Page 8 Minneapolis, Minnesota THE BACK PAGE How TO SURVIVE Friday, December 1 l, 2009 :v Zombie Film Appreciation Club _ _ Friday, December 11 Final Fall Semester Meeting 8:00 pm. - 12:00 am. INTER REAK. “WWW Showing 2 films Take a break from studying ANDREA SANOW Enloy snacks and beverages... Show morePage 8 Minneapolis, Minnesota THE BACK PAGE How TO SURVIVE Friday, December 1 l, 2009 :v Zombie Film Appreciation Club _ _ Friday, December 11 Final Fall Semester Meeting 8:00 pm. - 12:00 am. INTER REAK. “WWW Showing 2 films Take a break from studying ANDREA SANOW Enloy snacks and beverages Features Editor Free 1. Volunteer. Now that you have extra time, find an organization that needs J0." the Mk 9MP extra help over the holidays and donate a few hours of your time. “A9935”? 20”” Fm“ Appreciation Club” tor more 2. Take a trip. You might miss your new friends from school, so plan a few days mm to go and see where they grew up. You can even meet their high school friends was com and their families. Andy My” myersa@augsburg.edu 3. Do a puzzle. After New Years, my mom always sets up a card table and sets out a puzzle for the family to work on. It brings us together to work on a common goal and to talk about the time we have missed over the past semester. 4. Write a story. Writing is something that I love to do; it makes me feel con- nected to myself and to the place where I am writing. So, if you are prone to homesickness. write a story at your house or about your house that you can open up and read when you are back at school. 5. Rent a TV show on DVD and try to make it through the available seasons. Hey. you have worked hard this semester. . .you deserve it. (My favorites include Dexter and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia.) 6. Speaking oftrying to watch a series: how about you try and watch all of The Lord ()fthe Rings movies or maybe even Star Wars. Ifthat isn‘t your cup of tea. there‘s always a great selection of 90‘s chick flicks that need revisiting (Can 'I llurdlr Wait. Never Been Kissed. How (0 Lose a Guy in 10 Days. ...) 7. And. speaking ofMovieThons. . .how about one dedicated to Pauly Shore? (Biodome, Hello!) 8. Clean out your closet and donate old clothes or shoes that you don‘t need or use anymore. There are plenty of second hand stores and trendy hipsters that need those old floral stirrup pants of yours. 9. Cook, find new recipes that you like and write them down. Maybe make yourself a recipe book so that when you are back at school, you can find them easily. Ask your mom or dad for help and for the recipes that they use when they need to make dinner in a flash. 10. Dance. Get all that left over stress from finals out of your system by busting some moves in your old room. 11. Read. There are tons of book lists online (even on Augnet!) that you can dive into. And hey, there’s always Harry Potter, right? 12. Sleep. 13. Stay healthy. Just because you aren’t on a schedule, doesn’t mean that you should turn into a couch potato. Relax over break, but don’t forget to be social and active. Sharing your energy with other people feeds your soul and your mind. Here is your chance to reflect on a semester gone by. 14. Starting looking for summer jobs and internships. As a student worker at the Career and lntemship Oflice on campus. I am all too aware of how difficult it is to find employment. Work on your resume over break and start looking online now for organizations that you would like to work for this summer. 15. Play. ...and do it like you are a little kid again. There is nothing wrong with dusting offthe Clothespins and blankets to make a fort in the basement. 16. Spend time with your family. Soak in the time that you have with them and thank them for helping you through this past semester ifthey have been your support. They have missed having you around, give a little bit ofyourselfto them when you get the chance. W l —7<§® HmOmmxn>k—— moi N T G N S p U F A E S p M L ww‘uxm—l>I- >mr—O'UI—iWOZOZDI—i nowm<0rmx>rm2x mmomr—mZD—lgOr—hOm r-mr-xZIDmOn-Izmrnmn O O Crossword by Ashley Abbate >m—in~—'or-n7Show less
Page 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota Top five-ish books I want to mam-am, read over winter break (but likely won’t get around to) Brz'rsv COLLINS Stafl Writer I love to read. Unfortunately my coursework as an English Major prevents me from doing so, well, my “for fun" reading at least. Every... Show morePage 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota Top five-ish books I want to mam-am, read over winter break (but likely won’t get around to) Brz'rsv COLLINS Stafl Writer I love to read. Unfortunately my coursework as an English Major prevents me from doing so, well, my “for fun" reading at least. Every break I come up with a list of books I want to read — even if this list quickly becomes unmanageable, and thus impossible to accomplish. This is my severely narrowed “top five" (used loosely) for this break. Wish me luck. 6. The Invention of Hugo Cabaret by Brian Selznick: Oh, children’s books. I’m sure that had I read this book as an actual child (instead of the pretend one I am now), I would have held it to high regard. I’m just excited because it looks massive, but is really mostly pictures. 5. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling: Yes, I understand that Harry Potter is actually seven books, but I’m ignoring this fact. Harry Potter was the series that sparked my habit for re-reading books that I love, and for that I am forever in debt. I find them endlessly entertaining, and further, educational. I pick up more and more little details with each re- read that enhance and refresh the series for me over and over again. 4. Moby Dick by Herman Melville: Oh, Ishmael. I’m actually serious about this, and that’s exactly what makes this list so ridiculous. Thanks to Colin Irvine’s 19th century American Lit class for making me love Melville, but no thanks to Melville for be- ing so dauntingly (and awesomely) epic. I can see this book hanging on the tail of lists like this for a while to come. Also, the used copy that I recently purchased has notes that go all the way... to the second page. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here. 3. Wild Things by Dave Eggars: This is the novel based off of the screenplay that Eggars co—wrote with Spike Jonze. To the best of my knowledge it mainly follows the plot that the movie established, but as a novel hopefully it will be able to bring a little more meat to the childhood book Where the Wild Things are, and now movie that I love. Also I hope that my mom gets this for me for Christmas. Thanks Mom! 2. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown: Yeah, yeah. I know I’m going to get flack for this, but I do read for entertainment as well as for scholarship. And while many books satisfy both categories, this one may only hit the first one. That’s okay with me, and it happens to also be the reason I read Twilight (yes, I’ve read Twilight). I find value in being able to read just for fun. I .5. In Defense of Food & The Omnivore s Dilemma by Michael Polan: These are toward the top of my list because it’s important to know about food (particularly the kind you’re eating), and I’m still in the process of figuring out what the hell this food I should be eating even is. However, they are not oflicially (denoted by not being assigned a whole integer) on my list because they will inevitably lead to my discovery that I can’t eat anything ever in good conscience. And I may therefore avoid them both. 1. Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut: I do believe Vonnegut will eventually cement his status of “my favorite author,” but to be sure, I must first read ALL of his books. Breakfast of Champions is merely the next on my sub-book list for Vonnegut only. I’m hoping to actually read this one over break. , December 11, 2009 JONATHAN CHRASTEK Columnist So last week we went to Kilimanjaro Cafe’ over on Ce- dar, right across from Midwest Mountaineering. It’s a little Af- rican restaurant; I was expecting something very similar to the Blue Nile, but it was not like the Blue Nile at all. My girlfriend KP and I walked in and were shown to our seats by a friendly little man. He gave us our menus and wandered ofl‘. Kilimanjaro Café is a small restaurant, with a bar in the back and a stage up front. No one was playing that night; it was a Thursday. Our friendly little waiter gave us the happy hour deals even through it had ended, so drinks were $2.50. They had a stereo up front playing music, some of which I might describe as Thai karaoke. The TV in the back was playing CNN. I ordered “Kilimanjaro wings” for appetizers. When they first arrived they seemed like normal hot wrings until... my face burnt off. But they were very good, nice and HOT. I brought my cousin this time; she can’t eat gluten. So if a good time had by all you can’t eat gluten, Kilimanjaro Cafe is the place for you! She's also a vegetarian, so she ordered a veggie curry dish with rice in- stead of injera- the spongy bread normally served with Ethiopian food. Her dish had squash in it... .I think. .. It was very good, and it came with cardamom rice, which added a little Indian flavor to it. All over it was very delicious. I ordered a beefy thing, which the waiter helped me pick out. When you go there, he’ll just tell you what to get, and you should get it; he knows what he’s talking about. It was very good; it came with a little salad and some red curried lentils. All on a bed of injera, which was used to scoop up the beefy cuny. KP got a similar dish that the waiter helped her pick out, but her’s came with undercooked meat. She described it as per- fectly cooked. I didn’t believe her. But the waiter kept asking her if she needed any thing, like a fork or a knife, to use to eat, as if to imply that clearly neither my cousin nor I would need them, but she might. Overall, it was very good and lots of fun. You should go there some time!! Soon!!! It’s very close!!! The Blue Nile: good food, I ordered a dish called Haniida which entertaining atmosphere JONATHAN CHRASTEK Columnist So, I went to the Blue Nile. I have been before, but never to review it. It’s actually one of the places that inspired me to start doing reviews. It‘s really close to Augsburg, really cool and always empty. Last weekend I went to the Blue Nile with Katie (my girlfriend) and her mom. The outside ofthe building looks like an adobe with murals painted on its sides. When you walk in, there’s a long corridor you have to walk down to get past the bar and then to a greeter. The place was nearly empty, so we were seated in our usual booth and the waitress gave us our menus. The Blue Nile serves Ethiopian food. It is very similar to Indian food because it has a lot of spices and flavor; however, there is more meat on an Ethiopian menu than an Indian one. There was a vegetarian option, but it didn’t sound as good. New Moon gets mixed reviews Auax STOIAKEN Contributor Whose side are you on? Team Edward or Team Jacob? This is the central controversy in a more sinister, rather depressing sequel to Twilight. New Moon. In this film, we discover more about both the world of the vampire, and a new creature. the werewolf. Edward. known as the gentle romantic, takes a turn for the negative, attempting to drive Bella away from his dangerous lifestyle to give her a chance at a normal life. However. dear Bella doesn’t take this lightly. With Edward gone. Bella slips into a depression. but finds comfort in Jacob. who has some secrets of his own. Slow-paced and dreary. with werewolf vs. vampire battle scenes. and creepy makeovers. the special efiects the menu described like this: “A savory lamb shoulder marinated and grilled in our (the Blue Nile’s) special blend of spices accompanied with rich ground beef sauce and a side of Atriya (vermicelli delicately browned and sweetened with spices and honey)” Katie ordered a beef dish called “Ruuza ifi Kudraa.” It was assorted vegetables in an Ethiopian spiced butter and some spices. Katie’s mom ordered an appetizer called “Gosa Gosa,” which is “A sampler of Sambusa Fooni, Sambusa Missira, Baajiya, Shafut and our house salad.” Oh and because The Blue Nile is a big bar, there are lots of drinks too. Anyway, I also got lentil soup with my dinner. It was delicious and, again, it reminded me of In- dian food, lots of spices and very delicious, but not spicy. KP got a salad; she said it was good... A short time later we got our food. My vampire royal court. On opening night, midnight Nov. 20, box ofiice sales went wild. with much help from advanced ticket sales. On that day it was said to have projected $85 to $100 billion easily surpassing “Star Wars Episode 3: Revenge of the on. Sith." according to movietickets.com. Haniida came with some green salsa type of thing and rice. Oh, and not to mention a massive piece of lamb. The rice was spiced with cardamom, which complimented nicely the cured beef. The green salsa thing spiced up the curry just enough to give it a nice kick. KP’s beef thing was also pretty good. She liked it a lot. She didn’t like the green salsa thing, but that’s ok, I took hers. Her mother liked her “Gosa Gosa” Of the many things in it she said that the Sambusa Fooni was “crisp pastry shells stuffed with sautéed beef, onion, jalapeno and herbs,” and that the Sambusa Missiraa was “crispy pastries stuffed with sautéed lentils, onion, jalapeno, garlic and herbs.” And for the Baajiya she said “spiced garbanzo bean patties flavored with parsley and herbs, then fried in vegeta- ble oil.” As for the other thing, we couldn‘t figure it out, until I tasted it and decided it was inj era in a yogurt sauce: she didn’t like that much, but overall thought it was tasty. were well put together, but it seems the story line didn’t quite follow through. In addition to the superb special effects, director, Chris Weitz and his team also did a good job at making girls squeal with the numerous shirtless shots of Taylor Laumer, who plays a very buff Jacob. There is also a special appearance by Ms. Dakota Fanning, now fifieen, in the role as a member of the Volturi, a OH AND I ALMOST FORGOT THE ATMOSPHERE! The food’s that good. So they’ve decorated the inside with your normal arrangement of ethnic art, but the funniest part is that they’ve gated bits of the restaurant off. Yeah, it’s hard to explain; it’s a goofy set up. So The Blue Nile it a very good res- taurant, they have lots of live music on the weekends, and are normally pretty empty during the week. Good food, entertaining atmosphere. Overall, I would only recommend this movie to the die-hard twilight fans. and those obsessed with Lautner, and then you can decide for yourself whose side you’re Show less
Friday, December 11, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesora Page 3 SPORTS Looking back: Augsburg fall sports review ED Slam Sports Editor Another year of fall athletics is in the books here at Augsburg College. Augsburg teams competed in a variety of sports, and in fashion, ingrained the name of Augsburg... Show moreFriday, December 11, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesora Page 3 SPORTS Looking back: Augsburg fall sports review ED Slam Sports Editor Another year of fall athletics is in the books here at Augsburg College. Augsburg teams competed in a variety of sports, and in fashion, ingrained the name of Augsburg College into the world of Division HI athletics. The Augsburg football team finished at .400% this season with an overall record of 4-6, and a conference record of 3-5. The two previous seasons leading up to this one lefi the Augsburg football team on the see-saw with back to back records of 5-5. Coach Haege wanted to continue this success and perhaps even break 500%. Unfortunately, the football squad fell just one game short of their intended mark. Men’s cross country had a successful season finishing anywhere from 2nd to 12th in their six meets. Their season concluded on Nov. 21 when senior, Brent Haglund finished 68th at the NCAA Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, wrapping a strong season for the men’s cross country team. Similarly, the women’s cross country team competed to a high standard. They finished with similar statistics to the males, although not qualifying anyone for the big meet in Cleveland. Men’s and women’s golf did their part in making Augsburg proud. The Augsburg men knew how much rode on the MIAC Championship, and they performed accordingly. Junior, Joel Kociemba led the males to and at the conference championship, finishing with 228 total strokes (79-77-72). Junior, Stefani Zappa finished 8th at the MIAC Championship and led the Auggie women to a 7th place finish. This past fall, without a doubt, the most attention was put on the nationally-ranked Augsburg men’s soccer team, as they once were recognized as 14th best in the country. The Auggies started off hot by either tying or winning their first five competitions, but were disrupted when they fell short the next seven. This drop was unexpected as Augsburg men’s soccer was looking to be much stronger than their final record of 8-8-1. They regrouped heading into the playoffs, but still fell short to Gustavus Adolphus College, Player Profile: on Cassens losing 1—0 to end their season. On the otherhand, finishing with a 6—7—5 record this past fall was the Augsburg women’s soccer team. The women retaliated for the men by concluding their season with a 2-0 win over Gustavus Adolphus College. Lastly, the women’s volleyball team finished 17-14 and accomplished their goal of making it to the MIAC Playoffs. The ladies displayed the mental toughness to accomplish one of their most noted goals, as Augsburg volleyball hasn’t made the playoffs since 2001. Their positive attitude and sense of ‘togethemess” proved Augsburg volleyball to be one of the best squads they have been in years. Overall, this past fall has been one of success in the name of Augsburg Athletics. We look to our fellow student- athletes to carry this success into the winter, where the athletic season has already begin. Be sure to congratulate everyone who participated in athletics this fall and wish them luck in seasons to come. MIKE GALLAGHER Stafl Writer Jon Cassens is a senior, starting guard, and captain for the Augsburg Basketball Team. He hails from Prior Lake where he also attended high school after living in Chicago for a short time. While attending Prior Lake he received All—State honors his senior year while also being a member of the National Honor Society. He was nice enough to sit down with me to give us all a closer look at the basketball star as well as the man off the court. Mike: Thanks for joining us, Jon. Right oi? the bat we’ll start with a hard question. What do you think your favorite moment from your time in basketball is? Jon: For Augsburg, it was getting to the playoffs last year. It’s been a goal since I stepped on campus and something coach really stressed. In my AAU days, my team won second in nationals, that was my big- gest thing outside of college. Mike: What led you to Augsburg? Jon: It was Coach Greiss and the chance to re-build the program. We did that at Prior Lake with our seniors so I was familiar with the situation and what needed to be done. But Coach Greiss is an energetic passionate guy and he had a great relation- ship with me and my family, so sorry to the Gusties. . .. Mike: Forget the Gusties .... ..You’ve been key in the turnaround of this program. When you came in your first year, the team had 10 wins. You had the game against St. Thomas, the third ranked team in the nation on Monday, do you feel with all the progress this team has made that it can compete with the top five teams in the country? Jon: We should be in that same breath with St. Thomas and Gustavus. Being in the game against St. Thomas, only down by two in the second half and not even playing our best basketball, we should be right with them. It’s frustrating to have all the talk be all about St. Thomas, but rightfully so, they won again on Monday. Mike: What are the goals for the team this year? Obviously a very important one for you, with it being your senior season. Jon: The first goal is to get to the MIAC playolTs. Everything afier that is one game at a time. To get to that MIAC Champion- ship game is all we can ask for, to get that chance to play for the championship and hopefully an NCAA tournament bid. Mike: Looking forward to your future after college as far as basketball goes, would you like to play after college? There are leagues all over the world looking for a solid point guard. . . .. Jon: I would love to. I haven’t really looked into it because it’s kind of down on the list of priorities at this point. The focus has to be on the MIAC season. I wouldn’t be opposed to looking into it though. Mike: If that falls through, where do you see yourself and what will you be doing there after Augsburg? Jon: After graduation, l have 2.5 classes left until I can take my CPA (Certified Public Accountant) exam, that will be my main priority, to get those professional credentials by passing that exam. Then hopefully I can find a career in finance or accounting. . Mike: Next game for Augsburg basket- ball is in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Dec. 19, then they’re back at home against George Fox University on Dec. 28. Thanks for joining us, Jon. photo taken by Stephen Geffre Women’s hockey hopes for the season LAURA MOE Stafi Writer Augsburg women’s ice hockey tied St. Benedicts on Dec. 4 and 5. Currently 0-6-2, the team is hoping to start winning games after some tough losses. The team this year has a roster of 35 women, almost half being first year students. Being that they are such a young team, it has taken time to build chemistry and team work -- on and off the ice. Toni Menth, senior goalkeeper, commented on the outlook of the team and the season so far this year. “Season is looking good, we are a young team, but talented and we are finally putting it all together.” St. Benedicts was the ladies first attempt at a win so far this season. Hoping to build and improve from the games last weekend. Menth talked about the team’s strengths and weaknesses. “We tied both games which is an improvement, a win would have been better.. but our team made some huge steps in improvement. we learned we can come back from being down mid game. and we do have the skills to be successful,” she said. “However. there is weakness in a lot of young players. They are talented but they are still learning how photo taken by Nora Dahlberg to play in college level hockey. But we hold strength in 5 solid senior leaders, and a team eager to learn.” Jess Olson, senior, also added her thoughts about the team starting to improve after last weekend’s games. “We took huge steps last weekend against St. Benedicts. As a team, we started believing in each other. The shots on net increased, and there was an intensity on the ice and the bench that has not been there in other games. We just need to string three solid periods together. We are not satisfied with the ties, happy for the points but ready to get some wins,” she said. In order to continue improving the team has several physically tough workouts a week. Practice is an hour and a half, four times a week. They condition for the first 20 minutes of practice, then work on skills for the next 30 minutes, and finish with system and special teams. Plus Monday and Wednesday they have weight training, stick handling, abs, and foot work. Finally, Friday and Saturday are set aside for game days. Each practice and game the team has one big goal in mind: playoffs. Menth and Olsen both agree that the team hopes to make the playoffs this year. Two tough games against St. Thomas Dec. 12 and 13 will be the next big challenge for the women’s squadron. “Wejust came offa great weekend, and I am hoping it continues into our series with St. Thomas this weekend! I am looking forward to our underdog team knocking other teams out and making playoffs," Olson said. Five seniors will leave the team after this season, Olson and Menth included. They are both hoping for a successful last season. The team hopes to start improving their record this weekend against St. Thomas, Dec. 12 at 1:45 pm. at the Augsburg Ice Arena. Show less
Surviving winter break, page 8 o The College’s Student-Produced Newspaper Music Revrews, page 7 Friday, December 11, 2009 provides day of relaxation ASHLEY ABBATE Stafl Writer On Friday, Dec. 1 1, the Women’s Resource Center is putting on their annual Spa Day event. It may sound a little like the... Show moreSurviving winter break, page 8 o The College’s Student-Produced Newspaper Music Revrews, page 7 Friday, December 11, 2009 provides day of relaxation ASHLEY ABBATE Stafl Writer On Friday, Dec. 1 1, the Women’s Resource Center is putting on their annual Spa Day event. It may sound a little like the Detox Week Events that Augsburg had earlier this semester, but as the posters say, “the end of the semester draws near, do you find yourself anxious, stressed, and overwhelmed by life’s demands? No worries because SPA DAY is fast approaching!” Martial arts comes to Augsburg Minneapolis, Minnesota Women’s Resource Center This event is about self—centering, and de-stressing. It is also a chance to get ready for finals and to learn about products that are toxic. Director of the Women’s Resource Center. Jessica Nathanson says “it’s a chance for students—and staff and faculty too-to relax at the end of the semester and get psychologically ready for finals week.” I The event takes place in the Women’s Resource Centre in 207 Sverdrup. It will go from one in the aftemoon until five in the See SPA, page 2 Spa 363/ Dede/rider ll Momen‘é I (eéoarcte Cancer Student film screening this Sunday showing. MELISSA MONSON StafiWriter ' Freshman Tayo Johnson has been in Tae Kwon Do since she was eight years old. Johnson has brought her love and knowledge of Tae Kwon Do to Augsburg by forming the Martial Art’s Club. A one-hour meeting on the back— ground and rules will be held Fri— day from 5-6 pm. in the Marshall Room. Johnson’s interest in Tae Kwon Do originated with church. “It [was] with my church; my church was giving free Tae Kwon Do lessons,” she said. Once Johnson became more advanced, she eventually moved on to a martial art‘s studio in Rose- mount called Northwest Martial Although Johnson voiced her interest in forming a club many months ago, it was just approved as a club three weeks ago and she says she is “extremely excited to do this.” Johnson says that she had help from Pehn Lo, the Director of Pan-Asian Student Services. Lo will be the club’s faculty adviser, since every student club must have one. BECCA ANDERSEN StaflWriter A student film festival will be shown on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 2 pm in the Film/TV studio of Foss. The films that will be shown are the final projects of the students in Film Production One; generally, this is the first class that a Film Major would take at Augsburg. Jon Wulff, Mychal Batson, Phoebe Bottoms, Sergio Monterrubio, Andrea Bussey, Gina Westefield, Taylor Kaiser- Gajeski, Molly O’Donnell, Joe Lichtscheidl, Ann Marlot, Cole Oosterhuis, Adam Spanier, Jacob Steffen, Charlie Textor, Rose Wells, Breanna Kennedy, and Joshua Barsness will be showcasing their choice best works of the semester at the Because it was open-ended, the project made way for a variety of filmwalthough, they are all black and white, silent, and were shot on 16 mm film. Students also created supporting soundtracks. About half of the class consists of Film Majors, said Carly Lassegard, film student and T.A, for Film Production One. “I think that having a showing for the classes is important because it gives the students a chance to show their best work to their friends and family, including the Film and Communications faculty,” she said. The professor of Film Production One, Wes Ellenwood, along with the T.A.’s for the class, Lassegard and Joe Funk, coordinated the showing. But the Arts. See MARTIAL, page 2 students will be putting their own See FILM, page 2 Augsburg’s Velkommen Jul kicks off holiday season ION PETERSON Stafi Writer Last Friday, Augsburg kicked off the holiday season with its annual Velkommen Jul celebration. The event began with a chapel service where Finnish and Norwegian hymns were sung. The service also featured a visit by “St. Nicholas" himself a.k.a. Pastor Dave Wold. The service was followed by a large reception in the Christiansen Center commons. Upon entering the C hristiansen Center. the guests were met by Augsburg‘s own Gospel Praise singers. as they performed Christmas carols welcoming the community to the holiday event. The Christiansen Center lobby also had gifts and food available for purchase. The cafeteria and commons were filled with hundreds of alumni. faculty. students and community brought together in the name of Scandinavian treats and festive sweaters. In fact. se\ eral Augsburg associates wore traditional. colorful "bunads." These bunads are folk outfits that usually involve a long dress and shirt with ornate designs. Holiday garb was indeed prevalent as were tasty Norwegian pseudo-cookies. These included: “Krumkake,” “Kranser,” “Fattigman,” “Rosettes,” and the ever popular “Jul Spritz.” And no Norwegian celebration would be complete without “Lefse,” (a potato based flatbread tortilla)’ and “Gjetost” (a sweet, dark goat cheese). Some of the recipes dated back to the families of Augsburg’s earliest Seminary students that came over from Norway. Several of the recipes have been passed down through difierent generations. and have been staples at Velkommen Jul each year. Velkommen Jul is a Norwegian celebration in Norway "Escorting in the Season“ or in other words welcoming the Yuletide. It has celebrated across the country and throughout the world. but Augsburg is one of the few colleges to make it a formal event. The jovial gathering was a precursor to the perennial largest event in Augsburg history. this being the Advent Tahoto taken by Stephe Geflr; Vespers Christmas Concert at Central Lutheran in downtown Minneapolis. Volume CXVI, Issue 10 Upcoming Augsburg 7| Events ASAC Battle Of The Bands Different bands perform live. Vote for your favorite band. Friday. December I 1 East C ommans 7: 00 p. m. AUGSBURG STEWARDS Fuel Up F or Finals The Augsburg Stewards and the Office ofAlumni Relations would like to lift your spirits if only for a moment! There will be free pizza and prizes. Friday December 11 Student Lounge 4:00 11m. ART DEPARMENT “Diva Inhabited " Reception Greta Sundquist’s Senior Art Show. Food and refreshments! F riday, December 11 Student Art Gallery 5:30 p. m. DANCE TEAM Augsburg Dance Team Show Come watch the Augsburg Dance team, Minnesota Timberwolves Dance Team, and other collegiate dance teams Saturday, December 12 Si Melby Hall [I :00 a.m. FILM DEPARMENT Fall Film Screening Fall Semester 2009 screening of 16 mm student films Sunday, December 13 TV Studio, Foss Center 2:00 p. m. THEATER DEPARMENT Scenes in American Drama The recital of scenes and monologues performed by Beginning Acting, THR232 Thursday, December 15 at Horn/rom-Nelrun Theater 7 :00 pm. CAMPUS MINISTRY Redeemer Christmas Store Coordinate fun activities, play Wii. run mini—basketball, create arts and crafts. chat, and smile! Saturday. December I 2 Meet at Chapel 8:30 am. Following the Christmas Store. we will be caroling with our elderly neighbors at Ebenee/er Towers Saturday, December 12 5 .‘ 00 am. Show less
Page 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota Frida, December 11, 2009 Day atadent ychmment re-relcadw 95 , hence IASMINEZANDANDSAMSMITH DayStudentBodySenator/DayStudentBodyPresident This year the 95 Theses has changed a little bit. You may have noticed that there are significantly less this year than 95.‘... Show morePage 2 NEWS Minneapolis, Minnesota Frida, December 11, 2009 Day atadent ychmment re-relcadw 95 , hence IASMINEZANDANDSAMSMITH DayStudentBodySenator/DayStudentBodyPresident This year the 95 Theses has changed a little bit. You may have noticed that there are significantly less this year than 95.‘ The Student Concerns committee (after discus- sions with President Pn'bbenow and the blessing of the Board of Regents) has decided to publish 8 theses that broadly encompass the specific collected concerns from the student body. This way, we can administer the changes to the correct places eficiently and respond back to the student body with the progress we’ve made. Don’t get won'ied about not seeing unique, individual concerns. We have all of your specific requests in our documents and we are working to ensure that each one is responded to. You may have seen the 95 Theses in last week’s issue. The 95 Theses that were posted last week was an internal document and an early drafi. Augsburg Day Student Government realizes that last week’s article may have appeared absurd, trivial, and pos- sibly even insignificant, and we can assure the Augsburg community that it has always been our intent to refiame these concerns in ways that will allow broad, productive conversations; for instance, figuring out ways in which A’Viands and the student body can communicate more effectively. Please disregard last week’s article and reference this one below in the future. You can also find the theses on the student government webpage, www.augsburg.edu/stugov and can email concems@augsburg.edu if you have any suggestions for us. In our community of Augsburg—Cum Civilitas Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light. the following propositions will be discussed at Augsburg, under the presidency of Dr: Paul C. Pribbenow.’ Wherefore we submit these theses on behalf of those unable to be present and debate orally with us may do so by letter: Cum civilitas, it is our burden to” convince you for the worthiness of these theses. Ya, we humbly ask of you, the administrator of our gieat community, to join in conversation with us about these ideals that we find to be important. These are ideas and concerns that we must work on as a community. - We as a community demand a higher commitment to quality and service firm A 'Viands. .- We as a community demandstronger; more collabormivepmgrmhgbem student organizations. ' - rWe as a community demand a higher commitment to improving shared student spaces. ° We as a community demand a higher comrriitment to maintaining and improving student living spaces. ' ‘ - We as a community demand more student input on academic success. - We as a community must address issues of transportation and the commuter student experience. - - We as a community demand a higher commitment to student safety and well-being. - We as a comunity demand a higher commitment to publicizing college corn- munity events. 2‘ Don’t . 5nyy I Write for the ECHO. Augsburg College Echo Fall 2009 Staff Edimw'm-thef Molly Ehling Sergio Monterrubio Becki lverson Molly Ehling Malena Thoson Becki Iverson Fear es 'tor Qpr Editor Andrea Sanow Ted Conover Milking; Khmnfliitnt Dave Madsen Kendra Christiansen Qpigiogsl Editorials @1th Advertising Manager Roger Huelsniu Sarah Gillund Spoggs Editor Eggglty Adviser Ed Shehwen Boyd Koehler 731 let Avenue S, CB 148 Minneapolis, Minnesota 55454 E-mail — echo@augsburg.edu Phone - (612) 330—1 102 Tips — echotips@gmail.com Fax — (612) 330-1666 The Augsburg Echo is published each Friday — except during vacation periods and holidays — by the students of Augsburg College. Opinions expressed in the Echo are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the supporting staff, administration, faculty, alumni/ac orthe remainder of the students. The Echo does not necessarily promote the products or services it advertises. Advertisements can be placed in the Echo by contacting the advertising manager. Submissions are welcome and can be sent to echo@augsbing.edu. All submis- sions should be between 500-700 words and accompanied by the writer‘s name and contact infommion. All submissions become the property of the Echo and are subject to revision. The Echo reserves the right to edit submitted material because of spa limita- tions. repetitive subject matter, libelous content or any other reason the utitors deem appropriate. Printed by Print Group Midwest on recycled paper. MARTIAL, page 1 Johnson will be the main instructor of the club, teaching the Korean form of Tae Kwon Do called Jhoon Rhe. Although this will be the main form of martial arts taught, Johnson says that it will be a combination of many styles of martial arts. She is planning to have guest instructors teach the students their particular style of martial arts, so students get introduced to many aspects of martial arts, not just one. The other instructors from the Augsburg campus will include Lo, Houa Lor, and Eugene Talatala. The club is free to join for all Augsburg students; however, Johnson only requires that people buy their own martial art’s uniforms. In order to make sure SPA, page 1 evening. So if students need something to do after class, or need to relax before their night classes, this would be a great event to take part in. Students will get to enjoy wonderful food, free massages, and a free Laughter Yoga session. The massages will last ten minutes, and they are one per attendee. The Women’s Resource Center would like to note that students should sign up for these earlier in the day because the slots fill up very fast. Starting at four o’clock, the Center will have Laughter Yoga. Laughter Yoga: “is a unique style of yoga that focuses on stress reduction through various laughter exercises. FILM, page 1 films on the projector during the event in order to personally showcase their best work. Lassegard said, “It is also important to advertise the film classes and film program in general, because in the past it has not gotten a lot of recognition.” But the program has expanded in recent years, and its double-digit growth is not ceasing. The number of film majors coming to Augsburg is increasing rapid, said Lassegard. all students are learning at the same level, she says, “Everybody’s going to start out as a no belt.” She says that it all depends on how much effort a student puts into learning martial arts. Since fall se- mester is almost over, Johnson is planning what the club will do for spring semester. She is considering a two—hour class on Fridays next semester; however, she says that it will depend on what schedule works for the students. For now, check out the Martial Art’s Club’s first meeting today in the Marshall Room from 5—6 pm. A Laughter Yoga instructor from the Twin Cities will be joining us to lead the session,” Lucreshia Grant said. While all these things will be happening, they will also have a local Native American artist selling her handcrafted work. This will include beaded jewelry, drums, dream—catchers, medicine bags, headbands, and other things. So next Friday, stop by the Women’s Resource Centre for free massages, laughter, food, and goodies. It is sure to make students feel better about the coming week and de-stress them for finals. Not only is spending a relaxing afternoon watching a festival of quality films a great reason to attend the film showing on Sunday, but supporting the growth and recognition of the Augsburg Film Department and the hardworking students within it is also a worthy cause. Student talent provides for a finished product of quality, appreciation, and accomplishment. {Interested In , lWriting News Articles? l l email our news editor: David Madsen 1 madsend@augsburg.edu r l Q Free English Bulldog! IhaveafemdeENGLlSHBUuDOtheakuqvaeciMed avaihbietorFREE adoptionJhedogisoutsumingandune... wowlwokatthenoseropeandvridescnmsbabyp'fluod apummtecoatmdsheisadazzleduotmmmthatshezsflc Ct-isiredbyodyflrua’ssoldbergandshelsbobmforagood andcarirghomeJhaveaflmehealmmdsmdsoifyodrenmm inprovitfingmedogabeflerhom,menfeeiireetocmuctmat j mpetegssyahooccm for madetzdsand prams. thank you kindly. Show less
Friday, December 11, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota The 30 greatest rock albums of the 20005, part one - JONATHAN KRAMER Contributor With the birth of iTunes, the intemet making music a click away, and mass-produced recording software (Protools), music of the new millennium was unlirnitedly diverse.... Show moreFriday, December 11, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota The 30 greatest rock albums of the 20005, part one - JONATHAN KRAMER Contributor With the birth of iTunes, the intemet making music a click away, and mass-produced recording software (Protools), music of the new millennium was unlirnitedly diverse. Over the next few weeks, I want to tackle the most prevalent and challenging topic I’ve discussed: “The 30 Greatest Rock Albums of the 2000s.” All these albums share a desire to be honest, emotional, ambitious, and innovative. I hope all readers can be as simulated and engrossed with this as I was when I wrote it. I hope to convey why I feel these albums are spectacular and together comprise the 30 greatest rock albums of the past millennium. I highly encourage any feedback or discussion; you can e-mail me at kramerj@augsburg.edu with any comments, questions, or insight. This list does not include any hip-hop, jam or country. Read, converse, enjoy. 30. Merriweather Post Pavilion: Animal Collective In 2009’s best album, Animal Collective perfected their bizarre sound. Meriwether Post Pavilion is their most accessible album yet. It has elements of electronic “psychedelia” wrapped around sweet melo— dies. It’s an odd original trip. 29. Turn on the Bright Lights: Interpol With their modern New York take on Joy Division and other post- punk bands, Interpol came out strong with Turn on the Bright Lights Easily comparable to Ian Curtis, Paul Banks’ voice echoes through dense and eerie guitar lines. TONTB sheds new light on black angst. 28. Truce: The Bill Mike Band Albums should never be judged solely by its songs or songwriting, but also the musicians’ themselves. The Bill Mike Band is comprised of the most authentic modern musicians. With dedication to their craft, Bill Mike, Chris Morrissey, Steve Goold, surpass the talent that most musician should have. But more importantly, all three of have gentle souls and tender hearts. These are your true modern rock stars. 27. For Emma, Forever Ago: Bon Iver Alter breaking up both with his band, “DeYarmond Edison,” and his girlfriend, Justin Vernon moved from North Carolina to a cabin in the wilderness of Wisconsin. There he isolated himself with nothing but - a recorder and an acoustic guitar. Three months later, he emerged with For Emma Forever Ago. He only made 500 copies that he handed them out to friends. It later found itself in the hands of indie-record company, Jagjaguwar. In this album you can hear his longing, its haunting. For Emma Forever Ago is pure, fragile, and untouched. Loneliness was the ‘ perfect companion during his seclusion. 26. The Garden State Soundtrach Various Artists Before there was the “Indie” movement, before there was Pitchfork media, there was the Garden State Soundtrack. In this album, the only soundtrack on this list, Zack Braff exposed pop culture to the low-fi sounds of The Shins, Thievery Corporation, Iron & Wine, and Zero 7 25. The Woods: Sleater Kinney The Woods is the final album from the indie rock trio Sleater-Kinney. Their punk undertones are unmistakable on this album. The all female group then incorporated heavier classic rock into their writing process. The result was their heaviest album since Dig Me Out. 24. Ga Ga Ga Ga: Spoon Not a lot of people will admit this, but Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a pop album. But its Spoon’s attention to start pop songs that make this album special. Their songwriting is matured and at its finest. The rhythms are dense and textured. Their rhythm and blues low-end bass lines and muddy drums blend well with their clean guitars and organic piano. The albums mix is warm and alluring. But its also raw and live. They find a happy medium between their pop tunes and edgy raw psychedelic ideas with their studio banter and tomfoolery. 23. The Moon & Antarctica: Modest Mouse This album feels like the Beatles circa Abbey Road on ‘shrooms. The music is unconventional; it has a lonely and sad atmosphere to it. But all of this is balanced with frontrnan Isaac Brook. He is a captivating vocalist. I was surprised with every song he wrote. He used his voice as a bludgeoning weapon. He rants and scats like a punk, yet tells stories like a folk artist. He is a crazed pied piper and I enjoyed the ride. 22. By the Way: The Red Hot Chili Peppers Reports suggested that Flea, bassist of the RHCP almost quit dur- ing the recording of this album. The reason for this is the same reason why this album is so outstanding: John Frusciante’s insalubrious drive to make a perfect record. His efforts were rewarded with an album that is filled with dense textured vocal harmonies and melodic guitar parts. By The Way shows Frusciante for the true genius he is. 21. Murray Street: Sonic Youth Sonic Youth teams with up experimental rock genesis Jim O’Rourke to release their 2002 album Murray Street. According to Pitchfork Media, “Sonic Youth’s first successful convergence of envelope-pushing guitar- work and accessible songery since 1988. I’m smart enough to not go too far down the dead-end alleyway of Daydream Nation comparisons, but I’ll admit it reminds me a helluva of that masterwork.” Thurstan Moore embraced the guitar more melodically. There was more guitar and noise since any album since Goo. The feel of the album is loose and warm. The songs are more “jammish.” This was the return to rock for Sonic Youth. All these elements can all be attributed to July 4, 1999. In the middle of the night all of their gear, amps and instruments were stolen. They then were forced to record with limited resources, resulting in their avant-garde “NYC Ghosts and Flowers." Murray Street was recorded when they reconnected with their roots (and some instruments). You can hear that they love playing live and loud guitar again. Check back next issue for numbers 20-11 ! The best music of 2009 . NATHAN BARRETT Contributor I would first like to thank anyone actually reading this article, but I would also like to place a disclaimer on these reviews. These releases are not critically acclaimed, or what you will find on other critics lists; this list simply reflects my weird musical tastes, and my obsessive interest in certain musical artists. I have chosen three albums that, quite literally, I have not been able to stop listening to. Since these albums came out, I could have deleted everything else ofi" of my computer, and have been perfectly content on listening to these songs for the next 365 days. 1. Mason Jennings — Blood of Man For the past three years, I have had an unstable, unhealthy, and slightly strange obsession with Mason Jennings. Let me start at the beginning: For as long as I can remember. until I started college, Bob Dylan was my favorite artist. hands down. Then Dylan decided to release such things as Modern Times. and more recently Christmas at Heart. which. coming from a lifelong fan. is by far his worst album to date. Since then I knew I needed to find someone else, preferably from Minnesota, who was every bit the musician and songwriter that Dylan was. With those standards Mason Jennings was the only choice. Since then, I have seen Mason Jennings six times and have purchased all of his records. In October, I bought Blood of Man and I could not stop listening to the raw electric sound that seemed to be waiting in the shadows over his first eight albums. Songs like “The Field” and “Pittsburg” provide a combination of excellent songwriting and driving rock. I believe that Blood of Man is Mason’s best album to date. And, after seeing him live so many times, I believe that his best work is yet to come. 2. Jay-Z — The Blueprint 3 I believe that this deserves an explanation as well, because with the other two albums, The Blueprint 3 doesn’t really fit. If you have ever seen me around campus, I look more of a lumberjack (it’s because of the flannel) than someone who would own three vinyl records of Hova’s. I think for the past three years, Jay—Z has been trying unsuccessfully to recreate the accomplishments of The Blueprint. Now nearly three later, I believe that he has done that with The Blueprint 3. Every time I hear “Empire State of Mind” with Alicia Keys, I can’t help but pretend I am a rapper and wave my arms crazily. The same holds true for my favorite Jay-Z songs: “Run This Town,” “Hola Hovito,” “Encore,” and “Lucifer.” If you like to pretend you are a rapper, listen to The Blueprint 3 by ~ J ay-Z. 3. The Avett Brothers — 1 and Love and You The Avett Brothers release, I andLove and You taught me one very important lesson: Bluegrass is the coolest thing since sliced bread. I first heard the song, “Kick-Drum Heart” off of this release and immediately I was hooked. The Avett Brothers are a quartet from South Carolina. Scott Avett who plays the banjo, Seth Avett who plays the guitar. Bob Crawford and Joe Kwon, who play the stand-up bass and cello, respectively, join Scott and Seth Avett. This album has more heartbreakineg beautiful songs than I have heard in a very long time. Please, if you do not believe that banjo can be as awesome and badass as any other instrument out there, listen to the Avett Brothers as soon as possible. Page 7 VARIETY, "VA-List MALENA Tucson Aé-E Editor Theater La Natividad Heart of the Beast Theatre December 11, 13, 17-20 6:30PM 612-721—2535 Tickets: $27.50, $20 for groups of 10+ 1500 E Lake St, Minneapolis www.hobt.org A Klingon Christmas Carol Mixed Blood Theatre Fri—Sat, Dec. 11-12, 8PM Sunday, Dec. 13, 6PM 612-338—6131 Tickets: $14-$18 1501 4th St S, Minneapolis www.mixedblood.com Television Exhibit 2009 British Television Advertising Awards Cinema and McGuire Theater Walker Art Center Thurs-Sun, Dec. 4-Jan. 2 Various Times Tickets: $10 ($8 Walker members) 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis 612-375-7588 www.walkerart.org Music Spirits of the Red City With theater production: The Silent Bell Saturday, Jan. 2, 10:00PM Bryant Lake Bowl Theater 612-825-8949 Tickets: $10 810 W Lake St, Minneapolis http://www.brownpapertickets. com/event/9 l 948 Andrew Bird St. Mark’s Cathedral Fri.-Sat., Dec. 11-12, 8PM Tickets: $29-$34 519 Oak Grove St, Minneapolis Tickets available by phone at: 800-745-3000. at The Electric Fetus, or online at: ww.ticketmastcr.com Film Fall Student Film Screening 16mm Productions Sunday, December 13 2:00 pm. TV Studio, Foss Center Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave, Minneapolis 612-330-1349 Show less
Page 4 OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Minneapolis, Minnesota In response to the Day Student Gov. 95 'Iheses 10E Fmsrnorvr Contributor In reading the Echo it is rare that I ever come across an article that is as displeasing as the piece submitted by the day student government in last week’s issue. The... Show morePage 4 OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS Minneapolis, Minnesota In response to the Day Student Gov. 95 'Iheses 10E Fmsrnorvr Contributor In reading the Echo it is rare that I ever come across an article that is as displeasing as the piece submitted by the day student government in last week’s issue. The article, titled Day Student gov. Releases 95 Theses, is in my opinion an example of thoughtless, petty, and whiney garbage. Let me tell you why. First off, it is my understanding that the role of the student government is to represent the needs of the student body. In looking at the thesis posted in the Echo I found only a few items that really matter to all students. For example, why on earth does the waffle maker need to be lefl out all day in the cafeteria? Why include an item about ping pong when there is already a table set up in the lounge? Since when do these items pertain to all but a select few? This brings me to my second issue with the article: why is the student government wasting time on issues like having “nicer DPS officers” and student athletes not having to take Foundations of Fitness? Are there not more serious issues on which to focus? When addressing the president of the college shouldn’t they be more concerned with how we as a student body understand, connect to, and live out the mission of the college? In my opinion the student government should be committed to connecting the ideas of the students to those of the administration and vice versa. I found the article to lack insight in this area. My next point pertains to a personal pet—peeve: whining. It is unbecoming of everyone (including college students), yet the draflers of the theses managed to whine like small children. I’ve read the list of theses multiple times, noticing each time that most of the items presented are problems which can easily be solved. For example, if you want cleaner bathrooms, engage the student body to help keep them clean. If you want professors to provide more academic challenges, engage them yourself. If you want to know the gym times, look it up or ask. If you think the cafeteria workers are rude, try thanking them. If DPS isn’t being nice, it’s probably your fault. Why should president Pribbenow waste his time with these issues? The article failed to recognize that each student has a responsibility to help maintain and improve the environment of our campus. Whining is not a productive way of making changes on campus. What it comes down to is that the theses posted by the student government are trivial and poorly presented. I won’t say that the article didn’t bring up at least some important ideas but they are lost amongst the thoughtless and badly articulated ideas that made up the majority of the list. As a student I am embarrassed to be represented in such a form. I encourage the student government to do more researching and deep thinking before presenting concerns to the president in the future. And by all means, if you think I am wrong, let me know. , December 11, 2009 What Are You Waiting For? Write Your OpinionFor The Echo echo@augsburg.edu ASK PRESIDENT P. President Paul Pribbenow How are we doing? N0 pressing questions this week, so I thought I’d offer a few end of the semester reflections on how I think things are going at Augsburg. One of the central themes of the Advent season in the Christian tradition is what it means to live in the tension between now and not yet. This theme is very much on my mind as we navigate between the day to day present work of the college and at the same time plan for Augsburg’s future. We must pay attention to both now and not yet, and make sure that our work together is focused on keeping the college strong in the near term while we also look to a longer horizon that requires our thoughtfirl planning. The good news for Augsburg is that the “now” is solid and stable. As I’ve reported in other settings and communications, we are seeing markers of real progress and strength in our daily work: - Students are engaged and active, and maybe even happy. I visited with a large group of first-year students last week in their AugSem and was pleased to hear how much they were enjoying Augsburg. I’m especially proud of the “Fate of the Earth” Integrated Term, which has received lots of media attention. I also think our student senates have been doing good work. Student~led work on the 350.0rg project in October and on preparing the “95 Theses” in November show me that our students are taking responsibility for making Augsburg even stronger. And the Campus Kitchen program, also led by students, has won awards and increased funding this fall because of its growth in responding to the needs of our neighbors. - Teaching and scholarship are first and foremost for our remarkable faculty members. but they also are engaging in our identity and mission conversations and on helping to establish academic strategy. And they are always considering how we can build on our institutional values and centers of academic excellence to pursue new initiatives. like our efforts in Russia, China and even down the road in Bloomington. - Student enrollment last year. this year and in early results for next year are beyond projections in most of our programs, and especially strong for the day undergraduate and graduate programs. - Our college finances are strong. Because of lots of good work by budget managers, we had a balanced budget last fiscal year in the midst of the economic crisis, and we are running ahead of budget projections for this year (which include being able to offer salary increases to all faculty and staff) toward a significant surplus. Budget planning for next year shows that our overall financial model is working, and we plan to meet some key strategic objectives in next year’s budget, including further investments in faculty salaries, increasing support for discretionary expenses, continued enhancement of student aid, and continuing to make strong progress on the upkeep of our physical plant. - Fundraising also has been strong, despite a tough environment for asking people for money. We raised more last year than the year before and are running significantly ahead in Augsburg Fund this year toward a goal of a 25 percent increase in unrestricted support. Our capital campaign work has been slower than we might like, but we are aggressively telling the story of the Center for Science, Business and Religion and have raised almost $4.2 million toward the campaign goal of $50 million in the midst of a time when people were not yet be ready to give — though that environment seems to be improving as well. - And there is so much more to celebrate: I’m proud of the leadership of our athletics staff and coaches, both in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and in the NCAA; we have developed some fine partnerships that are enhancing our work and image as a college, especially our work with the Center for Democracy and Citizenship, the Bush Foundation (with which we are working on improving teacher education) and the Bonner Foundation (which is helping us prepare our students to be civic leaders); and our increasingly strong alliances with the Associated College of the Twin Cities (ACTC) and the Minnesota Private College Council. But what about the “not yet?” This is the inspiring and fun work we have begun to engage in the past couple of years. We organize our strategic thinking in commissions — in the past few years, students, faculty and staff have been part of commissions on enrollment, adult programs, identity, the financial future, and strategic alliances and partnerships. The work of those commissions during the past three years has now begun to provide a clear scaffolding for envisioning Augsburg’s future. We are setting a horizon for our work together that reflects good thinking on many levels, relevant data and evidence about best practices and the marketplace, and the values and aspirations of the college community. A few examples to highlight: - Vice President and Dean of the College Barbara Farley has engaged an academic strategic innovations conversation with her faculty colleagues that is helping to articulate our commitments to academic programs that honor the diversity of our student populations, to build alliances and partnerships that strengthen our core academic work, e.g., with the ACTC, Bush Foundation, and in China, and that seeks even more imaginative ways to serve the growing non-traditional adult market in the region with our distinctive, rigorous Augsburg curriculum and experience. - Vice President and Chief Financial Oflicer Kevin Myren has led a year-long exploration of our financial future, and has put together a long—terrn financial model and plan that allows us to see how decisions we make now about our highest priorities as a college can be planned for over the course of several years. We are linking strategy and budgeting in very significant ways. For example, we now have a plan for faculty compensation that will be implemented over the next four to five years, appropriately putting Augsburg faculty salaries in a better position in comparison with peer institutions. - As I mentioned in my column a couple of weeks ago, a group of faculty, staff and students have been working intensively this fall on our “Green by 2019” plan to show what we intend to do in the next ten years to reduce our carbon footprint and model what it means to be a sustainable community. Some of the initiatives in the plan are already in place — for example, no trays in the cafeteria, windpower, community gardens — others will require several years to implement a reducing energyuse around campus and encouraging more public transportation, but we are setting our immediate efions in the context of this long-range plan to ensure that Augsburg is living out its deep commitment to urban sustainability. - A final example, the work to design the Center for Science, Business and Religion, which now is over, has led to a renewed focus on the overall campus master plan — I hope you all have seen the campus plan model on display in the Oren Gateway lobby. Again, there are immediate priorities like the Center for Science, Business and Religion and the ongoing upkeep of campus, but the campus master plan group (now led by a Board of Regents committee) has a horizon for claiming this campus as a model urban setting and making decisions about priorities and investments that are based not on short-term impact but on distant effects. I hope this gives you a flavor of how we are working in that place where now and not yet intersect. We’ve named three broad strategic pathways for the work we’re doing on this front: (1) building a culture of innovation and excellence, (2) ensuring student success, and (3) telling the Augsburg story in word and deed. I think you begin to see how the experience, expertise and passion of the Augsburg community come together in these pathways — continuing to focus on doing things better on behalf of our students and for the world. Augsburg at its best, I believe. There is more work to be done, of course, and we surely will face new challenges, but I am confident that we have now mapped out a way forward that enables us to keep Augsburg healthy in the present and immediate firture, while at the same time positioning us to live into an even stronger firture, grounded in a clear understanding of who we are, what we aspire to be and how we might best navigate the realities of the world in which we do our work. My thanks to all of you who help in this important work. I wish the entire Augsburg community a Merry Christmas and all the best for the new year. Show less
Friday, Dember 11, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota NeWs demagoguery: an omen of reform A six-month sabbatical and journalism as a civic duty provide a new model for the news industry. Asnunr DRESSER Published.- 11/18/2009 Minmxota Daily Watching the newspaper industry attempt to reinvent itself... Show moreFriday, Dember 11, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota NeWs demagoguery: an omen of reform A six-month sabbatical and journalism as a civic duty provide a new model for the news industry. Asnunr DRESSER Published.- 11/18/2009 Minmxota Daily Watching the newspaper industry attempt to reinvent itself before its final hour is kind of like watching my grandmother dress herself 40 years younger in time for her cardiology appointment. “Don’t you think these pantyhose make my legs look slimmer?” she requests. Iarnreminded of the 100 Star Tribune jobs that were slashed this month in the wake of their exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Yes, the Stn'b is now “slimmer,” but there is no promise in how long their pantyhose are going to hold, especially with the kind of financial deficiencies lurking underneath. Watching the newspaper industry attempt to reinvent itself before its final hour is kind of like watching my grandmother dress herself 40 years younger in time for her cardiology appointment. “Don’t you think these pantyhose make my legs look slimmer?” she requests. I am reminded of the 100 Star Tribune jobs that were slashed this month in the wake of their exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Yes, the Strib is now “slimmer,” but there is no promise in how long their pantyhose are going tohold, especially with the kind of financial deficiencies lurking undemeat “And how about this Staying ROGER HUELSNITZ Opinions Editotr I think if I hear the word ‘economy’ again, I think I may implode. The recession, the recession, foreclosure’s, foreclosure’s, the budget sucks, never enough money, healthcare sucks, nobody can get coverage, pre-existing conditions don’t get covered. What does that mean exactly, pre—existing conditions? do they mean conditions that were present before I existed, because if that’s the case, why the hell can’t I get coverage? Anyway, as I was saying, there’s never enough money, and too many poor. The poor can’t afford homes, homes no longer available for people who can afford them. Recession, recession, financial recession, economical- red lipstick?” she asks, making a face that only porn stars should. It looks just like the cover of last week’s Pioneer Press: two big, bold-faced banner ads on the front page, screaming “take me fast and easy.” But I dare not disparage my grandmother out loud. In our society, it is customary that we respect and take care of our elders, however old and decrepit they may be. They are still our best hope for obtaining concrete facts, interpreting new information and providing a historical perspective to understand our world. You could say the same about the newspaper industry, yet we seem to be content with casting it aside. According to a 2008 Pew Research Center poll, 46 percent of the public relies heavily on local and major network news to stay informed. Television was the primary news source for 26 percent of those surveyed. These are not new facts, but what’s increasing my alarm is the type of people our new preferences have continued to prop up. Take last week’s Sean Hannity snafu. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart called out Fox News’s use of footage from a larger Sept. 12 “tea party” gathering to illustrate a much smaller health care rally on Capitol Hill last week. The segment aired on Hannity’s show and although Hannity apologized on-air to Jon Stewart for being afloat, and keeping sane political and social recession, my hair recession, receding to the back of my frickin’ head, depression, I’m depressed, life sucks, and you suck, we all suck, work sucks, my job sucks, my car sucks gas by trillions of gallons every year, but I guess that’s the one good thing is that gas prices are staying relatively stable, don’t ya’ think? For being the most prominent, successful, richest, and most pop— culture-esque society the world has ever seen, we are sure in one hell of a pickle aren’t we, but I have a secret to tell you . . . I like pickles. I’m not kidding; I want more. You think the economy’s bad? baby you ain’t seen nothing yet. Let the buildings crumble and the streets fill with fire and brimstone. I mean c’mon, the recession just cooled my bones. It was nothing; I wanna feel the heat baby, bring caught, he didn’t apologize to the rest of us. CNN’s Lou Dobbs also recently delivered his resignation, suspiciously timed with increased scrutiny over his anti-immigration statements. After an errant hunter’s shot was fired on his house three weeks ago, Dobbs concocted yet another conspiracy theory against the Latino community on his show. Latinos were already carrying out a campaign to cancel Dobbs due to his persistently baseless commentary, but CNN likely dubbed the gunshot grandstanding: the final nail in his coffin. This kind of poor, opinion- based “reporting” is what passes for news today; we seem willing to sacrifice quality and content for the sake of speed and entertainment. And so I ask you, have we learned nothing from some of the world’s most brilliant minds? Thoreau, Joyce, Hemingway and others, who took care to live in relative seclusion? And what about those who, if not physically in exile, pursued a state of mind that kept them close to it: Kerouac, Thompson and Freud to name a few. In order to make sense of the madness of Earth, these giants deemed it necessary to disconnect from what is familiar and expected. They let go and sometime later, they came out with some of the greatest insights of our time. Whatever happened to it onl! I want my fn'ckin’ house to burn down while I’m playing my PS3, which by the way isn’t covered under my insurance. I want to be slapped around and tipped upside down, and let the change pour out of my pockets, and give it to that burn I should’ve given a dollar to last week. Okay I’m being a little extreme, but extreme is good, especially when you’re having an extremely lot of fun! Which is what we all should be ‘trying’ to do this Christmas. For a few moments, let’s try to let go of the bad times, stop concentrating on this ‘great depression.’ Also, for those of you who like to make comparisons, if you think this recession is anything close to the actual ‘Great Depression’ that occurred in this country years ago, you need to have your head examined. We are not even close to what this country .i f That’s right. W’e'll pay yen to do that. Seeking college—educated students and professucnals ages 18—39 tor donations that ml! help infertile couples in need. Average visit earns $100 $0 CRYQQ X1." 5 went through at that time. I guess what I’m trying to say is, let’s rejoice in this madness, revel in it, and have fun! There are many days where I wake up, thinking about how broke I am, and then I realize that those type of _ days are some of . the best. The days www.123donate.com when you really v‘si‘i at! «ensue and start the screening process new, Stmggled to ‘Stay afloat’ and find praising these six-month to seven- year sabbaticals? Today, the staying power of the sabbatical is a secret that I’m pretty sure nobody knows, except for Johnny Depp. Have you ever noticed how Depp manages to make himself completely void in headlines until he has a new movie debut? We won’t hear from him for months at a time and then he will come out with something unquestionably brilliant, and we ask ourselves, what has he been doing? Who is this man? He is so mysterious that he must be intelligent. This is what I suggest for the news industry. Instead of creating demagogues, let us create demigods. Dobbs doesn’t have to say something every day. Sometimes there is nothing new to say and this lack of material is what gets people in trouble. We need more reporters, not fewer, but we need more reporters with less frequency. We need to give our commentators more time to develop their thought process and to physically connect with the world that they report on. To facilitate this flexibility, we need to make journalism a civic responsibility. Like jury duty, we should be given the obligation to preserve justice and transparency within our communities. Instead of a permanent staff, newspapers your bearings. The days when you didn’t know if you [could afford rent next month: the days when you played Xbox or PlayStation instead of looking for a job. I have a few nice things, but for the most part, I’m broke, and for the most part, I don’t mind. Of course I don’t want to stay this way forever, and I’m pretty sure I won’t; after all, that’s why I’m spending all my money on this wonderful education! College is the perfect time to suffer from ‘brokeness,’ because we’re all in this together. We hustle our education a little more everyday, trying to get a little closer to graduation, a little closer to success. My little rant in this article is to identify all of the horrible crap that is Surrounding us everyday, but even with all of this crap, we have to somehow come to a positive place. It may sound childish, but how else will you rise above this heap of boiling madness? ‘ Let’s make it part ofour ‘New Year’s resolution,’ to laugh at these things that are horrible, the things that are tearing the country apart. Laughing in the face of danger is wonderful. It gives you power, even if you feel you don’t have any. Confidence in yourself through these hard times shows that you can take whatever may be thrown at you is another sign of inner strength. Perseverance, pushing against the negative reality that is being thrown at you, and finding a better Page 5 OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS could tap from a rotating pool of citizen reporters. A journalist will suddenly become everyone’s part- time job, and under this model, no one can get too comfortable with the level of power and influence they might acquire. A seed of this idea is already beginning here at home via Minnesota Public Radio’s Public Insight Network. As a member, one volunteers one’s expertise and commentary to journalists in need of a source on the same subject matter. This substantially diversifies the reporting process as journalists no longer need to rely on the same access points or spokespeople for the same organizations every time. The newspaper industry is not dead, nor is it dying. We do not discard our elders, so we should not so quickly discard real news. If anything, it is our culture that has lost its way. I beg newspapers to find ways to stay afloat without compromising their core foundations. News is like a powerful muscle: one either uses it or loses it. People must once again acknowledge the content value of journalism, that great grandparent, the archivist of our time, and take care to use, like a grandparent’s advice, the “good stuff." Ashley Dresser welcomes comments at adresser@mndaily. . com. place, is another quality we must hold onto. Staying afloat, and keeping sane, that’s what’s important. Know that although the ‘poo’ is getting deeper, you don‘t have to be sinking in it. Celebrate this holiday season with your family and your loved ones, and banter about the dark side of life, and then laugh in its face. Open your gifts, be merry and gay, and don’t be superficial. Make your love honest, dress accordingly, and drink responsibly. The sweet is not as sweet without the sour. So celebrate your life, whether good or bad, and you, like a fine wine, will get sweeter with age. “hue YOur (Jpnfion ForThe Echo Noun echo@augsburg.edu Show less
Page 8 Minneapolis, Minnesota THE BACK PAGE Andrea’s favorite Jonathan; in Chicago holiday recipes ANDREA SANOW Features Editor The Holiday Season is upon Augsburg and that means that it is time for eating. If you have a great recipe that reminds you of a happy memory, a good place. anything:... Show morePage 8 Minneapolis, Minnesota THE BACK PAGE Andrea’s favorite Jonathan; in Chicago holiday recipes ANDREA SANOW Features Editor The Holiday Season is upon Augsburg and that means that it is time for eating. If you have a great recipe that reminds you of a happy memory, a good place. anything: send it me. It seems that cooking and baking can be a great stress-reducer. So. in the face offinals and all things insane: here are some of my favorite recipes. Grandma Mabel’s Chocolate Stars ‘ First. here is what you‘ll need: . 1 cup Crisco 1 cup sugar : 1/2 cup brown sugar 2 large eggs , 2 tablespoons water 1 teaspoon vanilla , 3 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 48 chocolate stars As a rule. I always like to preheat the oven before I start mixing. So. turn the oven to 375° and let the delicious fun begin. In a large mixing bowl. beat together Crisco. sugar, brown sugar. eggs. \\ ater and vanilla until well mixed. (Mabel‘s note: until the mixture is fluffy i but not sticky.) Next. add the flour. baking soda and salt to the mixing bowl and mix well. Once everything is mixed. cover and refrigerate dough for 30 minutes. (Another note from Mabel: don‘t skip out on this step! It is really important.) Next. roll dough into l—inch balls and place on a cookie sheet that isn‘t greased. ‘ Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 9-1 1 minutes or until K light brown. As soon as you remove the cookies from the oven. place a chocolate star on the top of each cookieDon‘t press too hard. but make sure that the dough forms around it you don‘t want the star to fall otfl V Shipwrecked! (The Greatest Hot Dish Ever!) ' [Note: This made be also considered “Shipwreck Casserole] \ t t This is also a recipe from my Grandma Mabel. or maybe Grandpa 1’ Odin. This was the first Hot Dish 1 ever made with my grandma and it has “ . held a special place in my heart ever since. You can make it with or without the meat. I Here‘s what you need: 1 small onion. chopped r _ 1 pound ground beef. sauteed ‘ 3 or 4 small diced potatoes 2 1/2 cup of diced celery ‘ 1/4 cup of uncooked rice I (16 oz.) can tomatoes. chopped 1 (16 oz.) can kidney beans Salt & pepper to taste Preheat the oven to 350° and get to chopping and dicing! After you have finished preparing. put the onions and potatoes in the pan. Add some salt and then the beef if you are using it. Now, add some more salt and pepper (and any other spices that you think you might like... it's your hot dish now!) ' Add the celery. then the rice. Add some more salt. Pour the beans and tomatoes on top ofit all and bake for about 1.5 hours! i 5' t s 3 ) 2 l i t i i i 2 3 JONATHAN CHRASTEK Columnist Food in Chicago: good, but it’ll make you sick. Two weeks ago I went to Chicago on the mega bus because it was cheap and easy. We went to visit my little sister who goes to the University of Chi- cago. On the second day there she recommended we go to a restaurant called “Noodles and Things.” From the outside. it looked a little like a local Noodles & Company. On the inside. it looked like an upscale Asian restaurant. I was excited. We had to wait a rather a long time for our waitress to come. but when she came we ordered. I ordered some shrimp in noodles as an appetizer and drunken noodles as my main course. My sister ordered chicken lo-mein. After a short time, the shrimp arrived and immediately afier that so did the entrees. My food was disappointing and not as good as drunken noodles I’ve had before. My sister’s dish was amazing. so it sort of made up for the poor qual- ity of mine. At the end of the night, it was a cheap and average dining experience... I would like to note that 1 got food poisoning from the shrimp. So. overall it was an ok restaurant. not too expensive but I wouldn’t recommend getting the shrimp. My sister said she goes there all the time Friday, December 4, 2009 and has never gotten sick. so take your chances. So. 1 was very sick until my second night. That night, we went into downtown Chicago and went to a restaurant I’ve been to before called DAO Thai Restaurant. It’s really fancy on the inside. They have. instead of individual chairs, a raised floor where you sit on little cushions and put your feet in a square hole. It is very exciting. We ordered and I still wasn’t feeling that good, but I fought through because 1 had been looking forward to this restaurant all weekend. I ordered green cuny; my sister got Pad Thai and her friend got pepper steak. All of the dishes were very good. Well, mine had a lot ofeggplant, which I don’t like, but other than that, the food was delicious. The curry was perfectly spicy. ...but then I added a little too much hot sauce which is not a good idea when you‘re feeling under the weather. The price was about twenty dollars for two people. which isn’t bad for Downtown Chicago. Soto wrap things up, Chicago is a fun city but not if you’re sick. Go to DAO’s Thai restaurant its good and cheap. Don’t go to Noodles and Things unless you‘re a vegetarian. Oh. and I apologize for missing the last issue; I was under the weather. I hope you all ate a lot for Thanksgiving! Now with 73% more giant robot head! Target Free Thursday Nights at the Walker Art Center FREE: Admission 0 Films O Tours 0 Lectures 0 Thought Every Thursday from 5 — 9 pm Now on view ..I k'o o .rct 1nA y— r 1 American Art New York Media partner Mpls Sr Paul Magazine Dari Graham Beyond ‘5 organ zed by The Museum at Contemporary Art Los Angeles m :ollaboratior Wis» the M rm Mmm at The Walker Art Centers presentation is made possrole by generous ssppon trorr‘ Karen and Ken Heirhoti and Helen and Peter \Narwrck Target Free Thursday Nights sponsored by 0 Dan Graham: Beyond 1 Two»way mirrors, time delay videos, and a whole lot of you: Dan Graham turns ' the tables on the viewer's relationship with art through his experiments with video, . LL ,4 ls FESTIVALS g; M LF‘TUFE GARDEN 612.375.7600 walkerart.org grim Q; ARTIST TALKS §§fcmsszs EEEEXi-HBIYIONS if cowcswrs éscwsmwosficmcs mattr- am «1er f EXHIBITDON‘I Hotel partners 0mm: anan i .eemefie W ADELTA i Clues Across 1. A warm drink 5. Name ofa parade 6. People (abbr. slang) edly 13. This event is so watching the parade 18. Light colours 22. S twice 23. Parades do not _ people parade 8. Group of people watching parades 10. The people watching do this repeat- 11. Someone at a Holiday parade 12. What is thrown into the crowds? 14. These shine brightly on the floats 17. This is on the faces of all the children 15- coeducation abbr- 20. The name ofa person on a float 27. "Oh what fun _ is to ride.. 28. The name of Minneapolis' winter parade Down l.lf you aren‘t riding on a car or a float. you could be riding on 2. Halfof Santa's laugh 3. What is thrown into the crowd 4. A certain event walking down the street 7. Limited 9. Flag with words in vocative case 16. What the people looked like lined up on the street 17. What people wear to cold parades 19. Glow (slang) 21. “The sky _ brightly shinning. . 24. The ‘thing' that travels down the 25- Entire 26. Child 29. Warm drink Show less
Friday, December 4, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 7 VARIETY To eat or not to eat: Eating Animals ' Bram Coums Stay?r Writer Meat is delicious. I’m not about to refute that common belief, and neither is Jonathan Safran F oer. Foer’s new book Eating Animals tackles the machine of factory farming... Show moreFriday, December 4, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 7 VARIETY To eat or not to eat: Eating Animals ' Bram Coums Stay?r Writer Meat is delicious. I’m not about to refute that common belief, and neither is Jonathan Safran F oer. Foer’s new book Eating Animals tackles the machine of factory farming, not the common tradition of eating meat. And inside of those constraints, Foer packs a powerful argument. Foer’s vegetarianism, like my own, has been an on-again/ofllagain relationship. It was easy for me to identify with his confu- sion. However, he didn’t write this book for the sake of figuring out his own confirsion. He began seriously questioning food when his wife became pregnant. Food wasn’t his issue any more; his son was at stake. Surprisingly, a book wasn’t Foer’s goal when he started his intensive yearlong research project. A book is just what his inquiries de- veloped easily into. Eating Animals is divided into many parts, encompassing personal stories and a definition section, before launching into farm experiences and analysis. Foer, as the novelist I know him as, cranked out two of my favorite books: Every- thing is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. His non-fiction in Eating Animals, rightly, falls easily into a story, or rather multiple. He begins his argument with multiple counter-arguments as to why he could never stay a vegetarian for long. His main point is that eating is a social action; food creates memories. He argues this with stories of sushi nights with his college fiiends, and chicken at his grand- mother’s house, the only dish she can cook. Was he willing to give up these memories? Though he states the importance of meat in his own life at the start of his argument (and yes, this book is an argument for vegetarian- ism), the rest of the book contains stories from farms, factory and family. The factory farm sections (mainly on pigs and poultry, but also on cows and fish) domi- nate the book because America’s meat supply is 99% from factory farms. Factory farms are the machines that pump more drugs into their animals than Americans are dosed in a given year, that dump (literal) shit into our water supplies. The family farm sections, on the other hand, provide hope for farming’s future. Family farms are few and far between now, but there is still demand for family farmed meat. That means meat from animals who got to live a somewhat happy life, that weren’t bru- tally slaughtered, that weren’t fed antibiotics and hormones with their normal feed; animals that weren’t bred to be so profoundly geneti— cally unstable that they can barely walk. The problem with demand for any kindof meat is that it pushes up the demand for factory-farmed meat. F amily farms now he argues, at best, are a model for the future. I wasn’t a vegetarian when I started read— ing Foer’s book. I was a vegetarian through middle and high school, but gave it up in my senior year, and honestly I wasn’t planning on being vegetarian again, ever. I only read Eating Animals because I love Jonathan Safran Foer so much. I read through about two thirds of the book thinking that I would still be eating meat. Then I realized how much of the factory farm and slaughterhouse descriptions l was skimming through because I couldn’t bear to read them. I feel strongly now that I should be able to read about how my food is made without having to vomit. Is Eating Animals a success? I’d say quite. Its one flaw? Most people motivated to read an entire book about eating animals are likely already open to the idea of vegetarianism; thus, he may not be hitting a mass audience. But every little bit helps. If every person interested in vegetarianism actually became a vegetarian it would be beautiful. The ‘Pro—column’ carries a more mature vegetarian message than the juvenile PETA hand-outs that consist of gruesome (though unfortunately not misrepresentative) photos, which is something that I appreciate now that I’m all colligate and intellectual and not 13 and angsty as I was when I became vegetarian the first time around. So remember: this isn’t about eating ani- mals, because animals are mighty tasty. This is about factory farming. Factory farming is terrible for the animals (obviously), for the environment (by it’s terrible design) and most confusingly (due to it’s staggering current success) for us. We are the humans ingesting mutant drugged meat. Eating Animals (with it’s impressive index) provides an excellent resource to discover exactly what you’re eat- ing. For more information, visit wwwealing- animalscom The good, the bad and the ugly ASHLEY ABBATE Stafl' Writer The Honors play: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, that took place in Sateren Au- ditorium on the twenty first of November at 7:00 pm. was once again full of laughs. The show had nearly a full house with only a few empty seats scattered around the auditorium. Family, friends, teachers, and other students were in attendance. And from the standing ovation that this year’s Honors Class received, the play was a much loved performance. The play was split up into four vi- gnettes; and was seen in this order: Sex Talks, Brightly Dimming Lights, Mis- sion Impossible, and Dr. Horrible. “All vignettes were based on CS. Lewis, Sig- mund Freud, and Rorty” according to the show’s program. Erica Huls, The Captain, humorously announced at the beginning that the stu- dents wanted the audience to know that the play did not necessarily reflect their beliefs, as the show wore on, it was understood why. The first vignette, Sex Talks, was quite spunky and centered mainly on the ideas of Freud. It consisted of a series of skits that were at some points hard to follow, but once one got past the first few lines, it slowly started to make sense. One could not help but laugh through this one, espe- cially with the lines that Karleen Stevens, Peter Schmit, Kayla Johnson, and Baradan Panta pulled ofi”. There were quite a few sexual innuendos, that weren’t always that subtle, but amusing just the same. In between each skit they played vaudeville style music that kept everything upbeat and comical. This was a lighthearted play that was held together by good acting and good writing. The setting and props were simple. just a few chairs and a table, but it only enhanced the words and focus on what was going on. The second vignette, Brightly Dim- ming Lights. was more heavy than the first. It spoke of sadness. stress, and quiet despair. [I sent out a strong message that you can and should lean on your friends when you need help. But it wasn’t without its humor either, especially with Arianna Genis’ part of a free spirit making the audience crack up and Amal Elmi’s roll popping pills at every turn. The costumes in this vignette very much fit the actors and their rolls. It is a play where I think the females out-shone the males in confidence and acting. But the men were mostly there as catalysts and props for what was going on in the women’s lives. Mission Impossible was quite enter- taining. There were many great one liners written by Luke Mueller. This was about Freud trying to kill everything before swine flu got to them. Kevin Butcher and Erica Coe’s characters had brilliant fake British accents as they tried to take the plutonium away from Freud, played by Eric Dooley. This was a very quirky and inspired vignette that played to the tune of Mission Impossible exactly. They definitely saved the best for last, and the last vignette, Dr. Horrible, stole the show. The costume design, cre- ated by Lauren Butler, was entertaining; all the way down to the bright blonde wig that Charlie Hinz wore for his part. This musical revolved around love, but a few people, not expecting Dr. Horrible (Patrick DuShane) to break out in song, gasped. Once again, this was written with great one liners, written by Dustin Richea, that were complimented by the actors who gave them perfectly; especially the last one which lefi the audience with mouths alternately gaping open or laughing. The line was given by Amy Balto, playing Rorty, and was roughly about everything meaning nothing, so there was no point in anything; it was stated evilly right before she shoots God, played by Rachel Svanoe. l’m sure you can imagine the shock that went through the crowd. The Good, The Bad, and The Ueg, was not worth missing out on. It lasted almost an hour and twenty minutes. And there wasn’t a moment of boredom or dullness. Each play had its own story or stories, and kept the audience captivated throughout the performance. GRACIA, page 6 nhard and Gracia] always started conversation with a prayer circle. Koehler recalls that the prayer circles were done so tastefirlly and carefully, that they were always apprOpriate. “It wasn’t contrived or artificial,” he said. “It was a genuine request for a blessing.” Holt, who came to know Gracia best in the last fifieen years of her life, remembers sitting in the living room of the Christensen’s home one afiemoon waiting for his friend who was visiting one of the Christensen girls. Gracia was ironing shirts, taking notes on read- ing, writing or speaking always attached to her ironing board. She said, “Sit down.” Then, looking him in the eye, she asked in a very nontrivial way, “’How are you?” So learned, so devoted, so caring, while Gracia conveyed to her students a love of literature and a love of language, she conveyed to her world a sense of con- cem for well-being, befriending and encouraging all, and often invited many to her home. She epitomized faithful living, intellect, and excellence. AGNEW, page 6 Oregon Shakespeare Festival took her away from Minnesota to play one character for six months in Sarah Ruhl’s Dead Man’s Cell Phone, which is what led to her most recent job. Ruhl saw Agnew perform in Oregon and asked her to come out to New York to audition for a role in The Three Sisters. Alter accepting the role of Natasha, Agnew found herself at the Cincinnati Playhouse, in a room “filled with racks of costume pieces." Director John Doyle was against blocking the play and decided instead to jump straight in and do it. Doyle allowed the cast to keep playing and accepting change through the performances, something Agnew found necessary and wonderful; “you don’t discover some of those weird things that are really right until four weeks into the run,” she said. The cast was al- lowed to keep exploring until the very end. When Agnew opened the room up for questions, I knew what I needed to hear more about. “You mentioned a number of times that you felt at once terrified and excited at many points in your story. Do you think these feelings are necessary? Can you speak, to us as students, to the role of terror in an?” I asked. Agnew responded by saying that terror comes from the things we don’t know, and that as artists, we create the things that don’t exist in the world around us. The creation of what doesn’t exist should terrify us, but also be exciting, she said. This, more than anything, is what students need to hear, I think, especially right now. Artists or not, we are the creators of our world, and we must take responsibility for the terror of changing it. Sarah Agnew has created a strong and wonderful career out of facing the terror of growth, and I hope she continues to inspire students and audiences to do the same. MALENA Tnoson Act-E Editor Theater Indian Blood Theater in the Round Through December 13 Fri-Sat 8 pm, Sunday 2 pm. 245 Cedar Ave, Minneapolis 612-333-3010 Tickets: $10 with student ID www.theaterintheround.org Film Good Bye, Lenin! Oak Street Cinema Friday, Dec. 4, 7 pm. Sat-Sun, Dec. 5-6, 9:30 pm. 309 Oak Street SE, Minneapolis 612-331-7563 www.mnfilmarts.org Reading Mentor Series Reading J.C. Hallman (non—fiction) Michael J. Opperrnan (poetry) Kim Teeple (fiction) Loft Literary Center Friday, Dec. 4, 7 pm. 612—215-2575 Tickets: $5 1011 Washington Ave. S, Min- neapolis www.lofi.org Music Advent Vespers Augsburg Choir Friday, Dec. 4, 5 pm. and 8 pm. Satuday, Dec. 5, 2 p.m., 5 pm, and 8 pm. Central Lutheran Church 612-220—1444 Tickets: Free 333 S. 12th St., Minneapolis www.augsburg.edu/vespers The New Standards Annual Holi- day Show Fitzgerald Theater Saturday, Dec. 5, 8 pm. 651—290-1221 Tickets: $29 10 E Exchange St, St. Paul www.fitzgeraldtheater.org 16 mm Student Film Screening Sunday, December 13th 2:00 pm. Foss Center T.V. Studio THIS Is ASBURG Show less
Page 4 The 10 Greatest Video Games 4 e 'Ijecad ROGER HUELSNITZ, Opinions Editor BENJAMIN Decoux Contributor The rules: -“Grcat" is distinguishable from “good” or “best.” “Greatness” in this case will be defined by innovation, shock value, and impact on the industry as a whole. For example, even... Show morePage 4 The 10 Greatest Video Games 4 e 'Ijecad ROGER HUELSNITZ, Opinions Editor BENJAMIN Decoux Contributor The rules: -“Grcat" is distinguishable from “good” or “best.” “Greatness” in this case will be defined by innovation, shock value, and impact on the industry as a whole. For example, even though Modern Warfare 2 is a “better” game than the first (because it was built upon the back of original), the original game will be represented because it came first. -The title had to be released in North America between Jan 1, 2000, and Dec. 31, 2009. -One game per franchise, per console generation. Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, and San Andreas are not included, but Grand Theft Auto 4 is because it was on a new generation of consoles. and represented a leap in design and innovation. Also [co and Shadow of the Colossus are part of the same franchise, so only one will be represented. -Console games only (sorry World of Warcraft). PC titles that were later ported to console, are also not included, hence no Half Life 2 or Far Cry. 1. Grand Theft Auto 3 (200]) P82 At the time, most wouldn’t have even considered it to be the best game of that year, yet hind-sight as they say is always 20-20. Who doesn’t remember playing video games as a young kid and thinking to themself, “You know, I just wish I could actually get into the car and drive it... and while I’m in the car, I wish I could actually run over the pedestri- ans. . In an era where most games relied upon imagination to drive the experience, GTA 3 simply said “yes” to the player, and thus the term “sandbox gameplay” was coined. Finally gamers were provided an open world with which to translate their imagination into actions on the screen (even those actions that would otherwise be morally objectionable). 2. Resident Evil 4 (2005) Gamecube The very definition of “Survival Horror.” RE 4 took the most popular horror video game series ofall time. and gave it a complete overhaul. Surpassing every standard for graphics, sound, and atmosphere at the time, it brought any gamer with the nerve to play it, to their knees. To date. no other game comes close to perfecting the “GET “EM OFF, GET ‘EM OFF, GET ‘EM OFF” feeling. Resident Evil 4 stands as a milestone in gaming history. 3. Halo." Combat Evolved (2001) Xbox lts sequels would eventually pio- neer the online deathmatch revolution for consoles, but it was the original that first introduced the fiJturistic Sci- Fi universe. The storytelling itself was rather poor, even for its time, but the mythology behind it was both deep and compelling, and only further enriched by Marty O’Donnell’s now iconic musical score. As a console first-person shooter, Halo melded smooth controls, regenerating health, and a groundbreaking physics engine. Never before had first-person controls been translated to a control pad so smoothly and intuitively (not even with Goldeneye). Also its ability to bring other Xbox’s into the mix for system link parties led to a gaming revolution, and single-handedly established Microsofi’s gaming division as a major player in the industry. 4. [co (2001) P82 Any person entertaining the notion that video games are not art has never played Ico. The gameplay is very simplistic, yet contains one of the richest most emotional experiences in all of gaming. lts storytelling is so beautiful and so powerful, it makes the player forget that they’re playing a game and instead living a dream. Ico stands as the “Indy Darling” of the industry, and provides a glimpse of the potential for what interactive media can achieve. 5. Grand Theft Auto 4 (2008) Xbox 360, PS3 Some will contend that you couldn’t do as many things as you could in previous ver- sions of the series. However, that takes nothing from the fact that everything that can be done, is done so much better. Rockstar Games took the already solid blueprint from its predecessors, and polished it to a fine sheen. The game was also the first to implement the groundbreaking Natural Motion Euphoria physics engine which allows characters to animate dynamically, adding a level of realism that had never been seen before. Minneapolis, Minnesota OPINIONS/EDITORIALS Friday, December 4, 2009 2a , , W. a}: E ,a . ' M i “‘1' ’ 6. Bioshock (2007) Xbox 360, PS3 The setting is an under-water utopia filled with wonder and intrigue around every comer. Bioshock was one of the first video games to tackle issues of morality. The art-deco 1940’s sci-fi world is very refreshing and incredibly rendered as well. Bioshock conveys more than just a surface visual style; it’s the dark, heavy feeling that the sea is trying to reclaim the city of Rapture. In short, BioShock is a masterpiece that every gamer should experience. 7. Ninja Gaiden (2004) Xbox Sure God of War had the amazing set-pieces, and yes, Devil May Cry was the title that pioneered the third-person action genre, but it was Ninja Gaiden that had the blazineg fast, knock you on your ass gameplay. Most importantly, Ninja Gaiden was the only game of the three that let you play as a ninja, but not the kind of pansy ninja that sneaks around and quietly assassinates people in the dark. For once you got to be the kind of ninja that you always envisioned in your boyhood mind: and in my mind, a ninja is supposed to flip out and kill people! Challenging, but never unfairly, Ninja Gaiden forever raised the bar for what an action game should play like. 8. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare (2007) PS3, XBbox 360 The best selling game of this generation, and for good reason; Modern Warfares campaign mode has so many memorable moments, it’s difficult to name them all. The multiplayer, well, it’s only the most popular first-person multiplayer game of all time. Modern Warfare Is popularity has risen to unbelievable heights, with its excellent gameplay, and of course, it’s record breaking sales numbers. > .,. adv 9. Uncharted 2 (2009) PS3 The most recent game on this list, Uncharted 2 is by far the finest example of a blockbuster action packed adventure film merging with interactive entertainment. This is the closest example we have in gam- ing of a Jerry Bruckheimer-Michael Bay influence. This game features over-the-top action sequences and explosions, where our hero faces death numerous times yet comes out only slightly injured. As Nathan Drake you embark on an ‘uncharted’ quest (pun intended) to find the Lost city of Shembala and recover the C hintamani stone. This stone is said to somehow grant the user immortality. The story begins with reciting a little bit of the history of Marco Polo and how his ships and crew members were lost and never recovered. The story then twists and turns through a tale of betrayal and discovery, and in turn gives the player one of the greatest gaming experiences of all time. 10. Oblivion (2006) Xbox 360, PS3 One of the few loves of my life. It’s hard to put into words how special this game is to me. I enjoyed a 250 hour love afi‘air with this little beauty, and I wouldn’t trade that for anything (don’t tell my girlfriend). Oblivion breathed new life into the world of RPG’s as we know them. Some of you probably feel the same way about World of Warcrafl (WOW would have been on this list, had I included PC games.) Although with WOW you can literally waste away months and years of your life. With Oblivion, 250 hours is a short stint when you consider the amount of time you can put into an MMO RPG. Anyway, the game is unbelievably open—ended and beautifiil. There were many hours spent just traversing the landscape: bludgeoning minotaur. wolves, and goblins, and taking in the fantastic musical score that accompanied every area in this game. Oblivion only used a handful of music tracks in the whole game, but each of those tracks were so well done, you could listen to the music for hours, and it never got old. Hey, I played for about 250 hours, and I could still go back and enjoy it, although I’ve pretty much conquered the game at this point. Oblivion represents the pinnacle of RPG magnificence. Sure it had its glitches, broken quests, lock-ups etc. but those problems paled in comparison to the amount of entertain- ment and pure gaming pleasure you get from this title. If you’re a fan of RPG’s it’s a no brainer, this needs to be a part of your gaming library. I’ve spent a good amount of time talking about this game because it really is one of the greatest gaming experiences of my life. Even though it’s only number 10 on this list, it’s still a masterpiece. Now be ofi" with you, and “close shut the gates, of Oblivion!” What Are You Waiting For? If you have an opinion on what you see around campus write it on the ECHO echo@augsburg.edu L Show less
Page 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota Lilly Gracia Christensen; 1the best of Augsburg’ BECCA ANDERSEN Stafl Writer Appreciation of what has shaped us and our com~ munity into the present state, a state that many have come to love and have come to call home, grounds us. Remembering in a right... Show morePage 6 VARIETY Minneapolis, Minnesota Lilly Gracia Christensen; 1the best of Augsburg’ BECCA ANDERSEN Stafl Writer Appreciation of what has shaped us and our com~ munity into the present state, a state that many have come to love and have come to call home, grounds us. Remembering in a right spirit the gifis that Augsburg has received from so many who have been catalysts for growth and change, who gave meaning to the Augsburg mission, is in itselfa gift in return. Lilly Gracia Christensen, first lady of one of Augsburg’s longest serving presidents, Bernhard Christensen, and faculty member in the Augsburg English department, made lasting impressions upon her community. Many Augsburg students, colleagues, and faculty members who knew her see the impor- tance of keeping her memory close to the surface, and many Auggies who didn‘t have the honor to get to know Gracia unknowingly breathe her influence. Although Lilly Gracia Christensen passed away last April at the age of 97, her presence doesn’t cease to grace the Augsburg community. “I knew Gracia both as a friend and colleague,” Augsburg Library alumna Boyd Koehler said. “I be- came acquainted with her when I first came to Augs— burg in the late 19605 and quickly came to admire her as a person of great compassion, self-discipline, and integrity.” Koehler recalled how a library co-worker and Augsburg alumna, Myrna Liebers, described Gracia as her Chaucer professor: “She didn’t just teach C haucer—she was Chaucer!” Myrna said. As an English professor, Gracia was the gold standard of academic excellence, said Koehler; as a first lady, especially during the lean years, she was “an inspiring example for the entire campus through Christian living, personal sacrifice, optimism, and vigilance for social justice.” Lilly met her husband, Bemhard, at the age of 14, but they put off their marriage so Lilly could attend graduate school at Radcliffe. When they did marry, Bernhard gave her the nickname Gracia and it stuck; it was a very fitting name for the gracious Lilly who strove ‘to fulfill God’s purpose for [her] life as best as [she could] understand it.’ Gracia lived among us in quiet elegance of mind and spirit,” said Margaret Anderson, who knew Gracia as a beloved friend, teacher, and leader on the Augsburg campus. “True to her name, she was grace incarnate: grounded in intellectual substance and wisdom, she was gracious in manner, word and deed." Although Gracia was a woman living in a man’s society, she excelled in everything she did and was known as an equal to her prestigious husband, both intellectually and influentially. Gracia was her hus- band’s chief editor for his writings; although, Mrs. Christensen’s former student Brad Holt, 3 faculty member of the Augsburg religion department said she may have been more than just an editor. Her influence in his Writings was especially evident in the book written by Bernhard Christensen Inward Pilgrimage. A couple both intellectually astute and faithful, Bernhard and Gracia shared a love for literature, and enjoyed putting poetry to memory together. “They were the most cultured Christians I ever knew,” Holt said. “Their thoughtfulness and critique of the Christian faith impressed me a lot.” They [Ber- See GRACIA, page 6 Actress Sarah Agnew visits Augsburg MOLLY BUDKE ing Columnist Local actress Sarah Agnew spoke to a small audience on the Tuesday evening before Thanks- giving: a smaller audience than she‘s used to seeing at The Guthrie. The Oregon Shakespeare Festival. or The Cincinnati Playhouse where she most recently appeared as Natasha in Sarah Ruhl's adapta- tion of The Three Sisters. and a smaller audience than the body of After college, she spent a year as an ap— prentice with the Actors’ Theatre of Louisville and was given the opportu- nity to learn about every aspect of the company. givingher a strong foun- dation and understand— ing ofthe work going on around her. Again. she spoke of being terrified and excited but pointed company member. but twelve students that would have benefited from hearing her words. Agnew spoke as one of the Augsburg Theatre Department‘s visiting artists. but much of what she said was pertinent to thejoumey ofany Augsburg student. Originally from Duluth. Agnew began her undergradu- ate studies at the UW Madison with a major in anthropology. Mid-college, Agnew discovered a love of improvisational theatre and began working with groups in Madison as well as trekking down to Chicago for classes with her friends. lmprov terrified and excited her. she told us. It took some time before she decided to make a major out of theatre, but embraced the art before graduat- to the support of her family as indispensable during this time of fear and growth. Agnew didn‘t mean to end up back in Minnesota, she told us. but planning a couple years to raise some money for herself led to coming back and unexpectedly joining Dudley Riggs (aka Brave New Workshop) for three shows. From there, she landed a place in the company of Theatre de la Jeune Lune. With the Jeune Lune, Agnew felt challenged in a way she had not been before. “I played men. I played plumbers...I was allowed to fail.“ she told us. but she was also allowed to play and to grow. Agnew never attended graduate school but sees her time with Jeune Lune (six years as a years overall) as a “graduate ex- perience” because of the training she found there. After the Jeune Lune’s clos- ing, Agnew moved on to roles at the Guthrie. the Jungle, the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, which all challenged her in different ways. At the Guthrie. she had to learn the ways of a very dilTerent theatre, “you go to these institutions as a newbie,” she told us, “and you don’t know what the rules are.” Being open, playful and coura- geous though, Agnew found her place in each new cast. A production of The Syringa Tree brought her to the Jungle to play 26 characters in an hour-and- a-half-long one-woman show. The AGNEW, page 6 ung e Seafarer fairs well ION PETERSON Contributor It’s Christmas time in the coastal town of Baldoyle north of Dublin. The lights come up on an irascible, elderly fellow sleep- ing off a night of holiday cheer. Richard (Allen Hamilton) is a blind drunkard being visited by his younger brother Sharky (Stephen Yoakam). The first act brings the audience into the shambled lives of the two brothers and their dishev- eled friends Ivan (Patrick Bailey) and the rambunctious Nicky (Mark Rhein). A reserved and dapper gentleman also makes a visit; he is referred to simply as Mr. Lockhart (Phil Kilboume). The trajectory is a typical tale of men drinking while commiscrating, playing poker and sporadically dealing sternly with “winos” loitering about outside. During these collective, jovial exits featuring Nicky, Ivan and Richard, the stage is left with more modest personalities of Sharky and Mr. Lockhart — who has come to collect more than just a few poker chips. It is revealed that Mr. Lock- hart is merely Lucifer in a debonair disguise. Sharky’s dark past has caught up to him and he falls into a perilous predicament from a du- bious deal made 25 years prior. If Sharky loses the next card game, he will follow Mr. Lockhart to the underworld where “time just keeps going.” If Sharky comes out on top, he gets to keep his immortal soul. Overall, Conor McPherson’s Seafarer at times lacks a thorough- ly engaging story line and besides a few exceptions doesn’t deliver even the subtlest of poignancy. The first act moves sluggishly and draws too heavily on synonymous, recycled dialogue between the opening characters. The play only becomes slightly more interesting with the entrances of Nicky and Mr. Lockhart. Typically lacking depth, the dialogue is kept afloat by the funny, rousing banter it demands of its characters. There comes fiirther redemp- tion in Joe] Sass’s defl direction that saves the script from stagnan- cy and keeps the actors’ interplay both in motion and genuine. The set design and technical aspects help to accentuate this realism, and the acting is for the most part superb. Hamilton is hysterical as Richard, channeling an aging and senile Chris Farley with episodic mo- ments of hilarious poetic prowess: at one point comparing God to a fly. Bailey and Rhein are excellent counterparts to Hamilton’s driving comedic force and both conceptu- alize their fool-hearty characters effectively. Kilboume often downp lays his sinister persona just enough that it reads very con- vincingly to the audience, yet Yoakam’s fine portrayal of a tortured man remains somewhat ambiguous until the latter part of the show. While The Seafarer may occasionally lacks an intrigu- ing storyline beyond the archaic devil-takes-your-soul narrative, it remains a thoughtfully executed focus on strong characters and often shines with McPherson’s tactful and creative language. The Jungle’s Seafarer manages to sail despite its holes as five players bring some great, authentic spirit into an altogether, nicely wrapped, holiday play. Florence Chard Dacy at The Loft BETSY COLLINS Stafi Writer On Friday November 20th 2009, Florence Chard Dacy read from her new collection of poems, Rock Worn By Water, at The Loft. Dacy is a Minnesotan poet from Cottonwood Minnesota. and her poems were nature poems inspired by the Minnesota River Valley. Her poems were pastoral. almost earth-worshipping, which made more sense as the reading went on. Between almost every poem, and increasingly so toward the end of the reading, Dacy made some sort of comment about the importance of taking care of na- ture. She put a particular emphasis on the quality ofthe water, as this is a problem for the Minnesota River. Dacy read fifteen poems. ranging from poems about the prairie, to flowers, to her dog and finally back to prairie. I perceived her goal to be capturing the beauty of the earth, and trying to preserve it. Environmental efforts are important to Dacy. She frequently reads poems into the public record in an attempt at policy change. I admire her tenacity and belief in the power of her form. It is quite a romantic notion that art can change the world, and I truly wish that I believed this as strongly as she does. Perhaps this comes with wisdom that I’m still waiting for. While her poems were strong, interesting, and beautiful, her read- ing was somewhat confusing. She was the chattiest poet I’ve ever seen read, explaining every poem to some length. Not only did I think this to be unnecessary as her poems could well have stood on their own, but she frequently lost her train of thought. She would mean to introduce her poem. but would never actually get around to it. Further, the lines between her explanations and poems were sometimes blurred. I would think I was listening to a poem’s explana- tion only to suddenly realize that at some point she had actually started reading the poem. 1 found myself getting frustrated with her disorga- nization. and that took away from my enjoyment of the reading. She ended the reading with a chance for anyone in the audi- ence to promote whatever non- profit water related organizations that they are involved in. I found this to be a quite narrow request, given the audience size (about 20 people), and the opportunity turned into an unorganized mess of unprepared people speaking on things that weren’t relevant. While Dacy’s poetry was engaging and enjoyable, I’m not sure if I would attend another of her readings. It was quite chaotic and disorganized, and I found it difficult to enjoy myself. Show less
Friday, December 4, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 3 SPORTS Men’s basketball is off to a winning start ‘ ' LAURAMOE StqfiWriter The Augsburg men’s basketball team won their first three games of the season. They hope to keep their winning streak going and come out on top this winter season. The... Show moreFriday, December 4, 2009 Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 3 SPORTS Men’s basketball is off to a winning start ‘ ' LAURAMOE StqfiWriter The Augsburg men’s basketball team won their first three games of the season. They hope to keep their winning streak going and come out on top this winter season. The team returned with four starters and 13 letter winners. Last season, the team tied for third in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, advancing them to the semifinals of the MIAC postseason playoffs for the first time with their new coach, Aaron Greiss. Jon Cassensrsenior, is one of the key players on the team this year. His first three years he was honored all conference and his sophomore and junior year he was academic all conference. Cassens led the MIAC in assists per-game (4.41), averaging 32.6 minutes per-game, 12.0 points per-game and 2.7 rebounds per-game. Other key players include Andy Grzesiak-Grimm, sophomore; David Olson, senior; Brett Sorenson, sophomore; and Ben Flavin, junior. The Auggies opened their season with two nonconference games at the Crown College Tournament and were able to pull through with two wins. Brett Sorenson, sophomore, commented on the season so far. “The team has worked hard this off season and has been getting ready for the start of a new year,” he said. “We have started the season 3-0 and have our first conference game this Wednesday against Hamline. We our looking forward to a successful year and are ready to build upon the year before.” Augsburg’s biggest rivals are St. Thomas, Bethel and Hamline. The Auggies will open their conference season against Hamline on Dec. 2, which will prepare the team for what to expect for the rest of the season. The game against Hamline will help set the pace for players and coaches who hope to win their first home game against St. Thomas on Dec. 7th at 7:30 pm. Until those games, the men and coaches are doing everything in their power to perform their best. Cassens spoke about the intensity of practice. “Practice is intense and competitive,” he said. “Everything we do in this program is based on competition because we believe that will continue to make us better as a whole.” For the last four seasons the men’s basketball team has been able to improve and grow as a team. When their new coach, Aaron Griess, first started the team finished eleventh in the conference, three years later the team was able to improve to third in the conference. Cassens only had positive comments to make about his college coaching. “I feel like the staff and their work ethic translates to the players,” he said. “I believe their process for preparing against opponents puts us in the best opportunity to be successful. I don’t think there is a harder working staff in Photo by Don Stoner MIAC.” Several players now come to Augsburg knowing of the promising future ofmen’s basketball. Players. fans and coaches have a lot to look forward to this season. “I am looking forward to playing with my teammates for my last season,” he said. “I have so much respect for them because of the time and effort we have put in together. I am looking to forward to play my hardest and being successful for them and the staff.” Support the men’s team on Monday at 7:30 pm, the players and coaches promise that this season will be one you won’t want to miss. Auggie women’s basketball turning the page MIKE GALLAGHER smfiwmer The Augsburg Women’s Basketball team has gotten into double digit wins only once in the last 22 years. Heading into last year, however, there was hope surrounding the team. Christa Suedbeck, the rock in the middle of their program the year previous, was going into her senior season along with Michelle Richter, a solid contributor at forward But last year brought more of the same for the Auggies, who went 5-20 overall and 3-19 in the MIAC. Heading into this year, replacing Richter, and especially the aforementioned Christa Suedbeck will be tough. When teams came to Augsburg, they planned around stopping the monster in the middle. “Suedbeck was a very good player,” said Andy Cerisier, former St. Thomas women’s assistant basketball coach, now head women’s coach at Holy Angels. “You knew you were going to get a battle down low every time you played Augsburg.” Taking a look at the roster, you find it hard to see where that replacement will come from. The Auggies strength used to be size, now they are without a center on the team and currently only have five forwards. But the rebounds will have to come from somewhere, and you can bet there are plenty of women fighting hard to get their chance. That bunch includes 13 newcomers on a 17-person roster. 11 of those are first year student-athletes, and the competition for playing time is bound to make all of the girls that much better. “You’re relying on all the newcomers coming in,” said Brett Cloutier, analyst for the Auggie women’s team. “With 11 freshman on the roster, you really expect them to come in and be key parts in the program.” With the Auggies power in the middle gone, their strength this year will be their backcourt play. They return two very impressive guards fiom last year in Shannon Renne and Serenae Levine. Levine plays the point for the Auggies, and while point guards are not known for their rebounding prowess, Levine led the Auggies in rebounding 10 times last year. She put up very impressive overall numbers on her way to an All—MIAC First year team season. She led the Auggies with 10.5 points and 4.6 assists per game last year. ' Shannon Renne is her backcourt mate having started 24 of 25 games last year. Her 9.6 points a game were third on the team and she ranked second on the squad in assists. She will be the one to stretch the floor for the Auggies, as she is a great spot up shooter; she ranked fifth in the MIAC in three-pointers made per game. Look for those two to head up an offense that will be very up—tempo and attacking. With Suedbeck out of the picture, that will allow this small, young, energetic group to open up the floor and run a lot more than in previous years. The Auggies will be a very different team from last year and that may be exactly what this team needs to win some games and make a push towards their ultimate goal, making the playoffs. With 13 newcomers and a talented backcourt to lead the way, the Auggies are turning a new page and looking to make some noise in the MIAC. Player Profile: Trevor Doden ED SHEHWEN Sports Editor Trevor Doden is an integral member of Augsburg’s 2009-2010 Men’s Ice Hockey program. Trevor, a sophomore, currently plays forward for the team. At 6’ 10” and 210 pounds, he is an intimidating force on the ice. His physical style of play suits this year’s team perfectly, and his contributions are going to be crucial if they hope to have a successful season. As Doden explains. “I feel like I bring a certain energy and grit to our team that is needed by any hockey club. I would say that work ethic and adaptability are big assets of mine...they allow me to play in many different situations and with many different types of players.” The team has gotten ofito an average start, but expectations remain high. Doden remains confident that they will get on a roll. “Personally I feel like we’ve started the season well. but not as well as we might have liked to.” he said. “Coming into this season I feel that we all had very high expectations for ourselves and being 4-3—1 at this point doesn’t really reflect what we envisioned originally. but it’s still very early in the season and we feel that we’re getting better daily which is something that will help reach our goals towards the end of the season.” Doden prides himself on a hard work ethic and a strong sense of sportsmanship. It’s important to him that his teammates trust him and are Photo by Kendra Christiansen able to count on him both on and off the ice. “My personal goals are to contribute to the team, not only by making plays and scoring goals, but by also possessing a personality and reputation that can be relied on by my teammates,” said Doden. “Team goals would include winning a conference title and advancing to the national playoffs. As a team we feel that we have all the necessary pieces to make these goals reality, only a lack of work ethic or desire on our part could keep us from achieving these goals, even though they are somewhat lofty.” Doden maintains a well-rounded approach to life off the ice. His favorite class is marketing and he has also played baseball in addition to hockey. “Outside of hockey I like to hang out with my family and friends, workout, golf. play other recreational sports. I also take interest in politics. and some literature as well," he said. Even though he puts the team ahead of himself, Doden has been recognized for his unique abilities. He has been named All Conference on three occasions, and was All State honorable mention three times as well. He cites Milan Lucie as the hockey player that he most admires. We will continue to keep an eye on Doden and the rest of the Men’s Ice Hockey team going forward, and we expect them to continue to play with intensity that we’ve seen thus far. . EA PORTS ~ngth 3 ,, HEEHO I Contact our Sports Editor. Ed Shehwen at: shehweneaugsburggdu Show less
EATING ANIMALS JONATHAN BlIFRlllll~ FUER Eating Animals, page 7 The College’s Student-Produced Newspaper Basketball, page 3 Friday, December 4, 2009 BECKI Ivenson Co-Editor-in-Chief For all you sushi lovers out there, Franklin Avenue is about to get a little more exciting. This Tuesday, Dec. 1... Show moreEATING ANIMALS JONATHAN BlIFRlllll~ FUER Eating Animals, page 7 The College’s Student-Produced Newspaper Basketball, page 3 Friday, December 4, 2009 BECKI Ivenson Co-Editor-in-Chief For all you sushi lovers out there, Franklin Avenue is about to get a little more exciting. This Tuesday, Dec. 1 marked the general opening of the new Koyi Sushi on the comer of Franklin and let Ave., in the building that formerly housed the Seward Co-op. “Placing Koyi in that building is the result of a community process that occurred when we were building the new Seward Co-op,” said Eddie Langenberger, of Seward Re-design and head of the project. “Planning ahead for the old building, the neighborhood communicated to us that they desired businesses with a similar Minneapolis, Minnesota Sushi comes to Franklin amount of energy and pedestrian activity on Franklin.” Finding Koyi proved to not only be a good business fit, but a personal triumph for Langenberger. “I sought Koyi because they serve my favorite sushi and have the best priced sushi for the quality you get in town,” he said. “Their atmosphere in their downtown location is also very laid back and all about the food.” The new restaurant will be friendly for people of all ages, including college students. “This Koyi II is aiming to have a friendly cozy atmosphere, will feature well priced noo— dle bowls in addition to a strong sushi menu, Sapporo on tap, and will be a great community . gathering space with a large communal table in the center of the restaurant and outdoor seating in the summer,” Langenberger said. Koyi is not the only business that will be found in the building. Seward Copy and Post, See SUSHI, page 2 International education week celebrates diversity ION PETERSON Staff Writer International Education Week brought exciting diversity to the Augsburg Community. The nationwide event began as an initiative from US. Dept. of Education. They schedule the second week of November each year to promote intercultural understanding for academic institutions across the country. The impetus behind the Augsburg event was the International Student Organization. Over 30 International students participated in the weeklong festivities. Interestingly, the week was divided into continents Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Monday was Europe Faiza Mahamud holds the Kenian flag during IEW which included students from Norway and Russia. Tuesday featured Pan African Student Union representatives honored African culture by giving henna tattoos. On Wednesday, several Vietnamese international students showed their Asian pride by displaying pictures, fans, and distributing fortune cookies. Four students from Central and South America presented on Thursday. Their table included toys. candies, beverages. and music. In addition to light-hearted novelties, the week long event also focused on issues of Global Citizenship and being good environmental stewards. Various posters were put up showing different environmental issues Some were related to global warming and various social justice causes in Christensen. “A global citizen is an active advocate of the earth, someone who cares See IEW, page 2 AS AC All—nighter Eco-friendly bike share program at Augsburg CLARE BARTEL Contributor This year, Jan. 29 will mark more than just Oprah Winfrey’s birthday. It will be the day of the All-Nighter, an annual event put on by ASAC. Every year, the Augsburg Student Activities Council (ASAC) plans a large all night party for the student body. It begins at 10 pm. and does not close down until two in the morning. Christensen Center is taken over and each room holds several games. activities, and snacks. Rarely is there an event on campus without food, and the All-Nighter is certainly not an exception. The party is not lacking much else either. The purpose of the event is to provide a night of big adventures for students on campus who do not have the opportunity to go home, and to persuade those who do to stay on campus and enjoy themselves. It is the biggest event of the year. drawing over 700 students. In the past it was put on by ASAC alone. but this year. the committee is trying to get more campus organizations involved. They hope to ha\e as many organizations as possible include an e\ em or activity oftheir own. This will get more students involved. as they are connected to a larger variety of organizations. “Having other groups involved with the All—Nighter is going to bolster attendance and create a much more community based event than it has been in the past, being just ASAC sponsored,” said Seth Lienard, president of Augsburg Student Activities Council. The night ends with a musical guest. Last year’s star left a bad taste in the students’ mouths, so this year the committee took higher measures to ensure that the students’ needs were met. KAUG, the campus radio station, cosponsors with ASAC to provide the music, and this year the organizations spent weeks distributing surveys, tabling in Christensen Center, and convincing students to share their opinions. “We did a lot of polling. KAUG is actually the one that brings in the artist and they polled very nicely and tabled for about three weeks at many different events,” Lienard said. They also voted on the theme of the event. which will be Superheroes. The event will feature entertainment related to that. Last year, the theme was Back to the Future. and the event included massages dating back to 2700 BC. fortunetellers to see the future. and several inflatables to keep students in the present. The All-Nighter is always a successful event. and this year will be the best one yet. Christensen Center will be full of fun on Jan. 29 starting at 10 pm. SARAH KLEMP Stafl Writer In recent years, Augsburg College has taken several steps toward becoming more environmentally conscious, including converting to wind energy, providing only fair-trade coffee at campus eateries and implementing an environmental studies major and minor. While the college has made moves towards greener living within their facilities and course curriculums, it has also created greener methods of transportation for people on campus. In 2008, Augsburg’s Environmental Stewardship Committee introduced a campus- wide bike share program. This program offers students. faculty and staff an easy and inexpensive way to get around the city while still being eco-friendly. The bike share program is accessible to everyone on campus and involves three easy steps. First. go to the front desk on the main level of Lindell Library and ask to sign up for the program. A library employee will hand over a liability waiver, stating that if the bike is lost or stolen. the individual is responsible for all repair or replacement costs. Once the waiver is signed. an Augsburg ID card must be presented each time a bike is rented. Then. a helmet and bike-lock key will be presented to the renter. and the bike is yours for 24 hours. Today, there are five bikes available to rent, and they are located at the bike racks in front of Lindell Library. When spring returns and the weather becomes warmer, at least three additional bikes will be available to rent. This program was founded by the Environmental Stewardship Committee as a way to help students get around the city, with no cost to the student or to the environment. It was founded in 1999, previously known as the Environmental Concerns Committee, and includes Augsburg See BIKE, page 2 Volume CXVI, Issue 9 Upcoming Augsburg 7| Events Advent Vespers Central Lutheran Church December 4 and 5 Come watch your fellow Augsburg musicians in this annual Christmas celebration ASAC Battle of the Bands December 11 East Commons Student Government Weekly meeting Wednesdays Century Room 7:30 pm. QSU Kinetic Kitchen December 11 Patrick’s Cabaret 8:00 pm. Campus Ministry Communion December 9 Chapel 8:00 pm. Redeemer Christmas Store December 12 8:00 a.m.-Il:00 a.m. ALAS Chocolate, Bread, Musica December 10 Cooper’s Coffee Shop 6:00 pm. ECHO Show less
-- W'l‘F Augsburg? ANDY Mums Columnist Stop using the handicap door-opener buttons! Just stop! They are for people who are unable to open the doors by themselves. Not for you wrestlers and football players who just finished work- ing out (or waking up). Too many times over the years I have seen... Show more-- W'l‘F Augsburg? ANDY Mums Columnist Stop using the handicap door-opener buttons! Just stop! They are for people who are unable to open the doors by themselves. Not for you wrestlers and football players who just finished work- ing out (or waking up). Too many times over the years I have seen able-bodied assholes press the handicap button because they just didn’t feel like opening it themselves. There may be just one person, or it might be a group of people; either way, the point is that they could have emily opened the door without the use of the handicap button. Now you may be thinking to yourself, “Jeez Andy, don’t get so worked up, it’s just a door.” Wrong. Little do most people know, those doors and buttons are magnetic and eventually wear out to the point where they will stop working altogether, requir- ing an outside contractor to come in and replace the door—opening mechanism People who need to use those handicap buttons already have it tough at Augsburg. ‘ Let's face it, this campus rates pretty low on the accessin- ity scale (imagine navigating Memorial in a wheelchair), and several buildings don’t even have direct exterior doors that have those buttons. And when one of those doors breaks and cannot be opened with the push of a button, the people who already have a too-difiicult time getting around campus must either wait for a fiiendly person to let them in or go even more out of their way to find another entrance (which could be on the other side of the building, or even through another building). In case you are won- dering, this is also a hint to the architect(s) of the new building being built a few years from now: make sure it is easily handicap accessible. I will keep this article short and sweet — stop pressing the handicap button! WTF lazy inconsiderate fools, make use of what we often take for granted, and start respecting the intended use of the handicap buttons. If you have a problem with this article and intend on continuing your impetuous and selfish ways, please seek me out. What it is to be a global citizen? SERGIO MONTERRUBIO to our world’s “government” Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 5 OPINIONS/ EDITORIALS l'The war on cigarette smokers- the newest reign of terror” NATE BRENNAN Variety Editor Mankato State Reporter The persecution must come to an end. The Holocaust, Japanese internment camps. Guantanamo Bay - we are all familiar with these institutions of extreme prejudice and wrongdoing. But there is an entirely new, less publicized reign of terror being unleashed on an unsuspecting group of innocents - the war on cigarette smokers. On a recent cold, rainy and windy day, the kind of day your breath shows and rushes away from you like blowing smoke into a fan out the window of your dorm so the Community Advisors don’t catch you, the Reporter copy editor and I were unjustly persecuted while taking a short break from a long day of bringing you the finest in campus news. “You think that’s 15 fi.?” asked the pepper-haired woman, proposing we shoo ourselves away from the protection of the awning over our head and into the cold, beating rain. “Really?” I said. “I really don‘t think it matters as much as you’re making it out to be.” “Well it does matter for the rest of us,” she said snider while walking away. And this is ostensily the inevitable conclusion to all passionate non-smokers’ arugments, resorting to the defense that somehow I am consciously attempt- ing to murder them by indulging in smoking my delicious, stress-reducing lOO-millimeter Parliament cigarette. Somehow, whether through the D.A.R.E. pro- gram or the multitude of anti—smoking public service announcements and advertisements (in which it is illegal for smokers to respond), somewhere along the line people started to believe they could get cancer from a single puff of smoke shot in or around their noses and mouths. In lieu of this belief, many places around the na- tion have banned smoking in various public grenas. In Calabasas, Calif, even smoking outdoors where a nonsmoker could be within 20 ft. of the cigarette smoking is illegal. In an interview with ABCNews. com, the former mayor, Barry Groveman, said, “its’ about public safety.” But is it really about public safety or is it just the perpetuation of an exaggerated myth? Environmental scientist Dr. Micahael Sigel, in a guest column with HelathNewDigest.com. concluded the following on the matter: “Unfortunately: the entire szibejct of secondhand smoke resides in an area of discourse heavily laced with aclivists, who, passionate aboui their mission of improving public health. for too readily exaggeraie the dangers. " As to the matter of someone being ‘allergic '10 ET S (Environmental Tobacco Smoke), based on the traditional definition of an allergen being an agent that promotes an immunological response, E TSfai/s that test, and sofar, at least, can only be classified as an irritant. Properly, people are "sensitive" 10 E TS. But, playing on the well-known dangers of smoking, the doom-profiteers have woorked many people into a frenzy, by con/lating the bad habit of smoking with the much diflerent matter of breathing in secondhand smoke. So, how dangerous IS secondhand smoke." The most reliable daia would indicate ihai it is nowhere near as serious a threat as elements of [he media (and Iheir supporters within academia) would have us believe. lnfacl, E T S is. a! ils mos! extreme,fi1r less dangerous than numerous other indoor air poll/uranis such as carbon monoxide, toxic mold, and radon. The biggest study on this topic, covering 39 years, and involving 118. 904 adults, with particular focus on 35,561 who never smoked, and had a spouse in the study with known smoking habits, came to this conclusion: ‘The results do not support a causal relation between enviornamental tobacco smoke and tobacco related mortality, although they do no! rule out a small effect. The association between exposure to environmental tobbaco smoke and coronary heart disease and lung cancer may be considerably weaker than generally believed. ' “ ' So the next time you see a fellow citizen mind- ing their own business, enjoying a cigarette, one they legally paid for as part ofa pack that was most likely far too expensive and taxed far too unfairly, don’t be like the pepper—haired woman. No matter how much you think we cigarette smokers are trying to kill you, we aren’t doing any- thing of the sort. And while we’re at it, don’t tell us we are kiling ourselves either. It’s not like you figured out some secret about tobacco being dangerous to your health that we didn’t know about. As much as advertisements make it seem. we‘re not actually slaves to tobacco corporations, we just enjoy their product. \ Layoutgdimr because if we keep testing it, ’ ’//:f:r\_w/- Varfiwv J- ‘ » we will be punished. Being a / x/ “Riff, '( l Often times we forget that we have bigger things in Citizen 0fthe world then is “01 // , ,1" :‘Li" /_ f" common than we have differences. Nowadays, borders [0 (16.11)] our countries Oforlglna . / ,1/ /‘~&‘¢if » i 33’ provide geographical separation and segregation between "or 1‘ 15 to refute our Pollllcal / \ “lei « I (l humanity. Race, ethnicity, and gender boxes are printed in SOVCmmemS- A $101331 Cltllen / \ M. \ ~/ ~ I. If \ Y A 1.1! our systems’ forms and applications to distinguish us from 15 rather §°meb0dy Who at the i i 2 “ c" / ’ / ‘7; one another. Intolerance of politics and religious ideas have mOS‘ Paslc léYel aCkDOWICdgeS i \\ “ / ‘5, ‘ V ‘« x '4 “ caused a lot of pain and suffering in our world, dividing us our Slmllafltles and theféfPW [ f h, 2 / once again from each other. But what do we have in com- our COHCCUVC TCSP9nSlbllltleS- “ i» / l j/ ‘ / mon at the most general and basic level? We were all born A g10bal szen 15 an ‘ .V IA in [his world. active advocate of the world ._ That is. we are not "aliens." A citizen is defined as 35 ‘1 WhOIC and a Pmtec‘or \ ’ '/‘ someone who has rights and privileges and who owns allegiance to a government. Sure, without governments there would be no order. there is certainly truth in that. However. isn‘t it also true that we have been given the right and privilege of living in this world? Shouldn‘t that bring us together to take care of it? We have been putting too much pressure on nature in the last few years. and it seems that we are forgetting about the natural laws. The truth is that we own allegiance of nature, with every single human included regardless of race. religion. creed. or gender. This is why ethical and moral dis- position to understand differences across individuals and groups is crucial for the greater good in our world and the perseverance of human rights, both locally and globally. Communal fairness, love for one’s self. love for others. Illustration by Sergio Monterrubio and love for our planet should motivate this required change Only this way we will achieve universal sympathy. l recognize that these questions are big and the answers will have to be as well. A start only takes place within per- sonal level. So, are you a global citizen? Show less
Page 2 Minneapolis, Minnesota Frida , ecember 4, 20 09 NEWS Day etude/2th V. releadega 951%).er In our community of A ugsburg—Cum C ivilitas Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Augsburg, under the presidency of Dr. Paul C.... Show morePage 2 Minneapolis, Minnesota Frida , ecember 4, 20 09 NEWS Day etude/2th V. releadega 951%).er In our community of A ugsburg—Cum C ivilitas Out of love for the truth and the desire to bring it to light, the following propositions will be discussed at Augsburg, under the presidency of Dr. Paul C. Pribbenow. Wherefore we submit these theses on behalf of those unable to be present and debate orally with us may do so by letter. Cum civilitas, it is our burden to convince you for the worthiness of these theses. Yes, we humbly ask of you, the administrator of our great community, to join in conversation with us about these ideals that we find to be important. These are ideas and concerns that we must work on as a community. Gym times Need clear idea of field time More gender-neutral bathrooms Let Umess residents know about Kitchen in building Cleaner bathrooms 00000 0 We as a community demand a higher commitment to maintaining and improving student living spaces. 0 Water pressure in Umess 0 We as a community demand a higher commitment to quality and service from A’Viands. o ResLife Office open more often 0 Students denied the right to eat in the commons when an event is happening and the 0 3rd floor issues——solved quality of the food decreases dramatically o Showerheads in dorms o Waflie maker should be out all day 0 Augsburg needs smoking areas that are warm 0 Expensive meal—meal plans are expensive Not enough mealsin certain plans 0 Consistent quality 0 We as a community demand more student input on academic success. 0 Dining hours . 0 Scheduling problems with band and orchestra 0 Coffee machine sucks 0 Student Athletes should not take FF H t o More ethnic food—curry only 0 Professors should challenge more academically o More veggie options 0 Books cost too much 0 A’viands is too expensive for student orgs to cater o More input on breaks (Thanksgiving) 0 Anyone should be able to buy Flex points 0 More work study opportunities 0 Inefficient service at A-Club Grille 0 Academic integrity in tough economic times 0 Rude employees employing ridiculous rules 0 We as a community must address issues of transportation and the commuter student 0 Fair trade cofl‘ee experience. 0 Better cafeteria food 0 Guest passes — swipe it twice 0 Parking is too expensive 0 We as a community demand a higher commitment to student safety and well-being. J 0 We as a community demand stronger, more collaborative programming between 0 DPS needs another car student organizations. 0 Counseling center needs a psychiatrist o More visibility from Student Government 0 Need more cameras 0 Rotating sustainability fund! 0 Need working cameras 0 Savings club more known 0 Alcohol violation reform 0 Fix the ShareBike 0 Nicer DPS oflicers 0 Club A-List should be once a month 0 Fees for openings dorms ' o Ping pong! 0 We as a community demand a higher commitment to publicizing college and com- munity events. I 0 We as a community demand a higher commitment to improving shared student spaces. 0 Students need to be more aware of what is going on around campus 0 Water fountains 0 Keeping students informed on what is going on 0 Better wireless connections in dorms o More information on convocation 0 Sport teams should use field and not gym—designated spaces IEW, page 2 Aungurg college Echo about nature and people regardless of race, ethnicity, International Education Week is an opportunity Fall 2009 Staff gender, religion, or creed and that involves caring to celebrate the benefits of international education for nature and human systems that are difierent from and exchange worldwrde. This Jornt initiative of the M t ‘to your own,” said Sergio Monterrubio the President of US. Department of State and the US. Department of MOUY Ehling Sergio Monterrubio the International Student Organization. It wouldn’t Education is part of our efforts to promote programs Becki IVCI'SOH MOHY Ehling be an International Week without the Study Abroad that prepare Americans for a global environment and Office who also tabled week long in the Christensen attract fiiture leaders from abroad to study, learn, and ‘ M391 mam Center. Their International Photo Contest was exchange experiences in the United States. lg Malena “1050!! 30d“ “"50" Tuesday evening. The contest involves students who We encourage the participation of all individuals had studied abroad the previous year, submitting their and institutions interested in international education 1 —Jl—S§—Fw ' Edit“ gig—mg bestphotographs from all differentparts ofthe globe. and exchange activities, including schools, Andrea Samw Tcd C°“°V“ The week ended with a variety show Thursday colleges and universities, embassies, international ; evening bringing Augsburg’s diverse talents into a organizations, businesses, associations, and ‘ W391 2M9! myriad of ethnic music and dance. The following is community organizations. F D3" Mads‘m Kendra Chm‘im” an official statement from the International Education Visit http://iewstate. gov/ for more information. i I ' Week’s website. i, Qpinigns/Edirorials Miter Ml_erti$ing_Ma_nagc_r ' g l Roger Huelsnirz Sarah Gillund page 2 students as well as faculty and staff gill M W members. This committee has been 1 Ed Shehwcn B°Yd KOCH" working toward several initiatives to help Free English Bulldog! ; the environment and, also, to help Auggies _ 731 215‘ Avenf‘e 5’ CB 148 become eco-friendly as well, including ane@0115! ancsma 55454 hosting speakers on envrronmental issues, wow; Look at the nose mpg m m on this baby gm: m g; ‘ . _ Earth Day celebrations and workshops on :WM$;'"::§TG:Izmm: mafia!“ “C E'mall " CCh°@a“35burg-°du TIPS — cch‘mpséagmml“tom ' the environment for all Auggies. For more Indira“sz I?“ a" me has“, mm“ m "5: "mm was.“ Phone - (612) 330-1102 Fax — (612) 330-1666 information on the bike share program in pronfirimrhedoga better home.thenfeelfreetocontactmeat 5 or the Environmental Stewardship 'm-SGY’M-mm'wemmm The Augsburg Echo is published each Friday —— except during vacation periods C ommmee, contact committee secretary I ~ . . Thank you hndy. 5. and “ways — by the 5t“de °fA“ng“'g C°“°ge' Joseph Underhrll or stop by the mam desk kt Opinions expressed in the Echo are those of the authors and do not necessarily on the first floor of Linden Library. reflect those of the supporting stafi“. administration. faculty, alumni/ac or the remainder of the students. ] ._‘ The Echo does not necessarily promote the products or services it advertises. Page 2 I I n l Advertisements can be placed in the Echo by contacting the advertising manager. Wh‘Ch WI" be a Small POSt Officer and i Submissions are welcome and can be sent to echo@augsburg.edu. All submis- Ingera Baker)“ V‘lhwh W1“ PTOVlde fieSh w 't' n N 3 sions should be between 500-700 words and accompanied by the writer‘s name baked gQOdS» “"11 also be found there- ; I g ; and contact information. All submissions become the property of the Echo and are EaCh busm‘iss was Chosen w‘th the same l, A ' I 9 i subject to revision. care as Koyr. . I l The Echo reserves the right to edit submitted material because of space limita— .“Usmg that Parameter 310118 Wlth I , lions, repetitive subject matter. libelous content or any other reason the editor's deem fil‘dlng locallY'owned Small busmesses : j; “W. . . Si’il‘SSSql‘iltii‘éZ‘lfiiieiefiflfii$5.233 lemailournewsedim" David "edge" I Printed by Pam Group Midwest on recycled P8P“ tify KoyL Seward Copy and Post an d the madsend@augsburg,edu j Ingera Bakery,” Langenberger said. i l l ‘1 .. Show less
THE BACK PAGE Minneapolis, Minnesota g rida ovembeO, 2009 Auggie at a Glance: Carly Lassegard Anson RAP? Columnist Carly Lassegard, a junior Auggie, spends most of her time utilizing rooms few people, even veteran students, know exist. She is a guru among her peers, with a vast knowledge of both... Show moreTHE BACK PAGE Minneapolis, Minnesota g rida ovembeO, 2009 Auggie at a Glance: Carly Lassegard Anson RAP? Columnist Carly Lassegard, a junior Auggie, spends most of her time utilizing rooms few people, even veteran students, know exist. She is a guru among her peers, with a vast knowledge of both the academic and tangible sides of her field. And she understands the workings of numerous complicated, and very expensive, pieces of equipment. What does Lassegard do, you ask? The answer is film, an exploding semi-interdisciplinary program, housed within Augsburg’s Communication Studies Department. Lassegard, the eldest of three children, grew up in Woodhury, a suburb of St. Paul. Though always interested in film, Carly attended Woodbury’s Math and Sci- ence Academy from sixth to twelfth grade. She described the experience fondly. “My parents [initially] forced me to go, but within a year, I loved it.” With only twenty-seven students in her graduating class, “There was no room for cliques... no drama. . .if you started drama, you had no friends." Her time at the Academy, Lassegard said, was spent “[following] everyone around with a video camera. . .I was that person.” When asked why she chose Augsburg, Lassegard explained that Augsburg is the only private college in Minnesota that offers a film degree. And she always knew she wanted to do film, saying “I never thought I would go to college for anything else. . .It’s always been something I’ve been good at it. . .and although I’m creative, I’m also shy, and film is really good for that—no audience participation~[l] can turn the movie on and run to the back of the room.” What’s great about Augsburg’s film program in particular, Lassegard said, is that “It’s small. It feels like a school within a school...it’s amazing what gets produced HOROSCOPES ].E.R.K. (JAMIE KRUMENAUER, EMILY PETERSON, RESHA ALBRECHT, KELLY DAUGHERTY) Contributors If your birthday is this week: The movie Santa Buddies comes out this week, and LiteFM has started playing holiday songs. Forget about the upcoming Turkey Day and your birthday, we’re taking the festive train full steam ahead to the Holiday season! Aries (Mar. 21 — Apr. 19): The stars have aligned and declared that despite popular belief, thinking is not sexy. Your tuition money would be better in— “; vested in plastic surgery... that is, if the whole college thing doesn’t work out and you are applying to be Hugh Hefner’s fourth girlfriend (or boyfriend, we don’t discriminate). Taurus (Apr. 20 — May 20): “Rah rah, ah ah ahh. Rah muh, Rah muh muh. GaGa, ohh lala. Want your bad romance.” Ha-Ha! We got the new Lady GaGa song stuck in your head, sinner! Gemini (May 21 — Jun. 21 ): Trying to watch YouTube for countless hours instead of doing homework? It’s almost like Augsburg Student wireless i 3. intentionally refuses to load things in less than an hour. Coincidence, or do they do it to us on purpose?! § Cancer (Jun. 22 — Jul. 22): You will shamefully watch “Keeping Up With the Kardashians: The Wedding” episode for the fifih time this weekend. Try your best to hold back the tears as Bruce walks Khloe down the aisle. Leo (Jul. 23 — Aug. 22): Chances are you are incredibly tired this fine F ri- day. The New Moon premiere at midnight was obviously worth the lack of sleep, but remember to take off your “Team Edward” shirt before leaving your apartment today. You will be judged. Virgo (Aug. 23 — Sep. 22): Emily Andrews may claim to have written a *‘i‘ horoscope this week. If anyone should inquire, we will deny any and all claims pertaining to this matter. As for your horoscope Virgo, we will leave you with this: There’s a 30 percent chance it’s already raining. Libra (Sep. 23 — Oct. 23): We predict that JERK Plans will be coming to a Bridal Convention near you! Wait, you mean this isn’t the advertising section? Scorpio (Oct. 24 — Nov. 21): Sick of pop culture references yet? Too bad w Scorpio. Okay fine, your lucky numbers are 6. 6, and 6. Sagittarius (Nov. 22 7 Dec. 21): Things to be thankful for: Working electric- ity in your on-campus apartment. These things are not a right, but a privilege. Why else would we pay so much for housing each year? Capricorn (Dec. 22 — Jan. 19): Thank you for being a friend. One time, # back in Sicily... If you understand this reference, you will be rewarded ’ ' with Sverhoeven C rispies from St. Olaf. Aquarius (Jan. 20 7 Feb. 18.): You will receive a compliment from a stranger on Friday. So. when that creepster gives you the ole’ eye. just remember — it's a compliment. Pisces (Feb. 19 — Mar. 20): One good thing about you is... we'll get back to you on that. in our classes.” And the program is growing rapidly, Iasscgard said. “We’ve had double-digit growth everyyear for the past five years,” and it’s set to continue. “We’re. g getting more recognition. . .[but we’ll] need more money, more space...” When asked about the other organizations she's invoked with, Lassegard laughed, saying, “Film takes over my life.” As the Head T.A. for the film program, Lassegard not only controls the keys (and thus, all the access) to the TV/film studio and the film equipment, she also fields most questions from students, handling all but the most complicated (which she relays to Wes Ellenwood, Assistant Professor in the film program). ' Afier she graduates in 201 l, Lassegard hopes to attend graduate school, and then to “sell [her] soul to Hollywood, for a little while.” Afier that, Lassegard wants to “be in charge of something...l enjoy screenwriting, so I want to [continue] that. I don’t want to be a director.” Whatever Lassegard decides to do, her stellar experiences within Augsburg’s rising film program (not to mention her own aspirations, creative and otherwise) will no doubt prove priceless. E O . S D C Q U M C B F A H J G L m—meE—rmzu>-§or>é>zogxom=uw OZr—MZD-hr—w—iCVZZ-l Z—z—i>I—Nc:cIcn>r—mo mgmézm-DZOme—i—-<> OJ>><-<-n><=OO><fi —r-uCrn>-o‘uoau'nID'—v'm >r-rn-l§xeO-n r—N—t<>EZC:U—lfimt—Ox'u best dance crew snl scrubs bet hallmark monk the office south park grays cops ghostwhisperer project runaway csd sunny food sci idols2 robot chicken nanny life mtv ncis next top model law and order animal planet Answers from last week’s crossword puzzle: Down 1. Pacific Ave Across 2. Virginia 1. Pennsylvania Rail 3. Are on 6. Iron 4. No 9. Co 5. Indiana Ave 10. Re 7. RR 11. Tax 8. Luxury Tax 12. In Jail 9. Community 13. Income 11. To 14. Pay 18. car 15. Is 20. Blue 16. Atlantic A 21. cut 17. Ori 22. Elec 19. Teams 23. Bal 21. Chance 24. Red 23. Boardwalk 25. W 26. Line 30. St. 27. Lead 31. North Carolina 28. Penn 32. Illinois 29. Go p-z=a-m Q I Show less
Friday, November 20, 2009 up Augsbu student directors Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 7 VARIETY discuss love, this weekend only! MALENA 'InosoN AéE Editor Augsburg student directors discuss love, this weekend only! Two student directed productions will be playing only this week- end in the Foss... Show moreFriday, November 20, 2009 up Augsbu student directors Minneapolis, Minnesota Page 7 VARIETY discuss love, this weekend only! MALENA 'InosoN AéE Editor Augsburg student directors discuss love, this weekend only! Two student directed productions will be playing only this week- end in the Foss Studio Theater: Savage/Love, a play by Sam Shepard, directed by Molly Budke, senior, and The Falling Sickness, written by Russell Edson and directed by Levi Morris, senior. Savage/Love is a poetic play that allows the audience to emotion- ally interact by presenting familiar sexual and romantic experiences on stage. The play is designed to inspire introspection, and to encourage the attendees to consider their own stories. The Falling Sickness is also a play based in poetry, and addresses another kind of love: the kind of love experienced in the nuclear family. This play explores the struggles we've all faced in our journeys to find acceptance and affinity in our homes. These two productions run from Nov. 20-22, with shows on Friday, Nov. 20 and Saturday, Nov. 21 at 7:00 p.m. and a matinee on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 3:00 p.m. Tickets are $1 for Augsburg students and can be purchased by calling the box office at 612-330-1257, or by visiting www. augsburg.edu/theatre. Shostakovich’s 5 th symphony is on god’s iPod ANDY MYERS Columnist Cancel your Saturday afternoon plans and prepare to be blown away by one of the most impressive and enjoyable pieces of 20th century music, being performed by the Augsburg Concert Band at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 21 in Hoversten Chapel. The Finale of Dmitri Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony is an incredible piece for both audiences and performers. When people talk of the great 20th century composers, Shostakovich is frequently a discussion point, and his 5th Symphony is a remarkable example of powerful Russian music. If you like music, you need to come experience this emotional masterpiece this Saturday. After being denounced and harshly (and unjustly, as the subtitle of the piece describes) criticized for his opera Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District in 1936, Shostakovich had to halt rehearsals for his upcoming 4th Symphony (which ended up not being premiered for another 25 years). The political climate of Stalinist USSR demanded that Shostakovich write simpler pieces that supported Stalin and the soviet control. This was also the beginning of the Great Terror period of USSR history and many of Shostakovich’s friends and family were imprisoned and killed. Despite constantly thinking he was next, Shostakovich wrote his 5th Symphony to regain his good favor. The premier was a great success and the piece received significant praise, especially the Finale, which at the time was believed to represent a Stalin victory. Many years later (and after much interpretive debate amongst music critics and scholars) Shostakovich confirmed that the Finale was indeed a parody of the Stalin reign and was his pointed answer to being denounced in the first place. The end of the piece is marked by open “A” chords with just the root and the fifth, representing children mockingly grinning and laughing, “La la la la ha ha ha ha.” Shostakovich describes the end of the piece as “forced rejoicing,” an obvious slight to Stalin’s reign. The Finale begins with trilling winds and strings followed by a tonic-dominant timpani solo (imagine the timpani solo that would occur if God walked into the room). The main theme, echoed over and over throughout the Finale, is blasted from the brass section and low strings. Picking up pace, the march hurries on with a new, though similar, theme from the strings. The first theme explodes from the trombones and again pushes the tempo forward. After a short development section the giant doors to the square open as Soviet tanks begin rolling in front of the crowd with a crushing timpani solo, playing the interval known as the “tri— tone” (originally banned from the church because it was known as “the devil’s interval”). The booming timpani and orchestra bombardment slows to a halt and the evil dictator appears. This new theme is reminiscent of another Russian piece, Prokofiev ’s Peter and the Wolfi specifically the Wolf’s theme. The theme melts into a beautiful, slow development section with the strings accompanying a gorgeous horn solo followed by a flute solo. For the next several minutes you may find yourself tearing up while several of the main themes can be heard extended and stretched out. The haunting minor development is a somber reminder of the fear and oppression that plagued the “proletariat” during the Great Terror. Out of the darkness marches the original theme, only this time at half-tempo, driven by the snare drum and timpani. The orchestra builds and begins melding themes heard earlier in the piece, ultimately arriving at a new rhythmic idea, shifting the piece from the common 4/4 time to 3/4 with odd syncopated accents. Possibly the most wrenchingly powerful moment of the whole piece is heard (and felt with every inch of your body and soul) at the end of the 3/4 section, leading into the “triumphant” last minute and a half of the piece. I cannot do this chord justice with simple words, you just need to listen to it, and I recommend sitting down beforehand. The main theme is altered for the last minute, this time being heard in with major harmonies. It is no longer showcasing an evil oppressor but a joyous hero. Of course we now know that Shostakovich was actually being sarcastic with this ending theme, parodying the supposed triumph of Stalin. The ending rallies on and the God-like timpani march forces the piece onward towards the brilliant finale. With sheer power and might the timpanist nearly destroys the drums hammering out the final notes of the piece. The spectacle is phenomenal and gets my blood pumping every time I hear it. Shostakovich’s 5th Symphony is a testament to Russian music, combining elements of his great predecessors such as Mahler and Hey. Write your opinion for the ECHO. Now Stravinsky as well as incorporating the political struggles and worker hardships of the times to produce this masterpiece. Truly a staple in 20th century music literature, this piece stands in defiance of the oppressive Soviet Union’s restrictions on music, an, literature, and the human spirit. lfyou were still on the fence as to whether you wanted to go see the Augsburg Band concert this Saturday at 4 p.m. in Hoversten Chapel, this piece is the only reason you need. However, there are also plenty of other reasons to attend and some great pieces in addition to this beast, such as another wonderfiil piece by Shostakovich entitled Festive Overture. The concert is free so bring your friends (and family) and don’t miss this opportunity to see what the Augsburg Concert Band has been working on all semester, namely a fantastic program including Shostakovich’s work of genius, his 5th Symphony. I also beseech you to watch Leonard Bernstein conduct this piece on YouTube; it is mind-blowing. Enjoy music. A-List MALENA 'hroson Ari-E Editor Theater Savage/Love By Sam Shepard Directed by Molly Budke, senior The Falling Sickness By Russell Edson Directed by Levi Morris, senior Augsburg College Foss Studio Theater Nov. 20—21, 7 p.m.: Nov. 22, 3 p.m. Tickets: $1 for Augsburg students 612-330-1257 www.augsburg.edu/theatre Reefer Madness Bumsville Performing Arts Center Final Weekend! Nov. 20-21, 7:30 p.m.: Nov. 22, 2 p.m. $16 (with 2 for one 1 deal if you say the code word “blunt") 12600 Nicollet Ave S, Bums— ville 962895-4680 www.bumsvillepac.com Dance Tu Dance The O’Shaughnessy St. Catherine University Nov. 20—21, 8 p.m.: Nov. 22, 2 p.m. 1750 Hennepin Ave, Minne- apolis 651—690—6700 Tickets: $16 with student 1D 2004 Randolph Ave, St. Paul www.ticketmaster.com Music More Than Lights CD Release Party! Featuring: City on the Make Wide Eyes Dalia DJ Gabe Carcia The Cabooze Saturday, Nov. 21, 10 p.m. (doors at 9PM) 917 Cedar Ave S, Minneapolis Tickets: $5 Advance, $8 Door Available at: Fifth Element, Electric Fetus Treehouse Records, Know Name Records, and online at: www.thecabooze.com Show less