
— Bethany Bierman and
Betsey Norgard
SPRING 2007 7
AROUND THE QUAD
SPORTS
Auggies win 10th
national title, claim
nine All-Americans
Claiming three individual national
titles and making collegiate
wrestling history for one of its
wrestlers in the process, the
Augsburg wrestling team won its
record-10th NCAA Division III
national championship in the last
17 seasons with a dominating
performance in the tournament,
held in March in Dubuque, Iowa.
With nine All-Americans,
including three titlists and two
runners-up, Augsburg finished
with 135.5 points, 36 points
ahead of second-place Wartburg
(Iowa), the defending national
champion, with 99.5 points.
Wisconsin-La Crosse finished in
third with 92.5 points, Luther
(Iowa) finished fourth with 86.0
points and the College of New
Jersey finished fifth with 46.5
points.
Augsburg head coach Jeff
Swenson ’79 was named National
Coach of the Year by the National
Wrestling Coaches Association,
the sixth time he has earned the
honor in his 25-season career.
After the championships,
Swenson announced his resignation from his coaching position,
in order to focus on his responsibilities as the school’s assistant
dean for athletics and recreation.
Sam Barber, who has served as an
assistant on the Auggie staff for
six seasons, was named the team’s
new head coach.
“We had a lot of ups, mostly,
and a few downs,” said Swenson.
“It’s hard for me when the year
comes to an end because of the
great seniors, but the bottom line
is I’m proud of them as a group.
They really came together in the
last month of the season.”
Augsburg has finished among
the top two teams in national
competition 19 times since 1975,
has finished among the top four
Wrestling head coach Jeff Swenson steps
down after 25 seasons.
Auggie coaches Jeff Swenson (lower) and Sam Barber (upper) watch their team
With a commanding win, Auggie wrestlers captured their 10th national championship in March, with nine All-Americans.
nationally the last 19 seasons in a
row (the only NCAA school in
any division that can make that
claim), and has finished in the
top 20 nationally every season
since 1971 (NCAA from 1983 to
present, NAIA pre-1983).
Augsburg’s Marcus LeVesseur,
a senior from Minneapolis,
became the first Division III
wrestler ever to win four national
titles, and the second college
wrestler ever to finish his career
unbeaten and untied. LeVesseur,
who won Division III national
titles at 157 pounds three times
(2003, 2004, 2005), finished his
senior season at 31-0, and his collegiate career at 155-0, the second-longest winning streak in
college wrestling history. Cael
Sanderson went 159-0 during his
career at Iowa State from 19982002, winning four Division I
national titles.
“It’s unbelievable,” Swenson
said of LeVesseur’s accomplishment, “… no one had ever won
four titles (at the Division III
level), and only two guys have
ever gone through their careers
undefeated. He’s in great company with Cael [Sanderson].”
Junior Quincy Osborn
claimed his first national championship at 141 pounds. Osborn
finished his first season as an
Auggie with a 44-3 record, completing his third national tournament appearance. As a Division I
wrestler at the University of
Minnesota, he competed in
national tournaments in both
2004 and 2005. Osborn is now
104-35 in his college career.
Junior Jeremy Anderson also
earned his first national championship, completing his second
All-American season with a win in
the 157-pound class. Anderson,
who was a national runner-up last
season, finished his junior campaign at 39-2 overall and his 83-5
in his two seasons as an Auggie.
At 133, junior Jafari Vanier
repeated his second-place finish
from a year ago, and sophomore
Seth Flodeen claimed national
runner-up honors in his first
national finals appearance at 125
pounds.
Senior Jared Evans, a threetime All-American, closed out his
career with his second straight
fourth-place finish, and junior
Robbie Gotreau finished his campaign at 41-6 overall. Heavyweight senior Andrew Neumann,
in his second national tournament, finished fifth overall. At
197, junior Wally O’Connor finished eighth.
Augsburg finished with an
11-1 dual-meet record this season. For the third time in the sixyear history of the event,
Augsburg claimed the championship at the National Wrestling
Coaches Association/Cliff Keen
Division III National Duals in
January.
Academically, Augsburg finished 11th among Division III
programs in the NWCA’s academic national rankings, with a 3.283
team gradepoint average. Five
Auggies earned NWCA Scholar
All-American honors—Evans,
Neumann, Paul Bjorkstrand, Josh
Hansen, and Brandon Klukow.
wrestle to a national title.
8 AUGSBURG NOW
—Don Stoner
Jeff Swenson resigns
as wrestling coach
Augsburg wrestling head coach
Jeff Swenson announced in March
that he is resigning his coaching
post in order to focus on his
responsibilities as the school’s
assistant dean for athletics and
recreation.
Swenson, a 1979 Augsburg
graduate, served as head coach of
the Auggies for 25 seasons (198084, 1986-2007), building the
squad into a national small-college
wrestling powerhouse. Under
Swenson’s leadership, Augsburg
won a record-10 NCAA Division
III national championships and
produced a career dual-meet
record of 321-44.
Associate head coach Sam Barber takes
over as head coach.
Sam Barber, who served as an
assistant coach on Swenson’s staff
for six seasons, is taking over head
coaching duties for the Auggies.
Barber has served as associate
head coach for the last two seasons. A 1995 Upper Iowa
University graduate, he served as
head coach for the Peacocks in the
1999-2000 season.
During his Augsburg tenure,
Barber has been a part of three
national championship squads
and two national runner-up
squads, and has coached 46 AllAmericans and 13 individual
Jeff Swenson ’79 retires after 25 seasons, with a national title and Division III Coach
of the Year honors. He shares the moment with his nearly-two-year-old son, Brady.
national champions. He was
named Division III Co-National
Assistant Coach of the Year by the
National Wrestling Coaches
Association in 2006.
In his role as assistant dean for
athletics and recreation as a member of President Pribbenow’s staff,
Swenson supervises the 18-sport
intercollegiate athletics program,
the athletic facilities department,
and the College’s intramural athletic program. Swenson was
named to the position on an interim basis in 2001, and his posting
was made permanent in 2004.
“I look forward to working
with Coach Swenson in the years
ahead,” Pribbenow said, as “we
partner to make Augsburg one of
the finest examples of NCAA
Division III athletics in the country—a college that honors the
connections between academics
and athletics, that celebrates both
sportsmanship and competition,
and that helps our students to
grow as individuals and teammates … I can think of no one
better than Jeff Swenson to lead us
in this vision for intercollegiate
athletics at Augsburg College. His
track record speaks for itself. His
love for the College is unparalleled. And he has the passion,
commitment, and skills to guide
our athletics programs into a
bright future.”
Swenson has been a member
of the Augsburg community for
more than 30 years—as a student,
coach, and administrator. A
national champion wrestler at
Augsburg in his senior year of
1979 with a career record of 10217, Swenson began his coaching
career in his first year out of college, as an assistant coach on John
Grygelko’s Auggie staff. Grygelko
retired in 1980, and Swenson was
named head coach.
Swenson said that two years
ago, he made the decision that he
would step down from his coaching post this year. He said that
focusing on his role in athletic
administration will help him in
his goals to improve every aspect
of Augsburg’s athletic program
among schools in the Minnesota
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference
and NCAA Division III.
“For me, this is a cause for celebration. It’s not a sad day. It’s a
great day. I’m able to listen to my
vocational calling and lead the
entire athletic department without
having the coaching demands,”
Swenson said.
As an administrator, Swenson
has led the Augsburg program
through a period of unprecedented growth and improvement. This
year, construction was completed
on the new Kennedy Center addition to Melby Hall, which
includes expanded classroom,
meeting, and locker room space,
along with a new fitness facility
and a new wrestling training facility. Two years ago, a new
SprinTurf surface was installed at
Edor Nelson Field, and a new
seasonal air-supported dome was
installed for the first time this
year over the field.
“I’ve been around Augsburg
since the fall of 1975, over 30
years,” Swenson said. “Augsburg
has shaped me. Augsburg has
made me who I am, and it’s
allowed me to pursue my passion
to be a coach. Now, I have a
greater passion to lead the entire
athletic department as a full-time
administrator. I’ve learned a lot
about leading and coaching by
being the head wrestling coach
here for 25 years. That’s going to
help me as I lead Augsburg athletics into the future.”
“I am proud to know Jeff
Swenson and to be able to honor
his remarkable career as our head
wrestling coach at Augsburg,”
Pribbenow said. “He has accomplished great things with his
wrestling teams—10 national
championships, countless individual titles, team academic achievements, and so on. But perhaps
more than anything, I am proud
of Jeff’s commitment and passion
for that individual student who
needs the guidance, support, and
challenge to be the best he or she
can be—as an athlete, as a student, as a person. Jeff exemplifies
what makes Augsburg the special
and rare place that it is—putting
students first and helping them to
grow to be successful, responsible,
and good people.
“Jeff Swenson leaves a remarkable legacy as the Augsburg
wrestling coach. He has built a
program that will endure as a
shining example of quality and
achievement. Now he has made
the remarkable decision to bring
his skills and passion to bear on
moving Augsburg’s intercollegiate
athletics programs to the next
level of excellence. Surely there is
no one better than Jeff to lead our
athletics programs—both to the
benefit of our student-athletes and
the reputation of the College.”
—Don Stoner
SPRING 2007 9
Augsburg
men’s hockey
head coach
Chris Brown
was named
Minnesota
Intercollegiate
Athletic
Conference
Chris Brown
Coach of the
Year. In his first year as the
Auggies head coach, Brown led
the Auggies to a 12-10-4 record
and third-place conference finish
(9-3-4), as the Auggies clinched
a berth in the MIAC playoffs for
the first time since the 2002-03
season.
Brown returned to Augsburg
last season as an assistant coach
under Mike Schwartz, a position
in which he also served during
the 1996-97 season. After leaving Augsburg in 1997, he was an
assistant coach at Division I
Alaska-Anchorage for three
years, then served as head coach
at Marian (Wis.) for four seasons
(2000-04) and at Hamline for
one season (2004-05).
Brown was also named as
one of 12 finalists for the
Edward Jeremiah Award as the
NCAA Division III National
Coach of the Year by the
American Hockey Coaches
Association.
Aaron Johnson
named MIAC Player
of the Year
Senior forward Aaron Johnson
was selected by MIAC as the
conference Player of the Year in
men’s hockey. A three-time AllMIAC honoree, he also was
10 AUGSBURG NOW
named for the
second year in
a row as a
first-team
selection on
the AHCA/
RBK Hockey
Division III
All-American
Aaron Johnson ’07
squad.
In April, he was selected as
one of two Division III players to
compete in the NCAA Pontiac
Frozen Four Skills Challenge
during Division I men’s hockey
Frozen Four in St. Louis, Mo. He
was also one of eight finalists for
the Sid Watson Award, given by
the AHCA to the Division III
National Player of the Year.
Ed Saugestad
receives Hobey Baker
Legends of Hockey
Award
Former
Augsburg
men’s hockey
coach Ed
Saugestad ’59
was recognized for his
lengthy and
outstanding
service to college hockey with
the 2007 Hobey Baker Legends
of Hockey Award. The award
was presented by the Hobey
Baker Memorial Award
Foundation on May 3 in St. Paul.
Saugestad coached Augsburg
to a 503-354-21 record in a
career that spanned 37 seasons.
Only two other Division III
coaches have amassed more than
500 career victories.
In his 37 years of coaching,
Saugestad took teams to national
postseason play on 10 occasions
(nine NAIA and one NCAA),
winning NAIA national championships in 1978, 1981, and
1982. He was named NAIA
National Coach of the Year after
each of the national championships. He coached 22 AllAmericans at Augsburg.
Saugestad and his Auggies
won Minnesota Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular-season titles six years in a
row (1976-77 to 1981-82), and
Saugestad was MlAC Coach of
the Year six times. In 1998, the
MIAC’s playoff championship
trophy was christened as the Ed
Saugestad Trophy.
Saugestad began his Auggie
coaching career while still a student at Augsburg, in 1958. He
graduated with a double major
in physical education and biology in 1959 and went on to earn
his master’s degree from the
University of Minnesota in 1964.
In addition to coaching hockey
for parts of five decades, he also
served on the Augsburg football
coaching staff from 1959-84
(head coach in the 1970-71 seasons); men’s athletic director
from 1981-87; and during his
entire Augsburg career served as
an instructor in the Health and
Physical Education Department.
Saugestad was named the
2002 recipient of the John
MacInnes Award from the
American Hockey Coaches
Association for his contributions
to the growth of amateur hockey
in the United States. In 1996,
the state of Minnesota declared
Feb. 17 as Ed Saugestad Day, in
recognition of his career accomplishments.
Archive photo
Chris Brown named
MIAC Men’s Hockey
Coach of the Year
Sophomore Ed Saugestad (back row, second from left) played on the 1956-57 Auggie
hockey team.
Coach Saugestad studies a hockey pro-
Saugestad’s hockey team captured a
gram during the 1961-62 season.
national championship in 1981.
Weekend College student Tom Gouras uses his food service background as a volunteer in Augsburg’s
Campus Kitchen, a great way for him to meet other students and feel more connected to Augsburg.
The kitchen connection
by Betsey Norgard
“I can begin to see
it take shape.”
Tom Gouras, the Monday
night shift leader at Augsburg’s
Campus Kitchen, is looking at
several pans of fried rice and vegetables, surplus food donated by a
local restaurant through the
Emergency Foodshelf Network.
Alongside them sit other pans of
pork riblets, wax beans and carrots, potatoes, and some melons.
From the donations they
receive, the Campus Kitchen volunteer crew transforms the various components into healthy
meals to be heated, delivered, and
served the next day—to the Brian
Coyle Community Center and
Trinity Lutheran’s Safe Place tutoring program in the CedarRiverside neighborhood, and at
the Minnesota Indian Women’s
Resource Center.
“I call this Chinese medley,”
Gouras says, as he combines several pans of rice and vegetables.
It can be a challenge, as the crew
never knows exactly what foods
they’ll find when they arrive for
the cooking shift. Sometimes, he
says, “what goes into the soup is
interesting.”
Since Augsburg students are
on break, Gouras’ crew tonight is
a group of four students from
Fridley High School with their
teacher, a father with his middle
school son who is doing community service, and Augsburg alum
Bill Ogren ’73. All of them have
become regular Monday night volunteers. Tonight, they cook the
potatoes, chop the melons, and
check out all the boxes of food to
make sure everything is still fresh.
Finally, pans are labeled—protein,
starch, vegetable, and fruit—and
everything is cleaned up to finish
the evening shift.
Gouras is a Weekend College
student who has been volunteering at the Campus Kitchen at
Augsburg since January. His 15
years of experience as a cook and
chef are valuable in the kitchen to
lead the crews of students and
community volunteers.
He entered Weekend College
last spring after two years at
Rasmussen College studying criminal justice. A native of St. Paul’s
East Side, Gouras recites a litany
of blue-collar jobs he’s held—furniture delivery, food service
cook/chef, garbage truck driver,
loading dock worker, chemical
dependency technician, greenhouse hand, and, currently, delivery truck driver for the New
French Bakery.
While at Rasmussen, Gouras
realized that in order to advance
much higher than where he is and
has been, he needs a four-year
degree. He hopes his courses in
psychology and sociology will prepare him for probation work with
the county or state. He’s also open
to possibilities that may develop
during his studies. “I’ve been
asked if I know my calling,” he
says, “and I hope I find it. I’m
open to it.”
After two trimesters in WEC,
Gouras began to understand how
much of the college experience
involves social interaction, and he
wasn’t feeling very connected to
Augsburg. Campus Kitchen
appealed to him because he could
use his food service experience,
and he liked the program’s mission of reaching out to others less
fortunate, making sure they have
hot meals.
Gouras is old enough to be
father to most of the student volunteers, but he enjoys their
enthusiasm, as well as sharing
with them some of his “street
smart” wisdom and common
sense.
Rachel Vallens, Campus
Kitchen coordinator, recognizes
what this does for the program.
“Tom’s cooking experience and
maturity really bring an added
dimension to his cooking shifts,”
she says. “The students look up
to him as someone who knows
what he’s doing and has done a
lot in life.”
Recently, Gouras took on an
additional task. Three days a
week, sandwiches and deli items
are donated from the University of
Minnesota, and when no one else
could pick them up on
Thursdays, he volunteered. It’s all
part of giving back, which is why
Gouras says he’s in the kitchen
every week. Ⅵ
For more information about
Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen, go to
www.campuskitchens.org.
SPRING 2007 11
keystone
courses
Fitting the pieces together
by Betsey Norgard
In architecture, a keystone sits at the top
of the arch and provides the shape and
support to the curved pieces rising to it.
In the Augsburg Core
Curriculum, the keystone is the
final piece that integrates what
students have learned in their
required general education
courses and their chosen major
with everything else they have
done at Augsburg—co-curricular experiences, leadership
development, service-learning,
study abroad, and other areas
of their Augsburg experience.
12 AUGSBURG NOW
First-year day students begin
their Augsburg education with
Augsburg Seminar, a semester
that includes orientation to residence life; development of skills
and strategies they need for success in college; introduction to
the themes of an Augsburg education, including vocation, service, community; and learning
about Augsburg’s neighborhood
and the city. It’s all about transition to college, integration into
Augsburg’s learning community,
and reflection on how they
become responsible learners.
Students learn that a hallmark of an Augsburg education
is intentional reflection on vocation, or what they call the “v”
word. All students study two
semesters of “Search for
Meaning,” which includes critical
conversations on understanding
and discovering one’s own gifts.
The senior-year keystone
course becomes the other bookend. Students synthesize all their
in-classroom and out-of-classroom experiences as they focus
on transition from college to the
community, integration of what
they’ve learned, and reflection on
how they will use their gifts and
knowledge—again, transition,
integration, reflection.
What does it mean to be a
professional in their major? What
does it mean to be a biologist,
accountant, social worker, English
teacher, actor, or whatever?
Because conversations about
vocation are revisited during the
keystone, faculty need to feel
comfortable and confident in
discussing issues of faith and
vocation in this context. A grant
from the Wabash Center for
Teaching and Learning in
Theology and Religion,
“Common Vocation, Distinctive
Callings,” provides funding for
keystone faculty to partner with
religion faculty members.
Together they strategize on content and methods for these crucial conversations.
The vocation focus and other
signature elements of the Core
Curriculum—diversity, the city,
service and service-learning—
distinguish Augsburg’s keystone
from other senior “capstone”
courses. Russell Kleckley, associate professor of religion and
coordinator of keystone seminars, explains that Augsburg’s
keystones are “more intentional
about the educational experience
as a whole, to see how the general education experience has
informed the [major] discipline
and vice versa.”
Diane Pike, sociology professor and director of the Center for
Teaching and Learning, says that
keystones “take the time, with
guidance, to help students figure
out how the pieces fit together
for them.” She says, “We’re
equally serious about the transition from college outward as we
are about the transition to college from high school.”
From the College’s point of
view, the keystones measure how
well Augsburg fulfills its promise
to students. Are they satisfied
with their experience, and do
they feel well prepared and confident in what they know and
will take away with them?
keystone
Psychology majors (clockwise from bottom) Rebecca Lewis, Tiah Colacci, Nghi Ngan, and Peter Chea played a version of the Game
of Life in which the cards required players to discuss some of the bigger questions in life.
the keystone
variations
Most students take the keystone
in their senior year, and most
often in connection with their
major. This past academic year
was the first time all students
have had access to a keystone
course. With a fair amount of
flexibility, departments have created or modified existing courses, or collaborated across departments or divisions to create
classes.
psychology:
the game of life
The psychology keystone is a
good example of a department
capstone course that evolved into
a keystone. All psychology
majors have completed capstone
internship semesters that includ-
ed time on the internship site,
plus time in class, plus papers,
portfolios, etc.
This year, the course changed
to be one-half internship and
one-half keystone, with about
one-third of the total time devoted to issues around vocation. As
part of the Wabash grant, Bridget
Robinson-Reigler, associate professor of psychology, was paired
with Mary Lowe, assistant professor of religion. RobinsonReigler says that she and Lowe
had five or six conversations
about vocation, and that Lowe
helped her plan new activities to
engage her students.
“I was pleasantly surprised
how unbelievably well the students have gotten into [the discussion of vocation],” says
Robinson-Reigler. Early in the
seminar, she offered her own
model of vocation, and by opening herself to them, she set a
comfortable tone for class
discussion.
In what became a popular
activity, Robinson-Reigler introduced an adapted version of the
Game of Life, in which a number
of the play cards were rewritten
with questions relating to vocation. Given this context, students
felt comfortable first answering
the questions themselves, then
opening the conversation to
everyone.
In another session, students
were asked to evaluate the effectiveness of their required liberal
arts courses. Did they work?
Why did Augsburg want them to
study those courses? Some students responded by saying that
without the keystone they never
would have thought about these
SPRING 2007 13
business and
vocation
John Knight, Center for Faith and Learning, encourages business majors to consider how their skills, beliefs, and values will
influence decisions they make every day in the business world.
questions, and this assignment
helped them figure out what
they had learned.
Robinson-Reigler’s psychology keystone is a mix of day and
weekend students, giving the
class a combination of ages and
experiences. While all students
were in the same situation of finishing college and figuring out
what was next to come, some
interesting conversations were
launched in the multigenerational class. One WEC student
said that these discussions
helped her understand her own
daughter better. Some said it
helped them understand and
appreciate the younger day
school population.
Robinson-Reigler confirms
that students are not getting any
less psychology in the new capstone-keystone with the addition
of the vocation conversation;
14 AUGSBURG NOW
they’re just getting it differently.
“I’ve taught this class before,
but I love teaching it now,” she
says. “I enjoy grading the papers!”
keystone-capable
english courses
In their new curriculum, the
English Department doesn’t have
a separate keystone course, but
rather several advanced courses
designed as “keystone-capable.”
Students are required to take one
of these courses as a keystone, for
which extra work is indicated.
Much of that work is selfreflection, and requires students
to consider, for example, their
function as readers and to think
about what is happening when
they read. The nature and depth
of their commitment to reading,
and what, if any, responsibilities
their reading entails.
This reflection is more seamless in some courses than others.
When Professor Doug Green
teaches Advanced Studies in
Language, Theory, and Method,
he integrates reflection and vocation throughout the course, even
for the non-keystone students.
Last year he taught Criticism
and Theory as a pilot keystone
course. Students read Azar
Nafisi’s Reading Lolita in Tehran
and wrote about how they
viewed the place of literature in
their own lives and cultures.
They had to respond to questions like, “How has my understanding of ‘self’ (who I am as a
reader, writer, student, English
major, woman or man, and
human being) evolved as a result
of my experiences at Augsburg?”
John Knight, associate director of
the Center for Faith and Learning,
has taught several sections of the
keystone course for the Business
Administration Department, the
College’s largest department. The
course is a collaboration between
the business and religion departments, and he co-taught the day
section with religion professor
Hans Wiersma.
Titled Vocation and the
Meaning of Success, the keystone
objectives include reflecting upon
the ways students have been
transformed by their college experiences, especially in their business major; reflecting critically on
beliefs and values they use in a
diverse world; and reflecting on
Augsburg’s understanding of vocation and a comparison to their
own vocation.
Knight finds that the feel of
the class depends significantly on
the class makeup—the day or
weekend student mix, the mix of
males and females, etc. Weekend
College students, he says, who
bring wider job skills and life
experience to class, showed a
“deep willingness to engage in the
material … and really wrapped
themselves around the [vocation]
issues by the second class.”
Some students are suspicious of
the keystone as being a religion
class and question its relevance to
their future. Knight asks them to
consider the bigger picture of
meaning and purpose in their lives.
What does it mean to be a business
professional? How does he or she
behave? He believes that somewhere down the road students will
understand why they had to take
this course and see the benefits
from it.
creating a life in
the fine arts
Students in music, visual art, and
theatre share a cross-disciplinary
keystone course, Creating a Life
in the Fine Arts.
The syllabus states that the
course will “synthesize recurring
powerful concepts of vocation
with practical tools and realities.”
Students will balance the “development of entrepreneurial skills
with ‘intrapreneurial’ knowledge
and awareness” while preparing
for professional life in the community.
The idea of shared courses
across the arts is not new—several short-term courses have
taken place over the past few
years. What’s new is the infusion
of the larger issues integrating
liberal arts and vocation.
Merilee Klemp ’75, associate
professor of music, led the conversations among arts faculty
around the new Core
Curriculum.
Anticipating the need to create a keystone course, she sought
a Lilly Endowment grant for the
music faculty to explore topics in
music and vocation with a consultant, Janis Weller.
Extending this conversation
to art and theatre faculty formed
the nucleus for the new keystone. It also promoted the
building of a fine arts community among both faculty and students on campus. Weller taught
the course, along with Klemp
(music), Darcey Engen (theatre),
and Tara Sweeney (art).
Critical conversations about
vocation began and ended the
course. These included visiting
guest artists, who spoke about
their roles in the community and
world.
In conjunction with the
Wabash grant, Sweeney was
paired with Lori Brandt Hale,
assistant professor of religion.
They met frequently, and Sweeney
describes the experience, “What I
am discussing in the service of
teaching the keystone is inseparable from what I am learning about
my own vocation and practice as
an artist at the same time.”
Their discussions included
how their religious upbringing or
belief systems affected what and
how they teach, and how they
could challenge and support students to discover their own
authentic voices.
The keystone seniors across
art, music, and theatre were
encouraged to find common
ground. In one exercise, teams of
students were given ordinary
objects, like a chair, and together
asked to consider it from a number of perspectives—how the
object could move or be used
with their bodies, what the visual
elements of the object were, what
kinds of sounds the object could
make.
Practical sessions about being
an artist were also included.
Students practiced networking
with introductions and business
cards, and they had to prepare
artist’s statements and professional
résumés.
Several break-out sessions separated the students into their
respective departments for discussions specific to their fields.
For the most, students resonated with the cross-disciplinary
focus of the keystone. “I think
working alongside artists in
another genre is a rare gift in the
college setting,” said music performance major Nikki Lemire.
Still, she enjoyed working with
her music classmates, however,
and would have enjoyed more
break-out time within her own
department and less full-group
time.
Theatre major James Lekatz
appreciated the practical elements
of the course. Hearing from guest
speakers—practicing artists,
teachers, grants administrators—
made him aware of their involvement in the community and the
different styles they use. He said
the course helped students deal
with removal of the “safety net of
Augsburg,” and taught them how
to use specific skills, e.g., to get
gallery space, to plan a show, etc.
Over the next couple of
years, the keystone courses will
all be evaluated and revisions
made where needed. But no matter what the form or content the
senior keystone courses take,
they will all continue to help students complete an Augsburg
education as effective, informed,
and ethical citizens. And to
become adaptable and resilient—
elements needed for success on
whatever path they choose.
Studio art major Rachel Nelson (top), theatre arts major James Lekatz (middle), and
music performance major Catherine DeVoe (right) explore the properties and possibilities of a stool.
SPRING 2007 15
Above: Martin Sabo smiles to greet a judge as he stands in the
imposing Capitol Rotunda, 96 feet in diameter.
Left (top): In their suburban Virginia home, Sylvia Sabo, Martin’s wife
and college sweetheart, works on a crossword puzzle; her husband
usually tackles Sudoku. According to Sylvia, playing the puzzles is
part of their morning ritual.
Left (below): Leaving Congress means many farewells, in this case to
Pennsylvania’s 12th District congressman John Murtha, as the doors
close in the Rayburn Building elevator.
Right: The transition in leadership begins to seem more real as Sabo
sits in a nearly barren office watching Rep. Nancy Pelosi read the
results for the new Democratic leadership in the House.
16 AUGSBURG NOW
The
ending of an
era
CONGRESSMAN MARTIN OLAV SABO,
Augsburg College Class of 1959, represented
Minnesota’s Fifth Congressional District in the
U.S. House of Representatives for 28 years and
became a fixture in the Democratic party. In
2006 he made the decision to retire from
Congress and return to life as a private citizen.
Augsburg staff photographer Stephen Geffre
tagged along on the day Sabo and his staff
vacated the corner office in the Rayburn
House Office Building he had earned through
seniority. Sabo actually spent the last month
of his term in a basement cubicle in Rayburn
HOB, with room enough for him and only one
staff member.
SPRING 2007 17
18 AUGSBURG NOW
Olav
Martin
Sabo
THE ENDING OF AN ERA
Above: Martin Sabo takes a moment to read through the
mail delivered to his desk.
Left (top): After a rainy day, the sun finally breaks
through to illuminate the dome of the United States
Capitol, a stately presence in the nation’s capital city.
Far left: Bonnie Gottwald, Sabo’s scheduler, packs up her
small portion of the D.C. office. She is one of only two
schedulers Sabo has had throughout his 28-year tenure in
Washington, and she echoes the entire staff in saying that
Sabo was always a joy to have as a boss.
Middle left: Each departing representative receives a
lengthy final checklist, to ensure as smooth a transition
as possible.
Left: Martin Sabo’s staff poses on the Capitol steps for
their last official photo.
SPRING 2007 19
THE ENDING OF AN ERA
Above (top): Sabo chats with Kevin Bonderud, who served as his first communications
director, during the office-closing party. Scattered across Sabo’s desk are mementos of
more than two decades in the House of Representatives, including mock baseball cards
with Sabo’s stats on them, photos, ashtrays, and T-shirts.
Above: Back in his Minneapolis office, Sabo takes a few minutes to go through the mail.
The plaques, hanging outside the door, are just a small sample of the honors and awards
that mark the achievements of a long legislative career.
Right: Each successive file drawer marked “empty” means that staffers are getting closer
to having all files reviewed and sorted.
20 AUGSBURG NOW
Auggies at the forefront
General civil unrest swelled across the nation. Detroit was
rioting, and downtown Minneapolis was starting to empty.
College students demanded social change, and colleges
responded with programs centering on the urban crisis.
And, Augsburg College was at the forefront.
Thirty-five years later, thanks to a visionary professor, an
enterprising faculty, and a supportive administration,
Augsburg’s metro-urban studies program graduates leaders
who are making decisions about current issues and future
needs, and planning for livable and sustainable neighborhoods and cities.
Urban legends
by Bethany Bierman
in city planning
It was the late sixties, and American cities were in crisis.
Joel Torstenson’s vision laid the foundation for an urban studies program. His wife,
Garry Hesser is professor of sociology and chairs the metro-urban studies program.
Fran, joins him here.
A program is born
Joel Torstenson came to Augsburg as a history major from west central Minnesota. After graduating in 1938, he worked in education for
Farmer’s Co-ops, earned a master’s degree in history and sociology,
and began teaching part time at Augsburg.
During the war years he joined the peace movement and community organizing. In 1947, he returned to Augsburg to develop its
social work and sociology programs while completing his PhD in
sociology. These programs provided a natural foundation for urban
studies 20 years later.
Torstenson writes in his memoirs, “The more [Augsburg] became
involved in urban affairs, the more we began to ask the question—
what is the appropriate role of a liberal arts college located at the center of an exploding metropolis?”
In 1966, Torstenson used his sabbatical to explore this question.
He visited urban studies programs at East Coast schools. Upon
returning, he wrote a position paper with the rationale and proposal
for a metro-urban studies program at Augsburg.
In order to set this in motion, courses centering on the city were
needed. Torstenson, Miles Stenshoel of the political science department, Orloue Gisselquist in history, Ed Sabella in economics, Ron
Palosaari in English, and other faculty embraced this concept.
In 1968, when Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, the director of
youth programs for the American Lutheran Church, Rev Ewald Bash,
wanted to address the cultural challenges head on. Colleagues
encouraged him to contact Torstenson, who had a reputation for his
pursuit of racial justice and human rights.
“The Crisis Colony” was born from their conversation. Students
lived on the north side of Minneapolis, first in public housing and
later in an abandoned synagogue, while learning from people who
lived and worked in the community. Led by Torstenson, Bash, and
Stenshoel, it grew from an intense summer program, to a semester
program, to the Metro Urban Studies Term, or “MUST,” the first academic program of the Higher Education Consortium for Urban
Affairs (HECUA). Today, MUST is a key element for all urban studies
majors and is one of the premier interdisciplinary experiential education programs in the nation.
Torstenson took his second sabbatical in Scandinavia in order to
explore how to build cities without crisis. Out of this came the
Scandinavian Urban Studies Term, or “SUST,” the second program of
22 AUGSBURG NOW
HECUA. Based at the University of Oslo, students attend seminars,
go on field excursions, and volunteer with various community and
governmental organizations.
“Two unique ingredients contributed to the success of the [metrourban studies] program: commitments from faculty … and the programs offered through HECUA, which became catalysts and capstones for the major,” says Garry Hesser, professor of sociology and
chair of the metro-urban studies program, who was hired in 1977 to
succeed Torstenson.
While the University of Minnesota and other private colleges
established urban studies programs in response to the mid-’60s urban
crisis, most have not survived.
“Augsburg’s is one of the few that has retained faculty and administrative commitment,” Hesser says. “Over the past 35 years there has
been a steady stream of graduates who have become professional
planners, city administrators, elected officials, and citizens serving on
planning commissions, hearkening to the call to public service.”
With monies from the Lilly [Endowment] grant, a spring break
trip to Washington, D.C., has run the past five years, exposing students to vocations in community development and public service. Up
until this year, the group visited Martin Sabo at his office. This year
they met with newly-elected congressman Keith Ellison and his staff.
Many students decide on metro-urban studies majors after the trip.
Here are several stories of careers that have been shaped by the
metro-urban studies program.
Allan Torstenson ’75
Transforming neighborhoods
One of the first graduates of the metro-urban studies program was
Allan Torstenson.
In his first semester at Augsburg, the Dawson, Minn., native took
his Uncle Joel Torstenson’s “Man in Modern Metropolis” course (now
called “Community and the Modern Metropolis”) because it fulfilled a
graduation requirement. “I tried my best not to disappoint him, and
found it to be a fascinating subject,” says Allan.
As a sophomore, he took an Interim course on new towns, which
included meeting with architects and city planners and visiting HUD
officials in Washington, D.C., and Columbia, Maryland. He loved the
trip, but was still unsure of a major. He considered taking a break
Allan Torstenson ’75 speaks to a metro-urban studies class about community
Paula Pentel’s life experiences have informed her work in urban studies at the
development.
University of Minnesota and with her City Council seat.
from school, but when he shared this with his uncle, Joel suggested
the new SUST program, which was being offered for the first time in
1973. That cross-cultural experience was the eye opener he needed
to decide on metro-urban studies.
Today, Allan is a senior planner for the City of St. Paul, where he
has worked since 1980. One of his most challenging and gratifying
projects has been the Phalen Village Plan and redevelopment project.
Through strategic vision, neighborhood involvement, and hard work,
a run-down, auto-oriented area surrounding a failed shopping center
was transformed into a more pedestrian- and neighborhood-oriented
“urban village” with new housing, new jobs, a restructured neighborhood commercial area, a restored wetland, and a new sense of community.
More than just “the guy who wrote the plan,” Allan researched solutions and wrote grants addressing the larger issues. In 1993 he authored
the Phalen Corridor Redevelopment Proposal, leading to the Phalen
Corridor Initiative and affecting much of St. Paul’s East Side.
“The transformation in only a few years has been amazing,”
Torstenson shared with one of Hesser’s classes recently. “A lot of what
I did in this effort was influenced by the urban studies program at
Augsburg. It’s not just about design, but addresses the real problems
neighborhoods deal with to build and sustain socially and economically viable communities.” He also credits the SUST program as a
foundation for many of the project concepts he considered.
Washington Avenue down through the scrap yards … up through
Cedar-Riverside, which in the early ’70s was very vibrant—it was a
fascinating trip through time that I took every day.”
A course she took from Joel Torstensen really resonated with her,
and she abandoned the biology major.
While at Augsburg, Pentel got involved in collective decisionmaking as one of the volunteer coordinators of North Country
Co-op. Pentel also participated in SUST the fall of her junior year.
“What I took back was planning for versus planning with the public.”
Between Augsburg and graduate school in geography at the
University of Minnesota, Pentel interned for the City of Richfield and
became involved in her neighborhood organization. In 1985 she and
her husband moved to Golden Valley, where she continued volunteering in the community, serving 12 years on the Planning
Commission, seven years as chair.
In 2004 there was a vacant seat on the Golden Valley City
Council. Pentel was appointed to fill out the term and was reelected
in 2005. During her tenure, she’s seen considerable improvements in
regard to environmental stewardship, construction of the Luce Line
bike trail, and creation of a vibrant downtown area.
Pentel stays connected to her North Minneapolis roots by serving
as a board member on the West Broadway Area Coalition and being
active at the Hollywood Studio of Dance, a non-profit, parent-managed endeavor.
“To be effective in what I do in my public life, I have to be articulate, informed, accepting, and open. A lot of that I developed at
Augsburg,” she says.
In her professional work, Pentel serves as undergraduate advisor
for the urban studies program at the university. “I help students find
their calling and what interests them.” She is particularly proud of
mentoring Patricia Torres Rey, who became the first Latina woman
elected to the Senate in the State of Minnesota.
Pentel developed and now teaches a course on the urban environment, which examines the urban effects on air, water, and soil. “All
environmental issues have a local component,” Pentel says. “I tell my
students to look at Augsburg’s new low-impact parking lot [on the
east edge of campus]. It’s a great example of a very innovative way to
mitigate pollution from storm water runoff.”
Pentel also continues the Torstenson legacy of hosting an annual
open house for her advisees—about 80 of them. “I tell them, ‘This is
your private college experience.’”
Paula (Brookins) Pentel ’78
Teaching the next generation
It was at Minneapolis North High School that Paula (Brookins) Pentel
’78 began her life-long interest in civic engagement. She witnessed
the unequal distribution of resources while visiting various
Minneapolis high schools with the debate and cheerleading teams,
and also watched “white flight” from her north-side neighborhood. “I
became interested in social justice and wanted to understand and
affect change in how the city works.”
Pentel chose Augsburg because it offered a biology major and
allowed her to commute.
“I rode the bus to and from campus for four years,” she recalls.
“That’s how I really became interested in urban studies—riding down
SPRING 2007 23
Tammera (Ericson) Diehm ’93
Giving citizens a voice
Growing up in Coon Rapids, Minn., Tami Diehm was fascinated by the
“inner city.” Her plan to be a social studies teacher changed when she
took a metro-urban studies class from Andy Aoki her freshman year.
“For me, the program was the perfect way to combine my interests in
people, government, and the urban environment.”
In the spring of her junior and senior years, Diehm interned with
Anoka County, and during her senior year, she examined multicultural
education in Minneapolis public schools for her senior honors project.
Following graduation from Augsburg in 1993, Diehm spent several
years raising three children but kept in touch with her interests through
her appointments to the Columbia Heights Charter and Planning
Commissions. She also kept in touch with Aoki, her adviser.
While discussing her graduate school plans with him over lunch
one day, he asked her if she could do anything, what it would be. Her
answer? Law school, although she thought her three young children
prevented her from pursuing it. Aoki said she owed it to herself to
check it out.
Three years later, in 2003, Diehm graduated summa cum laude
from William Mitchell College of Law, which she attended on full scholarship. She clerked for Justice Russell Anderson of the Minnesota
Supreme Court for one year and currently is an attorney at Winthrop &
Weinstine, P.A. Her practice focuses primarily on land use and real
estate, assisting clients as they seek development approvals from local
government. She also serves as the city attorney for Mendota Heights.
In addition to her legal work, Diehm is serving her second term on
the Columbia Heights City Council, and was elected as council president in 2006. She is also a member of the Economic Development
Authority and the chair of the city’s Housing Redevelopment Authority.
“There was a strong sense that Augsburg students should not only
be an active part of the College community, but also an active part of
the larger community in which the College is located,” says Diehm.
“This desire to ‘give back’ has stayed with me and directly impacted my
decision to run for my position on the City Council. I saw a need in our
community—the need for young families to have a voice in the decision-making process of the city.”
The desire to give back that Tami Diehm ’93 learned at Augsburg has influenced her
decisions to serve in public office.
24 AUGSBURG NOW
“Through my experiences at Augsburg, I realized that I could use
my gifts to serve a need in the world, and thus follow the Christian concept of vocation,” says Diehm. “I have incorporated my ‘call to serve’
into my work—not only by adhering to the highest ethical standard in
the way in which I practice law—but also through a commitment to
providing pro bono legal services to those who would otherwise have
only limited access to legal representation, and by serving my community on the city council.”
These pro bono projects include representing women and children
in domestic abuse cases, volunteering at a legal clinic where she advises
people who are starting new businesses, and assisting with the formation of new non-profit organizations as they work to obtain tax exempt
status from the IRS.
“In both my legal work and my public service I feel I am using my
gifts to serve a need in the world.”
Diehm was named a “Rising Star” by Minnesota Law and Politics in
2007 and one of 15 “Up and Coming Attorneys” in 2006 by Minnesota
Lawyer.
Susan (Horning) Arntz ’94
Managing suburban growth
Susan (Horning) Arntz decided in ninth grade civics that she would run
for president in 2020, with her slogan being “A Clearer Vision.” Her
love of government grew, and she came to Augsburg to major in political science. She learned of the metro-urban studies program in her second year and focused her electives around metro-urban studies courses.
At a rally on campus her sophomore year, Arntz introduced herself
to Hennepin County commissioner Peter McLaughlin, hoping to secure
a summer job. His aide, fellow Auggie Mike Matson ’79, insisted she
begin earlier, and she spent one-and-a-half years working for him.
After graduation, she interned for the City of Shoreview and then
began her professional career in assistant city administrator positions in
Chaska and New Brighton, before becoming the youngest person ever
hired as city administrator in the City of Waconia, where she has
worked since 2001.
“It’s a growing community, so much of what we do requires look-
Susan Arntz ’94 leads the City of Waconia through its growth spurt.
Today’s Students
ing to the future on a daily basis,” says Arntz. “The people having
these conversations may never be here to see these things happen, just
as those before us made decisions that affect us today.”
Arntz says the biggest challenge she deals with is how to manage
the growth of the city, which has increased 25% in six years and
shows no sign of slowing. This requires communication and cooperation with developers, the school board, property owners, and elected
officials.
“I think one of the best things that Augsburg taught me, both from
a faith perspective and also from an educational perspective, was how
to be receptive to all of those ideas and to have a guide for what I
believe to be right.”
As far as running for president, Arntz says, “The longer I serve in
the capacity I am in, the less I’m intrigued by elected office. I can
make an immediate impact on 10,000 people. We can make huge,
positive improvements or small incremental improvements that will
have a greater outcome down the road.”
Arntz earned a master’s degree in public administration from
Hamline University in 1999. In 2004, Augsburg awarded her the First
Decade Award, and she has served on the Alumni Board.
Rebecca Brown ’00
Promoting community development
While her mother, Barbara (Anderson) ’66, is an alumna, it was the
call of the city that lured Rebecca Brown of Appleton, Minn., to
Augsburg.
While at Augsburg, Brown completed five different internships
and off-campus work-study opportunities, from working with a summer youth peace garden for the Seward Neighborhood Group, to
teaching English for the South American arm of the YMCA in Quito,
Ecuador.
After her sophomore year, Brown took a year off to serve with
AmeriCorps in order to truly live in the city. She took the bus every
day from South Minneapolis to her work at an alternative high school
in North Minneapolis.
Brown also participated in HECUA her senior year, teaching
Tomorrow’s Leaders
Sarah Pesola ’07 of Wadena, Minn., chose metro-urban studies because,
“It meant that I could study history, sociology, economics, political science,
and other disciplines as well.”
Pesola participated in SUST and recalls, “My semester in Norway was
amazing. It had a huge impact on me, ultimately changing the way I view
the world.” Pesola will begin to volunteer at a youth homeless shelter in
Berkeley, Calif., through Lutheran Volunteer Corps.
Since a mission trip to Detroit in junior high, Greg Hildebrandt ’08
has felt the pull to work with people living in the inner city. He went on
the D.C. trip with Hesser last year and will participate in the MUST
semester in the fall.
“Students who are in [metro-urban studies] are very passionate about
what they are doing,” Hildebrandt says. “They’ll carry this passion with
them the rest of their lives, whether professionally or through volunteering.”
Plans for the future include using his second major in mathematics to help
with statistics and budgeting within a non-profit as well as tutoring students.
Jeanette Clark ’07 felt a calling into urban ministry even as a student
at Hopkins High School. She chose Augsburg for its metro-urban studies
and youth and family ministry programs.
At Augsburg, Clark served as a campus ministry commissioner and
leadership team member for the Campus Kitchen. In March Clark created a spring-break opportunity, “Go Away Here,” which included service
projects in the local community, visits to neighborhood organizations,
and social outings.
She will begin work at City South Cluster Ministries in South
Minneapolis through Lutheran Volunteer Corps, then plans to begin
Seminary with the hope of serving in an urban congregation.
English and learning about community organizing, agriculture, and
the economy in Ecuador and South America. She spent an additional
seven months in Ecuador on her own, working with rural youth in
agriculture.
“Traveling abroad definitely makes me a better city planner,”
Brown says. “It has opened my mind to varied ways of thinking and
behaving in community. As a city planner, understanding and validating different points of view, opinions, and experiences is critical.”
After graduating from Augsburg, Brown served over three years as
code enforcement and neighborhood coordinator for the City of
Crystal. She earned a master’s degree in city and regional planning
with a specialization in economic development from the University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May 2006.
She now serves as project coordinator for the City of Minneapolis’
Department of Community Planning and Economic Development.
She works in neighborhoods to coordinate commercial redevelopment projects that incorporate public assistance.
As for her future, Brown says, “I see myself in a life of public
service, involved in state-level economic and tax policy in 15-20
years and perhaps an elected office.” Ⅵ
For more information about programs mentioned, go to:
www.augsburg.edu/sociology and www.hecua.org
Travel abroad and internships prepared Rebecca Brown ’00 for city planning.
SPRING 2007 25
T
place
A
of
their
own
Doroth Mayer
by Betsey Norgard
East African women spend time at the East African Women’s Center, established two
he East African Women’s Center in Riverside Plaza near
Augsburg’s campus is a busy place on a weekday morning.
In this two-year-old program of the Confederation of
Somali Community in Minnesota (CSCM), several East
African women sit at sewing machines, practicing sewing
seams in bright fabrics. Others are pressing their fabrics or talking with
a center volunteer. In the next room, behind a glass window, six or
seven small children play actively under the watchful eyes of mothers
and the center’s caregiver in the family childcare room.
In the middle of the activity is center coordinator Doroth Mayer,
often juggling a baby on her hip as she goes about her work. Rarely are
there quiet moments for her in this center she co-created with CSCM’s
executive director, Saeed Fahia.
Since 1994 CSCM has served more than 18,000 Somali immigrants who have settled in Minnesota—the largest concentration in the
country. CSCM provides resources and services to assist Somalis in
navigating American systems and making the transition to living life in
a new culture, while still preserving their traditions. CSCM is funded
by county, state, and federal agencies, as well as a number of
Minnesota foundations. The Women’s Center’s funding has come from
the Office of Refugee Resettlement and local foundations including the
Bush Foundation, the Jay and Rose Phillips Family Foundation,
Sheltering Arms Foundation, and Wells Fargo.
Within the East African refugee community, young mothers with
children and elderly women who have arrived in the last few years
remain especially isolated, some rarely leaving their apartments to take
English classes, to meet American women, or to learn how to cook and
prepare American food. When CSCM was offered a 2,000-square-foot
location right in the middle of the Riverside Plaza housing complex, it
secured grant money and opened the Women’s Center in February
2005. From the beginning, a family childcare center was an integral
part of CSCM’s plan so mothers would have a safe place to leave their
children and take English language classes, learn to sew, or simply to
do their laundry and daily tasks.
The Women’s Center currently serves 85-100 women and children
every week. Different levels of sewing classes meet three days, morning
and afternoon, with two teachers and six or seven women in each
class. Fabric is provided, and the women learn the basics of how to
sew and how to use sewing machines to make simple items, like
aprons and bags. Some women’s skills are now advanced enough to
make clothing for themselves and their children.
years ago in Cedar-Riverside, for sewing classes, the family childcare center, and other
activities.
A partnership
grows
Augsburg’s partnership with the East African Women’s Center is relatively new. During President Pribbenow’s inauguration week last fall, a
service group from Augsburg spent a morning painting at the center.
One person in the group that day was Augsburg junior Kristen Hoyles,
a youth and family ministry major. After hearing Mayer talk about renovation of the center and how much painting was still needed, Hoyles
made a commitment not only to paint, but to teach two or three of the
26 AUGSBURG NOW
Doroth Mayer
adolescent girls in Girls’ Group
how to paint, so together they
could get the job done. She’s
there on Friday afternoons and
feels she is living out her theology by using her painting experience to help where it’s needed.
“I’m in awe of how grateful
the center has been for something I feel is no big deal,”
Hoyles says.
Mayer adds, “Kristen has no
clue how much she means to us.
She has finished the painting,
and we’ve negotiated a new job
for her—she is becoming our
‘handy person.’ She is starting by
taking on the task of repairing
the center’s tricycles so the little
kids have trikes to use.”
The group that visited the
center also took great interest in
the textile weavings hanging on
the walls, made by Somali
women from yarn donated to the
center.
The weavings represent the
thousand-year-old tradition of
East African “twine weaving,”
originally using grasses and vines
to make wall coverings, horse
blankets, and bags used in their
nomadic cultures. When
President Pribbenow furnished
his new office at Augsburg, he
sought out Somali art, and now
has samples of these weavings
hanging both in his office and in
his home.
The Somali weavings will
Kristen Hoyles, an Augsburg junior majoring in youth and family ministry, volunteers at the Women’s Center, teaching adolescent Somali girls to paint with her.
also be featured on campus as
the inaugural exhibit in the new
Gage Family Gallery, scheduled
to open in August in the Oren
Gateway Center.
A kitchen shower
Mayer, who has worked for
many years in community-based
activities, would love to see more
opportunities for the East African
women to spend time with
American women—she knows
how much the women want to
develop friendships with
American women, learn from
them how to live within
American culture, and share East
African culture with their new
friends.
Mayer sometimes takes
women from the center with her
when she buys groceries for center activities. The women ask
about things they don’t know or
understand and foods they’ve
never seen before.
“Last week at the supermarket, we saw some asparagus,”
Mayer says. “We brought back
several bunches and steamed it.
It was a big hit. Even some of
the little kids in the family child-
care center tried it—cautiously,
but they tried it!”
When the Women’s Center
space was renovated (with the
support of the Bush and Phillips
Foundations and the apartment
complex managers, Sherman and
Associates) a full kitchen was
added at Mayer’s suggestion—
and it has proven to be popular
and very well used. She learned
that giving the women recipes to
try at home was not useful, since
many of them don’t read or
know how to follow recipes. But
learning by observing and then
trying it themselves was the way
to go.
“Once in a while we make
quick bread to give the kids for
snacks,” Mayer says. “We learned
that women wanted to watch us
make it. Then, after we make it
together they tell us they feel
comfortable trying it themselves
at home.”
The popularity of cooking
led to another project initiated
by Augsburg community services
director Mary Laurel True. For
Professor Bev Stratton’s religion
class, in which students carry
out projects that benefit the
community, True suggested the
idea of a kitchen shower for the
Women’s Center.
With a wish list provided by
the Women’s Center to adequately equip their kitchen, the class
sought donations from faculty,
SPRING 2007 27
Doroth Mayer
The Somali yarn weaving hanging in President Pribbenow’s office
East African women enjoyed opening gifts for their kitchen from Augsburg faculty, students,
symbolizes the partnership between Augsburg and the East African
and staff at a “kitchen shower” initiated by Professor Bev Stratton’s religion class.
staff, students, and friends.
Fifteen women from Augsburg
met nearly 20 East African
women at the center, shared
desserts and Somali tea, and gave
them “presents” to open. In addition, cash gifts and Target and
IKEA gift cards were given, to
involve the East African women
in shopping for their kitchen.
Mayer was delighted and
called it a great event. “Mary
Laurel came up with the most
creative way to bring women
together that I’ve seen yet. She is
giving women an opportunity to
share their cultures in a respectful and joyous way.”
Learning to lead
Mayer recognizes that new leadership must grow from the
women at the center. She is
encouraging them to actively
engage in whatever learning
28 AUGSBURG NOW
opportunities are appropriate to
their personal situations and to
develop their leadership skills so
that some day they have the
capacity to run the center that
they call their “home away from
home. “In addition,” she says,
“we need partners in the community who try to understand
what we’re doing … partners
who really get to know the
women and plan together with
them.”
For Augsburg’s part, this
kind of partnership wouldn’t be
possible without its Center for
Service, Work, and Learning,
which establishes and nurtures a
myriad of connections between
the College and its surrounding
neighbors—for tutoring, health
education and fitness, sports
clinics, music lessons, science
teaching in the school, meals
programs, use of campus facili-
Doroth Mayer
Women’s Center.
ties, college preparation sessions,
and so on.
Augsburg partners with
CSCM for two tutoring programs, one of which brings
Somali high school students
directly to campus twice a week
for homework help from students in Augsburg’s Honors
Program. The other program targets elementary and middle
school students for tutoring and
receives snacks from the Campus
Kitchen at Augsburg College
Monday through Thursday.
Already True has ideas for
new projects, especially between
the Women’s Center and
Augsburg’s Women’s Resource
Center.
“We are so fortunate to have
this new center in our neighborhood,” True says. “There is so
much we can learn from each
other, and so many ways we can
work together to enhance the lives
of women in this community.”
Hoyles confirms this, saying
that during her time at the center
she is gaining a stronger sense of
community, and “understanding
that our world isn’t so big.
“I think students who do not
learn about our community are
really missing out,” she says. Ⅵ
ALUMNI NEWS
From the Alumni Board president …
Greetings fellow Auggies,
As I’m sure you’re experiencing, the circle and cycle of life continues unabated this year. It is
particularly noticeable to me this year because of the differences which reinforce the sameness
(apologies and thanks to Dr. Palosaari—you helped me improve my writing skills tremendously and
ensured that the poet in me remains untrammeled, too!). Let me explain …
I’m both a student of and practitioner in the field of human systems dynamics. One way we model the
world is through containers, differences, and exchanges. A container, like Augsburg College, is
described by its differences which make a difference in the world. Then, as critical friends, we can
exchange thoughts about those differences in our mutual container.
One difference at Augsburg I want to bring to your attention relates to Commencement:
• The school year is ending with graduation again—a common experience we alumni share and a tremendously important difference,
that makes a difference in the lives of our alumni-to-be. Please join me in welcoming them into new stages of life as Auggie alumni by
taking a moment to think warm, welcoming thoughts or remember them in your prayers.
• Augsburg has two Commencement ceremonies for the first time in its history—one on May 5 aligns the cycle of life of
traditional day students and physician assistant students on semesters, and one on June 24 aligns with WEC and graduate program
students on trimesters. Please join me in saluting Augsburg’s leadership for recognizing the differences in the cycle of life for different
parts of the student body and responding to provide a better graduation experience.
Another difference I want to encourage you to check out is our Online Community. Go to www.augsburg.edu and click on the Alumni
and Friends link:
• To see up-to-date information on Alumni Relations
• To check out the benefits available to you as alumni (did you know that as alumni you can use Lindell Library? Check out the Alumni
Benefits link!). Read about it on the next page.
• Log in to the Augsburg Online Community where you can search for fellow Auggies, keep the College up to date on contacting you,
make a donation to support Augsburg, or read about fellow alumni. You can even read the minutes of the Alumni Association and its
committees (log in to the Online Community, then select the Alumni Leadership>Alumni Board path).
And finally, as you make a difference in the world, remember to stay in touch. We want to hear from you and we want to be able to
contact you.
• Let us know how you are and what you are doing through the Alumni Relations Office (alumni@augsburg.edu or 612-330-1181).
• Register and visit our Online Community (www.augsburg.edu, click on Alumni and Friends, then Augsburg Online Community). Then
update your profile and search for your fellow classmates.
Go Auggies!
Barry Vornbrock, ’96 MAL
President, Augsburg Alumni Association
We’re off to the races!
Auggie Night at the Races
Canterbury Park, Shakopee
Thursday, August 2
5:30 p.m., picnic • 7 p.m., first race
Complimentary entrance fee; fun for all ages. Space is limited.
RSVP to rsvp@augsburg.edu by July 26.
Alumni Board meetings
Aug. 21, 5:30 p.m.—location to be confirmed
SPRING 2007 29
ALUMNI NEWS
Take advantage of Auggie alumni benefits
Augsburg Legacy
Award
The Augsburg Legacy Award is
available to full-time day
students working toward their
first bachelor’s degree, who are
children or spouses of Augsburg
graduates; siblings of current
Augsburg students; or children
or spouses of current ELCA
pastors. No scholarship
application is required. Students
who qualify for both the Legacy
Award and Regents’ Scholarship
or Transfer Regents’ Scholarship
will receive only one award,
whichever is higher. Renewal is
based on maintaining a
minimum cumulative grade
point average of 2.0, measured at
the end of spring term.
Amount: Minimum $4,000
per year
Deadline: Accepted for
admission by May 1 for fall
enrollment; or Dec. 1 for spring
enrollment
www.augsburg.edu/day/finaid/
scholarships.html
Discount on tuition
for classes
Alumni are offered up to four
courses—one course per
term—at 50% off the current
part-time tuition rate (day or
weekend programs). This benefit
does not apply to alumni whose
enrollment qualifies them for
full-time comprehensive tuition.
Tuition discount must be applied
for in the same academic year as
the course is taken.
The following courses do not
count for the benefits noted:
directed study, independent
study, internships, Summer
School, graduate programs,
study abroad, continuing
education. The following do
meet the requirements for the
benefits noted: fall, winter, or
spring term courses; student
teaching; and partial courses (.50
and .25 education courses use
one of the four benefits). NOTE:
The tuition discount cannot be
applied until after the 10th day
of classes in the specified term.
Book privileges in
Lindell Library
Free Augsburg library cards with
limited services are available to
alumni. Check with the
circulation or reference desks for
further information on how to
obtain a library card.
Augsburg License
Plate
Join the Augsburg Online Community
It’s designed just for you—
• Keep in touch with classmates
• Find out what’s happening on campus
• Send class notes about what you’re doing
• Change/update your address and e-mail
• Update your profile so others can find you
• Make an online gift to Augsburg
It’s fast and easy. Already, more than 500 alumni have registered.
Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni—have you signed up?
If you have questions, e-mail healyk@augsburg.edu.
30 AUGSBURG NOW
Display your Augsburg
connection! Available through
the Minnesota Department of
Transportation
www.dps.state.mn.us/dvs/
PlBrochure/CollegiatePlates.htm
Athletic facilities
Augsburg’s athletic facilities are
available to alumni when they
are not in use for special events,
classes, or other activities. If you
plan to come, it’s best to check
first with the athletic facilities
office at 612-330-1504,
especially during the summer.
Schedules are posted outside
of ice rinks A and B (neither rink
is available during the summer),
the gym, and the fitness centers.
Note: Use of the fitness centers is
available only to graduates of the
College. Alumni may use the
racquetball court by signing up
on the posted sheets at the court.
Reservations must be made in
person—no phone reservations
are accepted.
Alumni will be asked for
identification when using the
facilities. An Augsburg ID card
(available in the Enrollment
Center) or an A-Club pass will
expedite your admission.
Alumni using the facilities are
allowed one guest each.
CLASS NOTES
1950
1968
Roger “Bud” Leak, Excelsior,
Minn., was named the 2007
recipient of the Cliff Thompson
Award by the Minnesota Hockey
Coaches Association, at its
banquet in March. The award is
given annually for “long-term
outstanding contributions to the
sport of hockey in Minnesota.”
He helped start the Minnetonka
boys’ hockey program in 1952.
Lois (Hallcock) and Bruce
Johnson, Plymouth, Minn., were
featured in a Minneapolis Star
Tribune article in March about
how families finance education.
All three of their children—Leah,
Thomas, and current senior
Aaron—have attended Augsburg.
1964
Dennis J. Erickson, Los Alamos,
N.M., was awarded the
Distinguished Service to Safety
Award, the highest honor
bestowed by the National Safety
Council, in recognition of
outstanding service in the field
of safety. He has worked for 35
years at Los Alamos National
Laboratory and is scientific
advisor in the New Mexico
governor’s office.
1967
Loren Dunham, Fairmont,
Minn., is retiring from public
school teaching in Fairmont after
39 years in the classroom. He
taught economics, psychology,
American history, and
International Baccalaureate
courses, as well as coaching
tennis and Economics Challenge
and Knowledge Bowl. A former
editor of Augsburg Echo, he says
he feels he was “well-prepared
academically for the many and
various teaching assignments” he
received. dunfritz@charter.net
1969
Matty (Janis) Mathison,
Shawano, Wis., was honored
with the Women’s Sports
Advocates of Wisconsin Lifetime
Achievement Award for 2007. In
1998 she retired from 35 years
of teaching and 25 years of
coaching volleyball at Shawano
High School.
1970
Susan Pursch, Philadelphia, Pa.,
received the 2007 Tom Hunstad
Award (known as the “Tommy”)
at the ELCA Youth Ministry
Network Extravaganza. She has
served as a youth minister and
has coordinated and run
programs for at-risk youth.
Currently she is vice president
for church and community
partnerships at Liberty Lutheran
Services in Philadelphia.
Donald Q. Smith, Portland,
Ore., retired as the publisher and
editor of the weekly Monticello
Times. In October he was
honored with the James O. Amos
Award by the National
Newspaper Association, one of
the highest tributes in
community journalism.
1976
James Moen, Carrollton, Texas,
retired last year from 27 years of
serving as band director in the
Carrollton-Farmers Branch
school district. To honor his
legacy the district named the
new fine arts wing at R.L. Turner
High School after him.
In addition to spending
retirement time with his family,
he works with computers, is a
substitute teacher, and
accompanies students in music
competitions. JLJAMS@msn.com
1977
Rev. Dr. Mark Braaten, Bullard,
Texas, is senior pastor of Our
Saviour’s Lutheran Church in
Tyler, Texas. His first book Come,
Lord Jesus: A Study of Revelation,
was published by Liturgical Press
in January. His second book, on
prayer, is scheduled for
publication in fall 2008.
James M. Strommen,
Minnetonka, Minn., was recently
re-elected president of the
Minneapolis law firm of Kennedy
& Graven, a firm of 36 lawyers
located in downtown
Minneapolis and St. Cloud. He
practices in the area of municipal
franchise, construction, and
utility law.
1978
Rev. Guy Redfield was installed
in November as senior pastor at
Chetek Lutheran Church in
Chetek, Wis.
1980
Carol (Kenyon) Dekker,
Sheboygan, Wis., began as an
administrative and operations
assistant in marketing and public
relations roles at BurkartHeisdorf Insurance in
Sheboygan.
Gary Tangwall, Lake Elmo,
Minn., a senior financial
consultant for the Landmark
Group of Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans in Lake Elmo, has
been honored as the second
highest performer in 2006
among the organization’s 2,500
financial representatives. He is
one of 25 Thrivent representatives
invited to attend the Pinnacle
Leadership Retreat in September
in New York.
1985
Jean Taylor, Eagan, Minn., is
president of Taylor Corporation
in North Mankato, Minn., and
has recently assumed additional
responsibilities as chief executive
officer.
Denise (Rolloff) Tewes,
Lincoln, Neb., announces the
release of her first original CD,
Apple of Your Eye, contemporary
Christian music drawing from
the psalms and reflecting on
some of life’s experiences. She is
choral director at Messiah
Lutheran Church.
denise@denisetewes.com
James Rongstad, Pine Island,
Minn., was appointed in January
to a three-year term on the Van
Horn Library Board. This is the
public library serving Pine
Island. In February he was
appointed treasurer of the Board
of Directors of the Girl Scout
Council of River Trails, serving
southeast Minnesota.
SPRING 2007 31
CLASS NOTES
Responsibility as an adjunct
professor at William Mitchell
College of Law.
1987
Scott L. Anderson married
Susie Wilkey of Coon Rapids on
April 8, 2006. He joined Farmers
Insurance Group and Farmers
Financial Solutions in March.
They live in Minneapolis.
ScottLAnderson38@msn.com.
1998
Brandon Reichel and Shannon
Geiger were married Aug. 28,
2004. They welcomed a baby
girl, Finley Vada, on Jan. 17,
who was 8 lbs., 5 oz., and 21.5
inches long.
1992
Stacy (Shiltz) Abraham and her
husband, Chris, in Milwaukee,
Wis., announce the birth of
Elijah James, on Jan. 26. Stacy
is a teacher in the Milwaukee
Public Schools.
mrs.abraham@earthlink.net
1989
Thomas Stutsman, St. Louis
Park, Minn., founded Stutsman
Realty, Inc. in 1992 and is
celebrating 15 years of business
this year.
1991
Mark Keating and his wife,
Amy, of Edina, Minn., announce
the birth of their third son,
Aidan Howard, on March 14,
2006. He joins brothers Owen,
5, and Carson, 3. Mark is an
account executive at Symantec.
Sharol Tyra, of Life
Illuminations Presentations &
Coaching has qualified for
professional membership and
joined the National Speakers
Association.
1993
Kim (Swanson) Meslow and her
husband, Jeff ’92, in White Bear
Township, Minn., announce the
birth of their third daughter, Hanna
Rose, born on July 7. She joins
big sisters Ally (5) and Kayla (3).
kmeslow@swansonyoungdale.com
Michelle Kay (Wincell) Nielsen
and her husband, William,
welcome the arrival of a
daughter, Lena Kay, on Dec. 10.
They were married in September
2005 and live in St. Paul.
32 AUGSBURG NOW
1996
Scott Magelssen, Rock Island,
Ill., saw publication of his book
Living History Museums: Undoing
History through Performance, by
Scarecrow Press in February. It
treats performance practices and
historiography at living museums
in the U.S. and Europe. He and
his wife, Theresa (Hoar) ’95,
and two-year-old son, Trygg, will
move to Ohio where Scott will
teach theatre history at Bowling
Green State University, starting
in August.
Heidi (Geyer) Ostrander is a
physical education teacher at
Valley View Elementary School
in Columbia Heights, Minn.,
where she teaches the Dance,
Dance, Revolution curriculum.
She was featured on the Fox
Morning Show in February.
Brooke (Manisto) and her
husband, Erik Reseland ’98, in
St. Anthony, Minn., welcomed a
daughter, Adeline, born on Feb. 3.
She joins big sister Elsa, 3.
1994
1997
Will Stute has joined the
Minneapolis law firm office of
Faegre & Benson as a partner in
the Business Litigation Group,
focusing on litigation matters,
particularly commercial fraud.
He also teaches Professional
Astrid Larssen, of Oslo,
Norway, is currently living in
Sydney, Australia, where she is in
the process of finishing up a PhD
in computer science. She has
also lived and worked in Norway
and Ghana since leaving the U.S.
Wendy (Shields) and her
husband, Bradley Reiners ’99
PA, in Prairie Farm, Wis.,
welcomed a son, Jackson
Patrick, their first child, on Aug. 10.
Brad works as a physician
assistant at Luther MidelfortPrairie Farm Clinic.
1999
Aaron Smith and Jill (Pintens)
are proud to announce the birth
of Wyatt Douglas, born May 20,
2006. They currently live in
Tucson, Ariz., where Aaron is a
surgery resident and Jill is a
physician assistant.
With an internship at the White
House, Emily Soeder carried out a
dream and has stayed in
Washington to gain the experince
it has to offer for her future
career choices.
Inside the White House
Emily Soeder didn’t realize how
many statements she would be
researching and fact checking, or
how many definitions of
ordinary words she would be
looking up. But she did know
that she had always wanted to
work at the White House, and
that is exactly where she landed
during her last semester, before
graduating summa cum laude
from Augsburg in December.
She had known for some
time about internships available
at the White House, and during
her senior year worked with Lois
Olson in the Center for Service,
Work, and Learning to complete
and submit the online
application. Several months later,
she was living what was for her
an “amazing experience” as one
of about 70 interns selected for
fall 2006, and one of three in the
Office of Presidential Speechwriting.
“One of the most memorable
projects I worked on was
annotating a version of the
speech the president was going
to deliver to the UN,” Soeder
says. It meant going through it
line by line, ensuring the
factuality of every word and
statement.
When asked how the real
West Wing compared to that of
the TV show of the same name,
Soeder notes that in reality the
West Wing is very small—not
the huge area it seems to be on
TV. In fact, nearly all of the
administration’s staff offices are
not located there, but next door
in the Eisenhower Executive
Office Building.
Beyond her specific duties,
Soeder has learned a great deal
from the contacts with executive
branch staff, as the interns
listened to speakers such as Karl
Rove, assistant to the president,
deputy chief of staff and senior
adviser, and Harriet Miers,
counsel to the president. Her
most exciting “Washington
moment,” she says, came in
November when she met
President Bush the day after
election results came in.
Once her internship ended
in December, Soeder was
fortunate to be appointed as a
confidential assistant to the
assistant secretary in the Office
of Legislation and Congressional
Affairs at the U.S. Department of
Education. Here, she works on
projects, scheduling, and briefing
materials.
Outside of work, Soeder
volunteers as a tutor with
Horton’s Kids, a non-profit
agency that provides services to
children from nearby, lowincome Ward 8 in D.C. The kids
are bused to the Department of
Education once a week for oneon-one tutoring by the
employees.
While at Augsburg, Soeder
was involved with College
Republicans, and has now
become active with Young
Republicans in D.C. To be hired
for political or legislative jobs,
she says, candidates generally
need to show loyalty to a party
or candidate. Campaigning at the
grass roots is a great way to start
building that experience, and she
got a taste of it last fall by
traveling to Ohio and Tennessee
to work on local campaigns.
At this point, Soeder doesn’t
see herself staying in
Washington, D.C., for a long
time. She believes her career
decisions will keep coming back
to a basic question students at
Augsburg are asked to
consider—how am I going to
impact the world in what I do?
She appreciates the grounding
she received in her communications
courses, such as Persuasion, and
the analytical skills and
experience from participating on
the Forensics Team.
For now, she’s enjoying all
Washington has to offer—
politics, history, culture, and the
excitement of being at the center
of it all.
SPRING 2007 33
CLASS NOTES
Wendy (Hoekstra) Vogelgesang
and her husband, David, in
Litchfield, Minn., welcomed twin
boys, August and Ewan, born
three months early on Aug. 1.
They spent three months
growing at St. Cloud Hospital
and Fairview Riverside Hospital
neo-natal intensive care units.
Read their journey at
www.caringbridge.com/visit/wen
dyandboys. They are doing well
now, but everyone has gone
through a lot. Wendy went back
to work as a kindergarten
teacher at Litchfield Public
Schools in January, while David
is a stay-at-home dad.
and 21 inches long. Holly
graduates in June with an MBA
from Augsburg.
hknutson04@yahoo.com
2003
2000
Julia Mensing works at Event
Lab, an event-planning company,
which was recognized for the
second year in a row by the
International Special Events
Society (ISES) with a 2007
Minnesota Star Award in the
“Best Event Design and Décor”
category.
2006
2002
Brendan Anderson, Phoenix,
Ariz., was commissioned by the
Concordia Wind Orchestra in
Irvine, Calif., to write a large
concert piece, The Gift and the
Wise Men, around the theme of
Epiphany, for their orchestra and
guest organist. It premiered in
Phoenix while the orchestra was
on tour in January.
Matthew Chappuis and
Jennifer (Lemke), Apple Valley,
Minn., welcomed their first
child, a daughter, Hattie Romae,
on Aug. 18, weighing 8 lbs., 3
oz., and 21 inches long. He is a
middle school physical education
and health teacher in the
Burnsville School District, and
she is an eighth-grade science
teacher in the Inver Grove
Heights School District.
2004
Rick Dzurik was featured in
March on KARE-11 TV news as a
music therapist working with
hospice patients. With his guitar,
he makes house calls or visits
hospice units to sing music
requested by the patients and
families—one of only a few
certified music therapists in the
Twin Cities who do this.
Anna Warnes and Nathan
Erickson ’03 were married in
August and live in Eugene, Ore.
Both are students at the
University of Oregon; Nathan is
pursuing a doctorate in
sociology, and Anna is studying
for a post-baccalaureate degree
in nursing.
2001
Amy (Stier) Eppen and her
husband, Jeff, in Belle Plaine,
Minn., are proud to announce
the birth of their son, Caleb
Todd, born on Nov. 28. He was
welcomed home by big sister
Courtney, 22 mos. Amy is a
therapeutic recreation
coordinator at The Lutheran
Home: Hope Residence.
34 AUGSBURG NOW
Holly (Ebnet) Knutson and her
husband, Jeremy, in Hugo,
Minn., are the proud parents of a
baby girl, Adelei Marie, born
Nov. 28, weighing 8 lbs., 0 oz.,
India, beginning in the fall. She
is currently employed at
Admission Possible, through
AmeriCorps, where she works
with 34 low-income, first
generation students, encouraging
them to stay in school and
helping them apply to college.
Her work with Admission
Possible was featured in a Star
Tribune article.
2005
Carolyn Herman is a Rotary
Ambassador Scholar and will
continue study of literature at
the University of Hyderabad,
Katie Koch began a new
position in April as the executive
assistant to Joe Dowling, artistic
director of the Guthrie Theater
in Minneapolis.
Graduate Programs
Doris Rubenstein ’93 MAL is
the new director for membership
and development at the Resource
Center of the Americas and
draws on her background in
Spanish, Peace Corps experience,
and living in Puerto Rico and
Ecuador. Her thesis focused on
nonprofit organizations serving
Minnesota’s Latin population.
Jill Boike ’03 MSW joined
Family Innovations in 2005. She
has developed a new
employee/intern training
program and is also working as
an outpatient therapist and
clinical supervisor.
jsalome@comcast.net
Nick Thomley ’06 MBA was
featured in the business section
of the Minneapolis Star Tribune
with a profile of the company,
Pinnacle Services, that he
founded while a sophomore in
college. His high school job of
working with disabled residents
in assisted living led him to start
a company that provides
vocational, residential, and
financial management services to
the elderly and people with
disabilities. In seven years, the
company has reached $7.2
million in revenue.
In Memoriam
Ernest (“Ernie”) W. Anderson
’37, Edina, Minn., age 90, on
March 18, unexpectedly. See
story on page 2.
Henry Erickson Chapman ’40,
Coon Rapids, Minn., age 91, in
Dec. 2006. He was a retired
coach and athletic director from
Proctor (Minn.) Public Schools
and a member of Augsburg’s
Athletic Hall of Fame.
Delbert Rhodes ’41, Renville,
Minn., age 89, in Nov. 2006.
Chester L. Brooks ’42, Duluth,
Minn., age 89, on March 5. He
was a Distinguished Alumnus and
husband of Ebba (Johnson)
Brooks ’42.
The Rev. Robert Erickson
Warren ’46, Edina, Minn., age
82, on Feb. 27.
Fabian C. Carlson ’49, Detroit
Lakes, Minn., age 82, on July 21,
2006.
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
The Rev. Oliver S. Solberg ’49,
Appleton, Wis., age 87, on Jan.
10. Husband of Viola (Nelson)
Solberg ’50.
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the Augsburg
Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Rachel M. Stennes ’49,
Minneapolis, age 86, on Feb. 10.
Full name
Arlene Larsen ’49, Tacoma,
Wash., age 75, on Dec. 13. Wife
of Harold Larsen.
Robert Hofflander ’51,
Clitherall, Minn., age 79, on Jan.
29, of myelodysplastic
syndrome. Husband of Dorothy
(Gramling) Hofflander ’50.
Maiden name
John E. Seaver, Sr. ’54,
Edgerton, Wis., age 74, on
Feb. 2, after a long illness.
City, State, Zip
The Rev. James Glasoe Sr. ’57,
Statesboro, Ga., on March 17, of
lung cancer. Husband of Nicole
(Jacobson) Glasoe ’62.
Home telephone
Class year or last year attended
Street address
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Regie S. Huber ’74, Maple
Grove, Minn., on Nov. 1.
Employer
Marlin (“Mike”) Kloster ’53, of
Willmar, Minn., age 77, on
Jan. 20.
Position
Timothy W. Hanson ’88,
Ogilvie, Minn., age 40, on March
18, of injuries from a car
accident.
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Work telephone
If yes, class year
Spouse’s name
Maiden name
Your news:
SPRING 2007 35
VIEWS
Celebrating 20 years of leadership
by Kathy Rumpza, ’05 MAL
On the evening of Sat., January 27, approximately
110 alumni, students, and guests gathered to
celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Master of Arts
in Leadership program at Augsburg College. The
keynote address was given by Ryan LaHurd,
president and executive director of the James S.
Kemper Foundation, and former vice president of
academic affairs at Augsburg. His presence was
appropriate because of the significant role he played
in the MAL Program’s inception.
More than 20 years ago, LaHurd was key in
launching a task force to explore graduate options
at the College. After much research and discussion
with business leaders it became apparent that there
was a need in the market for a different type of
program than was currently being offered—the kind
of program that would provide students with the
crucial broad-based knowledge and skills needed
for success.
Enter the era of an exciting program,
differentiated from others by a liberal arts focus
specifically on leadership. It offers solid content with
academic rigor as opposed to a workshop format. The
Master of Arts in Leadership program, started in
January 1987, marked an important turning point for
Augsburg and its entrance into the graduate market.
During its 20-year history, the program has
gone through transformation. While content,
schedules, and support staff have changed, the
signature “leadership model” that forms the basis for
the program remains steadfast. Feedback from
students and faculty has helped to hone and refine
course offerings, and relevant courses such as
Women and Leadership have been introduced.
Another constant is the faculty. Norma Noonan,
professor and director of the MAL program since
1993, notes that although the program has grown,
she and instructors Diane Pike, Tom Morgan, and
Garry Hesser have been teaching in the program
since its inception. She says such loyalty comes
from a simple idea—“faculty just love teaching in
the program.”
Noonan credits much of the recent program
growth to the addition of professional graduate
recruiters, and the fact that the program caters to
“students who seek personal development and
challenge.” The classes are “exiting and very
stimulating,” she says. “We’ve had pinnacle
36 AUGSBURG NOW
Norma Noonan is professor of political science and
director of the MAL program.
experiences in class … students are almost
electrified by some of the discussions.”
As far as alumni and students go, many have
had life-changing experiences. Students often say
that the program has changed their career paths,
and many experience a personal metamorphosis as
well. “People use it to define a turning point in
their lives,” says Noonan. Individuals have been
inspired to start their own businesses, and have
been promoted to vice president or CEO positions.
While it is true that completing the program
has changed personal and professional lives,
Noonan says that “completion is not the greatest
indicator of success.” She quickly adds, “it
emboldens you to take more risks, and brings a
maturity in judgment.” And that seems to be the
more important point.
Although some aspects of the program have
changed over time, it will remain a quality program
that “tries to live the leadership model,” under the
passionate direction of Norma Noonan. Her only
regret: “That I didn’t have the knowledge—what we
read, what we study—earlier in life.”
For information on the MAL Program,
go to www.augsburg.edu/mal
MAL… by the numbers
203
21
22
56
MAL degrees conferred since 1989
MAL graduating class in 2006—the largest yet!
Current MAL faculty and adjuncts
Number of new MAL students in 2006-07
The Oren Gateway Center is coming
Construction on the Oren Gateway Center is
proceeding extremely well. The building should be
ready for occupancy in the beginning of August,
with departments and programs starting to move
in during the middle of August.
Watch for more updates—and mark your calendars
for a grand celebration on October 12!
SPRING 2007
John 14: 1-3
A group of Augsburg students
traveled by train to New
Orleans to spend their spring
break working for Lutheran
Disaster Relief. Students spent
five days gutting and rebuilding
houses affected by Hurricane
Katrina. Here, workers find a
plaque from the Gospel of John
that fell from the attic of the
house in which they were
working. The verse offered a
great source for reflection by
the students.
— Photo by Rachel Olson ’08
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
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A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
WINTER 2006-07
VOL. 69, NO. 2
A president is inaugurated
page 12
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
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MAKING CONNECTIONS
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A P U B L I C AT I O N F O R
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
WINTER 2006-07
VOL. 69, NO. 2
A president is inaugurated
page 12
Editor
Notes
from President Pribbenow on…
The richness and wonder of human diversity
S
o God created humankind in God’s image, in
the image of God he created them; male and
female he created them … God saw everything that he had made, and indeed, it was
very good. (Genesis 1: 27, 31a, NRSV)
I once heard a presentation from a nursing student
who was part of a community health practicum
course in a homeless shelter, who commented that
before she went to her assignment at the shelter, her
general feeling was that homeless people had done
something to “deserve” their fate—she had no sense
of how she could interact with these “people.” She
was frightened. Once she had begun her assignment, however, she recounted how the residents of
the shelter became her fellow citizens, her friends
even. She learned their stories, grieved with them
about bad decisions, unfair circumstances, sad and
distressing experiences. She stood side by side with
them in their struggles to find a home and set a new
course for their lives. And she rejoiced in the role
she could play in listening, empathizing, offering a
word or hand or whatever might help. In her experience in that service-learning course, she learned
about otherness and difference in ways that would
make her a better nurse, a better citizen and neighbor, a better friend.
This story is why I will never give up in our
efforts to make diversity a core value of our academic and common work and why I am so pleased that
this issue of Augsburg Now illustrates some of our
efforts to promote diversity on campus and beyond.
Creating, sustaining, celebrating, and supporting
diversity is an abiding challenge for our college.
Whether it is diversity of perspective, religion, ethnicity, race, social class, and so forth, there are critical voices from all sides pressing us to make the case
for our philosophy, commitment, experience, policies, and practices related to diversity on campus
and beyond. Here at Augsburg, we have the distinct
gift of at least three compelling mission-based
reasons for intentionally engaging the diversity of
our world.
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Design Manager
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg.edu
Class Notes Designer
Signe Peterson
petersos@augsburg.edu
• Theologically, we believe that God has created
humankind in all its diversity in God’s own image.
• Educationally, we believe that a liberal arts
approach to learning and teaching is fundamentally committed to engaging otherness and difference
so that we might genuinely understand and
embrace the richness of human experience and
creativity throughout the ages.
• Civically, we are persuaded that educating for
democracy is at least in part about preparing our
students for lives in society that will require them
to have the knowledge, skills, and values needed
to negotiate their ways with people of diverse
backgrounds and experiences.
This past summer, I had the privilege of visiting
Augsburg’s study site in Cuernavaca, Mexico, where
I, too, learned to face my fears and stereotypes of
other cultures and life experiences. We all are still
learning to admit our privilege, to embrace the wonder of difference and other experiences, to live as
neighbors here on campus and in our community,
where the world is becoming our neighbor in very
concrete and real ways.
Our work to educate students for democracy
cannot be uncoupled from this commitment to
diversity. This is why diversity on campus, in the
neighborhood and city, in the church, and in the
world is important—it is the heart of a healthy
democracy.
Yours,
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now Intern
Erin Kennedy
kennedy1@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services,
CB 142,
Augsburg College
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
22
Winter 2006-07
Contents
Features
11
A Change in Reference—Librarian to Volunteer
by Betsey Norgard
For nearly 15 years in retirement, Margaret Anderson has continued to volunteer
in the library she once headed.
12
Ages of Imagination: The Inauguration of Paul C. Pribbenow
Around themes of abundance, generosity, engagement, and service,
Augsburg inaugurates its 11th president.
18
Making Connections
by Betsey Norgard
After five years, the Scholastic Connections program has proven a winner for
both mentors and mentees.
22
See AIBO Walk … and Sit … and Wiggle Its Ears
by Betsey Norgard
Sophomore Jesse Docken finds both fun and challenge in “training” dog robots.
24
12
On the Cover: At his investiture as
Augsburg’s 11th president, the seal of the
College is placed around the neck of
Paul C. Pribbenow by Board of Regents
chair Ted Grindal ’76.
Global Business
by Bethany Bierman
Augsburg business classes have built-in global experience from a very
international faculty.
Departments
2 Around the Quad
5 2006 Alumni Awards
6 Supporting Augsburg
8 Sports
28 Alumni News
40 Views
Inside back cover Calendar
All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.
AROUND THE QUAD
NOTEWORTHY
Three new regents elected to board
Three new members were elected to four-year terms on the
Augsburg College Board of Regents at the annual meeting of the
Augsburg Corporation in October.
In addition, Michael O. Freeman and Philip Styrland ’79 were
re-elected to second six-year terms. Freeman is a partner at
Lindquist & Vennum, P.L.L.P., and Styrlund is president of The
Summit Group, an international education and development firm.
Richard C. Hartnack
Since the beginning of his banking career in
1971, Hartnack has held positions in corporate
banking at First Interstate Bank of Oregon, and
in community banking at First Chicago and
Union Bank of California. He currently is vice
chairman and head of consumer banking at
U.S. Bancorp.
Hartnack has a bachelor’s degree in economics from UCLA and a master’s degree in business administration from Stanford University. He is a graduate of the Strategic
Marketing Management program at the Harvard Business School.
Congratulations to
Jacki Brickman ’97
Augsburg alumna Jacki Brickman
’97 was one of two teachers in
the Minneapolis and St. Paul
school districts who were awarded a Milken National Educator
Award in October.
This award, from the Milken
Family Foundation, recognizes
teachers and principals across
the country for their effectiveness
in the classroom, accomplishments outside the classroom,
leadership, and ability to inspire
students, teachers, and the community. It carries a cash award of
$25,000.
Brickman, a 10-year teacher,
is a teacher mentor at Hall
International Elementary School
in Minneapolis, working with
other teachers at the school to
test new techniques.
Brickman, who also is an
adjunct instructor in Weekend
College, is the second Augsburg
graduate to receive a Milken
Educator Award. Margaret
Knutson ’91, fifth-grade teacher
at Orono Intermediate School,
received the same award in
2004. Read about both teachers
in the Augsburg Now spring 2006
article, “Teachers who Lead,
Leaders who Teach,” at
www.augsburg.edu/now.
André Lewis ‘73
Since 2002, Lewis has served as director of
marketing and community affairs and president of the RBC Dain Rauscher Foundation.
Previously he held a similar position at
Honeywell. His background in education
includes serving as principal at both Washburn
and South high schools.
Lewis graduated from Augsburg and earned
a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. He has been active in
Augsburg’s Corporate Connections program.
Rev. Norman Wahl ‘75
Since 1996, Wahl has been executive pastor of
Bethel Lutheran Church, the site of Augsburg’s
programs in Rochester, Minn., and served on
the task force that led to the formation of the
Rochester campus. He has also been part of the
alumni board, campaign cabinet, and on staff
at the College.
After Augsburg, Wahl graduated from
Luther Seminary and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from the
seminary in 1997.
2 AUGSBURG NOW
MBA consulting firm to start
Small businesses and non-profits in Rochester can qualify for probono consulting services from Augsburg’s Rochester MBA students
and graduates.
This new service, Augsburg Alumni Consulting Team (AACT),
extends the MBA field service program, in which all students work
with a client in the community on business issues and applications.
A “full-team” consultation by AACT on critical strategic or management issues will be staffed by four to eight volunteers. A “fast track”
for focused issues will involve one to three volunteers in two or
three client meetings. And, a “board match” program will help nonprofits build their board leadership.
Additional support services—database design, Web design,
research, etc.—may be added by Augsburg undergraduate business
and computer science students.
This College-sponsored consulting service will offer both experience and exposure to the students and alumni, and include a
review process to build case studies.
While beginning in Rochester, AACT hopes to also expand the
program to the Twin Cities.
For information, contact William Aguero at
aguero@augsburg.edu.
The “greening” of
Augsburg
Augsburg imagines environmental stewardship as central to its
mission as a Lutheran college in
the city.
President Paul Pribbenow
says, “The Augsburg College
community is deeply committed
to what it means to build a sustainable urban environment. …
Our relationships with our
diverse neighbors, with the
Mississippi River, and with other
neighborhoods in our vibrant
city are opportunities for learning, for civic engagement, and
for faithful service.”
The institutional committee
that grew out of a learning community seven years ago is now
named the Environmental
Stewardship Committee and provides leadership for the College
in areas addressing sustainability.
The committee’s growing website
offers information and resources
in the following initiatives:
• Recycling/waste
reduction—Recycling bins
have risen to nearly 75% capacity in the last year and new
equipment across campus
reduces water consumption
and energy usage. The College
recycles household items to
community organizations and
established a re-use table. A
number of measures adopted
reduce storm water run-off
from campus, which, perhaps
more than anything else, has
had an impact on water quality
in the Mississippi River.
• Transportation—Two light rail
stations within walking distance and reduced fare bus-rail
passes help the Augsburg com-
munity increase its use of public transit, freeing up parking
spaces. Accessible bike trails
provide alternatives to driving.
• HOURCAR—Augsburg is the
newest neighborhood hub for
HOURCAR—a hybrid vehicle
that can be rented.
• Curriculum—Across the curriculum, courses address sustainability issues, and study
abroad is available in metrourban studies. A new environmental studies program is
scheduled to launch in fall
2007.
• River stewardship—Augsburg
is an official “steward” of a
portion of the Mississippi
River near campus and regularly hosts “clean-ups” to prevent pollution. The
Environmental and River
Politics course explores issues
related to restoration of the
river ecosystem and ways in
which our relationship to the
river reflects the health of our
community.
• Campus Kitchen at Augsburg
College—In its three years,
Campus Kitchen has kept
more than 35,000 pounds of
food out of landfill and turned
it into over 37,000 meals for
the community. In the next
year, Augsburg plans to launch
a community garden to bring
neighbors together and provide food for community
organizations.
• Building a green
campus—The Environmental
Stewardship Committee has a
voice in the ongoing planning
for the new Science Center,
which includes a “green” roof
and maximal use of sustainable architecture and products.
Michael Lansing, assistant professor of history, wrote in the
Augsburg Echo about Christensen
Symposium speaker Douglas
John Hall’s comments on “stewardly vocations.” Hall argued that
everyone must make stewardship
of the environment both a personal and collective priority.
Lansing wrote that stewardly
vocations “push us all toward
recognizing and caring for the
many other forms of life that we
depend on for sustenance and
comfort.”
To learn more about sustainability at Augsburg, go to www.augsburg.edu/green or contact Tom
Ruffaner, chair of the
Environmental Stewardship
Committee, at ruffaner@augsburg.edu.
—Betsey Norgard
Fond farewell to ‘Mr. Augsburg’
On Sept. 30 Jeroy Carlson ’48 officially retired from the
campus and community he first came to more than 60
years ago. During that time, he served Augsburg as a student, volunteer, alumni director, and development officer.
At a packed reception in his honor, Carlson was presented with a baseball jersey bearing his No. 10 and a
“Jeroy Carlson” baseball card. He was also presented
with framed photos of the Augsburg campus, as he knew
it and as it is today.
Known as “Mr. Augsburg” by his classmates and colleagues, Carlson excelled as a student-athlete in baseball,
basketball, and football, and was part of four MIAC
championship teams. He continued to work with the
A-Club and helped establish the Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame.
In 1991, after serving on the alumni board and as
director of alumni relations, the alumni office was dedicated as the Jeroy C. Carlson Alumni Center.
See the winter 2005-06 Augsburg Now for a feature
story on “Mr. Augsburg.”
Vice President Tracy Elftmann ‘81 presents Jeroy
Carlson with a baseball jersey bearing his no. 10.
WINTER 2006-07 3
AROUND THE QUAD
COMMENCEMENT
Two commencements at Augsburg
Beginning this year, Augsburg will offer two commencement ceremonies, in order to recognize the different academic calendars followed. A May 5 ceremony will be held for day students and physician assistant students who are on semesters; a June 24 ceremony
will honor Weekend College, Rochester, United Hospital, and the
other five graduate program students who follow trimesters.
This year’s Commencement speakers are Eboo Patel on May 5, and
Rev. Martin E. Marty on June 24.
With a national fellowship in microbiology and an interest in infectious diseases, senior Richard Birkett is studying the genes encoding streptococcal bacteria.
Senior Richard
Birkett wins research
fellowship
Biology senior Richard Birkett is
one of 43 students across the
country to receive a 2006
Undergraduate Research
Fellowship from the American
Society for Microbiology. Its
stipend funded his summer
research with biology professor
Beverly Smith-Keiling.
The project, applied for jointly by Birkett and Smith-Keiling,
looks at the characteristics of
streptococcal bacteria and the
genes that encode them. They
study a particular streptococcal
protein, discovered by SmithKeiling, that binds a human
immune system protein, and its
role in causing infections, especially in immuno-weak people
4 AUGSBURG NOW
(neo-natal babies, elderly, and
others who are immuno-compromised). The research involves
manipulating the protein’s DNA
in the laboratory to create
mutants for further study.
“We were thrilled to receive
this ASM Fellowship,” says
Smith-Keiling. “It is a prestigious
award and played a significant
role as a feather in our cap as
one of several steps that
Augsburg is taking to secure
external funding, build our
undergraduate research program,
and move toward more scientific
research at our institution.”
Birkett’s interest in infectious
diseases began in summer 2005
when he traveled to Tanzania
with a microbiology study
abroad course through Hamline
University. He visited labs and
small villages, and found the
experience “eye-opening” in
terms of lifestyle and conditions
he encountered.
To gain background in
research, Birkett took a pilot
course at Augsburg, Introduction
to Research, designed to prepare
second-year students for facultyled research. He credits that
course for teaching him the discipline, motivation, and critical
thinking needed for scientific
study. The course was repeated
this past fall, and Birkett served
as a peer mentor.
Birkett has thrived in the
microbiology laboratory, and is
interested in pursuing work in
the health field with infectious
disease, possibly attending medical school. He, along with
Smith-Keiling and other students, will present their research
at the American Society for
Microbiology general meeting in
the spring.
“Richard has been the model
for what we hope to continue, as
students progress from their
early years without research
skills to excelling as independent
researchers, and the fellowship
played a key role,” says SmithKeiling. “It has been a privilege
and joy to work with him.”
Birkett came to Augsburg
from Boston as a student in the
StepUP Program, which supports
students in chemical recovery.
He says that Augsburg has been
great for him. “I came to
Augsburg for StepUP; I’m staying
for science and the people.”
—Betsey Norgard
HOMECOMING 2006
Two honored as
Distinguished Alumni
Augsburg’s Distinguished Alumni
are recognized for their significant achievement in vocation, for
outstanding contribution to
church and community, and for
lives that exemplify the ideals and
mission of Augsburg College.
Glen Person ’47
A native of
Minneapolis,
Glen Person
grew up in
Augsburg’s
neighborhood.
He graduated
with degrees
in mathematics and business, and was one of
the first students in Augsburg’s
new business administration
department. His college studies
were interrupted by World War
II, where he served in the U.S.
Navy.
Person’s vocational career
involved two 20-year employments in the insurance industry.
In 1948 he started as a bookkeeper at Fidelity and Casualty
Co., and left in 1968 as its bond
manager. From 1969 until his
retirement in 1989, he was an
accounting manager and bond
vice president at W.A. Lang
Company.
From 1993 to 2005, Person
served on Augsburg’s Board of
Regents, as a member of the
Finance Committee and as board
treasurer. Over the years, he has
been one of the most active
members of Augsburg’s A-Club,
and a frequent spectator and
loyal Auggie athletic booster. He
serves on the Claire Strommen
Golf Tournament Committee.
Person has also contributed
financial expertise to numerous
boards of directors, and as treasurer of Prairie Lutheran Church
in Eden Prairie, Minn.
Lois (Peterson) Bollman ’69
Lois Bollman
graduated in
1969 with a
bachelor’s
degree in
English education from
Augsburg, and
went on to
earn a master’s degree in reading.
In 2001 she earned a doctorate
in educational policy and administration of higher education.
For the past 30 years, she has
worked in a number of areas
within the Minnesota community
college system and is a recognized leader and administrator in
areas of student assessment, college readiness, and developmental education. Her strengths lie in
strategic planning, institutional
research, and evaluation of academic programs. Currently she is
vice president of strategy, planning, and accountability at
Minneapolis Community and
Technical College.
Here, she developed the
Urban Teacher Education
Program, in collaboration with
secondary and postsecondary
institutions, that aims to inspire
and educate students from urban
schools to become teachers in
their own communities. In 2003,
Bollman led the faculty development work that received one of
five national Theodore Hesburgh
Awards from TIAA-CREF.
Bollman has served as a class
agent and is active at Edina
Community Lutheran Church.
First Decade Award
The First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of
the past 10 years who have made
significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community, and
in so doing, exemplify the mission
of the College.
Spirit of Augsburg
Award
The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni or friends of the College
who have given exceptional service
that contributes substantially to the
well being of Augsburg by furthering its purposes and programs.
Herald Johnson ‘68
Milana (Gorshkova)
Pirogova ’96
Milana
Pirogova graduated magna
cum laude
from Augsburg
with a bachelor’s degree in
economics and
international
relations, and went on to earn a
master’s degree in international
economics from George
Washington University.
In 1998 she began working
for the International Finance
Corporation, a member of the
World Bank Group, in
Washington, D.C. She is now an
investment officer in the Global
Financial Markets Department
and posted in Russia, her homeland.
Two of her significant projects have included working with
privatization projects in Bosnia
and drafting the Mortgage
Securities Law with the Russian
national parliament. In her current work she is able to promote
awareness and resources for the
much-needed economic and
educational development in
Russia. She also has been an
eager promoter of Augsburg
College to prospective students
in Murmansk, St. Petersburg,
and Moscow.
After graduating, Herald
Johnson first
became an
admissions
officer, then
Augsburg’s
first financial
aid officer
when new federal programs
required administrative oversight. Over the nearly 40 years
since, he became a pioneer,
leader, and mentor among all of
Minnesota’s financial aid officers.
He is respected both for
helping students understand and
access financial resources to
make college possible and for
mentoring young professionals in
the field. He is the only person
to have been twice elected president of the Minnesota
Association of Financial Aid
Administrators (MAFAA).
Johnson collaborated with
Julie Olson ’90, ’04 MAL, now
vice president of enrollment
management, to create and
implement the Enrollment
Center, which brings together
several student service offices
into a one-stop shop for students.
Johnson retired last summer,
but continues to serve as a consultant on scholarship programs
and with Augsburg’s government
relations office concerning financial aid issues.
—Betsey Norgard
WINTER 2006-07 5
Photo courtesy of Martha Gisselquist
AROUND THE QUAD
SUPPORTING
AUGSBURG
The Clement A.
Gisselquist Endowed
Scholarship—
an Augsburg family’s
music legacy
6 AUGSBURG NOW
All six of Clement and Borghild Gisselquist’s children graduated from Augsburg, and most of them were choir and band members
during their college years. (L to R): James ’68, Joel ’77, Rebecca ’67, Borghild, Martha ’87, John ’72, and Miriam ’83.
Gisselquist extended family
includes 17 relatives with
Augsburg connections. Clement’s
brother, professor emeritus Orloue
Gisselquist, attended Augsburg, as
well as two sons, Richard and
David. His wife, Marilyn, came to
Augsburg and completed her
bachelor’s degree in 1973.
Clement and Orloue’s sister
Grace E. Gisselquist ’49 married
the Rev. Oliver Johnson ’50.
Another sister, Marilyn, attended
science classes at Augsburg as
part of her nurses’ training and
married Vardon Quanbeck ’44.
While at Augsburg, Orloue,
like Clement, sang in the choir
and Grace belonged to the Music
Club, both sharing their brother’s
love for music.
Another brother, John Irving,
did not attend Augsburg, but his
son, John E. Gisselquist, graduated in 1984.
Even more telling is the musical legacy Clement left his six
children, all of whom graduated
from Augsburg. The youngest,
Miriam (Gisselquist) Jensen ’83
was a music major and is now an
organist and piano teacher—
something her mother knows
would have pleased her father.
John, Class of 1972, sang in
the Augsburg Choir and for
many years has been a member
of the National Lutheran Choir,
performing in concerts throughout the U.S.
Judy Petree
The Rev. Clement A. Gisselquist
enjoyed a lifelong love of music.
He graduated from Augsburg
College in 1941, and during his
college years he sang both in the
Augsburg Choir under Henry P.
Opseth and in the Augsburg
Quartet as its second bass when
they toured in 1940.
Following Augsburg,
Gisselquist graduated from
Luther Seminary, and he and his
wife, Borghild, served churches
in North Dakota, Minnesota, and
Iowa. Throughout his life, he
always actively promoted his
churches’ music programs.
Borghild recounts how especially
pleased he was when his church
in Sioux City, Iowa, purchased a
new organ.
After Clement died in 1979,
the family decided to establish a
scholarship endowment in his
memory and designed it to benefit students “of organ and/or
choral music who desire to serve,
professionally or otherwise, in
the ministry of music of the
Lutheran Church.”
“Augsburg was close to his
heart and we knew that music
was something he was always
interested in,” comments
Borghild, recalling the family discussions. The scholarship just
seemed a fitting way in which
they could honor their brother,
husband, father, and uncle.
The remarkable fact is that the
Nicole (Warner) Simml ’01 (left), who performs and teaches music in Germany, joined
Krista Costin ’07 (right) as soloist with the Augsburg Choir’s concert in Leipzig,
Germany last May. Both Simml and Costin are recipients of the Clement A. Gisselquist
Church Music Scholarship.
Rachel Olson ’08
Photo courtesy of Orloue Gisselquist
The Rev. Clement A. Gisselquist (far right) sang second bass in the 1940 Augsburg
Quartet. His love of music is passed on to students through an endowed scholarship
Five of the Gisselquist women enjoyed meeting the current student scholars at the
in his name. Photo taken from The Augsburg Quartets: A Mission-Driven Tradition, by
annual Scholarship Brunch in November. (L to R): Martha Gisselquist, Becky Lien,
Merton P. Strommen and David M. Larson.
Borghild Gisselquist, Marilyn Gisselquist, and Miriam Jensen.
Joel, Class of 1977, played
tuba in the Concert Band for two
years and sang in the Augsburg
Choir during his senior year. The
two oldest children, Rebecca
(Gisselquist) Lien ’67 and James
’68, also sang in the choir. James
is married to fellow Auggie Jane
(Eidsvoog) ’73. Martha, a nurse,
came to Augsburg to complete
her bachelor’s degree in 1987.
The Clement Gisselquist
Scholarship keeps the extended
family connected to Augsburg. A
number of the relatives continue
to grow the endowment by making gifts to the scholarship a part
of their regular giving—in lieu of
exchanging gifts within the family on special occasions.
In the fall, Borghild said of
her immediate family, “We’ve
already talked about this
Christmas, that we’ll make gifts
to the scholarship instead of to
each other.”
The Gisselquists enjoy meeting the Augsburg students who
receive the scholarship each year.
The 2006-07 recipient, junior
music major Krista Costin was
studying abroad in Ghana during
the fall and regrets missing the
Scholarship Brunch. She fondly
remembers meeting members of
the Gisselquist family at last
spring’s Music Scholarship High
Tea. Costin sings in the
Augsburg Choir and toured with
the choir last May to the Czech
Republic and Germany.
Last year’s scholarship recipient, senior Nikki Lemire, is a
harpist and a section leader in
the choir at Central Lutheran
Church. The 1998-99 scholarship holder, Nicole (Warner)
Simml ’01, now lives in Germany
and is enjoying a career performing and teaching voice. Last May
she joined the Augsburg Choir in
Leipzig on their tour in
Germany, and joined Costin as a
soloist.
An earlier Gisselquist recipient, Melissa (Wieland) Bergstrom
’97 has been organist and choir
director at Edina Community
Lutheran Church, in addition to
teaching and serving as director
of choral activities at AnokaRamsey Community College.
Several of the Gisselquist
scholarship recipients have sub-
sequently been chosen as Orville
and Gertrude Hognander Music
Scholars.
With many of the Gisselquist
Auggies making regular gifts to
grow the scholarship endowment, future students—and per-
haps additional Gisselquists—
join Rev. Clement A. Gisselquist’s
legacy to Augsburg’s music program—something that surely
would please him.
—Betsey Norgard
Making a gift to Augsburg
It’s easy to make a donation to Augsburg College.
All donations are tax-deductible.
Gifts online
Go to www.augsburg.edu/giving to make a secure credit card
donation. You can use the form to make a one-time donation or
to set up recurring gifts.
Gifts by phone
To make a donation by phone, call Kevin Healy, director of
advancement services, at 612-338-6537 or 800-273-0617.
Gifts by mail
You can mail your gift to:
Developement Office, Campus Box 142
Augsburg College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55454
For complete information about making a gift,
including the types of giving and giving programs,
go to www.augsburg.edu/giving.
WINTER 2006-07 7
AROUND THE QUAD
SPORTS
Brothers in soccer
Vinnie Brooks and Ryan Kitzman
are like brothers. Brothers united
by soccer.
For all but one year of the last
dozen, the two have played on
the same soccer teams—the same
club teams, elementary school
team, junior high team, high
school team, and the same college team.
Ever since they were each
eight years old, growing up in
Maple Grove, Minn., and attending schools in Osseo, the duo
could be found on the same
fields—Brooks on defense,
Kitzman in the midfield.
Best friends and players with
similar competitive personalities,
the two split for just one year—
their freshman years in college,
when Kitzman attended Bethany
Lutheran College in Mankato,
Minn., and Brooks enrolled at
Augsburg.
But the pair reunited their
sophomore years, became roommates, and helped to lead a renaissance in the Augsburg men’s
soccer program.
“I wanted to be back in the
city,” Kitzman said. “I talked to
Vinnie pretty much all my freshman year. I came to visit
Augsburg a couple of times, and
he said they were getting a new
coach and a new field, so I came
for another visit. Once I met
[coach] Greg [Holker], it was a
done deal.”
So Kitzman transferred, and
the pair was reunited.
“We have the same style of
play. We practice against each
other and just go at it. It’s like we
8 AUGSBURG NOW
hate each other when we’re practicing. It gets pretty intense,”
Brooks said. “He’s pretty much
like my replica on the field. We
have some minor differences, but
overall, the competitiveness and
our work ethic, we just relate to
each other. It just clicks. We both
respect each other.”
Both were starters throughout
their Auggie careers and were key
elements of the dramatic growth
of the men’s soccer program. In
Brooks’ freshman year, 2003, the
Auggies finished 5-11-2 overall, 09-1 in league play. In the 2006
season under third-year head
coach Greg Holker, the Auggies
finished 13-3-3 overall and 5-2-3
in conference play, winning a
place in the conference’s postseason playoffs.
In four seasons at Augsburg,
Brooks played in 67 games, starting 57, with eight assists from his
defensive position. As a midfielder
during his three years at
Augsburg, Kitzman started 49 of
54 contests, with five goals and
six assists for 16 career points.
As two of only three seniors
on this year’s Auggie squad, the
pair acknowledges that they have
been a part of a new beginning for
the men’s soccer program, which
they hope continues to succeed.
“It’s just awesome to have this
kind of success in our last year
playing here,” Brooks says. “It’s
like leaving a legacy behind. It’s
one of the things we wanted to
do. We had the first winning season here in 20 years and made
the [conference] playoffs.”
But the end of their senior
seasons will not mean the end of
soccer, or friendship, for Brooks
and Kitzman. The two play on
the same adult-league team and
coach a youth team together in
Plymouth, Minn. Brooks, a health
and physical education major
Auggie teammates Vinnie Brooks (left) and Ryan Kitzman (right) have played soccer
together since elementary school.
and business management minor,
and Kitzman, a marketing major,
have talked about starting a business together.
“It’s almost natural for us,”
Brooks said. “Some people hear
about it and think it’s pretty
weird. But we had the same
group of friends growing up,
from elementary school to junior
high and high school. We were
always in the same group.”
“We don’t think of it as being
weird,” Kitzman added. “It’s just
normal for us.”
—Don Stoner
An amazing soccer year
For the Augsburg College men’s and
women’s soccer teams, the 2006 season was
a history-making one.
The Auggie women captured a third
straight berth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference playoffs and finished 106-2 overall, 7-3-1 in league play—the team’s
fourth double-digit victory season in the past
five years. Augsburg’s 15 points in conference
Greg Holker, named MIAC
play this season were the most for an Auggie
Coach of the Year
squad in the 21-season history of the program.
Meanwhile, the Auggie men reached the league’s four-team postseason playoffs for the first time, finishing the season 13-3-3 overall,
5-2-3 in conference play. Augsburg finished with its most victories
(13) since its MIAC championship season of 1975 (15-2-1), and
claimed its most points in league play (13) since its last MIAC title
season of 1980 (11-1-3 overall, 9-0-3 MIAC, 21 points). Head coach
Greg Holker was named MIAC Coach of the Year this season.
Augsburg was the lone school to have both its men’s and women’s
soccer teams qualified for the MIAC postseason playoffs this year.
Both teams set school records along the way. Both teams were
unbeaten and did not give up a goal until the women were scored
upon on Sept. 20—Augsburg went the farthest among all NCAA
Division III soccer teams in having both its men’s and women’s teams
unbeaten and unscored upon.
For both the Auggie men’s and women’s teams, the future looks
bright. The men lose just three senior regulars to graduation, while
the women lose only five.
—Don Stoner
Marathoner
extraordinaire
Mary Croft ’79 didn’t catch the
running “bug” until she was in
her late thirties, a relatively late
start for a serious athletic career.
But that bug has taken the
Augsburg alumna around the
world and earned her numerous
unique distinctions in the world
of distance running.
Croft is one of only 67 people—including just eight
women—to have run in every
Twin Cities Marathon over the
25 years of its existence. She has
run a marathon in each of the 50
states—a feat that only 285 individuals have accomplished.
And over the past quartercentury, she has run in about
140 marathons and 30 ultramarathons—races ranging from 30
to more than 100 miles in
length.
She credits her running
career to her return to Augsburg
as an adult learner to complete
her bachelor’s degree in the late
1970s. She was an Augsburg student in the mid-’60s before starting her career in nursing.
“One of my friends was a
runner, and she was running five
miles a day for her mental health.
I was impressed with that, but I
didn’t start running until I graduated in 1979,” Croft said.
That year, she went to
Duluth to watch a friend compete in Grandma’s Marathon, and
was encouraged by her husband,
David, to try a marathon herself.
Later that year, the first Twin
Cities Marathon appeared on the
running calendar, and her running career kicked into high
gear.
“I trained for my first
marathon in just 12 weeks,” said
Croft, who noted that she had
As a Charter Club member, Mary Croft ran her 25th Twin Cities Marathon in October,
with a track record of 170 marathons in 50 states and several countries.
only run a 10-kilometer race
competitively before trying a 26mile, 385-yard marathon.
Since then, she has run in
each Twin Cities Marathon over
the past 25 years, a race considered the most scenic urban
marathon in the country.
According to Twin Cities
Marathon officials, Croft, at age
60, is the third-oldest woman of
the eight to have run in each of
the 25 races. She has also completed Grandma’s Marathon, a
race along the Lake Superior
shoreline from Two Harbors to
Duluth, eight times.
She has also run in two of
the most famous marathons
in the country, the Boston and
New York races. She has competed in the Boston Marathon—
a race in which runners have
to achieve a qualifying time
in another marathon to compete—three times, including
the 100th running of the race
in 1996.
“It was just such a historic
event,” Croft said. “Boston is the
epitome of marathoning in the
country.”
In 2004, she accomplished
the feat of running a marathon in
each of the 50 states (and the
District of Columbia)—becoming
the 162nd person at the time to
be able to make that claim. Since
then, the list has grown to nearly
300 members nationwide. She
has also run in marathons in
Russia and Spain.
In addition to her marathoning, she has also competed in
long-distance ultramarathons,
which brought her the most
meaningful moment in her sport.
In 2000, she ran in the 75th
Comrades Marathon, a 56-mile
race in South Africa, considered
one of the top ultra-distance
events in the world.
“It’s the biggest sporting
event in South Africa. It was the
most amazing thing,” she said.
“They were so wonderful. They
greeted us and welcomed us to
their country.”
She even incorporated running into her work. As a nurse at
the Minnesota state prison in
Stillwater, she organized inmates
and members of a local running
club to run a marathon inside
the prison walls each year for a
decade.
“We ran 112 laps around the
prison yard, about 15 to 20 runners,” she said. “It was pretty
well received by the prison
administration.”
Her best time ever was a 3hour, 18-minute effort in 1985 at
the Grandma’s Marathon. Now,
she runs in the 4:20 to 4:30
range; her time in the 2006 Twin
Cities Marathon was 4:28.34,
good enough for third place in
her age group.
“I just run for the health benefits and I enjoy it. If I place in
my age group, it’s an added benefit,” she said. “It’s the adventure,
the travel, seeing other parts of
the country, which is fun.”
She noted that she has been
fortunate not to have suffered
significant injuries during her
career, which she credits to leading a lifestyle of fitness and training in moderation.
She now runs about seven or
eight marathons a year—“I’m
always in training,” she notes—
and has been involved in organizing volunteers for the
marathon in Tucson, Ariz., where
she and David spend their winters. The Crofts live in Bayport,
Minn., during the summers.
—Don Stoner
WINTER 2006-07 9
AROUND THE QUAD
MOVING FORWARD
Kennedy Center now open
The Kennedy Center for Sports and Recreation has opened for classes,
with health and physical education staff and coaches moving into their
new offices. It will be formally dedicated on May 4.
The three-story addition to Melby Hall features a new wrestling
training facility, increased classroom space, expanded locker-room
facilities and expanded fitness facilities, as well as hospitality, meetingroom, and office space.
The new Alan and Gloria Rice Wrestling Room provides a spacious training area for
the champion Auggie wrestlers. It also provides a training facility for Greco-Roman
wrestling.
The Kennedy Center, the new three-story south wing added to Melby Hall, is open
for classes, athletic teams, intramural teams, and fitness.
In the left back corner of the photo, the roof of Lindell Library provides context to
the construction of the Oren Gateway Center, scheduled for completion in the fall.
Oren Gateway Center
Scheduled to open in fall 2007, the four-story Oren Gateway Center
will be the home of the StepUP program and other residential students in substance-free housing. The administrative section of the center will house the Institutional Advancement staff and an alumni relations conference center.
On the street level, a Barnes & Noble bookstore will serve as a
welcoming place in the neighborhood for books, readings, and coffee.
The Gateway Center will anchor a new circular entrance to the
College, flanked by Lindell Library and Foss Center.
The illustration on the sign in the photo shows the orientation of
the new center, facing the circular entrance to the College.
10 AUGSBURG NOW
After 23 years at Augsburg,
Margaret Anderson retired as
head librarian in 1990. She had
just spent several years studying
and documenting the need for a
new library building, and then
convincing the College to build
it. Now, 16 years later, she continues to work in Lindell Library
one day a week as a volunteer—
in the new building she labored
to justify.
In the first two years following her retirement, she took time
off. But then, she couldn’t turn
down a phone call asking her to
help troubleshoot problems the
librarians were facing in creating
barcodes for all materials.
There were lots of problems—“books without barcodes,
and barcodes not connected to
books,” Anderson says. Once
that process was straightened
out, she began working on a
series of long-term special projects that, without additional staff
and a meticulous eye, probably
never would have seen the light
of day.
For one project, Anderson
classified videotapes from many
years of College events that had
been turned over to the library—
which meant that she first had to
view each tape for content and
date, and then write a short
description.
Another similar project
involved classifying a collection
of sound recordings, for which
her music minor in college
proved extremely helpful.
With history and knowledge
of the Dewey Decimal System,
Anderson has also aided in classifying and cataloging fiction, the
only books in the library to use
the Dewey system.
Her current project tops all
others. In 1994, writer and
activist Meridel LeSueur donated
her personal library of more than
4,500 items to Augsburg College.
A change in
REFERENCE—
from LIBRARIAN
to volunteer
BY BETSEY NORGARD
It’s housed in the library’s Special
Collections Room, but has not
been easily searchable. After
working for more than two
years, literally from book to
book, Anderson hopes next year
to complete an extensive spreadsheet index that will enable the
collection to be searched by title,
author, and subject.
In reflecting on her 40 years
of library work, Anderson says
that the heart of the work has
not changed. “It still means connecting readers and scholars with
sources,” she says, “but now,
both in print and online.” What
has changed dramatically is the
way librarians fulfill that role,
and the different tools they use.
One of the tools that made a
huge difference in students’ (and
librarians’) lives was the development of the CLIC (Cooperating
Libraries in Consortium) system,
making materials from more
than a dozen college libraries
available on loan.
In the 1960s, Anderson was a
cataloguer, and she tells of how
librarians phoned each other to
check on availability by looking
at catalog cards for all the books.
She recalls that Karlis Ozolins,
her predecessor as head librarian, often would track down students with cars to pick up the
materials from other locations.
Two decades later, catalog
cards became relics and library
collections became housed on a
database, introducing new physical requirements for technology
in libraries. Already Anderson
had fought for improvements to
the aging Sverdrup Library,
including carpeting to replace
the loose asbestos tiles she continually removed. Upstairs, it
was so cold that the case for a
new building became obvious
when students were seen studying in mittens.
In 1982 the new Weekend
College increased the College’s
enrollment and brought new
demands on the librarians. At
the time, Anderson recalls, the
library staff was 4.75 full-time
equivalents.
Over the next few years,
Anderson detailed and documented what would be required
to meet College needs and help
it remain competitive. In the
process, she studied and visited
many libraries. She made her
case before retiring, and then—
as a volunteer—helped supervise
the move into the new building.
While it’s rewarding to work
in the new library, it’s really the
people, she says, who keep her
coming back each week. “The
people I worked with have been
among my best friends and they
were a big reason why I wanted
to stay in touch.”
Since her retirement 16 years ago, Margaret
Anderson has continued to volunteer in the
library to stay connected with the staff she
enjoyed during her career.
“We just think of her as one
of us,” current library director
Jane Ann Nelson says about
Anderson. Current cataloging
coordinator Betty Joyce talks
about what a wonderful mentor
Anderson has been to her.
Anderson’s career at
Augsburg has been part of an
Augsburg family affair, dating
back to 1949, when her husband, Ray, was appointed to
teach speech and theatre. He
retired in 1990, the same year as
his wife.
All three of the Andersons’
sons graduated from Augsburg—
Dean ’77, Stuart ’78, and Brian
’82. Stuart teaches in the
Department of Physics, but also
worked in the new library for
several years in information technology. He still spends some time
there as assistant director for
instructional course design in the
Center for Teaching and
Learning. Ⅵ
WINTER 2006-07 11
The Inauguration of Paul C. Pribbenow
October 18-21, 2006
Ages
of
Imagination
Over four days in October, Augsburg College inaugurated its 11th
president, Paul C. Pribbenow.
The days were filled with activities connecting its own community
of faculty, staff, students, alumni, and parents with city neighbors,
church leaders, and colleagues from across higher education.
Events included discussions on civic engagement, roundtables on
public education, service projects, and celebrations filled with music,
art, and good conversation. Each day at the “Abundance” lunches,
those who attended donated food and money to fill the food shelves
at the nearby Brian Coyle Community Center.
Inauguration Day, October 20, began with a Festival Service and
Holy Communion, officiated by Mark Hanson ’68, ELCA presiding
bishop, with the sermon presented by Rev. Dr. Robin W. Lovin,
Southern Methodist University. The investiture ceremony was held in
the afternoon.
Completing the inauguration was a morning of service in the community, preceding outdoor family activities and an Auggie football
game against Carleton College.
For additional information and photos from the inauguration, go to
www.augsburg.edu/inauguration.
In a lighter moment, Paul and Abigail Pribbenow,
with daughter Maya, enjoy festivities in the tent
during inauguration week.
Ages of Imagination
The theme of the inauguration, “Ages of Imagination,” was drawn
from The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, one of the most influential
works of British poet and artist William Blake (1757–1827).
From The Marriage of Heaven and Hell:
The Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel dined with me, and I asked them how they
dared so roundly to assert, that God spoke to them; and whether they did
not think at the time, that they would be misunderstood, and so be the cause
of imposition.
Isaiah answer’d, “I saw no God, nor heard any, in a finite organical
perception; but my senses discover’d the infinite in every thing, and as I was
then perswaded, & remain confirm’d; that the voice of honest indignation is
the voice of God, I cared not for consequences but wrote.”
Then I asked: “does a firm perswasion that a thing is so, make it so?”
He replied, “All poets say that it does, and in ages of imagination this
firm perswasion removed mountains; but many are not capable of a firm
perswasion of any thing.”
(Top) The newly-invested President Paul C. Pribbenow greets his colleagues in higher
education following the ceremony. From right to left, he greets Kathryn Jeffrey, president of Hennepin Technical College; Linda N. Hanson, president of Hamline
University; Lois (Peterson) Bollman ’69, vice president of strategy, planning, and
accountability at Minneapolis Community and Technical College; James L. Peterson,
As Augsburg College celebrated the inauguration of its 11th president,
it also celebrated its calling as a college, and imagined itself in future
ages, using “AGES” to remind it of the four themes of this new era:
Abundance, Generosity, Engagement, and Service.
In moving these four “mountains,” Augsburg College, under the
leadership of Paul Pribbenow, will continue to demonstrate how the
power of imagination can transform the lives of its students and its
community.
14 AUGSBURG NOW
president of Gustavus Adolphus College; and (tallest, with mortar board) the president’s brother, Dean Pribbenow, dean of the School of Integrative Studies at
Edgewood College. (Above) Student Government president Maria Mitchell led the
responsive prayer during the Inauguration Ceremony.
Excerpts from the sermon
for the inauguration of
Paul C. Pribbenow
The Rev. Dr. Robin W. Lovin
Cary Maguire University Professor of Ethics
Southern Methodist University
(Left) Rev. Robin Lovin, from Southern Methodist University, preached about moving
mountains at the Festival Service on Inauguration Day. (Right) ELCA presiding bishop
… I greet you on behalf of all of us who have known and
worked with Paul Pribbenow over the years and benefited
from his leadership in many different places. …
I am also welcoming you to your own future, because
those of us who have worked with Paul Pribbenow in the
past know what you can expect in this new phase of the history of Augsburg College that we inaugurate today. … as I
looked at the [Inauguration] program with its multiple
events and its common themes, I spotted the Pribbenow
imprint of energy and organization. …
And I suppose that what you want to know about the
future from my knowledge of the past is whether it is really
true that this guy can move mountains. I’m here to tell you
that he can, and I’m also going to tell you how he does it. …
The way [he] moves mountains is to figure out what
everybody else is already doing and tie those activities
together into a single mission with a unified message, so that
when the mountain moves, it’s because you moved it. …
Education is supposed to be about expanding our vision
of the world and changing the way we see our own place in it.
It is about asking new questions, and questioning familiar
answers. It should change us in fundamental ways, not just fill
our heads with facts. Education is inseparable from change,
personal and social, change in ideas, goals, and priorities. …
and Augsburg parent Mark Hanson ’68 presided at the service.
The word of greeting I bring you from the past is that
great things are possible for Augsburg College, beginning
today, because you have a leader who will listen to you, who
can see the possibilities that you see, and who can bring
them together in new ways that will empower you and energize all these people who want a future of abundance, generosity, engagement, and service for this institution.
But the word I bring from the Lord, the word that cuts
across past, present, and future, comes to you today in the
form of a question. It is addressed equally to students, faculty, and staff, addressed to alumni, supporters, and to the
church. And it is addressed to the president. The question is,
“Do you really want to move the mountains?”
I think you recognize the opportunity, and I pray that
you will enjoy the blessings that come with accepting the
vocation: That through humility and even sorrow, your
hunger for truth and justice will be satisfied; that through
integrity and generosity in judgment, you will see God; and
that through the knowledge you create and share, the world
will find peace, and you will be called the children of God.
(Left) President Pribbenow gets a hug from his father, Rev. Jerome Pribbenow, who read from the gospel during the service. (Right) Associate Dean Frankie Shackelford stands
amid a sea of academic vestments as the faculty line up for the inauguration processional.
WINTER 2006-07 15
Excerpts from “Thanksgiving”
Inaugural address by
Paul C. Pribbenow
October 20, 2006
Thank you for being here today for this celebration of Augsburg
College. I am inspired by your faithful lives, and I accept the call to
be your partner in service to Augsburg with gratitude, resolve, and
humility. …
Authentic life—especially a life of faith—begins and ends in gratitude and in thanksgiving. We come together with the humility of
thanksgiving, the recognition that life is a gift and a privilege not to be
misused or misled, and, I might add, not to be missed. The late Henri
Nouwen once wrote that “Gratitude … goes beyond the ‘mine’ and
‘thine’ and claims the truth that all of life is a pure gift.”
All of life is a pure gift.
Let these words of mine, then, become my thanksgiving to God
and to all of you, my psalm of gratitude for this college, for its mission
and values, and for the cloud of witnesses gathered here today and
scattered across time and space that hold Augsburg College in their
hearts and minds. …
“In ages of imagination,” [the poet William] Blake tells us, the
power of the imagination, the power of belief, the power of a ‘firm
persuasion’ can move mountains. We must decide, today, to live in
one of those ages of imagination, in fact, to use our imaginations to
create a new era for the College. …
(Above) Augsburg Board of Regents chair Ted Grindal ’76 places the seal of the
College around the neck of Paul C. Pribbenow, who is invested as the 11th president
of Augsburg College. (Below) To conclude inauguration week, the College gathers in
community service to clean up along the Mississippi riverbank. (Right) Paul and Abigail
Pribbenow lead the recessional out of Hoversten Chapel after the Festival Service.
16 AUGSBURG NOW
For the complete texts of Rev. Robin Lovin’s sermon and President
Pribbenow’s inaugural address, go to www.augsburg.edu/president
(Left) Sounds of the big band organized and led by music professor
Robert Stacke ’71 fill the tent during inaugural week festivities.
(Below) Student Government public relations officers Rachel
Forsberg (left) and Kati Welt (right) present a giant card with inauguration congratulations from students to President Pribbenow.
There are four themes to my presidency. … These four
themes are Abundance, Generosity, Engagement, and
Service. Think of them as the “AGES” in Ages of
Imagination. … Augsburg is already blessed to have all of
these things, though we sometimes don’t recognize these
great gifts—gifts that God has given us, and gifts that we
were meant to care for and pass on. …
During my short time here at Augsburg, I have been
challenged to think again about the role of colleges and universities in an urban setting. I am committed to the mutual
dependency of colleges and the city. The paradigm for the
relationships between cities and higher education must be
less about extracting benefits from each other, less dependent on incidental impact, and more focused on the various
resources that can be shared in the pursuit of a more robust,
healthy, and meaningful urban life. …
I know that you share with me this deep sense of
thanksgiving for this college and its remarkable commitments. What we do here matters—to our students, our
neighborhood, our city, the church, and the world.
What we do here is significant—because our work is
grounded in a deep and confident faith, because it enjoys a
history of love in a community of memory and tradition,
because it believes deeply in intellectual curiosity and personal courage, and because it is full of hope.
What we need now is imagination—and faith, and fearlessness—to hear and follow the call to be a college committed to the liberal arts in all that we learn and teach; a college
grounded in faith and values that are the source of our firm
persuasion; a college located in a place full of life and
urgency that draws us out of our insular selves; a college
engaged with a creation rich in difference that constantly
surprises us.
What fun we’re going to have! Ⅵ
WINTER 2006-07 17
Many of the mentors and mentees in Scholastic Connections, including both
day and weekend students, gathered in November to celebrate the
program’s five-year anniversary. (L to R) Jim Genia ’87, Chris Adams ’07,
Natalia Pretelt ’03, Nhia Lee ’02, Luis Lopez Monterrubio ’09, Purity Ouma
’08, Mary Murzyn ’08, Killa Martinez-Aleman ’08, Eloisa Echavez ’94, ’96 MEL,
Georgette Christensen ’96 MSW, Bernice Arias-Sather ’97, Julianne Lynum
Leerssen ’00, Ami Nafzger ’94, Sama Sandy ’08, Ashley Stoffers ’08, Miguel
Sotamba ’08, Derek Francis ’08, Alex Gonzalez ’90.
MAKING
connections
BY BETSEY NORGARD
SCHOLASTIC CONNECTIONS—THE NAME SAYS IT ALL.
It’s about making connections.
In November, this scholarship-mentorship program marked the beginning of its sixth
year. At the annual dinner, senior Chris Adams spoke on behalf of the students.
“Through this program, I’ve learned to connect with many different kinds of people,”
said Adams. “This program has helped me understand the fundamentals. And these
fundamentals have helped me understand the connections between hard work, talent,
commitment, and their relationship to good grades, lifelong friends, engaging teachers,
and a lot about life in general.”
Each year, five Day College students of color—African-American, American Indian,
Asian, and Hispanic/Latino—are selected by Augsburg’s four ethnic services directors for
a $5,000 scholarship. They are also paired with a mentor who is an Augsburg alumnus/a
of color, with the idea being to connect leaders of today with leaders of tomorrow. Most
students are paired with mentors of their own ethnic group.
The scholarships are renewable annually, so students can remain connected with
their mentors as long as they are at Augsburg. Thirty students have participated in the
program since its inception in fall 2001.
18 AUGSBURG NOW
Having a mentor like Noro Andriamanalina (right), who is also an African
woman and has achieved a successful career, inspired Melat Woldegebriel
(left) to set higher goals for herself.
Scholastic Connections was the creation of columnist, playwright, and consultant Syl Jones ’73 and was designed to assist students of color to succeed at Augsburg, while engaging our alumni of
color in the College’s commitment to an intentionally diverse community. This concept of combining financial aid and mentoring garnered national notice for the program when it began.
Vivian Jenkins Nelsen, president and CEO of the INTER-RACE
Institute, a diversity think tank based at Augsburg, has been instrumental in implementing and sustaining Scholastic Connections. She
says that while mentoring is common within community organizations and in the corporate world, she is convinced that it is vastly
underrated at the college level.
With Scholastic Connections, students can pursue their careers
already connected with mentors, who are able to network within
their own communities on behalf of their mentees.
The pairs of alumni and students create their own styles of relationships. Some are largely career-driven with specific goals planned
out, while others focus around personal issues, self-confidence, and
life decisions.
Mathew Shannon says about his mentor, Chad Jackson, “I was
looking for a friend who could be supportive enough to keep me
encouraged and real enough to hold me accountable to the high
expectations I set for myself and the company I keep.”
Attorney Jim Genia’s career has been a big factor in his mentorship with Chris Adams. Adams says that in addition to learning
how Genia has been a successful lawyer, Genia has been helping
him network to find an internship in a local law firm before entering law school.
Xia Xiong also worked on career planning. “I definitely feel that
my mentor had an impact on what I am doing with my life today,”
says Xiong. “She guided me in figuring out what I wanted to do
upon graduation and helped me find resources in order to get
where I wanted to go. I think having someone who has gone
through the same path makes it so much easier.”
In some cases, cross-mentoring occurs to also connect mentees
with other mentors who match their interests.
Culture was an important factor in the partnership of Melat
Woldegebriel, from Ethiopia, and Noro Andriamanalina, from
Madagascar. Woldegebriel says, “Knowing that my mentor is from
Africa and seeing her as a successful person makes me realize that I
can be like her if I work hard like her. On top of her responsibility
at her work, [she] takes part in church and community activities. I
learned a lot from that and increased my extracurricular activities.”
Andriamanalina adds, “You don’t have to be in the same discipline or line of work to have a positive and rewarding mentoring
relationship. Melat and I were able to connect on many levels. We
are both African women balancing different roles and expectations
within and outside of our communities.”
“It’s clear that although the match did not seem perfect at first,
as I am in education and she is in accounting,” Andriamanalina
continues, “we had so much more in common than we ever imagined and learned from one another in the process.”
The value of the program to students is obvious: needed financial assistance, plus the experience of having role models who have
already been through the challenges and pitfalls of college and
career who can serve as guides.
For the mentors, their learning often includes the satisfaction of
helping others maneuver these challenges.
For mentor Eloisa Echavez it is “to be energized and contribute
to the development of a young professional who has many dreams
and plans for the future.”
Mentor Chad Jackson says, “For me it was a way to connect
with an African-American student … who had gone through the
same things I did. It showed me the importance of investing in
youth.”
The four ethnic services directors recommend alumni of
Augsburg to be invited as mentors, and Jenkins Nelsen serves as the
guiding force in making the mentorship connections. She provides
training to both mentors and mentees on how to work together to
get the most from their relationships.
WINTER 2006-07 19
In addition to the individual mentoring activities,
Jenkins Nelsen brings the entire group of mentors and
mentees together at various times during the year for cultural celebrations and other social and community activities. Both Genia and Adams have found these gatherings to
be times when the group can learn about each others’ cultures and appreciate the differences and similarities.
The creation of Scholastic Connections came about in
response to a difficult situation in Augsburg’s history. In
1986, alumnus Elroy Stock ’49 gave a $500,000 campaign
naming gift to Augsburg. When it was discovered that he
was the author of thousands of letters sent to interracial
couples and adoptive parents urging “racial purity,” the
College decided it would not put Stock’s name on the
building. Charitable gift regulations prevented the return of
the money, which led to a lawsuit by Stock that was later
dismissed.
In 2001, Syl Jones (himself a victim of Stock’s mail
campaign) proposed an endowment in the same amount of
Stock’s gift to offer scholarships for students of color and
mixed race. The program supports them in achieving academic success and developing leadership skills.
President Paul Pribbenow, in remarks at the annual
dinner, commented that Scholastic Connections is “an
example of the College at its best,” supporting its mission
and commitment to provide access to college for all students.
Overall, there is little doubt that the program is successful. So far, more
than half of the former students have gone on to complete higher degrees.
Echavez says the program enables Augsburg “to make a greater impact on the
lives of the students of color going beyond the academics, extracurricular
activities, and financial aid.”
Woldegebriel believes that more international students of color will be
attracted to Augsburg, knowing that through Scholastic Connections they can
be paired with a mentor of similar cultural background.
At the annual dinner, Genia, an attorney and lobbyist, spoke of the fact
that among Minnesota’s 201 state legislators, there are only five or six senators
Although Xia Xiong (left) comes from a different cultural background than her mentor, she appreciates the guidance that Eloisa
Echavez (above) was able to give her to plan for the next steps in
her studies and career. Since Echavez had never mentored anyone
outside of Latino culture, she enjoys learning from Xiong and
helping her pursue her dreams.
20 AUGSBURG NOW
and representatives of color, with no American
Indians.
“The legislature is making decisions every day
that affect all Minnesotans’ lives,” Genia said. “If some
groups are under-represented, … then life-changing
decisions are potentially being made without taking
into account the unique perspectives and cultural
beliefs of these groups.
“Until all races are represented in the halls of
government, in the business world, or in the academic world at the same rate at which they’re represented
in the general population,” he concluded, “we’ll need
programs like Scholastic Connections.” Ⅵ
(Left) Through Scholastic Connections,
Chris Adams learned to connect with different kinds of people—something that
helps him in his current real estate work,
and as he prepares for a law career. Jim
Genia’s (far left) work as an attorney and
lobbyist provides the networking to assist
Adams with internships and law school in
planning for that career.
SCHOLASTIC CONNECTIONS
Mentees and Mentors interviewed for this story:
CHRIS ADAMS ‘07 (sociology)
Real estate broker
Vilana Realty
MELATEWORK WOLDEGEBRIEL ’05
(accounting)
Moving back to Addis Ababa
JIM GENIA ’87 (sociology)
Lobbyist/Attorney
Animiki LLC
NORO ANDRIAMANALINA ’91
(English, religion)
Program Adminstrator in The
Graduate School and Faculty
Fellow at the Center for Teaching
and Learning, both at University of
Minnesota
XIA XIONG ’05 (sociology)
Graduate program:
Counseling and Student Personnel
Psychology, University of
Minnesota
Intern—Multicultural Center for
Academic Excellence, University of
Minnesota
ELOISA ECHAVEZ ’94
(computer science), ’98 M.A.
Educational Leadership
Executive Director
La Oportunidad, Inc.
MATHEW SHANNON ’04
(business, communication arts)
Administrative Assistant
Soft Computer Consultants
CHAD JACKSON ’97
(elementary education)
Account Executive
Bluewater Direct
WINTER 2006-07 21
Jesse Docken has enjoyed the companionship of four AIBO dog robots that he
has used to help beginning students learn basic programming as well as to
provide him challenges for more complex programming.
F
See AIBO walk …
and sit …
and wigg le its ears
BY BETSEY NORGARD
22 AUGSBURG NOW
our black-and-white dogs have taken up residence in
Augsburg’s computer science lab, and sophomore Jesse
Docken has become their keeper, trainer, and researcher.
The dogs are called AIBO, for Artifical Intelligence roBOt,
and were created by Sony Corporation in 1999. Designed as
futuristic pet robots, thousands of them with price tags of
$1,500-2,000 have been purchased and taught to play games,
shake their legs, wiggle their ears, say their names, and let their
owners know when they’re happy, angry, and bored.
There is even a “four-legged league” of AIBOs that compete
around the world in RoboCup, an international robotics competition.
Last fall, computer science professor Karen Sutherland took
the AIBOs to her Introduction to Computer Science, a course
required for all computer science, mathematics, and management information systems (MIS) students.
As far as robots go, the AIBOs are quite complicated crea-
tures, capable of highly-advanced programming. Their best
feature, however, is that their basic programming is relatively easy—much of it is self-contained and doesn’t
require proficiency in a programming language.
The task in the AIBO lab is for student teams of mostly
freshmen and sophomores to write an easy program, transfer it to a memory card, plug it into the AIBO dog robot,
and see if it goes through its routine correctly.
“The code is easy to read because it uses commands
that you would use for a real dog,” says sophomore Brietta
Schluender. “When working with the code you are able to
change the commands and numbers to see how the dog
reacts; then you can easily conclude how the changes in
the code make the dog’s actions differ.”
The students turn on the switch and watch cautiously
as their dog slowly comes to life. First a stretch, and then
one, two, three, and four shakes of a paw—so far so good!
After making several turns, AIBO ends with “an amazing
amount of ear wiggles,” as one student describes it.
Sutherland introduced the AIBOs into her class as part
of a collaborative grant—with Berea College and the
University of Minnesota—from the National Science
Foundation. Her goal is to engage and attract more students, especially women and minority students, to computer science study. The AIBOs offer an easy way to teach
the basics of programming and robotics while having fun.
“It’s easy for the students to see how the AIBO reacts to
their program, and it does cute things,” Sutherland says. “If
they can see the program physically happen, they understand it better.”
Docken, a computer science major, works with
Sutherland in the class, lending a hand when students run
into programming glitches or when the AIBO’s routine
doesn’t work. In his own research, in addition to making
the AIBOs perform various tasks, he has studied different
means of programming to ascertain which methods are
easier and harder. These results will inform how robots
might be used in future class projects.
He has enjoyed working with his new robotic pets.
“I’ve been fascinated with learning how to make them do
certain things, for instance, how to change which lights
come on [to show emotional responses], how to make
them walk, or how to make them play sounds to music.”
Working with the AIBOs will help him move into more
complex robotics.
Docken’s primary interest is artificial intelligence (AI).
“I’ve had a few ideas I’ve played around with,” he says,
“and I hope to begin AI research to make algorithms that
Sophomore Jesse Docken (second from left) helps junior David Yanagisawa and sophomore Alex
Garver with their programming to make the AIBO dog robot perform its routine, while computer
science professor Karen Sutherland looks on.
Freshman Melissa Moberg (left) and sophomore Brietta Schluender joke with Docken about the
tricks they can make the AIBO dogs perform.
could provide a more sophisticated means of handling emotions and simulate
primitive emotional responses to external stimuli.”
This could be applied, he says, in many ways—to robotics for entertainment, e.g. AIBOs that can react in more real ways, to games where characters
can respond to events, and to simulation.
Docken has written a paper on his research that he will present at a regional conference in the spring. Sutherland is using his work plus student feedback
from class labs at all three institutions involved in the NSF grant to develop a
course curriculum that will appeal to a broad spectrum of students with varied
career goals.
And, yes, Docken says their AIBOs have been given names—Sirius,
Snoopy, Scooby-Doo, and Spike. Ⅵ
WINTER 2006-07 23
Polish-born Magdalena Paleczny-Zapp, associate professor
in marketing, brings her experience as an international
business consultant to her students in class.
global
MEET THE INTERNATIONAL FACULTY
Associate professor Magdalena Paleczny-Zapp
(management coordinator) was born and
raised in Krakow, Poland, and taught in several
European institutions before coming to
Augsburg.
Associate professor Amin Kader (international business coordinator) is from Egypt. A
past president of the Islamic Center of
Minnesota, he teaches Islamic Studies in addition to business.
Before coming to the United States in
1970, associate professor and finance coordinator Ashok Kapoor worked at the American
Embassy in his home country of India. He has
brought this international experience into his
Augsburg classroom since 1998.
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
director Bob Kramarczuk was born in western
Ukraine. At the age of five, his family escaped
and hid in the forest for five months keeping
ahead of the front during World War II. His
business
Experience is a powerful teacher. In addition to study abroad programs,
Augsburg’s business students have opportunities to experience global
perspectives in their classrooms every day.
BY BETHANY BIERMAN
family was later shipped to a work camp in
Bavaria before immigrating to the U.S.
Associate professor Fekri Meziou, Tunisian
by birth, has taught at Augsburg since 1987.
“Having faculty of diverse backgrounds is
important to the richness of the academic programming offered in our department,” says
Meziou. “For instance, I am teaching an international marketing course that is approached
from a globally diverse background. We analyze the challenges of marketing products and
services in different regions around the world.
This course can only be taught by someone
who has traveled extensively and has
immersed himself/herself during an extended
stay in the life of the foreign countries.”
“I grew up on a farm outside a small
town,” says Jamie Schiller ’05, who currently
serves as MBA program coordinator. “Most of
my experience with diversity was through the
business department.” Reflecting back on her
undergraduate experience, Schiller remembers,
“[Zapp] helped us understand global differences as well as learn to make culturally sensitive business decisions. … [Meziou] changed
my life and drove me to seek out opportunities
to broaden my perspective of marketing and
business on a global level. He continuously
brought cases to his courses that had global
business challenges. … With the help of the
business faculty, I was able to customize a
study abroad program in England. … I have
Associate professor Fekri Meziou brings case studies from his own cultural experience
From his years of working at the American Embassy in India, associate professor
to his international marketing course.
Ashok Kapoor can teach finance, drawing on extensive knowledge of both
cultural contexts.
24 AUGSBURG NOW
Trading Places
grown to appreciate international differences in
other country’s beliefs, norms, and value sets.”
“Students leave the place more openminded than the day they came,” Zapp asserts.
John Cerrito, assistant professor and
department chair, says, “The course descriptions are broad enough so faculty members can
bring in their own flavor and expertise.”
“In the current context of globalization,”
says Kapoor, “my international experience
comes in handy in all my classes, but especially in the international finance classes. My work
experience overseas provides many examples
to my students and helps them keep an open
perspective leading to better decisions both
professionally and in their personal lives.”
Senior Dulce Monterrubio is a perfect
example of this. She came to Augsburg from
her hometown of Mexico City. She says, “It was
Magda’s own experience as an international
business consultant that made me understand
that being an international student here at
Augsburg was just the first step, but that successfully adapting to a second, third, or
fourth culture would be what truly would
make me the international educator/professional I wanted to become.” Monterrubio is
using her cultural experiences, which include
studying abroad in Spain, in her current role
as a program assistant in Augsburg’s Center
for Global Education.
Along with representing differences in
ethnic backgrounds, there is significant religious diversity represented in the department.
“The department really does have an
interesting diversity of faith expressions,”
comments assistant professor Lee Clarke,
who also happens to be a former ELCA minister. “For some, it’s very clear to students
because of culture and nationalities. Ashok
[Kapoor] is very upfront talking about his
Hindu faith, and Amin [Kader] and others
are Islamic. For others, it’s not as intentional… Because religion is so close to culture, it
gives students a taste of some of the challenges in global business.”
Cerrito agrees. “The College goes out of
its way to be diverse. In 1983 when I came, I
did not represent the faith, culture, or ethnic
background the culture [of Augsburg] represents, and I’ve never been anywhere where
I’ve felt more accepted.” (Cerrito is Roman
Catholic and of Italian descent.)
Kapoor says, “Both my cultural and religious background allows me to bring a very
different perspective to issues of the day that
we discuss both among colleagues and with
our students.”
Consider two college students in
1980—one, a student at the University
of Minnesota; the other, studying at the
University of Tunis. Both had the desire
to see the world through a new culture.
The two are allowed to exchange
places through the International
Reciprocal Exchange Program.
After her time in Tunisia, the
American returns to Minnesota; the
Tunisian young man decides to stay in
America to pursue his academic objectives. The two meet while serving as cochairs for a selection committee to
choose and orient another student
exchange.
Years later, the two cross paths
again, this time at Augsburg College,
where they both now work. Their
names? Regina McGoff, associate director of the Center for Global Education,
and Fekri Meziou, associate professor of
business.
Meziou says the exchange “was a
wonderful opportunity to share experiences and academic ideas with international students from a number of countries around the world… International
exchanges enable students to immerse
LAYER IN CORPORATE EXPERIENCE
A different kind of culture—corporate culture—is also something faculty add to the
international mix.
Prior to coming to Augsburg in 1995,
David Schwain, assistant professor, served on
Assistant professor Lee Clarke combines both his cor-
themselves in the cultural, social, political, and economic life of another country. The learning outcomes are tremendous and the personal growth opportunities are immeasurable.”
It’s a small world, after all.
porate perspectives from software design and programming with his background as a Lutheran minister
in Augsburg’s MIS classes.
WINTER 2006-07 25
ALUMNI NEWS
From the Alumni
Board president …
Greetings fellow
Auggies,
As I write this, fall is settling
in and the transition to winter
is in the air. Homecoming
week was a great set of
events—I hope you could
attend some of them. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity
to learn more about our
Distinguished Alumni and
Spirit of Augsburg and First
Decade awardees. Their recollections of what life was like
at Augsburg 30-40-50 years ago reminded me of how much
has changed and is changing around us all the time.
Homecoming also set a great stage for President Pribbenow’s
inauguration. I was honored to represent the alumni in the
Inauguration Ceremony and the four days of events surrounding it. The theme of AGES—Abundance, Generosity,
Engagement, and Service—is one we can all be proud of and
take part in as we live our lives in service to the broader
world. If you want to learn a little more about Augsburg’s year
of transition I highly recommend the inauguration webpage,
www.augsburg.edu/inauguration, and the President’s office
page, www.augsburg.edu/president.
By the time you read this, Advent Vespers, Christmas, and the
new year have come and gone, and before too long, Easter
will arrive. Then, in May, another commencement arrives. I’m
starting to deeply appreciate my grandmother’s insight when,
at 90, she told me that the years never seem to go by more
slowly. It’s always faster and faster.
As your new year unfolds, I wish you all the best in your
transitions.
Barry M. Vornbrock ’96 MAL
Alumni Board President
28 AUGSBURG NOW
Auggies at the
State Capitol
Alumni calendar
Congratulations to the following
Auggies who were elected to the
Minnesota Legislature in
November:
February 20
Alumni Board meeting—
5:30 p.m., Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
Sandy Wollschlager ’94 (DFL),
elected to her first term in House
District 28A, representing
Cannon Falls and Red Wing
March 14
Join members of the Alumni
Board Events Committee to volunteer at Augsburg’s Campus
Kitchen from 7-9 p.m. For more
information or to sign up as a
volunteer, contact Liz Pushing at
lpushing@provplace.com. Learn
more about Campus Kitchen in
the GET INVOLVED section at
www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Diane Loeffler ’75 (DFL), elected to her second term in House
District 59A, representing
Northeast Minneapolis
Rod Skoe ’77 (DFL), elected to
his second term in Senate
District 2, representing
Northwest Minnesota. He had
previously served two terms in
the Minnesota House of
Representatives.
Sport an Auggie
license plate
Auggie license plates are available from the Minnesota
Department of Transportation
for a $10 plate fee and a minimum annual contribution of
$25 when renewing registration. The plates can go on passenger class vehicles carrying
not more than 15 persons; this
includes pickup trucks and
vans with a three-quarter-ton or
less gross weight and one-ton
passenger vans. For information, go to www.dps.state.mn.
us/dvs/PlBrochure/CollegiatePla
tes.htm.
April 17
Alumni Board meeting—
5:30 p.m., Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
Check the online calendar at
www.augsburg.edu for a complete schedule of campus
events.
Send in your
nominations
Is there someone you
believe is deserving of a
Distinguished Alumnus/a,
Spirit of Augsburg, or First
Decade award?
Nominations are being
received by the Alumni
Relations Office from now
until March 1.
For instructions about nominating and the nomination
form, contact Becky Taute
at 612-330-1085 or
tauter@augsburg.edu. The
forms are also available on
the alumni webpage at
www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Please consider making a
nomination!
Centennial Singers head to the Southwest
Following a successful series of concerts in Florida in 2006 and
their annual fall concert season in Minnesota, the Augsburg
Centennial Singers will reprise their 2005 tour in Arizona in
February 2007, with additional concerts in Nevada and Utah.
Directed by Alfred (Al) Reesnes ’58, the Singers reflect the gospel
quartet tradition at Augsburg. Formed in 1993 to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of the first Augsburg gospel quartet that
traveled to Norway, the Singers have toured Norway twice, most
recently in 2001.
“Seeing alumni and other friends of Augsburg is a wonderful part
of the touring,” says Reesnes. “Our guys love to sing songs of
praise and we are looking forward to returning to the Southwest.”
Also featured in the concert are songs by a quartet, led by Paul
Christensen ’59, and including Norm Anderson ’60, Paul Mikelson
’70, and Jon Lueth, husband of alumna Marilyn (Buschbom) ’71.
This group recalls Augsburg’s strong gospel quartet tradition over
many years. In addition, a second quartet now presents songs from
a more Southern gospel tradition.
February concerts/appearances
February 6, 7 p.m.
Eccles Concert Hall, Dixie College, St. George, Utah
February 7, 7 p.m.
Community Lutheran Church, 3720 Tropicana Ave., Las Vegas, Nev.
February 8, 7 p.m.
Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church, 15820 Clearview Blvd., Surprise, Ariz.
February 9, 7 p.m.
Vista de la Montana United Methodist Church, 3001 E. Miravista
Lane, Tucson, Ariz.
Alumni reception, 6–6:45 p.m.
February 10, 4 p.m.
Chaparral Christian Church, 6451 Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, Ariz.
February 11, 8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
Worship Services at American Lutheran Church, 172 Del Webb
Blvd., Sun City, Ariz.
Alumni reception between services.
February 13, 7 p.m.
Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church, El Lago Blvd. and
Fountain Hills Blvd, Fountain Hills, Ariz.
Alumni reception, 6–6:45 p.m.
February 14, 7 p.m.
King of Glory Lutheran Church, 2085 E. Southern Ave., Tempe, Ariz.
Alumni reception, 6–6:45 p.m.
A special highlight in the concerts of the Centennial Singers, who number more than
50, is a smaller group of four who keep alive Augsburg’s longstanding gospel quartet
tradition. (L to R): Jon Lueth, Paul Christensen ’59, Paul MIkelson ’70, and Norm
Anderson ’60.
February 15, 7 p.m.
Pinnacle Presbyterian Church, 25150 N. Pima Rd., Scottsdale, Ariz.
NOTE: Augsburg President Paul C. Pribbenow will be the guest
preacher at services on Feb. 17 and 18 at the American Lutheran
Church in Sun City, Ariz. (see address above):
Sat., Feb. 17—4 p.m.
Sun., Feb. 18—8:30 and 10:30 a.m., with a coffee reception
between services.
For information, contact the alumni relations office at 612-330-1085.
Join the Augsburg Online Community
It’s designed just for you—
• Keep in touch with classmates
• Find out what’s happening on campus
• Send class notes about what you’re doing
• Change/update your address and e-mail
• Update your profile so others can find you
• Make an online gift to Augsburg
It’s fast and easy. Already, more than 500 alumni have registered.
Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni—have you signed up?
If you have questions, e-mail healyk@augsburg.edu.
WINTER 2006-07 29
HOMECOMING 2006
Homecoming 2006 brought students and alumni together in record numbers. Fireworks at the pep rally pumped up the crowd, and seniors
Grant Hemmingsen and Sari Gallagher were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. While the football game against Concordia-Moorhead went into
overtime, the Cobbers edged out the Auggies, 34-28, for the win.
30 AUGSBURG NOW
WINTER 2006-07 31
HOMECOMING REUNIONS
Class of 1956
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Dorothy
(Floistad) Benson, Carolyn (Lower)
Bliss, Elizabeth (Mortensen) Swanson,
Chris (Munson) Main, Ron Main.
ROW 2: Augsburg president Paul
Pribbenow, Louise Jones, Laurayne
(Helgerson) Solberg, James Nordling,
Bonnie (Bieri) Vaagenes, Marilyne
Dahl, Wanda (Warnes) Olson, Farolyn
(Johnson) Gehring, Ruth (Borchardt)
Ysteboe Engelstad, Hans Dumpys,
John Haynes. ROW 3: Ted Berkas,
Harvey Lundin, Roger Ose, Chuck
Evavold, Glen Thorpe, Jim Pederson,
Harold Stoa, Rodney Erickson, Tom
Hofflander, Tom Benson, Chuck
Howard, Tom Hoversten. ROW 4: Bob
D. Larson, Bob Gjengdahl, John
Thompson, Bill Anderson, Ardell
Moen, Richard Thorud, Gary Fitch
Class of 1966
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Sylvia
(Steinbeck) Torstenson, Lila (Lee)
Salls, Mary Lynn (Larson) Leff, Rhoda
(Lindekugel) Vandervoort, Grace
(Estenson) Fladeboe, Judith (Erickson)
Coppersmith, Jeanne (Wanner)
Morreim. ROW 2: Karen (Torkelson)
Leverentz, Douglas Johnson, John
Andreasen, Beth Torstenson, Karen
Johnson, Kathleen (Davis) Jacobsen,
Kay (Swensson) Cerkvenik. ROW 3:
Kathryn (Wall) Johnson, Sharen
(Muehlenthaler) Schornstein, Vernice
(Ring) Bishop, Karen (Langseth)
Oelschlager, Marcia (Thimsen) Noble,
Susan (Joesting) Propst, Joan (Alden)
Blomlie. ROW 4: Jerry Maas, Maggi
(Ahlson) Tjaden, Judith (Erickson)
Pittelkow, Kathleen (Kalpin) Franson,
Heidi (Degen) Shurtleff, Ed Huseby,
Richard Mork, Allan Kristenson. ROW
5: Kathleen (Popp) Boggess, Joy
Klemp, Smokey (Wyckoff) Nielsen,
Gracia (Nydahl) Luoma.
32 AUGSBURG NOW
Class of 1981
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Ruth Muschinski, Karla (Morken) Thompson, Janna (Wallin) Haug, Mary Beamish, Molly Olson-Blomgren. ROW 2: Susan
(Dahlgren) Sackrison, Kirsten Schwappach, Maureen Webster, Kristine Johnson, Gaynelle (Webb) Buckland, Leann Rock, Barbara Gilbert, Janis (Blomgren)
Aune, Naomi (Christensen) Staruch.
35th Anniversary of
Metro-Urban Studies
Alumni enjoyed reuniting with former faculty and classmates at the
35th anniversary of Augsburg’s
Metro-Urban Studies program. Paula
(Brookins) Pentel ’78, warmly greets
Fran Torstenson, with professor
emeritus Joel Torstenson ’38 looking
on. In the background, professor
emeritus Myles Stenshoel talks with
Bruce Shoemaker ’81.
WINTER 2006-07 33
CLASS NOTES
1942
Chester and Ebba (Johnson)
Brooks, Duluth, Minn., celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary in June at Gloria Dei
Church in Duluth, surrounded
by family and friends. After more
than 32 years with the National
Park Service, they moved to
Duluth in 1983.
campuses, when the church grew
from 525 to 7300 members. He
and his wife, Bonnie (Bieri) ’67,
have four children, five grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.
1957
Jeanette (Olson) Locke, Inver
Grove Heights, Minn., has been
awarded a grandfather clock after
35 years of service as an H&R
Block employee. She and her
husband, Peter ’60, have lived in
both St. Paul and Scottsdale, Ariz.
children, reading, and golfing.
Lois is director of nursing at the
Burnett Medical Center.
Lowell “Zeke” Ziemann,
Phoenix, Ariz., met up with fellow Auggie Hall-of-Famer Lute
Olson ’56 at the booksigning for
Olson’s new autobiography, Lute!
The Seasons of My Life. Olson is
head basketball coach at the
University of Arizona.
1968
Janet Letnes Martin and
Suzanne (Johnson) Nelson
were awarded the Gold Pen
Award by Metro Lutheran newspaper at their annual dinner in
October, recognizing distinguished
service to Christ and the church
through significant contribution to
public communication. Their
book, Growing Up Lutheran, is the
basis for the currently-running play
Church Basement Ladies. In August,
Janet suffered the loss of her husband, Neil, who died following a
four-year battle with cancer.
1959
1943
The Rev. LuVerne “Red”
Nelson, ’46 Sem, New Hope,
Minn., celebrated the 60th
anniversary of his ordination as a
Lutheran pastor on August 4. He
served parishes in North Dakota,
Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Red
was married to Grace (Carlsen)
’45 and established a scholarship
for voice students in her memory.
He also set up a scholarship for
tuba players.
Gail Castor, Redwood Falls,
Minn., played one season of
Auggie football while a student.
In the Homecoming alumni football game this year, as the oldest
player on the field at age 75, he
made two plays towards the end
of the game, one of which ended
in a touchdown. His efforts were
showcased on several local television stations as well as in
ESPN’s Top Ten Plays of the Day.
He has every intention to play
again next year.
1948
Jeroy Carlson, Burnsville,
Minn., celebrated his retirement
on September 30 after 44 years
of service and was honored at a
reception in October. (See page 3.)
1951
1960
The Rev. Morris Vaagenes,
Shoreview, Minn., recently published Baptism: God’s Activity of
Grace at Kirk House Publishers.
For 38 years, he served as the
senior pastor at North Heights
Lutheran Church and played an
active role in the development of
the Roseville and Arden Hills
The Rev. Myron Carlson,
Grantsburg, Wis., celebrated his
retirement after 37 years as the
pastor of Grantsburg Faith
Lutheran Church. He also served
congregations in Clayton, Wis.,
and rural Clear Lake. Myron is
looking forward to traveling with
his wife, Lois, visiting their three
34 AUGSBURG NOW
1976
Jane Stritesky, Georgetown, Ky.,
has taken a new position at
Northern Elementary School as
elementary music specialist for
grades K through 5. She also
coordinates after school courses
in choir, piano, and guitar.
1963
Carol Ann (Erickson) Zwernik,
Minnetonka, Minn., was named
the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America’s 2006-07 Director of
the Year, an award based on professional achievements and work
in implementing programs for
students, their families, the congregation, and community. She is
the pre-kindergarten director at
Calvary Lutheran Church.
1979
Linda Sue Anderson,
Minneapolis, received rave
reviews in the Star Tribune for
her performance as Big Mama in
Tennessee Williams’ Cat on a Hot
Tin Roof at the Minneapolis
Theatre Garage. The show sold
out in July and was extended
into September.
1982
Diane (Peterson) Kachel,
Woodbury, Minn., has become
assistant director for the newlyestablished Center for Lung
Science and Health at the
University of Minnesota. For
nearly 25 years she has been
actively engaged in lung-related
research and administration
across the academic industry and
government sectors. In her new
role she will focus on lung
research, education, and public
service for the prevention and
treatment of lung cancer.
1985
1991
Tom Terpening, Minneapolis,
appeared on TV’s Deal or No
Deal. Unfortunatly, he didn’t win
the big money, but says he and
his family enjoyed a wonderful
four days in Hollywood for the
taping.
Betty Christiansen, La Crosse,
Wis., became a published author
this fall. Her book, Knitting for
Peace, contains stories about
charity knitting organizations
around the United States, selfhelp knitting groups in countries
recovering from war, and other
folks who are using knitting to
help others around the world.
She hopes the book will inspire
others to pick up their needles
and knit one of the 15 projects
in the book for someone in need.
1986
Debra Balzer-Plagemann,
Roanoke, Va., and her husband,
Rob, welcomed a new daughter,
Sophia, in August.
Lisa Baumgartner, Sycamore,
Ill., recently received tenure and
promotion at Northern Illinois
University to associate professor
in the counseling, adult, and
higher education department.
1987
Barbara Blomberg, Princeton,
Minn., is one of four people
inducted into the Princeton High
School Activities Hall of Fame this
year. She teaches in the Princeton
district and served several years as
the head volleyball coach.
Patricia (Noren) Enderson, Elk
River, Minn., recently joined
Deloitte Services LP, a division of
the Deloitte & Touche LLP firms,
as a marketing manager. She can
be reached at pjend@aol.com.
1994
Michelle (Eaker) Steever,
Cranston, R.I., and her husband,
Frank, welcomed a son, Gavin,
on July 27. He joins big sister
Genevieve, 2.
“PSI House Girls,” graduates of 1982 and 1983,
celebrate a girls’ getaway weekend in June at
Izatys Resort.
(L to R) Lisa (Salmonson) Weatherhead, Marlene (Sorensen) Carr, Cindy
(Winberg) Sisson, Janice (Haselhorst) Hostager, Linda (Dibos) Graslewicz,
Terry Swanson (U of M graduate), Kris (Alexander) Korby, Jean (Lucas)
Horton, Terese (Borgstrom) Almquist.
Auggies at Jellystone
1989
Mark Limburg, St. Paul, has
been published by Concordia
Publishing House of St. Louis,
Mo., for his piano arrangements,
which have appeared in many
collections. Carols for Piano is his
12th published piece. Mark has
been named of one “Today’s Top
Writers” and “Today’s Top
Arrangers.” In 1999, he toured
England with David Soul and
Hugh Burns, the guitarist for
Paul McCartney and George
Michael. Mark is currently completing a CD of original contemporary compositions. You can email Mark at rachoven63@aol.com.
This group of Auggies (Classes of 1995, ’96, and ’97) and their families
celebrated their ninth annual summer outing at Jellystone Park in
Warrens, Wis. All living in the Twin Cites, they are able to get together
often and continue to add “future Auggies” to the clan. Their shirts
read, “First Annual Auggie 5K Walk, Run, & Crawl.” (L to R) Jodi Monson
’96, Gene Louie ’95, Dave and Natasha (Solberg) ’96 Sheeley and daughter Kaia, Brian ’95 and Jennifer (Cummings) ’96 Ackland and children
Ellie and Lucas, Brittany (Lynch) ’96 and Mike Jakubiec, Brooke (Manisto)
’96 and Erik ‘97 Reseland and daughter Elsa, Tom Shaw ’95 and
Stephanie Harms ’96 and daughter Madeline, Nate Markell (fiancé of
Jodi Monson), Dylan Nau ’97 and Wendy Laine ’96 and daughter Lydia,
Andy and Connie (Arndt) ’96 Clausen and children Adam and Aaron.
WINTER 2006-07 35
CLASS NOTES
Kari (Schroeder) Prescott,
Minneapolis, and her husband,
Scott, welcomed their second
child—a son, Soren Theophilus.
He was born on June 28 and
joins big brother Simon, 6. Kari is
a physician with a private practice
downtown and Scott is a middle
school music teacher in Chaska,
Minn.
1995
Tiffany Lynn (Peterson) Garzone,
Rocky Mount, N.C., and her
husband, Steven, have adopted
their first daughter, Natalie,
from China in May 2005. Tiffany
and Steven are both chiropractors and business partners at
Rocky Mount Chiropractic.
1999
Devean George, Dallas, Tex.,
signed a two-year contract worth
$4.2 million with the Dallas
Mavericks. In his first three years
in the league, he became the seventh player in the NBA to win
three championships. He leaves
the Los Angeles Lakers to join
the Mavericks.
Victoria Sadek, New Brighton,
Minn., teaches Honors
Humanities, 20th-Century
American Literature, and
Creative Writing in the English
Department at Mounds View
High School. She also directs the
fall and spring plays and just finished a production of It’s a
Wonderful Life, presented as a
radio broadcast, complete with
sound effects. For it, marketing
students created real “commercials” for local businesses that
benefited the theatre program.
Torma-Agrimson Wedding
Jenell Torma ’00 married Erick Agrimson ’98, on May 20 at Hoversten
Chapel. Jenell is currently a training facilitator at East Suburban
Resources in Stillwater and Erick is an assistant professor in the
Department of Physics and Sonography at the College of St. Catherine
in St. Paul. The couple lives in Roseville, Minn. (Front row, L to R) Prof.
Mark Engebretson, Prof. Ken Erickson ’62, Drew Monteith ’99, Kevin
Wipf ’98, and Larye Pohlman ’98. (Middle row, L to R) Matt Klatt ’01,
Justin Walker ’98, Jenell Torma ’00, Erick Agrimson ’98, and Eric Klatt
’98. (Back row, L to R) Kaydee Kirk ’98, Jessica Rivera ’01, Rachel
Oldfather ’02, Conie Borchardt ’98, Jennifer Warner ’98, Katie Bodurtha
’99, Lois Bordurtha ’73, Lois Agrimson ’60, and Melissa Pohlman ’00.
2001
Leah Carlson, Minneapolis, has
recently moved to Chicago, Ill.,
to become operations specialist
for Dominium Inc. Because the
company has properties in 14
different states, she will be traveling most of the time.
Bonner-Pavelka Wedding
Jessica (Norman) Hafemyer,
Northfield, Minn, and her husband, Eric, welcomed a daughter, Lauren Ann, on October 15.
Lauren weighed in at 9 lb., 4 oz.
and is 22 in. long.
1996
Anna (Lalla) Johnson,
Shoreview, Minn., and her husband, Todd, welcomed a daughter, Kate Morgan, on July 28.
She joins big brother Evan, 4.
36 AUGSBURG NOW
Rachel L. Oldfather, Fargo,
N. Dak., graduated from Luther
Seminary in May with a Master
of Divinity degree and was
ordained June 10. She is now
serving at Trinity Lutheran
Church in Moorhead, Minn., as
part of the Transition into
Ministry Program. She can be
reached at: Rachel@trinitymhd.org.
Lindsay Bonner ’02 married Matthew Pavelka ’02 on August 27, 2005, at
First United Methodist Church in Dallas, Tex. Matron of honor was
Solveig (Grafstrom) Harren ’02, and best man was Jacob Pavelka. Beth
Scott and Sara Seekins ’02 were bridesmaids, and groomsmen were
Jason Pavelka and Devin Fitzsimons. Flower girl was Madison Pavelka.
Ushers were Ryan Bonner ’08, Matthew Brutsche ’00, and Andrew
Gordon ’02. Matthew is a first-year medical student at the University of
Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, Tex., and Lindsay is a voice teacher
on faculty with the Galveston Island Arts Academy, and is currently performing in the East-End Theatre Company’s production of The Full
Monty.
Emily Maeder
(left) Beatrice and Benedick Deanne
McDonald ’04 played the feuding
Beatrice to Andrew Kraft’s Benedick in
Much Ado about Nothing, a production of the Traveling Players, a troupe
formed by McDonald.
(far left) Monster of Phantom Lake (L
to R) Josh Craig (as Professor Jackson)
and Deanne McDonald (as Elizabeth),
in a scene from The Monster of
Phantom Lake (2005).
Actor, director, costume designer
Deanne McDonald graduated in
2004 with a degree in theatre
arts. In the not-quite-three years
since then, she has appeared in a
surprise hit indie b-movie; started
her own acting company, starring
in its premiere production; and
directed her high school alma
mater’s theatre productions—in
between other theatre projects
and working a full-time job.
A year ago, after enjoying several
summer stints with Shakespeare
& Company, an outdoor repertory theatre in White Bear Lake,
McDonald decided to form her
own theatre company. She loved
doing Shakespeare outdoors,
where she says if feels “larger
than life,” and, along with her
sister and a group of fellow
Shakespearean actors, she put
together a company. Its name, the
Traveling Players, comes from the
description for Shakespeare’s own
actors who took their productions on the road when the theater closed to stop the spread of
the London plague.
For their premiere production
McDonald and the Traveling
Players chose Much Ado about
Nothing, which translates well for
a small cast and is quite portable.
McDonald served as producer
and costumer, and acted the role
of Beatrice. The play was performed last August and
September in Como Park, Eagan,
and Burnsville, with some of
their rehearsing done at
Augsburg in Murphy Square.
The Traveling Players’ interpretation of Much Ado about Nothing
included pop music and contemporary costumes, like camouflage
fatigues for Benedick, returning
from war. The production was
limited to an hour, with minimal
sets and an informal, intimate
outdoor setting—all trying to
more closely approximate the
experiences of Shakespeare’s own
audiences.
The turnouts were big, and even
without charging admission, the
costs for the production were
covered through donations.
McDonald’s most unexpected
recent acting success, however,
has come in a low-budget, ’50sstyle fake horror movie, The
Monster of Phantom Lake, created
by writer/director/producer
Christopher Mihm in homage to
his father’s love for the genre.
McDonald plays one of five high
school seniors enjoying a camping trip together in celebration of
their graduation. They fall victim
to a horrific, slimy monster—in
reality, a deranged war veteran
hermit who mutated into a monster from the nuclear waste that
had been dumped into the lake.
The movie was the realization of
Mihm and co-producer and star
Josh Craig’s lifelong dream to
produce a movie. With a digital
camera, at a cost of $1,500, they
brought back the experience—in
black-and-white—of movie-goers
during the 1950s who watched
an array of cheesy horror b-movies.
McDonald joined the cast after
responding to Mihm’s online
notice seeking actors for the fake
horror movie, and filming began
in the woods around the Twin
Cities. The film debuted in
March 2006.
Since then, The Monster at
Phantom Lake has been accepted
to numerous film festivals across
the country, won a number of
independent film awards, and
continues to grow a cult status
and play to sold-out audiences.
Last fall the film traveled with
care packages to Iraq and was
shown on Halloween to soldiers
at the air base.
Already Mihm has a sequel in
production, in which McDonald
has a cameo role.
McDonald’s most recent project,
as a part-time gig, was direction
of Look Homeward, Angel at
Henry Sibley High School, her
alma mater, in Mendota Heights,
Minn. On the production team
also was a fellow Auggie, set
designer Justin Johnson ’06. In
the spring, McDonald returns to
Sibley to direct The Boyfriend.
Last year McDonald’s work also
included another stage appearance in Wind in the Willows, with
New Breath Productions, a musical theatre learning collaborative.
Even with a busy theatre schedule, McDonald works full time at
TMP Directional Marketing, an
ad agency. She says the acting
experience enhances her work
there, especially in role-playing
techniques she uses for sales
training.
For information on upcoming
screenings of The Monster of
Phantom Lake featuring Deanne
McDonald, go to www.monsterofphantomlake.com.
—Betsey Norgard
WINTER 2006-07 37
CLASS NOTES
Laura Waldon and Emily
Brinkman were married on
Sept. 2 at the Inn at Castle Hill
in Ipswich, Mass. Emily graduated from Northeastern University
in Boston in August with a
Master of Science degree in
Physician Assistant Studies.
Laura is currently obtaining her
Master of Fine Arts degree in creative nonfiction writing from the
University of New Hampshire,
where she teaches First-Year
Writing and is the director of the
Online Writing Lab. The couple
lives in Salem, Mass.
Linnea Mohn, Minneapolis, and
her team, including David
Gillette and Rich Kronfeld from
the Comedy Central TV show,
Let’s Bowl, won this year’s 48Hour Film Festival. Their seven
minute short film Dangerous
Proximity was completed from
inception to delivery in 48
hours. The film can be viewed at
www.youtube.com.
Fellow Auggies in the wedding
party included Andi Slack ’07,
Becky Welle ’05, Amy Mackner
’04, Sarah Schultz ’04, Angela
Van Binsbergen ’05, Jon Fahler
’03, T.J. Bramwell ’03, Sam Gross
’03, Paul Amundson, Nick Slack
’02, and Joe Holman ’04.
2004
2003
Cherie Christ, Minneapolis, has
been promoted to director of
electronic communications at
Augsburg and is working over
the next six months on a major
study and redesign of the
Augsburg website.
Danielle Slack ’04 married John
Tieben ’03 on July 9, 2005, at
St. John Lutheran Church in
Belle Plaine, Minn., and spent
their honeymoon in Kauai,
Hawaii. Pastors Dave Wold and
Mark Johnson officiated at the
wedding.
Danielle is a third-grade teacher
in the Edina Public School
District, and John will graduate
in May from the University of
Minnesota School of Medicine.
They live in St. Louis Park, Minn.
38 AUGSBURG NOW
Kelly Chapman, Willernie,
Minn., received the Fashion
Design Award for Outstanding
Fashion Design Student. As one
of only 10 designers to participate in the Advanced Fashion
Design Program for the 2006-07
school year, her first collection
will debut at “FIDM’s Fashion
Gala” in February 2007.
Chad Darr, and his wife, Krista,
welcomed their first child, a
daughter, Addison Lynn, on
Sept. 8. Addison weighed in at 6
lb., 6 oz. and was 19 3/4 in. long.
Sara Kamholz, Maple Grove,
Minn., and her husband, Chad,
welcomed their first child,
Sophia Lyn, on Oct. 19, weighing in at 8 lb., 7 oz. and 20 1/2 in.
Katie Scheevel, Las Vegas, Nev.,
recently began teaching third
grade at Stanford Elementary
School. She can be contacted at
spicerisnicer24@yahoo.com.
2006
Justin Johnson, was set designer
for the fall play, Look Homeward
Angel, at Henry Sibley High
School in Mendota Heights,
sponsored by the Henry Sibley
Drama Club. He has recently
completed other sets, including
productions for Irondale High
School and In the Basement
Productions. He’s pictured here
with fellow Auggie Deanne
McDonald, who directed the
play. See page 37 for more on
Deanne.
2005
Katarzyna (Pruchnik) Niles,
Isanti, Minn., and her husband,
Joe, welcomed their first child,
daughter Helena Violet on July
14. She weighed in at 7 lb., 12
oz. and is 22 in. long.
Graduate Programs
Barry Vornbrock ’96 MAL, and
his husband, Ernest Lewis,
recently relocated to Palo Alto,
Calif. Barry accepted a position
with Stanford Univeristy Medical
Center as the director of IT
Systems Planning-Ambulatory
Care. Besides leading the technology efforts to implement a
new electronic health record, he
will also help Stanford Hospital
and Clinics develop a future
vision of their technology needs
as they grow their ambulatory
(walk in and walk out the same
day) services.
In Memoriam
Stella (Pederson) Eiermann
’30, Pacific Palisades, Calif., age
98, on May 31.
The Rev. Clifford M. Johnson
’34 (’30 Acad, ’39 Sem),
Bloomington, Minn., age 95, on
Oct. 12. He was a Distinguished
Alumnus and served Augsburg as
a fundraising leader, regent and
board chair, and director of
development.
Abner B. Batalden ’35,
Hanover, N.H., age 98, on Jan.
18. He traveled and worked
many years for the Lutheran
Church and Lutheran World
Relief, in social service agencies
and with refugee affairs. At
Augsburg he served as director
of alumni relations and as a
fundraiser; he was a
Distinguished Alumnus.
Wilhelm (“Bill”) Helland ’35,
Spicer, Minn., age 91, on Feb.
16.
Harold E. Mork ’38, Whittier,
Calif., on Nov. 24, 2005.
The Rev. Ormande Gordon
Tang ’41, Arden Hills, Minn.,
age 86, on July 14.
The Rev. Carl J. Carlsen ’43
(’46 Sem), Gig Harbor, Wash.,
age 85, on Sept. 3.
The Rev. Gerhard (“Giggs”)
Bretheim ’46 (’51 Sem), Edina,
Minn., age 78, on July 21 from
cancer.
Roald Nokleberg ’47, Duluth,
Minn., age 84, unexpectedly on
Oct. 12.
Mae Luhn ’50, Crossville, Tenn.,
age 82, on July 22 after a long
illness.
Aileen Okerstrom ’50,
Shoreview, Minn., age 78, on
Sept. 16.
Morris G. Jespersen ’57, Little
Canada, Minn., age 76, on Feb.
8 after a long battle with cancer.
Jack R. Norman ’59, Pennock,
Minn., ate 73, unexpectedly on
Aug. 6.
Gerald L. Peterson ’61,
Owatonna, Minn., age 66, on
Sept. 1.
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu. You can also submit news to the Augsburg
Online Community at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.
Full name
Philip M. Dyrud ’64,
Newfolden, Minn., age 67, on
Sept. 18.
Maiden name
Carolyn (Hove) Dyrud ’65,
Maple Grove, Minn., age 62, on
Sept. 24, 2005, from cancer.
Street address
John A. Bruntjen ’68, Wayzata,
Minn., age 63, on Nov. 3 from
cancer.
Is this a new address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Michael Manz ’70, Spokane,
Wash., age 58, on Nov. 1 of a
heart attack.
E-mail
Mark J. Zachary ’83, Savage,
Minn., age 45, unexpectedly on
July 22.
Employer
Kathrynn Mae Powell ’01, student in the Master of Arts in
Nursing program, Rochester,
Minn., age 47, on Oct. 22 following an accident.
Work telephone
Jason B. Mulligan ’02, St. Paul,
age 28, on Aug. 18 of ALS.
Spouse’s name
Class year or last year attended
City, State, Zip
Home telephone
Okay to publish your e-mail address? ❑ Yes ❑ No
Position
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? ❑ Yes ❑ No
If yes, class year
Maiden name
Luverne (“Vern”) Carlson,
Edina, Minn., age 86, in July.
Your news:
Robert Clyde, Crystal, Minn.,
age 79, on Jan. 9. He was associate professor and institutional
research analyst at Augsburg for
31 years until he retired in 1998.
WINTER 2006-07 39
Stu Stoller, professor of accounting, maintains active
ties with universities in Poland and the Czech
Republic, where has collaborated to develop curriculum, teach seminars, and establish a small-business
incubation center.
a national promotion board that oversaw the
“Got Milk” advertising and promotion program. His industry experience amplifies business theory in the classroom.
Professor Stu Stoller owned his own CPA
practice before going through what he calls
“a mid-life change in careers.”
Prior to joining Augsburg, Assistant
Professor Marc Isaacson worked at Innovex
Inc. in Maple Plain in various quality/engineering roles, including the launch of Flex
Suspension Assemblies into high volume
manufacturing. This took him to Asia frequently as he dealt with issues in global engineering, development, and customer service.
Nora Braun joined the department in
1997 with 20 years of information technology industry experience, most recently with
Electronic Data Systems and National Car
Rental.
Clarke was introduced to Augsburg
when Braun, a colleague, informed him of an
opening in Management Information Systems
(MIS). Clarke had worked for the EDS
26 AUGSBURG NOW
Corporation and National Car Rental System,
Inc., where he served as a software development manager, senior programmer/analyst,
and project leader. “I brought with me a corporate culture, but it was not long before it
became obvious that it was very different
here.”
All of this gives students a better idea of
what to expect in the “real” world. Ana
Chilingarishvili, a senior international relations major from the country of Georgia,
says, “Professor Zapp shared with us all kinds
of experiences she has had in her professional career which enhanced my understanding
of the concepts covered in the textbook and
showed how they can be applied to real-life
situations.”
“It’s paramount that you do what you
teach,” says Stoller. “It’s one thing to be an
academic and understand the philosophy
and the theory, but people become practitioners when they graduate from here, so
they need to understand the rules of practice.
One of the things that experience does is to
give you that practical experience… [What] I
think I give to students that they enjoy are
my stories of what is out there in the trenches of the world.”
GIVE CREDIT WHERE DUE
Cerrito credits the character of the business
department to Amin Kader, who founded it
(formerly it was combined with economics)
and served as department chair for 16 years.
“Faculty are here because of Amin’s leadership and drive. He was very successful at
establishing a culture where all members of
the department are treated with dignity and
respect.”
“When I interviewed here, Amin Kader
was the chair at the time,” recalls Stoller, who
grew up in a Jewish New York City family.
He remembers his family telling him, “‘You
mean you’re teaching in a Lutheran school,
and your boss is Egyptian?’ They said, ‘Boy,
you’re in trouble.’”
“When I got here [in 1990] and saw the
amount of diversity in the department, I
wondered if we would all work well together,” remembers associate professor Lori
Lohman, who is a self-described Midwestern
Protestant. “In a short period of time it
became apparent to me that this would be
the best place I would ever work. My coworkers are exceptional. We support each
other. We respect and value our differences.”
“For me, it would be hard to work in a
department where only one culture was represented,” says Zapp.
CREATE INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCES
The business faculty have actively crossed
borders for their teaching and research—
especially in Central and Eastern Europe.
In 1991, following a trade exhibition in
Pozan, Poland, Cerrito went to Warsaw and
met the vice-mayor of the city of Lublin, who
was also a professor at Catholic University.
“He invited me to visit the campus and meet
with professors. That really started
[Augsburg’s] relationship with Catholic
University and working with Solidarity, the
free trade movement, and privatization
issues. I then brought in Amin [Kader] and
Stu [Stoller].”
Cerrito and Kader were invited by
Catholic University’s dean to develop management degree programs and work with the
university’s faculty to assist them in privatizing state industries. Cerrito and Kader were
also asked to serve as guest lecturers.
In 1996, Stoller was invited to Catholic
University to set up curriculum and to teach
a seminar for financial auditing. “My grandfather came from Poland, from Krakow, and so I
figured I could visit on the way… I knew
nothing about Poland. The only thing I knew
were the black and white newsreels from
World War II… I thought Poland was black
and white.”
Stoller later returned to Catholic
University to set up curriculum and teach sem-
inars in Audit, and Mergers and Acquisitions.
“I learned a lot about different perspectives,
different point of view. It took me out of my
comfort zone and really gave me an education,” Stoller recalls. “But I figured, this cannot
end here, so I asked my colleagues here [at
Augsburg], if they had any connections in central Eastern Europe.”
It turned out that business/MIS professor
Milo Schield’s son was teaching in the Czech
Republic. He connected Stoller with the associate director of intercultural studies at Palacky
University in Olomouc, Czech Republic.
Stoller’s offer to help resulted in his
“thumbprint” on the Czech professor’s financial project over the Internet. This led to a sabbatical, during which time Stoller created an
incubation center for small business in the
community.
Stoller then created a course for Augsburg
students, “The Czech Republic: Social and
Cultural Impact of the Emerging Free Market
Economy,” which integrated history, culture,
and economics. In January 2001, he took 17
students to the Czech Republic for the first
time.
Students met with business leaders, workers, and citizens to discuss the impact of the
privatization process and the development of
capitalist enterprises in the ex-communist
country. The course has evolved since 2001,
but Stoller continues to lead student groups
to the Czech Republic.
Stoller was later invited to set up a similar program in Prague. Stoller has taken students there in 2003 and 2005 and will return
this year.
“Nothing can change you in three weeks
as fast as an experiential education,” Stoller
asserts. “Four years of college don’t change
you as much as three weeks in Prague.”
MAKE WIDER CONNECTIONS
In the mid-’90s, a connection with Russia
was established when Cerrito joined with
political science professor Norma Noonan to
present lectures at and facilitate an exchange
of professors with the State Academy of
Management in Moscow.
In May 2004, President William Frame
and Zapp visited the University of Ljubljana,
Slovenia, to rekindle an exchange program
with Augsburg. Several other business faculty,
including Clarke and Kader, have also visited
Slovenia. The department has hosted four
professors and the country’s prime minister,
Dr. Janez Drnovsek.
On that same trip, Frame and Zapp also
visited Krakow University of Economics,
Zapp’s alma mater. A year later, an exchange
agreement was signed between Augsburg and
Krakow University.
Last summer, through another faculty
connection, Stoller and associate professor
Kathy Schwalbe taught a course in Karlsruhe,
Germany, including four Augsburg students
and 14 students from the Berufsakademie.
More recently, Stoller has developed curriculum, discussed business cooperations, and
has given lectures in Shanghai, China. An
exchange of business programs is being considered as part of ongoing College discussions.
IN SUM
Stoller says his colleagues “tell about their
lives, they bring in their food—it’s wonderful. They talk about their experiences … you
can call up somebody like my friend Ashok
and talk about Indian culture, or Muslim culture, or whatever. It just adds a breath and
depth and experience to the department. We
all work with each other on a professional
basis and rejoice in each other’s differences.”
“It’s outstanding that we have this diversity,” says Kramarczuk. “We’re all God’s children. I’ve seen people die because of their
nationality. When I came into New Orleans
in the early ’50s, I couldn’t understand when
I would get on a bus, why an older black
woman would have to get up and give me
her seat.”
In the words of Lohman, “My colleagues
have expanded my world. It’s been fabulous.”
“We bring to the class very different
worlds,” says Zapp of her colleagues. “We
represent different cultures, different countries, different religious beliefs… The benefits
are immeasurable.” Ⅵ
The Department of Business Administration has
24 full-time faculty, more than 35 part-time faculty, teaching over 700 undergraduate and 300
graduate students.
MBA director Bob Kramarczuk, whose family immigrated to the U.S. after fleeing Ukraine, has enjoyed a career as
an international consultant and is an academician in the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
WINTER 2006-07 27
VIEWS
Icons of an Inauguration
THE SCHOLARLY SYMBOLS
College seals are common inauguration
icons and appear on the many official
congratulations and certificates
President Pribbenow received from his
colleagues across the country. Nearly
50 of these colleagues attended the
inauguration.
THE BOW TIE STYLE
Paul Pribbenow adopted the bow tie on a daily
A giant red bow tie anchored the “President Bush”
Bow ties, again, on the buttons that Student Senate
basis after learning to tie many of them for black
outside of Christensen Center, designed by a team of
distributed across campus during inauguration week.
tie events in his work at the Art Institute of
students led by junior Ben Katz.
Chicago. He believes he currently has more than 50
bow ties in his wardrobe.
THE STUFF
From printed programs to food and coffee, lots of visuals recall this festive
week. The Event Services Office reports that approximately 800 Augsburg
“A” cookies were served at the inauguration reception.
40 AUGSBURG NOW
CALENDAR
For music information, call 612-330-1265
For theatre ticket information, call 612-330-1257
For art gallery information, call 612-330-1524
Note: The Gage Family Art Gallery will close in Lindell Library on Feb. 16. A new
Gage Family Art Gallery will open in the Oren Gateway Center in August.
March 7
faith@work! breakfast series
FEBRUARY
Tim Geoffrion, executive director,
Family Hope/TreeHouse
7 a.m.—St. Philip the Deacon
Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Minn.
www. spdlc.org
Through February 16
“In the Secret Place,”
by Arlene Burke-Morgan
Gage Family Art Gallery,
Lindell Library
Artist talk, Feb. 8, noon,
Minneapolis Room, Christensen
Center
Through February 16
Photographs by Aviel Goodman
Christensen Center Art Gallery
February 2–11
Twelfth Night, by William
Shakespeare
Guest directed by Barbra Berlovitz
Feb. 2, 3, 8, 9, and 10 at 7 p.m.
Feb. 4 and 11 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
February 8
Theatre Artist Series
March 13–16
Aloha, Say the Pretty Girls, by
Naomi Iizuka
February 26-27
Visiting Artists from Japan
Guest directed by Steve Bussa
7 p.m.—Foss Studio Theater
Bidou Yamaguchi (Master Noh Mask
Carver) and Ayomi Yoshida
(Designer, Printmaker, Installation
Artist)
March 25
Augsburg Choir home concert
Feb. 26, Bidou Yamaguchi carving
demonstration
9:10–10:10 a.m., with guest
Matthew Welch, curator of Asian art,
Minneapolis Institute of Arts
11 a.m.–noon, with Martha Johnson,
professor of theatre arts
Marshall Room, Christensen Center
“Technical Direction at the Guthrie
Theater,” Craig Pettigrew, technical
director, Guthrie Theater
1:30–3 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
Feb. 27, Ayomi Yoshida presentation
9:40-10:40 a.m.
Marshall Room, Christensen Center
February 9
Theatre Artist Series
MARCH
“South Indian Dance:
Bharatanatyam,” Ranee Ramaswamy,
artistic director, Ragamala Music
and Dance Theater
11 a.m.–noon—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
February 21
Reading by ACTC visiting writers
Ingrid Wendt and Ralph Salisbury
7:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
March 2
2007 Batalden
Seminar in Applied
Ethics and 25th
anniversary of the
Center for Global
Education
Jorge Bustamante,
president and
founder of El Colegio de la
Frontera Norte
10 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
612-330-1180
March 6
Theatre Artist Series
“Stage Movement Using Viewpoints
as Developed by Anne Dogart,”
Randy Reyes, actor/director
9:40–11:10 a.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
February 23–March 30
“Listen: A Pilgrimage in Watercolor
and Ink,” by Tara Sweeney
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Opening reception, Feb. 23,
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Artist talk, March 9, 4 p.m.
March 6
Theatre Artist Series
“The Scenic Artist,” Mary
Novodvorsky, scenic artist
1:30–3 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
March 28
Theatre Artist Series
“Issues of Race and Ethnicity in
Asian American Theatre,” Josephine
Lee, director, Asian American
Studies Program, University of
Minnesota
11 a.m.–noon—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
April 9-May 6
All-Student Juried Art Exhibition
All-Student Juried Art Exhibition
Award Winners
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Opening reception, April 13, 5-7 p.m.
Awards presentation, April 13,
5:30 p.m.
April 11
Theatre Artist Series
“A History of Mu Performing Arts in
Regard to Contemporary American
Theatre,” Rick Shiomi, artistic director, Mu Performing Arts
11 a.m.–noon—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
March 29
Theatre Artist Series
April 12
Theatre Artist Series
Bain Boelke, Jungle Theatre
11:50 a.m.–1:20 p.m.—TjornhomNelson Theater
“Creating Original Work,” Shawn
McConnologue, artistic director of
Shawn McConnologue and her
Orchestra
11:50 a.m.–1:20 p.m.—TjornhomNelson Theater
APRIL
April 1
Masterworks Chorale concert
4 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
April 3
Theatre Artist Series
“The Production Notebook:
Directing Pericles from Start to
Finish,” Joel Sass, freelance director/designer
9:40–11:10 a.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson
Theater
April 13-22
The Threepenny Opera, by Bertolt
Brecht; music by Kurt Weill
Faculty directed by Darcey Engen
Music direction by Sonja Thompson
April 13, 14, 19, 20, and 21 at
7 p.m.
April 15 and 22 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
April 15
Augsburg Orchestra concert
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
April 4
faith@work breakfast series
April 16
Sverdrup Visiting Scientist Lecture
“Grace at Work” panel
7 a.m.—St. Philip the Deacon
Lutheran Church
www.spdlc.org
“The Exploration of Planetary
Systems,” Fran Bagenal, professor of
astrophysical and planetary sciences,
Laboratory for Atmospheric and
Space Physics, University of
Colorado
8 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
612-330-1180
WINTER 2006-07
Advent Vespers 2006
The 27th Advent Vespers filled
the majestic Central Lutheran
Church for four services of
music and liturgy to begin the
Advent season. For the first
time this year, Central
Lutheran’s new carillon bells
were an added dimension to
the music of the three
Augsburg choirs and Vespers
Orchestra.
— Stephen Geffre, photographer
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Minneapolis, MN
Permit No. 2031
Show less
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Augsburg
Now
FRESH FOOD FOR CITY FOLKS
A BETTER POLICE LINEUP
HANDS-ON HEALING
A PUBLICATION FOR
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
FALL 2006
VOL. 69, NO. 1
Welcome to
the Pribbenows
page 12
P. 30
P. 18
P. 24
6121_Augs... Show more
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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Page 1
Augsburg
Now
FRESH FOOD FOR CITY FOLKS
A BETTER POLICE LINEUP
HANDS-ON HEALING
A PUBLICATION FOR
AUGSBURG COLLEGE ALUMNI & FRIENDS
FALL 2006
VOL. 69, NO. 1
Welcome to
the Pribbenows
page 12
P. 30
P. 18
P. 24
6121_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Letter
from the President
W
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
hat we have loved,
others will love, and we will
teach them how.”
William Wordsworth’s remarkable words from “The Prelude” offer me
the simplest way to introduce myself to the Augsburg community. I am
an educator and college president because I have been blessed in my
life with passionate teachers who have taught me to love great ideas,
imaginative skills, faithful acts, and vibrant communities. I teach and
lead so that others also might love what I have learned to love.
A wise alumna of Rockford College—from which I have arrived to
take up my new post here at Augsburg—asked me during the interview process there in 2001 what I was reading and why. What a great
question and what an intriguing way to know someone.
Allow me therefore to offer a few texts that are always near at hand
for me, and that offer you a glimpse into the issues and ideas that
inspire my work.
The Bible is the source of my worldview. It teaches me of faithful
and abundant lives, of generous love surpassing all understanding,
and of a gracious story that still unfolds around all of us in our lives
in this world and beyond.
The Constitution of the United States sits on my desk as a reminder
of the truths and aspirations of our democracy. In those truths is the
stuff of patriotism, properly understood.
Michael Ignatieff’s The Needs of Strangers is an elegant essay that
draws together some of the best of human thought to help all of us
better understand what it means to care for each other.
Jane Addams’ Twenty Years at Hull-House is the story of a life led
in a neighborhood, serving others and strengthening democracy.
Parker Palmer’s Let Your Life Speak is my roadmap to vocational
journeys.
And Wendell Berry’s What Are People For? challenges us to remember the proper scale of human work and life—and to fight for sustainability in the world bent on destroying itself.
Shall we read together? Shall we find the time to talk together
about great ideas and actions? Shall we work together to make the
world a more faithful, just, and humane place for all God’s people?
I believe that is what Augsburg stands for and I could not be more
pleased—or have a deeper sense of gratitude—for the privilege to
lead this remarkable college.
I look forward to our work together on behalf of Augsburg College.
Yours,
Paul C. Pribbenow, president
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing and
Communications
Christopher Moquist
moquist@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
On the cover:
On July 1, the Augsburg community welcomed Augsburg’s
11th first family—Paul and
Abigail Pribbenow, and their
children, Thomas and Maya.
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave.,
Minneapolis, Minn., 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg
Now do not necessarily reflect
official College policy.
ISSN 1058-1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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18
Fall 2006
Contents
Features
Departments
12 Experience grounded in
2
Around the Quad
mission and vision: Paul
4 Sports
Pribbenow’s call to Augsburg
10 Supporting Augsburg—
by Bethany Bierman
Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for
18 Country Fresh Urban
Augsburg College
Renewal by Tim Dougherty
32 Alumni News
22 Making art and history in
France by Tara Sweeney
34 Class Notes
24 Making their mark in the
40 Views
lineup by Betsey Norgard
and
Calendar
28 Photographer’s pick—
some of the year’s favorites
by Stephen Geffre
22
30 A hands-on approach to
better health by Betsey Norgard
28
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AROUND THE QUAD
NEWSNOTES
Also elected as board officers
are: Dean Kopperud, vice chair;
Dan Anderson ’65, treasurer; and
Jackie Cherryhomes ’76, secretary.
In addition, Pribbenow has
announced the formation of a
Branding Committee, which will
work with materials as they are
developed to strengthen the
College’s position and image.
Promotion to professor
Andrew Aoki,
political
science
Vicki Olson,
education
The president’s
leadership teams
Congratulations, faculty!
Ted Grindal is elected
board chair
At its spring meeting on May 5,
the Augsburg Board of Regents
elected H. Theodore Grindal ’76
the new chair for a six-year term.
“My goal is to help the board
keep true to our vision and mission,” said Grindal, which
includes supporting the president and serving as ambassadors
to the community on behalf of
Augsburg. “If we do these things,
the College will continue to
move forward positively.”
President Paul Pribbenow has
formed two teams to help him
lead the College:
The President’s Cabinet will
be the primary administrative
decision-making body for the
College and includes the two special assistants, five vice presidents,
and chief information officer. (see
photo on p. 14)
The President’s Advisory
Group comprises a representative
group of Augsburg College faculty, staff, and students whose primary role is to convene regularly
on a one-year appointment to
advise the president on key institutional issues, to receive reports
on institution-wide projects and
initiatives, and to engage in an
ongoing conversation about
future opportunities and challenges related to institutional
planning and activity.
Editor’s note
After its first six years, Augsburg Now has received a makeover—
not extreme, but aiming to read more easily, look fresher, and
appear more contemporary with Augsburg’s other communications.
We’ve listened to your comments and hope that you enjoy the
new format for Around the Quad campus news and the Alumni
News/Class Notes. Our features aim to engage you in their remarkable stories and vibrant photography.
Please … write to us with your thoughts. Does Augsburg Now
read well? What changes or improvement should we still consider?
We’d love to hear from you.
2 AUGSBURG NOW
Tenure granted
Matthew
Haines,
mathematics
Augsburg advances in
college ranking
Mark Strefeler,
biology
Tenure granted and promotion
to associate professor
Beth
Alexander,
physician
assistant
studies
Eric
Buffalohead,
sociology and
American
Indian studies
Lars
Christiansen,
sociology
Nancy
Rodenborg,
social work
In U.S.News & World Report’s
2007 listings of America’s Best
Colleges, Augsburg is ranked
23rd in the category of “Master’s
Universities—Top Midwestern,”
an improvement of three places
from last year. For the full listings, go to www.usnews.com.
Augsburg is also named an
“Academic Program to Watch
For” in two categories—ServiceLearning and First-Year
Experience—and is the only
Minnesota private college in
either group.
Hoping for “I do” on
the Today show
WEC student Josh Linde and his
fiancé, Carrie Hortsch, are
among the seven finalists for a
wedding with all the trimmings,
courtesy of NBC’s Today. As they
tackle weekly competitions, their
fate is determined by viewer
votes, with one couple eliminated each week up to Sept. 20,
when the winner is announced.
Go to
www.msnbc.msn.com/id/130830
94/.
6121_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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Three learn
foodservice skills
In its third summer Culinary Job
Training program for the unemployed or underemployed, the
Campus Kitchen at Augsburg
College graduated three people
with newly-earned skills for the
foodservice industry. This year’s
eight-week program focused on
local food production in partnership with Ploughshare Farm (see
the story on p. 18).
Jessica Gaulke is
Aquatennial queen
On July 21, sociology major Jessica
Gaulke was crowned the 2007
Aquatennial Queen of the Lakes.
As ambassador, she will travel
throughout the region representing
the City of Minneapolis and receive
an educational scholarship.
RECENT GRANTS
$9,000 from the C. Charles
Jackson Foundation for a oneyear project to analyze and
develop leadership activities in
the co-curricular program.
$2,000 matching grant from the
Consulate General of Canada in
Minneapolis to purchase library
materials to support Canadian
Studies on campus.
$238,080 renewal of two-year
grant for Academic Fellows from
the U.S. Department of
Education to support summer
research of students who are
first-generation or low-income
college students working with
faculty mentors in preparation
for post-baccalaureate education.
10:57 AM
Page 5
$538,300 in grants from
National Science Foundation to
the Department of Physics to
support the collection of data
and study of Earth’s magnetosphere, or “space weather.”
$26,514 from the National
Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA) to support the research of two physics
students who will carry out data
validation and scientific analysis
of magnetometer data from
NASA’s recently launched ST5
satellites.
$198,000 federal appropriation to
the StepUP Program to refine academic support services, to hire a
chemical dependency counselor
for student caseload relief, to
complete an outside program
evaluation, to develop standards
of practice, and a mentorship
program, and to write a history of
the program in book form.
Kids creating art on Riverside Avenue
Augsburg art faculty member Robert K. Tom, students from the Cedar Riverside Community School,
and volunteers from the Augsburg community have begun work on a project that will turn dour concrete walls at Augsburg’s 21st Avenue entrance into a ceramic bas-relief mural.
The mural is an outgrowth of the Cedar Riverside–Augsburg Pottery Cooperative, an ongoing partnership that Tom began with the Cedar Riverside Community School. Each week fifth- through
eighth-grade students from the largely Somali, Asian, and Hispanic neighborhood participate in
hands-on pottery and art workshops.
Starting in the fall, Augsburg volunteers and the students will create clay press moulds to be replicated over and over—moulds of icons and symbols that Tom says “represent their thoughts, values,
concerns, and/or inner beliefs.” They will be fired and placed in a radiant mandala pattern along the
220 square foot walls. In July, students in the CREATION summer arts program, sponsored by Trinity
Lutheran Congregation, enjoyed a four-day head start on the project.
This project recently won Tom a seed grant from Forecast Public Art, a Twin Cities-based organization
nationally recognized as a public
art resource, to carry out the
project through November. Tom
is currently seeking additional
funds for further continuation.
Tom said that he found regular
walks in the Cedar-Riverside
neighborhood to be the impetus
for a project to chisel away at the
“invisible barrier between the
Augsburg campus and the community of Cedar Avenue.” To
him it seemed that despite the
lively energy of the dense multiethnic neighborhood, “there
were two worlds existing sideby-side with little interaction.”
— Darcy Trunzo ’06
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AROUND THE QUAD
SPORTS
Campus mourns
longtime English
professor
Seven students receive
athletic honors
John Mitchell, who taught English
at Augsburg for 36 years, died on
Aug. 17 at the age of 66. A memorial service was held for him on
Sept. 8 in Hoversten Chapel.
Mitchell taught courses in
poetry, writing, and film.
Repeatedly, former students
remark that John Mitchell’s classes were among the most difficult
and the most memorable they
took. They describe his teaching
as challenging, engaging, enraging, inspiring, and influential. He
always found time for students
and took great effort to correct
and edit their papers.
His passion for film led to a
two-year sabbatical to study film
at San Francisco State University.
English department colleague
Robert Cowgill remembers that
when the Oak Street Cinema
opened, Mitchell often attracted
groups of people around him
after the shows who stood and
listened to hear his thoughts
about the films. On campus,
Mitchell was often seen with
clusters of students and colleagues, enjoying a conversation.
In 1996, Mitchell was devastated by the death of John
Engman, an Augsburg student
whom Mitchell had met in 1968,
during his first year of teaching
at the College. Following
Engman’s premature death,
Mitchell became the executor of
his literary estate and worked to
find a publisher for a manuscript
Engman left. This poetry collection, Temporary Help, was published by Holy Cow! Press and
was nominated for a Minnesota
Book Award in 1998.
4 AUGSBURG NOW
Augsburg College has awarded
seven seniors with its athletic
awards for accomplishment,
leadership, and character on the
playing field and in the classroom. Athletic awards are voted
on by coaches in Augsburg’s
men’s and women’s athletic
departments.
Augsburg mourns the death of English professor John Mitchell, who died in August.
Mitchell was born in Decatur,
Ala., and earned degrees from
Maryville College and the
University of Tennessee. He
met his wife, Jean, while they
both served in the Peace Corps
in Liberia.
For a number of years,
Mitchell was faculty adviser to
Murphy Square, Augsburg’s literary arts journal. Last year, in the
foreword to its 30th anniversary
edition, he wrote, “I get more
pleasure from being published in
Murphy Square than from a
nationally distributed magazine.
Why? Well, more people are
likely to read my work, people I
know and care about, and readers who will be more able to
construe it in terms of my
known local identity. To put it in
literary jargon, I have the chance
to be a public poet rather than
merely a private one.”
— Betsey Norgard
2005–06 Augsburg Honor
Athletes
Mitchell was also a frequent
contributor to Murphy Square.
This poem appears in the 1998
edition:
The Sound of Two Pie Pans
The brief little period when you
Are alive is more than enough
To make up for all the years
When you were giving yourself
Advice. How wonderful to
perspire,
To examine the back side of a
leaf,
To admire the angel worms
Gorged on their silk. You could
Walk for days sucking an orange.
You could write letters home
Without stopping to compose
Your face. Living is like banging
Two pie pans together at midnight
For the brief silence that precedes
The noise. No, living is not
anything
You can say. It’s an attitude
Of swanky delight, and the
absence
Of attitude, simple sleep at night.
Darren Ginther—Ginther, a
baseball third baseman and pitcher became one of the top hitters
in the region, earning All-MIAC
and All-Midwest Region honors
as well as ESPN The Magazine
academic honors. He was an economics and education studies
major and Dean’s List honoree.
Millie Suk—Suk was the only
women’s soccer player in MIAC
to earn All-MIAC first-team honors in all four years, and she set
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Augsburg career records for total
points and goals. A political science major, she graduated magna
cum laude.
tournament, earning his second
straight fourth-place national finish to earn All-American honors
for the second time.
Seven named to Athletic
Hall of Fame
Ryan Valek—A three-time AllAmerican wrestler, Valek was an
individual national runner-up
twice at 165 pounds. He earned
ESPN The Magazine academic
honors and National Wrestling
Coaches Association Division III
Scholar All-America honors.
Troy Deden—Deden transferred
to Augsburg from St. Mary’s and,
as a catcher, helped lead the
Auggie baseball team to the
MIAC playoffs in 2005. He also
played two years of football as a
quarterback and defensive back,
and was a special education
major at Augsburg.
Named to the 2006 class of the
Athletic Hall of Fame:
2005–06 Augsburg Athletes of
the Year
Tonnisha Bell—Bell became one
of the most decorated track and
field athletes in school history. A
sprinter, she finished her career
with five All-American honors
and qualified for every indoor
and outdoor NCAA championship meet during her Auggie
career—eight in total. Bell won
11 conference championships
and earned numerous conference
honors while setting six individual and two relay school records.
Seven alumni will be inducted
into the Augsburg Athletic Hall
of Fame during Homecoming
week at a dinner on Thurs.,
Sept. 28, in Christensen Center.
For information, contact the athletic office at 612-330-1249 or
bjorklus@augsburg.edu.
Chike Ochiagha—Ochiagha was
a defensive tackle on Augsburg’s
football team, earning conference
and Football Gazette honors. A
business and marketing major,
he earned Academic All-MIAC
honors, as well as football academic club honors twice.
Brad Tupa—An upper-weight
wrestler, Tupa battled injuries
during his career. He recovered
in his senior season to qualify for
the NCAA Division III national
Tom Hall ’85—Hall earned AllAmerica honors in wrestling four
times, including twice in the
1983 season in two different
national meets. In NCAA competition, he placed seventh in
1983, sixth in 1984, and fifth in
1985 at 142 pounds.
Steve Nelson ’78—Nelson
earned All-MIAC and NCAA AllAmerican honors as a leader and
center of the 1977-78 Augsburg
men’s hockey squad that captured
the NAIA national title—the
school’s first team national title.
John Nelson ’86—A two-time AllMIAC pitcher in baseball, Nelson
set an NCAA Division III singleseason record, which still stands,
with 15 complete games in 1986,
as the Auggies reached the NCAA
Division III Midwest Regional.
Wayne “Mick” Scholl ’86—
Scholl earned All-MIAC honors
in baseball in 1984 and 1986.
Peggy Meissner ’80—An
Augsburg Honor Athlete in
1980, Meissner competed in
both volleyball and softball, and
was part of an Auggie volleyball
squad that finished second at the
MAIAW state tournament in
1979, finishing 27-15-3.
— Don Stoner
Julie Stepan Flaskamp ’92—A
track and field athlete, Stepan
Flaskamp qualified for the NCAA
Division III national championships twice in the heptathlon,
earning All-American honors in
1992 with an eighth-place finish.
She earned Academic All-MIAC
honors and was named an
Augsburg Honor Athlete in 1992.
Kristi Ockuly ’95—Ockuly, an
outfielder and pitcher, earned
All-MIAC and All-Region honors
three times each in softball and
was named a Division III AllAmerican in 1995. She was an
Augsburg Honor Athlete in 1995.
For complete schedules, scores,
and information about Augsburg
athletics, go to
www.augsburg.edu/athletics.
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AROUND THE QUAD
Ages of Imagination
Augsburg College celebrates a new season
of leadership
October 18–21, 2006
Over four days in October, Augsburg College will celebrate the new leadership of President Paul
Pribbenow, as he is inaugurated into office around the themes of AGES—abundance, generosity,
engagement, and service.
Each day will focus on one of these themes in a variety of activities and events that involve the entire
Augsburg community on campus, in our neighborhood and city, and around the world.
The Inauguration Ceremony, open to the public, will take place on Fri., Oct. 20, at 2 p.m. in Melby
Hall, followed by a community celebration.
For major events, see the calendar on the inside back cover. For further information and the complete
calendar of events, go to www.augsburg.edu/inauguration.
Lutheran college choirs
celebrate F. Melius
Christiansen
The Augsburg Choir and four
other Minnesota Lutheran college
choirs will perform together in
two concerts on Sunday, Nov. 19,
to celebrate the living legacy of F.
Melius Christiansen, the “father”
of American a cappella singing.
Christiansen’s birth 135 years
ago will be commemorated by
Augsburg, Concordia-Moorhead,
Concordia University-St. Paul,
Gustavus Adolphus, and St. Olaf
in the first joint appearance by
these five ensembles representing
the Evangelical Lutheran Church
in America (ELCA) and the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod
(LCMS). Each choir will perform
individually with their own conductor and as a combined choir
under the direction of guest conductor Kenneth Jennings, professor emeritus and former director
of the St. Olaf Choir.
Two identical anniversary concerts will be performed at
Slovakian baseball, Auggie style
For the seventh year, StepUP program director Patrice Salmeri coached in a baseball camp for youth in
Slovakia. Here, Jano and Lucia sport Auggie baseball t-shirts sent from the baseball team.
6 AUGSBURG NOW
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F. Melius Christiansen
Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis on
Nov. 19 at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
The concerts are sponsored by
the F. Melius Christiansen Star of
the North Festival Concert Series
affiliated with the American
Choral Directors Association
(ACDA) of Minnesota, and will
highlight the organization’s twoday annual fall convention program and benefit the F. Melius
Christiansen Endowed
Scholarship Fund that supports
continuing education and graduate studies of young and aspiring
choral directors in Minnesota.
Music to be performed at the
concerts will feature works of
F. Melius Christiansen, including
choral favorites of thousands of
choral concertgoers, such as
Beautiful Savior, Wake Awake,
O Day Full of Grace, Psalm 50,
Praise to the Lord The Almighty,
and Lost In The Night,
among others.
Born in Norway in 1871,
Christiansen came to the United
States at age 17. In 1892, he
attended a concert by the
Augsburg Quartet in Wisconsin
and was attracted to Augsburg
College, where he became a
quartet member.
In 1903 he accepted an appointment as director of the St. Olaf
College music program. He founded the St. Olaf Choir in 1911 and
directed it until 1941, becoming
internationally known for his
Sunday, Nov. 19, 2006
2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Orchestra Hall, Minneapolis, Minn.
Featuring the choirs of
Augsburg College
Concordia College–Moorhead
Concordia University–St. Paul
Gustavus Adolphus College
St. Olaf College
Ticket sales available May 1, 2006
Orchestra Hall Ticket Office: 612-371-5656
1871–1955
Proudly sponsored by the F. Melius Christiansen Endowment Committee
and the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA) of Minnesota
135th Anniversary Festival Concerts
development of perfect intonation,
blend, diction, and phrasing. He
was succeeded by his son Olaf;
another son, Paul, taught for nearly 50 years at Concordia CollegeMoorhead. F. Melius Christiansen
died in 1955.
Welcome, GEMS and GISE
About 100 girls and—for the first time—35 boys from Minneapolis Public Schools in grades 4–12 spent
several weeks on campus studying monarch butterflies, building the Mars terrain, programming robots,
and learning the chemistry of cosmetics. The GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Mathematics, and Science) and
new GISE (Guys in Science and Engineering) programs involve Augsburg students and former GEMS students as mentors.
For additional concert information go to www.fmcendowment.org. All seats are reserved;
tickets are available through the
Orchestra Hall box office (1-800292-4141 or 612-371-5656).
The Frame years in print
Published by Lutheran
University Press, with a preface
by ELCA presiding bishop
Mark Hanson ’68
$24.95
Available at the Augsburg
College Bookstore
612-330-1521
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AROUND THE QUAD
Dan Jorgensen retires to teaching—for now
Retirement for Dan Jorgensen, Augsburg’s public relations director
since 2000 and special assistant to President Frame for the past year,
is all relative. During this fall semester, he’ll still be commuting from
Northfield, but to a classroom instead of an office.
He has taught a journalism course in Weekend College for the past
five years, and in September he’ll teach it both in the day and weekend
programs—plus, teach a public relations course in both programs.
Much of Jorgensen’s tenure as public relations director focused on
raising the visibility of Augsburg in both the local and national media.
“I feel like we became more of a ‘player’ in terms of which institutions should be contacted when media sources were searching for
across-the-board responses to different educational questions,”
Jorgensen says. He recalls an editor of the Chronicle of Higher
Education telling him that Augsburg and President Frame were the
first who came to mind from small liberal arts colleges when planning a national forum on college presidencies.
Jorgensen also enjoyed seeing more faculty included as key
resources in the media—faculty who “took on a willingness to be
called upon,” he says. “That sort of cooperative spirit exemplifies the
overall ‘can do’ spirit of the institution. I loved that.”
For his retirement outside of teaching, he has several writing projects waiting, especially a novel about the Black Hills of South Dakota.
He and his wife, Susan, have first-hand experience living there and
have been collecting information for many years. He has also been
asked by his publisher for additional youth sports novels.
8 AUGSBURG NOW
Herald Johnson—Augsburg’s first financial
aid officer—retires after 37 years
When he came as a freshman in 1961, Herald Johnson ’68 probably
had no clue he would still be at Augsburg in 2006.
He stayed on to become an admissions counselor, but moved into
financial aid when new federal programs required administrative
oversight. In the 37 years since, he has served as a pioneer, leader,
and mentor among Minnesota financial aid officers.
One of Johnson’s legacies at Augsburg is the Enrollment Center. He
and Julie Olson, vice president for enrollment management, played
important roles in the concept development and implementation of
bringing several financial aid and enrollment offices together in a
one-stop shop for students.
He is the only person to have been twice elected president of the
Minnesota Association of Financial Aid Administrators (MAFAA). He
is proud of the Futures Task Force he created with his charge to past
presidents: “I want you to look at our association with critical eyes
and see if we’re poised for what you see coming down the road.”
His retirement plans include a fair amount of work, but his four
children and seven grandchildren are top priority. “The kids are my
friends,” Johnson says—“it’s really cool.” Their gift to him is a trip to
Norway to meet relatives and explore his heritage—a longtime dream.
He’ll continue as a consultant at Augsburg with the Scholastic
Connections program, the Scholarship Brunch, and with government
relations concerning financial aid issues in 2007.
He mentions that among his pleasures at Augsburg was hiring student workers and following their careers as they assume leadership
positions both at Augsburg and around the state.
At the end of his notice of thanks following a retirement celebration, Johnson wrote, “As we Norwegians say, ‘Mange tusen tak.’”
— Betsey Norgard
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American Indian Studies—
a cultural commitment
Augsburg’s newest department
makes a bold statement for the
College—about commitment,
about culture, and about heritage.
After being offered as a minor and
major for a number of years, the
faculty approved the creation of
an American Indian Studies
Department, headed by Associate
Professor Eric Buffalohead.
The new department models
Augsburg’s mission to serve diverse
populations, says Buffalohead, and
it signals to students, parents, and
the community that it’s permanent
and a great choice for a major—
and not just a selection of courses
that may change.
The number of students in the
program has been growing, and
they are beginning to shift from
Native to non-Native students.
American Indian Studies is a valuable major, second major, or minor
for students who are preparing for
work with human services—in
business, health care, education,
youth and family ministry, etc.
“AIS courses and skills are
transferable,” Buffalohead says,
“to law, politics, service—it’s
about cultural understanding.”
Since the program is small,
students often take several courses
with the same professor. For
native students, the program also
serves as a safety net where they
can relate to faculty and staff.
The department works closely
with Augsburg’s American Indian
Student Services program.
This multidisciplinary department includes courses in history,
literature, religion, film, women’s
studies, and special topics. The
faculty seek opportunities to
build in experiential opportunities, such as learning in the community, internships, and study
abroad. Next winter, Assistant
Professor Elise Marubbio will
M. Elise Marubbio and Eric Buffalohead are
two of the faculty in Augsburg’s new
American Indian Studies Department.
lead a travel program to
Guatemala, focusing on indigenous issues of the Mayan people.
Film has become a focus in the
AIS program. For three years, the
College has sponsored the
Augsburg Native American Film
Series, which screens documentary films, often with the filmmaker present to lead discussion.
It also provides a venue for selections from other film festivals,
and links to Augsburg’s
Indigenous Filmmakers course.
Buffalohead says that
Augsburg’s American Indian
Studies Department seeks to
excel as a regional center for the
study of Indians in the Upper
Midwest. Students can study one
year of Ojibwe language on campus, with the possibility of a second year of study.
Buffalohead’s experience in
American Indian Studies dates
back to age five, when his father
became the first chair of the
American Indian Studies
Department at the University of
Minnesota, and Eric would visit
his office. After earning academic
degrees in anthropology, he also
taught at the university, which he
considers to have been good
training for Augsburg’s new
department.
For information on American
Indian Studies, contact Eric
Buffalohead at
buffaloe@augsburg.edu or go to
www.augsburg.edu/ais.
— Betsey Norgard
Killing the Indian Maiden:
Images of Native American Women in Film
by M. Elise Marubbio
Native American women have been
characterized as various figures in
film for over 100 years. None,
however, has intrigued Elise
Marubbio more than the young
Native woman who falls in love or
is connected with a white hero and
dies for this choice.
Marubbio’s book, Killing the
Indian Maiden: Images of Native
American Women in Film, will be
published in December by the
University Press of Kentucky. The
book analyzes 34 A-list Hollywood
films, from the silent era to the present, to analyze the depictions of
women and the themes and myths that are played out.
The book stems from her dissertation and unites her various areas
of interest—she has degrees in fine arts/photography, American
Indian Studies, and cultural studies. It is the first in-depth study in
this area and is important for film studies, women’s studies, cultural
studies, and American Indian studies.
Marubbio researched film archives at the Museum of Modern Art
in New York, the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the
Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles, and
the Cecil B. DeMille Archives at Brigham Young University. A dissertation fellowship from the American Association of University
Women gave her time to write.
What she found, she says, is that “over a 90-year period this figure
emerged in premier films in various forms as either the Princess or
Sexualized Maiden, figures through whose body national themes of
colonialism, violence toward women of color, and feats of interracial
mixing are played out.
“All the films reinforce American myths of the frontier, Manifest
Destiny, and the ideal of Anglo-European America’s pre-modernization innocence through this image,” Marubbio says.
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AROUND THE QUAD
Renewing Old Main—
heritage of place,
spirit of space
SUPPORTING
AUGSBURG
Over the top at
$55 million
A 500-ton crane has begun to set the precast concrete walls on the poured footings for
On June 27, a celebration was
held in Christensen Center as
the star was moved across the
$55 million figure and the goal
was reached in Access to
Excellence: The Campaign for
Augsburg College.
“We are here to celebrate
achievements in the capital campaign that started six years ago
with a $55 million goal,” said
Tracy Elftmann, vice president
for institutional advancement.
She reported an exact total of
$55,009,761 received to date.
Retiring president William
Frame commented that this
could not have been achieved
without everyone’s participation.
He described vocation as “living
so that you create community,”
and this accomplishment could
not have happened unless
Augsburg is becoming “something called ‘community.’”
President Paul Pribbenow
wrote in a memo to the
Augsburg community in July, “As
called for in our original campaign plan, we are continuing to
raise funds for all Access to
Excellence campaign projects
(Kennedy, Gateway, and science
facilities, along with our endowment) through the end of the
2006 calendar year. And we are
preparing to celebrate this
10 AUGSBURG NOW
the new Oren Gateway Center. The completion date is set for fall 2007. Watch the
progress on the webcam at www.augsburg.edu/campaign/gateway/construction.html.
Construction is moving quickly on the Kennedy Sports and Recreation Complex in Melby
Hall. The structure is up, new bleachers have been installed, and anticipated completion is
January 2007.
remarkable achievement during
the upcoming academic year.”
He further explained that
although the total goal was reached,
funding for the science building
was not completed, in part due to
dramatically higher construction
and transportation costs.
Pribbenow has identified the
science building as one of his top
priorities, and says that “with
anticipation and momentum we
will now redouble and refocus our
efforts to raise funds to see the
completion of the science project.”
Construction began on the
Kennedy Sports and Recreation
Complex in Melby Hall in May,
and on the Oren Gateway Center
in July.
— Betsey Norgard
A gift of $1 million has been given
by Norman and Evangeline
(Vangie) Hagfors for the renovation
of Old Main and a potential home
for the Center for Faith and
Learning. Both Norman and Vangie
enjoy longtime connections to
Augsburg through the Lutheran
Free Church. With this gift they
honor both the physical and theological heart of the Lutheran Free
Church as well as the renewed
spiritual vitality of the College,
guided by its Center for Faith and
Learning.
The renovated chapel in Old
Main will be named for Vangie’s
father, Rev. Elnar Gundale, who
graduated from Augsburg College
in 1933 and Augsburg Seminary in
1937. For more than 50 years,
across four states, he served LFC
churches and was the oldest living
LFC pastor at the time of his death.
From her childhood memories, Vangie recalls visits to their
homes during the summers from
the Augsburg Men’s Quartets.
“Their proclamation of the
Gospel as Augsburg ambassadors,” says Vangie, “made a very
positive impression on the youth
of the churches they visited, as
well as their parents, who supported the school.”
Three of Vangie’s siblings followed their father’s footsteps to
Augsburg. Vangie also attended the
College as part of her nurse’s training at Lutheran Deaconess
Hospital. She remembers her class
of 32 nurses walking across
Franklin Avenue to Augsburg
where they studied mostly science.
Among other activities on campus,
she attended chapel in Old Main.
Norman Hagfors has been a
member of Augsburg’s Board of
Regents for more than twelve years,
including serving as vice chairman
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Above: The chapel in Old Mail will be restored and named for alumnus Rev. Elnar
Gundale, ’33, ’37 Sem.
Left: Vangie and Norman Hagfors
and chairing committees. “I have
enjoyed watching the College grow
in stature both as an educational
institution and in spiritual vitality,”
he says. He gives much credit to
President Emeritus William Frame
who, he says, “really pushed the
spiritual aspects of developing one’s
life—not only at Augsburg, but as
a spokesman to other colleges.”
Norman graduated from the
University of Minnesota in electrical engineering when biomedical
engineering was in its infancy,
and worked in medical research,
authored many papers, and
received a number of patents for
his inventions. He also played a
part in several “start up” medical
device companies that brought
implantable cardiac pacemakers
and neurological devices for the
treatment of chronic pain to the
medical community.
Norman and Vangie Hagfors
have chosen to support the renovation of Old Main not only
because of its physical significance in the history of the school,
but because it embodies the spiri-
tual foundation and concepts on
which Augsburg was founded.
Their hope is that the renovation
will give support, emphasis, and
inspiration to the spiritual life of
the school and its students.
Norman and Vangie have two
married children and seven
grandchildren.
— Betsey Norgard
The Center for Faith and Learning
As the Old Main Chapel stands in the center of the campus,
Augsburg’s new Center for Faith and Learning lies at the heart of
Augsburg’s educational mission. Four years ago, Augsburg received
its first grant from the Lilly Endowment for “Exploring Our Gifts,”
helping students, faculty, and staff attend to their called lives of
service. When the Lilly grants conclude in 2010, Augsburg’s Center
for Faith and Learning will continue to embed and extend
Augsburg’s leadership in vocation.
A focal point in the Center for Faith and Learning is Augsburg’s
first endowed chair, named for former Augsburg president and
scholar Bernhard M. Christensen. In September 2005, retired Luther
Seminary president and theologian David Tiede was inaugurated as
the Bernhard M. Christensen Professor in Religion and Vocation.
In his inauguration speech, Tiede explained the Center for Faith
and Learning: “The purpose of the center is to guide the College in
the theological exploration of vocation as understood within the
Lutheran tradition. It will provide resources to faculty, staff, and students that enable them to organize faith and learning within a vocational framework.”
The center is also building external partnerships to study faith
and learning in the community. One example is faith@work!, a
partnership with St. Philip the Deacon Church in Plymouth, Minn.
This speaker series presents community leaders who provide examples and tools for living faith-based lives. (See information on the
speakers and dates in the calendar on the inside back cover.)
A $1 million gift from Norman and Vangie Hagfors will help renovate Augsburg’s
oldest building.
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Experience grounded in mission and vision:
Paul Pribbenow’s call
to Augsburg
BY BETHANY BIERMAN
12 AUGSBURG NOW
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“Hip, hip, hooray!” Thomas exclaimed, his right arm pumping in triumph. He had just been told his family’s picture would be on the cover
of a magazine.
“Wow, how about that!” replied his mother, as she brushed sand off his
little sister Maya’s knees.
I
ndeed, it is a time for celebrating at Augsburg, as the
Pribbenow family settles into Minneapolis and the Augsburg
House. Not since Bernhard Christensen’s presidency, which
began in 1938, has Augsburg’s first family included young children. Paul Pribbenow and his wife, Abigail, and their children,
Thomas (5) and Maya (2), quickly have acclimated to the Augsburg
community.
On July 1, 2006, Pribbenow became the 11th president of
Augsburg College, a position that colleagues close to him have
known was his dream—to become the president of a Lutheran college. To that dream he brought a proven track record of success—
from fundraising to developing mission and vision and from teaching
to handling senior management issues.
In announcing his Augsburg appointment to the Rockford College
community, which he had served as president since 2002, Pribbenow
stated, “The leadership opportunity at Augsburg College is a once-ina-lifetime chance to take the best of what I have learned at Rockford
College, with its commitments to liberal arts and civic engagement in
the city, and link that experience with a connection to the Lutheran
Church, which is my personal faith tradition.”
Over the months since his appointment, Pribbenow’s entry into the
Augsburg community, through an unusual shared transition with
retiring president William Frame, has seemed quite natural—as if it
had been in the making for a long time.
Son of a pastor
Paul Pribbenow was born in Decorah, Iowa, during his father’s senior
year at Luther College. The young family moved to St. Paul where his
father attended seminary, then moved to a small town near Tomah,
Wis., where his father’s ministry began.
The eldest of six children, Pribbenow spent most of his youth in
small towns around Madison. His family moved to Iowa during his
ninth-grade year, and he graduated from high school in Denver, Iowa,
near Waverly. Pribbenow graduated magna cum laude from Luther
College in three years, with a B.A. in sociology and political science.
“My first couple of years at Luther, I thought I would go to seminary,” Pribbenow recalls. Halfway through his third year, however, he
admitted to one of his religion professors, “I love the study of religion, but I don’t feel called to be a minister.” The professor suggested
looking into the Divinity School at the University of Chicago where
he could engage the questions that interested him without specifically
preparing for the ministry. Pribbenow entered the Divinity School in
1978 and spent the next 18 years in the Chicago area.
“I went from never living in a big city to living on the south side of
Chicago. If I have a place that I call home, it’s probably Chicago.”
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The call begins
Starting graduate school, Pribbenow felt his primary interest would be in
teaching religion and ethics. Along the way, however, he began to focus
his interests on the ethics and management of not-for-profit organizations.
“I learned that in American society, non-profits are one of the
important ways we live out our social ethic,” Pribbenow says. “I
became intrigued by how organizations are managed and what link
that has to how effective they are in helping society live out its social
ethic. If there’s a problem in the way a college or museum is run,
that’s going to have an impact on how well the institution will live
out its mission and values.” Pribbenow began to understand these
issues as examples of the need for reflective practice—linking learning with action.
In order to practice what he preached, he took a job in fundraising
at the university after receiving his M.A. in divinity. “I started up the
administrative ladder, along the way I taught and had chances to
write, but I never left the practice of administration. I started practicing what I studied and what I cared about. That was my calling.”
The lines connect
The President’s Cabinet (L to R) Leif Anderson, chief information officer; Barbara
Edwards Farley, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the College; Ann
Garvey, vice president of student affairs and dean of students; Tom Morgan, senior
vice president and special assistant; President Pribbenow; Tracy Elftmann, vice president for institutional advancement; Julie Olson, vice president of enrollment management; Dick Adamson, vice president for finance and adminstration; and Gaye Lindfors,
senior vice president and special assistant.
14 AUGSBURG NOW
It was in these early years working at the University of Chicago that
Pribbenow started to realize even more clearly the connection
between his various interests—higher education, management, and
ethics—and that he might have both the skills and commitment to be
a college president.
In 1993, Pribbenow was named vice president for institutional
advancement at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago—an
assignment that helped him gain valuable experience in leading a
complex (and sometimes unpredictable!) organization.
At the Art Institute he also met his future wife, Abigail, then a
graduate student in the school’s arts administration program, when
she interviewed with him for a job in event planning for the school.
Paul and Abigail were on their honeymoon when the call from
Wabash College came. After many years of living in the Windy City,
the two packed up and headed to Crawfordsville, Ind., for a six-year
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Abigail at a
glance
adventure where Paul served as dean for college advancement, secretary of the Board of Trustees, and research fellow in the liberal arts.
A taste of the ministry
While working at Wabash, Pribbenow got a call from the ELCA
Indiana-Kentucky Synod bishop, saying, “‘There is a little SwedishLutheran church down the road from you in Attica, Ind., that has lost
its pastor and can’t afford a full-time pastor. I was wondering if you’d
take an interim assignment to serve them for six months, just to help?’”
“I actually think he mistook me for my father,” Pribbenow chuckles. When he told the bishop he wasn’t ordained, the bishop
responded that he would license him for the roles that would require
ordination. “What was originally a short-term assignment turned into
a three-year stint as interim pastor,” says Pribbenow.
The Pribbenows moved to Rockford, Ill., on Easter Weekend 2002
for the start of Pribbenow’s presidency at Rockford College. After the
couple and their son, Thomas, whom they adopted in Vietnam in
2001, made the Saturday trip from Central Indiana to Illinois with
two heavily packed vehicles, Pribbenow turned around to make the
five-hour trip back to Indiana so that he could preside at his last
service the next morning—on Easter Sunday.
“My work as interim pastor in Attica was a valuable experience for
a new college president. It taught me some very important lessons
about loving a congregation, preaching the lectionary, and presiding
over congregational meetings—all activities that closely parallel the
work of leading a college.”
The Rockford years
Pribbenow became the 16th president of Rockford College at an
extremely important point. Critics at the time of his arrival described
the four-year, independent college founded in 1847 as lacking in focus,
and there were financial challenges that required immediate attention.
In his four years at Rockford, Pribbenow led the campus community in a strategic long-range planning process that refocused on the
liberal arts, launched new degree programs, renewed its commitment
Abigail Crampton Pribbenow
grew up in Flossmoor, Ill., outside of Chicago. She spent her
junior year of high school as an
exchange student in France and
two subsequent years at the
United World College–USA in
New Mexico. She went on to
earn a bachelor’s degree in
anthropology from the
University of Chicago and a
Master of Arts in arts administration from the School of the
Art Institute of Chicago.
Dance has always been a keen interest for Abigail. While growing
up, she studied classical ballet and in college learned modern dance
and choreography. Combining her experience as a dancer and her
administrative skills, Abigail’s professional work includes working in
not-for-profit management at the Chicago Dance Coalition, the
School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Wabash College, and the
International School of Indiana. While preparing to adopt Thomas,
she returned to teaching dance to children in Crawfordsville, Ind.
Abigail has fully immersed herself in the life of each college and
community in which she and Paul have lived, including serving as
president of the Rockford Area Arts Council, church council member,
board member for the Easter Seals Children’s Development Center,
and host of the biannual women in the arts festival at Rockford
College. Among her many accomplishments, she co-founded the Jelly
Bean Ball, a family-friendly fundraiser for Easter Seals. She looks forward to finding her niche in the Augsburg community.
Abigail anticipates much entertaining and relationship building in
the next several months and expects her largest challenge to be figuring out when to integrate the children into these activities. For
now, she’s glad to have figured out routes to the farmer’s markets
and local parks. Thomas and Maya seem glad about this, too.
to civic engagement, and engineered a provocative and attentiongrabbing branding campaign that played off of the image of the institution’s most famous alumna, Jane Addams, social reformer and the
1931 Nobel Peace Prize recipient.
The Pribbenow family also received the blessing of a daughter while
in Rockford when they adopted Maya in Chongqing, China, in 2004.
The call to Augsburg
When approached by the search consultant in 2005 about applying
for the vacancy at Augsburg, Pribbenow was intrigued. He and
Abigail knew Bill and Anne Frame through their work on a vocation
project with the Council of Independent Colleges.
“It was a call to a place that clearly is working to be faithful to its
church tradition while also seeking to be faithful to its educational
and civic engagement traditions,” says Pribbenow. “I’ve spent my
entire career in non-sectarian places. … I’ve learned some valuable
lessons about what it means to be faithful in the world, and I know
those are lessons that will inform my work at Augsburg.”
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Augsburg College—
the first-year initiatives
One College
Based on the College’s mission that embraces the liberal arts, faith
and values, life in the city, and diversity, the Augsburg community
will engage in conversations that explore how all the curricular,
co-curricular, administrative, and public work at Augsburg is
grounded in the College’s singular mission and vision. Wherever it
is found—in Minneapolis, Rochester, or around the world at its
Center for Global Education sites—and whomever it teaches—traditional undergraduates or adult learners—and whatever it teaches—the traditional liberal arts or professional studies—how is
Augsburg known as one college, dedicated to the same abiding
values and aspirations?
The Augsburg Promise—Experience and Image
Based on the one college conversations, the Augsburg community
will examine the promises it makes to students, faculty, staff,
alumni, its neighborhood, and the wider world. We will consider
how well we keep our promises in the daily work of the College.
We then will explore how the Augsburg community can do an
even better job of keeping its promises, talking to each other
about those promises, and then illustrating to the world what the
Augsburg brand is all about.
Common Work at Augsburg
The Augsburg community also will examine its organizational
life—how it’s governed, who’s involved in leadership and decisionmaking, and what voices are heard (or not) in its daily life. Based
on this examination, the College will develop an organizational
structure that deploys resources responsibly and is accountable.
Based on our common work of educating students, we also will
seek to offer all members of the Augsburg community the opportunities to nurture and sustain their callings.
Science at Augsburg
As a college community, we will explore what it means to educate
students in the sciences at Augsburg, within the context of the
College’s mission—dedicated to our rich tradition of excellence in
teaching and research, as well as to our commitments to scientific
literacy and responsibility. Based on our findings, we will plan curricular and co-curricular programs, public outreach, and facilities
appropriate to our highest aspirations for science education at
Augsburg. A central feature of this project will be the re-launching
of fundraising efforts for new science facilities at Augsburg.
— Paul Pribbenow
16 AUGSBURG NOW
Pribbenow did have hesitations about leaving Rockford. “I didn’t
feel as though I’d been there long enough, and there were many
issues still to be addressed.”
He was encouraged to speak with Jean Taylor, chair of the
Augsburg Board of Regents. “She listened carefully, and at the end of
our conversation she said, ‘I think you’ve got to do what Augsburg
has taught me—you’ve just got to listen.’ That was very insightful
and critical to my decision to seek the Augsburg presidency.”
It was a call to which he and Abigail couldn’t say “no.”
A remarkable fit
In his letter to the Augsburg search committee, Pribbenow spelled
out why this opportunity seemed such a remarkable fit for his leadership and experience.
To him leadership must also be understood as stewardship. He is
committed to the role of a collaborative leader who has a “responsibility to help the college community ‘pay attention’ to its most deeply
held values and priorities so that all gifts are well used.” This
includes a uniting of the campus community in shared vision, as well
as in varying forms of hospitality that engage the campus with its
urban neighbors.
Pribbenow wrote that his own deeply held sense of personal vocation builds on Martin Luther’s view of education that creates people of
“wondrous ability, subsequently fit for everything.” A college that helps
students discover this ability must in itself be a mission-driven and
integrated institution, so that all students in all programs “are chal-
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lenged and shaped by [a] vision to link education with engagement.”
Pribbenow went on to write that he is “committed to the idea that
colleges—and especially church-related colleges—are uniquely situated to help students of all ages to listen for and hear their own calls,
to find their vocations for life and service in the world.” As an ethicist
he has examined professional work in society and understands how
significantly reflective thinking (linking learning and experience) and
personal faith affect public well-being.
As he begins his Augsburg presidency, Pribbenow finds Augsburg
and Rockford colleges very similar in their commitments to civic
engagement. “I am here because of that commitment to educating students for democracy, and I intend to make it an even more important
focal point. Augsburg should be known for what it does in civic
engagement. … We need to say to the world, ‘Look at what we’re
doing and why we’re doing it. There are important lessons about faithful life in the world that are being taught and practiced at Augsburg.’”
The key difference between the colleges, he says, is of course the
connection to the church. “The role at Augsburg of Lutheran faith
and human religious experience shapes the education of students and
defines a central aspect of our identity as a college,” Pribbenow states.
“I need to have a different lens to the way I look at issues that I didn’t
in a non-sectarian institution. That’s an energizing and meaningful
aspect of the work ahead of us.”
The plan
Pribbenow’s initiatives for his first year at Augsburg all point to action
(see the sidebar on the opposite page). “We need to take the good
vision work that’s been done during the Frame presidency and translate it into organizational activity and image so that people will look
at Augsburg and say, ‘I see what this college cares about.’”
When asked what he hopes the headlines will read when he retires,
Pribbenow answers, “I do hope we’ll be here until I retire, and when
I’m ready to step down that the community will have the same affection and love that people had for Bill and Anne, because we were
faithful to what this college is called to do. … I hope the headlines
will read that I helped Augsburg to be even more faithful to its calling, and that as a result, this little college stands as a 21st-century
model for faithful and responsible liberal arts education in a city.”
As far as Thomas and Maya’s plans, they seem content to be getting
to know their new hometown. When asked his favorite thing about
Minneapolis, Thomas answered, “The Mall of America! On the log
ride, there’s this big guy with an axe. He’s GI-NORMOUS!”
Without a doubt, Augsburg seems to be on the cusp of some pretty
“gi-normous” opportunities as well. Ⅵ
5
things you may
not know about
Paul Pribbenow:
1.
He writes his own version of
a “blog,” known as Notes for
the Reflective Practitioner.
2.
He sang professionally for 13
years in Chicago. (His father
and he both sang for Weston
Noble at Luther.)
3.
He doesn’t eat red meat or
lutefisk. (Perhaps the latter
has to do with his first job
cleaning out the lutefisk tub
in the Stoughton, Wis.,
grocery store cooler.)
4.
While it’s true that his mentor
and dissertation adviser Martin
Marty wears a bow tie, it wasn’t
until years after learning to tie
them for the many black tie
affairs he attended at the Art
Institute of Chicago that he
decided to adopt the look on a
daily basis.
5.
In his car stereo you’ll find
National Public Radio, the
Mars Hill tapes (conversations on Christianity and
modern culture), choral
music, or Raffi (children’s
musician and entertainer).
To learn more about Augsburg’s mission and vision and to read
President Pribbenow’s speeches, go to www.augsburg.edu/president.
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Country
Fresh U
BY TIM DOUGHERTY
very Thursday during the growing season, Campus Kitchen
student intern Melanie Opay returns to campus around 5:30
p.m., her head barely visible above the white produce boxes
stuffing her car. Teeming with delicacies from rutabagas to
radishes and kale to kohlrabi, these bountiful boxes are
courtesy of Gary Brever’s Ploughshare Farm, a family-owned organic
farm in Parker’s Prairie, Minn. Brever’s parents, Jeanie and DeWayne,
deliver the veggies each week to drop-off sites in Alexandria, St.
Cloud, and the Twin Cities, delighting urban dwellers who have
increasingly searched for more freshness in their summer diets.
Brever is a small-business owner and entrepreneur just as much as
an organic farmer, and has carved a niche for his farm in the growing
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) movement. In the CSA
model, individuals and families purchase a “share” of the harvest at
the beginning of the growing season in exchange for a weekly box of
vegetables from mid-June to early October. Typically, paying customers receive the produce themselves, but Brever has augmented his
market by allowing people or congregations to purchase shares and
donate them to hunger organizations like the Campus Kitchen at
Augsburg College (CKAC).
For the past three summers, these white produce boxes have
formed the food foundation for Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen—a student-driven food recycling organization. Volunteers use this produce
along with surplus food from Sodexho’s campus dining services and
local food banks to prepare nutritious, free meals for residents in
neighboring community programs. The premise has always been simple: there is far too much good food going to landfills and far too
many agencies that can’t afford to buy food for their hungry clients.
By recycling food and empowering students to prepare meals and share
them with immigrant youth, the homeless, and homebound elders,
CKAC uses food as a tool to engage students in the community, to reduce
the amount of discarded campus food, and to forge bonds in Augsburg’s
neighborhood through the universal language of a shared meal.
E
Ploughshare Farm’s Gary Brever spreads
hay to mulch the tomato beds for weed
control and moisture.
18 AUGSBURG NOW
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Urban Renewal
With the addition of Brever’s organic, locally-grown produce,
CKAC has begun to build programs that can better nourish clients
with an array of ingredients infinitely fresher than grocery store fare.
At the same time, the programs redefine stewardship by supporting
local farmers and they educate youth about dietary choices that can
simultaneously heal both the earth and their bodies.
Above: Campus Kitchen culinary job
Taste the difference
trainee Kenny Peterson chops lettuce fresh
For the Campus Kitchen, the quality of freshness is staggering. Each
week, the menu for clients is set according to the contents in those
boxes, an adventurous undertaking in and of itself. “Working with
local produce has been an exciting challenge,” says Opay. “I get to
work with food I’ve never used before, which has been a great learn-
from Ploughshare Farm.
Below: Campus Kitchen volunteer Trish
Hannah leads the youth in the Jump Start
program through cooking techniques.
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ing experience and a lot of fun. Plus, our clients love the results!”
That’s because the results are often worthy of an epicurean’s table:
dishes such as arugula salad with shaved fennel and marinated chioggia beets or southern-style collards and cabbage. These meals are
then delivered, served, and shared with the community by Augsburg
students, staff, and alumni.
In addition, each week’s harvest is so bountiful that CKAC can
share full boxes of fresh produce with the Brian Coyle Center food
shelf. In the heart of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, this community food shelf primarily serves East-African immigrants, a population
that prefers to prepare meals from scratch and spurns the canned
goods and highly processed foods that usually fill food shelves.
Brever, like the Campus Kitchen, believes that true community
health can begin with what people have on their dinner plates.
Having spent a few years on a Catholic Worker farm in Washington
state, he was well accustomed to the corn-syrup-laden, preservativerich foods typical of food shelves. While these foods may fill bellies,
they do little to build health.
Brever also saw the preponderance of these products as a good
indicator of the shortcomings embodied by our industrial food system, where—according to Francis Moore Lappé and Anna Lappé in
their book Hope’s Edge—about half of a typical grocery store’s more
than 30,000 items are produced by 10 multinational food and beverage companies.
A rural Minnesotan by birth, Brever knew the effect this homogenized system has on the fabric of rural farming communities and the
20 AUGSBURG NOW
relative lack of nutritive value provided by these preserved foods.
Longing for an alternative, he envisioned a system where small, family
farmers could thrive while even the urban poor could gain access to
fresh, responsibly grown produce. In short, everyone deserves food
grown with care, harvested at peak ripeness, and made into meals
that nourish the body and sustain the mind.
Redefining stewardship
Brever saw the CSA model as the answer. By offering people the
opportunity to donate locally-grown produce, he felt he could help
farms like his to earn a living wage while getting more healthy food
options to urban populations who lack access to such luxury. “At its
core, it’s about relationship,” says Brever. “How are we supporting the
farmers and the communities that grow our food?” In an increasingly
complicated world, it’s no longer enough to merely feed people. We
must also take into account how that food is grown and prepared
while weighing the environmental and economic realities we’re supporting with our food decisions.
The model has been hugely successful, as church congregations
and individual donors love the idea of enriching the urban community
while helping small farms succeed. In Brever’s words, feeding the
hungry is “no longer just about charity. Now, it’s also about change.”
At Augsburg, the Campus Kitchen has been helping to usher in
those changes. Thanks to a generous donation from St. Martin’s
Table, the local restaurant and social-justice bookstore, CKAC is
embarking on its third summer of vegetables from Ploughshare Farm.
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In addition to preparing meals for clients, the produce is now being
leveraged to educate youth about the health benefits of a diverse diet,
and the power we have to effect change with something as simple as
our eating habits.
Project C.H.O.I.C.E.S
Few tactics succeed when it comes to getting kids to taste new vegetables. Unless, of course, you involve them in the cooking process.
Each week, CKAC volunteer Trish Hannah leads a cooking class with
11- to 14-year-old participants in the Brian Coyle Center’s Jump Start
program. Seasonal dishes such as a strawberry, spinach, and grilled
asparagus salad that would have originally garnered a cacophonous
chorus of “eew” and “boo” are suddenly finding a receptive audience
in these young culinarians.
Project C.H.O.I.C.E.S (Community Health Originates in Creating
Environmental Sustainability) is a curriculum devised by Hannah in
conjunction with CKAC and Jennifer Tacheny, coordinator of
Celeste’s Dream Community Garden Project. Its goal is to awaken the
power in students to choose health for their bodies and the earth.
Through cooking classes using local produce, it seeks to teach youth
the full cycle of food—from the field to the table to the compost
bin—while empowering them to choose respect. It means the choice
to respect their bodies with healthy, tasty food that was grown in a
responsible manner and as close to home as possible. And the choice
to respect their neighborhoods and backyards by picking up litter
and composting food waste. Using the common denominator of food,
the curriculum hopes to teach self-sufficiency and empower these
youth to cultivate healthy, responsible lifestyles.
Honoring the full cycle
Brever can’t think of a better outlet for his produce. “So many nonprofits are forced to measure their impact in pounds of food. Just as
it’s hard to measure the intangible nutritional and environmental values of buying local and organic produce, you can’t measure the intangible value of sharing a meal with someone,” he says. “Not only does
the Campus Kitchen share my food with people in Minneapolis, it
also uses it as a teaching tool for empowerment.”
And the Campus Kitchen can’t think of a better direction to be heading, helping to better their urban backyard while supporting the work
of organic farmers in Minnesota. With the success of the Ploughshare
Farm partnership and the positive impact of programs like Project
C.H.O.I.C.E.S., the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College hopes to
expand its programs to involve more local growers and to take clients
on field trips to the farms that make the meals possible. It could also
lead to the creation of a local community garden where clients get their
own chance to participate first-hand in the full cycle of food.
Through the Campus Kitchen, Augsburg is redefining what it
means to be a good urban neighbor and, simultaneously, support
rural communities. With such tasty food arriving by the boxful, it’s
becoming easy to build bridges to the heart through the belly. Ⅵ
Former Campus Kitchen coordinator Tim
Dougherty pounds in the staking lines for
organic heirloom tomatoes.
Tim Dougherty is the community and civic engagement student coordinator in the Center for Service, Work, and Learning. He formerly was
the coordinator of the Campus Kitchen at Augsburg College.
Augsburg Campus Kitchen volunteer
Melanie Opay heaves boxes of produce
from Ploughshare Farm into her car.
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S
Making art
and history
in
France
BY TARA SWEENEY
Above: From left, Augburg students John
Leibfried, Patrick Wendel, and Joe Trenary
greet the locals in Espeyrac, France.
Right: Augsburg pilgrims cross the old
bridge into Estaing, France.
22 AUGSBURG NOW
o, how was France?” is the usual question. “Good. Great,” is
the typical answer that satisfies a polite inquiry. The real
answer takes a little longer.
“What’s the first word of the rule?” my colleague, [Professor]
Phil Adamo, asks, and not for the first time. “Listen,” the students chime in unison, just as the old man in the beret hobbles up the
tiny cobblestone passageway that Espeyrac, this hamlet in southern
France, calls a street. It’s not easy to upstage Phil Adamo, but this
Frenchman’s hound dog doesn’t know any better. The students have forgotten about The Rule of St. Benedict. The traditional French greeting—
kiss-kiss-kiss—seems more the order of the day as they hand out eager
caresses to this tail-wagging, sweet-talking, show stealer of a dog.
They have come here with us to learn plein air drawing and to
study the religious experience of medieval France as a paired shortterm study abroad experience, May 14–June 4. Before they return to
Minnesota they will make a four-day pilgrimage, visit monasteries,
cathedrals, walled towns, museums, and a papal palace to earn two
credits and satisfy the critical thinking (CT) and liberal arts foundation (LAF) graduation requirements.
Class begins wherever 15 students can listen to the history professor
read a passage from a 1500-year-old text on monastic practice, and
the art professor read from John Ruskin’s Elements of Drawing in
Three Letters to Beginners. Yesterday it was below Le Pont Vieux in
Espalion, one of three communities on this pilgrimage with the muchdeserved designation of “les plus beaux villages de France.” The day
before it was beside the River Lot in equally picturesque Estaing.
My colleague reminds me daily that this collaboration in experiential
teaching and learning is work. Each day’s sweat, constant thirst, and
aching body parts are real enough. So are the pain of blisters, the weight
of packs, and our labored breath as we follow our capable local guide,
Laurent Riou, up another steep ascent of mud and rock. Each night we
sleep in a new family-run hotel after dining on traditional local fare at
long communal tables. We hear little English other than our own as we
walk village to village on the centuries-old pilgrimage road, le Chemin de
St. Jacques de Compostelle, with pilgrims from around the world. Some
will continue the entire summer, across the Pyrenees into northern Spain,
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Class in France begins wherever history
professor Phil Adamo finds enough
room to gather students and read the
day’s passage from The Rule of St.
Benedict.
and all the way to Santiago in the
west, to receive the official pilgrim’s
passport and a chance to have their
sins forgiven. Some, like us, are walking just a few days.
We have many things to teach;
what students learn depends on the
site visit and their willingness to try.
Each keeps a daily sketchbook/journal that integrates personal reflection with history and art assignments.
Reading from The Rule of St. Benedict is Phil’s structure for teaching
the principles of monastic community, an important aspect of medieval
religious practice. Students don’t simply hear about how silence helped
monks to listen deeply. They are expected to practice it. They do so,
awkwardly at first, for a short time as they enter Église de Perse, the
Romanesque chapel of Saint Hilarian, built on the site where the
Muslims supposedly beheaded him in the eighth century. Eventually,
they practice silence for what seems like an eternity, from sundown to
sunup, in preparation for a visit to the monastery, St. Martin du
Canigou, perched a half-day’s hike up the foothills of the snow-capped
Pyrenees. In the end, they are willingly silent beside the rushing alpine
waters of Vernet-les-Bains, embracing experiential learning at its best.
My structure for teaching plein air drawing is demonstration and practice, and practice, and practice—the medieval master/apprentice model.
Students are expected to draw at least two hours per day. For some this
is daunting at first. We stop and draw together wherever the inspiration
and pauses of travel make it possible. They learn that this kind of drawing can happen all day, any day. This means that a rest from the midday
hiking heat finds these vibrant young people sketching in the shade
along the trail. Curious fellow pilgrims pause to enjoy the view and cheer
them on. Augsburg’s students are natural goodwill ambassadors.
Our pilgrimage ends in Conques, where we receive the pilgrim’s
blessing at Abbaye de St. Foye, the patron saint of the blind and the
imprisoned, and hear Phil read the gospel of John. We pick up our
pace and continue to the restored, walled city of Carcassonne and
hear about heretics; take a dip in the Mediterranean Sea at Collioure;
and visit the papal palace at Avignon. The last full week of the course
is spent in the “city of lights” where we are surprised and thrilled to
Art professor Tara Sweeney sketches plein
air with student Cassandra Roschen on the
outskirts of Sénergues, France.
hear students wishing for more pilgrimage and less Paris.
So what was France really like? The syllabi promised we’d unravel
the mysteries of critical thinking and blind contours, learn how to
read history, and make plein air drawings. We walked a very long
way together to do all that. But if we can’t tell you the best thing that
happened in France it’s probably because it’s still happening. In
studying to understand the past, in sketching what remains of it, we
have learned to listen, to see deeply, and most importantly, to be fully
present. Transformation is like that. Go ahead, ask. Ⅵ
Tara Sweeney is assistant professor of art. Phil Adamo is assistant professor of history.
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MAKING THEIR MARK
BY BETSEY NORGARD
Nancy Steblay and her student researchers
in the lineup
have partnered with
Hennepin County police
officers to research, apply, and test
changes in police lineups to reduce the
chances of convicting innocent people.
24 AUGSBURG NOW
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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n the past 14 years, 183
people have been exonerated from crimes they
did not commit, but for
which they were convicted and for which they may have
spent a decade or more in prison.
In 75% of these DNA-exoneration cases, the primary evidence
leading to their conviction was a
witness who identified them as
the perpetrator of a crime.
Only after development of DNA
technology that could positively
match evidence to a person—or
exonerate that person—did the
law enforcement community realize the depth of the eyewitness
problem in the legal system.
The social impact of a witness
identifying the wrong person in a
lineup is significant. Not only can
it send an innocent person to
prison, but it also allows the real
criminal to remain uncaught.
In the late 1980s, when psychology professor Nancy Steblay
began reading the early research
describing simple changes in lineup procedures that could reduce
the rate of false identifications,
she became intrigued. Trained as
a behavioral scientist, she saw in
this an ideal application of laboratory research and theory. “There’s
so much we could add, we could
say, about how to understand
human memory in the legal
process,” says Steblay.
What the early psychology
research offered, she says, is only
probabilistic—laboratory research
I
Psychology students have created research
projects to examine procedures used by law
officers in police lineups and to test them in
field projects. Student researchers include
Psychology professor Nancy Steblay has studied police lineups for more than 15 years and
helps students develop research that addresses problems with eyewitness identifications.
helps to estimate the likelihood
that certain events, like eyewitness fallibility, will occur. What
the legal system needs at trial,
however, is certainty about a specific case. Did something affect
this particular witness’ memory
in this particular case?
The goal of recent lineup
research, says Steblay, is to fix
the eyewitness problem before it
reaches the courts. “We need to
develop the procedures that
make certain that memory, like
all trace evidence, is not contaminated,” she says. In other words,
when a person is on trial for a
crime for which he/she has been
identified by a witness, the legal
system needs to know that this
identification is accurate, that the
eyewitness evidence is sound.
(L to R) Brenna Johnson ’07, Amanda Brey
’08, and Robert Tix ’07.
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6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
Tackling the problem
By the late 1990s, the Department
of Justice could no longer ignore
the fact that increasing numbers of
people were being proven innocent after wrongful convictions,
even by well-meaning law
enforcement officials and eyewitnesses who thought they were
doing everything by the book.
In 1999, Attorney General
Janet Reno brought together
early researchers who had been
focusing on lineup procedures
and produced an in-depth study
of their research with recommendations for improving the system. It gave visibility and awareness to the problem and options
for improving the protocol.
Augsburg’s psychology department did not have a laboratory
at that time, so Steblay was
unable to carry out any lab
research. However, what she
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could do was to produce metaanalyses, or comprehensive
reviews and syntheses of all
existing research around a particular issue or question that provide a “grand picture.” These
studies prove extremely useful
for researchers and policy makers studying the questions.
In 2001, Steblay’s meta-analysis on sequential vs. simultaneous lineups caught the attention
of Gary Wells, an Iowa State psychology professor and pioneer in
lineup research, who was trying
to encourage lineup reform
across the country.
What Wells advocated, and
Steblay’s meta-analysis confirmed,
is that the rate of false identification is lowered when the lineup
subjects, usually shown in photos,
are presented to the witness one
at a time, rather than all at once.
There is less tendency for wit-
nesses to compare one to the
other instead of to their memory
of the perpetrator.
A further procedural change
that Wells recommended was a
“double-blind” lineup, where the
law officer or person administering the lineup does not know
which person, if any, in the lineup is the suspect.
When the psychology department gained a small lab, Steblay
was able to involve students in
her research. As part of the
advanced research seminar she
taught, students could create
spin-offs of her research and
could run subjects in the lab.
To develop better research
capabilities, Steblay needed some
tools—a laptop simulation of a
crime and a lineup to show lab
subjects. The technical concept
came from IT staff person Bill
Jones, and the material came
from film professor Deb
Redmond’s video production
class. “It became the students’
assignment—to shoot a crime,
and then to help me construct
the lineup,” says Steblay. “And
they did a beautiful job.”
Hennepin County attorney Amy Klobuchar
(left) and psychology professor Nancy
Steblay (right) recently co-authored an
article that reports on the success of the
Hennepin County lineup project.
26 AUGSBURG NOW
Joining with law
officers
In 2003 Hennepin County in
Minnesota initiated a year-long
pilot project to test new sequential, double-blind lineup procedures. County attorney Amy
Klobuchar spearheaded the
study, involving four police jurisdictions—two urban
(Minneapolis and Bloomington)
and two suburban (Minnetonka
and New Hope)—after hearing
Wells speak about the need for
lineup reform.
Steblay joined the pilot project
as the data analyst, supported by
a two-year grant from the
National Institute of Justice
(NIJ). The grant paid for her
time to pull and run data from
the 280 lineups in the pilot project, and to run several analog
laboratory projects testing questions that arose. One such question was “Does it make a difference if a witness goes through
the sequential lineup photos
more than once?”
“Questions came up in the
field and we tested them in the
laboratory,” Steblay says. “Now I
can bring the two together and
say, ‘This is how we should run
lineups in the field based on
what we know now.’”
NIJ found Steblay’s project compelling because it united police
practice and laboratory research,
Steblay says. It was a field study
on the cutting edge of national
discussions, and no field data had
been collected previously.
Steblay and Klobuchar were
two of the three co-authors for a
recent article in the Cardozo
Public Law, Policy and Ethics
Journal that reported on the success of the Hennepin County
project. The authors wrote that
“analysis of the data and anecdotal responses from the participating police agencies led to the
conclusion that the new protocol
is both efficient to implement
and effective in reducing the
potential for misidentifications.”
In a press release issued by the
Innocence Project, co-director
Barry Scheck called the study
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
“the first to use scientifically
valid research techniques to evaluate the eyewitness identification
reform in the field—in a ‘real
world’ application, rather than
an academic setting.”
Getting students
involved
The lineup research has been a
great opportunity for students to
learn about the research process.
Even before a psychology lab
existed, students co-authored the
meta-analyses with Steblay. With
the lab, dozens of students over
the years have developed their
own research questions as well
as aided Steblay with her studies.
The NIJ grant added more
opportunity. Students helped to
produce a more professional laptop video “crime scene,” to run
pilots to clarify the instructions,
and to make sure the procedures
ran accurately.
“The benefit of this kind of
research is that students can
grasp it readily and contribute
enormously. Even though the
eyewitness research is complex
and sometimes confusing in its
entirety, at its surface it’s easy to
understand what we’re trying to
do,” says Steblay.
“Students seem to enjoy the
connection to the national lineup
reform effort, as when I say,
‘Well, we’re doing this in
Hennepin County,’ or ‘I went to
Chicago and talked about that,’
or ‘the Los Angeles Police
Department called me yesterday
with this question,’” she says.
“They realize this is not just
some practice exercise—this
really counts.”
With the current popularity of
television crime shows attracting
more students to forensics,
Augsburg launched a concentration in psychology and law.
Steblay’s psychology and law class
has always been popular, and she
says that while students start out
with forensic clinical interests from
TV, the class helps them see the
broader range of opportunities.
Augsburg is one of the few
schools that offers psychology
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Page 29
and law at the undergraduate
level. Steblay feels that the
research helps prepare students
who may be intimidated by the
prospects of graduate school
research.
“I think they get a sense of,
‘Yes, I can do this,” says Steblay.
“Once you get on top of the
research, there’s no end to the
number of research questions
and directions to go.”
A good example is 2005 psychology graduate Hannah
Dietrich. She was awarded the
2006 Best Undergraduate Paper
award from the Psychology-Law
Society for her senior honors
research project on sex offenders,
which began with an internship
at the Minnesota Bureau of
Criminal Apprehension. She’s
currently studying for a master’s
degree at the University of
Colorado-Colorado Springs.
Senior psychology major Shannon Ryan, one of 60 students selected to present their
Presenting the
findings
Since the completion of Hennepin
County’s pilot project, Steblay has
presented the findings at a number of conferences across the
country. Her phone has also been
ringing more with questions and
contacts about the research since
publication of the study.
She is now completing the final
data analysis and report for the
NIJ grant, and preparing to train
in a new batch of students to start
the next generation of research in
Augsburg’s “crime” lab.
“The people I work with—the
homicide investigators, the attorneys—help keep me in touch
with how this plays out in the
real world, and the kinds of
adjustments I need to make in
the lab to try to capture that in a
better and more authentic way,”
Steblay says. “And the students
help keep me very much in
touch with what a real witness
would experience.” Ⅵ
research on Capitol Hill, has been part of Nancy Steblay’s research that is supported
by a National Institute of Justice grant.
Shannon Ryan takes lineups
to Washington
Shannon Ryan ’07 was among 60 students selected nationally to
present their research at the Council on Undergraduate Research’s
Posters on the Hill session in Washington, D.C.
in April.
Ryan’s research examines procedural guidelines for gathering
eyewitness evidence in police lineups and how witness memory is
affected by lineup structure and format. Her poster, “BlindSequential Police Lineups: A Test of Revised Procedure” compared
the number of eyewitness false identifications in two different formats, and was the only poster representing the social sciences.
While in Washington, Ryan and Professor Nancy Steblay, her
research adviser, visited with U.S. Rep. Martin Sabo and Rep. Betty
McCollum to explain the research.
Ryan will carry on the lineup research for her senior honors
project, and then continue in either a psychology and law or criminal justice graduate program.
During the summer, she worked in the McNair program at the
University of Minnesota on a project about the over-reporting of
voting behavior, with Christopher Uggen, Distinguished McKnight
Professor and chair of the sociology department.
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Left: Very Special Arts (VSA) day brings
children with mental and physical disabilities to the Augsburg campus where they
are treated to dancing, music-making,
music performances, and more by the
Music Therapy department.
Right: Members of The Remnant Gospel
Choir sing at the annual Martin Luther King
Jr. convocation, sponsored by the PanAfrikan Center. The 2006 speaker was
Dr. Bernard LaFayette Jr., SNCC co-founder
and director of nonviolent and peace studies at the University of Rhode Island.
Below: The tables on the balcony of
Christensen Center are distorted by raindrops clinging to the windows during a
Photographer’s pick—
September rain storm.
some of the year’s favorites
PHOTOS AND TEXT BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
From the thousands of photos
staff photographer Stephen Geffre took during 2005–06, he selected these photos
that give beauty and meaning to life at Augsburg.
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Left: Trevor Tweeten ’06 sits in front of a
video installation piece that was part of his
senior filmmaking show. Tweeten is the
first graduate of Augsburg’s new film major.
Above: Helping to clean up the Soap
Factory art gallery was one of the many
AugSem projects first-year students undertook on the first day of class in September.
The gallery is housed in a former soapmaking factory in the St. Anthony Main area
of Minneapolis, and “is dedicated to the
production, presentation, and promotion of
emerging contemporary practice across the
visual arts.” (Soap Factory website)
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A hands-on
approach to
better health
BY BETSEY NORGARD
r. Bruce
Cunningham ’77
talks about having
one additional trick
in the bag of medical
tricks he offers patients in his
practice.
Cunningham is a doctor of
osteopathic medicine, or DO,
and has been practicing in
Woodbury, Minn., for 21 years.
For the last 12 years he has been
a family practice physician at the
MinnHealth Clinic.
The “trick” he calls on is
manipulation, the core of osteopathic medicine. Osteopaths
examine the interrelationship
and functioning of the body’s
musculoskeletal system—nerves,
muscles, and bones—to understand disease and its causes. It’s
literally a hands-on approach
with patients as he physically
manipulates or adjusts their
D
With his left hand, Dr. Bruce Cunningham
searches for a lesion in the patient’s back
where manipulation will help his condition.
30 AUGSBURG NOW
joints, muscles, tendons, etc. that
may be injured or impaired.
“It’s not for everybody or every
problem,” Cunningham says, “but
it can be effective in a number of
common disorders—backaches,
headaches, sleep disorder. It’s a
nice tool to be able to pull out.”
In his practice, he shares some
of his patients with his MD partners—the patients come to him
specifically for certain things
because he’s an osteopath. “It’s a
very good holistic approach to
care; many MDs have a similar
approach, but very few have the
training where they can actually
do the manipulations that help
people immediately.”
“So there are reasons why we’re
a bit different,” Cunningham
says. “But if someone comes in
with appendicitis, I’m going to
treat it in exactly the same way as
my very capable MD partners.”
He says that 80–90% of what he
does is “very mainline.”
The medical training is essentially the same for both the “allopathic,” or traditional physicians,
and osteopathic physicians—four
years of medical school, at least
three years of residency, and certifying exams administered by
different bodies.
Osteopathic students have extra
study in the musculoskeletal system, including two years of lab
work. “You’re learning on other
students, and then you’re picking
on your family and friends to do
some of the manipulation,” he
says. “So there’s a better understanding of how the body works
and how to interact with it.”
Cunningham is a faculty member at the University of Minnesota
and two osteopathic colleges—
Des Moines University College of
Osteopathic Medicine and
LECOM-Bradenton College—and
enjoys working with third-year
osteopathic students, who must
spend eight weeks in rotation to
learn primary care.
“I teach both allopathic and
osteopathic students, and there’s
a big difference. … The osteopathic student is always more
comfortable touching the patient
and getting close, and doing a
number of the musculoskeletal
exams we have to do.”
Cunningham explains that
osteopathic physicians are different
than chiropractors, who also treat
patients with physical manipulation, but are not medical doctors.
Chiropractic focus is on the nervous system, while osteopathy
trains doctors to look at the body’s
functioning in more depth.
Osteopathic physicians have
not always been accepted as
equals in the medical profession.
Minnesota did not offer full practice rights to DOs until 1963; the
last state to do so was Louisiana,
just two years ago.
Currently there are about
56,000 osteopaths in the U.S.
who make up about six percent
of all physicians. In Minnesota
that figure is about 300, and
they practice across the state, traditionally serving in smaller
communities, but now increasingly in large healthcare systems
and at Mayo Clinic.
Cunningham says that osteopathic medicine is “growing by
leaps and bounds,” and that
within two or three years,
approximately 20% of all medical students will be pursuing
osteopathy. Currently they study
at 23 osteopathic medical
schools, most of which are private institutions. Because they’re
not affiliated with large hospitals,
osteopathic students tend to
travel and spread out more for
their rotations.
Four additional colleges of
osteopathic medicine are actively
on the drawing board, says
Cunningham, who has served on
the national committee that
approves new training schools.
In Minnesota Cunningham has
enjoyed being part of a team of
DOs who visit every college in
the state once a year to talk to
students about osteopathic medicine. “It’s really fun,” he says,
because “the idea that you can
learn to touch your patients and
to take a more natural approach
to some of their ailments is very
exciting to pre-med students.”
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
Osteopaths can pursue any
specialty, although most are in
family practice. Cunningham
says that research is becoming an
important new endeavor in
osteopathy. “I’ve just had a student who finished his PhD while
he was on rotation with me and
he’s doing oncology research,
some really exciting work in it.”
The choice between traditional
medical programs and osteopathy must be a personal one for
the student, Cunningham says.
First they have to know they
have a choice, and then some
will go the osteopathic route as
they become excited by the
approach osteopathy offers to
concentrate on treating the person and not just the disease.
Cunningham’s own vocational
route was not so direct. When he
was not accepted at first into
medical school, he took graduate
9/12/06
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Page 33
courses at the University of
Minnesota and worked in a hospital. After trying a year at law
school, it was a fellow classmate,
John Ronning ’77, now a physician in St. Cloud, who suggested
osteopathy. When Cunningham
learned more about it, he
applied, and went on to Des
Moines University College of
Osteopathic Medicine.
He says he owes a lot to the
profession, since it was while on
his internship in Grand Rapids,
Mich., where he met his wife.
He has served twice as president of the Minnesota Osteopathic
Medical Society, and has been
active on committees within the
profession, including the
National Board of Osteopathic
Medical Examiners.
Cunningham credits Augsburg
with a good preparation for leadership and service. He attended col-
lege as a commuter student to save
money, but was welcomed by the
residents and even kept a sleeping
bag in the corner. He served as
student body vice president, and
remains best friends with Ron
Robinson, who was president.
“The student leadership and
the opportunities Augsburg gave
me to be in that role were really
great testing grounds for what
I’ve gone on to accomplish in
medicine,” Cunningham says. He
encourages all students to take
advantage of leadership opportunities during their college years.
Cunningham says he loves
being involved in the politics of
medicine. This should keep him
active as osteopathic medicine
keeps growing and offers additional tricks in the doctor’s bag
for health and wellness. Ⅵ
For over 20 years Dr. Bruce Cunningham
’77 has brought the additional perspectives
from osteopathic medicine to his clinical
practice.
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ALUMNI NEWS
From the Alumni
Board president …
When I attended Augsburg in the
MAL program from 1993-1996, I
often thought of Augsburg as a diamond—many facets, one beautiful
gem of a college. Serving on the
board of directors of the Augsburg
Alumni Association over the last
few years has offered me many different and wonder-filled views of
Augsburg, yet I come back to the
same thought—many facets, one
beautiful gem of a college.
As another school year begins,
the cycle it brings is also the same
and different. Augsburg is about its
same calling—offering a transformative education rooted in vocation and service—while embracing
new presidential leadership.
Healthy expressions of excitement,
concern, joy, and challenge are evident every day I visit or speak
with someone on campus.
Augsburg is very alive! And well!
I encourage you to participate
in this cycle of life at Augsburg
through your Alumni Association.
The association remains committed to its purpose: “…to support
and serve Augsburg College in its
stated mission and to promote
interest and involvement of the
membership in Augsburg College
and in the association.” And there
is something new, too: the
Alumni Association has restruc-
32 AUGSBURG NOW
tured itself and its activities, and
has prepared itself to be a
stronger partner with the College.
I invite you to (re)connect
with Augsburg and your Alumni
Association:
• Attend events. Take advantage
of the many interesting and
meaningful activities available to
alumni. These include the inauguration of our new president,
music and theatre, athletics,
Velkommen Jul and Advent
Vespers, Homecoming, alumni
gatherings, and conferences.
This year’s alumni events also
will include volunteering with
Habitat for Humanity and the
Campus Kitchen, as well as the
Master of Arts in Leadership’s
20th anniversary celebration.
• Visit the campuses. Yes, that’s
plural! Augsburg now has at
least five campuses: ‘traditional’
day school, weekend, graduate,
Rochester, and overseas. Look
up former professors and mentors, shop at the bookstore,
and see the dramatic changes
that are occurring at Si Melby
and Gateway and planned for
the Science building. You
could even come back to
Augsburg for another degree!
• Stay in touch. We want to hear
from you and we want to be able
to contact you! Register for the
Augsburg Online Community
(www.augsburg.edu/alumni,
then click on Augsburg Online
Community) and let us know
what you are doing. Remember
to update your profile, and
look for your friends and
classmates. You can also use
the form on page 39 to submit
information, or e-mail it to
alumni@augsburg.edu.
• Contact us. Let us know how
you would like to be involved
with the College and fellow
alumni. You can reach me by
e-mail at bvornbrock@gmail.com
or through the Online
Community. You can also contact us through Alumni
Relations by phone at 612330-1085 or 1-800-260-6590,
by e-mail at alumni@augsburg.edu or in writing
(Campus Box 146, 2211
Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
MN 55454).
I look forward to seeing you at
Homecoming.
Barry Vornbrock, ’96 MAL
President, Augsburg Alumni
Association
Homecoming 2006—September 25–30
“Watch Us Soar”
Highlights of Homecoming Week
Please note that not all activities are on campus. For a complete listing and information, go to www.augsburg.edu or call 612-330-1085.
September 25
4:30-6 p.m.
Intl. Student Organization reception
September 26
11 a.m.–2 p.m.
6:30 p.m.
7:00 p.m.
Counseling and Health Promotion Annual Fair
Alumni Baseball Game
Powder Puff Football
September 27
10:30 a.m.
Augsburg Associates Annual Fall Luncheon—
speaker, Abigail Pribbenow
September 28
5:30–8:30 p.m.
5:30–8:30 p.m.
Education Dept. Open House
Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
September 29
9 a.m.
10–11 a.m.
12:30–2 p.m.
2:15 p.m.
4–5:30 p.m.
5–7 p.m.
5:30–7:30 p.m.
7 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
1956 Reunion Celebration
Homecoming Chapel
Homecoming Luncheon
Campus Tour
English Alumni/ae Reunion and Reading
Pan-Afrikan Alumni Reception
Metro-Urban Studies 35th Anniversary
Homecoming Variety Show
Men’s soccer game vs. Macalester College
September 30
10 a.m.
10–11:30 a.m.
11 a.m.
11 a.m.
11 a.m.–noon
11 a.m.–1 p.m.
1–3 p.m.
3–7 p.m.
1966 Class Reunion
Political Science Dept. 40th Anniversary
1981 Class Reunion
Young Alumni Reunion (1990–2006)
Campus Tour
Picnic in the Park
Football Game vs. Concordia College-Moorhead
Auggie Block Party
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Page 35
(Front row, L to R) Karen Oelschlager ’66, Donna Amidon, Linda Holt, Karen Johnson ’66,
Cathy Holmberg ’64, Joyce Pfaff ’65, Nancy Roemer, Janet Roemer ’79, Andy Song.
(Row two, L to R) Larry Turner ’69, Lynn Kielas, Colleen Johnson ’60, Margaret Fogelberg,
Doug Pfaff, Connie Bagenstos, Marie Sandbo ’65. (Row three, L to R) Florence Borman
’54, Joyce Young ’64, Donna Pederson, Sue McQuire ’70, Sue Turner, Lana Donald,
Mike Holmberg ’64, Lee Johnson, Donna Torgeson, Joan Dehn, Matt Young.
(Back row, L to R) Dennes Borman ’57, Louis Dehn, David Pederson ’70, Tom McQuire,
Jim Donald ’63, Brad Holt ’63, Hans Sandbo ’63
Centennial Singers perform in the Twin Cities
The Centennial Singers, a male chorus of Augsburg alumni and
friends, will present a series of concerts this fall in the greater
Twin Cities area.
The chorus was formed in the early 1990s of former Augsburg
Quartet members to revive and continue singing the gospel quartet
tradition. Since then, they have toured to Norway twice and to the
Southwest U.S.
Fall Concerts/Appearances:
Sat., Sep. 30, 7 p.m.
Vinji Lutheran Church, Willmar
China: A visit to the Great Hall
Thirty alumni and friends of the College, hosted by assistant alumni
director Donna Torgeson and faculty members Brad (’63) and Linda
Holt, toured China for two weeks in May. The tour featured the history, culture, and scenic beauty of China, and included a visit to the
Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City; a boat cruise
down the Yangtze River past the Three Rivers Dam project; an
evening at the opera; and many other historical stops. The experience
took travelers from Beijing to the international city of Shanghai. In
addition to visiting the famous sites of China, the group enjoyed an
educational opportunity to explore the religions of China with visits
to several temples and churches.
Sun., Oct. 1, 4 p.m.
Central Lutheran Church, Elk River
Sat., Oct. 7, 7 p.m.
Oak Grove Presbyterian Church, Bloomington
Sun., Oct. 8, 4 p.m.
Crystal Free Church, New Hope
Sat., Oct. 14, 7:30 p.m.
Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Hopkins
Sun., Oct. 15, 4 p.m.
Faith Lutheran Church, Coon Rapids
Sat., Oct. 28, 7 p.m.
Shepherd of the Lake Lutheran Church, Prior Lake
Join the Augsburg Online Community
It’s designed just for you—
• Keep in touch with classmates
• Find out what’s happening on campus
• Send class notes about what you’re doing
• Change/update your address and e-mail
• Update your profile so others can find you
• Make an online gift to Augsburg
It’s fast and easy. Already, more than 500 alumni have registered.
Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni—have you signed up?
If you have questions, e-mail healyk@augsburg.edu.
Sun., Oct. 29, 2 p.m.
House of Prayer Lutheran Church, Richfield
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CLASS NOTES
1950
1951
1957
Rev. Raynard Huglen ’53 Sem,
Rev. Herbert C. Hanson, Forest
Stan Baker, Raleigh, N.C., pro-
Newfolden, Minn., has published
a book, The Race Before Us, a
collection of writings from his
27-year tenure as editor of The
Lutheran Ambassador, the publication of the Association of Free
Lutheran Congregations. His
book is available through
Ambassador Publications of the
AFLC, in Minneapolis.
City, Iowa, was presented the
Golden Hammer award by
Habitat for Humanity in North
Iowa and the Volunteer of the
Year award for 2005 by the Forest
City Chamber of Commerce for
his volunteer work for Habitat for
Humanity. In April, he celebrated
his 80th birthday.
fessor of counselor education at
North Carolina State University
in Raleigh, was recognized as one
of the 100 Distinguished Alumni
during the centennial celebration
in May of the University of
Minnesota’s College of Education
and Human Development. He
received a Master of Arts degree
in personnel and guidance work
from there in 1963.
Auggie Reunion
Marshall Johnson, Brooklyn
Center, Minn., has completed 60
articles for The New Interpreter’s
Dictionary of the Bible, forthcoming from Abingdon Press.
Virgil Vagle, Paynesville, Minn.,
was inducted into the Minnesota
State High School League Hall of
Fame in May. He has coached football and wrestling at Paynesville
Area High School for 70 seasons
combined and held the state record
for most career coaching victories
in wrestling from 1997–2004.
1963
1970
Carolyn E. Johnson, Placentia,
Bonnie (Christopherson) Feig,
Starkville, Miss., has been teaching social studies at Starkville
High School for 16 years. During
that time, she has been named
the state’s outstanding social
studies teacher by the Mississippi
Historical Society, the district’s
Star Teacher (chosen by the high
school’s Star Student), the
Starkville Teacher of the Year for
2005–06, and the American
History Teacher of the Year by
the Mississippi Chapter of the
Daughters of the American
Revolution. Her husband,
Douglas ’68, teaches political
science at Mississippi State
University in Starkville.
Calif., received a grant from
Rotary International to teach for
one semester at the University of
Belize in Belize City, starting in
February 2007. She will also
work with the Women’s Issues
Network in Belize. Contact her at
cjohnson@fullerton.edu.
1965
Peter Jacobson, Paynesville,
Six roommates/housemates who graduated in 1967 celebrated their 25th consecutive annual
reunion in August 2005. They all have been teachers at some point in their careers. (Back
row, L to R) Gloria Lamprecht, Sue (Overholt) Hampe, Pat (Rupp) Rossing, Phyllis
(Stradtman) Krieg; (Front row, L to R) Ruth Ann (Gjerde) Fitzke, Ardell (Arends) Lommen.
34 AUGSBURG NOW
John K. Luoma, Stow, Ohio,
recently saw the re-publication
of his case study on the Anglican
divine Richard Hooker in the
Journal for Case Teaching
(2004–05). It was recognized as
one of the outstanding cases in
the Association for Case
Teaching archives.
Minn., and his wife, Lynne, were
honored as Distinguished
Alumni of the Paynesville Area
High School. They have been the
publishers of the Paynesville
Press since 1973, when they
took it over from her father, who
had succeeded his father as well.
In June they became semi-retired
when their son, Michael, took
over as publisher/editor.
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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Rev. Kathryn Schreitmueller,
Green Bay, Wis., has been named
pastor of Resurrection Lutheran
Church, after serving for 20
months as interim pastor of Peace
Lutheran Church in Oshkosh.
She teaches liturgy and worship
at the Eastern Lay School of
Ministry and has led students to
work for Habitat for Humanity.
1991
Jennie (Clark) Anderson, Park
Lisa Dietz, Golden Valley, Minn.,
was selected as one of the artists
for the Minnesota State Arts
Board’s second annual Art of
Recovery exhibit, April through
June. Her work included a
poem, an essay, and textile art.
Rapids, Minn., is the new owner
and innkeeper of the Red Bridge
Inn in Park Rapids.
www.redbridgeinn.com
Christine Halvorson, Hancock,
1977
Sharon (Johnson) Sullivan, San
Ron Housley, Santa Maria,
Jose, Calif., was honored by the
Junior League of San Jose as one
of the City of San Jose’s
Outstanding Volunteers for 2006.
She received her honor at the
37th Volunteer Recognition
Luncheon on April 28. She was
nominated by The Tech Museum
of Innovation for her dedication,
compassion, and action.
Calif., is in rehearsal with The
Kingsmen Alumni Corps, a
group of musicians who formerly
were members of The Anaheim
Kingsmen Jr. Drum and Bugle
Corps, for the 2007 Summer
Music Games. Recently, his
arrangement of “Eternal Father,
Strong to Save,” was chosen for
inclusion in the book of The
Kingsmen Alumni Corps.
1975
Craig Olsen (deceased) was
inducted posthumously in April
into the Oregon Chapter of the
National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
During his career he coached high
school teams in Minnesota and
Oregon, and at Pacific University
and University of MinnesotaMorris. He died of cancer in 2004.
1981
N.H., has entered the business of
corporate blogging as a consultant to companies wishing to join
the blogosphere.
www.halvorsonnewmedia.com
1989
Carolyn (Ross) Isaak,
Rochester, Minn., was named to
the U.S. Track and Field Cross
Country Coaches Association’s
Silver Anniversary Team, as one
of the outstanding performers in
women’s outdoor track and field
of the last 25 years. She was
named for her performance in
the 400-meter hurdles, for which
she still holds the NCAA
Division III national meet record.
1990
1978
Debra Axness, Charleston, S.C.,
has been living with her
boyfriend, Larry Struck, aboard
Debonair, their cutter-rigged sailboat, for four years after sailing
from Duluth, through the Great
Lakes, down the Erie Canal and
Hudson River, and down the
East Coast. They are ready to set
sail again towards Bermuda and
south to the Caribbean Basin.
Ora Hokes, Minneapolis, was
one of two winners of the 2006
University of Minnesota Josie
Johnson Human Rights and
Social Justice awards, named for
the first African American to
serve on the university’s Board of
Regents. The award recognizes
individuals who have devoted
their time and talents to making
substantial and enduring contributions to the University of
Minnesota community.
1992
Steven Benson, Owatonna,
Minn., was one of 100 teachers
nationwide to be awarded a 2005
Presidential Award for Excellence
in Mathematics and Science
Teaching. He and his wife, Nancy,
spent a week in Washington, D.C.,
sponsored by the National Science
Foundation, in a combination of
professional development activities
and festivities, which included a
White House breakfast meeting.
He is an advanced mathematics
teacher at Owatonna High School.
Sven
Erlandson,
Minneapolis,
published his
third book,
The 7
Evangelical
Myths:
Untwisting the
Theology behind the Politics, that
addresses the intersection of religion and politics in America,
specifically the role of evangelical
Christianity in the current political culture. During the spring he
served as Augsburg’s strength and
conditioning coach for all sports.
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CLASS NOTES
1993
1999
Anne JulianVan Abel,
Minnetonka,
Minn., started
a new business,
The A-List, a
human resource firm that provides
sourcing and staffing services for
local and national firms in all
industries. She had been an independent consultant for 12 years.
1996
Ryan Carlson, St. Paul, was
appointed an alternate member
by the Highland District
Council’s board of directors. The
council is an organization that
provides a neighborhood voice
to decisions made by the city
and the state.
1997
Sarah (Gilbert) Holtan,
Milwaukee, Wis., was promoted
to assistant professor of communications at Concordia University
Wisconsin. She can be reached at
sarah.holtan@cuw.edu.
1998
Angie Ahlgren, Minneapolis,
will begin a doctoral program
this fall in theatre history/criticism/theory/text with an emphasis in performance as public
practice at the University of
Texas at Austin. She holds an
MA in English literature from the
University of Minnesota.
36 AUGSBURG NOW
Erik C.B.
Johnson,
Chicago, Ill.,
received a
PhD in biochemistry
and molecular biology
from the University of Chicago
on June 9. He is currently a third
year medical student at the
University of Chicago, Pritzker
School of Medicine.
2003
Kristen Opalinski, White Bear
Lake, Minn., was named Coach
of the Year by the Northcentral
Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association
(NSLA) after coaching the North
Suburban Lady Spartans lacrosse
team to an undefeated record
and state championship. She was
also head coach for the
Minnesota All-Stars team, made
up of the state’s best girls in
lacrosse, who achieved a 2-1-2
record at the US Lacrosse
Women’s Division National High
School Tournament at Lehigh
University in Pennsylvania, after
six years of winless appearances.
Kristen works as a graphic artist.
Lindsay Plocher, Megan Feider, and Miya Kunin—the Des Cordes String Trio
2004
2006
Kelly Chapman, Willernie,
Lindsay Plocher, Megan Feider,
and Miya Kunin ’04 have joined
Minn., graduated magna cum
laude from the Fashion Institute
of Design and Merchandising in
Los Angeles. She was one of 10
students accepted into the third
year design program and awarded a full Nolan Miller Scholarship
for the 2006–07 school year.
2005
Yi Chen, New Brighton, Minn.,
works with her husband, Chen
‘04, at Akingco, Inc., a company
that sells gift pens.
together as the Des Cordes String
Trio, playing for weddings, parties, and corporate events. The
trio has performed prior to Saint
Paul Chamber Orchestra concerts as part of their community
series, and in the Linden Hills
Live Music Festival. They are
currently on the preferred musicians list of the Twin City Bridal
Association. www.descordes.com
Graduate programs
Doris Rubenstein ’93 MAL,
Richfield, Minn., has been
named a contributing editor to
CPA Wealth Provider magazine.
She is the principal of PDP
Services, a philanthropy management and planning consulting
firm in Minneapolis.
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Sports and Scores in Saginaw
Darryl Sellers, a Weekend
College grad of 2002, is the most
recent addition to the WNEMTV5 news team in Saginaw,
Mich. The station’s no. 65 ranking is an impressive advance for
Sellers, coming from no. 153,
KAAL-TV, in Austin, Minn. It’s
one more stepping stone on the
journey that began at Augsburg.
While earning a major in mass
communications and a minor in
English through the weekend
program from 1997 to 2002,
Sellers spent three years as a
McNair Scholar, which helped
him to prepare for graduate
school through workshops,
weekly meetings, conferences,
and outside assignments involving cultural awareness.
Sellers credits Augsburg for
“[laying] the groundwork for my
path… The school helped me
open many doors that were
closed to me before.”
For his McNair mini-thesis,
which he presented at the State
Capitol, Sellers chose to research
the Western Appeal, a St. Paul
African-American newspaper
published from the late 1800s to
the 1920s. He was able to see
how the newspaper began and
how it handled issues facing
blacks of that era such as racism,
discrimination, disenfranchisement, voting rights, and equal
education. Sellers concluded that
the black community was divided
in a number of issues. “Although
the people had many of the same
goals in mind,” he said, “the pathways to get there varied.”
The project helped Sellers
learn crucial lessons in balanced
reporting. “It helped me explore
both sides of issues. I learned
that objectivity itself can be subjective. Balance can’t always be
achieved, and this was something very valuable for an aspiring broadcast journalist.”
After Augsburg, Sellers and his
wife moved to Los Angeles where
he entered the Annenberg School
for Communication at the
University of Southern California.
Although he chose the school
because of its excellent program,
staff, and campus, he also admits,
“I fell in love with Los Angeles
during my honeymoon; I had
fantasized about living in
California. I also wanted to see
what it was like to escape the
tundra country and cold temperatures for two years.”
Part of his study there included
a six-week internship in 2003 in
Cape Town, South Africa, working
for SABC-TV, which he found to
be a great, eye-opening experience.
He received a Master of Arts in
broadcast journalism in May 2004,
and by August, KAAL-TV in
Austin, Minn. offered him a weekend sports anchor position. “I
started working there in
September 2004. It was a whirlwind summer—our son was born
August 13, so we drove more than
2,000 miles to Minnesota with a
three-week-old baby.”
In addition to the weekend
anchor spot, Sellers did sports
reporting and put together feature stories. He was in charge of
all his own camera work, producing, writing, and editing.
After a year and eight months
at KAAL-TV, Sellers stumbled into
a great opportunity through the
persistence of his father-in-law—
whom he calls his “unofficial
agent”—to connect with a
Phoenix TV-station president so
he could tell him about Sellers.
The president sent notification to
sister stations with a wonderful
recommendation. A week or so
later Sellers received e-mail from
the news director of WNEM-TV,
requesting a tape and an interview
in Saginaw. Sellers was then hired
as an 11 p.m. Fox sports anchor.
This new position offers both a
wider geographical area and a bigger budget. It also offers greater
challenge and opportunity to
report on events such as the PGA
Buick Open and to cover college
sports teams, like Michigan State,
and professional teams.
Darryl Sellers ’02
Sellers does miss Minnesota
and the people back home, and
he hopes to eventually make it
back to Minneapolis. “I would
like to work for WCCO-TV—
save a place for me, Mark Rosen,
as a sport anchor,” he says, and
adds with a smile, “Of course, I
wouldn’t say no to KARE, KSTP,
or KMSP.”
His goals also include starting
his own production company
and mentoring aspiring, young
journalists and other youth. “I
want to give back and help pave
the pathway for their future.”
Right now, though, Sellers is
staying very active with his new
job and helping to raise a very
energetic little boy.
— Sara Holman ’06
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CLASS NOTES
WEDDINGS
BIRTHS/ADOPTIONS
Dale Martin Christopherson ’85,
Grand Forks, N.Dak., and his
wife, Debra, announce the birth
of Alyssa Mae, in March. Dale is
a chemist at the U.S. Department
of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition
Research Center.
Mark Keating ’91 and his wife,
Amy, of Edina, Minn., announce
the birth of their third son,
Aidan Howard on March 14. He
joins brothers Owen, 4, and
Carson, 2. Mark is an account
executive at Symantec.
Nicole (Smith) Sendar ’93,
Edina, Minn., and her husband,
Jordan, announce the birth of
twin boys, Cameron and Gavin,
in September 2005. Nicole is a
teacher in the Minneapolis
Public Schools and can be
reached at nsendar@mn.rr.com.
Sarah (Ginkel) Spilman ’99,
Ames, Iowa, and her husband,
Damion, announce the birth of
their son, Alexander (Zane)
Nicholas, on Jan. 3. Sarah
earned her Master of Arts degree
in sociology at the University of
Iowa in 2004. She is a research
scientist for the Institute for
Social and Behavioral Research at
Iowa State University.
Jennifer Johs-Artisensi ’94, Eau
Ami Nafzger ’94 married Aron Spiess in July. They wed in a tradition-
al Korean wedding that took place as part of the 10th annual Dragon
Festival, an event in St. Paul at Lake Phalen, where they were introduced to each other three years ago. Both Ami and Aron are adoptees
from South Korea. Ami says, “The chair of Dragon Festival asked if
Aron and I would be willing to share our culture with the public at
the festival. We agreed and thought it made sense. Since we met at the
Dragon Festival, we should wed at the festival.” She serves on the festival board as treasurer, as well as on Augsburg’s Alumni Board.
Ami is the founder in 1998 of GOAL, the Global Overseas
Adoptees Link in Korea, that helps to inform Koreans about the existence of adoptees and helps adoptees to connect with their Korean
families and culture. She is beginning a three-year project to start a
GOAL in Minnesota for Asian adoptees and others. Ami and Aron
live in Minneapolis.
38 AUGSBURG NOW
Claire, Wis., and John Artisensi
became the parents of Alexis
Polina in May 2005. She was
born in Novosibirsk, Russia, and
is now two-and-a half years old.
Jennifer is an assistant professor
in the University of WisconsinEau Claire healthcare administration program and John is an elementary music teacher. She can
be reached at johsarjl@uwec.edu
Erica (Johnson) and Jared Trost
’00, East Bethel, Minn., welcome
to the world Josiah Jeffrey, their
first child, on March 19. Coming
in at 8 lbs., 13 oz. and 21 1/2
inches, Josiah is definitely a keeper. Erica is a science teacher at St.
Francis High School, and Jared is
employed by Cedar Creek
Natural History Area.
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
IN MEMORIAM
The Rev. Robert D. Weeden
’51, Newington, Conn., age 82,
on June 22. He served churches
in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and
Connecticut, as well as serving in
the chaplaincy during WWII and
at hospitals until his retirement
in 1990.
Phillip Gronseth ’55, Bella Vista,
Ark., age 72, on April 7. He was
an entrepreneur who retired to
Arkansas, where he enjoyed
being an avid golfer. While at
Augsburg he sang in the
Augsburg Quartet and continued
singing throughout his life. He
remained close to Augsburg,
with a special fondness for the
baseball program, and has supported athletics and the sciences.
9/12/06
12:47 PM
Page 41
Betty (Hanson) Rossing ’64,
Grand Rapids, Minn., on July 3.
With a special love for children, she
mentored teenagers, taught Sunday
School and Vacation Church
School, taught elementary grades in
public schools, and encouraged
young people to become involved
in ELCA missions.
Bessie Mae Hughes ’71,
Minneapolis, age 94, on June 8. A
native of Alabama, she came to
Augsburg to complete her college
degree at age 59, after raising four
children, and then taught in
Minneapolis Public Schools. In
1992 she was named an Augsburg
Distinguished Alumna for her contributions to community and her
church, St. Peter’s A.M.E. Church.
SEND US YOUR NEWS AND PHOTOS
Please tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move,
marriage, and births. Don’t forget to send photos!
For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary,
funeral notice, or program from a memorial service.
Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to:
Augsburg Now Class Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN, 55454, or e-mail to
alumni@augsburg.edu.
Full name
Maiden name
Class year or last year attended
Street address
City, State, Zip
Joseph Boyer ’90, Greenwood,
Minn., age 38, died unexpectedly
at home on June 11.
The Rev. Harry H. Fullilove ’59,
Coral Gables, Fla., age 81, on Dec.
25, 2004, after a lifetime of service
as Lutheran pastor and missionary
in Pakistan, Ghana, and India.
Is this a new address? □ Yes
□ No
Home telephone
E-mail
Okay to publish your e-mail address? □ Yes
□ No
Employer
Position
Work telephone
Go, Auggies! Lots of spirit at Homecoming ’55
Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College?
□ Yes
□ No
If yes, class year
Spouse name
Maiden name
Your news:
Auggie spirit resounded around the Quad as the cheerleaders led the
Pepfest for this year’s 50-year anniversary class at Homecoming 1955.
FA L L 2 0 0 6 3 9
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VIEWS
Reflections on
Red Lake
by Janna Caywood ’04
Janna Caywood, former program
coordinator for the Master of
Social Work program, interviewed
Matthew Thornhill ’04, ’06 MSW
about his reflections, as a social
worker, following the Red Lake
school shootings. Following is a
summary of her longer article.
40 AUGSBURG NOW
n March 21, 2005,
16-year-old Jeffrey
Weise shot and
killed three adults
and five classmates,
wounded seven other students,
and then killed himself. It’s a day
in history that the Red Lake Band
of Chippewa will never forget.
This one-hour violent act tore a
gaping hole in the collective spirit
of the entire Red Lake Nation. The
shock and pain were unimaginable. People simply could not
believe something so heinous
could happen in their community.
Worst of all, it was children who
were most deeply affected.
Social work graduate Matthew
Thornhill, a foster care social
worker for American Indian
Family and Children Services in
St. Paul, is an enrolled member
of the Red Lake reservation and
a relative of one of the kids who
died. When he heard the news
that day, his first instinct was to
go to the reservation to be with
his family and friends. “To be
present is very important in
Native culture,” he explains.
He immediately coordinated a
fund drive with his social service
colleagues to help many other Red
Lake members in the Twin Cities
also make the trip back home.
When Matt reached Red Lake,
what he found was both rewarding and disheartening.
It was rewarding to see the
close-knit Red Lake community
pull together and support one
another. Rewarding also was the
support that came from outside
the reservation—from Native
peoples across the U.S. and
Canada, in particular, who called
and e-mailed to express sorrow
and to offer help. “It’s a cultural
value,” says Matt. “We look out
for each other.”
O
Matthew Thornhill ’04, ’06 MSW was named
the “2006 Social Work Student of the Year”
by the National Association of Social
Workers–Minnesota Chapter. His wife,
Angelina, accepted the award with him.
Non-native responses, too,
came from around the globe,
including from some who had
suffered their own school shootings. Many non-Native emergency
responders in Red Lake learned
how to be culturally sensitive
while helping in the community.
The collaboration between
emergency responders and tribal
elders was quite remarkable.
Medicine men, spiritual leaders
and other Band members acted
much like social workers to help
individual families cope and pull
the community together toward
stability and healing. They organized healing ceremonies and
prayer circles for spiritual strength,
both on and off the reservation.
The collaboration between
emergency responders and tribal
leadership was also impressive.
Each morning tribal leaders met
at the local hospital to brief one
another on recent arrivals, so the
newcomers could be dispatched
where need was greatest. Given
the sovereign status of the Red
Lake Nation, there was no ambi-
guity as to who was in charge
and responsible for emergency
efforts—unlike the post-Katrina
confusion.
What Matt found disheartening was the media frenzy around
the shootings and the allegations
about the involvement of the
tribal chairman’s son. Insensitive
behavior by a number of journalists made many in Red Lake feel
exploited. Matt and his family
were most disturbed by news
stories that focused on Red
Lake’s social and economic struggles, implying that they were the
result of failed Native values and
an indifferent, incompetent
community.
The truth is, Matt says, Red
Lake does have its difficulties.
But the root causes are complex
and can only properly be understood through the lens of history
and an understanding of the
long-term effects of colonialism.
What didn’t always come
through were the embedded cultural values in the Red Lake
community and Native way of
life that give strength and
endurance in times of crisis.
In the end, Matt says, Red Lake
did not succumb to the media
barrage, because people drew on
their cultural traditions to rally
each other. “We are a proud,
strong Nation” he says. “We hold
onto our traditional values, yet
we adapt with the times. Red
Lake is gonna make it.”
6121_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
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11:09 AM
Page 43
For music information, call 612-330-1265
CALENDAR
For theatre ticket information, call 612-330-1257
For art gallery information, call 612-330-1524
SEPTEMBER
October 18
Concert by the Habbestad Trio, tone
poem and chamber ensemble
September 15–October 27
Reliquiae
Sculpture by Sam Spiczka
“Terje Vigen” song cycle,
by Kjell Habbestad
7 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
Free and open to the public.
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Artist reception, Oct. 7, 4–8 p.m.
Artist gallery talk, Oct. 25, 12:30 p.m.
Egg Basket
Full of
Hollyhock
Dolls
Paintings by
Amy Rice
’93
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Artist reception, Oct. 7, 4–8 p.m.
Artist slide presentation, Sept. 29, 3:30
p.m., Marshall Room, Christensen Center
September 21
Many Voices: Bold Visions
Convocation Series
The Rose Ensemble
“Common Threads: Exloring Shared
Texts among Early Christians and Jews”
11 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Free and open to the public.
September 25–30
“Watch Us Soar”—Homecoming 2006
October 18–21
Ages of Imagination: A New Season
of Leadership
The inauguration of Paul Pribbenow
Free and open to the public.
October 20
Festival Service
Bishop Mark Hanson ’68, presiding
Rev. Dr. Robin Lovin, preaching
10:30 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Inauguration Ceremony
2 p.m.—Melby Hall
Community Celebration
3:30 p.m.—Murphy Square
October 21
Auggie Spirit Zone
11:00 a.m.—Murphy Square
Football game vs. Carleton College
1 p.m.—Anderson-Nelson Field
For information:
www.augsburg.edu/inauguration
See page 32 for schedule.
NOVEMBER
OCTOBER
November 1
faith@work! breakfast speaker series
October 2–3
2006 Christensen
Symposium
Douglas John Hall,
professor emeritus
of Christian theology, McGill
University
Free and open to
the public.
October 2, “Where in the World Are We?
Being Christians after Christendom”
7:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
October 3, “What Are People For? Caring
for Life in a Violent World”
11 a.m.—Hoversten Chapel
October 4
faith@work! breakfast speaker series
Paul Pribbenow, Augsburg president
7:30 a.m.—St. Philip the Deacon
Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Minn.
Free and open to the public.
Contact: John Knight, 330-1351 or
faith@augsburg.edu. Go to www.spdlc.org.
Barbara Helmsley, founder, Hope
Chest for Breast Cancer
7:30 a.m.—St. Philip the Deacon
Lutheran Church, Plymouth, Minn.
Free and open to the public.
Contact: John Knight, 330-1351 or
faith@augsburg.edu. Go to www.spdlc.org.
November 3–11
Hedda Gabler
By Henrik Ibsen
Faculty directed by Martha Johnson
November 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11
at 7 p.m.
November 5 and 12 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
November 3–December 17
Signs of Life
Sculpture by
Kim Matthews
Gage Family Art
Gallery
Artist reception,
Nov. 3, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Artist gallery talk, TBA
November 5
November Nativity
Concert by Masterworks Chorale of
Augsburg
4 p.m.—TBA
November 17–19
Exceptionally Ordinary
Guest directed by David DeBlieck ’88
November 17, 18, and 19 at 8 p.m.
performed together with
No Exit
November 5–19
Henrik Ibsen Film Festival
Lindell Library 301
Free and open to the public.
November 5, 4:30 p.m.
Immortal Ibsen!—a documentary by
Erling Borgen (Norway, 1999)
Terje Vigen–Victor Sjöström (Sweden, 1917)
November 10, 7 p.m.
The Wild Duck (Vildanden)—
Tancred Ibsen (Norway, 1963)
November 12, 4:30 pm.
A Doll’s House—Patrick Garland
(England, 1973)
By Jean Sartre
Student directed by
Justin Hooper ’07
November 17, 18, and 19 at 9 p.m.
Foss Studio Theater
November 18
Augsburg Concert Band concert
4 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
November 19
F. Melius Christiansen Festival concert
2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.—Orchestra Hall
See page 6–7.
November 17, 7 p.m.
Lady Inger (Fru Inger til Østråt)—
Sverre Undnæs (Norway, 1975)
November 19, 4:30 p.m.
An Enemy of the People (En
folkefiende)—Erik Skjoldbjærg
(Norway, 2004)
November 5–30
Exhibit–“To Be a Poet Is to See:
Ibsen in Our Time”
Lindell Library, third floor
November 6
Scholastic Connections Gala
Reception and Dinner
Celebrating the scholarship/mentorship program and the four ethnic services programs
Free and open to the public.
6 p.m.—Christensen Center
Info and reservations:
612-330-1104
November 10
Anita Gay Hawthorne Jazz &
Poetry Bash
6:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel and
Arnold Atrium
November 12
Augsburg Symphony Orchestra Concert
4:30 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
Augsburg Jazz Ensemble concert
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Subjective Mapping: An Exploration
of Spirit and Place
Paintings by Teresa Cox
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Artist reception, Nov. 3, 5:30–7:30 p.m.
Artist gallery talk, TBA
DECEMBER
December 1
Velkommen Jul Celebration
10:15 a.m.–Chapel service,
Hoversten Chapel
11 a.m.–2 p.m.–Scandinavian treats and
gifts, Christensen Center
December 1–2
27th Annual Advent Vespers
A service of music and liturgy
5 and 8 p.m. each night
Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
For seating envelopes,
612-330-1265
December 6
faith@work! breakfast speaker series
Norah Long, Canto, St. Philip the
Deacon Lutheran Church
7:30 a.m.–St. Philip the Deacon Lutheran
Church, Plymouth, Minn.
Free and open to the public.
Contact: John Knight, 330-1351 or
faith@augsburg.edu. Go to www.spdlc.org.
FA L L 2 0 0 6
6121_Augsburg_AugsburgNow-Fall 06
9/12/06
10:25 AM
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“Hostas and Water Drops” was
the first photo in a series called
“Photo of the Week” on the
AugNet page of the Augsburg
College website. This feature
was created to keep AugNet
readers up to date on College
happenings, to help them
notice beauty they may have
overlooked, and to add variety
to the page.
— Stephen Geffre, photographer
2211 Riverside Avenue
Minneapolis, MN 55454
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PAID
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A
P U B L I C AT I O N
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
Summer 2006
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 4
A SMOOTH TRANSITION
page 2
FEATURES
17
The Frame years—
a journey toward vision
by Betsey Norgard
22
Augsburg’s original MBAs:
The Class of 2006
by Bethany Bierma... Show more
A
P U B L I C AT I O N
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
Summer 2006
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 4
A SMOOTH TRANSITION
page 2
FEATURES
17
The Frame years—
a journey toward vision
by Betsey Norgard
22
Augsburg’s original MBAs:
The Class of 2006
by Bethany Bierman
27
On tour with the Augsburg Choir
by Judy Petree
30
Those Lutheran Ladies
by Betsey Norgard
DEPARTMENTS
2 Around the Quad
7 Sports
8 Commencement 2006
12 Sixth Annual International
Programs Photo Contest
14 Supporting Augsburg
Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for Augsburg College
35 Alumni news
37 Class notes
TABLE OF CONTENTS
40 Auggie Thoughts
Summer 2006
Vol 68, No. 4
A college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg College is an equal education/employment institution.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
norgard@augsburg.edu
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
rumpza@augsburg edu
Staff Writer
Bethany Bierman
bierman@augsburg.edu
Staff Photographer
Stephen Geffre
geffre@augsburg.edu
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
petree@augsburg.edu
Sports Information Director
Don Stoner
stoner@augsburg.edu
Director of Marketing and
Communications
Christopher Moquist
moquist@augsburg.edu
Director of Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen
breen@augsburg.edu
www.augsburg.edu
On the cover:
Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg
Augsburg President William Frame (right)
and President-elect Paul Pribbenow (left)
have enthusiastically worked together for a
smooth administrative transition.
College, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota
55454. Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not
necessarily reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058–1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
50 percent recycled paper (10 percent post-consumer waste)
AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
From one president to the next—
in smooth transition
I
n what President William Frame calls a
rather remarkable and unusual
occurrence in higher education, both he
and President-elect Paul Pribbenow
jointly spoke to the spring gathering of
faculty and staff in March.
Frame explained what he understands
as a complex relationship between
continuity and change, as both he and
the incoming president individually and
jointly continue to increase the “clarity of
the College’s self-definition” as well as
“the speed at which it is being realized”
during the transition period.
(In a gesture to ease at least the visual
transition, Frame turned just before
introducing Pribbenow and donned a
bow tie, calling reference to the incoming
president’s signature accessory.)
Pribbenow lauded and affirmed the
defining work that has been carried out
by the Augsburg community in
articulating its vision. “I would not be
here,” he commented, “if I did not find
your aspirations inspiring and
compelling.”
Pribbenow takes office on July 1, and
his inauguration has been set for Oct. 20.
The next issue of Augsburg Now will
outline his administration’s priorities and
introduce his leadership team.
William Frame donned a bow tie to signal his
“profound regard” for his successor.
Both retiring president William Frame (left)
and incoming president Paul Pribbenow
(right) spoke to faculty and staff in March.
Chris Kimball will be chief academic
officer at California Lutheran University
C
hristopher Kimball, provost and vice
president for academic affairs, left
Augsburg May 31 to assume the same
position at California Lutheran
University in Thousand Oaks, Calif.,
beginning in July.
Kimball, a member of the history
faculty since 1991, was appointed dean
in 2000 and provost in 2004 when that
position was created. His impact at
Augsburg is seen in the areas of
curricular reform, calendar changes,
teaching loads, several new programs,
and the “internationalization” of the
campus.
“I have been blessed to work at
Augsburg during a time of great change,
2
especially in the articulation of our
mission and vision,” said Kimball.
“California Lutheran University, located
in an economically vibrant and culturally
diverse region, offers a wonderful
opportunity to continue that work.”
President William Frame stated,
“… Chris’ gifts, some of which were
shaped in the process of giving our
College new vitality and sharp direction,
have been acknowledged by a fine
institution in current need of them.”
In May, the Department of Business
Administration presented Kimball with a
plaque recognizing his support of business
studies and his “entrepreneurial spirit.”
Summer 2006
Farewell to the Frames—a ‘gentle roast’ and
a proper tribute
1
2
3
O
n April 21, more than 300 faculty and
staff gathered to honor and show
appreciation to Bill and Anne Frame, and
to entertain them with some ‘gentle’
roasting. Augsburg’s Gospel Praise
provided music, with returning special
guest artist Jennifer Grimm ’99.
Gift presentations were made and the
Frames offered an Augsburg rendition of
Woody Guthrie’s song, “So Long, It’s Been
Good to Know You.”
Frame reflected on his time at
Augsburg. “These years have been a great
gift to us … because they’ve given us the
possibility for growth … And new
understanding about this great business of
education—where it comes from, what it
changes, why it’s crucial for the salvation
of humankind. …
“This place gave us a chance to think
through [a great calling] more deeply and
better than ever we would have had a
chance to do otherwise. So, we’re grateful.
We’re grateful to you and we’re grateful to
Summer 2006
this place and its great lineage in history.”
When asked by Augsburg Echo about
his plans for retirement, he mentioned one
specific project—an old boat with “at least
a year’s worth of work before it’s ready for
the water.”
On April 30, a more proper
“Celebration of Music and Worship for the
Presidency of Bill and Anne Frame at
Augsburg College” was held at Central
Lutheran Church.
ELCA presiding bishop Mark Hanson
’68 presented the keynote address. Three
music groups—Augsburg’s Gospel Praise,
Masterworks Chorale, and the Augsburg
Centennial Singers—each sang several
pieces.
Campus pastor David Wold read a
series of tributes received honoring the
Frames, including an ode written by
Wartburg College president Jack Ohle and
his wife, Kristy, and a proclamation from
the City of Minneapolis declaring this day
to be “Bill and Anne Frame Day.”
4
1 Bill and Anne Frame enjoy some of the
lighter minutes of the “roast” in their
honor.
2 Campus pastor David Wold reads the
proclamation from Mayor R.T. Rybak
declaring April 30 “Bill and Anne Frame
Day” in the City of Minneapolis.
3 President Frame picked up his guitar to
join Gospel Praise in “I Saw the Light” at
Central Lutheran Church.
4 Assistant director of alumni relations and
former football coach Jack Osberg ’62
leans in close to extend his greetings
above the jazz and gospel music.
3
Campus News
Honors for distinguished
teaching and learning
Association, and the American
Association of School Administrators.
Selection to the network, part of ECS’
National Center for Learning and
Citizenship (NCLC), commits its
members to further service to promote
civic engagement for all students.
Erickson serves as chair of the
Minneapolis School Board.
Hannah Dietrich’s research
paper wins national award
Dietrich visited the sex offender
treatment program at the Lino Lakes
Correctional Facility and learned about
the pre-release transition program. She
became interested in finding out if
offenders really understood the
registration process and if they became
more compliant and submitted better
verification after completing the
program.
Together with Steblay, she crafted a
research plan that became her senior
honors project.
Dietrich is now in the master’s program
in experimental psychology at the
University of Colorado-Colorado Springs.
Orientation leaders
receive awards
Congratulations to the faculty and staff
who received awards for Distinguished
Contributions to Teaching and Learning
from the Center for Teaching and
Learning and the Office of the Provost
and Dean of the College:
Teaching—Phil Adamo (standing, left),
history
Mentoring—Dixie Shafer (seated,
center), Undergraduate Research and
Graduate Opportunity (URGO)
Service to Students—Heather Feehan
(standing, right), Chris Pegg (seated,
right), Scott Krajewski (seated, left),
Robert Bill (standing, center)—all from
Information Technology.
Joe Erickson selected for
national network
Joseph Erickson, education, has been
named to the “100 District Leaders for
Citizenship and Service-Learning
Network.” The network includes school
board members and district
superintendents across the country
selected by a panel representing the
Education Commission of the States
(ECS), the National School Boards
4
Hannah Dietrich’s honor project research
with Professor Nancy Steblay was named
Best Undergraduate Paper.
Hannah Dietrich, a 2005 psychology
graduate, has received the American
Psychology-Law Society’s 2006 Award for
Best Undergraduate Paper. She presented
her research and received the award at
the AP-LS meeting in March in St.
Petersburg, Fla.
Her paper, “Predatory Sexual
Offenders: Post-Treatment Registration
Compliance and Recidivism” is the result
of research she did in collaboration with
psychology professor Nancy Steblay.
Dietrich became interested in
studying disorders after taking an
abnormal psychology class. She landed
an internship at the Minnesota Bureau of
Criminal Apprehension, working in the
Predatory Offender Registration Unit,
and connected with a supervisor who
included her in many areas of the work.
Augsburg’s student orientation leaders
participated in the National Orientation
Directors Association Regional
Conference in Minneapolis.
In the Undergraduate Case Study
competition, Greg Hildebrandt ’08 won
the Best Problem Solving Award, and
Sarah Black ’09 received the Best
Communication Award. Student
Activities director Marc Skjervem
presented on the changing culture of
college students using online
communities and the consequences
students face with the misuse of
websites.
Wrestlers are second in nation
in academics
For the ninth year in a row, Augsburg
finished in the top 10 in the National
Wrestling Coaches Association’s Scholar
All-America team program, finishing
second among more than 100 NCAA
Division III wrestling institutions, with a
3.42 team grade point average. The top
team, Messiah College (Pa.), had a team
GPA of 3.47.
Augsburg is the only school in NCAA
Division III wrestling to finish in the top
10 both in competition on the mat and
in the academic team competition in
each of the nine years that the NWCA
has awarded an academic team national
championship. ■
Summer 2006
‘Zyzzogeton’—
the last word
A
ugsburg launched a new tradition this year with
“Zyzzogeton,” a four-day celebration of student
and faculty work—from artistic performances to
student research posters.
Taking its name from the last entry in Webster’s
Third New International dictionary, the celebration is
meant to wrap up and highlight the breadth and depth
of scholarship at Augsburg. Art exhibits, faculty and
student recitals, faculty research roundtables, student
research posters, film projects, theatre productions,
museum installations, and more filled the calendar
of events.
(In the dictionary, “zyzzogeton” is defined as a
genus of South American leaf hoppers.)
Visitors to campus during this time included high
school students who came on Drama Day to learn
more about the theatre arts program, and middle
school students with developmental disabilities and
peers taking part in the annual Metro Arts Festival
with Augsburg’s music therapy students.
A lighter highlight of the celebration was a
vigorous debate, Lefse vs. Lutefisk, in which four
scholars—President Frame (political science), Lori
Brandt Hale (religion), Joan Griffin (English), and Ken
Kaminsky (mathematics)—took sides to argue and
defend the Norwegian delicacies from the viewpoints
of their academic disciplines. The judges were
Norwegian bunad-clad members of the Augsburg
Associates, and guests were treated to the delicacies of
each, including their aromas. (And, yes, the lutefisk
side was declared the winner.)
Top left: The spring theatre production, Metamorphoses,
by Mary Zimmerman, uses contemporary language and
imagery to explore ancient myths.
Center: Biology major Ben Sonquist explains his research
to physics professor Ben Stottrup.
Bottom left: Physics professor Mark Engebretson shared
his research on geomagnetic pulsations in Earth’s space
environment.
Summer 2006
5
Larry Ragland retires after
21 years
P
rofessor Larry Ragland was
one of the founding
members of the Computer
Science Department and retired
in May after 21 years teaching
in both that department and
mathematics.
He has stayed at Augsburg,
he says, for the same reason he
tells prospective students they
should come—to be in a
supportive environment where
students and faculty work
closely together.
While computing has
changed greatly over two
Professor Larry Ragland served as one of the founding
decades, he says, the discipline
faculty of the computer science department and retired
of computer science has not.
after 21 years at Augsburg.
“When I started, we showed
students the ‘on’ switch and
unmanned flights.
how to use a mouse … We operated in
Ragland recalls his first assignment at
an entirely different way then,” Ragland
Augsburg
as chair of the Academic
says. Now, with a comprehensive campus
Computing
Committee, with a goal to
network and the global Internet, “we
hire
a
full-time
academic computing
have changed how we relate to the
director.
That
finally
happened in 1990.
world.”
At
Ragland’
s
retirement
celebration,
Ragland reflects on the fact that he
Professor
Karen
Sutherland
said the
has spent his entire career working in a
department
will
miss
his
“advice,
cool
discipline that didn’t exist when he went
ideas,
ability
to
keep
them
calm,
and
to college. His first degrees were in
sense of humor.” Junior Cory Nathan
mathematics, and he started out teaching
spoke
for students, thanking Ragland for
in public schools.
“putting
up with us and teaching us a
His interest in computer science
thing
or
two
along the way.”
developed while he worked in the Apollo
Ragland
has
no definite plans yet for
Space Program in Houston. During the
retirement.
He
says
he has room for one
period in which the manned program
big
“yes”
for
a
project,
but has no idea
recovered from its tragic fire, Ragland
yet
of
what
that
project
will be.
worked on computer displays for
Joy Bartlett leaves Education Department
E
ducation professor Joy Bartlett retired
from Augsburg in December 2005
and moved to Las Vegas. Since 2001 she
has taught orientation to education,
reading methods, and technology in the
classroom.
6
She fondly recalls the warmth of the
Augsburg community and the
enthusiasm of her students. Also, she
enjoyed helping students in the McNair
program and the Undergraduate Research
and Graduate Opportunity office with
their research.
Sandi Lallak
leaves Augsburg
for Arizona
A
fter 23 years at
Augsburg
working with
students in the
CLASS program,
Sandi Lallak retired
in May and moved
with her husband to
Mesa, Ariz.
When Lallak began working in the
Center for Learning and Adaptive Student
Services (CLASS), she recalls, CLASS had
one computer, little technology, and
mostly provided advocacy for students
with disabilities—about 10 of them.
An endowment from the Groves
Family in 1988 enabled the program to
grow and make the commitment to
become a premier program. Lallak
researched the field to learn about
available adaptive technology, traveled to
visit programs, and helped create a small
lab on campus. She and colleague Sadie
Curtis began to tape textbooks.
Within three years, the program grew
to provide services and accommodations
to over 100 students. Lallak and Curtis
spent nearly a decade developing the
systems, databases, and procedures for
CLASS as it is today, including its student
workers. “I’m so honored to have been
able to make this happen,” she says.
With new technology, Lallak says,
“students are reading better, retaining, and
comprehending better.”
Lallak became the first
accommodations specialist she knows
about; Curtis is now a physical disabilities
specialist in the ACCESS program.
While CLASS currently serves about
190 students, past students remain an
important part of Lallak’s life. A double
bulletin board jammed with photos of past
students—weddings, babies, vacations—
covered a corner of her office.
Lallak has no definite plans in
retirement, but many ideas for volunteer
opportunities in Arizona.
Summer 2006
Sports
For current sports information, scores, and schedules go to <www.augsburg.edu/athletics>.
Carol Enke retires from coaching
by Don Stoner
I
“ ’ve never looked at any part of my job as
a ‘job’,” said Carol Enke, who has
coached Augsburg’s softball team for 21
seasons and taught in the Health and
Physical Education Department for 19
years. “I always say that I’m going to
‘school.’ I never say that I’m going to
‘work.’
“I’ve looked at this as fun. I get paid to
come in here and do this—interact with
students and interact with studentathletes.”
Enke left her coaching position at the
end of the 2006 season, while continuing
to work in the HPE department. In 21
seasons at Augsburg, Enke has compiled
302 career victories, while coaching six
players who have earned National
Fastpitch Coaches Association Division III
All-American honors and 28 players who
have earned all-region honors (entering
the 2006 season).
Along the way, Enke has touched the
lives of hundreds of softball players, along
with hundreds of HPE majors who are
continuing her legacy in classrooms all
over the region. In 2001, the senior class
selected her as one of three Honored
Faculty.
“I’ve enjoyed watching the students
grow,” Enke said. “I have them in a 200level class in their first or second years,
and I ask myself, ‘Are they really going to
make it in the teaching profession?’ Then
when they are in the 300-level classes their
junior and senior years, you see that these
kids have made a lot of progress and
they’ll be OK.”
Enke was a standout athlete in
multiple sports in her hometown of
Janesville, Wis.—she was inducted into
her hometown’s Athletic Hall of Fame in
1995—and played collegiate softball at the
University of Minnesota. She coached for
three seasons, two as head coach, at
Minneapolis Roosevelt High School before
coaching her first season at Augsburg
in 1986.
Enke initially worked part time at
Augsburg, while completing her master’s
degree at Minnesota. And in her early
Summer 2006
Softball coach Carol Enke, flanked by players (left to right) Sarah Mueller ’09, Sarah Green ’09,
and Katie Johnson ’08, cheers on the team in her last game as coach after 21 seasons. Enke will
continue teaching in the health and physical education department.
years, she felt that Division III Augsburg
would be just a step in her career to bigger
goals.
“Way back when, I thought that
someday I’d move up to coach Division II
or Division I softball. Then, it happened
that I started to teach more courses in the
[HPE] major and I really enjoyed that
along with coaching. After that, I never
thought about moving up to Division II or
Division I.”
Do I remember very many
games? Heck, no. Do I remember
the fun we had? Absolutely.
—Carol Enke, softball coach
Enke has developed a close-knit, family
atmosphere with her softball teams,
encouraging the players’ families to be
active in the program during the short
spring season. In the past, she has taken
the players on off-season adventures and
team-building activities, such as crosscountry skiing, winter camping, snow
tubing, and rock climbing.
She has also encouraged her studentathletes to be active in multiple activities
on campus. Several of her players compete
in multiple sports at Augsburg, while also
serving as members of clubs and
organizations on campus.
“With the softball teams, our athletes
aren’t one-dimensional,” Enke said. “We’ve
got them going in all directions, more than
ever before. That’s just how well-rounded
they are, and we encourage that. We tell
them that they have four years here, and
they should ‘bite off as much as they can
chew.’ If you want to play two or three
sports, do it. If you want to be active in
campus activities, do it. Take advantage of
what you’re getting for your tuition.”
There have been many changes in
college softball during the 21 years of
Enke’s tenure, including in bat technology.
“When I started here, a bat was $29.95.
Now bats can cost over $200,” she said.
But what hasn’t changed with Enke’s
Auggie teams is the fun atmosphere she
encourages, along with the life skills she
teaches, both in the classroom and on the
softball diamond.
“It keeps me young,” she said. “Just
the relationships with the students and
student-athletes, getting involved in their
lives. Letting them know that you are
someone they can come to. I really like
that, and I like to watch them grow in all
areas of their lives—not just as student,
not just as an athlete, but as the person as
a whole.
“I’ve loved the people, the teammates
and the coaches, all the relationships
we’ve had. Do I remember very many
games? Heck, no. Do I remember the fun
we had? Absolutely.” ■
7
COMMENCEMENT
2006
The 137TH YEAR of Augsburg College
PAUL CUMINGS RECEIVES
MARINA CHRISTENSEN
JUSTICE AWARD
Faculty and students grab one more farewell in Augsburg’s longtime tradition
of faculty cheering on their students as they process to the ceremony.
Libby Henslin, admissions and operations
coordinator for Augsburg’s Rochester
program, graduated with a major in
religion and shared the day’s excitement
with her daughter, Rebecca, who earned
a degree in social work.
Paul Cumings, an international relations
major and student body president, was
selected as the 2006 recipient of the Marina
Christensen Justice Award.
Each year, this honor is presented to the
graduating senior who best exemplifies
Augsburg’s motto, “Education for Service.”
Cumings came to Augsburg from
AmeriCorps, serving at the Brian Coyle
Center on the West Bank in Minneapolis.
He worked two years in the college readiness
program, helping junior high and high
school students first consider going to
college and then helping them prepare the
skills to gain acceptance.
On campus he served in numerous
service and leadership roles—as resident
adviser, as director of food and clothing
drives, as a co-sponsor of the “get out the
vote” efforts, and as a leader in neighborhood Somali programs.
As a Sabo Scholar, Cumings helped
Augsburg make connections between public
policy and service, laying groundwork for
future Sabo Scholars.
The award recipient must have
demonstrated a dedication to community
involvement as characterized by the personal
and professional life of Marina Christensen
Justice, who reached out to disadvantaged
people and communities.
President William Frame congratulates
student body president and Sabo Scholar Paul
Cumings, who was awarded the 2006
Marina Christensen Justice Award.
8
Summer 2006
EXCERPTS FROM THE COMMENCEMENT ADDRESS
“An Augsburg Education: Vocation and the Social Good”
—Peter Agre ’70, M.D.
I would like to use this occasion to reflect on my life and share some of the lessons I have
learned. While an Augsburg student I became a die-hard advocate for the liberal arts
tradition …
Proud chemistry professor Arlin Gyberg (left)
straightens the hood of his former student,
Dr. Peter Agre ’70, who was the Commencement
speaker and received an honorary Doctor of
Humane Letters degree. The accolade was read by
Dr. Paul Mueller ’84, a student of Agre’s at
the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
The Honorable Walter F. Mondale reads the
accolade for the honorary Doctor of Humane
Letters degree awarded to James A. Johnson,
former executive assistant to Mondale and
CEO of Fannie Mae.
Lisa Prytula ’04, ’06 MAN, who completed
a bachelor’s degree in nursing and
finished a master’s degree, spoke on
behalf of the graduate students.
I was a student here in the 1960s—an era notable for extreme turmoil in our country.
During my years in high school and as an undergraduate, I lived through the assassinations
of John F. Kennedy, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., and Robert Kennedy. My years here
coincided with unprecedented social disturbances resulting from conflicts between white
supremacists and civil rights workers, between supporters of the war in Vietnam and antiwar protesters. Despite the consternation experienced elsewhere, those of us at Augsburg
enjoyed an island of tranquility where issues and events such as these could be discussed
with respect and civility.
Augsburg College has never been a school for privileged members of the establishment.
Augsburg recognized the importance of inclusion at a very early time and has long been a
leader in providing educational opportunities for the Native Americans and other ethnic
minorities. Augsburg’s commitment to students with physical disabilities had just begun in
the 1960s. Similar to previous generations of Augsburg students, many of my classmates
were from the working class, often the first members of their families to attend college. …
But this is not the tradition prevailing at the so-called “prestige” colleges and
universities in the United States where it is rare to have first generation students or
students with parents holding blue-collar jobs. Clearly the working class of America is
being excluded from many institutions of higher education. This makes me even prouder
of the modest roots of Augsburg students, for as the late Kirby Puckett reflected, “It doesn’t
matter where you come from. It only matters how you play the game.”
And I always felt that my classmates at Augsburg learned to play the game extremely
well. This was due in part to the splendid Augsburg faculty—perhaps most outspoken
among them was my father, Courtland Agre, whose unbridled enthusiasm and exuberant
encouragement directed many of us into professional and graduate schools. …
While my generation, the “Baby Boomers,” has achieved unprecedented prosperity, I
sincerely feel that we have failed to improve the world to a state better than it was when
we received it from our parents. In fact, I fear that the world is in worse shape now. If
this continues, we will be the first generation in memory to fail in such an important
endeavor. We all know what the problems are: damage to the environment, continued
war, prevalence of famine and untreated disease in the developing world, violent crime
and poverty in our inner cities, the epidemic of drug abuse, failure to provide adequate
health care to all Americans, and the staggering $9 trillion national debt which will fall
on your generation.
Education has never been more important than in the current time of growing antiintellectualism in America. It is really shocking when you think that less than half of all
Americans read a single book last year.
As Mark Twain informed us, “The man who doesn’t read good books has no
advantage over the man who can’t read them.”
I fear the emphasis in our country has now become one of fixing the blame rather
than fixing the problem. The polarized special interests have caused gridlock in our
national government where the two major parties can seemingly agree on nothing. Let
me suggest that the hour is late and we must stop the face-slapping and join hands and
concentrate all of our attention on fixing the problems. It is often said that “the genius
of this immigrant nation is that we have always found our center,” and I believe that we
need to do so urgently. …
Thank you and congratulations.
The full Commencement Address is at <www.augsburg.edu/president/commencement06.html>.
Summer 2006
9
COMMENCEMENT
2006
BACCALAUREATE HOMILY (EXCERPTS)
WILLIAM V. FRAME, PRESIDENT
Physician assistant graduate Tara Rick is the center of attention as she receives her
master's hood from PA director Dawn Ludwig.
“Separating Together”
[I]n John’s Gospel and the Book of Acts, Jesus is preparing the disciples for
their new assignment—dispersal, one by one, each on his own, into the
world for the sake of the great commission. He suggests that they can
sustain themselves in the midst of their independence only if they remember
before leaving that they were transformed from a motley crew of fishermen,
tax collectors, and other workaday professionals into a “community.” But
this recollection will strengthen them for the independent journeys just
ahead only if they repair the terrible rip in the fabric of their collegium
caused by Judas’ betrayal. Hence, before the reprise of community can be
undertaken, Judas’ empty position must be filled. And it is, by one Mattias,
who is called up from the apostolic bench (which appears to have been
deeper than that of the Timberwolves) by a drawing of lots. …
You and I are separating—together—and the good news is that we’re
separating from a place that gave each of us something to be separated from. …
[from] a community of learning, in which ideas of the transforming kind,
experiences (sometimes of the embarrassing kind—some, entailing success,
and some, failure and frustration), gave us new life and, therefore, identity. …
Like us, in the hands of the College, the disciples had been molded into
something new by their particular course of study, faculty, and classmates.
Their capstone course culminated in the resurrection. Yours came to a more
conventional conclusion a week ago. But neither we now, nor the disciples
then, are yet prepared for separation.
Until we recognize that we were transformed by our time together; until
we confess that each of us is now becoming someone—not the realization of
some persona prescribed at or even before birth—but a self created by a
million incidents of concourse, a thousand recollections of experience,
a hundred moments of revelation. Until we begin becoming ourselves, we
shall lack the independence of the world that vocation requires. To stand in
the midst of the life each of us is about to undertake—either of a job search,
employment, or retirement—and to render service to our neighbor, we must
know who we are and how we got that way. That knowledge is of identity; it
constitutes the protective suit, even though not fully woven, that allows us
to live in and serve the world without being wholly fused with it. …
But what we have learned here—about ourselves, the world, and God;
what the disciples learned about themselves—remains beyond our grasp and
theirs without the great final examination known as saying goodbye!
Until we address our separation—seriously; until we face the fact that we
are leaving people who have meant the world to us—teachers, friends,
10
Sunny Olise receives his master’s hood from director Robert
Kramarczuk in Augsburg’s first MBA class.
parents (that you now realize you didn’t leave four years
ago but are now, finally going to leave—today!)—we are
not tempered for the new immersion in the world. Until
we know who and what we have become, we cannot
maintain our independence in the world when we are out
there in it, on our own.
Goodbyes force us each to meet ourselves face to face,
as Achilles did in The Iliad. That means that we have put
our affairs in order—so that they may be abandoned; we
have to repair the rents in the fabric we knit in the
College cocoon in order that we might be released from
it—a beautiful butterfly capable of flying into the
maelstrom of life without danger to bring a glimpse of
beauty to a dour and broken world. …
And so—let us, to each other, both now and this
afternoon, say, “Goodbye!” And in so doing, we shall
each bear the College with us, out into the world—a
shield and a buckler of the vocational life that fulfills the
requirements of the great commission in the kingdom on
the left.
That last great goodbye gives us the capacity and even
the need for reunion. If done right, it allows us to soon
again say—here, at the intersection of Riverside and
22nd—“Hello! It’s good to see you. I’ve missed you!”
To read the full Baccalaureate Homily, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/president/baccalaureate06.html>.
Summer 2006
THE AUGSBURG COLLEGE CLASS
OF 2006
3,420
Attended the ceremony
3,600
Cookies and petit fours served at the reception
752
Class of 2006—346 traditional day students, 162 weekend
students, 39 students in the Rochester program, 13
from United Hospital, 1 from 3M; and 191 graduate students
in six programs
580
Graduates marching
490
Enjoyed Commencement Brunch
350
Attended Commencement Dinner
125
Faculty marching in the procession
58
Age of the oldest graduate
20
Age of the youngest graduates
14
Flags representing countries of international graduates
2
Honorary degrees conferred
1
Retiring presidential couple—many thanks to Bill and Anne!
countless Smiles and tears of happiness, gratitude, and appreciation
Audra Johnson, a studio art graduate, has a
jubilant smile on graduation day.
The sociology department faculty take a moment to get photos of their graduates.
Summer 2006
11
SIXTH ANNUAL International Programs Photo Contest
1
2
3
7
1
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT
AUGSBURG, second place.
“Melting Pot.” Kamilla T. Fossem,
Norway.
2
PEOPLE PORTRAITS, first place. “Yo
confío.” Kathryn Jones ’08. San
Salvador, El Salvador.
3
PEOPLE PORTRAITS, third place.
“Begging Musicians.” Richard
Garnett ’08. Cuernavaca, Mexico.
4
5
LOCAL PEOPLE, second place.
“Video Games vs. the Acropolis.”
Katharine Mahon ’06. Athens,
Greece.
LOCAL PEOPLE, third place. “A
Journey through an African Desert.”
Therese DeMay ’06. Swakopmund,
Namibia.
12
8
6
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT AUGSBURG,
first place. “The Old and the New
Minneapolis.” Martin Garnes, Norway.
7
CITYSCAPES, third place. “Untitled.” Britta
Boyum ’06. Lofoten Islands, Norway.
9
8
LOCAL PEOPLE, first place. “Bearing the Load.”
Kelsey Nolan ’06. Sontule, Nicaragua.
9
PEOPLE PORTRAITS, second place. “Familia.”
Megan L. Schiller ’06. Nicaragua.
10 CITYSCAPES, second place. “Cusco by Night.”
Joelle Bickel ’07. Cusco, Peru.
11 INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT
AUGSBURG, third place. “A Frozen
Falls.” Martin Garnes, Norway.
12 CITYSCAPES, first place. “Fishing
Industry.” Britta Boyum ’06.
Harstad, Norway.
13 BEST OF SHOW. “Waca Wasi
Wardrobe.” Joelle Bickel ’07.
Waca Wasi, Peru.
Summer 2006
4
5
6
10
11
12
Summer 2006
13
13
Supporting Augsburg
Gift of $4 million gives green light
to Gateway
by Betsey Norgard
A
$4 million naming gift from Donald
’53 and Beverly (Halling) Oren ’55
has provided the funding needed for
Augsburg to proceed with the $18.5
million Gateway Building.
On May 5 the Augsburg Board of
Regents granted approval for the College
to pursue the financing needed to begin
construction this summer. A ceremonial
groundbreaking is scheduled for Sept. 8,
with building completion in fall 2007.
Donald Oren ’53, an Augsburg regent
emeritus, is chairman of the board of Dart
Transit Company, founded by his father in
1934. The trucking and logistics company
ranks 53rd of the Top 100 Carriers
nationwide.
Beverly (Halling) Oren ’55 has taught
school and worked as vice president of
human resources at Dart Transit. She
remains a principal and adviser to the
company, and currently serves on
Augsburg’s Board of Regents.
Three of their children are involved
with Dart Transit—David, president;
Daniel, vice president; and Bradley, general
manager. Daughter Angela Anderson is
mother to one-year-old Samuel.
“We are pleased and honored to
participate in Augsburg’s growth by being
part of the Gateway project,” says Beverly
Oren. “The business school is of special
interest as it offers an opportunity for
students to experience the entrepreneurial
Donald ’53 and Beverly (Halling) Oren ’55
spirit. Also, Augsburg’s commitment to
promoting vocation provides a very
worthy goal.”
The Gateway Building will be
Augsburg’s link to its surrounding
community and city, and a distinctive
“front door” on Riverside Ave. It will easily
connect the College with the CedarRiverside area, the University of
Minnesota’s West Bank, and the FairviewUniversity Medical Center across the
street.
The building is a four-story combined
administrative, commercial, and residential
center. It will provide new homes for the
Alumni Conference Center, the StepUP
Program, the Master of Business
Administration program, the Gage Family
Art Gallery, and offices for Institutional
Advancement. Community residents and
organizations will be encouraged to use
meeting space in the new Gateway.
On the first floor, retail stores such as
Barnes and Noble will serve not only the
campus community, but staff and patients
of the hospital across the street and the
West Bank and Cedar-Riverside
communities as well.
The top three floors will provide
student housing—upperclass students on
the second floor and StepUP students on
floors three and four.
From Riverside Ave., a central Gateway
plaza welcomes visitors to campus.
Circling the plaza are Hoversten Chapel,
Lindell Library, and the Gateway Building,
representing the College's commitments to
faith, reason, and service.
For Augsburg’s StepUP program, which
provides students in addiction recovery the
support and skills they need to succeed in
college, the Gateway Building will
centralize their office, counseling, and
residential space.
It’s about “having a home where we’re
all together,” says StepUP director Patrice
Salmeri, and will give students who
complete the program the “ability to stay
longer and mentor younger students.”
In eight years, StepUP has grown to
over 50 students, and they have
maintained an 83% abstinence rate while
in the program and a grade point average
of 3.0. Augsburg is a national leader in the
recovery school movement; Salmeri
currently serves as president of the
national organization.
The Augsburg MBA program, which
after only two years is now the state’s
third largest, will gain much needed and
more suitable classroom, technology, and
study space in Gateway for its small-class
learning.
Save the date!
GATEWAY BUILDING
CEREMONIAL GROUNDBREAKING
Friday, September 8
Noon
14
Summer 2006
Gateway’s ground floor will welcome
alumni and visitors, and provide a
gathering space to meet over coffee and
enjoy exhibits in the Gage Family Art
Gallery, which will move from Lindell
Library to a more accessible location in the
new building.
“[T]he connection to the wider
community will be greater than ever
before,” says Kerry Morgan,
coordinator of galleries and exhibits.
“The easy access from Riverside will be
welcoming to off-campus visitors; and
Augsburg students, staff, and faculty
will continue to find inspiring and
thought-provoking art where they
work, live, and study.”
Planning for the Gateway Building
has been carried out in conjunction
with the Riverside Corridor Project
development, funded partially with an
early campaign gift from James A.
Johnson, former banking administrator
and public servant. The project brings
together West Bank partners—the
Cedar-Riverside Business Association,
the West Bank Community
Development Corporation, the
University of Minnesota, Augsburg,
Fairview-University Medical Center, and
others—to envision a thriving urban
village that links to the light rail system.
The City of Minneapolis has begun to
develop a small area plan for the entire
Cedar-Riverside neighborhood.
“One issue the plan will consider is
how to make Riverside more comfortable
for pedestrians and bicyclists,” says Beth
Elliott, principal city planner. “More retail
stores and outdoor seating opportunities
will also help in adding vibrancy to that
section of the corridor.” She says the
Gateway Building can be “an example that
others can follow if they are thinking
about redevelopment.”
Honoring a graduate by honoring the College
A
s a nontraditional
student past the
usual graduation
age, Matt Van Zant
seemed just a bit
too old for the
traditional card
with a money
pocket. So Frank
McKinney, a close
family friend,
Matt Van Zant ’06
called Augsburg
and asked how he could make a gift to the
College instead, in honor of Van Zant.
Van Zant came to know McKinney, a
corporate lawyer, in Ohio where Van
Zant grew up. “He encouraged me and
stressed the importance of ethics,”
Summer 2006
Van Zant says. “[He] is a believer in
education and encouraged me to remain
in school and do well.”
McKinney said he was proud of Van
Zant, that after many years he would
return to school for his degree.
Van Zant works as an operations
analyst in the healthcare field. He
enrolled in Weekend College in fall 2001
to begin a major in management
information systems (MIS).
One of the common themes he found
in his classes fits right in with what he
remembers learning from McKinney.
“People who work with data, who
manage sensitive and confidential
information,” says Van Zant, “are and
should be held to higher standards of
performance and integrity.”
Juggling full-time employment with
full-time study was difficult, and Van
Zant says he tried to take it just one term
at a time. “It helped to work on
coursework almost every day and try to
remain current with the material.”
His strategy worked, so much so that
he will begin an MBA degree in the fall,
looking forward to “the opportunity to
develop strategic decision-making skills.”
McKinney says he enjoyed making the
gift to Augsburg in Van Zant’s name and
that Van Zant also enjoyed it. To
McKinney, “it just seemed the appropriate
thing to do.”
He says now he’ll just wait for Van
Zant’s master’s degree.
15
Construction begins on Melby Hall addition
by Betsey Norgard
n a chilly, cloudy May 5, a crowd
gathered on the south side of Melby
O
Hall to ceremonially mark the
groundbreaking for the $6.1 million new
south wing, named the Kennedy Sports
and Recreation Complex.
Augsburg regent and emcee Mike
Freeman, in describing the expansion,
called it “lots of much-needed space to
show our Auggie pride.” He drew
attention to the efforts that had made the
project possible, especially noting that
every coach had put together a plan to
reach former students and athletes.
He read a statement from lead naming
donors Dean ’75 and Terry Kennedy, who
Kennedys. “Your gift is exciting, and we
so appreciate it.”
The Kennedy Sports and Recreation
Complex includes the Alan and Gloria
Rice Wrestling Center and the James and
Katherine Haglund Fitness and
Recreation Center, as well as other named
spaces: the Lavonne (Johnson) Peterson
’50 Conference Suite; Lute Olson ’56 Hall
of Champions; “Doc” Johnson ’52 A-Club
Office; and the Gamma House
Hospitality/Classroom.
Work has already begun on the new
south wing; construction is expected to
be completed in spring 2007, with the
official opening in fall 2007.
weren’t able to be in attendance, saying
that their “family is proud and excited to
be part of this [project].” Kennedy was an
All-American wrestler and, as co-captain
of the team, led Augsburg to a runner-up
spot at the NAIA national finals, marking
the beginning of Augsburg’s longtime
dominance in small-college wrestling.
President William Frame drew
attention to Augsburg student-athletes
and the leadership they bring to the life
of the campus.
Football linebacker Michael Matson
’06, speaking on behalf of studentathletes, directed his remarks to lead
donors Alan Rice, Jim Haglund, and the
Front row (L to R): Major gifts director Donna McLean; regent and lead donor Jim Haglund; Board of Regents chair Jean Taylor '85; assistant dean
and head wrestling coach Jeff Swenson ’79; lead donor Alan Rice; regent Mike Freeman; and President William Frame.
Melby groundbreaking—twice!
When Rev. Clifford M. Johnson, ’34 (’30
Acad, ’39 Sem) received his invitation to
attend the May 5 ceremonial
groundbreaking for the expansion of
Melby Hall, he remembered that he still
16
had a 46-year-old photo from the day he
held a shovel to break ground for the new
Melby Hall.
Johnson, age 95, has been part of the
Augsburg community since 1926 when he
entered the Augsburg Academy. He has
been a fundraising leader, a regent and
board chair, and a director of development
over the years. In 1993 he was honored as
a Distinguished Alumnus.
He recalls the excitement in 1960 of
constructing the first athletic facility for
Augsburg. Until then, he says, the
basketball team played on the court in the
basement of Old Main. He also remembers
that the invocation that day was given by
Lutheran Free Church president Rev. T. O.
Burntvedt ’12.
Johnson was thrilled to be part of this
new excitement this year and to see that
earlier photo at the ceremony, enlarged to
poster size and sitting on an easel.
Just announced …
$1 million gift has been received
A
from Norman and Vangie Hagfors for
the renovation of the chapel in Old Main
and the creation of a home for Augsburg’s
Center for Faith and Learning. Read more
in the next issue.
Summer 2006
The
FRAME
years
a journey toward vision
BY BETSEY NORGARD
W
William Frame, the 10th president of Augsburg, is not typical of his nine
predecessors. He is not a Midwesterner, nor is he of Norwegian background or an
ordained Lutheran minister.
From his nine-year tenure, he leaves a long litany of new programs, partnerships,
and much-needed capital improvements. But, much more significant is that he leaves
an Augsburg that has renewed its self-identity, and that has crafted and refined a
vision representing the deepest thinking any college could undertake about its own
mission or “institutional vocation.”
In the foreword to Augsburg’s revised vision document, The Augsburg Vocation:
Access and Excellence, Frame describes this vision not as his, but as “drawn from the
soul of the College.” It is an idea—vocation—that “has been calling Augsburg to its
work since the founding.”
Frame points to his time at Augsburg as the continuation of a vocational journey
that began as a young instructor at Kenyon College, that immersed him in the urban
life of corporate banking and finance, and then took him back into academia. All
along, the work he did served to shape, nurture, and refine a strong, personal sense
of vocation. At Pacific Lutheran University, he came to understand Martin Luther’s
two-dimensional world of faith and reason, one in which students explored vocation
as both learning through faith to understand themselves and learning through reason
to prepare for careers and service in the world.
Top, left: President Frame (right) and ELCA presiding bishop Mark
Hanson ’68 (left) find a moment for conversation at
Commencement. Staff photo
Middle, left: Bill and Anne Frame enjoy talking with passersby at
Augsburg’s State Fair booth. Staff photo
Bottom, left: President Frame occasionally joins the Augsburg Jazz
Ensemble with his guitar.
Summer 2006
17
At Augsburg Frame discovered the
theology of Luther’s close colleague,
Philip Melancthon, who authored the
Augsburg Confession and advocated the
participation of Christians in civic
affairs. This German theological duo
became the basis for Frame’s model of
education and the hallmarks of
Augsburg’s vision: vocation, service,
civility, diversity, and community.
Remarkably, in retrospect, the agenda
for the Frame years seemed set even
before he became president. In summer
1997, shortly before taking office, he was
interviewed for Augsburg Now, and was
asked to identify the three most important
agenda items for Augsburg College as it
prepared for the 21st century.
Nine years later, his responses at that
time seemed predestined:
1. finding “communal clarity about our
purpose”—who we are and what
we do;
2. determining “how we adapt what
we’re up to, to what properly serves
the world” … i.e., what we must do
to carry out our mission;
3. figuring out “how we do all that” …
finding “a form of life on campus that
allows us to do all this thinking in a
fully civil, candid, ingenious,
participative way.”
Clarifying the vision
In the first two years of Frame’s
presidency the entire campus engaged
itself in a highly collaborative process,
which included commissions charged
with producing working papers around
issues that would form the groundwork
for a vision document.
English professor Joan Griffin,
describes that period:
“When Bill Frame became president
of Augsburg, the College suddenly
became Lutheran. I’m exaggerating, of
course, but despite the required religion
courses and daily chapel, our Lutheran
identity was something that we took for
granted: we did not always connect it
with how we go about doing our work.
18
“But then Bill arrived, and even the
least theologically sophisticated among
us became familiar with the kingdom on
the right and the kingdom on the left,
freedom, paradox, and of course, most of
all, vocation. Bill changed the Augsburg
lexicon.”
Griffin and physics professor Mark
Engebretson were charged with shaping
the 250 pages of discussion into the
College’s first vision document, Augsburg
2004: Extending the Vision, approved by
the Board of Regents in 1999.
Five years later, as 2004 approached,
Frame again called the campus
community into discussion about
updates to the vision. Again, Griffin and
Engebretson compiled a revised vision
document, The Augsburg Vocation: Access
and Excellence, that succeeds in bringing
vision and practice closer together.
Tracy Elftmann ’81, vice president for
institutional advancement and former
regent, commented, “The leadership Bill
brought to our visioning work is nothing
short of extraordinary. The clarity of
purpose in Augsburg’s vision provides
balance, meaning, and motivation to our
daily work. We know who we are and
what we are here to do.
“Let’s be clear,” she continued, “this
is not Bill’s vision for Augsburg—it’s our
vision. We wrote it, we work it, we live
it. The collaborative effort to bring this
work to full fruition was laborious but
well worth the effort.”
Tom Morgan, vice president for
planning and market development,
added additional context. “Through Bill’s
leadership we have rediscovered who we
are and clarified where we need to go.
More than simply words on a page, we
have been inspired to rededicate
ourselves to a course that was charted at
the time of the College’s founding.”
Carrying out the vision
The most significant result of the
revisioning process was the launching of
a new general education curriculum to
imprint the core values of the vision.
Griffin led a faculty team that crafted a
new Core Curriculum. Combined with
the depth of study in a major, this would
prepare students for careers and service
in the world.
Ideas of vocation, citizenship, and
engagement are reflected in the signature
elements of the Core Curriculum—
Search for Meaning courses to explore
vocation; the first-year program that
Summer 2006
Staff photo
The LEGACY of WILLIAM FRAME’S
YEARS at AUGSBURG (1997-2006)
New programs
• New general education—Core Curriculum
• Scholastic/Corporate Connections
• New master’s degrees—education, nursing, physician
assistant, and business administration
• Youth and family ministry major
• Finalizing and naming first endowed chair—Christensen
Chair in Religion
• Growth of StepUP program
• Degree programs in Rochester
Community partnerships/collaborations:
• Nursing degree programs at United Hospital and Rochester
• Augsburg-Capella innovative“brick-click” courses
• Faith in the City—plus the spin-off Augsburg Academy for
Health Careers
• Clinical Lab Science program with Fairview
Capital buildings/improvements:
• New Hall—apartment-style residence hall
• Groundbreaking for Melby Hall expansion
includes learning about and connecting with the city; experience
gained through internships, research, community service, and
global study; and a keystone summative seminar. Combined with a
liberal arts foundation and skills development, students prepare to
become effective, informed, and ethical citizens.
Important to Augsburg’s vision are a number of new programs that
provide access to education for students who lack it for various
reasons: Scholastic Connections, a scholarship program that matches
students of color with alumni of color in mentoring relationships;
StepUP, a nationally-recognized program that provides support to
students in addiction recovery to help them succeed academically; and
graduate programs to help students understand the world through a
lens of vocation.
Augsburg’s vision has taken the College into many new and
innovative partnerships. A program in Rochester now serves 300
students, mostly from Mayo Clinic and IBM, who wish to complete
baccalaureate and some graduate degrees. An unusual partnership
with Capella University involves Augsburg faculty developing and
teaching online courses.
One of Frame’s key leadership roles was helping to found Faith in
the City, a collaboration of seven urban Lutheran institutions in
Minneapolis that together seek to improve the quality of life in the
community. Included is the year-old Augsburg Academy for Health
• Link between Library and Sverdrup/Memorial— Sverdrup
renovation, new atrium
• Christensen Center renovation—welcome and gathering
area, coffee shop, gallery space
• Purchase and renovation of Augsburg House
• New signage on Mortensen Hall and on I-94
• Upgrading of residence halls
• Replacement of Edor Nelson Field turf
• Overall beautification of grounds
• Sale of Ice Arena to gain lease-back arrangement
and capital
• Added two new parking lots and upgraded security
• Purchased additional perimeter properties
around campus
Administrative
• Creation of Enrollment Center as one-stop shop
• Creation/consolidation of Center for Service, Work,
and Learning
• Creation of Undergraduate Research and Graduate
Opportunity (URGO) from McNair program
Awards/Recognition
• 2006—Augsburg Medal
Left: President Frame poses for a moment with the directors of the ethnic
programs at the annual Scholastic Connections dinner in October 2005.
(L to R) Bao Thao, Cindy Peterson, Frame, Emiliano Chagil, and Trena
Bolden Fields.
• 2006—award from Lutheran Educational Council of North
America
Top: First-year students hear from the president on City Service Projects
day during their Augsburg Seminar.
• 2004-05 chair of Minnesota Private College Council
Summer 2006
• Project director for Council of Independent Colleges’
19
Presidential Vocation and Institutional Mission seminars
• 2006—Toby LaBelle award from StepUP to Anne
and Bill Frame
• 2003-04 president of the ELCA Council of College
Presidents
Careers, a joint charter school with
Fairview Health Services that prepares
high school students for careers and
vocations in health care.
Augsburg, under Frame’s leadership,
has gained considerable recognition for its
visioning work. Elftmann stated, “College
presidents across the country consistently
ask Bill how Augsburg was able to capture
its essence, its purpose, its wholeness so
well. Bill’s contributions have established
Augsburg as a national leader in terms of
strategic direction and future focus. “
The College was recognized by The
Princeton Review and Campus Compact as
a “college with a conscience.” It
consistently ranks high for service-learning
programs and is one of 12 colleges selected
for excellence in first-year programs.
Frame has served as president of the
ELCA Council of College Presidents, as
chair of the Minnesota Private College
Council (MPCC), and as project director
for the Council on Independent Colleges
(CIC) seminars reflecting on vocation
and institutional mission. He also has
received awards from the Lutheran
Educational Conference of North
America (LECNA) and Augsburg’s
StepUP program, who selected Anne and
Bill Frame for the 2006 Toby LaBelle
Award for support of its ideals.
Changing the culture
Frame’s third agenda item from his 1997
interview was the creation of a campus
culture that would support and model the
mission and vision. His first task was
confronting what he called “militant
modesty,” the difficulty of the College to
“toot its own horn.” He immediately put a
great deal of attention on both tangible
improvements—fixing up and painting
residence halls, landscaping, new
facilities—and more deep-seated changes,
such as making Augsburg salaries more
competitive.
Griffin says that Frame has been able
to get Augsburg to “think big about
ourselves”—in both small ways, like the
campus improvements, as well as bigger
ways, with new programs and initiatives.
“I think we’re becoming more willing to
20
embrace our complexity—and also our
promise,” she said.
The Frame presidency has been one
very much shared by both Bill and Anne
Frame. Anne has been active in a number
of Augsburg programs, contributing her
business expertise, hospitality, and much
volunteer time.
She told faculty and staff that after long
consideration of how to describe her role
at Augsburg, she had recently been
introduced in a way that seemed very
comfortable to her—“this is Anne Frame,
she’s a member of the Augsburg
community and happens to be married to
our president.”
Hospitality, from the theological sense
to a simple friendly welcome, has become
a hallmark of the vision—and one in
which Anne has played a significant role.
Their sharing of Augsburg House as a
center for college hospitality has opened
new dimensions in how community
members relate to each other.
In March Bill Frame articulated
Augsburg’s vision of hospitality: “[Our
college] welcomes the stranger as a gift to
a learning community composed of
students, many in the guise of faculty and
staff colleagues, who cannot proceed in
their own quests for vitality and hope
without constant contact with a diverse
array of learning styles and even learning
capacities, each one at least beginning to
feel that deep and absorbing hunger
to know.”
In an interview with Augsburg Echo,
Frame recently reflected on what he
considers his proudest moment—“having
our envisioning work recognized as
distinctive by candidates and their
sponsors for the 11th presidency of the
College.”
And, indeed, President-elect Paul
Pribbenow told faculty and staff in March,
“I would not be here if I did not find your
aspirations inspiring and compelling.”
Griffin offered an Augsburg
community perspective: “I think at least
part of the excitement of the approaching
Pribbenow era is that Bill brought us to a
point where we can imagine how much
farther we can go.”
Since February, when Pribbenow was
chosen by Augsburg regents, an unusual
The Frame years in print
William Frame has published a collection
of writings and speeches from his years
as president at Augsburg College. He says
it intends to both “provide a record of
the principal stops on the faith and
reason journey on which I was sent when
elected as Augsburg’s 10th president,”
and to share his connection with Martin
Luther and Philip Melanchthon.
The book’s preface was written by the
Rev. Mark Hanson ’68, presiding bishop
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America.
Published by Lutheran University Press in
Minneapolis, the book is available in
bookstores, online, and at <www.
lutheranUpress.org>. Proceeds from sales
of the book will be donated to
Augsburg’s annual fund.
collaboration has developed. Frame invited
Pribbenow to share the podium with him
in March at the College’s all-faculty and
all-staff meeting.
Mark Hanson ’68, presiding bishop of
the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA), summarizes the impact
of the Frame years, “… Bill draws upon
the great themes of the Lutheran
Reformation and weaves them into the
mission of a Lutheran urban college in the
21st century. When Bill Frame speaks, I
want to ask him to stop after each
sentence so that we can ponder the depth
of his wisdom.”
In every way, the Frame presidency has
been one of introspection and distinction,
even to his legendary eloquence and
penchant to speak long. Quipped student
body president Paul Cumings, “He will be
missed. Even his dry humor and lengthy
lectures.” ■
Summer 2006
At Augsburg House—since 1998
Frequency of events: about twice a week
Events held: 430
In 1998, the Augsburg Board of Regents authorized the purchase of a house for
the home of the president and a gathering place for campus events. In January
2006 Anne Frame talked to the Board of Regents about hospitality at Augsburg
House. Following are excerpts of her talk.
People who have attended: 8,600
Catering by Augsburg-Sodexho staff
(as of January 2006)
Staff photo
HOSPITALITY
and the House
BY ANNE FRAME
I
I’ve been asked to think about some of
the ways my work with Augsburg is
applied to implementing the idea of
hospitality. The Augsburg Vocation, our
vision document, talks about
community and intentional diversity–
language that conceived of this College
as a welcoming place, where persons are
accepted, perhaps because of their
differences, and where a community is
developed that contributes to the
learning for all of us.
Much of my work takes place away
from this Riverside campus. From the
beginning, Bill and I—ironically, as the
newcomers—took as our job helping the
various constituents of the campus feel at
home here. We have visited alumni and
friends of the College in many locations
to let them know what is going on now
at Augsburg, and specifically to
emphasize that they are welcome here.
That they, as a part of Augsburg’s history,
therefore have a place in its present. And,
as we have learned much from their
stories and memories, we hope they have
strengthened or rekindled their bonds to
this place.
We have been privileged both to live
at Augsburg House and to use it
frequently for College events. A plaque
in the entry hall—carved by a Norwegian
in Iowa—states our purpose:
In this place we extend to our guests
the friendship and hospitality of the
Augsburg Community in loving
memory of Adeline Marie Rasmussen
Johnson ’31 and through the
Summer 2006
generosity of James and Kathleen
Haglund and Milton and Dorothy
Kleven.
So we are acting for the community and
have practiced that hospitality to student
groups, to faculty and staff, to the
regents, the parents and alumni and
friends of the College, to neighborhood
and community groups who may not
know Augsburg well. We have done this
in as many different forms as we can
think of: with receptions, breakfasts,
lunches, dinners, conversations. We
bring these groups together for food and
fellowship, for study and discussions. We
feel that getting to know each other
better, spending time together, and
talking about the College together helps
us to be a stronger community.
Frequent remarks I hear as people
learn how many groups and events are at
Augsburg House each year come in one
of two forms, the first being, “You must
get really tired of having so many people
at your house.” (The answer is a very
clear “no.”) The other comment is, “You
must really be a party person!” I don't
think that’s quite the case, either.
But these two questions have caused
me to try to express what it is that I do
like about using Augsburg House in this
way. What do I get out of it?
The answer is … getting to know the
wide and diverse constituency that is
Augsburg—learning histories and
connections, hearing staff and faculty
speak across their areas of expertise, and
listening and discussing ideas with
each other.
Bill and Anne Frame welcome the community
to Augsburg House.
What a rare privilege this is. It has
given me an appreciation of this place
that is deeper than I could have
discovered elsewhere. It has widened my
horizons, expanded my understandings,
and has made this College house truly
“home” to me.
What we do at the house is
intentional, and I believe it’s consistent
with trying to build our community, as
stated in The Augsburg Vocation, “the
development of a sense of connectedness
that leads to lasting relationships.”
The author of the Book of Hebrews
exhorts his readers: “Do not neglect to
show hospitality to strangers, for by
doing that some have entertained angels
without knowing it.” And I’m convinced
there are at least a few angels hanging
around Augsburg.
21
Augsburg’s original
MBAs
The Class of 2006
BY BETHANY BIERMAN
22
Summer 2006
The
AUGSBURG
MBA
Nathan Appel joined the army right out of high school in Colorado and spent several years in the
service. He eventually came to Minnesota to attend the university but “became tired of rollerblading
from Timbuktu to a class where another student taught us.” So he transferred to another college,
taking evening classes to finish his undergraduate degree in management. His campus? A hotel
conference room in the suburbs. His cohort? Number 327.
Later, with his career at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage well underway, Appel decided to return to school
for his Master of Business Administration degree. He was about to choose another program when he
received an MBA postcard from Augsburg. He came to an information session and was sold. His new
campus? A small, fully functioning campus in the heart of Minneapolis. His cohort? Number 1.
“It’s kind of cool … We are the original,” Appel says.
A JUMP-START LAUNCH
This May, Augsburg graduated the first four sections, or cohorts, of
its new Master of Business Administration program—a total of 84
students.
The 20-month program evolved from eight years of discussion,
research, and planning by members of the business department, with
Professor David Schwain serving as the chief designer.
“In the feasibility study, our researcher found that our business
program ranked third best business program in the state by those
students taking the GMAT,” says John Cerrito, chair of the
Department of Business Administration. “Of course, we did not have
a grad program at that time, which the two programs that ranked
higher did, so we felt we’d have good acceptance in the market.
When we introduced the MBA, we met with instant success.”
In fact, recruiting one group to start the program doubled into
two, as 44 students responded by the time the MBA began in fall
2004. The initial goal of four cohorts by the end of three years was
met within four months of launching the program. It was these
students who became Augsburg’s first MBAs in May.
THE CAPTAIN
Since its launch 20 months ago, under the direction of Robert
Kramarczuk, the MBA program has grown to over 300 students.
Kramarczuk’s international career had included teaching at the
International Institute for Management Development (IMD) in
Switzerland, running several successful businesses, and starting up
six other graduate educational programs. He was already enjoying
retirement, but the Augsburg call was too good to pass up.
He was attracted to Augsburg’s commitment to service-learning,
Top: MBA director Robert Kramarczuk places a hood on Kristen Schell, one of
84 in the first class of MBA graduates.
Bottom: Sarah Anton offers a comment to her classmates in Cohort 3.
Summer 2006
23
“In the real world, you don’t function on
your own. You rely upon other people.”
—CHRISTINE WAGGONER ’97, ’06 MBA
which became an integral component in
the MBA. “The program reflects very well
Augsburg’s mission—service to others,”
Kramarczuk says. “It’s a hallmark of our
program.”
One group of MBA students spends
time in the Somali community. All are
involved in field projects where, as a
team, students work with an organization
for 10 to 11 months. Kramarczuk says
that these sorts of experiences put
Augsburg’s MBA students “ten levels
above” those in other programs.
“The other key factor is that we
consider really good leaders to differ
from others by being able to think
critically … That’s woven into the entire
program.”
Even with six other successful
program starts, Kramarczuk considers
Augsburg’s unique. “We look at it from a
different perspective. We look at it as
your life’s purpose or vocation, with the
MBA being a critical leg in this life’s
journey… We tell our students, ‘After
you get this MBA, you’ll say this
is probably one of the most
important decisions you’ve made
in your life.’”
Jamie Schiller, MBA coordinator, and graduate
As a requirement for
Christine Waggoner pause from the action of an MBA
admission to the program, each
softball game.
applicant must personally
interview with Kramarczuk. “It’s
humbling to hear them share and discuss
THE CURRICULUM
their goals and aspirations and how the
The intense curriculum includes finance
MBA fits into this process. … I consider
and economics, local and global issues,
myself almost like a peer. I love my
organizational management, and
students, and I think they kind of like
leadership ethics. Through application
me.”
and research, students learn to
Like him they do, and at a recent
implement ideas and communicate vital
event they presented Kramarczuk with an
statistical, financial, and other critical
award. Accolades include these words
business-related data in an evolving work
from Babette Blumenauer of Cohort 4:
environment.
“He has started this program that will
The required field project, which
change my life course. … I am not just a
serves as the thesis for the MBA, often
number or an obscure student here. Dr.
responds to real-world requests that
Kramarczuk … gives me time, shows he
come to the program from business and
cares, and he knows my name. And that
industry.
has meant a lot to me.”
“Book learning is very different from
Announcing
•
•
•
•
•
•
NEW MBA
GRADUATE
CERTIFICATES
Finance
Financial planning
Human resource management
International business
Marketing management
Music business management
Graduate certificates provide applied, practical, graduate-level
training to enhance skills and advance careers. In addition, they
can later be applied toward a master’s degree. Certificates can be
earned in as few as six months with courses meeting one evening
per week for seven weeks. Cohorts will form beginning this fall.
For information, call 612-330-1390.
24
real-life experience,” says Christine
Waggoner of Cohort 2. “It’s that real-life
experience that is discussed and studied
in this program.”
Waggoner earned her bachelor’s
degree from Augsburg in 1997. “Given
my positive experience as an
undergraduate, I cannot tell you how
excited I was when I received the
postcard announcing that Augsburg was
starting an MBA program,” she says. “At
Augsburg, the professors know you.
They tailor their teaching methods to the
students in their class. They share their
personal stories … [and] successes and
failures they’ve gone through.”
“When you finish, you will be at a
higher level of leadership and decisionmaking,” Kramarczuk says. Additionally,
because of the liberal arts background, an
Summer 2006
Augsburg MBA graduate will be more of
a “cosmopolitan” thinker.
Waggoner confirms this. “I have a
new outlook on the way I view myself
and my career. I have a lot more
confidence in my ability to lead, manage,
and make strategic business decisions.”
A significant number of students have
been offered new jobs and promotions as
a result of what they have taken away
from the MBA program.
LIFE IN THE COHORT
The cohort model has been critical to the
success of the program. It allows
students to build relationships and
become almost like family to each other
as they travel together through the
sequence of courses.
“Taking classes as a member of a
cohort has really enriched my learning
experience,” says Waggoner. “Classes are
sequentially ordered so that students
build upon learned skills, and those
skills are continually reinforced
throughout the program. The program is
organized so students can focus on
learning.”
This even includes providing a warm
meal before each evening class.
“[Students] have an opportunity to sit
together,” says Kramarczuk. “They are
from different professions, different parts
of the Twin Cities. They sit down to
really communicate about class work,
personal life, professional life.”
“In the real world, you don’t function
on your own,” Waggoner says. “You rely
upon other people.”
“You learn a lot from the students,
too,” adds Appel. “There are people of
diverse backgrounds—professional
backgrounds, cultural backgrounds, age
groups…”
This group atmosphere extends
beyond the classroom to social events
and celebrations. Appel formed and
managed a softball team with players
representing multiple cohorts. They
ordered Augsburg caps and jerseys and
even won a game. “We were beyond
awful, but we had a lot of spirit!”
Waggoner says.
“When Cohorts 3 and 4 came on
board, we had a little party at
Kramarczuk’s Deli,” reminisces Appel.
“Bob [Kramarczuk] wrote a ‘Rudolph the
Red-Nosed Reindeer’ song and made
them sing it.” The parody was titled
“Auggie, the Adult Professional.” These
kick-off dinners have become a tradition,
with older cohorts welcoming new ones.
Other social events have included the
students’ families, giving them a chance
to meet classmates and professors.
Already, a graduation celebration is in
the planning, where awards will be
handed out and, in line with tradition,
Kramarczuk’s musical parodies will
probably be sung.
THE CAMPUS
MBA director Bob Kramarczuk (left) and Auggie Eagle (right) lead Cohorts 3 and 4 in their
“initiation” song.
The opportunity to study on a “real”
campus also attracts students to the
program.
“Here, you come to school,” Appel
says. “There’s people with laptops, people
studying, there’s the bookstore… When I
meet my cohort outside of class to study,
we meet at the library. You feel like you
“[My classmates are]
people I respect…
very smart people.
Just like family.”
—SUNNY OLISE ’06 MBA
MBA graduate Nathan Appel, originator of the
MBA softball team, strikes a pose.
Summer 2006
Nigerian-born Sunny Olise came to the U.S. to
study business and appreciates the small-group
atmosphere in Augsburg's MBA program.
25
are in school… Now, actually coming to
campus just feels more like I’m at an
institution of higher learning and all that
goes along with that.”
Nigerian-born Sunny Olise began
studying in Lindell Library while he was
an undergraduate business student at
another school because he found it to be
a more calming and productive place for
him to work.
So when he heard the ad for
Augsburg’s new MBA program on the
radio, he said to himself, “Yeah, it’s a
good school.” Olise called Kramarczuk
and told him the story of how he woke
up one day after working for the
Nigerian government for 21 years
wanting to “try something new.”
The two later met in the coffee center of
Christensen Center. At the end of their
visit, Kramarczuk said, “Congratulations,
Sunny. You’re in!”
“I didn’t even know he was
interviewing me,” Olise says, laughing.
From there, Kramarczuk took Olise to
the bookstore to purchase his books.
Less than two years later, Olise is one of
the Cohort 4 graduates. He describes his
group as “people I respect… very smart
people. Just like family.”
“In addition to the knowledge you get
from the MBA program, there’s a lot of
prestige attached to it,” says Olise. “I work
full time, I have a full-time family, I
attended school, and I’m a chess addict…
I have no regrets whatsoever. None.”
COMING OF AGE
Kramarczuk considers the number of
students pretty close to the maximum
the College can currently support,
although he sees a huge potential for
growth. In response to a particular need,
Augsburg now offers the full MBA
program at Thrivent Financial’s corporate
center in downtown Minneapolis. Several
students have transferred in from nearby
programs, and Kramarczuk anticipates an
eventual 100 students at the Thrivent
location alone.
Augsburg also launched its first MBA
cohort in Rochester in fall 2005, its second
last winter, and will add its third this fall.
26
“Augsburg is a very traditional
institution, while the MBA is a very
entrepreneurial effort. There’s continual
adjustment that’s had to happen on both
ends,” Kramarczuk says. “It’s seems to be
progressing well.”
“We want to continue to develop
graduate business programs geared
toward executives. We are also
developing MBA programs in specific
concentration areas such as international
business,” says Cerrito.
Putting their MBA
“It’s kind of scary being the first class
of MBAs, but Augsburg’s reputation in
the metro and in the region is solid,”
Appel says. “The undergraduate business
program has a really good reputation.
Hopefully we’ll piggyback off of that. …
I’m banking on Augsburg’s reputation
carrying weight. I think it will.” ■
For more information about the MBA
program, go to <www.augsburg.edu/mba>.
(L to R): Derek Zielin, Max Boller, David
Sandvig, Matthew Barrett, Sarah Anton,
Scott Kretzschmar
TO WORK
Many MBA students seek out the
program to help them advance in their
current positions. For some students in
Cohort 3, however, the program
provided the foundation for a new
business venture.
One particular group of students
began talking during breaks, after
class, and, of course, over the pre-class
dinners. At these dinners, student
Sarah Anton says, “We learn about our
families, our goals, our plans for the
future.”
These discussions led to the creation
of Minnesota Business Consultants, LLP
(MBC), a group of five men and Anton.
“Each member brings a different
expertise to the group that comes out
of our diverse career paths,” she says.
MBC specializes in strategic
planning and profit maximization for
small- to medium-size businesses.
“Guiding businesses that might wish to
re-evaluate their current financial
picture” is the mission, according to
Anton. “We see using the contacts
we’ve gained from Augsburg to
develop a client base and to develop a
niche in an industry where small
businesses are struggling. We believe
small businesses are an important part
of our Minnesota culture.”
MBC is starting out in rental office
space, and each consultant will
maintain his or her current job until
MBC is able to support them fully.
“It’s a natural progression of the
excellent talent pool that Kramarczuk
puts together,” says Anton. “It would
surprise me if there aren’t more
businesses formed out of the MBA
cohorts.”
Summer 2006
on tour with the
AUGSBURG
Choir
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JUDY PETREE
HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW WROTE, “Music is the universal language of
mankind.” As the Augsburg Choir set out on its European concert tour they would come to
understand the meaning of Longfellow’s words.
From May 8-21, under the direction of Peter Hendrickson ’76, the choir toured Budapest,
Hungary; Prague and Kutna Hora, Czech Republic; and Dresden and Leipzig, Germany,
where the tour ended at the American Choral Festival.
The 66-voice choir sang in basilicas that took their breaths away, in churches that dated
back to the 1300s, and in one of the finest concert halls in Europe. Their audiences included
U. S. citizens living in Europe as well as people who could speak little or no English.
The choir learned that it wasn’t the words they sang, but rather the music they made that
touched hearts and brought smiles—and sometimes even tears—to the people who came to
hear them. They also learned how music is indeed a universal language, and that experiences
like these also create bonds among themselves that last across continents and time.
On the return trip home, tenor Hayes Kaufman ’09 said when he joined the choir his dad
expressed his hope that someday he, Hayes, would come to appreciate the opportunity he
was being given.
“I think I already have,” Kaufman told his fellow choir members. “Thanks to everyone
for this great trip, the memories, and opportunity.”
H U N G A R Y,
Summer 2006
C Z E C H
R E P U B L I C ,
A N D
G E R M A N Y
27
B U D A P E S T ,
K U T N A
H O R A ,
P R A G U E ,
D R E S D E N ,
L E I P Z I G
(1) The concert tour began at St. Stephen’s Basilica
in Budapest, Hungary, the city’s largest church. Not
only its beauty and magnificence awed the choir,
but also the sound of their voices. Tenor Tony
Wallin ’08 said he couldn’t believe that “we, the
Augsburg Choir, would ever have the opportunity
to sing in such a place.”
(2) In the small Czech town of Kutna Hora, once
famous for its silver mines, the choir sang at St.
Barbara’s Cathedral. Here, a few choir members
take a break at intermission to catch a view of the
town at night.
(Front row, L to R) Aleah Tebben, Mike
Schmit, Colin Callander, Kathryn Goerges (Back
row, L to R) Stacey Zeutenhorst, Miranda Nelson,
Eric Anderson, Adam Krumwiede, Tom Robinson
and Kent Bodurtha.
1
In Prague, the choir sang at St. Ignatius, an active
church run by Jesuit monks that was begun in
1665 and completed in 1671.
2
3
4
28
(3) At a stop in Krabcice, another small Czech
town, the choir performed for an audience of
senior citizens, most of whom knew no English. A
highlight of the tour for many of the students was
a song they sang in the Czech language, for which
they received a standing ovation and compliments
on their pronunciation.
“This by far has been the best part of the tour
for me,” said soprano Molly Shortall ’07, who
enjoyed talking with one of the senior citizens
after the concert.
“It was better than the larger concerts because
you could just feel that it meant so much to these
people. These are people who had their culture
taken away from them for so many years, and now
you can see how much it must mean to them to
get it back.”
(4) The audience was sparse but very appreciative
at Annen Kirche in Dresden, Germany, one of the
only churches there to escape bombing during
World War II. A woman in the front row was so
clearly moved by the choir’s singing, she would
direct along with Peter and, at times, smile broadly
and cry quietly.
Summer 2006
B U D A P E S T ,
K U T N A
H O R A ,
K R A B C I C E ,
D R E S D E N ,
L E I P Z I G
“It doesn’t always matter how many people are
in the audience, said bass Dave Czepa ’06. He
spoke for many of the choir members as he said,
“that one lady and what this obviously meant to
her made the whole concert worth it.”
(5) In Leipzig, Germany—home to such famous
composers as Bach and Handel—the choir visited
St. Thomaskirche, where Johann Sebastian Bach
was a cantor and where he is buried. They also
toured St. Nicholaskirche, founded in 1165.
6
(6) The choir teamed up with the Northwestern
College Choir of St. Paul to perform at the
Gewandhaus in Leipzig for the American Choral
Festival. They sang several songs as a massed
choir, plus each choir performed on its own.
Joining the choir was Augsburg alumna Nicole
(Warner) Simml ’01. Simml now lives in Germany
teaching voice and performing frequently.
Performing solos are (L to R) Nicole (Warner)
Simml; Krista Costin, Augsburg; Nathan Bird,
Northwestern; and Dave Czepa, Augsburg.
Directing is Northwestern choir director Timothy
Sawyer, with Augsburg director Peter
Hendrickson on piano.
What was the most memorable part of the trip—
the beautiful churches; the scenery; experiencing
different cultures, food, and languages? Not
according to many of the students. What they will
remember most are the bonds and friendships
they made with each other. Although the choir
has been singing together all year, they found that
sometimes it takes an experience such as this to
get to know each other really well. Alto Kellin
Pray ’08 said she really enjoyed being with others
who enjoy the same thing. The sad part, she
added, is now saying goodbye to the seniors
whom they were just starting to really know.
7
5
8
(7) (L to R) Kellin Pray, Bri’Ann Wright, and
Micah Erickson.
(8) (L to R) Emily Denstad, Emma Stensvaag, and
Adena Berg.
(9) Mother’s Day greetings from Prague were sent
home by Brian Halaas and Kari Aanestad.
9
Summer 2006
29
E
very week more than 2,000
people fill the Plymouth
Playhouse in the Twin Cities’
suburb for an afternoon or
evening of laughter, sharing
the lives of four women and their pastor
in the church basement of the East
Cornucopia Lutheran Church.
The play, Church Basement Ladies,
pays homage to the stalwart women who
cooked for and served every church
congregation. And it strikes a chord with
anyone who grew up in the 1950s and
’60s across the Midwest, whether they be
Lutheran, Methodist, or Presbyterian—it
was all part of their own experience.
Church Basement Ladies is based on
the Scandinavian humor books of Janet
Letnes Martin and Suzann (Johnson)
Nelson, both 1968 Augsburg graduates.
On stage the role of the church’s
matriarch, Mrs. Lars Snustad, is played
by Janet Paone ’83. For all three of them,
their Augsburg experiences play big.
Martin and Nelson came to Augsburg
in 1964 as freshmen, each attracted to
the big city and driven by the desire to
escape a future as a farm wife. When they
arrived, Augsburg was in the midst of
great change, reflecting new college
direction and leadership—the College
had just merged into the American
Lutheran Church after the demise of the
Lutheran Free Church, and Oscar
Anderson had just become president.
Students were pushed to explore and
understand the social and racial issues of
the city around them, forever changing
their worldviews.
Nelson aspired to be a home
economics teacher, but by the end of her
“God knew that if there were going
to be growing, self-sustaining, active
Lutheran Churches in America, he
would have to create a special
species of people, so He created the
Lutheran Church Basement Women.”
—Growing Up Lutheran,
Janet Letnes Martin and
Suzann (Johnson) Nelson, 1997
first semester had switched to political
science, and then in her sophomore year
to Scandinavian studies when the new
major was announced. She studied
Norwegian and was active in the
Norwegian Club, which led to many
opportunities, such as meeting the
visiting King Olav V of Norway.
Both Martin and Nelson felt
comfortable at Augsburg. They loved the
big city around them, but appreciated the
small-town comfort of the campus.
What they discovered was that smalltown Scandinavian Lutheran life was the
same everywhere. Nelson recalls the
many nights she and classmates from
small towns across the Upper Midwest
sat around in Gerda Mortensen Hall and
talked about their common backgrounds.
“We all grew up the same way,” Martin
confirms.
Students not from rural small towns
were commuter students, and Nelson
remembers stunning her city roommates
by talking about eating cream on bread.
So much so that she and others went
shopping and demonstrated how it was
made and eaten.
Paone arrived at Augsburg 15 years
later. By then Augsburg was less
THOSE
Lutheran
ladies
BY BETSEY NORGARD
30
Summer 2006
Top: Janet Letnes Martin ’68 began writing
down her experiences growing up in rural
North Dakota and calls herself a “NorwegianLutheran farm girl humorist.”
Suzann (Johnson) Nelson ’68 used her
Scandinavian studies to inspire the
characters of rural Norwegian
Minnesota in her books.
Janet Paone ’83 has made a career in
acting and voiceover work, and
brings her Augsburg experience to
the stage in Church Basement Ladies
Bottom: From The Augsburgian, 1968.
Bottom: From The Augsburgian, 1968.
Bottom: From The Augsburgian, 1981.
obviously Norwegian Lutheran and far
more diverse, but it was because of the
Lutheran church that Paone chose it. Her
mother was Lutheran and her father was
Catholic. She was raised in Abiding
Savior Lutheran Church, but within her
family she felt the stigma of being the
child of a parent who “turned,” i.e.,
married outside the Lutheran faith. She
feels her father’s family never really
accepted her Lutheran mother.
After applying to music schools in New
York, she decided to stay home for college
and chose Augsburg because she had
always respected and enjoyed the
Augsburg students who were counselors at
Lake Wapogassett Lutheran Bible Camp.
She had also considered the ministry, but
she ended up in the theatre program.
“There was definitely a Norwegian
Lutheran influence at Augsburg,” Paone
says. “There was a Scandinavian studies
major, and most people’s names ended in
–son, -sen, -gard, or –dal.” She also
remembers the aesthetic influence of the
“good” dinnerware with Scandinavian
design used for special dinners.
Martin and Nelson graduated in
1968, but neither returned to her small
town. On a Norwegian Club trip to
Decorah, Iowa, Nelson had met Ronald
E. Nelson ’67; in March 1967 they were
married in Mindekirken, the Norwegian
Lutheran Memorial Church in
Minneapolis. She studied Scandinavian
literature in graduate school and for 10
summers directed Skogfjorden, the
Norwegian Language Village.
Martin married shortly after college
and began raising a family. More than a
decade later, in 1983, while helping her
mother-in-law research family history,
she became frustrated at not finding
much information about life in rural
communities and decided to begin
writing down what it was like growing
up. Together with Allen Todnem ’64, also
an Augsburg graduate, she co-authored
Cream and Bread, and then Second
Helpings of Cream and Bread.
Martin and Nelson remained close
friends. In 1994, on a whim, Martin
suggested that Nelson should write a
book with her, and Nelson quit her job
the same day.
Sitting around the kitchen table in
their flannel nightgowns enjoying
Summer 2006
31
REMEMBERING
those
Lutheran
ladies
BY DAVE WOOD
IT WAS THE MID-1980S. I had recently been appointed
book review editor of the Minneapolis Star Tribune after a lengthy
stint as English teacher at Augsburg and feature writer for the old
Tribune.
“Dave,” said the receptionist, “There’s an author out here in
the lobby who wants to see you.”
Wow. My first author. Who would it be? I trotted down to the
lobby to discover a woman who looked like a pert middle-aged
housewife from Hastings, Minn., which, in fact, she was.
“Hi,” she said, thrusting an enormous layer cake into my paws.
“I’m Janet Martin. I went to Augsburg back in the ’60s. I’ve
written a book and if you’ll review it the cake is yours.”
Looking back, I sincerely hope I wasn’t too condescending
when I explained to Janet Letnes Martin that Star Tribune policy
prohibited my taking gifts, blah blah blah.
“OK,” she said, unflappable. “I’ll take back the cake. You take
the book.”
So there I was with Janet Letnes Martin’s first literary effort,
Cream on Bread. I gave it a whirl. It was wonderful. As a minor
ethnician of the times, I had read lots of this stuff, like Howard
Mohr’s work, and I think I knew what was good. Janet Martin’s
was excellent. No cheap shots. There were no big yuks in Cream
on Bread, just lots of little ones. That’s because Janet Martin was
smart enough to know that there aren’t a lot of big yuks in
Lutherandom, but lots and lots of little ones. That’s why she
became one of Lutheran humor’s most honest purveyors.
Was I surprised? Yes. But I shouldn’t have been. I had taught
for 10 years at Augsburg, not too many years after she had
graduated. I had taught at four other schools before my arrival
there and was continually surprised at the little college’s vitality
and intellectuality. Sure, there was a streak of inferiority feeling
running through the student body. The University of Minnesota
students across Riverside Ave. called Augsburg “God’s Little Acre.”
We had great music, science, art, and poetry, but the steam heat
system in Old Main on a cold day sounded like the last 15 minutes
before the H.M.S. Titanic went down. Nevertheless we had great
32
Dave Wood is a past vice-president of the
National Book Critics Circle and former
book review editor of the Minneapolis Star
Tribune. He taught English and journalism
at Augsburg from 1969 to 1981.
poetry readings, students went off to good
graduate schools.
Best, we all had lots of fun, parked
right in the middle of a seedy old section
of Minneapolis.
But back to Janet Letnes Martin. Her
first book was a success followed by many
more, including one of my favorites, which
involved Hastings housewife/detective
Shirley Holmquist, a direct steal from Arthur Conan Doyle. In 1994,
her Auggie classmate, Suzann Nelson of Grand Rapids, Minn.,
joined her and their books tumbled out, books like their
monumental theological tract about Lutherans and Roman
Catholics entitled They Glorified Mary … We Glorified Rice. They
also performed two-woman shows, filling church basements across
the Midwest.
Ever since the Martin/Nelson success, I’ve been a bit jealous.
I’ve tried my hand with ethnic humor. Like Martin and Nelson I
grew up in a little Norwegian Lutheran town. But my stuff never
lit any fires. Why did theirs?
I’ve come to think that Augsburg College had a lot to do with
it. Augsburg was traditionally on the outer fringe of the Lutheran
establishment. Its supporting synod, the Lutheran Free Church,
was always suspicious of clericalism, authority, big shots. An
immigrant church, it had to survive by its wits. (Janet Letnes
Martin, you see, didn’t actually think her layer cake would
persuade me to review her book. It was just a way of tweaking my
self-satisfaction, cutting me and the Star Tribune down to size.)
And so the two pious girls from small farm towns came to God’s
Little Acre in the heart of the Sinful City and found out one could
love one’s church and have some fun with it, too.
I look back more than a quarter century at the students like
Martin and Nelson and wonder at their successes, many of which
have just a bit of orneriness in common. It’s a wonderful tradition
and the women who made church basements famous are
definitely part of it.
And so now the girls are moving out onto the national scene.
Martin and Nelson are no longer girls, but I can’t help thinking of
them in that way, for their girlish glee and for poking a little fun
at the basements where they both spent hundreds of hours
learning that certain concepts were “most certainly true.”
I have only one bit of advice and that’s for Janet Letnes
Martin. If and when you get to New York City, don’t bring a layer
cake to the offices of the New York Times Book Review.
The editor won’t get it.
Summer 2006
copious amounts of both coffee and
laughter, the two women began to
capture recollections and memories as
they spilled out. Nelson has said that it’s
her job to jog people’s memories and
their job to laugh. Their intention is
never to make fun of anyone or anything.
“There’s a fine line between making fun
of something and having fun with it,”
Martin told an interviewer. “Hopefully
we’ll never cross it.”
Three books came within the first six
months. So far, they’ve written nine
books together, the most popular being
Growing Up Lutheran: What Does This
Mean?, which won a Minnesota Book
Award for humor.
Requests for speaking engagements
also started coming, and for several years
Martin and Nelson crisscrossed each
others’ paths as they spoke to church
groups, women’s groups, and local
organizations. Then they devised a
comedy routine and began appearing
together as “Those Lutheran Ladies”—
nothing more than sharing their own
backgrounds.
An idea for a play came about when
TroupeAmerica’s president and executive
producer-director, Curt Wollan, hired
Those Lutheran Ladies to perform for
three weeks at the Medora Musical in
North Dakota. Wollan invited a
playwright-couple, Jim Stowell and
Jessica Zuehlke, to pen the script.
Wollan, who had grown up as
“Lutherans attending a Lutheran
college in the ’50s and ’60s did not
have to prepare themselves for any
big culture shock. Some of them
even shared the same last name—
but were not related.”
—Growing Up Lutheran,
Janet Letnes Martin and
Suzann (Johnson) Nelson, 1997
president of his Luther League and the
son of a dedicated church basement lady,
encouraged Paone to take the part of
matronly Vivian Snustad, the
unequivocal and uncompromising queen
of the church basement ladies in his
fictional East Cornucopia Lutheran
Church.
Paone, a veteran character actress seen
in Tony ’n Tina’s Wedding, pushed for
revisions to the script through a workshop
process in order to engage Mrs. Snustad
more with the audience. This character is a
curmudgeon, but works through her
issues and begins to understand why
things must eventually change—beginning
with her consternation over the hymnals
changing from black to red.
Church Basement Ladies previewed at
several locations before settling into its
long run at the Plymouth Playhouse.
Paone recalls opening in Fargo, where
the cast was extremely nervous about
how it would go over. Once the audience
started laughing and didn’t stop, Paone
remembers the “neat moment” between
acts when the cast suddenly realized that
“this thing is going to be huge.”
Audiences react differently to the
play, Paone says, and she can tell by what
they laugh at whether the crowd (often
comprised of large church groups) is
Lutheran or Catholic. And, if they react
most vividly to the physical comedy
aspect, they probably aren’t churchconnected at all.
Even if someone is not well versed in
the ways of Martin Luther, she says, the
play is still very accessible. “It’s about a
[small] country church … it’s the social
center, with many different layers.”
Paone would love to pull more
material from Martin and Nelson’s books
for the stage, and Martin and Nelson
would love to have the current actors
stay involved with the East Cornucopia
Lutheran Church.
What’s next for Those Lutheran
Ladies? When asked about it, Martin
quickly replies, “Oh, ya, there’s lots more
in it.” When they get together and start
laughing, she says, “We just run with it
… and sometimes we just blurt out the
same thing.”
And, to quote Martin Luther and the
church basement ladies, “This is most
certainly true.” ■
“If Scandinavian Lutherans could add one more feast day to the church
calendar, it would be the feast of fish and flatbread … Unlike the Catholics
who had to eat fish every Friday, Scandinavian Lutherans were only morally
obligated to eat it once a year, and that was at the annual Lutefisk supper.”
—Growing Up Lutheran,
Janet Letnes Martin and
Suzann (Johnson) Nelson, 1997
Summer 2006
33
CHURCH
Basement
Troupe America, Inc.
Ladies
—you bet it’s a big hit!
The cast of Church Basement Ladies (L to R): Janet Paone ’83 (Mrs. Lars Snustad—Vivian), Greta
Grosch (Mrs. Gilmer Gilmerson—Mavis), Tim Drake (Pastor E. L. Gunderson), Dorian Chalmers
(Mrs. Elroy Engelson-Karin) and Ruthie Baker (Signe Engelson—Karin’s daughter).
BY ANY MEASURE, Church Basement Ladies is a monster
hit. It has been running for more than 35 weeks at Plymouth
Playhouse (scheduled through the end of 2006) at 101%
occupancy. It now has a double cast and offers 10 or 11 shows per
week.
Curt Wollan, producer and director, found inspiration for the
play in his own mother. After she died, Wollan was asked if the
gift she left the church could be used for their greatest need, a
new stove for the kitchen. He agreed, and it was named Lorraine
in her honor, a seemingly fitting legacy.
“We’re honoring people who are never honored … and who
are under-appreciated,” says Wollan. “The play has been hugely
popular with women who have worked in church basements, and
with their daughters and granddaughters, who are remembering
mom and grandmother.”
He remembers being a Luther Leaguer in his own church when
they’d sing, “Come out, dear ladies, come out, come out” so the
women could be recognized, and they were always bashful about
it. “They were the unsung heroes of the church—they kept it
clean and fed, and the coffee going.”
He says the play is universal—it doesn’t matter where or what
church you’re in—every church has its basement ladies. The show
just happens to be Norwegian Lutheran because it’s based on
Nelson and Martin’s book, Growing Up Lutheran.
The play is important, he says, because this part of church life
is dying. “As women have started to work, there are fewer
basement ladies and there is more catering,” says Wollan. “This
34
celebrates the past and its heritage.”
Church Basement Ladies is preparing to embark on a ninestate, 50-city tour from January-March 2007, in mostly small towns
throughout the Upper Midwest, but reaching as far as New
Mexico, Colorado, and Montana. Then, they’ll wait a year and
tour bigger cities.
Already underway are plans for a second cast to begin
production in Chicago. New York is pending, and there has been
interest in an off-Broadway venue where it would play in a real
Lutheran church basement.
Norwegian Lutheran food is central to the play. One of
Wollan’s favorite lines is “Lutefisk and lefse are directly descended
from the five loaves and two fishes at the Sea of Galilee, and have
since lost their color.”
The music and lyrics were written by Drew Jansen; here are
two samples:
From “Closer to Heaven”—“You’re closer to heaven in the
church basement, Where we do the Good Lord’s work. Everywhere
you look you see spectacular sights; 40 kinds of food to feed some
fierce appetites; Nearly new linoleum and fluorescent lights,
managed by a stalwart squad. Here below the house of God.”
From “Dead Spread”[term for the spreads served on
sandwiches following a funeral]—“Dead spread, a splendid affair,
to celebrate someone who’s no longer there; dead spread, a
wonderful thing, what sweet consolation a hotdish can bring.”
For more information, go to <www.plymouthplayhouse.com>.
Summer 2006
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the Alumni Board president’s desk…
S
erving as
president of the
Augsburg Alumni
Board the past year
has in many ways
been one of the most
rewarding and
enriching things I
have done. I am
continually inspired
by the many outstanding and diverse
accomplishments of our alumni, and I
am honored and humbled by the
opportunity to serve the Augsburg
Alumni Association and Augsburg
Alumni Board over the past seven years.
My goal this year was to continue the
transformation and forward momentum
of the Alumni Board in its journey from
the role of an advisory board to a
working board. Under discussion has
been our advisory member initiative, in
which we invite representatives of
various campus constituencies to attend
our committee meetings in order to
foster greater dialogue, e.g. parents,
international students, A-Club, the
Augsburg Associates, Faculty and Staff
Senates. Our Connections Committee,
led by Buffie Blesi, undertook an effort to
explore possibilities for offering alumni
benefits. Stay tuned to hear more about
this effort in the coming months.
I’m proud to report that Alumni
Board members are well on the way to a
fourth consecutive year of 100%
contribution to the annual fund. Our
intention is to continue to build on this
tradition of giving, and I am pleased to
say that the Alumni Board has also
committed to a 100% contribution rate
among board members to the Access to
Excellence campaign. We are certainly
blessed by these commitments and by
these gifts.
President Frame’s leadership of
Augsburg is finishing with tremendous
energy, solid growth for the College, and
renewal of its vision for the future. The
strength and constancy of his leadership
has helped draw Augsburg to new levels
of recognition. In his own words,
“Augsburg plays a unique role in the
world of Lutheran education. Its service
to the city, to the provision of
accessibility to first-class educational
opportunities, and its regard for faith and
reason as interactive and mutually
reinforcing modes of understanding …
gives us a special mission.” Augsburg has
been truly blessed by President Frame’s
incredible leadership the past nine years.
I had the privilege of speaking at
Augsburg’s 137th Commencement on
May 6 and welcoming 752 graduates as
the newest members of the Augsburg
Alumni Association. Our Alumni
Association has grown considerably since
my Commencement ceremony a little
over 20 years ago, when the Weekend
College had just been launched and
when graduate programs, the Rochester
program, and many others did not yet
exist. The Alumni Association in those
days numbered around 10-11,000
members and now includes around
18,000. Congratulations and welcome to
the Class of 2006!
I am excited about Augsburg’s future,
the future of the Alumni Association,
and the Alumni Board. I hope you will
join me in welcoming President-elect
Paul Pribbenow and incoming Alumni
Board president Barry Vornbrock—the
next chapter in our history!
Stay close and stay connected.
Karina Karlén ’83
President, Alumni Board
LSAT prep for a bargain
Don’t take out a loan to pay those expensive test prep companies.
Augsburg’s Office of Undergraduate Research and Graduate
Opportunity (URGO) is hosting LSAT Prep on campus this fall.
The instructor is Brian Farrell ’95, an attorney and Augsburg
alumnus, who scored in the 99th percentile on the exam and taught
LSAT prep for Princeton Review. Four sessions are offered:
TUES., OCT. 10, 6 TO 9 P.M.-—Homework review, reading
comprehension strategy and practice
TUES., OCT. 17, 6 TO 9 P.M.—Homework review, continued practice in
all sections, overall test-taking strategies, test-day preparation, class
questions
TUES., SEPT. 26, 6 TO 9 P.M.—General introduction to the LSAT,
analytical reasoning strategy and practice
The cost for the four sessions is $150 for Augsburg alumni,
compared to $580 at the University of Minnesota and over $1300 at
Kaplan or Princeton Review.
TUES., OCT. 3, 6 TO 9 P.M.—Homework review, logical reasoning
strategy and practice
To register (limited spaces are available), contact Dixie Shafer,
<shafer@augsburg.edu>.
Summer 2006
35
Alumni Events
Please join us for these upcoming alumni events; unless otherwise noted, call 612-330-1085 or 1-800-260-6590 or e-mail
<alumni@augburg.edu> for more information.
June
August
20
8
Auggie Hours, 5:30-7 p.m.
Campiello, 1320 West Lake St.,
Uptown Minneapolis,
612-825-2222
15
Alumni Board Meeting,
5:30 p.m.
Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
10
Auggie Evening at the Races
Canterbury Park, Shakopee, MN
Gather your friends and family and
join us for free admission and
complimentary hors d’oeuvres.
RSVP is required and space
is limited.
16
Auggies attend Lutheran
Night at the Dome
Minnesota Twins v. Cleveland
Indians, with first pitch at 7:10.
Lower level seating—$18 per
ticket(group rate).
Tickets are limited-contact the
Alumni Relations Office,
612-330-1613 or send check to:
Alumni Relations Office,
2211 Riverside Ave S., CB 146,
Minneapolis, MN 55454
Once your payment has been
received, the tickets will be mailed
to you in August.
Alumni Board Meeting,
5:30 p.m.
Minneapolis Room,
Christensen Center
July
11
Auggie Hours, 5:30-7 p.m.
Maynard’s Restaurant,
685 Excelsior Blvd., Excelsior, MN
(located in the southeast corner of
Excelsior Bay on Lake
Minnetonka), 952-470-1800
Please e-mail the following
information to <ecs@augsburg.edu>
or call 612-330-1104: Total number
in your group, names of you and
your guests, your graduation
year(s), and your contact number.
The deadline to register is Friday,
August 4.
Homecoming 2006—Watch us Soar
September 25-30
Mon., Sept. 25
Wed., Sept. 27
4:30-6 p.m.
10:30 a.m.
7:30-9 p.m.
International Student
Organization reception
Student Kick-Off Event,
Coronation and Pep Rally
Augsburg Associates annual
fall luncheon (off campus)
Noon-1 p.m.
Auggie Cup Knowledge
Bowl (East Commons)
9:30-10:30 p.m. Homecoming communion
Tues., Sept. 26
11 a.m.- 2 p.m. Counseling and Health
Promotion Annual Fair
6:30 p.m.
Alumni Baseball game,
Parade Stadium
7 p.m.
Powder puff football
9 p.m.
FCA campfire, Murphy Park
Thurs., Sept. 28
11 a.m.-2 p.m. Student activity—Old Auggie
photos
5:30-8:30 p.m. Athletic Hall of Fame Banquet
Fri., Sept. 29
9-10 a.m.
10-11 a.m.
11 a.m.-2 p.m.
12:30-2 p.m.
36
2:15- 3:15 p.m. Campus tour
3:30-6 p.m.
Hall Crawl
3 p.m.
Artist Amy Rice ’93, slide
presentation, Marshall
Room, Christensen Center
7 p.m.
ASAC Variety Show
7:30 p.m.
Men’s soccer game v.
Macalester
Reunion breakfast
Homecoming chapel
Student activity
Alumni luncheon
Sat., Sept. 30
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Picnic in the Park
noon
Auggie Cup Desk
Hurling
1-3 p.m.
Football Game v. ConcordiaMoorhead
3:30-7 p.m.
Auggie Block Party
Summer 2006
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
1956
Evelyn (Chanco) Steenberg,
Missoula, Mont., and her
husband, Tom ’58, ’61 Sem,
celebrated their golden wedding
anniversary on June 2, and hope
to be at their 50-year reunion at
Homecoming. They’ve spent 45
years in the ministry, including
35 years as missionaries in Japan.
The Steenbergs can be reached at
<tasteenberg@aol.com>.
1957
Gloria (Grant) Knoblauch,
Lake Elmo, Minn., was recently
recognized for her service and
leadership in forming the Friends
of Lake Elmo Library, which
succeeded in bringing a branch
of the Washington County
Library back to their city.
1958
Rev. Gary Turner, San Jacinto,
Calif., is an Anglican priest and
V.A. Hospital chaplain. Last
summer, while at the Hollywood
Bowl to see Garrison Keillor, he
ending up sitting two rows
ahead of Philip Knox ’57.
1965
Dwight Olson, San Diego,
Calif., was elected president of
the Licensing Executives Society
(LES) of USA & Canada, a
professional society of over 6,000
members engaged in the use,
development, manufacture, and
marketing of intellectual
property. LES is part of an
international organization, with
30 national societies representing
12,000 members in 80 countries.
He can be reached at
<dwight.olson@ironmountain.com>.
1969
James Roste, Roseville, Minn.,
retired on Dec. 31 after 36 years
in corrections work. He has
joined his wife, Lorene
(Peterson) ’70, in her business,
“Senior Moves,” helping seniors
Summer 2006
sort, pack, move, unpack, and
settle in at new locations.
1971
Thomas Haas, West St. Paul,
Minn., retired last August after
working 32 years at the State of
Minnesota Department of
Employment and Economic
Development, helping people find
employment by providing basic
skills and resources. He says that
retirement is “almost all I have
heard it can be—WONDERFUL.”
He also wonders how he had time
to work and get other things
done before. His wife is a genetics
researcher at the University of
Minnesota.
Jean Holbrook, San Mateo,
Calif., has been named San Mateo
County superintendent of schools
through January 2007, to
complete a vacated term. She
brings 30 years of experience
with the San Mateo County Office
of Education to the position.
Charles Maland, Knoxville,
Tenn., was awarded the
Alexander Prize for his superior
classroom teaching and
distinguished scholarship at the
University of Tennessee. His
teaching and research focuses on
American literature and cinema,
and he has been named editor of
a volume of James Agee’s film
criticism.
NewsCenter in Duluth, Minn.,
which provides weather news to
several TV channels and
newspapers in northern
Minnesota and northwestern
Wisconsin.
1988
Kiel Christianson, Champaign,
Ill., writes a golf equipment
column for travelgolf.com as a
hobby, and was recently quoted
in an article in CNNMoney.com
about a new Nike golf club.
1989
Nnamdi A.
Okoronkwo and
his wife, Sabrina
K., Minneapolis,
announce the
birth of their son,
Grayson
Nnamdi, very unexpectedly and
quickly, with the help of the
Minneapolis Fire Department. He
was born on his parents’ fifth
wedding anniversary and joins
older brother, Spencer, 18
months. Nnamdi and Sabrina
work for Best Buy and Target.
Steven Torgerud and his wife,
in St. Paul, welcomed a
daughter, Abigail Mae, on
March 1.
1992
Susan E. (Gehrke) Erdman
and her husband, Shane,
Marinette, Wis., announce the
birth of their daughter, Wynn
Leslie, on Sept. 9. She joins her
brother, Carson.
1993
Dana (Ryding)
Martin, and her
husband, Jeff,
Andover, Minn.,
welcomed a son,
Caden Joshua,
on Dec. 2. He
joins brother Noah, age 2. She
can be reached at<dana.martin@
moundsviewschools.org>.
1975
Daniel Swalm, Minneapolis, is
an adjunct professor at the
University of Wisconsin-River
Falls in the Graduate College of
Education and Professional
Studies and teaches career
counseling through the
Department of Counseling and
School of Psychology. He is the
executive director of Career
Solutions Inc., a nonprofit career
development agency in St. Paul.
1986
Karl Spring was named chief
meteorologist at the Northland’s
Joyce (Nelson) Schrader ’64, Friendswood, Texas, is a retired
elementary school teacher who taught second, third, fourth, and
fifth grades. Her husband is a retired human resources manager.
In the photo are Joyce and her husband, Steve (middle and top
rows, right); their daughter Mandy and her husband, Scott (top
row, left and middle), with their children, Haley (3) and Cason (1);
and their daughter Julie (bottom row, left) with her dog, Elvis.
37
Class Notes
Courtesy photo
ALUMNI PROFILE
Targeting cancer as both
physician and scientist
by Sara Holman ’06
Nine years have past since Arlo Miller roamed Augsburg’s campus as
a biology and chemistry student. However, this recent M.D./Ph.D.
Harvard graduate has not forgotten his Minneapolis alma mater.
“One of the biggest challenges in medical school is just trying to
figure out what is important and what actually matters. It’s
essentially very easy to lose the forest for the trees. I think Augsburg
science did very well to emphasize the forest, which provided a good
starting point,” Miller comments. He also credits the Honors
Program for its emphasis on critical thinking and communication
skills. After his junior year, Miller worked for the summer with a
leading cancer researcher at Washington University in St. Louis, who
helped convince him to seek the dual medical/research degrees.
Entering Harvard after his 1997 graduation was the first step in
Miller’s pursuit to study oncology, and his lab work in graduate
school led him to study melanoma. “I’d always been thinking I
would do hematology-oncology,” says Miller, “but I found that
dermatology is a better fit for me. Dermatologists actually deal with
the most prevalent forms of cancer, but the work primarily occurs in
the clinic rather than in the hospital. This will better enable me to
spend a fraction of my time doing research.”
Arlo Miller '97 received his Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2004 on
the same day as his fiancée, Ileana Howard, graduated from Harvard
Medical School. In June, he completed the M.D./Ph.D. program and
also received his medical degree.
Whether to become a regular doctor or a regular researcher or to split his time doing both has been something Miller has grappled with since
becoming part of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP).
MSTP was founded to bridge the gap between physicians and scientists. “Sometime in the 1970s,” Miller says, “there was a concern that the
divide was widening to the point that effective translation of basic science research to the realm of medicine was in jeopardy. The MSTP
program sends people to medical school and graduate school with the hope of creating a pool of people who could serve as bridges between
these two communities.”
Miller entered the MSTP program with a National Institutes of Health (NIH) training grant, given to about 300 students across the country.
The grant pays all medical school costs and provides an annual stipend to compensate for the economic consequences of choosing the
lengthy M.D./Ph.D. path.
In this joint medical-research program, Miller’s first two years included the medical school core scientific curriculum—anatomy,
biochemistry, microbiology, pathology, pathophysiology, etc. Then he shifted to graduate work and did research for five years in three
different laboratories, including the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston. Finally he returned to the last two years of medical school and
worked in hospital and clinic settings.
In early June, Miller graduated from the M.D./Ph.D. program and will marry Ileana Howard, also a physcian. For the next year, he has a
transition-year internship in Seattle, where Howard is currently a resident in physical medicine and rehabilitation.
In July 2007, Miller will begin a three-year residency in dermatology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., a department known for its
excellence in the research and treatment of unusual problems. He imagines himself ending up at a research university and says he feels
drawn to the area of cancer biology.
When dealing with the very sensitive subject of cancer, Miller says his Augsburg experience continues to impact his role as a doctor. “You
often find yourself taking care of people that the rest of society has pretty much given up on and for whom all social support systems have
failed,” he says. “This is a community service aspect of medicine that I hadn’t anticipated or appreciated when I started, but I feel that
Augsburg helped prepare me through informal means, including the Link program and its urban setting.”
Sara Holman graduated in 2006 with majors in communication studies and English.
38
Summer 2006
operas in repertory during its
eight-week season, attracting
40,000 people from around
the world.
Courtesy photo
TOASTMASTERS AWARD
Graduate
programs
Doris Rubenstein ’93 MAL
was elected to the Board of
Directors of Affinity Plus
Federal Credit Union. She is
principal of PDP Services, a
consulting firm specializing in
corporate and personal
philanthropy.
In Memoriam
The Honorable Pamela Alexander ’74, Minneapolis, received the
Toastmasters International Communication and Leadership award
for 2006. She was lauded for her community service as a youth
motivational speaker, basketball coach, and teacher, and for the
more than 50 community service awards she has received. She is
a judge of the Fourth Judicial District Court, Juvenile Division, of
Hennepin County.
Jessica (Ferrell)
and Brad
Zenner ’92,
Minneapolis,
adopted a
daughter,
Jasmine Shan,
in November. Jasmine was born
in Hunan, China, in February
2005. She joins a happy sister,
Lily Jinxiong, 3. Jessica can be
reached at <jessicazenner@
hotmail.com>.
1994
Carrie Kennedy
and her husband,
Eric Peterson,
Hopkins, Minn.,
announce the
birth of a son,
Kieran Philip, in
January. Carrie is an adjunct
professor of English at Concordia
University in St. Paul and
teaches fiction writing at the Loft
Literary Center.
1996
Anne Lalla married Todd
Johnson in March; they live in
Summer 2006
Shoreview, Minn. They have one
son, Evan, born in September
2002.
Leslie Lucas ’00 married
Matthew Weide in July 2005.
She is currently a student in
the Master of Social Work
program, and he is an account
executive for Donaldson in
Bloomington. They live in
Minneapolis.
1998
Brittani (Gross) Filek ’00 PA,
Corona, Calif., and her husband,
Matt, welcomed their first child,
Van Owen, in June 2005. They
were married in July 2004;
Brittani is a surgical physician
assistant at Kaiser Permanente
General and Plastic Surgery
Department.
1999
Bobby Scala, Eden Prarie,
Minn., along with his brother-inlaw, has opened Scala’s Beef
Stands in Maple Grove, a
restaurant selling products from
his family’s Chicago-based
wholesale meat company.
Sarah (Ginkel) Spilman, Iowa
City, Iowa, and her husband,
Matt, announce the birth of their
son, Alexander Nicholas, on
Jan. 3. Sarah earned a Master of
Arts degree in sociology at the
University of Iowa in 2004.
2000
Kai Gudmestad ’06 MBA,
Minneapolis, Minn., and his
wife, Amy, welcomed their son,
Elijah Douglas, on Jan. 29. Kai
graduated in the first Augsburg
MBA class.
2001
Kathryn Koch has been named
production stage manager for the
Glimmerglass Opera 2006 festival
season in Cooperstown, N.Y. She
will lead the stage management
staff and be part of a world
premiere opera, The Greater Good.
The company produces four
Irvin Nerdahl ’40, age 87, Jan.
27 in Crystal, Minn. He is
survived by his children,
Marsha, Laura, John, and David.
Kelly Roth ’47, age 85, in
Wheaton, Minn. He is survived
by his wife, Beverly, and three
children, John “Champ”,
Richard, and Janice, who also
attended Augsburg. Kelly,
nicknamed “Smiley,” was a
manager at the Smiley’s Point
confectionary. He retired from
Lutheran Brotherhood and
Central Life Insurance. He was
inducted into the Augsburg
Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978.
Rev. Philip A. Nelson ’55, ’58
Sem, age 72, Dec. 1 in New
London, Minn. He is survived
by his wife, Beverly (Omdahl)
’55, and three sons, Bruce, Peter,
and Blair. Phil had callings to
Colombia Heights, Morris, New
London, and Osakis before
retiring in 1994 due to health
concerns.
Edward M. Sabella, professor
emeritus of economics, May 5 in
Minneapolis. He taught at
Augsburg from 1967 until his
retirement in August 2000 and
was chair of the Departments of
Business Administration and
Economics from 1968-81.
39
AUGGIE
THOUGHTS
Auggie Thoughts
Over spring break, 35 Augsburg students joined with students from Grand
View College in Des Moines, Iowa, for a trip to Biloxi, Miss., to help with
hurricane relief sponsored by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA). Students posted daily journal entries on Augsburg’s website; the
following is a portion of Jeanette Clark’s journal from the last day of the trip.
Guarding people’s stories
by Jeanette Clark ’07
Some look at the journey home as a necessary part of a trip—something
logically following going away somewhere. On some level, this is true. On
the other hand, the opportunity to travel home is one that should not be
ignored. One does not have an experience, really, until he/she reflects on
it, and this is part of going home. So rather than being a burden, this 30hour bus ride has been a blessing—a chance to continue to get to know
people and to process, or try to process, all we have seen and heard.
It seems that more than the work we did during our time in Biloxi, our
greater service was guarding people’s stories. We heard the great trials and
agony of those who worked in the morgue after Katrina. By going home,
caring for those around us, and sharing these stories, we will guard the
stories of those who suffered through this disaster. More than clearing
brush, painting, or scrubbing, it was crucial that we took the time to value
the experiences of those who suffered so much. It was a service to hear AJ
talk about the importance of his camp. It was a service to hear Jack tell of
the struggles of those living in FEMA trailers. We heard the stories of
spelling tests and possible “reward movies” by the elementary students we
visited. There is no way we can begin to understand their pain or their
experiences, but we can listen, and in doing so, we show them they matter
just as they showed us that we mattered by cooking and caring for us with
the utmost hospitality.
On some level, our trip home is when the journey starts. Who around
us is also suffering, and how do we get to the root of this pain? Who
around us has a story to tell that no one has listened to? How can we be in
solidarity with those on the coast who are trying to rebuild their lives?
There is still work to do. We’ve only just begun.
Jeanette Clark ’07 is pursuing a degree in metro-urban studies, and youth and
family ministry. She is a student leader in Campus Ministry and the Campus
Kitchen at Augsburg.
40
Summer 2006
The Golden
Fisherman
According to the volunteer coordinators at Lutheran Episcopal
Disaster Relief in Biloxi, Miss., Mondays start slow. So, to quell their
nervous energy, some students got on the bus for a quick tour of the
damage that Hurricane Katrina caused. Even after nine months the
destruction is awe-inspiring. The U.S. Highway 90 bridge, which once
spanned the 1.5 miles between Biloxi and Ocean Springs, looks like a
set of dominos. “The Golden Fisherman,” a sculpture by Harry Reeks,
has only its feet connected to the cement base, with the rest of the
eight-foot brass-and-copper figure thrown 20 feet from its home.
—Stephen Geffre, Staff Photographer
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Send your news items, photos, or
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Spring 2006
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Vol. 68, No. 3
OUR CITY …
OUR CLASSROOM
page 10
T A B L E
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Spring 2006
Vol 68, No. 3
FEATURES
10
17
DEPARTMENTS
Our city ... our classroom
2
Around the... Show more
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P U B L I C AT I O N
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
Spring 2006
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 3
OUR CITY …
OUR CLASSROOM
page 10
T A B L E
O F
C O N T E N T S
Spring 2006
Vol 68, No. 3
FEATURES
10
17
DEPARTMENTS
Our city ... our classroom
2
Around the Quad
by Betsey Norgard
5
Sports
Teachers who lead,
leaders who teach
6
Faculty-Staff notes
22
compiled by Betsey Norgard
Supporting Augsburg—
Access to Excellence:
(The Campaign for Augsburg College)
25
32
inside
back
cover
Alumni News
Auggie Thoughts
Calendar
A college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg College is an equal education/employment institution.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
Sports Information Coordinator
Don Stoner
www.augsburg.edu
On the cover:
Augsburg Now is published quarterly by Augsburg College,
From the beginning of her
classes, first-year student Beckie
Jackson begins to explore the
opportunities around campus as
an extended classroom.
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454.
Opinions expressed in Augsburg Now do not necessarily
reflect official College policy. ISSN 1058–1545
On this page:
Augsburg’s Enrollment Center is
the one-stop shop for all the
“business” of the College—
registration, financial aid,
transcripts, accounts, and more.
Send address corrections to:
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AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
Paul Pribbenow is chosen as
Augsburg’s next president
Augsburg News Service
P
aul C. Pribbenow, president of
Rockford College in Rockford, Ill.,
has been elected as the 11th president of
Augsburg College by its board of regents.
“We are confident that Dr. Pribbenow
has all the qualities of leadership and
passion needed to continue Dr.
[William] Frame’s work at Augsburg
College,” said Jean Taylor ’85, chair of
the Board of Regents. “He has already
demonstrated that he is an accomplished
communicator, a person who can
demonstrate his own sense of Christian
vocation, a skilled administrator, and a
visible leader, actively participating in
the life of the campus and surrounding
community.”
Presidential search committee chair
and regent Ted Grindal ’76 expressed his
thanks and gratitude to the entire
Augsburg community for their participation in the search process. “After a very
thorough and successful search, we are
pleased to welcome Dr. Pribbenow as
Augsburg’s next president,” Grindal said.
“In Paul Pribbenow, we feel we have found
a successor who will not only carry on
Augsburg’s commitment to being a college
committed to a Christian understanding
of vocation, but will maximize its
exciting potential for the future.”
“This is the work I believe I was
called to do, and I look forward to
serving as Augsburg’s next president,”
Pribbenow said. “I firmly believe that my
experiences and commitments are a
remarkable fit for the mission and needs
of the College.”
Paul C. Pribbenow was born in
Decorah, Iowa, in 1957. He received his
bachelor’s degree in sociology/political
science from Luther College, and his
master’s degree in divinity and his
doctorate in social ethics from the
University of Chicago.
He has served as president of
Rockford College since 2002. Since his
arrival there, Pribbenow has launched
several new educational initiatives,
including working with faculty and staff
to develop the Jane Addams Center for
Civic Engagement. This program’s
primary responsibility, according to
Pribbenow, “is to find ways to work with
students to integrate their education,
co-curricular activities, spiritual
experiences, and service to the
community as part of an intentional
vocational formation initiative.” He has
also been an integral part of expanding
Paul C. Pribbenow
opportunities for the campus and its
community to join together in a variety
of collaborative efforts.
He and his wife, Abigail, an arts
administrator, have two young children.
Pribbenow succeeds retiring president
William V. Frame, and will take office on
July 1.
To read more, go to
<www.augsburg.edu/news>.
NEWSNOTES
Agre to speak at commencement—two honorary
degrees to be awarded
Peter Agre ’70, Nobel Prize laureate for chemistry in 2003, will
speak at the College’s 137th commencement on May 6.
Agre is vice chancellor of science and technology at the Duke
University School of Medicine. He will receive one of two
honorary degrees approved by the Board of Regents to be
conferred on that date.
James A. Johnson will receive the second honorary degree. He
has enjoyed a distinguished career in finance and lending, formerly
with Fannie Mae and now as vice chairman of Perseus L.L.C.
Johnson has been active in supporting the Gateway Building and
development of the urban village concept along Riverside Ave.
Johnson was Augsburg’s commencement speaker in 2002.
2
Outstanding physics students
For the third time in six years, the Society of Physics Students (SPS)
has named Augsburg’s chapter as an Outstanding SPS Chapter, this
time for 2004-05. Fewer than 10% of the chapters nationwide
receive this honor; Augsburg’s chapter was also named in 19992000 and 2002-03. Professor Mark Engebretson is chapter adviser.
Jim Haglund honored
Regent Jim Haglund was honored with the Hall of Fame award by
the Association of Independent Corrugated Converters (AICC), a
1,000-member international organization. Minnesota Gov. Tim
Pawlenty lauded Haglund as characterizing the “best of
Minnesota.” Pawlenty also drew attention to Haglund’s leadership
on the Augsburg Board of Regents.
Spring 2006
Mexico social work consortium receives
award
Courtesy photo
by Betsey Norgard
A
Spring 2006
Students in the 2004 spring semester program in Mexico visited the pyramids of Xochicalco to
learn how pre-Hispanic cultures regulated the solar calendar.
is noteworthy in several regards beyond
the challenges of satisfying the needs and
criteria of nine different institutions.
Foremost, it makes possible a study
abroad experience for social work
students at colleges that can’t sustain
their own individual programs.
Also, because the program is ongoing,
issues of social work in developing
countries are constantly part of
department discussions and curriculum.
Returning students readily talk about the
program as life transforming.
“Students who return from Mexico
have a window into the lives of Hispanic
and Latino communities impossible to
gain domestically,” commented social
work professor Nancy Rodenborg. She
said the department hopes to take
advantage of this experience in working
with Twin Cities’ Spanish-speaking
populations.
Also cited in the award is the program’s
shared ownership and governance among
the partner institutions in Minnesota and
South Dakota—both public and private—
allowing social work students equal access
to study abroad.
Rodenborg stated that a large part of
the success of the program is due to the
Center for Global Education’s expertise in
offering international education and the
resources available at its Mexico center.
Courtesy photo
ugsburg is part of a social work
consortium that has been honored
for its semester study program in Mexico.
The consortium was awarded the 2006
Global Commission Partners in
Education Award by the Council on
Social Work Education (CSWE) in
recognition of “the contributions of
individuals, organizations, and others as
partners in advancing education for
international social work.”
The development of the BSW Mexico
Consortium of the Minnesota/South
Dakota Area, which includes both private
and public institutions, was more than
two years in the making and is
remarkable for the complexity of issues it
negotiates. The study courses meet all
the schools’ curricular needs and allow
social work students to participate
without delaying their graduation date.
Financial costs were worked out so that
students pay only their home-school
tuition (plus airfare), regardless of which
partner institution they attend.
The program, “Social Work in a Latin
American Context,” is based at the
Center for Global Education (CGE)
study center in Cuernavaca, Mexico, and
includes study of Mexican culture,
intensive Spanish language instruction, a
social work course, and either a field
practicum or comparative social policy
course. A several-week homestay gives
students a chance to experience living
with a Mexican family. There is also a
two-week exchange with students in the
School of Social Work at the Universidad
Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
in Mexico City.
Cultural content courses are taught
by CGE staff, and the social work
content is taught by a rotating visiting
faculty member from one of the partner
schools. Augsburg social work professor
Barbara Lehmann is currently in
Cuernavaca, teaching for the second year.
The BSW Mexico Consortium model
Social work students visited Tlamacazapa, a
rural village where Claudia (in red, above)
helped them learn to weave.
Schools belonging to the BSW Mexico
Consortium are Augsburg College,
Bemidji State University, Bethel
University, College of St.
Catherine/University of St. Thomas,
Metropolitan State University, St. Cloud
State University, St. Olaf College,
University of Sioux Falls, and Winona
State University.
For more information on the Mexico
study semester, go to <www.augsburg.
edu/global/swksem.html>.
3
Business students seek stronger connections
through ABO
by Betsey Norgard
international presence and do a thorough
analysis of its marketing department. It
meant making the contacts, meeting with
corporate officials, and following up on
the research. Sometimes it’s even possible
to tie ABO activities into coursework for
some extra credit.
A
ugsburg business students realize
the importance of stepping out of
the classroom to gain “real-world”
experience, and the Twin Cities offers
them plenty of opportunities. The
Augsburg Business Organization (ABO)
aims to provide them a platform to do this.
Students join ABO to learn more
about the business world, to meet
corporate leaders, and to network in
search of opportunities for projects,
internships, and future employment.
Since ABO is student-run, they gain
leadership and professional skills as they
brainstorm, contact, and arrange for
speakers and trips.
Founded five years ago by business
major Rod Gonzalez ’04, ABO currently
has about 15 active students, with a
number of others who participate in
various events.
In January, 12 ABO students traveled
to Chicago for an activities-packed three
days of visits to CEOs and businesses,
following up on contacts from Augsburg’s
Development Office. While there they
visited three businesses—Chase Bank,
Hydrotech Manufacturing Co., and the
H&K law firm; plus, they met with
executives and toured the Mercantile
Exchange and the Federal Reserve Bank.
“The Chicago trip was a unique
opportunity,” said senior business major
and ABO member Nii Mensah, “in that it
gave us an opportunity to see many
different aspects of the city in both a
business and urban sense.”
Building a portfolio of experience
Anthony Haupt, a senior from Red Wing,
Minn., and the current president of ABO,
has taken good advantage of
opportunities in ABO for his own
leadership growth. Last year after
arranging for Greg Smith ’72 to be a
guest speaker at ABO, he kept in contact
with Smith, who is chief operating officer
of Walden Automotive. It led to a summer
internship at the Denny Hecker
4
Anthony Haupt, senior international business
management major and president of the
Augsburg Business Organization, hopes to
involve more business professionals and
Augsburg business alumni in the student
organization.
Automotive Group where Haupt did
financial analysis and project management
work. He and Smith still keep in touch,
and Smith continues to suggest other
contacts from whom Haupt can learn.
“ABO has opened many doors for me,
like the summer internship,” Haupt says,
“and has put me in leadership roles with
responsibility.”
Haupt also strengthened his major in
international business management with
a semester study program in Barcelona,
Spain, that included courses in
international business and Spanish. He
hopes his minor in Spanish will support
future work with a company that has an
international presence. He also
completed an internship in a healthcare
organization, and will seek opportunities
to gain training in project management
and/or account management after he
graduates in May.
Even as a part of their coursework, the
business administration faculty push
students to connect with the business
community. Haupt cites his international
marketing class in which students had to
choose a Minnesota company with
ABO seeks business contacts
Haupt’s vision for ABO is for the
organization to build a network of Twin
Cities business professionals, especially
Augsburg business alumni. What
students hope to gain, he says, are
relationships with the business
community and access to business
expertise, experience, and information.
Business professionals should be
assured, Haupt says, that Augsburg
students are well-educated and eager to
get their feet wet in the business world.
He cites several examples of past student
leaders, like the ABO presidents, who
have transformed internships into job
opportunities, and used their experiences
as springboards into a career.
How to connect with ABO
ABO offers these ideas for connecting
Augsburg business alumni and other
business professionals with students:
• Volunteer as a guest speaker at an
ABO event
• Participate in a resource network for
business students
• Host Augsburg business students at
your company or workplace
• Join the Take an Auggie to Lunch
program
• Help ABO with fundraising to support
trips and other activities
To learn more or participate in ABO
activities, contact Anthony Haupt at
<abo@augsburg.edu> with your name,
class year (if you are an alumnus/a), title
and place of work, and e-mail and/or
telephone number.
Spring 2006
Sports
For current sports information, scores, and schedules go to <www.augsburg.edu/athletics>.
Auggies inspire hoop dreams in
neighborhood kids
by Don Stoner
H
elping young members of the CedarRiverside neighborhood learn about
the game of basketball was a “slamdunk” proposition for the Augsburg
College men’s basketball team.
In January, the Auggies invited 50
boys and girls from the Cedar-Riverside
Community School, which primarily
teaches immigrant children, to attend a
morning basketball clinic at Si Melby
Hall. Head coach Aaron Griess and
members of the Augsburg squad showed
children the basics of the game, then
broke up into smaller groups to work
individually with them. Each group took
part in fun games with the Auggie
players, where they were able to put
their newly-learned skills into practice.
The clinic ended with an impromptu
dunking exhibition from members of the
Augsburg squad, to the cheers of the
youngsters watching.
“We’re proud to be able to make a
difference in the lives of young people
who haven’t had the same opportunities
that other children have, and we’re
committed to helping build the
community we live in,” said Griess, in
his first season as Augsburg’s head coach.
The clinic was organized by Griess
and Mary Laurel True, associate
director of Augsburg’s Center for
Service, Work, and Learning.
“Spending time with the kids,
watching them laugh, and teaching them
some basketball skills was a tremendous
joy,” Griess said. “Each and every one of
our students put their hearts into the
short period of time they spent with the
kids, and we’re all looking forward to the
next opportunity.”
ade
h gr
a, 4t
Laur
Fadum
o, 4th
grade
Thank you, Auggies!
“I had fun learning with you guys. It was
important to me because when I grow up
I will be a good basketball player.”
—Abdullahi, 3rd grade
“I learned basketball is not easy; it's hard,
but it just looks easy.” —Sagal, 6th grade
“Thank you for giving me inspiration to
play basketball.” —Karina, 6th grade
“In the summer I will love to show all of
my friends what you have taught me. It
really meant a lot to me when you taught
me a lot of tricks.” —Muna, 4th grade
The Cedar-Riverside kids yell “41, 41, 41…”
to pull no. 41 Auggie junior Tait Thomsen to
the floor.
“I’ve learned new tricks and so much
more. I felt like a professional basketball
player. This is one of the best days of my
life.” —Nasra, 4th grade
Fifty-plus students from the Cedar-Riverside Community School watch in awe as Auggie senior Aaron Benesh dunks the ball.
Spring 2006
5
Faculty and Staff
PRESENTATIONS
Tony Bibus, social work, presented a
poster, “Working with Involuntary Clients
in Slovenia,” about a study with Ljubljana
University, at the Council on Social Work
Education meeting in February.
Bill Capman, biology, co-presented “Reef
Aquaria in the Classroom and Teaching
Laboratory: Learning Activities, Organisms,
and Logistics” at the Marine Aquarium
Conference of North America (MACNA) in
Washington, D.C.
Emiliano Chagil, Hispanic/Latino Student
Services, presented “Higher Education and
Acculturation: The Contradictions Involved
in Improving Your Life through Education
while Sustaining Your Cultural Self,” at the
annual Breaking Barriers Conference at the
University of St. Thomas.
Su Dorée, mathematics, led a paper
session, “Countering ‘I Can’t Do Math’:
Strategies for Teaching Underprepared,
Math-Anxious Students,” at the annual
joint meetings of the American
Mathematical Society and the
Mathematical Association of America.
At the same conference, Rebekah
Dupont, mathematics, co-organized a
panel discussion, “Firefighting, Paper
Trailing, and Cat Herding: Everything You
Wanted to Know to Be an Administrator
but Were Afraid to Ask.”
Teachers meeting teachers
in Namibia
by Gretchen Kranz Irvine
F
or over five years, my life has been
exponentially enriched, professionally
and personally, from my experiences in
Namibia, Africa. I have been the trip
leader for three summer study trips in
2000, 2003, and most recently last
summer, July 1-22, 2005. I gathered a
group of educators—classroom teachers,
a preservice teacher, and teacher
educators—to travel to Namibia to learn
about the country and her people,
focusing on the education system. In
collaboration with the Center for Global
Education, my goals for the trip were to
introduce Namibia by visiting various
locations; by hearing from Namibians
working in a variety of sectors,
especially teachers, principals, and
faculty from the University of Namibia
and teachers’ colleges; by accessing local
media; and by being immersed in a
culture so different from ours, and yet
the same.
I was pleased that our group bonded
easily as a community and blended like a
fine-tuned melody. We benefited from
the two University of Namibia students
preparing to be teachers who joined us
and added depth to our understanding
of schools and the influence of culture.
A highlight for this trip was a oneday conference for teachers in the
Windhoek area hosted by our group,
with the help and facilitation of many
others. We gathered at the Rossing
Conference Center in Khomasdal, a
suburb of the capital city, Windhoek—
50 people interested in schools, teachers,
learners, and all areas related to
education—for sessions titled “The
Important Role of Teachers in NationBuilding.” The speakers, facilitators, and
organizers were both Namibians and the
members of our group.
The results far exceeded what could
be stated here. We explored large issues
impacting all teachers. We built
professional links—both individual and
group—that would sustain relationships
after we returned to the U.S. And we
Courtesy photo
Garry Hesser, sociology and metrourban studies, co-presented “Toward the
Public Good: Maps, Lenses, and Models
of Civic Engagement,” at the Association
of American Colleges and Universities
conference in November.
Hesser also presented, with Ann
Lutterman-Aguilar and Merrie
Benasutti, “Crossing Borders: Exploring
Vocation in a Multicultural/Global
Context,” at the Nov. meeting of the
National Society for Experiential Education.
Marc Isaacson, MIS, presented
“Statistical Literacy—Online at Capella
University” at the American Statistical
Association meeting.
Cheryl Leuning, nursing, and Pandu
Hailonga, CGE Namibia, co-authored and
presented, “Transforming What is Known
about HIV, AIDS, and Tuberculosis into
Culturally Appropriate Protective
Practices in Namibia and Tanzania,” at
the July Tumaini conference in Tanzania.
6
A group of educators from Minnesota spent three weeks with teachers and educators in
Namibia, based at Augsburg’s Center for Global Education. Augsburg participants are: Melinda
Stockmann (front row, left), CGE-Namibia intern; Pandu Hailonga (back row, fourth from left),
CGE-Namibia trip leader; Carol Knicker (back row, fifth from left), assistant professor of
education; and Gretchen Irvine (back row, second from right), assistant professor of education
and Augsburg trip leader.
Spring 2006
Courtesy photo
On a visit to the Haganeni Primary School in Walvis Bay, Namibia, the educators enjoyed meeting
the students, or “learners.”
Courtesy photo
helped to respond to the need of all
teachers to discuss important issues,
realizing how vital it is for people
involved in the process of educating our
children and youth to have opportunities
for dialogue and reflection. Because of
the cultural differences unfamiliar to me,
I appreciated working with the
Namibians who helped to make the
conference relevant and meaningful for
everyone.
It will be months and years before we
can realize what this trip has meant to us
as individuals. We have tried to spread
the word about Namibia, a very silent
country on the world stage. Our
worldviews have been forever changed
by images of Namibian teachers, of the
children and youth, and of the life we
witnessed in the coastal cities as different
from the villages in the north. We heard
the voices of Namibians telling of their
past, and we learned about the current
struggles toward the constitutional goals
of their 16-year-old nation. We witnessed
the joy of people together, and enjoyed
being in the company of a youth group
building their lives. And we read about
the hopes and dreams of people looking
toward the future. Our global vision has
expanded as a result of this experience.
I am grateful to the Center for Global
Education staff—both here and in
Namibia—whose expertise helped us
create the best learning environment for
our experience. In our own group,
individuals acted beyond any expectations
in caring for each other, challenging
thinking, and with kindness to all.
I have been a teacher for 38 years.
The experiences I’ve enjoyed are true
gifts to me as a teacher, and, also, to my
students at Augsburg.
Gretchen Irvine is assistant professor of
education.
Professor Gretchen Kranz Irvine presents an
Augsburg folder to Augsburg alumna
Fredericka Uahengo ’90, rector of the
Ongwediva Teachers College in northern
Namibia.
Spring 2006
Read more about this travel seminar and
conference on the participants’ blog at
<web.augsburg.edu/~irvine/Namibia>.
PRESENTATIONS
Dallas Liddle, English, presented
“Bakhtinian ‘Journalization’ and the MidVictorian Literary Marketplace,” at Oxford
University’s First Annual Conference on
the History of the Book, sponsored by
their English faculty, in Nov.
Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Center for
Global Education-Mexico, presented a
theological perspective on the rights of
women at the International Women’s Day
conference in Cuernavaca, Mexico, in
March 2005.
She and Judy Shevelev, also with
CGE-Mexico, along with five former
students, co-presented two papers at the
National Women’s Association conference
in June.
Diane Pike, sociology, presented the
keynote, “Not Rocket Science: Teaching,
Learning, and Engagement,” at the Oct.
joint meeting of the Wisconsin and
Illinois Sociological Associations and the
Wisconsin Political Science Association.
Marc Skjervem, student affairs, and
Keith McCoy, residence life, presented a
session, “Developing a Seamless FirstYear Experience on a Small Campus,” at
the National Orientation Directors
Association regional conference in April.
NOTEWORTHY
Markus Fuehrer, philosophy, is
preparing a translation and commentary
of Albertus Magnus’ Liber de homine
(Treatise on Man). He is currently
preparing an entry on Albertus Magnus
at the invitation of the Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
Brad Holt, religion, was elected to the
national board of the Society for the Study
of Christian Spirituality (SSCS), an
international organization of people who
teach Christian spirituality in colleges,
universities, and seminaries.
Patrice Salmeri, StepUP® program, was
elected chairperson of the executive
board of the Association of Recovery
Schools (ARS).
Milo Schield, business administration
and the W.M. Keck Statistical Literacy
Project, completed a textbook on
statistical literacy, which is being used in
Augsburg classes this spring.
7
Lynn Bollman, art, participated in the
Third Biennial Printmaking Exhibition,
in November, showcasing the work of 40
professors of printmaking at 22
Minnesota colleges and universities.
History professor Jacqui DeVries’
article, “Rediscovering Religion after the
Postmodern Turn,” was published in the
spring 2005 issue of Feminist Studies and
will also appear in the fall 2005 issue of
the online History Compass.
Pandu Hailonga, Center for Global
Education-Namibia, published an article,
“Violence, Rape, and Murder: Symptoms
of Societal Disease,” in The Namibian in
March 2005.
Garry Hesser, sociology and metrourban studies, co-authored a chapter,
“Liberal Learning and Internships in
Sociology, in The Internship Handbook,
edited by Richard Salem and published
in 2005.
Ann Lutterman-Aguilar, Center for
Global Education-Mexico, published a
chapter, “La reconstrucción de la iglesia,”
in Los derechos humanos al interior de
nuestra iglesia, edited by Guadalupe Cruz
Cárdenas, published by Católicas por el
Derecho a Decidir (CDD) in 2005.
Phil Quanbeck II, religion, contributed
to a collection, Teaching the Bible,
published in October by the Society of
Biblical Literature. An article by
Quanbeck “Preaching Apocalyptic Texts”
was published in the summer issue of
Word and World.
Department of Public Safety—
Augsburg’s 411
by Betsey Norgard
L
ocked out? … Too hot in your room?
… Need a jump for a dead battery?
… Want to know when the hockey game
starts? … Need a ride from the lightrail
station?
These are just samples of the
questions fielded by the Department of
Public Safety. Headed by John Pack, who
came to Augsburg nearly three years ago
after 13 years at the University of
Minnesota, this office operates 24/7 and
oversees the College’s switchboard
communications, facilities management
requests, campus security, and
communications and emergency
management.
Pack tries to get the word out about
their services, especially about campus
safety. Each summer at orientation, he
enjoys talking with new students and
their parents.
“The message is that Augsburg is in
the heart of the city,” Pack says, “which
brings tremendous opportunities, but
also some challenges, mostly parking
and security.”
Public Safety strives to ensure that
everyone in the Augsburg community
feels safe. Escort services are available to
any of the parking lots and for students
who go back and forth from internships
or service projects in the neighborhood.
Security officers also provide rides to and
from the nearby lightrail stops. A phone
call from two stops away gets students a
quick ride back to campus.
Pack has initiated regular meetings of
security personnel from Augsburg, the
University of Minnesota, FairviewRiverside, College of St. Catherine, and
the Minneapolis police to share
information and coordinate prevention
efforts in order to decrease incidents
overall.
A recent incident illustrates this
cooperative relationship. At a building
near the edge of campus, an intoxicated
person, not part of the Augsburg
community, slipped, fell, wedged his
head between two pipes, and went into
respiratory distress. Augsburg security
officers on routine patrol noticed him
and called 911. Officer Annie DeYoung
stayed with the injured man, monitoring
his medical condition, until rescue
personnel arrived. Firefighters needed
the Jaws of Life to free the man and rush
him to the emergency room.
The firefighters credited DeYoung
with saving the man’s life—for assessing
the situation quickly and applying the
medical treatment that kept his airway
and breathing clear until they arrived.
Staff photo
PUBLICATIONS/EXHIBITIONS/
PERFORMANCES
HONORS/AWARDS/GRANTS
Mark Strefeler, biology, received a
$57,500 grant from Beckman Coulter’s
matching grant program for a genetic
analysis system to aid research in plant
genetics and microbiology. It allows for
gene sequencing, DNA fingerprinting,
and molecular genetics. In his research
with students, he carries out DNA
barcoding for species identification and
identification and isolation of genes for
disease resistance in plants.
John Pack, director of public safety, accepts a Certificate of Appreciation
from Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak (left) and police chief William
McManus for the College’s cooperation and for support to the
Minneapolis Police Department.
8
Spring 2006
Photo illustration by Stephen Geffre
Office space: or how I spent 18 years
in the closet at Augsburg
by Doug Green
W
hy I didn’t move out of
my little hole in the wall
of an office when I had the
chance, I’ll never know. It’s
one of the smallest spaces in
the maze that is Memorial
Hall, a former dormitory and
the second oldest surviving building on
campus. The room can’t be more than
6 x 6 and would be more suitable as a
walk-in closet—or perhaps a very large
coffin.
My office desk, an old metal one of
modest size and a rosy beige hue, faces
the wall beneath an enormous Saul
Steinberg print of America as viewed
from Manhattan. Before I got my laptop,
Manhattan was unfortunately hidden
behind my computer, just as Minnesota
has blotted out most of my New York
past over the last 20 years.
On the wall behind me as I sit at my
desk, the floor-to-ceiling shelves are
overflowing with books, papers,
knickknacks (mostly mementoes from
past students and pictures of my wife
and son), and last year’s posters for
campus events. The filing cabinet next to
Spring 2006
the door obscures some of the shelves
and is buried under debris. Confidential
student records are now filed on top of
the cabinet for easy access—even to
passers-by in the hallway: It’s my version
of the Freedom of Information Act.
Behind the door and next to the desk
is another freestanding bookcase, also
overflowing and surmounted by stacks of
texts and paper—for creative writing, I
think. The walls and the hallway side of
the door are plastered with notices,
reminders, pictures drawn by my son,
and posters of events I had a hand in—
like the first GLBT alumni reunion and
art show: “Out and About.”
The window, however, I love best.
When I sit at my desk and look out, it’s
like Rear Window; I can spy on a whole
set of neighboring offices. But if I push
back just a little and face the outside, I
see Augsburg’s little quad, an Edenic
version of my little closet.
Maybe that’s why I can’t leave:
because this little cubby across the floor
from an old dormitory bathroom that
sports mold from the era of Warren G.
Harding and College President George
Sverdrup is the quintessential
professorial space. Like the brain in
Dickinson’s poem, my office “is wider
than the sky.” My little cabinet contains a
world of thoughts—from the books
behind and beside me to the computer
on my desk to the many visiting
colleagues and students who come to
share their inner lives with me. I need
their stifling and stimulating proximity.
My office is certainly no “proud,
ambitious heap” nor “built to envious
show,” but a place in which, like the
Sidneys at Penshurst in Jonson’s famous
poem, I can “dwell.”
Doug Green is professor of English. This
story first appeared in Augsburg Echo in
September.
9
10
1 THE NEW GUTHRIE
Only a mile away, the Guthrie Theater’s new
home makes it even easier for actors and
technicians to visit Augsburg seminars and
teach as adjunct faculty.
1
3
2
Downtown
Minneapolis
4
8
5
9
Augsburg
College
6
7
2 CORPORATE DOWNTOWN
Internships downtown with non-profits,
Fortune 500, and other companies are but a
quick lightrail or bus ride away for students
and often lead to future career opportunities.
Saint Paul
3 MEETING HIS CONSTITUENTS
City Hall is his home base, but Minneapolis
mayor R.T. Rybak enjoys getting out to meet
the new students on campus.
4 PLAY BALL!
The Twins, Vikings, Gophers—and the
Auggies, for one game per season—compete
several blocks away at the Metrodome.
OUR CITY …
OUR CLASSROOM
10
BY BETSEY NORGARD
➶
WHAT EXACTLY DOES BEING A COLLEGE OF THE CITY MEAN FOR
AUGSBURG? WHAT OPPORTUNITIES DOES IT BRING TO THE AUGSBURG
LEARNING COMMUNITY—TO STUDENTS, FACULTY, AND STAFF?
If one were to look at just a TWO-MILE RADIUS AROUND AUGSBURG,
what would be found?
5 HIGH-RISE MELTING POT
Riverside Plaza is the hub of the most diverse
neighborhood in Minneapolis—and a partner
with Augsburg in its community programs
and school.
The answer is A LOT …
the most diverse neighborhood in Minneapolis …
the downtown business district …
a Super Bowl pro-sports dome …
a brand-new home for a world-class theater …
a Big 10 university and teaching/research medical center…
a quick train ride to the largest shopping mall in the country…
miles of running, walking, and biking trails along the Mississippi River.
Staff photo
6 A JUMP ON THE LIGHTRAIL
Just a few blocks away, the lightrail train is a
quick ride to downtown, the airport, and the
Mall of America.
7 LEARNING FROM LIVE CORALS
Biology professor Bill Capman lends expertise
and some live corals to help teachers at
Seward Montessori School set up and maintain
a coral reef aquarium for their science classes.
8 WORSHIP IN THE CITY
Central Lutheran Church is the majestic
setting for Augsburg’s Advent Vespers, an
annual celebration of word and music that
begins the holiday season.
Spring 2006
Here, we highlight some of the myriad opportunities our location offers
to learn, serve, volunteer, intern, experience, shop, compete, perform,
keep fit, have fun, and so much more!
Teach. Reach. Feed. Lead.
That’s the motto of the Campus
Kitchens Project, based in Washington,
D.C., that combines preparing and
delivering meals, partnering in the
community, training for employment
opportunities, and providing service
learning for students. Since opening on
campus in 2003, the Campus Kitchen
at Augsburg has served more than
25,000 meals to community
organizations. The program, which is
student organized and run, is based in
the College’s food service facilities, and
works with surplus food from the food
service and local food banks.
Two shifts of student volunteers
each week prepare meals and deliver
them to six locations the next day. The
students spend time in each location, getting to know and talking with
the people being served.
Above, at Peace House in the Phillips neighborhood, junior Jeanette
Clark talks with a visitor. She and other students deliver meals on
Thursdays to the 30-50 people who drop in to Peace House for
conversation, fellowship, and nourishment.
During the summers, Augsburg’s Campus Kitchen operates a job
training program to train and certify unemployed people in food
management culinary skills to help them find jobs.
11
Trick or treat—dorm style
Targeting a career
Each Halloween, ghosts, goblins, and other costumed
characters wander the halls of Urness and Mortensen Halls,
going from door to door trick-or-treating.
They’re neighborhood children invited to campus by
LINK, the student service organization, for fun, games,
treats, and, sometimes, a haunted house. LINK provides
the candy, and students provide the fun for the kids.
Tim Benson ’00, graduated
with a business administration/marketing major
and a minor in management
information systems.
Benson picked up his first
downtown corporate
experience at a summer
internship with Accenture
(then Andersen Consulting).
He found it to be great
preparation for the business
world that he couldn’t have
learned in a classroom—
“protocols, unwritten rules,
and business speak”—that
helped him get a foot in the door at Target Corporation.
He started as a business analyst and was eventually
promoted to a supply chain expert. Now he is manager of
an eight-person team in the kitchenware department,
which is responsible for about 1,000 items and hundreds of
millions of dollars in sales annually in all 1400+
Target stores.
A day at the Soap Factory
(map #10)
As part of AugSem,
their first-year seminar,
students in ART 102
Design spent an
afternoon at the Soap
Factory. This turn-ofthe-century wood and
brick warehouse, which
formerly housed the
National Purity Soap
Factory, has been turned into an art gallery featuring work
by emerging artists, and offering available studio space.
The afternoon was part of City Service Projects Day,
which started with a 20-minute walk to the gallery
through the historic flour mill district. At the gallery, the
students helped take down one show and prepare to
install another. They cleaned floors, scrubbed and
squeegeed walls, and moved furniture.
The students got first-hand experience in what a
gallery is—or not, i.e. it’s not just clean floors and bright
lighting. Since a number of these students intend to major
in art-related fields, this gave them an opportunity for a
service project in something that really interested them.
Plus, the gallery director told them that what they
were able to do for the gallery in three hours would have
taken the staff all week to complete.
12
(map #2)
Staying connected with kids
(map #9)
Kristy Bleichner graduated from Augsburg in 2002 with a
major in social work. While a student, she began to
volunteer for Wednesday Night Out, a program sponsored
by Trinity Lutheran Church. For this, Trinity partners with
community organizations, including Augsburg, to provide
suppers for neighborhood families, giving them a place to
gather and talk. After supper, Bleichner and other student
volunteers take the children to a nearby gym for games,
making it more convenient for their parents to talk with
each other about family and community issues.
Even after graduating nearly four years ago, Bleichner
has wanted to stay connected with these families and
continues to devote time to the Wednesday Night Out
program.
Spring 2006
A school of many cultures
(map #5)
Around-the-world food
Five blocks from Augsburg lies the only school in the country
located in a high-rise apartment building. The Cedar-Riverside
Community School, a K-8 charter school sponsored by
Minneapolis Public Schools, is in the midst of Minneapolis’
most diverse neighborhood, largely Somali and East African.
The school serves mostly immigrant children, from nearly
a dozen different countries, some of whom never had any
formal education before arriving in the U.S. Each week nearly
30-40 Augsburg students tutor and mentor at the school, and
provide instruction or support during the year in music, art,
piano lessons, physical education, science, and health.
Augsburg elementary education students in Professor
Jeanine Gregoire’s science methods class teach hand-on
science units at the school. In the photo, Pa Kou Yang ’05 is
working with two second-graders.
When Augsburg moved to the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood
in 1872, it was home to a thriving community of
Scandinavian immigrants. Again, it is a center for many
people recently arriving in the U.S., primarily from Somalia
and East Africa.
The neighborhood has more than 20 restaurants, most of
which serve ethnic foods; as well as ethnic clothing stores,
grocers, and art galleries; and a Lutheran church and a
mosque. As part of the first-year AugSem group, students
visited area businesses and tried out some of the nearby
restaurants. In this photo, a group sits around the table at
Addis Ababa, an Ethiopian restaurant down the block from
campus.
Helping women stay fit at FOLC
Caring for the mighty Mississippi
(map #5)
Eilidh Reyelts ’06 (facing
front at right in photo), a
senior biology and premedical major, began
volunteering last year with
Rachel Domier ’05 (left) at
Family Opportunities for
Living Collaboration
(FOLC) at Riverside Plaza.
This center encourages
community members to
work together at meeting
the needs of neighborhood residents, many of whom are
immigrants or refugees with little understanding of English
or of American customs and health practices.
Reyelts and Domier were both Lilly Interns and designed
internships to explore areas within their vocational interests.
Twice a week at FOLC they taught exercise to immigrant
and refugee women, and helped them monitor their weight
and blood pressure.
Reyelts also is a Citizen Scholar through the Campus
Compact program. As an AugSem leader, she took new
students on a tour of the neighborhood and to FOLC. Reyelts’
vocational goals include a career in medicine or public health.
Spring 2006
With the Mississippi River
within a stone’s throw,
Augsburg has joined the
network of “river stewards”
and has “adopted” a section of
the river just downstream
from campus. Planned
activities involve students in
litter clean-up, trail
monitoring, placing stenciled
warnings on storm drains to
prevent pollution into the
river, monitoring invasive
species, and trail monitoring.
In the summer, political
science professor Joe
Underhill-Cady teaches
Environmental and River
Politics, a course that looks at
the challenges of balancing
economic development, social justice, and environmental
stewardship. Students spend time on the river and meet
with people involved in river-related issues.
13
Courtesy photo
H U R R I C A N E K AT R I N A :
R E S P O N D I N G F R O M T H E H E A RT
Medicine for both patient and doctor
The days were long, the work was
physically exhausting. What Augsburg
alumni Paul Mueller ’84, M.D., and Rick
Seime ’70, Ph.D., encountered in the
hurricane-devastated areas of southern
Louisiana was far worse than news
reports could show. But, Mueller describes
returning to Minnesota rejuvenated and
thankful for the opportunity to help.
Seime says he would do it again in
a heartbeat.
Mueller, an internist with a public
health background, and Seime, a
psychologist, both at Mayo Clinic in
Rochester, Minn., served on different
medical relief teams. They were a part of
Operation Minnesota Lifeline, a
collaboration of healthcare volunteers
from Mayo Clinic, University of
Minnesota, College of St. Catherine, and
the American Refugee Committee.
Sponsored by the Louisiana Department of Health, their work helped to
14
by Betsey Norgard
bridge the crisis period by treating
immediate medical needs and connecting
people to resources until more permanent
public health clinics were set up.
For two weeks each, Mueller’s and
Seime’s teams operated from a base in
Lafayette, La., and were housed at a
Baptist church. Each day they set out in
vans supplied with medicines, supplies,
and vaccines, to treat people in the field,
most of whom were either Hurricane
Katrina evacuees from New Orleans or
residents of the areas ravaged by
Hurricane Rita.
The medical teams were
multidisciplinary, including physicians,
nurses, social workers, and others. But,
everyone served as a mental health
counselor because the need was so great.
Many people had lost everything they
owned, had lost contact with family
members, and had lost their medications
and medical providers. Many simply just
needed to talk.
Despite their adversities, Seime was
“impressed with their resiliency, in the
faith they had, and in the way they came
together to help each other out.” Both
Mueller and Seime remark about the
gratitude expressed by hurricane victims
for the care they received from the
medical teams.
In Johnson’s Bayou, La., a coastal
town almost totally destroyed by
Hurricane Rita, Mueller met Rhonda, “a
salt-of-the-earth person” and one of a
very few who had returned to her home.
Above: Mayo Clinic internist Dr. Paul Mueller
’84 (left) and Sr. Romana Klaubaus (right), a
nurse from the College of St. Catherine,
posed with residents of Johnson’s Bayou
(La.). There they met Rhonda (second from
right), a local emergency medical technician,
who helped them find and treat the
residents who had moved back.
Spring 2006
Courtesy photo
left Lafayette at 4:45 a.m. and worked
until 10 p.m. that night. The team
consulted all day, but still could not meet
with everyone seeking help.
His most vivid memory is of Miss
Cindy, who came to be vaccinated in
Eunice, La. He listened to her story of
riding out the storm in her apartment
building in New Orleans. When the
levees broke, she told of trying to get
help to rescue the other tenants in her
building, and of wading in the water to
get to boats. Not all survived, and she
told of an elderly man who had to turn
back. They saw him drown without
being able to offer assistance.
Miss Cindy was so grateful for the
medical team’s help that she baked a
Cajun meal to thank them and drove it
35 miles to the church where Seime and
his colleagues were staying.
Drawing on his background in both
internal medicine and public health,
Mueller felt “called” to respond to the
medical needs in Louisiana. Seime
considered it a privilege to serve and was
glad for the opportunity, even taking into
account the 21 hours each way on the bus.
Paul Mueller ’84, M.D., is a member of the
Augsburg Board of Regents and serves on the
Science Center Task Force. Rick Seime ’70 is
a Distinguished Alumnus and member of
Augsburg’s Science Advisory Board.
Mueller’s medical team set up shop in a FEMA
trailer park, where many evacuees were living
in tents.
Courtesy photo
Donald Mattison ’66, M.D., a senior adviser at the National Institutes of Health and a U.S.
Public Health Service (USPHS) medical officer, led a team to Louisiana on Aug. 31, just
after Hurricane Katrina struck, for a two-week deployment.
Emergency medicine in a field hospital
by Donald Mattison ’66, M.D.
Mayo psychologist Rick Seime ’70 (right) and
internist Dr. Daniel Hartigan (left) from the
Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Fla., pack the van
with medical supplies and vaccines for the
day’s assignment in the field.
Even though the local gas station her
husband owned had been destroyed,
Mueller says she was “amazingly happy
and optimistic, and determined to
re-build.”
He tells of how Rhonda knew
everybody—those who had returned to
town, their ages, what medicines they
took, etc. She was a volunteer emergency
medical technician and rode with the
team in their van, taking them to each of
the homes where returning residents
could be vaccinated and treated.
Seime spent one day on a team sent
to New Orleans, where they treated
people in a FEMA resource center. They
Spring 2006
I was part of the second team of Public
Health Service (PHS) officers deployed
into Baton Rouge, La. Our initial
assignment was staffing and coordination
of a temporary hospital established in
two buildings on the Louisiana State
University campus—an acute care
“emergency room” with intensive care
unit (ICU) containing about 150 beds,
and a lower acuity hospital containing
200-500 beds (depending on need).
While both were operating as
hospitals over about a 15-day period,
approximately 15,000 individuals were
“triaged” and about 3,000 admitted,
cared for, and discharged. When the
demand for acute care diminished, the
smaller facility was closed and the lower
acuity facility converted to a special
needs shelter. At that point additional
PHS officers were available to participate
in needs assessment and establishment of
surveillance systems with the state health
department.
Teams were also assigned to manage
medical and mental health needs of first
responders from New Orleans. Missions
Donald Mattison ’66, M.D., was honored on
campus last fall as a Distinguished Alumnus.
during the “public health” period of the
deployment included assessment and
surveillance of hospitals, clinics, schools,
public wells, food processing facilities,
and shelters.
The PHS officers I worked with
during the deployment were dedicated,
highly professional, and went far beyond
what would be expected to meet the
needs of Louisiana. I was honored to lead
these officers and extremely proud of all
of them.
15
Hurricane Katrina,
a personal perspective
by Shira Hussain
I was recruiting in Wisconsin when
Hurricane Katrina was set to hit the Gulf
Coast. My dad was determined not to
leave and actually held my family back
from evacuating as soon as they wanted
to. I even called home and was crying
because I just didn’t have a good gut
I just didn’t have a good gut feeling
about this hurricane.
feeling about this hurricane. Frequently
people in New Orleans do not evacuate
for hurricanes because they are so
common, and people fear their houses
will be looted if they leave.
My parents, sister, and brother
evacuated to Lake Charles, La., the day
before the storm hit. I watched the news
and was happy to see that the storm
came and went.
Then disaster struck on a whole new
level. The minute the levees were
declared breached, I knew things were
going to get a lot worse. I saw the city
under water and couldn’t stop crying. I
didn’t hear from my family and friends
and cried even more. I was finally able
to reach my mom two days after the
ordeal and cried for more positive
reasons. Eventually, I got in touch with
the rest of my family and also my
hometown friends.
Although I couldn’t explain why all of
this happened, I did have the choice to
find something positive out of all of it.
Although I couldn’t explain why all
of this happened, I did have the choice
to find something positive out of all of
it. The fact that my family and friends
were alive is what kept me going. A few
weeks later, my parents returned to the
16
Shira Hussain was on the road attending college fairs when she heard the news that her New
Orleans neighborhood was under water.
house, which was completely destroyed.
Fortunately, my mom was able to get our
family Bible and photos. They plan to
rebuild in the same area.
I, too, took a hard hit with all of this.
I lost the house I grew up in and the
schools I went to. Most of my hang-out
of things as we think we are. (My
parents, like so many others, are still
waiting for their insurance checks and
their trailer from FEMA). This whole
experience gives us all so many reasons
to be thankful. And it emphasizes that
minor problems, petty grudges, and bad
Helping my fellow “N’awlins” neighbors in any way I could
was in turn helping me deal with everything.
spots were gone, and the worst part was
being so far away from my family during
all of this.
So I did what I could. I got advances
on my checks and sent money home.
I headed up fundraising efforts at
Augsburg for hurricane evacuees. I even
passed out my number as a resource to
Minnesota locals who were hosting,
donating to, and/or aiding evacuees.
Helping my fellow “N’awlins”
neighbors in any way I could was in turn
helping me deal with everything.
From all of this, I’ve truly accepted
that nothing material lasts forever. I’ve
also learned that we are not as in control
intentions are really things we shouldn’t
hold on to, because major things beyond
our control will happen—both good and
bad, easy and challenging.
A family friend of ours did drown in
her house while waiting for her nephew,
who never came to get her. My mom
took it particularly hard because she had
wanted Miss Gerdy to evacuate with
them. I just trust that she died peacefully
in the house as I believe many people did
who were stuck behind.
Shira Hussain is senior admissions
counselor in the Office of Undergraduate
Admissions.
Spring 2006
Teachers who lead,
leaders who teach
EDITED BY BETSEY NORGARD
Vicki Olson describes how teachers as
leaders must be willing to take risks and
to become positive influences in schools.
O
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS
I’ve been reading about a topic dear to
my heart—teacher leadership. At
Augsburg, this concept undergirds our
teacher licensure programs at both the
undergraduate and graduate levels.
What teacher leadership means to
Augsburg’s Education Department is that
the teachers we prepare have both the
right and the responsibility to exercise
leadership within their classrooms,
schools, districts, and communities.
Recognizing that teachers lead within
the classroom is not difficult; it is
accepted enough to seem like common
sense. But once you get beyond the
classroom walls, the concept of teacher
leadership is less well established.
Some would say “teacher leadership”
is an oxymoron. Principals lead, not
teachers. They would go on to say that
teachers carry out the will of the school
district by teaching the designated
curriculum, following the standards
determined by the state, and upholding
the expectations of the community.
Teachers, in other words, follow the
Spring 2006
direction of others who make the
decisions, creating classrooms, in turn,
where students learn what they are
required to learn.
This philosophy exists, but it isn’t the
one we believe in or work from.
Certainly our vision incorporates the
idea that teachers have a responsibility to
the school district, the state, and the
community to educate students in the
best ways possible. That’s a given.
But rather than simply doing what
they are told, we believe teachers must—
truly must—see themselves as active
participants in deciding what should be
taught and how to teach it.
In our vision, teachers come to the
table with administrators, parents, other
community members, and sometimes
students to define what it means to be an
educated person and then to map out
how that education will happen within a
given setting.
Teachers count themselves among the
grown-ups and accept the responsibility
and risks from making the decisions
they make.
This conceptualization of “teacher”
that includes an element of leadership
frightens some. Responsibility and risk
bring with them accountability, but along
with that they also can bring a fine sense
of exhilaration, energy, and eminent
satisfaction in a job well done.
Roland Barth, in Learning by Heart,
says, “I think of a teacher leader as one
who has a positive influence on the
school as well as in the classroom … all
teachers have the capacity to lead the
enterprise down a more positive path, to
bring their abundant experience and
wisdom to schools.”
Like Barth, at Augsburg we believe all
teachers can be teacher leaders and share
in leading the collective “enterprise” of
making schools positive places with
learning at the heart. Teachers who
understand their role in this way—risks
and all—are more likely to define
teaching as their vocation rather than
simply their job.
Vicki Olson is associate professor
of education.
17
Teachers who lead,
leaders who teach
M
MARGARET KNUTSON ’91
Fifth-grade teacher at Orono (Minn.) Intermediate School
Education is the second largest major at Augsburg,
with approximately 500 students across undergraduate and graduate programs.
How do Augsburg students carry the qualities of
teacher leadership into their classrooms? Augsburg
Now invited a number of alumni and faculty who
have been recognized as leaders to reflect about their
careers and how they have seen themselves both as
teachers who lead and as leaders who teach.
Milken Family Foundation National Educator Award in 2004
My goal is to inspire students to find the learner in themselves,
to challenge themselves and to find meaning in their education.
To that end I have always yearned to try new things in order to
find ways to more effectively connect students to learning on a
real and personal level. When I discover or create methods I find
successful, I share these with colleagues at my school as well as
lead workshops for schools around the state.
So, being a teacher leader involves keeping your mind and eyes
open for new methods, being a risk taker and pioneer in
applying new methods, and then not being shy about sharing
your successes with others ... and to humbly educate other
teachers.
Above: Maggie Knutson tries to keep her students engaged in ways that
challenge and inspire them to find learning meaningful.
18
Spring 2006
J
JOSEPH ERICKSON
Professor in Augsburg’s Education Department, and chair of the
Minneapolis Board of Education
My personal philosophy of teaching is based on the assumption that
my primary role is to motivate learners to gather information and
develop themselves—I don’t make them learn. I think that’s a kind
of leadership; sparking curiosity and motivating learners. I think that
is central to good teaching.
In my role on the school board, I’m constantly meeting people who
have opinions about what should and should not be done in
Minneapolis Public Schools. It’s hard to underestimate how much
rumor and gossip is out there. My role is to help educate the public
when I meet people who hold information that is wrong or misleading.
More importantly, I try to make sure that I take every opportunity I can
to inspire optimism and confidence in MPS’s future. Sometimes inspiring
confidence is even more important than competent administration.
Joe Erickson brings his school board leadership experience into
his classrooms at Augsburg to help future teachers understand
the issues affecting school districts.
J
JACKI BRICKMAN ’97
Mentor at Elizabeth Hall International
Elementary School, Minneapolis
From my second year of teaching, my
classroom has been a public place—
to current and new teachers, to district
officials, politicians, and parents.
Teachers are at their best in their
classrooms facilitating learning, and when
teachers open their doors to one another
and make their classrooms a public place,
we are able lead and teach at the same
Teachers in Jacki Brickman’s school meet regularly in study
groups to share their practices and strategies in order to help
each other grow.
J
time. Both the teacher observing and the
teacher being observed can grow in their
practices if they engage in reflective
conversation after this shared experience.
JUDY SCHAUBACH ’68
President of Education Minnesota
Being a teacher and a leader are for me inseparable.
In my early years as a teacher I was a strong voice
for ensuring a positive work environment that
included advocating for professional development
opportunities, insisting on compliance with state
and federal laws, and working together with the
administration to insure a safe and respectful learning
environment. The more I took responsibility for these
issues the more I grew as a professional.
Being involved at the local level and gaining a sense
of empowerment was what prompted me to get
Spring 2006
involved at the state and national level. As a union
leader I rely on my teaching experience to help
policy-makers understand what needs to be done …
I believe that teachers should not be passive
bystanders to what is occurring in their classrooms,
schools, or communities, nor should they be silent
about policies and laws that have a direct impact
on their profession and the students they teach.
This philosophy has been the impetus for my
leadership, even when it is sometimes difficult and
may be controversial.
19
Teachers who lead, leaders who teach
A
ADAM THRONSON ’99
Social studies teacher at Coon Rapids (Minn.) High School
2005 Anoka-Hennepin School District Teacher Outstanding
Performance (TOP) award
Teachers are leaders by researching and implementing new
strategies into their classroom. It means you take a risk.
Teachers usually try methods that other teachers have found
success with, but leadership comes when you blaze a new
trail by trying something new.
B
BRUCE PALMQUIST ’84
Professor of physics and science education at Central
Washington University, Ellensburg, Wash.
Washington State Professor of the Year, named by the
Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
and the Council for Advancement and Support of
Education (CASE).
I started teaching while I was a student at Augsburg. I
tutored first-year physics students. This taught me that it
takes more than good grades in a subject to be a good
teacher. I learned that I needed to understand what the
students knew and didn’t know before I could help them. …
In general, a good teacher is one who leads by example. I try
to make my science teaching methods courses relevant by
developing interesting opportunities for my students to
interact with children. My teaching methods students have
been among the first at my university to teach science lessons
in the local schools, to develop after-school science clubs, and
to provide children with practice items for the Washington
state science assessment.
(To become better acquainted with Bruce Palmquist, see Auggie
Thoughts on p. 32)
20
I have been a leader who teaches when I’ve accepted and
encouraged the work of other teachers. This could be new
programs like Link Crew or just cooperation dealing with the
same student. I have been a teacher who leads by staying positive,
supporting administration, and trying new things in my
classroom.
A
ALLEN TRIPP ’69
English teacher at Rush City (Minn.)
High School
2005 Leadership in Educational
Excellence Award,
selected by peers
After 35 years of teaching English, I can look back and see many
times where I have been both a teacher and a leader. The teacher
role is six classes a day September through May. However, the
leader role has grown on me over the years as I became more
experienced in my profession and familiar with the people in the
community. …
Teaching ability and leadership skills are a necessary
combination for any successful teacher. When I look back at
my first year of teaching, I see I had the knowledge to teach
effectively, but at times lacked the confidence to lead. By
talking to experienced teachers and gaining experience
in the classroom, the leadership skills evolved. When you
demonstrate confidence in yourself as a teacher, you will
clearly communicate goals to the students; and they gain
confidence in themselves as learners. It’s a win/win situation.
Spring 2006
A
ALYSSA SNYDER ’98
President, Bethany Lutheran
College, Mankato, Minn.
It is in the classroom where we have the
most direct impact on our students;
however, it cannot end there.
As educators we must challenge one another’s ideas and philosophies
through professional dialogue in order to gain insight into how to
better meet the needs of our learners.
My top priority is having high standards for all my students. This
is why I feel fortunate to be an instructor in the Weekend College
program. I want to influence potential educators to advocate for
all of their students, not just the smart and well behaved. A true
teacher leader is willing to do this by going against the status
quo knowing the student must come first. When I can influence
future teachers, I can impact more students positively.
D
DAN BRUSS ’75
Adjunct instructor in Augsburg’s
Education Department
J
I have been connected to the
teaching enterprise of higher
education nearly 25 years.
As a professor I saw myself not just as a champion of
my area of expertise, but primarily as a role model, an
individual concerned with the wide variety of struggles
students have during their college experience. For me
life in the classroom was seamlessly interwoven to the
life outside of it.
As a college president I still see my chief function as a role
model, although now my teaching crosses constituency
boundaries. As an administrator I look for the professor
who can have the biggest impact on students’ lives. They
generally have more lasting influence than programs or
buildings.
JOHN-MARK STENSVAAG ’69
Charlotte and Frederick Hubbell Professor of Environmental and
Natural Resources Law at the University of Iowa College of Law
University of Iowa 2005 President and Provost Award for Teaching
Excellence
All of my great teachers led by example. Every day, I try imperfectly
to emulate what my greatest teachers showed me; every day, I
expect my students to outshine me in their future endeavors. The
enterprise is driven by love: love of learning, love of the subject
matter, and love of the students. My greatest teachers led by
illustrating such love. For me, “leading” is nothing more than
striving to reflect their love to a new generation of students.
A POSTSCRIPT: After this story was completed,
announcement came of the appointment of
Augsburg history professor Bill Green as interim
superintendent of Minneapolis Public Schools.
As he steps from the classroom into a leadership
role in a difficult situation, Green has been quoted
as saying that he is “first and foremost a teacher.”
Spring 2006
21
Paulson family makes major gift to the Science Center
Courtesy photo
In December, John Paulson, together with
Norma Paulson, pledged a $1 million gift
on behalf of his family to name the front
entrance and atrium of the new Science
Center.
This is the Paulson family’s second
major capital gift to Augsburg. In 2001,
the family provided major funding to
complete the enclosed skyway link from
Lindell Library to the two-story atrium
between Memorial and Sverdrup Halls.
“One does not have to be on campus
long to see what an important need was
met by the Paulson Link,” said Stephen
Preus, director of development. “This new,
special gift by the Paulsons will provide
for an equally important and highly
attractive space.”
While Paulson is not an Augsburg
alumnus, three of his children and a sonin-law graduated from the College—Mary
Jo (Paulson) Peterson ’80, Laurie
(Paulson) Dahl ’76 and David Dahl ’75,
and Lisa Paulson ’80.
The motivation behind the Science
Center gift, however, may date back much
farther than his family’s education.
Paulson served in the Second Infantry
Division during World War II and was part
of the Allied invasion landing on D+1 at
Omaha Beach, Normandy, France, in June
by Betsey Norgard
Cory Ryan
$1 million gift will name the new atrium
John and Norma Paulson pledge $1 million for the Science Center atrium. (L to R) Dick Adamson,
vice president for finance and administration; Jeroy Carlson, senior development officer; and
Norma and John Paulson.
1944. He was a frontline soldier until July
28, 1944, when he was wounded during
the St.-Lo breakthrough. Among the
awards Paulson received were the Combat
Infantry Badge, Bronze Star, and the
Purple Heart.
In June 2004, Paulson and his wife,
Norma, traveled to France to take part in
the 60th anniversary commemoration of
the event that proved to be the turning
point of the war.
The festivities brought together
thousands of people—war
veterans, military officials,
local people and tourists, as
well as Hollywood
celebrities whose acting
roles had recreated the
battles on movie screens.
Standing in his Army
uniform, wearing medals
depicting D-Day service,
Paulson enjoyed the
commemoration.
Following the ceremony,
however, he noticed lines of
French citizens forming to
At the 60th anniversary commemoration of D-Day, Norma and
shake hands and request
John Paulson met and talked with actor Tom Hanks.
22
autographs from the U.S. veterans.
Puzzled, Paulson finally asked someone
why he wanted a soldier’s autograph.
“Don’t you understand,” the
Frenchman told him, “you saved our
country.”
Paulson recounted how vivid an
impression these words made. When he
thought about the statistics—the
staggering numbers of soldiers who were
killed or wounded during the invasion—
he realized that he was, in fact, a
survivor. And with that realization also
came the insight that he had been
blessed with many gifts in his life that
should be shared with others.
“I believe it is important to leave this
world in better condition than it was when
we arrived,” Paulson said, “so contributing
to Augsburg and other worthwhile
organizations is part of this process.”
The Science Center atrium girft is
provided in memory of Lois V. Paulson,
Rose E. Paulson, and Johnny E. Paulson,
by the Paulson family—John R., Sr., and
Norma Paulson, John Reid Paulson, Mary
Jo Peterson ’80, Deborah Stansbury, Laurie
Dahl ’76, and Lisa Paulson ’80.
Spring 2006
Naming the ‘Doc’ Johnson A-Club Office
Office in Doc’s memory. Their gifts, with
additional gifts from Louie Morseth ’51,
Roger Stockmo ’54, Leroy Nyhus ’52, and
Virg Gehring ’57 have made it possible.
In his senior year at Augsburg, Doc
Johnson was elected president of AClub. Now, it is the A-Club vice
president from that year, Ron Main,
helping to perpetuate Johnson’s legacy
as an Auggie.
Archive photo
Donnis “Doc” Johnson ’52, an Auggie who
died at the age of 23, well before his time,
will not be forgotten by his friends. Five of
his classmates and friends have joined
together to name the A-Club office in the
new Si Melby South Wing in his memory.
Raised in the small town of Newman
Grove, Nebraska—the only Lutheran Free
Church congregation in that state—
Johnson followed his sister, LaRhea, and
several relatives to Augsburg College, 400
miles away. He enrolled in 1948, majored
in physical education, and became center
on the football team.
After graduation in 1952 and two years
in the U.S. Army at Fort Leonard Wood,
Mo., Johnson returned home to a teaching
and football coaching position at the Elgin
(Neb.) High School. This was to be his
only year of teaching, as he died of bulbar
polio in November 1954. Members of his
high school football team served as
pallbearers.
Early last year, Doc’s cousin, Mark
Johnson ’54, together with Augsburg
development officer Ron Main ’56,
proposed a plan to name the new A-Club
by Betsey Norgard
“Doc” Johnson (top row, no. 28) played on the 1951 football team, along with teammate, and
now development officer and donor, Ron Main ’56 (middle row, no. 38).
Connections
Augsburg meets
Thrivent challenge
Augsburg received bonus funding of
$5,415 from Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans for successfully meeting the
GivingPlus program challenge.
About 450 Lutheran schools and
social service agencies were awarded
portions of an $800,000 grant from
Thrivent for significantly improving
participation in Thrivent’s GivingPlus
program, which matches contributions
to Lutheran institutions by its members.
In order to qualify, Augsburg needed
to increase GivingPlus by 588 member
donors before December. It exceeded
that with a total of 693, thereby also
earning $78,805 in matching funds from
Thrivent under the program.
The bonus funds will be used for
student scholarships, curriculum
development, student-oriented
activities, and campus improvements.
Spring 2006
Barbara Gage, president of the Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation, was honored with the
2006 Leading Leaders award for lifelong commitment to family, career, and service to
community. (L to R) Emily Anne Tuttle, Augsburg Board of Regents; Barbara Carlson Gage;
and Tracy Elftmann, Augsburg vice president for institutional advancement.
The Connections event, co-sponsored by Augsburg and Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans, also included speakers Janice Aune ’88, chairman/CEO of Onvoy, Inc.; Augsburg
regent Gloria C. Lewis, president/CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Greater Twin
Cities; and Shira Hussain, Augsburg senior admissions counselor.
23
Sig Hjelmeland led fundraising efforts for 30 years
Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41 was the second of
four generations of Augsburg graduates
and spent three decades at Augsburg
leading fundraising efforts that made
possible a number of major capital
projects. He died on Dec. 25 at age 90.
Hjelmeland returned to Augsburg in
1952 to serve as the College’s first
director of development. Major
campaigns he headed led to the
completion of the George Sverdrup
Library, Christensen Center, Urness Hall,
and Foss Center.
He is best remembered by colleague
Jeroy Carlson ’48 as “meticulous.” In the
late 1950s, as donor and giving programs
were being created, Hjelmeland drew on
his expertise and passion for detail to
create a manual accounting system and
bookkeeping procedures for donor gifts.
This included the use of a bank book to
help donors track their monthly pledge
payments.
In 1963, as the College moved
through the transition from the Lutheran
Free Church (LFC) into the American
Lutheran Church, Hjelmeland, with his
Norwegian LFC background, served a
valuable role in helping many of
Augsburg’s longtime LFC families stay
part of and feel connected to Augsburg.
“He spoke Norwegian and had a great
sense of humor,” Carlson says, “not just
American humor, but Scandinavian
humor as well.” Hjelmeland’s
relationships helped to foster a culture of
philanthropy that has nurtured many of
Augsburg’s current donors.
In 1986, Hjelmeland, with his wife,
by Betsey Norgard
Three generations of Hjelmeland Auggies: Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41, who is survived by his wife,
Helen; (back row, L to R) James Clarke and daughter Laurene (Hjelmeland) Clarke ’64; son John
’70 and Lynn (Benson) ’69 Hjelmeland; and granddaughter Jennifer (Hjelmeland) Stewart ’00.
Helen, and son and daughter-in law John
’70 and Lynn (Benson) ’69, established a
scholarship in the name of his father,
John Hjelmeland, who graduated from
Augsburg Academy, College, and
Seminary.
In 2003, Sig Hjelmeland received the
Spirit of Augsburg award for his
dedication and long service to the
College.
Hjelmeland is survived by his wife,
Helen; two children, Laurene and John;
seven grandchildren; and five greatgrandchildren. The family has directed
memorial gifts to the Rev. John
Hjelmeland Scholarship Fund.
Faculty-staff giving boosts campaign
From September through December, guided by a faculty-staff
campaign committee, employees of Augsburg raised the bar on
giving and encouraged awareness of a philanthropic culture.
A generous matching fund, matches from Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans for its members, and contacts from committee members
helped to significantly increase both the dollar amount and the
rate of giving within the Augsburg community.
24
Through December 31, an additional total of $133,000 was
given or pledged by employees of the College, beyond the
$635,000 since the campaign’s launch.
Even more important, however, was the increased rate of
participation in the campaign—to more than doubling the overall
rate of 17% in 2004-05. By the end of the year, the giving rate for
full-time faculty and staff exceeded 50%.
Spring 2006
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the director of Alumni Relations…
A
ugsburg College
is in the midst
of many exciting
changes this spring.
Our first group of
MBA students will
graduate in May,
along with
candidates from our
other master’s
programs in leadership, education,
nursing, physician assistant studies, and
social work—plus our undergraduates
from the day, weekend, and Rochester
programs. Congratulations to you all!
The campus face is changing, too. I
hope that you have had an opportunity
to view the artist renderings of the
planned Science, Gateway, and Si Melby
additions. We welcome you back to
campus to tour the grounds this spring
and summer—our grounds crew does an
amazing job beautifying the campus!
In Alumni Board news, three members
will end their terms this spring. We would
like to thank Beth Torstenson ’66, Andy
Morrison ’73, and Paul Mueller ’84 for
their dedication and hard work during
their tenures. We hope to see them at
many events in the future. Thank you!
Alumni Relations, along with
Advancement Services and Information
Technology, are pleased to announce the
newly launched Augsburg Online
Community, which will help you stay
informed and involved with Augsburg
via the Internet. See the information
below for details.
Planning for Homecoming 2006 is
well underway. This year’s theme is
“Watch Us Soar,” and events are
scheduled this September 25-30. Watch
your mailbox for your Homecoming
brochure in August. We have made
changes to the usual Saturday activities,
and we encourage all alumni, family, and
friends to join us.
We look forward to hosting you at an
Augsburg event in the near future. Please
let the Office of Alumni Relations know
if you will be in the metro area this
summer—we would love to show you
the campus!
Heidi Breen
Director, Office of Alumni Relations
Introducing Augsburg’s new online community
A
ugsburg’s online community has
been developed just for you—
alumni, friends, parents, and donors of
the College. The new online community
will help you stay informed and involved
with Augsburg via the Internet. This is a
great way to stay connected!
Visit the site and register today so that
you can take advantage of the great new
features to keep you connected to your
Augsburg friends and classmates.
You’ll find:
Alumni Directory
• Learn where your classmates and
friends are, and what they’ve been
doing since graduation
• Connect with other alumni in your
area of the country
• Update your personal profile so your
classmates can get in touch with you
Spring 2006
Class Notes
Tell us what you’ve been up to! As part
of your personal profile you can now
submit class notes online for possible
publication in Augsburg Now.
programs, and of course, Access to
Excellence: The Campaign for Augsburg
College. Giving online is easy and
secure—and there’s no need to be a
registered user to donate.
Events
Wondering what events are taking place
for Augsburg alumni? The online
community is the place to search and
register for events specifically for alumni
and friends of the College. Check back
often to learn about upcoming Auggie
Hours, parent events, or just to find out
the most up-to-date news around the
Augsburg campus.
It’s EASY
Simply go to www.augsburg.edu/alumni
Online Giving
You asked, and we listened! Making a
contribution to Augsburg has never been
easier. Simply visit Augsburg’s online
community and click on the “Give Now”
link to donate online. Otherwise, click
on “Giving at Augsburg” to learn about
planned giving, our various giving
It’s FAST
Moving? Changing your e-mail address?
New addition to your family? Let us
know instantly by logging in and
updating your information.
QUESTIONS?
If you have any questions, first read
through the information on the
Augsburg online community website. If
you still have questions, send an e-mail
to <healyk@augsburg.edu>.
25
Alumni Events
SUMMER AUGGIE HOURS
Please join us for these upcoming alumni events (see also the college-wide calendar on the
inside back cover for additional Augsburg events); unless otherwise noted, call 612-330-1178
or 1-800-260-6590 or e-mail <alumni@augburg.edu> for more information.
March
May
16
5
Graduation reception for all
undergraduate and graduate
business students, Marshall Room,
Christensen Center, 4-6 p.m.
April
9
Alumni tour to China departs
18
Alumni Board meeting,
Christensen Center, 5:30 p.m.
18
27
Senior reception hosted by the
Alumni Board in honor of the
Class of 2006, East Commons,
Christensen Center, 4:30-6 p.m.
WECAN meeting (Weekend
College Alumni Network), 6-8
p.m., Riverside Room, Christensen
Center
WECAN meeting (Weekend
College Alumni Network), 6-8
p.m., Riverside Room, Christensen
Center
April
Join a variety of alumni who are
actively involved in the Twin Cities
theatre community; location TBA.
May
W.A. Frost & Company, Historic
Cathedral Hill—Dacotah Building,
374 Selby Ave., St. Paul,
651-224-5715
June
Maynard’s Restaurant,
685 Excelsior Blvd, Excelsior, Minn.
(located in the southeast corner of
Excelsior Bay on Lake Minnetonka),
952-470-1800
August
Campiello, 1320 West Lake St.,
Uptown Minneapolis, 612-825-2222
June
20
Alumni Board meeting,
Christensen Center, 5:30 p.m.
25
Rochester Weekend College
graduation banquet, Rochester
Country Club, 5-8 p.m.
Commencement 2006
Augsburg
Associates Spring
Seminar
Softball and
baseball alumni
receptions
The Augsburg Associates invite you to
their 20th Annual Spring Seminar,
Saturday, April 1, 8:30-11:30 a.m. at
Foss Center. This year’s guest speakers
include Augsburg professor of religion
Brad Holt ’63, Tsehai Wodajo, and Ann
(Tjaden) Jensen. Wodajo emigrated from
Ethiopia 15 years ago and received her
MSW from Augsburg in 1997. Jensen
served in the Peace Corps in Ethiopia
after graduating from Augsburg in 1964.
They are founders of REAL (Resources
for the Enrichment of African Lives).
Registration is $15 per person, payable in
advance (this includes refreshments and
materials).
Call your old teammates and join us at
these upcoming receptions! Softball
alumni are invited to gather at 5 p.m.,
Thursday, April 20, prior to the game
against Carleton College; for more
information, contact Carol Enke at
612-330-1250 or <enke@augsburg.edu>.
Baseball alumni are invited to gather at
1 p.m., Saturday, April 29, prior to the
game against Macalester College; contact
Keith Bateman at 612-330-1395 or
<bateman@augsburg.edu>.
26
Auggie Hours are held the second Tuesday of
each month from 5:30-7 p.m. Please join us!
Reunion
celebrations
Attention Auggies from the classes of
1956, 1966, 1981, and Young Alumni
1990-2006: this is your reunion year!
Plan now to join your classmates this
September 25-30 for the annual
Homecoming festivities and your
reunion reception. Watch your mail and
upcoming issues of Augsburg Now for
complete details; please let us know your
current e-mail address at
<alumni@augsburg.edu>. You can also
stay up-to-date by visiting the alumni
website at <www.augsburg.edu/alumni>.
Spring 2006
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
1956
Richard Thorud, Bloomington,
Minn., has pursued a hobby of
writing, illustrating, publishing,
and marketing books since his
retirement as a research and
development engineer. His
seventh book, Mette Marie’s
Homestead Journal, is based on
his mother’s childhood memories
of living in a sod hut in North
Dakota; for more information, go
online to <www.amazon.com>.
1967
Rev. Harley J.
Refsal, Decorah,
Iowa, is a
professor of
Scandinavian folk
art and
Norwegian at
Luther College. He has earned
national and international acclaim
for his figure woodcarving—
including a St. Olav Medal in
1996 from the king of Norway.
Besides teaching at Luther, he has
written four books and numerous
magazine articles. He’s also the star
of an instructional video,
Scandinavian Style Figure Carving
with Harley Refsal, which earned a
prestigious 2005 Telly Award.
John N. Schwartz is serving as
interim president and chief
executive officer of St. Patrick
Hospital and Health Sciences
Center in Missoula, Mont. He
previously served as interim
president of Providence Medford
Medical Center in Medford, Ore.,
and has 30 years of experience in
the healthcare field and a long
history in management.
1969
Allen C. Tripp was one of four
Rush City, Minn., teachers selected
by their peers for the Leadership in
Excellence Award, which honors
their teaching quality and
commitment. The awards were
presented in October at a banquet
in St. Cloud. Tripp has been an
English teacher at Rush City High
School since 1970. In addition to
teaching English, he has directed
class plays and all school plays for
14 years and has been a junior
high speech coach for 15 years.
He has also served as an assistant
track coach for 20 years. His wife,
Linda, teaches first grade at
Jacobson Elementary School.
They have two sons, Ryen, 29,
and Justin, 23. See more about
Allen on p. 20.
AUGGIES AT
CARNEGIE HALL
1977
Timothy Strand was elected
mayor of the City of St. Peter
(Minn.) in November in a
landslide victory. Strand, who by
election time had served two
years of a four-year term as a
Ward II council member, was
anxious to start his new role.
“I’m very excited, and the first
thing that comes to my mind is
that I’m proud to have been
elected,” he said in a postelection article in the St. Peter
Herald.
Patricia Clausen Wojtowicz,
Largo, Fla., is manager of
Jan (Pedersen) Schiff ’68 of
Mill Valley, Calif., will be a
guest conductor at Carnegie
Hall on April 24, performing
two works for women’s
chorus and orchestra. The
concert is part of
MidAmerica Productions’
2005-2006 concert series.
Courtesy photo
AUGGIE HONORS
Ora Hokes ’90 of Minneapolis was one of 10 recipients of the 2005 Virginia
McKnight Binger Award in Human Service. The awards are an annual tradition of
The McKnight Foundation, and each recipient exemplifies the life-changing
difference one person can make through service. The following is reprinted from
the award program:
Ora Hokes is transforming the health of her community Sunday by Sunday. A
member of the Greater Friendship Missionary Baptist Church for 25 years, Hokes
saw the alarming health-related risk factors affecting the African American
community, and took action.
In 2003, after years of service with the Sabathani Community Center and its Way
to Grow program, she began volunteering with the American Red Cross and the
American Heart Association. Working with her pastor, she created the Health
Sundays program to provide monthly health information to her congregation.
Partnering with nurses and others from the congregation, and using additional
resources from the American Cancer Society and the Stairstep Foundation’s Health
Initiative, she implemented monthly blood pressure checks, distributed health
information on sexually transmitted diseases, instituted a “Stomp Out Stroke”
awareness program, and started the Promised Land Fellowship walking program
which focuses on weight loss, nutrition, and exercise. “My mother was my
inspiration,” Hokes says. “She had the gift of healing.”
Hokes is a lifelong advocate for continuing education. She returned to school
after her two children were grown, and has since received an Associate of Arts
degree from Minneapolis Community College, a Bachelor of Arts degree from
Augsburg’s Weekend College, a Master of Arts degree from the University of St.
Thomas, and a parent educator license from the University of Minnesota. It seems
no challenge is too big for Ora Hokes.
Spring 2006
27
Class Notes
Courtesy photo
ALUMNI PROFILE
Mike and Gail Koski: Traveling the
missionary road
by Sara Holman ’06
Working in the mailroom, falling in love with a fellow coworker, graduating
in four years, and preparing for a bright future were just a few of the things
that Mike and Gail (Niederloh) Koski accomplished while attending
Augsburg. However, finding their joint calling to become missionaries
happened just months after their marriage. Married in October 1972, the
following July carried the Koskis across the ocean to Africa.
Mike, a 1971 graduate, came to Augsburg and studied history and secondary
education. Gail graduated one year later with a B.A. in French secondary
education. Both came from congregations that were involved in missionary
work, yet each confesses that overseas missionary work had not been a part
of their plan. When the inspiration came, Mike recalls, “It was an answer to
prayer.”
“We just understood that this was the way God would want us to use our
gifts and abilities,” Gail said.
Mike ’71 and Gail ’72 (Niederloh) Koski have traveled the
world as missionaries since meeting and graduating from
Augsburg more than 30 years ago.
After 32 years of missionary work in Kenya and Zaire (now the Democratic
Republic of Congo), the Koskis are currently awaiting their next assignment. The couple works with the Minneapolis-based mission
organization World Mission Prayer League (WMPL). When choosing a mission group, “WMPL resonated well. Its principles, policies, and
practices fit the best,” Mike said.
Every four years, the couple comes back to the United States on furlough. During this one-year break, the missionaries continue their work
and await news about their future destination. The Koskis were called back in September 2005.
The couple’s mission experience started in Zaire where they worked in a rural setting, often connecting with nomadic tribes. It was the
couple’s responsibility to learn the language and culture and then present the gospel in a way that would be understood. Their time in Zaire
was limited to only four months, and then their assignment changed.
Kenya has been a very permanent place for the Koskis’ mission work. They spent many years in the agricultural parts of northern and
western Kenya but have been stationed in the city of Nairobi for the past 10 years. Mike became assistant director of the Urban Ministries
Support Group (UMSG) in 1995 and then moved up to the director position in 1999. Gail’s work has consisted of many facets: UMSG
resource center librarian, ESL teacher, Sunday school supervisor, and mission hostess. She was also in charge of home-schooling their three
children. Now fully grown, their children have all graduated college and live and work at various places within North America.
The Koskis’ main goal in Nairobi was to help develop leadership within the Lutheran church. With strong leadership skills instilled, the
church was able to discuss and respond to societal ailments such as poverty and HIV. To reach more people within the city, one church
decided to split the congregation into five groups and build five new churches. Everything was planned and prepared ahead of time: pastors
were found, worship teams were formed, and everything transitioned very smoothly. The five new congregations each held a special
characteristic that made it fit perfectly into its new part of the city. For example, in the area where many university students lived, the
church emphasized youth activities and provided a contemporary worship service.
The couple’s greatest excitement is to see their fellow church members’ faith development. “We’ve been doing this for so long that we get to
see young people grow into adults. We are able to see how their faith keeps growing and then how it impacts their families, vocations, and
communities.”
Kenya holds a special place in both the Koskis’ hearts. They enjoyed the vibrant colors and temperate climate, but it was the people-oriented
culture and relaxed pace of living that really appealed to the couple. Being concerned about people and taking time to establish relationships
is a big part of missionary work, and the Koski family praises God for the rich experiences that were shared in Kenya.
Sara Holman is a senior English/communication studies major.
28
Spring 2006
accreditations at Forensic
Quality Services, Inc., in Largo.
Courtesy photo
STENSVAAG-DARDA WEDDING (CORRECTION)
1979
1980
Nancy (Weatherston) Black,
Cornelius, Ore., is a serial
cataloger for Millar Library at
Portland State University.
Rev. David L. Norgard, West
Hollywood, Calif., has
established a consulting practice
for churches and other nonprofits in the area of
organizational development. He
can be contacted at
<davidnorgard@yahoo.com>.
1982
Kevin Gordon, International
Falls, Minn., was quoted in an
article in the St. Paul Pioneer
Press newspaper about his son,
Ben Gordon, who is a
sophomore forward on the
University of Minnesota Gopher
hockey team. Ben acquired his
hockey skills growing up playing
on outdoor rinks and from his
father, a former International
Falls High School coach and an
Augsburg All-American.
Spring 2006
The above photo from the July 2004 wedding of Rebecca Stensvaag ’01 and Paul Darda ’01, which
features more than 40 Augsburg alumni, contained unintentional inaccuracies in the winter issue of
the Augsburg Now. The correct information is as follows: ROW 1 (L to R): Cindy Huber Blummer ’01,
Emma Stensvaag ’08, Ruth Casperson ’67, Hannah Mehus Stensvaag ’38, Rebecca Stensvaag Darda ’01,
Paul Darda ’01, Nancy Strommen Stensvaag ’71, John-Mark Stensvaag ’69, Stephanie Johnson Sulzbach
’71, John Sulzbach ’69, Jean Boxrud Steen. ROW 2: Roland Blummer ’00, Mary Kay Johnson Stensvaag
’72, Ken Casperson ’70, Peggy Nelson Hintzman, Gladys Boxrud Strommen ’46, Hans Strommen ’04,
Andrea Johnson Strommen ’75, Bob Strommen ’74, Roy Steen. ROW 3: Normajean Johnson Strommen
’69, Saul Stensvaag ’72, Ann Peterson ’01, Tony Quance ’03, Tjersti Strommen ’07, Adam Thronson ’99,
Marsha Strommen Olson ’68, Dawn Hofstad Strommen ’70. ROW 4: Peter Strommen ’69, Mary Nelson
Eckberg ’70, Brad Fischer ’03, Heidi Peterson ’03, Mark Peterson ’01, Mary Ellen Strommen Lieber ’67,
Tim Strommen ’70. ROW 5: John Eckberg ‘68, Ben Paul ’03, Ainy Carlson, Jeroy Carlson ’46, Phil
Edstrom ’69, Luther Strommen ’40, Steve Strommen ’65.
1984
Bruce Palmquist, Ellensburg,
Wash., was honored as the 2005
Washington State Professor of the
Year by the Carnegie Foundation
for the Advancement of Teaching
and the Council for
Advancement and Support of
Education (CASE). Palmquist is a
physics and science education
professor at Central Washington
University, and is highly regarded
for his commitment to improving
public understanding of basic
scientific principles and working
to develop skills in the next
generation of science teachers
needed to successfully bring
about a scientifically literate
society. In his dual role as a
physicist and a teacher educator,
Palmquist has taken on many
AUGGIES ON THE ROAD
Courtesy photo
Paul Daniels, archivist for
ELCA Region 3 and
archivist/curator at Luther
Seminary, traveled to Chennai
(Madras), India, to assist the
Lutheran Heritage Centre at
Gurukul Theological College on
several projects. Daniels had
served there 12 years ago when
the archives center was just
beginning its work of collecting
and making available records of
the 12 Indian Lutheran church
bodies. Over the years he has
maintained contact with the
staff, working on issues of
collection development,
preservation, and program
expansion. Daniels and his wife,
Sally (Hough) ’79, director of
parent and family relations at
Augsburg, live in Golden Valley,
Minn., and have two daughters,
Kristin ’09 and Maren.
Jennifer Tome ’99 (left) of Minneapolis visited Mary Olson ’74
(right) in October at Airlie Winery, Olson’s winery in Monmouth,
Ore. Tome is a wine representative for Grape Beginnings.
29
Class Notes
initiatives, including developing a
new CWU program at Green
River Community College in
Auburn, called Project TEACH
(Teacher Education Alliance for
Colleges and High Schools). In
2004, Palmquist was also named
the CWU Distinguished Public
Service Professor.
1988
Brad Anderson, Plymouth,
Minn., teaches biology and
human genetics at Wayzata High
School. He also serves as head
football coach, and this past
season led the Trojans to capture
the 2005 state championship. He
and his wife, Maari Anderson
’87, have two daughters, Barrett
and Isabelle.
1990
Kay E. Baker, Savage, Minn., is
an account director hired to set
up the new Minneapolis office of
the Jerome Group, a direct
marketing support firm based in
St. Louis, Mo. She was recently
featured as a “Mover” in the
business section of the St. Paul
Pioneer Press newspaper.
1992
West Central Initiative in Fergus
Falls, Minn., as a Connectinc
Replication Project executive.
She has several years of
experience in the service
industry, including serving as a
board member for Restart Inc.
1996
Julie (Lindusky) Corcoran,
Forest Lake, Minn., was elected
in November to a four-year term
on the ISD 831 School Board.
She and her husband, Mike,
have three children.
Paul Wahmanholm, St. Paul,
is an administrative intern for
Dayton’s Bluff Elementary
School in the St. Paul Public
Schools district.
Debra Carpenter has joined
Courtsey photo
HINTON-HANSEN WEDDING
1997
Lars P. Dyrud, Amesbury,
Mass., was one of approximately
70 selected worldwide by the
Young Scientists Award Panel to
attend the Union RadioScientifique Internationale
(URSI) General Assembly at the
Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi,
India, last October. Participants
were also given the opportunity
to meet with the president of
India at the Rashtrapati, the
official presidential residence.
1998
Melanie Hinton ’04 married Mark Hansen in October; the
couple resides in Kasson, Minn. Melanie is a registered nurse
and assistant nursing supervisor at the Mayo Medical Center.
Ann Rohrig, Lima, Ohio,
married Stephen Jenkins in
June, becoming a stepmother to
two children. She is a social
worker for a therapeutic foster
care agency in Lima.
AUGGIES IN THE MILITARY
Lewis Nelson ’00, pictured here with his wife, Holly, is currently
deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. He is in
the U.S. Army serving with the 506th Infantry Regiment of the
101st Airborne Division (AASLT), and is in charge of the signals
intelligence analysis section for the brigade. Lewis’ wife and two
children, Benjamin, 2, and Arianna, 9 months, reside in Clarksville,
Tenn. The family maintains a website at <www.nelson
downs.com> and welcomes any e-mail messages for Lewis at
<lewis@nelsondowns.com>.
30
2000
Mauris De Silva, Miami, received
a Ph.D. in materials science and
engineering from the Department
of Chemical Engineering and
Materials Science at the University
of Minnesota in May. He now
works in the Department of
Ophthalmology at the University
of Miami’s Miller Medical School
of Medicine.
2001
Greg Barrett, St. Paul, graduated
from the University of St. Thomas
with a master’s degree in gifted
and talented education.
Becki Frestedt, Seattle, received a
Master of Public Administration
from the Evans School of Public
Affairs at the University of
Washington in June. She works for
a community development
organization, where she
coordinates outreach for a land
use study in the city.
Beth Nordin, Minnetonka, Minn.,
was named vice president of
information technology by CHS
Inc., an energy and grain-based
foods company. She previously
served as vice president of
operations for Capella Education.
Prior to Capella, she held several
positions with Pearson Education,
including senior vice president of
information technology and chief
information officer.
2003
Shawn Smith was acquired by
the Quad City Mallards from the
Port Huron Flags. Smith is a
rookie-defenseman who has
appeared in 14 United Hockey
League games this season split
between the Fort Wayne Komets
and the Port Huron Flags.
Births/Adoptions
Lisa (Svac) ’85
and Lee Hawks
’85 in New
Brighton, Minn.,
adopted a son,
Andrew John, in
December.
Spring 2006
Carley (Miller)
’94 and William
Stuber in
Shakopee,
Minn.—a
daughter,
Kirsten Rae, in
May. Carley is executive director
of the St. Francis Regional
Medical Center Foundation in
Shakopee.
Jay Lepper ’95 and his wife,
Bronwyn, in Savage, Minn.—a
daughter, Rowan Jane, in May.
Jennifer (Polis) ’97 and Dan
Debe in Minneapolis—a son,
George William, in September.
He joins older sisters Allison, 5,
and Emily, 3. Jennifer can be
reached at <jendebe@
yahoo.com>.
Summer Joy (Sorenson) ’99
and Jeffrey Brackhan in
Mondovi, Wis.—twin boys, Cole
and Dakota, in February 2005.
Heidi
(Erickson) ’01
and Matt Segedy
in Minneapolis—
a daughter,
Eleanor
Catherine, in
November. Matt is a pediatrician
at South Lake Pediatrics, and
Heidi is currently home with
Nora.
in November.
Lisa (Ashbaugh) ’04 and
Darrel Stange in Bertha, Minn.—
a son, Nathan, in September.
Lisa and Darrel married in
October.
In Memoriam
Bertha D. Lillehei ’34,
Minneapolis, died in January; she
was 92. Following the example of
her father, Lars Lillehei, who
taught Greek at Augsburg, Bertha
taught English at Augsburg in the
1930s and ’40s.
Sigvald Hjelmeland ’41,
Edina, Minn., died in December;
he was 90 (see p. 24 for further
details).
Rev. Earl E. Dreyer ’56, Detroit
Lakes, Minn., died in December
of heart-related problems; he
was 75. Ordained in 1959, he
served parishes in Alexandria,
Rochester, Canby, and Detroit
Lakes.
Holly Ebnet ’03 married Jeremy Knutson in August 2004; the
couple resides in Hugo, Minn. Holly is pursuing an MBA at
Augsburg, and Jeremy is a pipefitter for Yale Mechanical in
Bloomington. The couple can be reached at
<hknutson04@yahoo.com>.
NEVE-KNUTSON WEDDING
Paul A. Benson ’85, Willmar,
Minn., died unexpectedly in
December; he was 42. He was a
financial controller for West
Central, Inc., and previously
worked for R.J. Ahmann
Company and Twin City Group.
Rev. Louisa (Goplen) Fure
’95, Albert Lea, Minn., died in
December after an automobile
accident; she was 53. Ordained
in 1999, she served as an
associate pastor at Trinity
Lutheran Church in Owatonna.
She was also active in
community theatre, with roles in
Sommerset Theatre of Austin,
Little Theatre of Owatonna, and
Footlights Dinner Theatre in
Rochester.
Jason Jenness ’01 died in July
2001 of Non-Hodgkin’s
lymphoma; he was 31.
Spring 2006
EBNET-KNUTSON WEDDING
Courtsey photo
Marissa
(Skowronek)
’02 and Michael
Partridge in St.
Michael, Minn.—
a son, Logan
Michael,
Courtsey photo
C.J. Beaurline ’94 and his wife,
Christin, in Ham Lake, Minn.—a
son, Basil, in December. He
joins older siblings Savanna, 7,
Simeon, 4, and Sophia, 2. C.J. is
a sales engineer at Vector Design
Technology, and has also served
as an NCAA hockey referee in
the WCHA for eight years. He
can be reached at <cbeaurline@
vectordesigntech.com>.
Niels Neve ’97 married Darlene Knutson in September; the couple
resides in Pine Island, Minn. Niels is an account representative at
UnitedHealth Group, and Darlene works for the Mayo Clinic in
cytogenetics.
31
AUGGIE
THOUGHTS
Auggie Thoughts
Editor’s note: Bruce Palmquist ’84 was honored as the 2005 Washington State
Professor of the Year by the Carnegie Foundation for Advancement in Teaching
and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).
Eschewing the normal media interviews that accompany such honors,
Palmquist decided to introduce himself to readers through the eyes of his best
canine friend, Jack.
Bruce DOES know Jack, or
Jack, Bruce’s Jack Russell Terrier,
interviews Bruce about teaching
Bruce: I like answering students’
questions and helping them make sense of
concepts they are having problems with.
Some professors go into the classroom
with an elaborate presentation all planned
out. But, that’s not me. I know where the
class should end up by the end of the
week. And, I have planned, in general,
how we will get there. But, the students
help create the path with their specific
needs and questions.
J: You often teach late night astronomy
labs or organize public observing
sessions that go late. How can you
stay up so late and still get up at
5 a.m. to take me outside?
B: Well, it isn’t easy. The Central
Washington University Astronomy Club
helps out a lot. In fact, they plan most of
the late observing sessions you
mentioned. But, I think it is important
that introductory astronomy students get
familiar with the nighttime sky. The best
way to learn about the night sky is to
observe it with some expert help. By the
way, taking you out at 5 a.m. is better
than cleaning up after you in the house.
J: Speaking of expert help, you write a
weekly astronomy column …
B: I hope Augsburg Now doesn’t misspell
that as “weakly column.”
32
J: It would be a Freudian
slip if they do. Anyway,
why do you volunteer
your time to write a
newspaper column in the
Ellensburg Daily Record?
B: Science is such an
important topic. And, it is
woefully under covered in
the popular press.
Astronomy is a very
attainable topic. The stars
and planets are always up
there for people to see.
And, I have selfish reasons
for writing the column, as Bruce Palmquist ’84 and his “interviewer,” Jack
well. If my column helps
the general public have a
requires students to write about science
more positive outlook toward science,
and to design scientific experiments.
they are more likely to support science
Simply memorizing facts will not result
teaching in the schools and universities.
in a good WASL score. And, the WASL’s
emphasis on designing experiments
J: Talk a little bit more about science
means that teachers will need to include
in the schools, especially the state’s
more experiments and the analysis of
standardized test called the
experiments in their classroom. This is a
Washington Assessment of Student
good thing.
Learning, or WASL.
J: What is your favorite constellation?
B: Even dogs know that the WASL is a
sensitive subject. In general, children are
B: Canis Major, the great dog. During the
over-tested. I think no child gets left
winter, it is low in the southern sky.
behind, because they leave such a long
paper trail of standardized test sheets.
J: Good answer.
But, the science WASL is much better
than the typical multiple choice
For more about Bruce Palmquist’s thoughts
standardized test. The science WASL
on teaching and leadership, see p. 20.
Spring 2006
Courtsey photo
Jack: What is your favorite aspect of
teaching?
CCalendar
ALENDAR
Music
April 29
March 27
For music information, call 612-330-1265
Augsburg Concert Band
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
Sverdrup Visiting
Scientist Lecture:
“Civilization as a
Geosystem: A Scientific
Perspective on Global
Change”
Dr. Thomas H. Jordan, university
professor, Department of Earth Sciences,
University of Southern California
8 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
612-330-1551 or gregoire@augsburg.edu
March 28
Augsburg Jazz Ensemble
7 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
March 29
Augsburg Choir
5:30 & 7 p.m.— Mt. Olivet Lutheran
Church; Minneapolis
April 1
Augsburg Choir
7 p.m.—St. John Lutheran Church
Owatonna, Minn.
April 30
Musical celebration honoring the
service of President William V. and
Anne Frame
2 p.m.—Central Lutheran Church
Minneapolis
May 8–21
Augsburg Choir
Tour to Hungary, Czech Republic, &
Germany
April 2
Theatre
Augsburg Choir
8:45, 10, & 11:15 a.m.—Calvary
Lutheran Church; Golden Valley, Minn.
For ticket information, call 612-330-1257
Riverside Singers
9:30 & 11 a.m.—Mt. Calvary Lutheran
Church; Excelsior, Minn.
Metamorphoses
By Mary Zimmerman
Directed by Darcey Engen
April 7, 8, 20, 21, & 22 at 7 p.m.;
April 9 & 23 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
Augsburg Choir
4 p.m.—Cambridge Lutheran Church
Cambridge, Minn.
Brass in the Chapel
Joint concert of the Augsburg & St.
Thomas brass ensembles
7:30 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
April 9
Masterworks Chorale
4 p.m.—Lake Nokomis Lutheran Church
Minneapolis
April 22
Augsburg Symphony Orchestra
4 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
April 23
Riverside Singers
8:30 & 11 a.m.—Mayflower
Congregational Church; Minneapolis
April 26
Chamber Music Recital & High Tea
4 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium & Arnold
Atrium
April 7–23
Exhibits
For gallery information, call 612-330-1524
April 7–May 7
All-Student Juried Art Exhibition
Opening reception: April 7, 4:30–6:30 p.m.
Gage Family Art Gallery
April 7–May 14
Senior Art Exhibition
Opening reception: April 7, 5–7 p.m.
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Seminars, Lectures,
and Films
January 25–May 20
Augsburg Native American Film Series
www.augsburg.edu/home/ais/filmseries/
April 12
Speech and booksigning by Norwegian
Crown Princess Martha Louise
4 p.m.–6 p.m.—Hoversten Chapel
612-330-1176 or jorgensd@augsburg.edu
Other Events
April 18
Pan-Afrikan Year-End Celebration
6–9 p.m.—Christensen Center
612-330-1022 or bolden@augsburg.edu
April 27
Senior Athletes Award Banquet
6–9 p.m.—Christensen Center
612-330-1243 or grauerp@augsburg.edu
May 5–6
Commencement 2006
Featured speaker: Dr. Peter Agre ’70
Recipient of the 2003 Nobel Prize in
Chemistry
www.augsburg.edu/commencement/
May 22
Third Annual
Healthcare Conference:
“Building Minnesota’s
Healthcare Workforce
Through Diversity”
8 a.m.–5 p.m.—Melby Hall
www.augsburg.edu/healthcare
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A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Winter 2005-06
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 2
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Winter 2005-06
FEATURES
10
Putting a fresh ‘face’ on Augsburg
by Lynn Mena
12
Jeroy Carlson ’48—’Mr. Augsburg’
by Sara Holman ’06
... Show more
A
P U B L I C AT I O N
Winter 2005-06
F O R
A U G S B U R G
C O L L E G E
A L U M N I
&
F R I E N D S
Vol. 68, No. 2
TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S Winter 2005-06
FEATURES
10
Putting a fresh ‘face’ on Augsburg
by Lynn Mena
12
Jeroy Carlson ’48—’Mr. Augsburg’
by Sara Holman ’06
14
Physician Assistants—increasing healthcare access
by Cynthia Hill
18
A chance to skate
by Don Stoner
20
Faith in the City
by Betsey Norgard
DEPARTMENTS
2
Around the Quad
6
Sports
23
Vision,
news of Access to Excellence:
The Campaign for Augsburg College
26
Alumni News
28
Homecoming 2005
32
Class Notes
40
Auggie Thoughts
inside
back
cover
Calendar
A college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Augsburg College is an equal education/employment institution.
Editor
Betsey Norgard
Assistant Editor
Lynn Mena
Graphic Designer
Kathy Rumpza
Photographer
Stephen Geffre
Media Relations Manager
Judy Petree
Sports Information
Coordinator
Don Stoner
www.augsburg.edu
Augsburg Now is published
quarterly by Augsburg College,
2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis,
Minnesota 55454. Opinions
expressed in Augsburg Now do
not necessarily reflect official
College policy. ISSN 1058–1545
Send address corrections to:
Advancement Services
Augsburg College, CB 142
2211 Riverside Ave.
Minneapolis, MN 55454
healyk@augsburg.edu
E-mail: now@augsburg.edu
Telephone: 612-330-1181
Fax: 612-330-1780
50 percent recycled paper
(10 percent post—consumer waste)
On the cover:
On this page:
Samuel Gross ’03 shows off a
sampling of merchandise that
carries the Auggie Eagle athletic
logo he created for the College, a
project that began in a graphic
design class.
Photo by Stephen Geffre.
The maroon banners on the Link
between Sverdrup and Memorial
Halls, and Lindell Library pale in
comparison to the blazing fall
colors of the maple trees
alongside the library.
Photo by Stephen Geffre.
AROUND
QUAD
Around THE
the Quad
New regents are elected to the board
S
even new members were elected to
four-year terms on the Augsburg
College Board of Regents at the annual
meeting of the Augsburg Corporation in
October.
In addition, Gloria C. Lewis was reelected to a second six-year term. She is
the executive director and CEO of Big
Brothers Big Sisters of the Twin Cities and
serves on the Marketing and Executive
Committees of the board.
Esperanza
Guerrero-Anderson
A native of
Nicaragua, Esperanza
Guerrero-Anderson is
founder, president,
and CEO of
Milestone Growth
Fund, Inc., a nonprofit venture capital
fund providing capital to minority
entrepreneurs. She also serves on the
boards of the Bush Foundation, Walker
Art Center, Center for Ethical Business
Cultures, and Chicanos-Latinos Unidos
en Servicio (CLUES).
Norman R. Hagfors
Recently retired from
Norsen, Inc., the
management and
engineering
consulting firm he
founded, Norman
Hagfors is returning
to the Board of
Regents, where he
served from 1989-2001. He is active in
the community and his church.
Jodi Harpstead
Jodi Harpstead is vice
president and chief
advancement officer
at Lutheran Social
Service of Minnesota,
where she leads
marketing,
fundraising, public
2
relations, and public policy. She has
served on several boards, including
Thrivent Financial for Lutherans and the
Girl Scout Council of St. Croix Valley, as
well as in numerous volunteer leadership
positions.
Dean Kennedy ’75
Fridley native Dean
Kennedy graduated
from Augsburg in
1975, where he was a
four-year wrestler
with conference and
All-American honors.
In 1996, he was
inducted into the
Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame. He is
president of Texakoma Oil & Gas
Corporation and lives in Plano, Texas.
Dean C. Kopperud
Returning to the
Augsburg Board of
Regents where he
served from 19982004, Dean C.
Kopperud brings 20
years of experience in
the financial services
industry. Most
recently he was national sales director
for Oppenheimerfunds, Inc., in
New York.
Marie O. McNeff
In 2000 Marie
McNeff retired from
Augsburg, where she
served as professor of
education and dean
for over 30 years. As
academic master
planner during her
last year before
retirement, she led efforts to bring
together faculty and staff in a
campuswide learning community and
created the blueprint to implement
academic provisions of Augsburg 2004,
the College’s first vision document.
Paul S. Mueller,
M.D. ’84
Dr. Mueller is an
internal medicine
consultant at the
Mayo Clinic in
Rochester. He has
served as Augsburg
Alumni Board
president and was an
instrumental force in launching
Augsburg’s Rochester program.
The Augsburg Corporation is comprised
of representatives elected by the
assemblies of the Minneapolis, Saint
Paul, Southeastern Minnesota, and
Northwest Wisconsin Synods of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The bishops from these four synods
serve as rotating ex officio members on
the board. Bishops Peter Rogness of the
Saint Paul Area Synod and Harold
Usgaard of the Southeastern Minnesota
Synod will begin their service in January.
Advent Vespers
video wins Emmy
Last year’s video recording of Advent
Vespers won an Upper Midwest
regional Emmy for director Jeffrey
Weihe at Twin Cities Public
Television for best direction of a live
recording.
The 2004 recording will be
shown again this year in the Twin
Cities: TPT-2 on Dec. 25, 10:30 a.m.
and TPT-17 on Dec. 24 at 6 p.m. and
Dec. 25 at 12 a.m., 6 a.m., and noon.
Contact public television stations
elsewhere for broadcast times.
Winter 2005-06
Welcome to the Class of 2009
American Indian
honors given
While attending new student orientation with his daughter, Christina, Rory Waller decided it
was time for him to pursue his own dream to teach.
W
hen President Frame welcomed
incoming first-year students and
their parents at orientation last summer,
he didn’t realize he was recruiting one
more student.
Rory Waller, father of first-year
student Christina, wrote, “During
Christina’s new student orientation in
August, President Frame addressed the
new students and spoke about vocation.
His words rekindled an old desire from
my youth, in that I have always wanted
to teach. Later that day during the Expo,
I happened across the information table
for the WEC program, and discovered
that Augsburg offered a degree in
education through the weekend program.
Sometimes the signposts in life are subtle,
and other times they just hit you right
between the eyes. … [My family] backs
me wholeheartedly in obtaining the goal I
have set, and for this I am grateful.
“Because of the weekend program at
Augsburg I feel I have the opportunity to
find my true vocation in life.”
Christina is one of 320 new first-year
day students. Of them, 41% are Lutheran.
They represent 15 states, with 83% from
Minnesota. Eleven percent of them are
students of color. During their first week,
on City Service Project day, first-year
students volunteered 1,000 hours of
service at 18 community sites.
Recent grants received
• $301,000 over three years from National
Science Foundation (NSF) to physics
professor Mark Engebretson for
collaboration with the University of New
Hampshire and University of Oslo to study
northern lights in the Svalbard archipelago
of northern Norway.
• $500,000 from Lilly Endowment to sustain
the work of “Exploring Our Gifts” through
2010.
• A National Science Foundation grant to
computer science professor Karen
Sutherland for undergraduate research on
questions involving the design of robot
rescue teams, in collaboration with the
University of Minnesota. Part of the NSF-
Winter 2005-06
supported Industry/University Cooperative
Research Center on Safety, Security, and
Rescue at the University of Minnesota and
University of South Florida.
• Five-year grant from U.S. Department of
Education for TRIO/Student Support
Services to continue providing academic
and personal support to help low-income,
first-generation college students and
students with disabilities.
• $10,000 from National Collegiate Athletic
Association (NCAA) for one year to provide
health education programming primarily to
student-athletes in areas of sexual assault,
eating disorders, and nutrition.
At their 20th annual conference in
October, the Minnesota Indian
Education Association (MIEA) named
American Indian studies professor
Sophia Jacobson (left) as the
Outstanding Postsecondary Teacher, and
sophomore Chris Adams (center) as the
Outstanding Postsecondary Student.
Cindy Peterson (right), director of
American Indian Student Services,
serves as secretary of the MIEA board.
Augsburg again top-ranked
In U.S.News & World Report’s 2006
listings of America’s Best Colleges,
Augsburg was ranked 26th in the
category “Master’s Universities-Top
Midwestern.”
Augsburg was included in the
“Academic Programs to Watch For”
listings of the 40 or so top programs in
the country for both First-Year Programs
and Service-Learning, and was the only
Minnesota private college listed. For
information go to <www.usnews.com>.
Augsburg is also included in Colleges
of Distinction, an online guide listing
colleges that excel in providing the best
places to learn, to grow, and to succeed.
For information go to <www.collegesof
distinction.com>.
3
Around the Quad
President emeritus Oscar Anderson dies at 89
Augsburg News Service
scar Anderson, Augsburg’s president
from 1963-80, died Aug. 25 in
Minneapolis following injuries suffered
from a fall. He was 89 years old.
While president, Anderson was
credited with defining Augsburg’s role as
an urban college, while not losing its
roots as both a liberal arts institution and
a College of the church.
“My goal for Augsburg College was to
make it an urban college, not only one
recognized within the urban setting, but
one utilizing the resources of a
metropolitan setting,” he said in 1993
when the College dedicated Oscar
Anderson residence hall in his name. “I
think we got into the bloodstream of
the city.”
President emeritus Charles Anderson,
who succeeded Oscar, said Oscar was
instrumental, in terms of attitude, in
bringing the College together with the city.
“We always were here geographically,”
Charles Anderson said, “but our
institution moved considerably closer
with the city in Oscar’s tenure. It was true
then, and it remains so today.”
Born in 1916 in Minneapolis, Oscar
Anderson was educated at Minnehaha
Academy and Augsburg before eventually
receiving his bachelor’s degree from
St. Olaf College in 1938. He graduated
from Luther Theological Seminary in
1942; his first pastorate was at Lake
Harriet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis,
from 1942 to 1948. For the next six
years he was the executive director of the
International Young People’s Luther
League of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church. He went on to complete
graduate study at Union Theological
Seminary in New York, an experience
that heightened his awareness of
contemporary trends in theological
scholarship.
From the mid-1950s until his
appointment as president at Augsburg,
he served as senior pastor at Trinity
Lutheran Church in Moorhead, Minn.,
where he established close ties with the
4
Rob Levine
O
President emeritus Oscar Anderson returned to campus at Homecoming 1990 to speak about
Augsburg heritage.
On one of his last visits to campus Oscar Anderson posed with his two successors, Charles
Anderson (left) and William Frame (right).
academic community—both at
Concordia College and Moorhead State
University.
After coming to Augsburg, Anderson
presided over a tremendous period of
growth and evolution at the College. Six
new buildings—Urness and Mortensen
residence halls, Christensen Center,
Music Hall, Murphy Place, and the Ice
Arena—were built during his presidency.
At his retirement, Board of Regents chair
Clayton LeFevere noted that Anderson
had signed more diplomas than all of his
predecessors—approximately 4,600.
Winter 2005-06
Archive photo
A nationally known preacher,
Anderson received many honors,
including the Knight’s Cross First Class
of the Order of St. Olav from the
Government of Norway; the Paul Harris
Fellow from Rotary International; the
Distinguished Alumni Citation from both
Augsburg and St. Olaf College; and the
Distinguished Service Award from the
City of Minneapolis.
“Oscar Anderson was president of the
College during two crucial decades and
supervised our transition from a college
in the city that wished it were in the
country to a college fully engaged with
the city that had grown up around it,”
noted President William Frame.
“As perhaps the best pulpit preacher
of his time, Oscar employed a razor
sharp and telling wit to guide the College
and its alumni through this crucial
transition. He had returned to the
College frequently since his retirement
and invariably brought that wit and
powerful rhetoric with him.”
Anderson’s wife, Leola, died in
December 2004. In 1993, at the
dedication of Anderson Hall, Anderson
had paid special tribute to Leola and the
Winter 2005-06
At the memorial service in Hoversten Chapel on Sept. 1, a photo display
captured the life and service of Oscar Anderson.
Archive photo
Oscar and Lee Anderson greeted the Homecoming crowd at
Parade Stadium in the 1960s.
President Anderson led an estimated crowd of 800 faculty, staff, and students from campus to
the Minneapolis Courthouse in 1965 in support of the Montgomery (Ala.) march.
17 years she presided as Augsburg’s first
lady. “I call the two of us ‘Osceola,’ he
said. “In my secret heart this will be
‘Osceola Hall.’” They are survived by
their children, Donna Anderson Hoekstra
’68; Randall; Sheldon ’73; and Gracia
Anderson Lindberg ’80.
A memorial service was held in
Hoversten Chapel on Sept. 1. The family
has requested memorial gifts to the
Access to Excellence campaign or the
Leola G. Anderson Scholarship. ■
5
Sports
O
by Don Stoner
White House photo by Paul Morse
Auggie wrestlers visit the White House
n Oct. 12 the Auggies,
winners of a record nine
NCAA Division III national
titles in the last 15 years,
became the first Division III
wrestling title team—and just
the second college wrestling
national title squad ever—to
meet with the president at the
White House. The University
of Minnesota’s 2001 Division I
national title team was the first
to achieve this honor.
The White House meeting
was arranged between
Augsburg coaches and U.S.
Rep. Dennis Hastert (RIllinois), the speaker of the
House of Representatives and a
former wrestler and wrestling
coach. Other key people
assisting in arranging the
Fourteen Augsburg wrestlers and coaches, along with College officials and friends, accepted an invitation to
meeting included Manchester
the White House in honor of Augsburg’s longtime domination of small-college wrestling with nine national
(Ind.) coach Tom Jarman and
titles in 15 years. (L to R) President Frame, Joe Moon ’05, Dean Kennedy ’75, Justin Sorensen ’06, Alan Rice,
Mike and Bev Chapman,
assistant coach Sam Barber, President Bush, Jared Evans ’07, Marcus LeVesseur ’07, Ryan Valek ’06, Brad Tupa
founders of the International
’06, Jamell Tidwell ’05, head coach Jeff Swenson ’79, and Mark Matzek ’05.
Wrestling Institute and
Museum, said Augsburg head
importance of that achievement and
coach Jeff Swenson ’79.
because they were student-athletes at
thanked me for mentioning it to him.”
Instead of meeting in the Rose
Augsburg College, they had this
“I was motivated when [Bush] talked
Garden, the normal site for team
opportunity. They’ll never forget that as
about the word ‘leadership’ and the
receptions with the president, the
long as they live.”
qualities he said are necessary to have in
meeting was held inside the Oval Office,
Team members said the trip was also
order to be an effective leader,” junior
a rare occurrence. The Auggies met with
a special honor for the hundreds of
Jared Evans said. “This motivated me,
the president for about a half hour,
individuals in the past who have helped
because as I looked around at my
much longer than he normally spends
establish Augsburg as a national power in
teammates, coaches, President Frame,
with teams in these kinds of meetings,
small-college wrestling.
Dean Kennedy, and thought about
White House staff told Swenson.
President Bush gave the Augsburg
Augsburg wrestling and the Augsburg
A total of 14 Augsburg individuals
group a tour of the Oval Office and
community, I realized I am surrounded
made the trip, including head coach
discussed a variety of subjects with the
by a great number of leaders.”
Swenson, assistant coaches Sam Barber
team, Swenson said, including history
“This experience obviously means a
and Scott Whirley, and eight of the 10
and patriotic subjects and sports topics.
lot to the whole team, but particularly
All-Americans from the 2004-05 national
The team presented Bush with an
Jeff [Swenson] and the rest of the
championship team. President William
Augsburg wrestling singlet with “Bush”
coaching staff that have been together for
Frame also met with President Bush,
printed on the back.
so long and working for so long to
along with team leaders Dean
“He admitted that he was not a
achieve what they have,” senior Ryan
Kennedy ’75 and Alan Rice.
wrestler, that his athletic passion is
Valek said. “It meant a lot to me to have
“To spend time with an active
cycling,” Frame said. “[I] told him that
that team together one last time. It was
president is really an incredible feeling,”
the wrestling team was consistently
really an incredible experience to be part
Swenson said. “For the rest of their lives,
[among] the highest-performing
of a group like that.”
our wrestlers are going to remember that
academically. … He acknowledged the
6
Winter 2005-06
Around the Quad
Sally Daniels ’79 heads new parent and
family relations office
by Sara Holman ’06
A
ugsburg has created a new office
specifically aimed to provide service
to the people behind the student—the
parents. Most comparable Lutheran
colleges, such as Luther or Concordia,
have an alumni and parent relations office;
however, Augsburg has gone beyond the
common model. Augsburg’s Office of
Parent and Family Relations is completely
devoted to the family.
Sally Daniels ’79, the new director of
parent and family relations, said, “This
position is not a fundraising component,
so I can focus on service to the parents.
That’s completely in keeping with
Augsburg’s mission.”
Daniels was asked to inaugurate this
position not only because she has 26 years
of experience in Augsburg’s undergraduate
admissions office, but because she is also
an Augsburg alumna and parent.
Daniels’ Augsburg experience began in
1975 when she was a first-year student
living on the fourth floor in Urness. She
graduated in 1979 and eventually married
her college sweetheart, Paul Daniels, also a
1979 Augsburg graduate. “Because I am an
alum, it comes naturally to say what a cool
place this is. I’ve told my Augsburg story
many, many times,” Sally Daniels said.
Both parents were very excited when their
daughter, Kristin, also chose to come to
Augsburg.
Daniels will draw on this experience,
as well as how she is handling being a
Sally Daniels ’79 (right) takes her experience
as an Augsburg student, former director of
admissions, and, now as parent of first-year
student Kristin (left) to a new role as director
of parent and family relations.
first-year college student’s mom, in her
new position.
This will help her build relationships
with three different types of parents—the
prospective parent, the current parent, and
the parents of alumni. All of these parents
have different questions, concerns, and
needs as their children work through
Augsburg. Daniels said, “I make sure
parents and family members have someone
to connect with about life at Augsburg,
and specifically the life of their kids.”
Parents who send their kids off to
college for the first time have many
questions, like how to deal with “letting
go,” or how to handle the new adult who
comes home in the summer. Daniels will
have personal experience to share.
By better caring for Augsburg parents,
the College can improve the student’s
experience. “Kids born after 1985, the
millennium generation, have a close
relationship with their parents,”
Daniels says.
She and her daughter, Kristin, have
this type of relationship. “We’ve always
been very close. We try to connect
somehow each day,” Daniels said.
Since Kristin studies at the place
where her mother works, it’s easy for
them to stay in contact. But, Sally says,
“This is her college experience; the fact
that she likes me is an extra bonus.”
Right now, Daniels is hand-writing
letters to all of the first-year parents. Since
she worked in the admissions office last
year, Daniels says, “I know the students;
I’ve read their essays. I admitted them all.
I’m hand-writing these notes because I
think it’s important.”
Daniels works with a parent council;
and so far 119 parents have contacted her.
Parents who do not live near the Twin
Cities are sent minutes from the council
meetings. It doesn’t matter where parents
live; they can stay connected to Augsburg.
Even though Parent and Family
Relations has split from the Alumni
Relations office, the two directors work
closely together. Heidi Breen, the alumni
relations director formerly headed both
Alumni and Parent Relations, but now is
solely in charge of alumni and has an
assistant director, Donna Torgeson.
“Donna, Heidi, and I have a very open
door,” Daniels said. “We all want this
new position to be successful.”
Sara Holman is a senior English/
communication studies major and an
intern in the Public Relations and
Communication office.
Alumni Relations
Heidi Breen, new director of alumni
relations, poses at Homecoming with
Auggie Eagle.
Winter 2005-06
Heidi Breen, who has worked at Augsburg
for 19 years in the admissions and alumni
relations offices, became director of alumni
relations in August. Donna Torgeson, who
was administrative assistant in the office,
is now assistant director. Amy Sutton,
formerly alumni director, is now director of
corporate and foundation relations in the
Development Office.
7
HOMECOMING 2005
Donald A. Anderson ’60
Janice L. Aune ’88
Donald Mattison ’66
Three honored as Distinguished Alumni
by Lynn Mena
Three alumni join 166 others as Distinguished Alumni of Augsburg
College. Recipients are recognized for significant achievement in
vocation, for outstanding contribution to church and community, and
for a life that exemplifies the ideals and mission of Augsburg College.
Donald A. Anderson ’60 is a retired two-term Minnesota
senator and business owner. He served in the Minnesota State
Senate from 1982 to 1990; between 1991 and his retirement in
1995 he also served as assistant to the commissioner of
transportation, as deputy chief of staff to Governor Arne
Carlson, and in the Department of Transportation-Aeronautics
Department. For nearly 20 years, Anderson owned a Red Owl
grocery store in Wadena, Minn., before selling to one of his
sons in 1984. He graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in
business and history.
Janice L. Aune ’88 is chairman and CEO of Onvoy, Inc., a
Minneapolis-based telecommunications services provider. Since
her appointment in 2000, she has led Onvoy to a position of
financial growth and has exceeded all financial performance
expectations for the privately-held company. Prior to joining
Onvoy, Aune served in various executive leadership positions at
US West (now Qwest) and ended her 30-year career there as
8
president of the !NTERPRISE division and a senior officer. She
graduated from Augsburg with a B.A. in business management
and finance.
Donald Mattison ’66, M.D., is senior adviser to the directors
of the National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development and the Center for Research for Mothers and
Children. He also serves as an adjunct professor at both the
Graduate School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh
and the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia
University. He has served as medical director of the March of
Dimes Defects Foundation, and prior to that as dean of the
Graduate School of Public Health at the University of
Pittsburgh, where he was also professor of environmental and
occupational health, as well as of obstetrics, gynecology, and
reproductive services in the university’s School of Medicine. He
graduated from Augsburg in 1966 with a B.A. in chemistry and
mathematics.
Winter 2005-06
First Decade and Spirit of Augsburg award recipients named
by Lynn Mena
Augsburg is pleased to announce the 2005 recipients of the First Decade and Spirit of Augsburg awards.
The First Decade Award is presented to Augsburg graduates of the past 10 years who have made
significant progress in their professional achievements and contributions to the community, and, in so
doing, exemplify the mission of the College: to prepare future leaders in service to the world. Graduates
from the day, weekend, and graduate programs are eligible.
The Spirit of Augsburg Award honors alumni or friends of the College who have given exceptional service
that contributes substantially to the well being of Augsburg by furthering its purposes and programs.
First Decade Award
Spirit of Augsburg Award
Aaron Cross ’97 formed his own
business, Motivation on Wheels, in
which he travels the United States
delivering motivational speeches
that stress the importance of seeing
beyond daily obstacles in order to
accomplish goals. Despite his
physical challenges (Cross become a
paraplegic as a result of a bicycle
race crash in high school), he has
kept his eye on a variety of targets—
both literally and figuratively. He
holds 15 national titles in archery, five world titles, and a
bronze team medal from the 2004 Greece Para-Olympic games.
In addition to archery, Cross is also a skydiver. He graduated
from Augsburg in 1997 with a B.A. in communication.
Richard J. Thoni is director of
Augsburg’s Rochester Program. His
exceptional and dedicated service to
the College began in 1972 as a parttime instructor in the Department of
Psychology and as a counselor in the
Center for Student Development.
Starting in 1975, he served as
associate dean of students, and over
the proceeding years he also served
as acting vice president of student
affairs; director of an extensive, yearlong community outreach project; director of Weekend College;
vice president for enrollment management; and vice president for
research and development. Thoni is most widely recognized for
his leadership and achievement in the establishment of both the
Weekend College and Rochester programs. He received his B.A.
in English from St. Olaf College, and his Ph.D. in educational
psychology from the University of Minnesota.
Andry Andriambololona-Jurcich
’98 graduated from Augsburg with a
B.A. in political science,
international relations, and religion.
She received her M.A. in intercultural communications from
Luther Seminary in 2001. Jurcich is
vice-president of Marketing and
Company Relations for Invisik
Corporation, a Twin Cities-based
computer consulting company she
co-manages with her husband, Matt
Jurcich. Concurrently, she works as a professional non-profit
development consultant with various Twin Cities non-profits,
and is currently the acting executive director of Jordan New
Life Community Development Corporation—a non-profit
organization improving the lives of families in North
Minneapolis. Jurcich also continues to stay involved with
Augsburg as a member of the Pan-Afrikan Center’s Alumni
Council, as a mentor with the Scholastic Connections Program,
and as the alumni representative on the committee to select the
new Augsburg president.
Winter 2005-06
The Augsburg Centennial Singers were formed in 1993 to
honor the 100th anniversary of the Augsburg Gospel Quartets.
Since its formation, the Augsburg Centennial Singers have
furthered the quartet’s mission to spread the Lutheran faith and
the name and mission of Augsburg. Under the current direction
of Al Reesnes ’58 (who took over after the original director, Dr.
Merton Strommen ’42, retired) and assistant director Paul
Christensen ’59, the group—which consists mainly of Augsburg
alumni—are true ambassadors of Augsburg, performing across
the United States and around the world.
9
PUTTING
a
FRESH
‘FACE’
on A U G S B U R G
B Y
10
L Y N N
M E N A
P H O T O S
B Y
S T E P H E N
G E F F R E
Winter 2005-06
W hat began
as a class project
three years ago came full circle at this
year’s Homecoming, where visitors were
introduced to Augsburg’s newest
“member.”
The newly unveiled Auggie Eagle logo
could be spotted all over campus—on
team helmets and cheerleader uniforms;
on sweatshirts, T-shirts, and baseball caps;
on the balloons and decorations that
dressed up various events; on students’
faces as temporary tattoos; and even on
the gymnasium floor as an illuminated
hologram.
“The College is pleased to present its
new athletics logo, and even more pleased
to announce that its creator is one of our
own—Class of 2003 alumnus Samuel J.
Gross,” says Ann Garvey, dean of
students. “The logo further establishes
Augsburg’s identity and serves as a
graphic component to the Auggie Eagle
mascot that was introduced at
Homecoming in 2002.”
The logo first took shape a few years
ago when the Office of Public Relations
and Communication partnered with John
McCaffrey, assistant professor of art.
McCaffrey’s graphic design students were
challenged to design an athletics logo for
their final project.
While the entire class created a wide
range of exceptional designs, Gross’ logo
was a strong favorite, and this year the
College officially signed contracts to
acquire it from Gross as its new athletics
and merchandising logo.
“Sam demonstrated that he was
creative, dedicated, and driven by a
purpose from his very first assignments in
my Graphic Design class,” says McCaffrey,
reflecting upon Gross. “Sam delivered
excellent work that was always in excess
of any project requirements. It
immediately became apparent that he
would succeed in the design field. He
Winter 2005-06
dedicated himself to learning all that he
could ensuring his future career direction.”
Staff members in the public relations
department were also impressed with
Gross’ work, and quickly recruited him to
work as a student graphic designer during
his senior year. There he created designs
for letterhead, flyers, greeting cards,
brochures, and magazines.
After he received his B.A. in studio art,
he stayed on in the public relations
department for the summer, and shortly
thereafter landed his first full-time job as
the graphic design and production
coordinator at Sons of Norway in
Minneapolis.
Today, Gross serves as a graphic
designer and production coordinator for
TQ3Navigant Performance Group in
Minneapolis, a division of Denver-based
Navigant International, where he produces
original marketing graphics, designing
creative pre-trip travel packages for large
corporate industries such as Best Buy, ING,
T-Mobile, and Qwest.
In addition, Gross is building a
successful freelance business, 144design,
creating works in traditional studio pieces
as well as digital media, including digital
retouching of photographs, custom logo
design, illustration, and various print
related materials.
“The birth of 144design was inspired
by a mentor and lifelong friend, my
father,” writes Gross on his Web site,
<www.invisik.com/144design/artist2.html>.
“Born in rural Minnesota in 1980, the
influence of art began in the earliest stages
of my life,” continues Gross. “Impacted by
those around me, I began my own pursuit
of knowledge in the continually changing
art and design world.
“Two and a half decades into my life I
am still chasing this aspiration of
achieving artistic prominence in this
transforming world.”
This year, Gross designed logo and
stationery pieces for expansion NAHL
hockey team the North Iowa Outlaws, and
is currently working on other expansion
team logos. In July he designed the book
cover for Daniel Boone and the Defeat at
Blue Licks, written by Neal O. Hammon.
Gross is also an accomplished painter,
whose work was recently purchased by the
Springfield Public Library in Minnesota for
their permanent collection. His oils and
photography have twice placed third in
the annual Five County Juried Art Show in
Minnesota.
Gross, a former Auggie football and
baseball player, has particularly enjoyed
athletic logo design, and is pleased that his
alma mater has chosen to use his work.
“It’s really exciting and interesting to
see my design carried out in so many
different ways—on the uniforms, on the
line of sweatshirts,” says Gross. “Plus, it’s
great to give back as an alum.” ■
11
Jeroy Carlson ’48
‘MR. AUGSBURG’
by Sara Holman ’06
Jeroy Carlson ’48 has spent over 60
years on the Augsburg campus as a
student, volunteer, alumni director, and
development officer. Here, he sits in Old
Main 17, which was Augsburg’s chapel
and is now the art studio.
AUGSBURG COLLEGE pastor Dave
Wold paused, “Mr. Augsburg … well, I
don’t know where the name got started.
Everyone just refers to him as that.
Anyone who mentions Jeroy always says
‘Jeroy from Augsburg.’”
Why is Jeroy Carlson Mr. Augsburg?
Really, the question doesn’t need to be
asked. He just is. Carlson embodies
everything that is Augsburg—from
knowing its history to sharing its faith.
“Jeroy’s commitment and love for
Augsburg is pretty clear,” Wold said. “No
one can be identified with Augsburg as
much as Jeroy can. He has a network of
friends I’ve never seen before.”
Carlson has spent the last 42 years
serving Augsburg, first as Augsburg’s
alumni director and then as senior
development officer.
He has connected with hundreds of
people through Augsburg and has been
able to raise millions of dollars to help
build the chapel, library, fitness center,
football field, and theater (to name just a
few). Carlson’s efforts can be seen all
over campus, though he is quick to
12
protest, “I just ask for support. It’s really
about what the donors have done for this
college.”
Being 82 years old, Carlson has spent
the better part of his life on campus, not
to mention the years he spent as a
student. What would inspire someone to
become so dedicated to a place?
“I’m not here because of myself. I’m
here because of the people who have
given their lives to this place. I don’t
want them to be forgotten. I’ve developed
a purpose for living from their caring
about me. Charles Anderson, Gerda
Mortensen, Bernhard Christensen, Phil
Quanbeck Sr., Joel Torstenson, Paul
Sonnack, Dave Wold—these people have
been my friends,” Carlson said.
Carlson took his first step onto
Augsburg soil in 1940. His high school
basketball team had come to challenge
Augsburg’s junior varsity team.
Fortunately, Augsburg’s embarrassing loss
didn’t keep him from applying to the
College two years later. After spending
one year on campus, Carlson enlisted in
the Navy. On Monday, Dec. 10, 1945,
Carlson was released, and the following
Thursday he registered for classes. That
Saturday he played for Augsburg’s
basketball team. Carlson laughs as he
recalls this memory. “I hadn’t even taken
a class, but the coach needed me.”
Sports have always been a passion for
Carlson. He played baseball, basketball,
and football while he attended Augsburg
and was part of four MIAC championship
teams. After graduating, Carlson spent 15
years teaching and coaching. During this
time, he became part of the Augsburg
Alumni Board and wrote an article titled
“Why is Being a Christian Important?”
for a Christian magazine that most
alumni received. When the alumni
director position became open, Carlson
didn’t even have to apply. “Two people
just asked me if I wanted to do it. It was
the best move I’ve ever made.” In honor
of his service, the alumni office was
dedicated in 1991 as the Jeroy C.
Carlson Alumni Center.
While working at Augsburg, Carlson
was able to stay active in the Athletic
Alumni Association (the A-Club) and
Winter 2005-06
also helped establish the Athletic Hall of
Fame. He can still remember when the
A-Club started. It was 1937, and the
athletes wanted an honor banquet. Four
people took it upon themselves to raise
the money—a difficult task during the
Depression years. They put on skits like
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” and charged 10
cents a person.
Times were very different during
Carlson’s student years. His tuition was
$50 a semester, so he worked in the
dining room, which was on the lower
level of Memorial Hall. He worked with
18 other people, 16 of whom were in the
choir. A lot of singing was done in the
kitchen, and this was a treat for Carlson,
since he wasn’t able to participate in
both music and sports. By working five
hours, Carlson was able to pay for his
Winter 2005-06
Archive photo
Archive photo
In the 1948 Augsburgian, Jeroy Carlson ’48 was called a “standout
player” on the 1947 basketball team, and he was selected for an all-state
second team.
Carlson (left), along with teammates Kenneth Walsh
(center) and Al Mateyko (right), celebrate the Auggies’
1947 baseball conference championship.
room for one week—55 cents an hour
went a long way back then. One not so
pleasant memory Carlson recalls from
the dining hall was dropping a tray on
[dean of women] Gerda Mortensen. “I
was lucky I didn’t get expelled,” he said.
“Gerda knew it was an accident. Mortensen
was a woman you never forget.”
Carlson also went to school with Jim
Lindell, for whose family Lindell Library
was named in 1997. Lindell and Carlson
both completed their first year at
Augsburg together, and then each joined
the Navy. However, upon returning to
the Twin Cities, Lindell found he needed
to transfer colleges because Augsburg
didn’t offer a business degree. He
enrolled across the river at the university
but never forgot the best friends he
made at Augsburg.
Carlson has been fortunate in his
long tenure at Augsburg to get to know
the people behind the great names on
campus. While it’s easy for students to
grumble about tuition costs and for
alumni to feel continually asked for
donations, it’s the dedication of the
people for whom Augsburg means so
much—the people who work here and
the people who learn here—that makes
the difference. Carlson understands all
of this. It’s why he has stayed so long.
“After all these years, the attitude here is
still the same. What I believe is here,
and what’s happening at Augsburg is
important.” ■
Sara Holman is a senior English/
communication studies major and an
intern in the Public Relations and
Communication office.
13
PHYSICIAN
ASSISTANTS
i n c r e a s i n g
h e a l t h c a r e
a c c e s s
by Cynthia Hill
photos by Stephen Geffre
When Rob Carlson turned 40, he turned
a career corner as well. He left the
propane gas business to enroll in
Augsburg’s very first class in the
Physician Assistant (PA) program.
Today, Carlson maintains a busy
schedule treating recent immigrants and
refugees at the Regions Center for
International Health in St. Paul. He also
sees patients at the Regions HIV Clinic
and St. Paul Ramsey Public Health
tuberculosis clinic.
Jackie Osterhaus was also in
Augsburg’s first class of PA students. She
had worked as a laboratory technician
and a clinical assistant, but wanted more
out of a healthcare career. Yet with two
small children, becoming a PA made
Winter 2005-06
more sense than medical school.
Osterhaus now handles a full
caseload of patients in Belgrade, a tiny
Minnesota town some 100 miles west of
the Twin Cities. The Belgrade clinic is a
satellite of the Paynesville Area Health
Care System, which employs five PAs, a
nurse practitioner, and seven physicians.
Carlson and Osterhaus are among
more than 170 graduates of Augsburg’s
PA program since it was launched as
Minnesota’s only PA preparation
program in 1995.
From rural towns to urban centers,
these well-trained healthcare practitioners are living out the program’s
mission of increasing healthcare access to
underserved communities in Minnesota.
What is a
physician
assistant?
Physician assistants are not doctors, but
they can do many things a doctor does,
including seeing their own patients,
making diagnoses, doing minor surgery,
writing prescriptions, and ordering tests.
“But here’s the caveat: we can’t do it
on our own,” said Dawn Ludwig,
director of Augsburg’s program who is a
PA herself. “PAs are team providers who
work under the supervision of a licensed
physician. We can’t open our own
practice.”
That doesn’t mean the supervising
physician is always in the next room.
For example, Jackie Osterhaus staffs
the Belgrade clinic four days a week,
along with a nurse and laboratory
technician, but without a physician on
site. A physician from the Paynesville
clinic 10 miles away provides regular
telephone supervision and chart review
to Osterhaus’s cases.
“It’s definitely a team effort with
ongoing communication and interaction
with the supervising physician, but as a
PA, I am ultimately responsible for my
patients,” said Ludwig, who was named
Minnesota Physician Assistant of the
Year in 2002 by the Minnesota Academy
of Physician Assistants.
Because of the similar roles, it’s not
uncommon for patients to be confused,
said May Mua, an Augsburg graduate
who also practices at the Regions Center
for International Health.
“My patients—primarily Hmong,
Somalis, and recent immigrants from
other countries who may never have had
access to health care before—often call
me ‘Dr. Mua,’” she said. “I’m always
correcting them but it’s hard to get
across the idea of the difference because
they see me regularly for their care.”
15
A response
to the
healthcare
shortage
The physician assistant career is a
relatively recent addition to the
healthcare team, growing out of the
Vietnam era when highly skilled
medics returned from military service,
Ludwig said.
“At the time, we were seeing a
shortage of physicians around the
country and needed a new source of
caregivers,” she said. To help fill the need,
Duke University created the first formal
physician assistant program in 1965.
In the early ’90s, Augsburg was
approached by the Minnesota Academy
of Physician Assistants and asked to
consider starting a physician assistant
training program for the state.
“People were going to other states for
training and not returning to practice in
Minnesota,” she said. “Augsburg’s
mission of community and world service
was right in line with the concept of
physician assistants providing health
care to underserved areas.”
Initially offered as a two-year, postbachelor’s certificate, Augsburg’s program
drew immediate interest, especially
among people seeking a career change.
“That first informational meeting at
Augsburg was standing room only. There
must have been 600 people there,”
recalls Rob Carlson.
Over 10 years, admission to the
program, now offered as a three-year
master’s degree, has remained highly
competitive, reflecting Augsburg’s
reputation and strong track record. This
year’s class of 28 was culled from more
than 140 applications.
One thing that has changed is
average age of applicants—from 34 at
the outset to 27 currently, Ludwig said.
“At first, the appeal was mainly to
16
folks already in some aspect of health
care—nurses, laboratory assistants,
emergency medical technicians, etc. But
it is definitely becoming a first-career
option for those looking for a career in
medicine.”
Cases in point: second-year PA
students Kari Badali and Jodi Winters,
both 2004 Augsburg bachelor’s degree
graduates.
“Before coming to Augsburg as an
undergraduate, I read a magazine that
listed a physician assistant as one of the
top ten careers for women. I was
interested in the medical field but not
sure which direction to go. I researched
schools offering a PA program and
Augsburg was the only one in
Minnesota,” said Badali ’04, a biology
major.
Winters, a biology and chemistry
double major, added, “The reputation of
the Augsburg program is what finally
helped me make my decision.”
High
expectations,
high
performance
Augsburg’s program is known for its
academic rigor, in-depth clinical training,
and track record of well-prepared
graduates. Consider these indicators:
• 100% pass rate on national
certification examinations since the
program’s inception.
• Scores on the national certification
examinations have never been below
the 90th percentile (the Classes of
2001 and 2004 both ranked in the
99th percentile).
• In recent years, every PA graduate has
been employed within six months of
graduation, 85% of them in Minnesota.
Winter 2005-06
These successes grow out of high
expectations and a demanding
educational program that moves from a
foundation of classroom study into
direct clinical experience.
In the first phase, students are on
campus in courses in human gross
anatomy, pathophysiology, clinical
medicine, pharmacotherapy, history and
physical exam skills, research, and ethics
and legal medicine. An orientation to the
program’s mission of reaching the
underserved is woven throughout this
phase in courses on special populations
and in annual service-learning projects.
The clinical phase is next, structured
much like a physician’s internship.
Taught by physicians and supplemented
by physician assistants and other
healthcare providers, students progress
through seven required rotations and
one elective, each six weeks long, in
healthcare facilities across the state.
At least one rotation is required to be
outside of the metropolitan area, in
keeping with the program’s mission of
addressing healthcare gaps across
the state.
Twin Cities native Debbie Maas did
rotations in Deer River, Minn., a small
community west of Grand Rapids. After
graduation last year, she accepted a job
at the Deer River clinic. About 25% of
Augsburg graduates practice in rural
communities and greater Minnesota.
“I found I really liked the variety in
a smaller clinic. There was great
camaraderie with the physicians, and I
learned so much,” she said. “This is
truly family practice medicine. We see
everything from OB-GYN to geriatrics.”
The final component is a 12-week
preceptorship—an intensive clinical
experience required by only a few other
PA programs. “This is the last piece of
their education that ties everything
together and solidifies all they’ve
learned,” said Ludwig. “It gets them
ready to go out and practice.”
The personal
touch
Core to the Augsburg PA training is an
emphasis on treating patients as
individuals, not diseases.
“We look for students who are able to
handle a tough and rigorous program but
who are also able to connect with patients
on a personal level,” Ludwig said.
“Physician assistants should be good at
JACKIE OSTERHAUS (p. 14) graduated in Augsburg’s first class of physician assistants
and enjoys the variety of patient care she gives in her work at the Paynesville Area
Health Care System clinic in Belgrade, Minn.
ROB CARLSON (left) and MAY MUA (p.16) are two of the three Augsburg graduates
who are physician assistants at Regions Hospital’s Center for International Health.
Second-year PA student CHENTEL DANGERUD (above) discusses health issues with a
resident at the Danebo Home in Minneapolis during a health and wellness fair
specifically for seniors.
Winter 2005-06
listening and building trust with their
patients.”
Patricia Walker, M.D., director of the
Regions Hospital Center for International
Health, considers the clinic’s three
physician assistants, all Augsburg
graduates, “an absolutely vital part of our
provider team.”
“They are so talented that they are
working at the level of other providers in
our group on a daily basis, and rarely ask
questions of the physicians. That being
said, they also know when to consult us
on difficult cases,” Walker said. “They
provide outstanding clinical care and are
very kind and compassionate.”
In the future, demand for physician
assistants is likely to continue to grow,
according to Rodney McFadden, M.D., a
physician with Internal Medicine and
Geriatric Associates in Minneapolis and a
preceptor of Augsburg PA students on
rotation at the University of Minnesota
Medical Center, Fairview.
“Medical schools are producing about
the same number of doctors each year, so
as the population gets older, we will need
more healthcare providers,” said
McFadden. “Physician assistants play an
important role and I see them becoming
even more common to meet growing
healthcare needs in our society.” ■
Cynthia Hill is a freelance writer in
St. Paul who frequently writes about
Augsburg College.
17
A C H A N C E T O S K AT E
BY DON STONER
The scene is like any other in hockeycrazed Minnesota on a weekday evening.
A cacophony of noise inside a cold indoor
ice arena. Young kids, some maybe just a
few months from putting skates on for the
first time in their lives, are learning the
fundamentals of hockey. Coaches strain to
be heard above the din.
On one half of the rink, an older
group has the ice. On the other, Janet
Marvin and a couple of assistant coaches
are working with girls ages 10 and under.
Marvin yells encouragement to her
young charges. “I want two hands on your
stick all the time.” “When you find it,
look up for your teammate and pass it to
her stick.” “Good job, excellent! Nice
job!”
You look at the faces inside the masks,
and that’s where you notice the difference.
Most of the girls aren’t typical Minnesota
hockey players. Most are Hmong, some
are African-American, some are white.
But if it weren’t for Marvin, it’s likely
that none of them would be on the ice
this night—or any night, for that matter.
For the past seven years, Marvin, a
1986 Augsburg graduate, has been
volunteering with young girls on the
north and northeast neighborhoods of
Minneapolis with the Edison youth
hockey program. Along with her sister
and a devoted group of volunteer women
coaches, they have provided opportunities
for young girls who wouldn’t otherwise
have discovered the sport.
For Marvin, it’s an extension of a family
tradition to provide hockey opportunities
to others. Her father, Cal, was a legend in
hockey in the Upper Midwest. A U.S.
Hockey Hall of Famer, he helped to start
the men’s hockey program at the University
of North Dakota, coached the U.S. national
team in 1958, and founded and coached
one of the most successful amateur hockey
teams in American history, the Warroad
Lakers. He helped to establish Warroad, a
small town near the Canadian border in
northwestern Minnesota, as a place
synonymous with hockey.
18
“My dad did it for young men. He let young men play
for over 50 years, and he had over 900 young guys that
got to skate for him,” Marvin said. “What he did for the
guys is what my sister and I are trying to do for young
girls who want to play hockey. It doesn’t matter where
they’re from, or what color they are, or what background
they come from. If they want to play, we’ll get them
equipment, we’ll find them a place to play, we’ll
make sure they have transportation and make
sure their fees are paid.”
One of 12 children in the Marvin family,
Janet Marvin grew up around hockey. “We
grew up at the rink,” she said. “We folded
programs, we cleaned the rink, we worked in
the concession stands, we sold tickets. We
did whatever we could do, because we wanted
to be up there at the rink with Dad and the rest
of the community. That’s what you did in
Warroad. You were at the hockey rink.”
She and her sister played hockey in
their early years, but as they grew older,
there were fewer opportunities for young
women to play hockey in northern
Minnesota. So she played basketball
instead, eventually playing two seasons of
junior college basketball and a season at
the University of St. Thomas, before
transferring to Augsburg for her senior
season, 1985-86. She earned a degree
in education from Augsburg and
eventually worked for the
Minneapolis public schools for
15 years.
But hockey remained a major part
of her life. She played competitively
on adult teams for more than a
decade, and also worked as a
volunteer assistant coach on
teams with her friend, Sue
Ring-Jarvi. Marvin also
served as an adult mentor
for young kids in northeast
Minneapolis, including
youngsters who wanted to
play hockey for Edison’s
youth program. She
eventually got involved with
coaching at Edison, and
helped to start the Edison
girls’ youth program. Along
the way, Marvin and her sister began
bring out the best of their potential. …
But her work with the hockey
incorporating more young Hmong girls
You can see how these coaches put their
program doesn’t end there. The coaches
from the neighborhood into the program.
whole lives into coaching these kids. It
organize year-round experiences for the
“Because there weren’t enough kids
makes all the work worth it.”
girls, in order to keep them active and
coming out, I started recruiting Hmong
Since many family incomes may not
together as a group. They’ve had camping
girls. My sister and I are involved in the
be able to support the expenses for their
trips, barbeques, and trips to team
Hmong community in mentoring kids and
children to play, Marvin often dips into
coaches’ cabins in northern Minnesota to
getting kids involved,” she said. “It’s been
her own pocket to pay for equipment,
go skiing.
a focus point for us to bring them into the
uniforms, and supplies.
“My parents gave us all the
program and give them an opportunity to
A shed in Marvin’s yard is full of
opportunities. If you wanted to play, play.
skate. But when we coach at Edison, we
hockey equipment that she has either
They wanted you to be involved,” Marvin
coach anyone who wants to play
said. “There’s so many kids who
and who lives on the north side
don’t have that opportunity, and I
or northeast.”
think that’s what my sister and I
The program started from
are trying to provide. We give
one small team seven years ago
them an opportunity.”
to nearly 50 girls on teams for
Last summer, Marvin and
ages 10-under, 12-under, and
fellow Augsburg alumnus John
14-under. This year, Edison has
Evans ’82 received grant money
two teams, with Janet Marvin
from City Kids Inc., a north
coaching the 10-under team and
Minneapolis program, to provide
Robin Marvin coaching the 12hockey instruction for north-side
under team, along with a faithful
children. About 30 kids took part
group of volunteer assistants.
in the summer-long program,
“It’s an all-female staff, and
portions of which were held at
not one coach has anybody
the Augsburg Ice Arena. Several
involved with the program,
Augsburg student-athletes
which is very unique,” Marvin
assisted Marvin in coaching
said. “When you go to other
during the summer program.
associations, it’s always a dad or
“The kids love the attention,
a brother or an uncle who is
and when the college kids came
coaching the kids because there’s Janet Marvin ’86 plays less hockey these days so she can concentrate on the ice, I think it was a match
on coaching. She makes it possible for girls like these at the Edison
a connection. … We just have
right away,” Marvin said. “The
Youth Hockey Civic Arena in Northeast Minneapolis to learn hockey.
females who want to come in
kids know that when they come
and coach. We’ve skated with
to the rink, there’s going to be
them in the women’s hockey associations,
purchased or had donated to her by
someone there that’s going to say ‘Hi’ to
and they want to come in and give back.
friends. It’s available for her players to
them, ‘How are you doing,’ ‘You’re doing
They see this program and they see that
pick from. She often provides
a good job,’ and giving them positive
these kids need it, these kids want it, and
transportation for team members to and
feedback. That’s what these kids need.”
these kids absorb it.”
from practices and games in her van.
Coaching has become a major part of
The devotion that Marvin and the
“Last year, my mom bought the whole
Marvin’s life, so much so that she now
other coaches have makes them positive
12-under team a brand new stick for
plays less hockey herself in order to
role models for the children they are
Christmas. That was the first time our
concentrate on coaching.
coaching, said Marta Kurak ’98, a parent
kids that we register had a brand new
“The kids like it. They want to go to
of two girls who have played hockey on
stick,” she said.
the rink. They want to play,” she said.
Marvin’s Edison teams. Kurak now serves
Marvin figures that she puts in 25 or
“You see them skating around the rink
as a manager for the 12-under team.
more hours per week into the Edison
and they have smiles on their faces. They
“[The coaches] bring an energy to the
hockey program, on a strictly volunteer
might fall down or get a little hurt, but
program. They are always positive and
basis. She now also works for Ring-Jarvi’s
they get up and they’re like, ‘OK, let’s go
never say anything negative. They always
sportswear business, in addition to
again.’ They just want to be at the rink. …
look for the positives in the girls,” Kurak
working for a local flower shop.
My heart’s really into coaching and
said. “[Marvin] works with every kid to
working with the kids.” ■
Winter 2005-06
19
Faith
City
in the
Faith
BY BETSEY NORGARD
PHOTOS BY STEPHEN GEFFRE
Envisioning a renewed public calling for the well-being of the city and its people
In a twist on the realtor’s three magic
words, the Faith in the City initiative
might be described as “location, location,
vocation.”
This distinctive collaboration brings
together seven urban-focused Lutheran
institutions in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
All of them are committed to improving
the quality of life in their community and
they all center their work around Lutheran
ideas of vocation. They share a belief that
more can be accomplished when people
and organizations work together and when
they share their particular expertise toward
common goals.
It’s a diverse group—Augsburg
College, Augsburg Fortress Publishers,
Central Lutheran Church, Fairview
Health Services, Luther Seminary,
Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota,
and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans—
20
whose members contribute their
expertise across the areas of health,
education, social services, finance,
publishing, and service in faith. The two
synods of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) in
Minneapolis and St. Paul are partners in
the collaboration.
After several years of informal
discussions among the CEOs, a formal
collective was launched in 2002 that
draws its calling from a passage in the
book of Jeremiah, “Seek the welfare of
the city … for in its welfare you will find
your welfare.” The collaborative seeks to
renew that same concern to care for each
other in the community that motivated
the founding of their institutions a
century or more ago. And, today, they are
again finding some of the greatest
community needs among recent
immigrants.
“[Faith in the City] has set before
Lutheran institutions across the land a
model which illustrates service
leadership,” says President William
Frame. “The CEOs became interested in
Luther’s idea of vocation as a vehicle to
draw their constituents out into the
world in service and in collaboration.”
They were encouraged by the extent of
common purpose and overlap in their
missions.
Tom Morgan, Augsburg’s vice
president for planning and market
development, speaks of Augsburg’s
perspective: “It’s a way for us to more
deeply express and live out our
commitment to the city, to service, and
to strengthen and demonstrate our
connection to the church.”
Ci
Winter 2005-06
Community initiatives
Faith in the City serves as a catalyst for collaboration among people,
neighborhoods, congregations, and others, primarily in the areas of
health, education, and neighborhood. Each initiative has two or
three member organization sponsors and appropriate strategic
partners.
Initiatives specific to Augsburg are:
Augsburg Academy for Health Careers—Augsburg, together
with Fairview Health Services, developed the first proposal to
Faith in the City. Responding to the shortage of healthcare
professionals, especially within increasingly diverse communities,
a charter school was proposed, with funding from the Bill and
Melinda Gates Foundation, to prepare students for careers and
vocations in health care.
The Augsburg Academy for Health Careers opened this fall
with 61 students, a majority from diverse backgrounds, in grades
9, 10 and 11, with grade 12 to begin next year.
Lutheran College House—A second initiative spearheaded by
Augsburg, together with Luther Seminary, is the Lutheran College
House, proposed for summer 2006. Students from six partner
Lutheran colleges will live for a semester in the Phillips
neighborhood to explore vocation, service opportunities, and
leadership development.
Augsburg/Central Nursing Center—Augsburg’s 10-year-old
free nursing center at Central Lutheran Church that serves
neighborhood residents at no cost was incorporated into the
Faith in the City initiatives.
Hands-on learning
for health careers
by Judy Petree
Jasmine Smith, a junior, and one of 61 students at the new
Augsburg Academy for Health Careers, travels from Maple
Grove across the city everyday. She enrolled at the academy to
pursue a career in the health field, particularly forensic science
or neurology.
In addition to her interest in the CSI television shows, she
said she chose the academy for its small class sizes and the
ability to work one-on-one with instructors. She recently
interviewed for an internship at Fairview in the nursing
department.
Students at the academy are paired with Fairview health
professionals as mentors. Together they explore the student’s
talents and interests as related to vocations in the health field.
Students use Fairview as a hands-on learning laboratory; they
also take field trips to Mayo Clinic, and visit emergency care
centers, hospitals, clinics, and science-related businesses and
industries.
All students receive training to become certified as
emergency medical technicians, first responders, and/or
certified nursing assistants. This will help them find
employment during summers and after graduation.
Mark Youngstrom, director of Augsburg Academy, is a
former state education department specialist in English
education and co-founder of the Perpich Center for the Arts in
Golden Valley.
“The primary purpose [of the academy] is to provide
immigrant students and students of color with a solid
academic education that enables them to advance in the
educational system,” he said. “In addition, hospitals and
healthcare facilities of all kinds are treating increasing
numbers of patients from immigrant communities and
communities of color, and they need employees who speak
their languages and understand their cultures.”
Youngstrom concludes, “Our ultimate hope is to raise the
sights of our students so they can plan a future for themselves
that includes higher education and a professional career.”
Other initiatives include:
The Wellness Connection—With the help of several
neighborhood organizations and congregations, this center
responds to Somali immigrants’ health needs, promotes healthy
lifestyles, and connects them with appropriate medical providers.
ty
Personal Finance Center—Begun as a tax service for lowincome residents, this center has grown to offer a wide range of
financial literacy tools for banking, home ownership, borrowing
money, etc.
Phillips Neighborhood Park, Library, and School—Faith in
the City provides financial resources and volunteer service to
help sustain these sites as vibrant neighborhood centers.
Above left: Tom Morgan (left), Augsburg’s representative on the steering committee,
and Jeri Nelsen (right), executive director, are finding that the Faith in the City
Lutheran collaborative is an effective model for responding to community needs.
Winter 2005-06
Jasmine Smith (right) and Ophelia Mensah (left) enjoy the small
classes and one-on-one mentoring at the Augsburg Academy for
Health Careers.
21
Leadership conference—Two annual
conferences have brought together
downtown faith and business leaders for
discussion and mutual collaboration
around faith and work.
Leadership initiative—-For the second
year, a program nurtures emerging leaders
at member organizations through ongoing
discussions of vocation and faith.
The next steps
Faith in the City is proving that greater
good can come about through working
together in collaboration than by
individual organizations working in
isolation. In a commentary written for
the Star Tribune last year, Thrivent
president and CEO Bruce Nicholson
described Faith in the City’s process as
“mission-based collaboration, an ideal
model for holistically addressing pressing
community needs.”
Moving forward, the collaborative
continues to seek strategic partners for
specific initiatives as well as to engage
Lutheran congregations in outreach to
urban needs.
Perhaps nowhere else in the nation
could such an integrated community
collaboration take place, and Faith in the
City is beginning to garner attention.
Tapped for leadership
by Betsey Norgard
22
Executive director Jeri Nelsen, Morgan,
and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota
CEO Mark Peterson presented Faith in the
City at the national meeting of Lutheran
Services in America (LSA) in April.
The collaborative has also garnered
significant attention from Minneapolis
mayor R.T. Rybak. Nelsen says that Rybak
sees Faith in the City as a model for
collaboration with great potential for
improving community well-being.
Frame believes that Faith in the City
has proven that, even within a highly
competitive arena, nonprofits can
combine resources to carry out their
work more effectively. ■
Last fall Julie Olson ’90, ’04 MAL, dean of enrollment management, was
part of the first “class” of Faith in the City’s Leadership Development
Institute. Over several day-long sessions, the group participated in
presentations and discussions on leadership, read books, and listened to
the CEOs of Faith in the City member organizations talk about their own
vocational paths—all woven around the concept of servant leadership.
This first group bonded with each other to the extent that they
couldn’t let go when the formal series ended. They continue to gather
periodically for conversation, even as the second “class” of the institute
has begun.
The leadership initiative came about as member organizations felt a
need to be better prepared for their next phase of growth. Olson says the
program is about identifying emerging leaders within the organizations,
and helping them discern their vocation—i.e., helping them feel
“tapped,” or hear the call of an inner voice.
In addition to getting to know their Faith in the City colleagues,
participants gain valuable insight into their organizations—how they’re
structured, issues they face, what’s ahead for them, and how they
respond to their constituencies.
The member organizations share a common Lutheran background, but
some—Fairview, for example-—are less overt in their Lutheran heritage
than others. Olson says that if you look at how they treat their
employees, their staff and leadership development programs, and their
missions, it’s all there. It may not be called Lutheran, or even Christian,
but the organization effectively puts action behind their values in the
model of servant leadership.
“By the end, everyone was more comfortable with identifying
themselves from a Lutheran organization and recognizing what’s special
about that,” Olson said. “This is something that’s essential to our identity,
and we mutually reinforced that with each other.”
While this is the only “inward” initiative of Faith in the City, Olson
says the leadership institute is about “building the strengths of the
individual organizations to enable them to better serve their larger
communities.”
In this second year, a coaching component was added to the
initiative, and Olson is one of two from the first group who will be
coaching members of the second group.
“It’s an honor to be asked and identified as an emerging leader,” she
said. “Now I have the responsibility to carry out that gift.”
Winter 2005-06
Scholarship brunch honors donors and students
On Nov. 20, the Scholarship and Donor
Brunch was the place where more than
170 Augsburg donors were honored for
their generosity and commitment to
Augsburg College. Scholarship donors,
Heritage Society donors who have estate
plans that include Augsburg, and
Maroon & Silver Society donors, who
give annual support at the leadership
level for Augsburg scholarships, were all
thanked.
It was also the place where 100
students had the opportunity to meet
the families behind the scholarships
they've received. Student body president
Paul Cumings, speaking on behalf of
students, told the donors, “You give; it’s
not required, but I’m here to tell you it’s
appreciated.”
Philip Rowberg Sr. ’41 had not been
on campus since 1948. He recently
endowed a scholarship in memory of his
wife, Betty, who died last year. “I decided
to fund a scholarship in appreciation of
Philip Rowberg Sr. ’41 (left) recently endowed
a scholarship in memory of his wife, Betty. At
the brunch he met the scholarship’s first
recipient, Evan Holmes ’06 (right).
Winter 2005-06
the education I received here,” Rowberg
said. “Nothing is more important than
investing in the education of our young
people.”
The Philip and Helen Taylor Rowberg
Scholarship gives preference to a student
from rural Minnesota. Rowberg and his
son, Philip Jr., were able to meet its first
recipient, Evan Holmes ’06, from
Janesville, Minn.
Among other donors at the reception
were the Rev. Orville ’52 and Yvonne
(Bagley) ’52 Olson, and their son
Jonathan. In 1993, the Olsons
established a scholarship in memory of
another son, Timothy, and in recognition
of his devotion to Jonathan.
“The scholarship is in honor of son
Timothy. Our other son, Jonathan, has a
disability, so we made our scholarship
available to students in college who have
special needs or are going into the field
of special education.
Nicky Cronin ’08, the recipient of the
Olson scholarship, is a special education
major in emotional/behavioral and
learning disabilities.
“Our giving has been out of profound
gratitude to Augsburg for the many
blessings we received as college students
and over the years,” said Yvonne Olson.
“I personally am one of 11 siblings, and
eight of us have attended Augsburg. My
husband and I graduated in the same
class, and our daughter, Beth (Olson),
and her husband, Scott Bouman, both
graduated in the Class of 1977. That’s
our connection to Augsburg.”
“‘Tak for alt’—we noticed this saying
on a lot of gravestones around
Scandinavia,” Olson continued. “This
saying is important to our family. It’s a
symbol of gratitude and means ‘thanks
for everything.’ ”
The Rev. Orville Olson ’52 and his wife, Yvonne (Bagley) ’52 Olson created a scholarship in
memory of their son Timothy and his devotion to brother Jonathan (center). They enjoyed
meeting this year’s recipient, Nicole Cronin ’08 (back center).
23
Roarin’ and soarin’ to the finish at Si Melby
At Homecoming 2005, hundreds of
alumni, students, fans, friends, and even
prospective students celebrated and
cheered for the campaign to expand
Si Melby Hall with a new south wing
addition.
It was a celebration of Auggie
athletics past, present, and future.
Emcee Tim McNiff, from KARE-11 TV,
introduced coaches and athletic teams,
fired up the crowd with achievements
and successes of Augsburg’s athletic
program, and extolled the benefits of the
new south wing.
A virtual video tour took the crowd
through the proposed 27,000 new square
feet that includes expanded classroom
space, a fitness center, training areas, and
more. The project was explained in depth
by Jeff Swenson ’79, head wrestling coach
and assistant dean for athletics, and regent
and campaign co-chair Mike Freeman.
The video also featured testimonials from
current and former student-athletes and
administrators.
The Si Melby completion team, led by
Freeman, has rallied volunteers to work
with them to make sure that all Augsburg
athletes and friends have opportunities to
help Augsburg reach the goal. The team
includes Dan Anderson ’65, Rich Colvin
’74, Mike Good ’71, Jane Helmke ’83, and
Glen Person ’47. Staff support to the team
includes Swenson and Development
Office staff: Jeroy Carlson ’48, Jack Osberg
’62, Ron Main ’56, and Donna McLean.
Momentum continues to grow as the
team pushes toward the final goal,
enjoying additional volunteer support
from Bob Strommen ’74, “Butch”
Raymond ’63, Rick Ekstrand ’72, Dave
Andell ’71, Bob Martin ’71, Bruce Brekke
’70, and Erv Inniger. Each sport is also
gathering alumni support to help
complete the project so that
Student-athletes cheered as coaches, teams, and alumni spoke at the athletic celebration.
24
Winter 2005-06
groundbreaking can occur as soon as
possible.
Augsburg is especially grateful to Alan
Rice for making the first lead gift in the
amount of $1 million and to Dean ’75
and Terry Kennedy for the largest lead
gift of $2 million, in addition to several
others whose gifts helped kick off the
campaign for the new south wing.
For additional information on the
Si Melby south wing addition, or to
make a gift, go to <www.augsburg.edu/
campaign/athletic>, or call the
Development Office at 612-338-0002 or
1-800-273-0617.
The new South Wing will
include spaces already named
in honor of the following:
Doc Johnson A-Club office
Lavonne (Johnson) Peterson ’50
Hospitality and Conference Room and
patio
Luther (Lute) Olson ’56 Hall of
Champions
Jack ’62 and Nina Osberg Student
Study and Computer Room
“Gamma House” Hospitality
Lounge and Classroom overlooking
Nelson Field
Rolf Erickson Hospitality Lounge and
Classroom overlooking Nelson Field
Many exciting opportunities remain to
create a legacy in someone’s name for
the new south wing. Contact Donna
McLean at 612-338-4826 or
<mclean@augsburg.edu> for further
information.
Winter 2005-06
Jeff Swenson ’79 (left), head wrestling coach and assistant dean, and Mike Freeman, Augsburg regent
and campaign co-chair, kept the crowd fired up about Auggie athletic successes and the progress
toward the new south wing of Si Melby Hall.
Faculty and Staff Make It Happen
Faculty and staff launched a campaign in
September to increase giving to the
Access to Excellence campaign among
Augsburg employees.
The goal of the faculty-staff campaign
was to significantly increase the
participation rate of giving from within
the Augsburg community—a critical
factor to funding agencies when
reviewing grant proposals from the
College.
At the end of last fiscal year in May,
the overall participation rate among the
more than 800 faculty and staff
employed by the College was 22%. As of
Nov. 10, with more than half the current
fiscal year remaining, that figure has
risen to 29%.
An even greater indicator of
commitment to the campaign goals from
within the College is the giving rate
among full-time faculty and staff, and
staff who work more than 50% of the
time. As of Nov. 10, full-time faculty
giving rose to 54%, while the rate among
full- and nearly-full-time staff was at 41%.
First-time givers and those who
increased their current gifts were eligible
for a full match from a special fund
established by a group of faculty emeriti,
faculty, and staff whose generosity
enabled even small gifts to grow in size.
In addition, new and increased gifts
from members of Thrivent Financial for
Lutherans were also eligible for a 50%
match from that organization.
25
AAlumni
LUMNINews
NEWS
From the director of Alumni Relations…
G
reetings! As the
new director of
Alumni Relations, it
is a great pleasure for
me to have the
continued
opportunity to work
with Augsburg’s
alumni and our many
Augsburg friends.
In addition to myself, Donna
Torgeson currently serves as assistant
director of our newly re-structured Office
of Alumni Relations. Donna finds herself
busy working with the Class Agents, the
Augsburg Associates, and also
coordinating with the alumni group
traveling to China this spring. You may
have also worked with her on your
reunion group this past year.
I have been at Augsburg since 1986,
when I began working in the
undergraduate admissions office. In
2002, I joined the Alumni/Parent
Relations office working with the Parent
Council, Homecoming and Reunions,
plus many events on and off campus. I
am very fortunate to now be working
closely with the Alumni Board—please
take a look at the calendar on the next
page and join us for one of many
upcoming events.
If you are interested in more
information regarding opportunities to
join the Alumni Board, or if you believe
that you know an alum who should be
nominated for our Distinguished
Alumni, First Decade, or Spirit of
Jon Thorson ’86 leads groundbreaking
research with anti-cancer potential
E
mploying a simple new technique to
manipulate the sugars that power many
front-line drugs, a team of Wisconsin
scientists, led by Augsburg alumnus Jon S.
Thorson, professor of pharmaceutical
sciences at the University of WisconsinMadison, has enhanced the anti-cancer
properties of a digitalis, a drug commonly
used to treat heart disease.
Reported in the August 8 edition of the
Proceedings of the National Academy of
Sciences, Thorson and the team describe a
series of experiments that boosted the cellkilling potency and tumor specificity of the
drug, derived from the foxglove plant and
used to stimulate the heart. The drug is
suspected to have anti-cancer properties,
but its use to treat cancer has been little
explored.
The new work is important because it
provides scientists and drug companies
with a quick and easy way to manipulate
the sugars found in chemicals produced in
nature.
According to Thorson, the technology
26
can be widely applied: “We’ve already
taken this chemistry and applied it to
many different drug classes. It’s possible to
extend it to antibiotics and antivirals.”
The new technique, according to
Thorson, will play a prominent role in the
new UW National Cooperative Drug
Discovery Group, a consortium of UW
scientists seeking to develop new anticancer drugs from natural products.
Thorson joined the UW School of
Pharmacy in the summer of 2001, and
since moving to UW has been designated
an American Society of Pharmacognosy
Matt Suffness Awardee (2004) and a UW
H.I. Romnes Fellow (2004). From 19962001, Thorson held appointments as an
assistant member of the Memorial SloanKettering Cancer Center and assistant
professor of Sloan-Kettering Division, Joan
and Sanford I. Weill Graduate School of
Medical Sciences, Cornell University,
during which he was named a Rita Allen
Foundation Scholar (1998-2002) and
Alfred P. Sloan Fellow (2000-2002).
Augsburg awards, please go to
<www.augsburg.edu/alumni> or call
612-330-1173.
We are in the midst of an exciting
year, and we hope that you’ll join us on
campus for an athletic event, theatre
production, musical performance, or one
of several convocations scheduled this
year. Please save the date for
Homecoming 2006, and bring your
classmates, family, and friends to our
next ever-growing family picnic event on
Saturday, September 30, 2006.
Heidi Breen
Director, Office of Alumni Relations
Two alumni
appointed to
Alumni Board
The Augsburg Alumni Board of
Directors appointed two new members
and elected Karina Karlén ’83 as
president and Barry Vornbrock ’96 MAL
as president-elect. To view the complete
list and photos of board members, visit
<www.augsburg.edu/alumni/board.html>.
The new members are as follows:
Dale E. Hanka ’60
Dale E. Hanka graduated from Augsburg
with a B.S. in Scandinavian studies. He
is a retired teacher, business owner, and
financial planner.
Jamie E. Smith ’04
Jamie E. Smith graduated from Augsburg
with a B.S. in history. He is a real estate
professional at Keller Williams Premier
Realty in Woodbury, Minn.
Winter 2005-06
Alumni Events
Please join us for these upcoming alumni events (see also the college-wide calendar on the
inside back cover for additional Augsburg events); unless otherwise noted, call 612-330-1178
or 1-800-260-6590 or e-mail <alumni@augsburg.edu> for more information.
December
February
10
15
11
Washington, D.C.: Alumni
gathering honoring 2005
Distinguished Alumnus Donald
Mattison ’66, M.D., Watergate
Hotel, Executive Boardroom
(Ballroom Level), 8 p.m.
immediately following the Peace
Prize Forum reception; registration
is limited, please RSVP no later than
Dec. 2 to 612-330-1598 or
<rsvp@augsburg.edu>
McLean, Virginia: President
Frame will speak at Lutheran
Church of the Redeemer,
703-356-3346, 9:45 a.m.
16
19
Auggie Hour at Beaujo’s Wine Bar
& Bistro, 4950 France Ave. S,
Edina, 952-922-8974, 5:30 p.m.,
featuring a wine tasting with Jenn
Tome ’99
Honors Program alumni
gathering, Christensen Center,
5:30-7 p.m.; please RSVP no later
than Jan. 13 to 612-330-1598 or
<rsvp@augsburg.edu>
Scottsdale, Arizona: Alumni
gathering at Winn and Maxine
Wallin’s home, 4-7 p.m.
18
Tucson, Arizona: Gospel Praise at
Our Savior’s Lutheran Church,
520-327-6521, time TBA
19
Tucson, Arizona: President Frame
and Gospel Praise* at Our Savior’s
Lutheran Church, 7:45 a.m.,
*8:45 a.m., and *11:15 a.m.,
520-327-6521
January
10
Sun City, Arizona: President
Frame will speak at American
Lutheran Church, 623-974-2512;
5:15 p.m. gathering and light
supper; 6-6:30 p.m., “Christian
Civility: Is it a Sellout?”
March
26
Annie at the Orpheum: Gather
for brunch on campus prior to a
performance of Annie at the
Orpheum Theater; transportation
provided
FOURTH ANNUAL CONNECTIONS EVENT
Augsburg alumnae are invited to attend Connections—A Women’s Leadership Event, cosponsored by Augsburg and Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, on Feb. 11 from 8 a.m.-12:30
p.m. at Thrivent Financial Corporate Offices in downtown Minneapolis.
Presenters at this fourth annual event include Gloria C. Lewis, president/CEO of Big Brothers
Big Sisters of the Greater Twin Cities and member of the Augsburg Board of Regents; Janice
L. Aune ’88, chairman/CEO of Onvoy, Inc.; and Shira Hussain, senior admissions counselor at
Augsburg College.
This unique event brings together students, alumnae, and women throughout the
community for a morning of networking, mentoring, and leadership development. Please
join us for this incredible morning of empowerment and
encouragement through the experiences and stories of the
amazing women who attend!
For more information and to register online, please visit
<www.augsburg.edu/womenconnect>.
Winter 2005-06
A-Club invites
alumni on Baltic
cruise
The Augsburg A-Club invites alumni and
friends of the College on an exciting and
relaxing 12-day Baltic cruise with hosts
Dick (Porkchops) and Jane Thompson
on the Holland America Rotterdam
Cruise Ship. The adventure begins July
28 in London, England, with stops in
Norway, Denmark, Germany, Estonia,
Russia, Finland, and Sweden. Group
rates range from $2,548 to $4,300 per
person; airfare depends on your city of
origin. If you are interested, call the
alumni office at 612-330-1178. You are
encouraged to book early if you are using
frequent flyer miles for your own air
transportation. Most of the commissions
for this cruise will be donated to the
Augsburg A-Club Building Fund. So
gather a group of Auggies—or honorary
Auggies—and experience a true northern
European adventure!
Business alumni
events
All business alumni are invited to attend
the Department of Business
Administration’s Executive Management
Lecture on March 4 from noon-1 p.m.,
in Christensen Center (speaker TBA).
Alumni are also encouraged to attend the
annual Spring Business Forum (speaker
and date TBA). Please call 612-330-1191
or e-mail <heckers@augsburg.edu> for
more information.
27
Homecoming 2005—Roarin’ & Soarin’ Auggie Style
Augsburg alumni and
friends gathered during
Homecoming week for
the annual Augsburg
Associates Fall
Luncheon at the
Women’s Club in
Minneapolis.
The Auggies’ new head coach, Frank Haege,
walked the sidelines during the Auggies’ nailbiting loss to Carleton College.
Festive Auggie beads in maroon and silver decorated every tree,
building, and statue during Homecoming weekend.
28
Above: The new Auggie Eagle
logo, designed by Augsburg
alumnus Samuel Gross ’03
(see p. 10) was illuminated on
the floor of the gymnasium in
Si Melby Hall during the
athletics celebration.
Left: The Augsburg community
cheered on students who dared
to compete in the comical,
oversized boxing arena at
Homecoming picnic.
President William V. and Anne Frame performed at the student talent show in
true 1920s style.
Winter 2005-06
Photo by Charles Walbridge
The Auggie cheerleaders kept spirits high at the
Homecoming football game despite a disappointing 21-19
loss to Carleton College.
Many students and alumni received Auggie Eagle temporary
tattoos at the Homecoming picnic.
Above: Linnea Evans and Andy
Nelson were crowned as
Homecoming Queen and King.
Left: Simona “Fiery” Williams
wowed everyone at the student
talent show, taking top honors
for her rap performance.
Donald Mattison ’66, one of three alumni honored this
year as Distinguished Alumni (see p. 8), spoke during
the Homecoming chapel service
Winter 2005-06
Photos by
Stephen Geffre
(unless otherwise noted)
29
Homecoming 2005—Roarin’ & Soarin’ Auggie Style
GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY CLASS OF 1955
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Beverly (Omdahl) Nelson, Agnes (Tweet) Schaper, Beverly (Williams) Lundeen, Miriam (Greguson) Travis, Mary Jean (Danger)
Holmquist, Wenona (Strandlie) Lund, Beverly (Jorgensen) Olander. ROW 2: John Mulliken, Richard Dronen, Delores (Eide) Berkas, Clinton Peterson, Maxine
(Dahlin) Christ, Kenneth West, I. Shelby (Gimse) Andress, Beverly (Halling) Oren. ROW 3: Darrell Egertson, Arthur Lunow, Elmer Karstad, Duane Westfield,
David Skaar, Robert Herman, James Anderson. ROW 4: Robert Sneitzer, Richard Mahre, Wesley Bodin, Wayne Thoreson, John Benson
CLASS OF 1965
(L to R) ROW 1 (floor): Lyndon West. Lyle Olson, Marie (Bergh) Sandbo, Julie (Gudmestad) Laudicina, Joyce (Anderson) Pfaff, Judy (Thompson) Eiler, Gary
Thyren. ROW 2 (chairs): Darryl Carter, Dorothy (Rasmussen) Nelson, Anita (Christopherson) Gransee, Eunice (Bergman) Dietrich, Sharon (Dittbenner)
Klabunde, Adrienne (Strand) Buboltz, Larry Buboltz. ROW 3: Carolyn (Fernstrom) Anderson, Sharon (Kunze) Erickson, Jane (Huseby) Norman, Judith
Reynolds, Wayne Fehlandt, Phyllis Borri, Mary (Tildahl) Meyers, Mary Ann Cogelow. ROW 4: Gerald Dahl, Dale Slone, Gracia Grindal, Bette (Bodin) Leeney,
Karen (Lund) Orrill, Priscilla (Strecker) Feildhammer, Paul Fieldhammer, David Berg, Larry Nelson, Keith Dyrud, Dwight Olson, James Daugherty. ROW 5:
Donald Anderson, Robert Klemenhagen, Robert Lee, Mary Ann Miller, Daniel Meyers, Ronald Blake, David Dyrud. ROW 6: Donald Hoseth, Gerald Hamlin,
Gary Blosberg, Daniel Anderson.
30
Winter 2005-06
CLASS OF 1980
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Lori (Elmgren) Binder, Kristin (Johnson) Hella, Laurie Fyksen-Beise, Christine (Edlund) Luk, Mary Carlson.
ROW 2: Jeffrey Jarnes, Brett Batterson, Carolyn (Johnson) Spargo, Jacqueline (Brookshire) Teisberg, Claudia (Walters) Forsberg,
John Carlson. ROW 3: Paul Sannerud, Jon Burnison, Gary Tangwall.
CLASS OF 1995
(L to R) ROW 1 (front): Jonathan Arntz, Lisa (Carlson) Sackreiter, Soven Sackreiter (baby), Andy Sackreiter, Dan
Deitrich, Theresa (Hoar) Magelssen, Trygg Magelssen (baby), Scott Magelssen. ROW 2: Erica Bentley, Amy (Torgelson)
Forsberg, Aubrey Forsberg (little girl), Cory Forsberg, Olin Forsberg (baby), Andrea (Mathieu) Bedard. ROW 3 (back):
Kirk Litynski, Mark Bedard, Nick Bedard (baby).
Winter 2005-06
31
CLASS
NOTES
Class Notes
1951
John Garland, St. Paul, was
recognized by the American
Institute for CPCU and the
Insurance Institute of America as
an outstanding course leader. He
has served as an institute course
leader for 33 years, and currently
teaches insurance for Hughes
Group, LLC.
Minn., is director of social services
at Rose of Sharon Manor.
1968
1957
Marshall D.
Johnson,
Minneapolis,
published a new
book, The
Evolution of
Christianity:
Twelve Crises that Shaped the
Church, in May (Continuum).
1960
Lois (Richter) Agrimson, Eagan,
Janet Letnes Martin, Hastings,
Minn., and Suzann (Johnson)
Nelson ’68, Grand Rapids,
Minn., were featured in the Star
Tribune for their musical, Church
Basement Ladies, based on their
books celebrating the foods and
traditions of Lutherans. After
successful trial runs in Grand
Rapids, Fargo, St. Cloud, and
Bismarck, the musical is settling
in for a 14-month run at the
Plymouth Playhouse.
1969
Barbara Hagel Stevens, Inver
Grove Heights, Minn., retired in
June; she taught second grade at
Pilot Knob Elementary School in
Eagan for more than 30 years.
childhood experiences of her
grandfather, King Olav V, the
princess has written a tale about
a little boy who becomes a
prince in her first children’s
book, Why Kings and Queens
Don’t Wear Crowns.
1971
1973
Mike Sevig,
Bloomington,
Minn., and his
wife, Else
(Tallaksen) ’71,
operate Skandisk,
Inc., a company
that distributes books and CDs
(especially those related to
Scandinavia) to specialty shops
around the country. Last winter
Skandisk secured the English
language rights to publish a new
fairy tale written by Norway’s
Princess Märtha Louise and
illustrated by one of Norway’s
most celebrated artists, Svein
Nyhus. Drawing from the
Corrine (Froelich) Frank,
Detroit Lakes, Minn., proudly
reports that her son, Corporal
Will A. Frank, is currently
serving in the United States
Marine Corps in San Diego
(Miramar). He has served in
Iraq and will be deployed again
in December. He also plays tuba
in the USMC Band.
Courtsey photo
AUGGIE REUNION
1974
Marlene (Chan) Hui,
Bloomington, Minn., sadly notes
the passing of her mother, Choi
Wan Chan, in September.
1976
Rev. Gary Andersen,
Bloomington, Minn., was
installed as senior pastor of
Community of the Cross
Lutheran Church in June. He
previously served Bethany
Lutheran in Rice Lake, Wis. His
wife, Diane (Forsberg) ’76,
teaches English as a second
language.
1977
These Auggies and their spouses gathered at Chautauqua, N.Y., and stayed at the Anthenaeum Hotel to
share special memories of their 1953-1957 college years. Pictured on the hotel’s porch are: ROW 1 (L to R,
seated): Gayle Engedahl Matson, Doug Herr, Verna Skovholt Barrett, Grace Forss Herr, and Marlys Holm
Thorsgaard. ROW 2 (standing): Norman Matson and Arlen Thorsgaard (not pictured is Roger Barrett).
32
Lise LungeLarsen, Duluth,
Minn., published
her third
children’s book
in August 2004,
Hidden Folk:
Stories of Fairies, Dwarves,
Selkies, and Other Secret Beings
(Houghton Mifflin). LungeLarsen grew up in Norway, and
her parents and grandparents
filled her life with stories of
elves, dwarves, and fairies. Now
she shares those stories with
children and the adults who
read to them.
Winter 2005-06
ALUMNI PROFILE
Stan Waldhauser
100 years young: Community celebrates
Knut Hoversten’s 100th birthday
by Bill Vander Weele
Reprinted by permission of the Sidney Herald in Sidney, Montana
When Knut Hoversten [Class of 1930] was nine months old, he suffered from
whooping cough. In May, he officially celebrated his 100th birthday. In between, there
have been very few illnesses or other physical problems for the longtime Sidney
resident. Because of rheumatism in his knees and hips, Hoversten uses a wheelchair,
but appears to be in excellent health for someone who is a century old. He credits his
long life to a harmonious family and living in Big Sky Country. “I watched my appetite
very closely,” Hoversten said. “I don’t do any drinking or smoking.”
He remembers being an 8-year-old boy and reading about proper diet during his
mother’s trip to the doctor’s office. “I always had food that was tested by proper
nutrition. I kind of studied a balanced diet all through my life. I studied the kind of
vitamins food contained, especially food with good vitamins.”
His daughters say Hoversten’s wife of 65 years, Hazel, also played an important role in
his health. Hazel died in November 2004 at the age of 93. “She took awfully good care
of him,” said daughter Julianne Mell ’64. “She was a nurse and made sure he ate
right.”
During the past year, Hoversten received the shocking news from his dentist that he
had two cavities—the first in his life. Hoversten remembers, “I had to have all of my
baby teeth pulled by a dentist because of the strength of my teeth.”
Hoversten currently lives with his daughter, Carol Anderson, in Spokane, Wash. He
remains busy during the day by reading, visiting friends, and seeing his greatgrandchildren. “My mom and dad used to come out and visit, so it’s been a second
home for him,” Anderson said.
Knut Hoversten celebrated his 100th birthday in
May. Since his graduation from Augsburg in 1930,
more than 40 members of the extended Hoversten
family have also attended, including the family’s
most recent Augsburg graduate, Kari Lucin ’03.
The pair, along with the entire Hoversten clan,
was honored in 2003 with the Distinguished
Service Award.
The oldest of 14 children (eight are still living), Hoversten
attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis. He then went to the
University of Minnesota, where he majored in chemistry, physics, and aeronautics. Years later, he finished his master’s
degree at Montana State University. “He still reads and has been a student all his life,” said his daugher, Mell.
Hoversten can speak several languages, including Norwegian, German, Greek, Latin, and French. “The best resources
of medical sources are in German and Russian,” Hoversten said.
He feels the greatest advances during his life came in the physics and medicine fields. “It started out pulling slivers
out of your hand with a tweezers, and turned into working with DNA,” Hoversten said.
Knut Hoversten ’30
He experienced many highlights during his 40 years of teaching. One memory he shared was building a rocket with a
student in the 1950s and setting the rocket off from the baseball field. “It went pretty high,” he said. That student
was Kendall Habedank, who is now a retired major general from the Air Force.
Many students are thankful that Hoversten went into the teaching field. He was hoping to become a doctor, but because of the Depression,
he couldn’t continue his education. “I ran out of money,” he said.
“But I think his teaching was rewarding,” Mell said. “He was meant to be a teacher. I think he influenced more people than he would had he
been a doctor.”
Hoversten’s non-teaching activities included being a member of the Sidney Kiwanis Club for 58 years, a member of Pella Lutheran Church
for 59 years, and director of the Methodist Church choir for 30 years. His many years of retirement featured teaching Norwegian at the Sons
of Norway and working as a piano tuner. “I’ve got a good reputation in all of the area for being a good piano tuner.”
When asked if he ever thought he would celebrate his 100th birthday, Hoversten said, “No. But I didn’t object to it.”
Winter 2005-06
33
Class Notes
Courtsey photo
AUGGIES ABROAD
AUGSBURG CENTENNIAL SINGERS
2006 FLORIDA APPEARANCES
Concert Performances
FEBRUARY 1
Trinity Lutheran Church and School
3016 S. Vine St., Kissimmee, Fla., 407-847-4204; 7 p.m.
FEBRUARY 2
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
800 Tamiami Trail S, Venice, Fla., 941-488-4942; 7 p.m.
FEBRUARY 4
Peace Lutheran Church
15840 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers, Fla.; 6:30 p.m. (time tentative)
FEBRUARY 5
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
777 Mooring Lane Dr., Naples, Fla., 239-597-1043; 3 p.m.
FEBRUARY 6
First Presbyterian Church
9751 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs, Fla., 239-992-3233;
3 and 7 p.m.
FEBRUARY 7
Grace Lutheran Church
327 C Ave. SE, Winter Haven, Fla., 863-293-8447; 7 p.m.
Church Appearances
FEBRUARY 5
Emmanuel Lutheran Church
777 Mooring Lane Dr., Naples, Fla., 239-597-1043; 8, 9:30,
and 11 a.m.
Hisham Al-Fergiani, an Augsburg alumnus from the 1970s,
stands in the bookshop and press that he owns in Tripoli, Libya,
called Dar Al-Fergiani Publishers.
FEBRUARY 5
First Presbyterian Church
9751 Bonita Beach Rd., Bonita Springs, Fla., 239-992-3233;
8:30 and 10:30 a.m.
1979
1983
1984
1985
Judy Berkeland, Fairmont,
Minn., recently became the
Fairmont Area Schools’ new
orchestra director. Her husband,
Steve ’79, is senior pastor of
Grace Lutheran Church.
Les Heen and Barbara
(Westerlund) ’89, Maynard,
Minn., are enjoying life in the
country, “with nothing but room
to run, hills to roll down, and
stars in the sky to find through
the telescope,” says Barbara. Les
is director of communications
for Minnesota Farmer’s Union,
located in St. Paul, and Barbara
is an estate and businessplanning attorney, operating her
own law practice in Maynard.
They have two children,
Christopher, 7, and Erik, 4.
Laurie (Lindell) Miles, Apple
Valley, Minn., recently moved
back to Minnesota from
California. She is a sales
representative at Northwest
Airlines.
Norm Okerstrom and John
Wahlberg ’86, owners of Excel
Promotions, LLC, have entered
into an agreement with Prime
Advertising & Design, Inc., of
Maple Grove, Minn., as an
exclusive provider of promotional
products, apparel, and corporate
recognition items. Okerstrom and
Wahlberg can be reached at
<norm@excelpromo.com>.
1980
Bradley J. Imsdahl left his
position as lead publisher of
Quickfinder Handbooks,
published by Practitioner’s
Publishing Company of Fort
Worth, Texas, to start a new
publishing company called Tax
Materials, Inc. His new company
publishes quick reference tax
guides to sell to CPAs and other
tax professionals nationwide. He
can be reached at
<brad@thetaxbook.com>.
34
Franklin Tawah was featured
as a “mover” in the business
section of the St. Paul Pioneer
Press. He is assistant vice
president of University Bank in
St. Paul.
Elizabeth (Ingersoll)
Swanson, Minneapolis, received
the Master of Sacred Music
degree with an emphasis on
conducting from Luther
Seminary in May. She currently
serves as the choir director for
Glen Cary Lutheran Church in
Ham Lake, Minn.; she plans to
become ordained as an associate
in ministry and seek a call as a
full-time cantor/music director in
the Twin Cities.
Jean Taylor, Eagan, Minn., was
elected to serve on the board of
directors for Piper Jaffray
Companies. Taylor is president
of Taylor Corporation and serves
as chair of the Augsburg College
Board of Regents. She also serves
on the board of directors for the
Minnesota Private College
Council and is a trustee of the
Glen A. Taylor Foundation.
Winter 2005-06
AUGSBURG ARTISTS
Amy Rice ’93 is known in the Twin Cities’ art community for her bold
stencil creations, inspired as much by pop art and Japanese printmaking as
the graffiti art movement. Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak has cited Rice’s
mural work as an example of how art has participated in the rebirth of
Franklin Avenue. Rice is also known locally for her advocacy role on the
behalf of artists with mental illness and recently received a national award
for her efforts.
Rice is a member of the Rosalux Collective, a vibrant and growing community
of Twin Cities’ artists. Her work will be on display at the Rosalux Gallery’s
upcoming Holiday Hoopla exhibit, Dec. 3-30 (opening reception Dec. 10, 7-11
p.m.). For more information and to view more of Rice’s work, visit the
Rosalux Gallery online at <www.rosaluxgallery.com>.
Mural on 11th and Franklin, Minneapolis, fall 2003
1986
Michael Berry was named
executive vice president and
chief financial officer of Dallasbased i2 Technologies, Inc. He
previously served as senior vice
president of Solutions
Management at The Reynolds
and Reynolds Company, Inc.
1987
Andrew Altenburg, New
York, produces and hosts
fundraising events through his
company, Will Clark USA,
which raises money for and
awareness of AIDS causes under
the umbrella name Bad Boys
Events. He produced the Fifth
Annual Bad Boys Pool Party in
Palm Springs, Calif., in May,
Winter 2005-06
Fisher Price Angel
Spray paint and acrylic on canvas, 6” x 6”
which raised $64,000 for L.A.
Shanti, a nonprofit HIV/AID
support organization in Los
Angeles. He also executive
produced a series of weekend
events that brought another
$13,000 to various Californiabased nonprofits. In the past
eight years, Altenburg has been
directly responsible for nearly a
million dollars raised for gay
men’s health organizations such
as Magnet and the AIDS
Emergency Fund in San
Francisco and the Gay/Lesbian
Anti Violence Project and Visual
AIDS in New York. He currently
hosts a weekly bingo game at the
9th Ave. Bistro in New York,
which raises money for AIDS
organizations, gay sports groups,
and community organizations
such as the Gay Men’s Chorus.
Lisa Martin-Crawford,
Minneapolis, received a 2005
Association of Schools of Public
Health Minority Fellowship to
support her study of the
experience of Ojibway
adolescents with Type II diabetes
who live on reservations. The
goal of the two-year study is to
improve preventive health care.
The fellowship is one of only
four public health fellowships
made annually by the Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention. Martin-Crawford is a
doctoral student at the
University of Minnesota School
of Nursing, and is an enrolled
member of the Lac du Flambeau
Tribe, an Ojibway tribe in
Northern Wisconsin.
Meghan with Olivia
Mixed media, 24” x 48”
1988
Jim Damiani, Plymouth, Minn.,
was featured in the Twin Cities
Business Journal as a recipient of
its “Forty under 40” honor.
Damiani, who serves as vice
president of Bloomington-based
Welsh Cos., has secured more
than 1,500 real estate
transactions in the past two
decades. He got his start in real
estate rehabbing old apartment
buildings while still a student at
Augsburg.
1989
Dawn Givans-Lander, Los
Angeles, is a busy stay-at-home
mom with 2-year-old twin boys.
She is launching a hair salon/spa
next spring.
35
Class Notes
1990
Courtsey photo
KOLANDER-MCCUNE WEDDING
Dave Frisell, Bloomington,
Minn., is Kennedy High School’s
new head football coach. He also
teaches physical education at
Kennedy and at Oak Grove
Middle School.
Alex Gonzalez,
Bloomington,
Minn., earned the
title of financial
consultant for
Thrivent
Financial for
Lutherans after successfully
completing extensive training. He
is one of 450 financial
consultants nationwide qualifying
for membership in the group.
Judith A. Lemke was named
executive vice president and chief
information officer at Schneider
National, Inc., in Green Bay, Wis.
She previously served as CIO of
Capella University in
Minneapolis and as vice president
of the Midwest region for
Minneapolis-based BORN
Information Services, Inc.
Holly Kolander ’96 married Chris McCune in March 2004 at
Orange Tree Golf Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz. Holly taught 4th
grade, but now stays home to care for their four-month-old twin
daughters (see their birth announcement on p. 38).
Courtsey photo
BOLDEN-FIELDS WEDDING
1991
Penny R. Olson, Richfield,
Minn., received the Master of
Divinity degree from Luther
Seminary in May. Before entering
the seminary, she worked as a
registrar, data processor, health
consultant, and health unit
coordinator at hospitals and
medical centers in Minneapolis
and St. Louis Park. She plans to
serve as an ELCA parish pastor.
Carolyn Pool, Minneapolis,
originated the lead in the world
premiere of Paula Cizmar’s play,
Bone Dry, aka the Copy Editor
Murders, at the Jungle Theater. A
writer in the Star Tribune recently
described her as a “dynamo of
the stage.”
1992
Trena Bolden ’00 married Jerome Fields ’00 in August. Trena
serves as director of Augsburg’s Pan-Afrikan Center.
36
Walt Filson, Brooklyn Center,
Minn., teaches law enforcement
for Anoka-Hennepin ISD #11; he
is pursuing a master’s degree in
criminal justice.
Ladd Ojala, Minneapolis,
competed in an Ironman
competition this summer in
British Columbia, Canada.
1994
Susan (Horning) Arntz,
Waconia, Minn., recently
received the International
City/County Management
Association (ICMA)’s
Credentialed Manager
designation. Arntz, a member of
Augsburg’s Alumni Board of
Director’s, is city administrator
of the City of Waconia. She also
serves as chair of the
Leadership ICMA Committee,
and previously served as
assistant city manager for the
City of New Brighton and as
assistant to the
administrator/economic
development coordinator for
the City of Chaska.
1995
Jason Shaver was appointed as
director of broadcasting and
corporate sales by the Iowa Stars
hockey team. Shaver, who was
the vice president of
communications and the playby-play voice of the Texas
Wildcatters the past two seasons,
will be the play-by-play voice of
the Dallas Stars American
Hockey League affiliate.
1998
Camille Carnes, San Rafael,
Calif., received a Master of
Education with a concentration
in equity and social justice in
May from San Francisco State
University. She is currently
working with high-risk youth
in a young women’s
empowerment program. She
can be reached at
<camillecarnes@sbcglobal.net>.
Stephanie Simones, New
Berlin, Wis., married Jeff
Wehrman in May 2004. She
teaches at St. Mathias Catholic
School, and enjoys running and
biking in road races, marathons,
and triathlons.
Winter 2005-06
Courtsey photo
STENSVAAG-DARDA WEDDING
Brenda Selander, Champlin,
Minn., married Ted Mitshulis in
June. They met at Anoka High
School, where they teach and
coach.
2003
Eric Bretheim, Edina, Minn.,
married Kelly Anne Lewis in July.
Eric is a transportation logistics
coordinator for Cargill.
Ken McCann, Eden Prairie,
Minn., works for Target Financial
Services.
Shawn Smith was added to the
2005-06 pre-season roster of the
Fort Wayne Komets—five-time
United Hockey League
champions.
2004
Rebecca Stensvaag ’01 married Paul Darda ’01 in July 2004. Paul is a history teacher and assistant
wrestling coach at Champlin Park High School, and Rebecca teaches 3rd grade at Johnsville Elementary
School. Their wedding photo features more than 30 Augsburg alumni. Pictured here are: ROW 1 (L to
R, front): Cindy Blummer ’01, Emma Stansvaag ’08, Ruth Casperson ’67, Hannah Mehus Stensvaag ’38,
Rebecca Stensvaag Darda ’01, Paul Darda ’01, Nancy Strommen Stensvaag ’71, John-Mark Stensvaag
’69, Stephanie Johnson Sulzbach ’71, John Sulzbach ’69, Jean Boxrud Steen. ROW 2: Roland ’03, Tjersti
Strommen ’07, Adam Thronson ’00, Marsha Strommen Olson ’68, Dawn Hofstad Strommen ’70. ROW 4:
Peter Strommen ’69, Mary Nelson Eckberg ’70, Brad Fischer ’03, Heidi Peterson ’03, Mark Peterson ’01,
Mary Ellen Strommen Lieber ’67, Tim Strommen ’70. ROW 5: John Eckberg ’68, Ainy Carlson, Jeroy
Carlson ’48, Phil Edstrom ’69, Luther Strommen ’40, Steve Strommen ’65.
1999
Tony Hudson, Minneapolis, is
the diversity achievement
coordinator at Sandburg Middle
School in Golden Valley, Minn.
He recently received a master’s
degree in education
administration from St. Mary’s.
Rachel
(Westhed)
Stenback
resides in
Sweden with her
husband, Tomas.
She received a
master’s degree in enthnology
from Uppsala University in
Uppsala, Sweden. She recently
co-wrote the resources section of
a new book, On My Swedish
Island: Discovering the Secrets of
Scandinavian Well-being, by Julie
Catterson Lindahl (Teacher
Winter 2005-06
Penguin), and she has worked
on marketing the book—both in
Scandinavia and the United
States. She and her husband,
who is a math and science
teacher, have been offered
English teaching positions in
China starting next August
through the Lutheran Church in
Sweden (Svenska kyrkan).
Stenbak can be reached at
<rachel.stenbak@home.se>.
2000
Larissa (Westfield) Larson
along with her sister, Rebecca
Westfield ’03, launched
Ensemble, a women’s clothing
and accessories boutique in the
Linden Hills neighborhood of
Minneapolis. The sisters and the
boutique were featured in the
September issue of Women’s
Business Minnesota magazine.
Marcia Volk, Rosemount,
Minn., married Brian Marrison
last December.
2001
Conor E. Tobin, St. Paul,
received a juris doctor degree
from William Mitchell College of
Law in June. While attending
William Mitchell, Tobin served
as president of the Student Bar
Association and was a recipient
of the CALI Award of Excellence
for his work in the Immigration
Law Clinic.
2002
Chris Kambeitz recently moved
from Fargo, N.Dak., to Carver,
Minn. He works in sales with
Summit Products North, and can
be reached at <cgkambeitz@
yahoo.com>.
Erica Champer, Chicago, works
at Heartland Housing.
Kelly L. Chapman is a student
at Fashion Institute Design &
Merchandising in Los Angeles.
She is working and interning for
Ali Rahinii, owner and designer
of Mon Atelier. After graduation
in December, she hopes to enroll
in the institute’s third-year
program.
Rick Dzurik is a music therapist,
working with patients at the
North Memorial Residential
Hospice in Brooklyn Center,
Minn., on the North Memorial
Inpatient Hospice and Palliative
Care Unit and with Hospice
Homecare patients.
Brian Eayrs is pursuing a
master’s degree in sports
administration at the University
of Wisconsin-La Crosse, where
he serves as graduate assistant to
the defensive coordinator of the
UW-L Eagles’ football team. His
father, Mike Eayrs ’72, once
served as the Eagles’ offensive
coordinator; he now serves as
director of research and
development for the Green Bay
Packers (he also served 16 years
in the same capacity for the
Minnesota Vikings).
37
Class Notes
Dayle VanderLeest,
Minneapolis, is serving as a
long-term substitute secondgrade teacher at Cedar Riverside
Community School in
Minneapolis.
2005
Brad Schwartzbauer is the
new Mounds View, Minn., boys’
hockey coach. He was an allconference player and captain at
Augsburg, and played in the
Colorado Rockies’ minor league
system.
Births/Adoptions
Mark Muhich ’89 and Allison,
Eveleth, Minn.—a son,
Brennan, on St. Patrick’s Day.
He joins older brother Quinn, 4.
Mark owns Muhich Law Firm in
Virginia, Minn., and teaches
legal-related courses at Mesabi
Range Community and
Technical College in Virginia. He
can be reached at <mamuhich@
rangenet.com>.
Rich Blumer ’95
and his wife,
Heather, Maple
Grove, Minn.—
a daughter,
Amanda Jane,
in February. She
joins older brother Carson, 2.
Rich is an applications
consultant for US Bank.
Ryan Carlson
’96 and his wife,
Lauren, St.
Paul—a son,
Quintus (Quin)
Joseph, in
September. Ryan
is a senior manufacturing
manager for Seagate in
Bloomington and Lauren is a
scientist for Ecolab in Eagan.
They can be reached at
<rc_and_lauren@yahoo.com>.
Holly
(Kolander)
’96 and Chris
McCune,
Scottsdale,
Ariz.—twin daughters, Sierra
and Malayna, in June (see
Holly and Chris’ wedding photo
on p. 36).
Ann
(Gallagher) ’96
and Lee
Stephenson
’06, Sturgeon
Lake, Minn.—
a daughter,
Laura Ann, in May. She joins
older sister, Grace. Ann and Lee
received master’s degrees from
St. Mary’s University.
Amy
(Gustafson) ’97
and Ross
Albertson, South
St. Paul—a son,
Max Andrew,
in June. Amy
teaches 6th grade for South
Washington County Schools.
Leah (Holloway) ’99 and Kevin
Rudeen, Vadnais Heights,
Minn.—a son, Zachary John, in
June. Leah is a research
consultant with John H. Harland
Company in Roseville.
Jennifer (Crego) ’00 and Chad
Carls ’00, Oak Grove, Minn.—a
son, Brock David, in April. He
joins older brothers Tommy, 3,
and Andrew, 1. In addition to
teaching chemistry and physics
at Champlin Park High School,
Chad also sells real estate.
Jennifer and Chad can be
reached at
<chadcarls@yahoo.com>.
Amy (Stier)
’01 and Jeff
Eppen, Belle
Plaine,
Minn.—
a daughter, Courtney Breanne,
in February.
Stefanie (Lindell) ’98 and
Bruce Lender ’98, St. Paul—
a son, Samuel, this year.
Courtesy photo
ALUMNI PROFILE
Laura McGowan ’03: Study-abroad seminar
inspires future service
Written by Lynn Mena; interviewed by Betsey Norgard
After participating in an Augsburg Center for Global Education seminar to Namibia during her
senior year, Laura McGowan ’03 was so inspired by her experience that she pledged to one day
return to Africa. This summer, she landed upon an opportunity to spend six weeks volunteering
at Beautiful Gate Namibia, an international, interdenominational Christian organization providing
daycare and support to children and families in need. Located in Katutura, Windhoek, Namibia,
the center provides emotional, spiritual, and physical care to these children, and supports their
families and communities by giving practical assistance.
“I just started doing whatever they needed—sharpening pencils, cleaning, making food,” said
McGowan. “It took a bit of time for me to put into perspective what I was doing, and I started to
realize that what I might ordinarily consider menial tasks were genuinely helping to make the
staff’s lives easier as well as to serve these kids. I may not be up there in front of the class
teaching, but what I’m doing is needed just as much.”
Laura McGowan ’03 posed with one of
the children at Beautiful Gate, a
daycare center in Namibia where
McGowan volunteered for six weeks
this past summer.
McGowan, who teaches 9th-grade history at Northview Junior High in Brooklyn Park, Minn.,
formed a special bond with a young girl named Queen whom she provided one-on-one tutoring.
She also traveled with staff to various homes to perform needs assessments as well as to provide support.
Upon returning to Minnesota, McGowan was immediately struck by the multitude of opportunities available to children and students in the
United States as compared to those at Beautiful Gate. “Even though many of my students are at or below the poverty level, I started to realize
that even for them, in comparison, there is tremendous opportunity here,” said McGowan. “And so now I really have a drive to make sure
the kids I teach realize and have access to those opportunities.”
38
Winter 2005-06
In Memoriam
M. Glendora Dueland ’29,
Slater, Iowa, died in April; she
was 98. She taught in public
schools in Minnesota and
eventually entered public service
in Washington, D.C., working
for various government
departments. She retired back to
Slater, where she was active in
the historical society. Dueland
was a longtime supporter of the
College and generously included
Augsburg in her estate plans.
Joseph E. Erickson ’37,
Mukilteo, Wash., died in
February; he was 91. He was a
retired farmer and missionary,
known to many as the “singing
farmer” for his singing ministry,
which he shared during his
mission trips to more than 50
countries.
Norman Myrvik ’38, Brooklyn,
N.Y., died in August 2004; he
was 91. He was an opera singer,
composer, choral conductor,
opera impresario, radio host,
record producer, and teacher.
His Town Hall debut was
followed by many engagements
with opera companies and
symphony orchestras, as well as
leading roles on NBC’s Opera of
the Air and recitals in major U.S.
cities. In 1967 he founded the
Brooklyn Lyric Opera Company
at the Brooklyn Academy of
Music, which received glowing
reviews from The New York
Times. In 1962 his recording of
Charles Griffes and Edvard
Grieg songs won praise from The
New York Times, The Atlantic,
and High Fidelity. Myrvik hosted
Opera Stars of Tomorrow for
many years on WNYC Radio,
and held teaching positions at
Lehman and Kingsborough
colleges.
Rev. Grant H. Olson ’40,
Seminole, Fla. (formerly of
Minneapolis), died in August; he
was 90. He formed two churches
in Washington and served
Minneapolis at Lebanon
Lutheran Church for 26 years.
In 1984 he joined the Lutheran
Winter 2005-06
Synod staff in Tampa and later
became chaplain at Palms of
Pasadena Hospital and Bay Pines
VA Medical Center, retiring in
1999.
Agnes (Landsverk)
Torbenson ’41, Detroit Lakes,
Minn., died in July. She was a
retired English teacher.
Sylvia (Brandt) Sateren ’47,
Indio, Calif., died in May. She
was a retired choral music
teacher and a 1996 inductee into
the Augsburg Athletic Hall of
Fame.
Marvin Larson ’50, Carrollton,
Texas, died in September 2004.
He and his wife, Elaine, built
three Home Mission churches in
Circle Pines, French River, and
Keewatin (all Minn.) and spent
six years in Guadalajara,
Mexico, serving as missionaries
before moving to the
Texas/Mexico border town of
McAllen to open an
English/Spanish Bible bookstore.
Prior to his retirement, Larson
also taught high school building
trades and did cabinetry work.
Arthur J. Cote, Jr., ’54,
Columbia Heights, Minn., died
in September; he was 82.
Dale Erdahl ’54, Sioux Falls,
S.Dak., died in May; he was 73.
In addition to farming for more
than 20 years, he was a two-time
Minnesota legislator and an
employment counselor for the
State of Minnesota.
Rev. Glen C. Eveland ’56,
Backus, Minn., died in July
2004; he was 71. In his 38-year
ministry, he served churches in
Indiana, Iowa, and Minnesota.
Paul L. Nyhus ’57, Brunswick,
Maine, died in August of brain
cancer; he was 70. He was
former Bowdoin College dean of
students, dean of the college,
and Frank Andrew Munsey
Professor of History emeritus. As
dean of students from 1969 to
1974, he encouraged and
protected diversity among
students and faculty, participated
in the founding of the Afro-
American Society and the
establishment of co-education,
and dealt with such crises as the
student strike of 1970 to protest
the bombing of Cambodia. As
dean of the college from 1975 to
1980 and again in the fall of
1987, he continued to work on
the goals established earlier, and
participated in the debates that
lead to Bowdoin’s divestment of
investments in companies
operating in apartheid South
Africa in 1985. Nyhus retired
last year after 38 years of
service. Prior to Bowdoin as a
graduate student at Harvard, he
participated in the second march
to Montgomery, Alabama,
organized by Martin Luther
King, Jr., an experience that
forever shaped and strengthened
Nyhus’ commitment to civil
liberties and racial equality.
Nyhus was a named an
Augsburg Distinguished
Alumnus in 1978.
Rev. Glenn O. Davidson ’58,
Pine Island, Minn., died in
December 2004; he was 73. He
was ordained at Central
Lutheran Church in Minneapolis
and later served 10 years in
parish ministry in Wisconsin
and as a pastoral counselor
throughout Wisconsin for 20
years, retiring in 1995.
Marilyn Rogers ’61,
Minneapolis, died in March of
complications from post-polio
syndrome; she was 64. Despite
spending much of the past 55
years in an iron lung, she lived
an active and inspired life. In the
1970s, she helped start the
United Handicapped Federation,
which worked with the
Minnesota Legislature to
improve access for people with
disabilities.
James R. Quick ’71,
Bloomington, Minn., died in
September; he was 72. A retired
social worker, he also served in
the Air Force during the Korean
War and was a singer and
former Golden Gloves boxer.
Rev. Daniel D. Rudquist ’71,
Arden Hills, Minn., died in
August; he was 55. He was
ordained in 1976, and served the
parishes of Sillerud and Trinity in
Balaton, Minn., and Redeemer
Lutheran in Fridley, Minn.
Charlotte M. Granite ’97,
Freeport, Minn., died in July of
cancer; she was 42. She worked
as a physician assistant for the
Paynesville Area Health System
and the St. Cloud Medical Group
(Cold Spring office), and served
in the 134th Forward Support
Battalion of the Army National
Guard.
Rev. Dr. Karl H. Brevik, Indian
Wells, Calif., died in October
2003; he was 75. He taught
religion courses at Augsburg in
the 1950s, during which time he
served as a parish minister at
Central Lutheran Church.
Katherine A. Hennig,
Minneapolis, died in October; she
was 94. An Augsburg professor of
emerita of music, she also taught
voice at the College of St.
Catherine and Hamline
University. She was a soloist with
the Minnesota Orchestra and also
performed with the Minnesota
Opera Company. In New York,
she obtained the lead on the
Broadway stage in Allegro and a
role on Broadway’s 46th Street
Theater in the musical Arms and
the Girl. She also appeared in a
14-week engagement at Radio
City Music Hall.
Elvira Carlson Springer,
Golden Valley, Minn., died in
July; she was 93. She was a
dietician and teacher at Augsburg
during WWII.
Nels Stanley “Stan” Stake,
Wayzata, Minn., died in January;
he was 87. A former regent of
Augsburg, he was a longtime
employee of Honeywell. His
career took him from his
hometown of Chicago to
Pittsburgh and finally to
Minneapolis, retiring as senior
vice president of the Commercial
Buildings Group.
39
AUGGIE
THOUGHTS
Auggie Thoughts
Making cultural choices
by Dulmaa Enkhchuluun ’04
Courtesy photo
Dulmaa Enkhchuluun, or “Enkee,” as he explains below, is a 2004 Augsburg graduate who majored
in international relations. He now works for the Mongolian Parliament, handling international
communications, especially from international organizations. The following is excerpted, with his
permission, from a piece he wrote for a Star Tribune blog.
I
over. He had more electronic
am a 26-year-old Mongolian male,
equipment than my whole school
and everyone calls me Enkee. My
had in Mongolia.
full name is Dulmaa Enkhchuluun.
I learned about the value of
Under the Mongolian system, we
choice and the abuse of choice. I
only have one name, but my
had to select those things that
mother’s name is Dulmaa and out of
could help my family and country,
honor to her, I use her name as my
and I had to avoid the excess.
first name or what you would call
Having choice was worthless unless
my family name. She gave me the
I could use the choices wisely. I
personal name Enkhchuluun,
learned that I would never have
which comes from two Mongolian
more food than I could eat, that I
words, enkh meaning peace and
could never have more equipment
chuluun meaning stone. She hoped
than I could use, and that I would
that in a world of great uncertainty
buy only what I needed. I also
I would be as strong as stone but
Dulmaa Enkhchuluun ’04, or “Enkee,” walks through fields in
made a promise to myself to remain
also as peaceful as a stone.
his native Mongolia, with the sacred mountain Burkhan
as strong as a rock and as peaceful
I came to Minnesota to pursue
Khaldun in the distance behind him.
as a rock in America. In order to
my B.A. degree. It was my first trip
remain strong, I would walk or ride
abroad, and I had no idea how the
to have as much pop, milk, or tea as I
the bike that my host family gave me,
American academic system functioned or
wanted. Just walking into the cafeteria
even in the coldest weather.
even how Americans lived. I knew that
gave me more choices in food than I was
In five years I learned to be an
the images I saw on television and in
accustomed to making in a whole year
American in some parts of my life and
films did not represent real life in
back in Mongolia.
even in some parts of my heart, and yet I
America, but I had no idea what to
I came to America with one small
strove to remain a Mongol and to be my
expect aside from those images.
suitcase. I kept everything that I had in
mother’s son. I wanted to return home to
I thought of America as a large, powerful
it. Each piece of clothing was folded
Mongolia with the best education and
country associated with democracy and,
exactly as my mother taught me. My pen,
training that America had to offer, but I
of course, Hollywood.
pencil, and notebook were each carefully
wanted to be the strong and peaceful
My introduction to American life
wrapped, and I treasured them. By
man that mother intended me to be.
came through the college experience. I
contrast, my roommate had a roomful of
After all, in giving me the name
was delighted by the great choice of food.
stuff. He owned more books than a
Enkhchuluun, she gave me my destiny
On campus and within a few blocks, I
library, yet he never seemed to read. He
and my character, I wanted to live up to
could find pizzas, hamburgers, French
had enough music CDs for a music store,
her hopes for me.
fries, and the drink machines allowed me
but he played the same one over and
40
Winter 2005-06
CCalendar
ALENDAR
Music
February 16
For music information, call 612-330-1265
The Guthrie Theater: An Organization in
Transition
December 2-3
26th Annual Advent Vespers
5 and 8 p.m. service each night
Central Lutheran Church, Minneapolis
A conversation with Tom Proehl, managing
director, Guthrie Theater
7 p.m.—Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
January 27-29
Exhibits
Gospel Praise Tour
For gallery information, call 612-330-1524
Performances in southern Minnesota
November 4-December 18
February 5
Recent Works
Gregory Fitz and Jake Keeler
Gospel Praise Concert
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Artist gallery talk: Dec. 8, noon
10 a.m.—Woodlake Lutheran Church
Richfield, Minn.
February 17
Gospel Praise Concert
4 p.m.—MMEA Conference
Convention Center, Minneapolis
Fragments: Glimpses of History
and Place
Thomas Westbrook
February 28
Trio Concert
Featuring Mary Horozaniecki, violin;
Jim Jacobsen, cello; Jill Dawe, piano
7 p.m.—Sateren Auditorium
Theatre
For ticket information, call 612-330-1257
February 4-12
The Illusion
By Tony Kushner
Directed by Martha Johnson
Feb. 3, 4, 5, 9, 10, and 11 at 7 p.m.;
Feb. 5 and 12 at 2 p.m.
Tjornhom-Nelson Theater
January 25-May 20
January 13-February 17
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Opening reception: Jan. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Featuring five collegiate women’s choruses
including Augsburg’s Riverside Singers
4 p.m.—St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church
Mahtomedi, Minn.
“Being Global
Citizens; Living a
Legacy”
1 p.m.—Hoversten
Chapel, Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1022
For more information, visit
<www.augsburg.edu/ais/filmseries> or
call 612-330-1523
Gospel Praise Concert
WomanVoice Concert
Martin Luther King
Jr. Convocation
Augsburg Native American Film Series
Sculptural installations by Barbara
Claussen
February 26
January 16
Christensen Center Art Gallery
February 18-19
Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church
Tucson, Ariz.
you work and live. A continental breakfast
is served, no reservations are needed.
7 a.m., first Wednesday each month, St.
Philip the Deacon Lutheran Church,
Plymouth, Minn. For speaker
information, contact Pastor John
Hogenson at <jhogenson@spdlc.org> or
John Knight at <faith@augsburg.edu>.
Photography by Terry Gydesen
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Opening reception: Jan. 20, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
February 24-March 31
Sculpture by Jane Frees-Kluth
Gage Family Art Gallery, Lindell Library
Opening reception: Feb. 24
February 14
Dana Gioia
Poet, critic, and
bestselling author.
Part of the Augsburg
Convocation Series:
Global Citizens/Local
Citizens.
11 a.m.—“American Poetry in a
Violent War”
Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center
For information, call 612-330-1180
Mixed media by Mary Bergs
Christensen Center Art Gallery
Opening reception: Feb. 24
Other Events
December 2
Seminars,
Lectures,
and Films
December 7-May 3
FAITH@WORK Monthly Series
FAITH@WORK is a monthly meeting of
business professionals featuring speakers to
help you grow as a leader so that you can
more effectively live out your faith where
Annual Velkommen Jul Celebration
10:15 a.m.—Chapel Service, Hoversten
Chapel, Foss Center
11 a.m.-2 p.m.—Scandinavian treats and
gifts, Christensen Center
February 11
Connections—A Women’s Leadership
Event
See p. 27 for more details
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Send your news items, photos, or
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MN, 55454, or e-mail to
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