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AUGSBURG NOW

Augsburg Now

25 Years of Life-ChangingTravel page 20

SPRING 2010 VOL. 71, NO. 3

The Magazine of Augsburg College

Photo contest winners Peace Prize Forum 2010

Lutefisk and a legacy In the neighborhood

Learning to learn Pursuing an ideal education

Connecting the dots for good IGNITE program

outoftheboxAuggiesinsi

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s this issue of Augsburg Now illustrates, theAugsburg community is engaged in many ef-forts and initiatives that are best character-

ized as innovative—or “out-of-the-box,” as they’recalled here. In fact, I believe deeply that there issomething about Augsburg and its mission thatlends itself to this sort of entrepreneurial spirit,this willingness to try new ways of doing things inservice to our students and neighbors. Just think ofthe last 30 years of new programs at Augsburg—the Weekend College; the expansion to seven grad-uate programs; the Augsburg campus at BethelLutheran Church in Rochester and at St. StephenLutheran Church in Bloomington; the AugsburgCore Curriculum ––(AugCore), with its expansiveframework for educating students in the liberal artsand in the world; the CLASS office, providing sup-port for students with learning differences; theStepUP program, meeting the needs of students re-covering from addictions; and the list goes on andon. All examples of how Augsburg is on the leadingedge of providing an excellent education in newand innovative ways.

I’ve recently been reading literature on helpingorganizations to embrace and sustain a culture ofinnovation—that is, to create organizational cul-tures that are constantly looking for new and differ-ent ways to do things, to make products, to deliverservices; to save souls, educate students, heal thesick. Recently, I happened upon the writing ofMark Federman, a Canadian scholar whose writ-ings on innovation include this provocative sugges-tion: “Multiply your mind by giving it away.” AndFederman means exactly what he says—be gener-ous, be charitable, give instead of always taking.Because when you are generous with your mind,with your knowledge and education, you help to

create organizations and neighborhoods and agen-cies and churches and schools that are marked notby the scarcity of the world but by the abundanceof what’s possible when generosity of mind andheart and spirit is our guiding principle.

How will you give away your mind in the commu-nities and organizations you serve? I constantly findexamples of such generosity of mind right here inthe Augsburg community, and you’ll see them inthe stories featured here. For example, I’m struckby the ways in which staff member Brian Noy andhis many colleagues who run our Campus Kitchenprogram are illustrating this generosity of mind andspirit. In addition to the ongoing preparation anddelivery of 2,000 meals a month they serve to ourneighbors in Phillips and Cedar-Riverside, theyhave focused our attention on the important rolethat food plays in our lives—as sustenance for ourbodies, as fellowship for our community, as politicsand economics in our neighborhood and world.They have multiplied their minds by giving themaway to all of us. And the results are staggering—a community garden on the edge of campus thatbrings together neighbors and students and chil-dren, a Farmers Market that brings organic farmersfrom across the region to campus, composting ofleftover everything in the cafeteria, and so muchmore—abundance through generosity.

The gift of an education, an Augsburg educa-tion, calls all of us to this generous undertaking ofmultiplying your mind and knowledge and experi-ence by giving it away so that it serves God’s abun-dant intentions for God’s people and world. That isthe sort of innovation that is at the heart of Augsburg’s mission and vision. I’m proud to sharein this significant work.

PAUL C. PRIBBENOW, PRESIDENT

EditorBetsey [email protected]

Creative DirectorKathy Rumpza ’05 [email protected]

Creative Associate-EditorialWendi Wheeler ’[email protected]

Creative Associate-DesignJen Nagorski ’[email protected]

PhotographerStephen [email protected]

Webmaster/Now OnlineBryan [email protected]

Director of News and Media ServicesJeff [email protected]

Sports Information DirectorDon [email protected]

Assistant Vice President of Marketing and CommunicationRebecca [email protected]

Director of Alumni and Constituent RelationsKim [email protected]

www.augsburg.edu

Augsburg Now is published by Augsburg College2211 Riverside Ave.Minneapolis, MN 55454

Opinions expressed in Augsburg Nowdo not necessarily reflect official College policy.

ISSN 1058-1545

Send address corrections to:Advancement ServicesCB 142Augsburg College 2211 Riverside Ave.Minneapolis, MN [email protected]

E-mail: [email protected]: 612-330-1181Fax: 612-330-1780

notesMultiply your mind by giving it away

from President Pribbenow

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Features

10th annual International Programs Photo Contest

2010 Nobel Peace Prize Forum

Lutefisk, a log cabin, and a 50-year legacyby Betsey Norgard

out of the box20 Pursuing an ideal education

by Wendi Wheeler ’06

23 In the neighborhoodby Jeff Shelman

25 Learning to learn—without any A, B, Csby Jeff Shelman

28 Connecting the dots for goodby Bryan Barnes

31 IGNITE-ing Auggie spiritby Betsey Norgard

34 The Bod Podby Betsey Norgard

36 Out of the box partnershipsby Rebecca Johnaugsburg now

spring 2010

cont

ents

On the coverIt’s impossible to arrange many of the programs, people, andpartnerships at Augsburg neatly into a box. With their creativeperspectives and unique features, the stories here show howAugsburg often looks and acts “out-of-the-box.”

All photos by Stephen Geffre unless otherwise indicated.

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Departments2 Around the Quad5 Auggies on the ice8 Auggie voices9 It takes an Auggie37 Alumni news40 Class notes44 My Auggie experience

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20auggies


With eight All-Americans and three national runner-up individu-als, the Augsburg College wrestling team claimed its 11thNCAA Division III national title in the last 20 seasons in Marchin Cedar Rapids, Iowa.

Augsburg finished with 110.5 points, 10 points better thansecond-place Wisconsin-La Crosse’s 100.5. Defending nationalchampion Wartburg (Iowa) was third with 83.5 points, Coe(Iowa) was fourth with 76.0 points, and Delaware Valley (Pa.)was fifth with 50.5 points.

In his second year as Augsburg’s head wrestling coach, MarkMatzek ’05 was named Division III National Coach of the Yearby the National Wrestling Coaches Association—and at age 27,is the youngest head coach to ever win a Division III wrestlingnational title. Augsburg assistant head coach Jared Evans ’07was named National Assistant Coach of the Year by the NWCA.

“It was nine individual efforts that created this team nationalchampionship,” Matzek said. “I’m proud of each and every oneof the guys who wrestled, and I’m proud of each and every oneof the guys in this program.”

The final session of the tournament completed a unique firstfor the Auggies—the first time Augsburg has won a nationaltitle without an individual national titlist. The feat has occurredjust twice before in the 37-year history of the Division III cham-pionships.

2 Augsburg Now

around thequadAuggies win 11th national wrestling title

The new LED “Augsburg” atop Mortensen Hall now serves as a beacon to commuters who pass by on Interstate 94 and as a markerof Augsburg’s location. To read more and see a video of the construction, go to the “Auggie Sign” page on Facebook.

Have you seen the new signs?

Auggie wrestlers, students, families, and friendscelebrated Augsburg’s 11th national championship.

Photo by Caleb Williams


3Spring 2010

In the past weeks, three Augsburg students, one faculty member, and theCenter for Global Education have all been notified that they have receivedFulbright awards for next year.

May graduates Jens Olsen and Heidi Le will both teach English in Vietnam during the 2010-11 academic year. Bethany Hellerich, a 2009graduate who is spending this year as a member of the Lutheran VolunteerCorps, will teach English in Indonesia. All three have plans to further theireducation after their year abroad, as Olsen will apply to medical school, Lehas deferred admission to pharmacy school, and Hellerich is interested ina public health graduate program.

Seven Augsburg students have been awarded Fulbrights over the pastthree years and the College has been recognized as a top producer of win-ners. Hellerich said Augsburg’s Undergraduate Research and Graduate Op-portunity office (URGO) deserves credit for working with students andpushing them to believe that they can have success.

“I’m just fortunate that [URGO director] Dixie Shafer exists and magicalthings happen when she works with you on your application,” Hellerichsaid. “She’s very helpful with giving good and detailed feedback.”

English professor Colin Irvine will spend the next academic year travel-ing the length of Norway as a Fulbright Roving Scholar in American Studies.

In this role, Irvine will prepare presentations on American studies top-ics and visit schools across Norway to provide opportunities for Norwegianteenagers to learn about the United States. Based in Oslo, he will likely givebetween 250 and 300 presentations across the country.

“I’ve always been interested in the possibility of working or teachingoverseas,” Irvine said. “This roving scholar program was perfect.”

In addition, the Center for Global Education also received its fifth Fulbright-Hays Group Project award and will host a four-week curriculumdevelopment program for teachers during July and August in Namibia.

College mourns the death of faculty Professor Don Steinmetz, whotaught in the Languages andCross-Cultural Studies Depart-ment for 41 years, died of anapparent heart attack on Dec.28. He was 71. His son, ErikSteinmetz, is a member ofAugsburg’s Computer ScienceDepartment faculty.

Don Steinmetz served as chair of the department and taughtcourses in German and Spanish. He also taught Chinese and linguis-tics within the Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities consortium.

Professor Emeritus Myles Stenshoel died on March 26 followinga short illness. He taught at Augsburg for 28 years and continuedto teach part time in retirement. In 1965 he came to Augsburg andestablished the Political Science Department the following year. Hisinterests were in politics and religion, and he was deeply commit-ted to social action.

Also mourned is Neal Thorpe ’60, former faculty member and aDistinguished Alumnus, who died in Vancouver, Wash., on March 3.

Augsburg receives five Fulbright awards

Editor’s NoteThe last issue of the Now had a story, “Augsburg’s firsttravel to Egypt.” Alas, we have received a note from so-cial work Professor Emerita Edwina (Eddie) Hertzberg,who tells us it isn’t so.

“In 1979, for the January Interim, the College spon-sored a course, Social Services and Public Policy in a De-veloping Country: Egypt, 1979,” she writes. “I was thefaculty instructor, assisted by former adjunct professorNagwa Farag and two of her colleagues from HelwanUniversity in Cairo. My request to Professor Faraghad been that we get as close to Egyptian peopleas possible so that our experience include thedepth that only such engagement can provide.Eleven students, Augsburg and St. Olaf,from a variety of disciplines, participated inthe month-long program. … [I]t was a re-markable educational and life-impactingexperience for us all, students and fac-ulty alike.”

Donald Steinmetz Myles Stenshoel

Jens Olsen and Heidi Le Colin Irvine

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4 Augsburg Now

Yi started out the semester in the back of the room, about as faraway from me as possible. He showed relatively little interest; hishomework and test grades were poor. Yet when I called on him heresponded with reasonable answers. Like others hiding in theback row, Yi had potential; he just needed some personal atten-tion and prodding. I took to writing notes on his homework en-couraging him to move forward and talk to me. One afternoon heappeared in my office, and we talked for an hour about manythings—about the class, how he came to United International College (UIC), and his goals. Eventually he closed the office doorand wanted to talk about the injuries his uncle experienced inTiananmen Square in 1989. But the fear was still too great andhe left. Yi did move forward, began to interact with me, and soonhis work, tests, and comments improved remarkably. He began toenjoy thinking philosophically.

Through a special arrangement, Augsburg made it possible forme to teach philosophy during the fall semester at UIC in Zhuhai,China. In three classes I was privileged to work with 120 brightChinese students. A new, English-medium liberal arts college onthe mainland, UIC is an experiment to provide a more Westernstyle of education to the Chinese. China is dramatically changingas it attempts to educate its population, and UIC is one of eightbrand-new universities built in Zhuhai in the last 10 years.

In Introduction to Philosophy we read Plato’s Apology, whereSocrates is accused of corrupting the youth by getting them toquestion those in authority who claimed that they knew when theyreally didn’t. I told my students that part of my mission was to cor-rupt them, to move them from the passive state of being excellentnote-takers and regurgitators of teachers’ PowerPoints to beingable to think and question for themselves. By the end of the termover half of the students were engaging me in the classroom dis-cussion, raising questions and objections and making the classtheir own.

My Philosophy of Religion students and I would walk down tothe student canteen on Friday for lunch and conversation. Jiangsat next to me and between bites of noodles asked, “Do you reallybelieve in God?” Teaching Philosophy of Religion provided both achallenge and opportunity, as both the students and I looked for acommon ground of understanding between our two cultures andworldviews. Once the initial barriers of passive learning were put torest, the classroom boiled with discussion, questions, challenges,and good humor. Here, too, the students would linger. Tony period-ically stayed around for an hour, his phenomenology book in hand,to inquire how Heidegger would view these ideas. Self taught inphilosophy, he was eager to connect the course ideas with his ownreading.

Three Augsburg students and four recent graduates, serving asteaching assistants, also joined the UIC community, providingcross-cultural connections that will continue to develop as stu-dents and faculty visit each other’s campuses in the years ahead.At the end of the term two of my classes took my wife and me toChinese restaurants to show their appreciation. We toasted friend-ship and a wonderful semester as we affirmed that we all liked phi-losophy and Chinese food.

BRUCE REICHENBACHProfessor of philosophy

Philosophy, religion, and Chinese food

around thequad

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Professor Bruce Reichenbach with students (from left) Daisy, Serena, and Charlene enjoynoodles and discussion after class in Zhuhai, China.

“I told my students that part of my mission was to corrupt them, to move them from the passive state of being excellent note-takers and regurgitators of teachers’ PowerPoints to being able to think and question for themselves.”


Auggies on the ice

Chris Johnson—A third-generation hockey starChris Johnson certainly has an impressive hockey pedigree.

Chris is the son of Mark Johnson, a member of the fabled “Mira-cle on Ice” 1980 U.S. Olympic team, a pro hockey star, and coachof the 2010 U.S. Olympic women’s silver-medal hockey squad.He’s the grandson of “Badger” Bob Johnson, one of the greatestcoaches in American hockey history—who also happened to attendAugsburg for a year before transferring to the University of Wisconsin. And his siblings all played hockey on various teams.

But Chris Johnson has also made a name for himself as a leaderof the Auggie men’s hockey team. A native of Verona, Wis., Johnson had a terrific career as an Auggie, scoring 41 goals with74 assists for 115 points in his 104-game career. He had a goal orassist in 15 of Augsburg’s 27 games this season, including sevenmultiple-point efforts.

Johnson’s squads reached the MIAC postseasonplayoffs in three of his four seasons, including twowith him as team captain. He earned All-Min-nesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conferencehonors all four seasons and All-Americanhonors last year.

Off the ice, Johnson will also be remembered as a top hockeyplayer. He’s a member of Augsburg’s Student-Athlete AdvisoryCommittee and has helped lead hockey ministry and Bible-studygroups of student-athletes. He’s also worked with the Herb BrooksFoundation’s “Rink Rats” program, teaching hockey skills to stu-dents from the Seward Montessori School. Johnson is a financemajor with a 3.4 GPA.

“Hockey was everywhere when we were growing up, in a goodway, not in a pressure way,” Johnson told columnist Rachel Blountof the Star Tribune in a January feature. “We all got to play at thesame high school as my dad. He taught us that even though wemight have a last name that helps, it doesn’t matter if you don’twork hard. But he also told us that at the end of the day, it’s allabout having fun.”

This season was a special one for the Johnson family.Since the U.S. women’s hockey team was based at theSchwan Super Rink in Blaine, Minn., prior to theOlympics, Mark—who took a leave of absence from hisjob as coach of the University of Wisconsin women’shockey team to lead the Olympic squad—had ample op-portunities to be with his son in the Twin Cities. Markattended several of his son’s games at Augsburg, andthe two met weekly for dinner and father-son bonding.

In a “Profiles of Excellence” feature on the CollegeSportingNews.com website by Rich Mies in

January, Chris Johnson said that his experience atAugsburg has been a positive one. “I’ve re-

ceived a great education here,” he said, “andI cherish the relationships I’ve made here

with teammates, coaches, teachers, andfriends. I’ve grown up a lot while I’ve

been here.” He also said he may considerfollowing in his father’s and

grandfather’s footsteps andcoach hockey someday.

DON STONER

Spring 2010 5


Portraits

1st place: Matt Anderson“Soccer at Le Sacré Coeur”Paris, France

2nd place: Sandra Meyer“Yes”Managua, Nicaragua

3rd place: Dan Thewis“Friday at Al-Azhar Mosque”Cairo, Egypt

Landscape/cityscape

1st place: Norah Thompson“Villa Joyosa, España”Madrid, Spain

2nd place: Malena Thoson“Municipal Dump”Managua, Nicaragua

3rd place: Elizabeth Robinson“Work Will Set You Free”Berlin, Germany

Photojournalism

1st place: Dan Thewis“Cairo at Midnight”Cairo, Egypt

2nd place: Norah Thompson“El niño en Madrid”Madrid, Spain

3rd place: Sandra Meyer“Nonchalant”Managua, Nicaragua

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PhotoContest

International Programs


2009

INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS

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8 Augsburg Now

“Doing Theology with Girlfriends,” or DTwG as it is known, isnot your typical Bible study.

Sonja Hagander, associate pastor at Augsburg, started DTwGbecause students told her they wanted a Bible study on campus.“But you can’t always call it a ‘Bible study,’” Hagander says,“because that means it’s difficult or boring or only for peoplewho already understand the Bible.”

So DTwG gives women at Augsburg a chance to connect, tosupport each other, and to relate their own life experiences toscripture. This group of girlfriends gathers once a month to sharestories of their lives and to “do” theology.

The idea for DTwG came as Hagander reflected on how sheloved spending time with her own girlfriends and on the impor-tance of relating to other women. When the group gathers eachmonth, one woman shares a story from her life. The others thenshare their own feelings and memories related to the story.

Hagander chooses a reading or two from the Bible, which thewomen use to dig deeper into their experiences. Finally, they askhow what they’ve learned might change their daily lives or theway they practice their faith.

On the last Monday in January, one student talked about whatit means to “truly experience” nature as she related the story ofher family’s vacation in Denali National Park. “I sat there forhours, looking out for miles, reflecting and praying and trying tofigure out my place within God’s beautiful creation,” she said.

Hagander passed out copies of Psalm 23, and the girlfriendsidentified their own green pastures and still waters. For one, alate-night jog around the lakes in Minneapolis was a way forher to connect to nature. Another experienced the majesty ofcreation while watching the sunrise over the Grand Canyon.

Then Hagander asked the group to examine the dark and de-structive side of nature using Job’s account of a fire-breathing,stone-hearted leviathan. This led to a discussion about themassive loss of life caused by the earthquakes in Haiti. Onewoman marveled at the faith that kept some people alive asthey waited for days to be pulled from the rubble of destroyedhomes, churches, and schools.

“Today is a gift that we get to use in the best way possible,”Hagander said, asking how the women could take this discus-sion into their lives.

This hour wasn’t a gab session or group therapy. But itwasn’t an ordinary Bible study either. There were no right an-swers or theologically sound interpretations. Just coffee andtea, comfortable chairs, a pink candle, and a chance to share.

That is how girlfriends do theology.

WENDI WHEELER ’06

auggie voices

How girlfriends do theology

Back row (L to R): Amy Wenzel, Whitney Pratt, Pastor Sonja Hagander, Ally Streed,Sara Thiry, Emily Wiles; Front row (L to R): Lonna Field, Carly Facchini, Dixie Scruggs,Marrta Wyatt, Angelica Erickson, Sylvia Bull


A young woman meets her many grandmothersLast year, Krystal Mattison ’10 studied in Korea. Many studentswho study abroad are profoundly affected by the experience. ForMattison, a history and American Indian studies major from St.Paul, spending the year abroad was a life-changing opportunity tobond with her new grandmothers.

Mattison is the granddaughter of a “comfort woman.” DuringWorld War II, thousands of Korean women were forced into sexualslavery by the Japanese military. Some of these women did not sur-vive their ordeal, and many were unable to have children as a re-sult of their treatment. Furthermore, the women were unable totalk about their experiences until many years later.

Her grandmother died when Mattison was five years old, but sheheard the story from her father. While in Korea, Mattison spenttime at the House of Sharing, an organization in Seoul that housesand cares for the surviving comfort women. She says that after shetold them about her grandmother, the women became her adoptedgrandmothers (halmonis), even giving her the Korean name Soo-Jeong. “They spoiled me, holding my hands and feeding me,”she says.

She learned from the women, who now think of themselves notas victims but as survivors and activists, that speaking out againstviolence is an important part of the healing process. “This experi-ence brought me so much completion that I had to do something.”

That “something” was to connect with Jessica Nathanson, assis-tant professor of women’s studies and director of Augsburg’sWomen’s Resource Center. After Mattison shared her grand-mother’s story and her own experience in Korea, the center agreedto donate the proceeds from its annual benefit performance of TheVagina Monologues to the House of Sharing.

Eve Ensler’s episodic play began off-Broadway in 1996. Eachyear The Vagina Monologues and other theatrical productions arepresented across the country by women on college campuses onV-Day, a global movement to stop violence against women and girls.

“Since the purpose of performing this show is to fight violenceagainst women by raising awareness about the issue and funds fororganizations who do this work, we feel like it was a tremendouslysuccessful event,” says Nathanson. “The performances were excel-lent,” she adds, “beautifully and powerfully delivered.”

This year’s production raised more than $800 through ticketsales and donations, which amounts to 940,000 Korean won.“This is such a personal issue for me, and I think it’s amazing that

the women of Augsburg took it on,” Mattison says. At the end ofeach Augsburg performance, Mattison gave a speech about hergrandmother. “I felt like she was there with me.”

The Vagina Monologues was directed by Julia Sewell, a seniorpsychology major from Minneapolis. The cast included Irene Ab-dullah, Veronica Berg, Kia Burton, Amber Davis, Rebecca Dickinson, Sarah Gillund, Annika Gunderson, Lucreshia Grant,Elizabeth Hanson, Brandy Hyatt, Valencia McMurray, Lily Morris,Kris Ness, Magdalen Ng, Shannon O’Brien, Yasameen Sajady,Leann Vice-Reshel, Rochelle Weidner, and Courtney Wiley.

WENDI WHEELER ’06

Auggieit takes an

9Spring 2010

During Krystal Mattison’s year in Korea, she became friends with women, like her owngrandmother, called “comfort women,” who were abused by the Japanese military during World War II. These survivors became grandmothers to her, and this year shefound a way to help support them.


10 Augsburg Now

THE 22ND ANNUAL NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM


11Spring 2010

THE 22ND ANNUAL NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUM

Striving for PeaceA Question of Will

March 5–6, 2010

In cooperation with the Norwegian Nobel Insti-tute, five Midwestern colleges of the EvangelicalLutheran Church in America (ELCA) sponsor theannual Nobel Peace Prize Forum. The colleges,all founded by Norwegian immigrants, sponsorthe forum to give recognition to Norway’s inter-national peace efforts and to offer opportunitiesfor Nobel Peace laureates, diplomats, scholars,students, and the general public to engage in di-alogue on the dynamics of peacemaking and theunderlying causes of conflict and war.

The Peace Prize Forum is the Nobel Insti-tute’s only such program or academic affiliationoutside Norway.

Augsburg CollegeAugustana CollegeConcordia CollegeLuther CollegeSt. Olaf College

This year’s Peace Prize Forum was held March 5and 6 on the Augsburg College campus, and hon-ored the work of 2008 Nobel Peace Prize winnerMartti Ahtisaari, former president of Finland. The other plenary speakers were Kjell MagneBondevik, president of the Oslo Center for Peaceand Human Rights, and Leymah Gbowee, execu-tive director of Women Peace and Security Network-Africa.

Prior to the forum, the 15th annual Peace PrizeFestival brought together approximately 800school children and youth to learn about the im-portance and influence of the Nobel Peace Prizeand to honor President Ahtisaari.

For more photos of the Nobel Peace Prize Forum andPeace Prize Festival, go to www.augsburg.edu/now


12 Augsburg Now

Ann Parriott, vice president for human re-sources at H.B. Fuller, extended greetings atthe forum’s opening ceremony.“Good evening. It’s a pleasure to be herewith you tonight to help introduce this year’sconference. H.B. Fuller Company is honoredto serve as the lead sponsor for the 2010Nobel Peace Prize Forum. We’re delightedto help welcome our very special guestspeaker, Nobel Peace Prize laureate MarttiAhtisaari, and pleased to help and encour-age ongoing dialogue and discussion on thetopic of peace and conflict resolution.

“As a company operating in more than100 countries for many of our 120-plusyears, H.B. Fuller has long embraced thevalue of diverse global perspectives to solveproblems, address challenges, and maxi-mize opportunities in the business sector.We are truly excited to help bring this year’sprogram to you and by so doing help pro-vide a platform for dialogue, discussion,and diverse perspectives on an issue thataffects all of us as global citizens.

“We salute the Norwegian Nobel Insti-tute and our academic sponsors, including

this year’s host, Augsburg College, for pro-viding the platform and for staging thisimportant event. Together, with all of youin the audience, I look forward to learningfrom a leader this evening, a man who’sbeen inspiring in his steadfast belief inpeace and transformative in his approach.May we all leave this conference energizedby the power of one voice and committedto engaging collaboratively with each otherto further the process of achieving peace.Thank you.”

Alex Gonzalez ’90 represented Thrivent Financial for Lutherans™ at the forum.“As a faith-based membership organization,Thrivent Financial seeks to help enable itsmembers to demonstrate their care and con-cern for others. While organizationally itdoes not have a global focus, Thrivent Fi-nancial does help its members have a globalimpact through programs such as ThriventBuilds Worldwide and through variousLutheran relief organizations that have aglobal reach.”

Alex Gonzalez, FIC, CLTC, is a partnerwith the Stonebridge Group. He is a 1990Augsburg graduate and a member of theAugsburg College Board of Regents.

THE 22ND ANNUAL NOBEL PEACE PRIZE FORUMThe Peace Prize Forum is grateful for the support of our sponsors:

Ann and Todd Parriott converse with Augsburg’s MBA director, Steve Zitnick (left).

Parriott poses with President Martti Ahtisaari (center)and President Pribbenow.

Alex Gonzalez ’90 (right), Thrivent Financial for Lutherans,and Pribbenow meet Ahtisaari.


McGough Construction and “Bright Green”As a result of their extensive experiencewith “green” construction and knowledgeof sustainable building practices and prod-ucts, McGough has created the BrightGreen sustainable program. A guidingprinciple of the program is to find creativeways to apply sustainable practices to con-struction projects in a cost-effective man-ner. This would include exploringtechniques for reducing waste and apply-ing eco-friendly operating practices. McGough has adopted green strategiesthroughout their company to test cleaningproducts and utilize advanced recyclingstrategies. This focus on energy conserva-tion and minimizing waste enables it toexport these practices to the constructionsite and provide useful advice to clients.

The centerpiece of Bright Green is theCenter of Excellence. The Center of Excellence consists of several sustainabilityspecialists who can provide information andadvice to organizations who are consideringthe implementation of criteria developed bythe U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC)or adopting proven practices to reduce the

negative environmental impacts of buildingdesign and construction.

The center draws upon outside researchand industry data, as well as lessonslearned “on the ground” from McGoughConstruction projects. Indeed, McGough isa long-standing member of the USGBCand is a founding sponsor of the local Mississippi Headwaters Chapter in Min-nesota. The sustainability specialists inthe Center of Excellence maintain activeroles in local chapter committees, en-abling them to stay well-informed aboutthe most recent developments in sustain-able design and construction.

McGough, in collaboration with Augsburg, will apply these practices to the Center for Science, Business, andReligion.

Kjell Magne Bondevik, president of the OsloCenter for Peace and Human Rights, spoke indialogue with President Ahtisaari at the forum.“In the long term, we can never win thefight [against terrorism] by military means.We need to find out why people are willingto give their lives and we need to addressthe root causes of terrorism.”

Nordic Home InteriorsThe Omari rug/wall hangings donated to theforum were woven by Nordic Home Interior’spartner, Everest Handicraft Industries, inKatmandu, Nepal. They were hand-knottedin the primitive Nepalese/Tibetan art form ofTibetan wool with 100 knots per squareinch. The dove design is Indian silk.

Tim McGough (center) greets Ahtisaari and Pribbenow.

DONORS:Baker TillyFaegre & BensonNorway House

EVENT CONTRIBUTORS:Jeanne M. Voigt FoundationMary T., Inc.Wells FargoWinds of Peace Foundation

Tim McGough (left) and Mike Hangge, with McGough Con-struction, speak with Barbara Farley, Augsburg’s vicepresident for academic affairs and dean of the College.

13Spring 2010


“ I T ’ S A B O U T F R I E N D S H I P, L E G A C Y, G O O D F O O D ,H E R I T A G E , A G I N G — A L L O F T H O S E . ” JIM PEDERSON ’56

On a cold, crisp February morning, photog-rapher Stephen Geffre and I follow Jim Pederson ’56 through ankle-deep snow up aslope to a small log cabin that overlooksSwede Lake.

This log cabin, near Star Prairie, Wis.,sits on the farm that was homesteaded byPederson’s great-grandparents in 1872 andthat he and his brother, Dwight ’60, nowown. They grew up on the farm, moved awayto begin their own lives, and now returnoften with their families and friends.

Our reason for being there is to visit thesite of an annual celebration that has oc-curred on the second Saturday of Novemberfor the past 50 years. It’s an afternoon eachyear when Jim and Elaine Pederson hostfriends and family in the small log cabin formulled cider and treats before heading tonearby West Immanuel Lutheran Church forlutefisk dinner. This church dinner is a 75-year tradition that now attracts morethan 1,200 people for lutefisk, lefse, meat-balls, and more.

THE BEGINNING OF ENDURING FRIENDSHIPSJim Pederson says it’s difficult to put alabel on this annual gathering. It’s aboutfriendship, legacy, good food, heritage,aging—all of those. Star Tribune columnist

Original furniture, art, and history provide the setting for the pre-lutefisk dinner gathering that fills the cabin in November each year.

14 Augsburg Now


15Spring 2010

Lutefisk, a log cabin, and a 50-year legacy

Jon Tevlin, who attended last November’shalf-century celebration, described it as“an iconic Midwestern living postcard thatturned 50 years old Saturday.”

At first it was just an annual trek to thelutefisk dinner, but as years went by andfriends began to gather beforehand at thefarm, the camaraderie there became asimportant as the meal that followed. Whileto the Pedersons the gathering marks thefinal event of the farm’s social season,many of the attendees consider it the be-ginning of their holiday festivities.

Pederson really can’t put his finger onjust what glue has held so many of themtogether for so long. The short answer, hesays, is that it was a group of Augsburgfriends who started coming out to thecountry for a church dinner.

“The better answer,” he adds, “is thatsome of us developed friendships that in-cluded faculty members who were ourmentors and with whom we greatly enjoyedinformal times outside the classroom.”

Faculty from the 1950s who becameregular attendees include Phil QuanbeckSr., Paul Sonnack, Joel Torstenson, Ralphand Grace Sulerud, and others. For nearly20 years, retired history professor Carl andVal Chrislock spent many of their summersat the farm, where Carl did a great deal ofwriting and where Val tended her flowerand vegetable gardens. When there weredeaths, spouses and families often contin-ued to participate.

“Many of us were deeply interested inpublic service of some kind, whetherteaching, the ministry, public policy, orpolitics,” says Pederson. In the 1950s,when academic freedom was restrictedand McCarthyism caused colleges to shyaway from controversy, he credits Augsburg

and the leadership of President BernhardChristensen for encouraging political ex-pression and organization.

“Augsburg practiced academic freedomwhile in some institutions it was onlypreached,” Pederson says. “Political or-ganizations were encouraged on campus.Faculty encouraged students to become in-volved in political campaigns, and PoliticalEmphasis Week brought speakers from thewhole political spectrum.

“It was in this cauldron that lastingfriendships developed and continued be-yond graduation. While politics was a stronginterest of a few, the friendships persistedregardless of the chosen vocation,” Pederson says.

It all started with the five Auggie Norwegian bachelors who, as students, livedtogether above Larson’s grocery store—Martin Sabo ’59, Jim ’56 and Dwight ’60Pederson, Harlan Christianson ’57, andErwin Christenson ’58. In 1959, Jim andElaine Pederson (who were not yet married)and Harlan and Lori Christianson decided todrive out to Star Prairie for the lutefisk dinner. Elaine was a student nurse at Deaconess Hospital and Augsburg, and thistrip became her introduction to the farm, tolutefisk, and to her future Pederson in-laws.

Each year thereafter has brought addi-tional invited friends and families. On November 14, 2009—the 50th anniver-sary—the count was 67. The group now in-cludes the families and friends of Jim andElaine and their children, Michelle andKirk, a 1987 grad; his fiancée Molly; grand-children Madeline, Emma, and Ginny; andDwight and his wife, Marion, also aLutheran Deaconess nurse; daughterDenise; and grandchildren Laura, Thomas,and Helenya.

BY BETSEY NORGARD

AUGSBURG STORIES PLAY OUTOVER THE YEARSPederson says he’d like to tie the story ofthe 50-year gatherings to what theylearned at Augsburg. “‘Education for Service’ we thought of as just a phrase,but it really did mean a lot to us—whetherin ministry, nursing, government, or poli-tics. It played out, and that’s an importantpart of the story for me.”

The Augsburg-connected stories includethe political career of Martin Sabo, whichdates back to the days of the five Norwegian bachelors. Pederson, whoserved as student body president and wasactive in student political groups, becamemanager in 1960 for Sabo’s state houseendorsement campaign. “And he never lostan election after that,” Pederson com-ments, about Sabo’s long and distin-guished legislative career, marked by hisretirement in 2007.

In another Augsburg story, Chrislock,who was a regular at the November gather-ings, stayed on the farm while he wrote his1991 book, Watchdog of Loyalty: The Minnesota Commission of Public Safetyduring World War I.

Emeriti professors Ralph and GraceSulerud, close friends of the Chrislocks,


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enjoyed the old farmstead and lake somuch that they now have a house there,just down the hill from the log house. Andso, the Augsburg connections continue.

THE MEANING OF PLACEThe Pederson ties date back more than130 years in the community—to that farmnow in its sixth generation and to thechurch originally chartered by his grandpar-ents and their neighbors. The log house towhich people come each November is forhim an icon of family and heritage.

In the invitation letter for last Novem-ber’s gathering, Pederson mentioned a re-cent book that weaves together themes ofstory, place, calling, and purpose. Claim-ing Your Place at the Fire, by RichardLieder and David Shapiro, challengesthose entering “the second half of theirlife” to consider these themes in findingpurpose in what they choose to do duringtheir elder years.

Pederson sees the old farm as the lo-cale where at this annual event thesethemes of aging and legacy play out. “Thisis a time where family and friends sharelife experiences, the happenings of the

last year, perhaps recalling mentors fromcollege or elsewhere, many of whom are nolonger with us; reminiscing about the goodtimes; the not-so-good times; commiserat-ing over losses or illnesses; sometimes en-gaging in a bit of gossip. Sometimes it’ssmall groups huddling to solve the world’sproblems.” Collectively, they recall stories,redefine place, renew callings, and re-claim purpose.

“Oh yes, and there’s the countrychurch dinner, the ostensible reason forthe gathering,” adds Pederson. “Eachyear, however, we hear some say they re-ally come for the hour or two they spendtogether before the big meal, sipping cider Norwegian traditional goodies, and sharingtreats they bring.”

THE LOG HOUSE AND LEGACYPederson’s log house, the current gatheringplace, wasn’t part of the original farm. Theoriginal log house disappeared long ago,and Pederson had always wanted somethinglike his great-grandfather built in the1870s. In 1972, he found neighbors want-ing to get rid of an old log house on theirfarm, and he jumped at the opportunity.

An eclectic mix of history and her-itage, the one main room of the cabin isbarely able to contain the crowd that gath-ers. Hanging on the walls are the farm’shomestead documents and old photos;some of the furniture is original. Rosemal-ing and other memorabilia fill the area. Aloft offers sleeping space, and an en-closed porch was added for additionalroom.

In addition to Jim and Dwight, the oldfarmstead has incorporated the Pedersons’younger generations. Jim and Elaine’sson, Kirk, has his place on the farm wherehe and his family enjoy the summer. Theirdaughter, Michelle, enjoys the solitudeand serenity of the farm both in summerand winter.

So, as years go by, and the annual lute-fisk group continues, children and grand-children play greater roles. “In 1959,”Pederson says, “none of us could havepredicted that 50 years later we wouldspeak of a remarkable tradition that wehope will continue far into the future.”

Last November 14, after some traditionalNorwegian folk music and hymns, ElainePederson announced, “We hope this carrieson for another 50 years—so, younger gener-ation, we’re counting on you.”

“ W E H O P E T H I S C A R R I E S O N F O R A N O T H E R 5 0 Y E A R S —S O , Y O U N G E R G E N E R AT I O N , W E ’ R E C O U N T I N G O N Y O U . ”

ELAINE PEDERSON

Auggies in the group of 67 at the 50th gathering last November included: (Front row, L to R):, Winnie (Nordlund) Anderson ’61, Elaine Pederson, Vicki (Skor) Pearson ’59, retired art professor Phil Thompson. (Back L to R) KielChristianson ’88, Jim Pederson ’56 (not visible) holding granddaughter Ginny, Kirk Pederson ’87 (turned away), Pearl Almquist, Paul Almquist ’59, Eunice Helgeson ’69, professor Garry Hesser, retired librarian Grace Sulerud.

The “five Norwegian bachelors” reunited in 2002 with RodErickson ’56 (center). (Clockwise, from left): Martin Sabo’59, Harlan Christianson ’57, Dwight Pederson ’60, ErwinChristenson ’58, and Jim Pederson ’56.

Augsburg Now

To read more and see photos from earlier gatherings, go to www.augsburg.edu/now

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auggiesON PAPER, Augsburg College looks a lot like most other lib-eral arts colleges. We have similar courses, departments, and pro-grams. We teach students to think critically and to lead responsibly inthe world, which is what other schools also aim to do. And our students,staff, and faculty don’t look much different than those at the big schoolacross the street or the small campuses across the river.

But in person we look and act differently. At Augsburg, we try to putour own creative spin on things and to look at issues from differentperspectives.

For example, this year some of our first-year students and a groupof faculty spent an entire semester working together on a big problemin our first “I-Term.” In another example, students in the Honors pro-gram create their very own courses, write and edit their own scholarlyjournal, and together shape their own learning environment. And, oneof our alums has found a very creative way to do community servicewhile also running a thriving business.

The stories in this issue represent just a few of the “out-of-the-box”programs, people, and partnerships that make us uniquely Augsburg.

OUT OF THE BOX

Spring 2010


18 Augsburg Now

What’s a great way to engage alumni?Introduce them to current studentswho have similar majors or interestsand let them swap stories. In the end,everyone benefits.

50 students, 5 professors, 1 bigproblem. Last fall’s I-Term studentsdiscussed three big challenges in thenon-graded Fate of the Earth course.

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19Spring 2010

As a student, Jacquie Berglund ’87dreamed of helping the workingpoor. Today her sense of vocationdrives her to take leaps of faith thatmake life better for others.

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100% of the profit from every bottle sold provides help at the grassroots level.

Working closely with Cedar-Riverside andSeward residents is just one of the ways welive out our vocation to serve our neighbors.

The Honors program consistsof a combination of classes,students, structure, and awhole lot of creativity.

OUT OF THE BOX

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houses in the Honors program.

Somali students help their classmates learn more about the symbols and dress in Muslim culture.


Augsburg Now20

PURSUING AN IDEAL EDUCATIONImagine your ideal college education. What classeswould you take? Who would teach them? What kindof students would you study with? What activitieswould you take part in? Where would you travel?

When Robert Groven set out to restructure theAugsburg College Honors program, he asked facultyand students these sorts of questions. At first, hesaid, they were silent.

“They had just accepted that college is the way itis,” Groven said. But then, they flooded him with ideas.

Students wanted more academic challenge and tobe pushed by faculty. They wanted courses to includemore content and classroom experiences to be moreactive and engaging than in high school. Theywanted to learn outside the classroom and to haveopportunities for unconventional learning experi-ences—the exact sort of education that a small col-lege in the city can provide.

BY WENDI WHEELER ’06

The current Honors program house presidents are (clockwise, from front): Adam Spanier, Katie Radford,Becki Iverson, Andrew Fox, David Ishida, Jonathan Chrastek, Kathleen Watson, and Charlie Olson.


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The result of all that questioning was astudent-centered program where studentstake responsibility for their own learning,with the full support of the faculty and theresources they need to achieve their goals.

“We believe that an ideal education willbe different for every student,” Grovensays. “We know no one can reach an idealgoal, but we believe the process of explor-ing and pursuing ideals is essential to col-lege education.”

By striving for the ideal, the programhas become one where students routinelygo above and beyond the requirementsoutlined in their syllabi. “We set a veryhigh bar, and we insist that they get there.But they set a much higher bar for them-selves than we ever would.”

UNCONVENTIONAL COURSESThree aspects of Augsburg’s Honors coursesdistinguish them from courses in other col-lege honors programs. First, each class isspecifically created for the Honors program.In other words, it’s not a matter of addingan assignment or text to an existing courseor simply creating a new title, Groven says.The content of Honors courses is enrichedand the pace is accelerated as well.

Second, Honors courses are intentionallyinterdisciplinary—multiple faculty from dif-ferent departments teach in each class.This spring, for example, the senior key-stone course was taught by faculty whosedisciplines include sociology, social work,metro-urban studies, art, English, and the-atre. Augsburg’s

president, Paul Pribbenow, is one of the leadinstructors, focusing on his study of Jane Ad-dams, founder of the settlement house move-ment.

The course, Legacies of Chicago: Ideasand Action in Place, was conceived by LarsChristiansen of the sociology and metro-urban studies departments. The course ex-amines how particular places are incubatorsfor unique ideas and actions. In addition tostudying about the traditions and conceptsthat originated in Chicago, the class traveledto the Windy City to experience the “place”firsthand.

Finally, each course has a “signature” ex-perience—an unconventional way of learningthat involves a high level of effort and also in-cludes a public display of what the studentshave learned. Students are usually enthusias-tic about these experiences, Groven says, be-cause the tasks are generally open-ended and

students have more freedom to make de-cisions about what they learnand how they learn it.

In Liberating Letters, afirst-year humanities

course, studentsput texts, authors,or fictional charac-ters on trial, serv-ing as judge, jury,

prosecution, and defense. But before thisclass begins, students have to pass a test. Infact, in order to gain admission into the firstsession, they are required to recite the firststanza of Homer’s Odyssey from memory,solve a riddle about Greek mythology, andpresent the “prophecies” of three differentpeople who know them well concerning wherethat student will be in 10 years.

A second type of course, which is likelymore-than-ideal for many students, is theStudent Created Learning Experience, orSCLE. Aptly named, these are classes createdby students based on their interests. SCLEscan essentially become an independent studycourse for one student or 20 students andcan be open to all Augsburg students.

One of the more popular SCLEs, whichgenerated a great deal of interest when it wasfirst introduced and again this year, was TheArt, Science, and History of Brewing. In addi-tion to learning about brewing from the per-spective of different disciplines, students alsobrew two batches of beer and invite guestjudges to evaluate the fruits of their labors.

This year senior theatre arts major DavidIshida created an SCLE on swordplay to fulfill

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Honors students in the Liberating Letters class stepped back into ancient Greek times to put Poseidon on trial for themurder of Odysseus’ men and fleet. (L to R): Eric Dooley, Nikki Johnson, Becca Dickinson, and Patrick DuSchane.

An olive-leaf crown is the emblem of the HesserServants House in the Honors program.


a physical education credit but also to explore his interestin medieval history and culture.

STUDENTS WHO LOVE TO LEARNInteresting classes and outstanding faculty certainly cancombine for a compelling honors program, but the char-acter and quality of the students make Augsburg’s pro-gram unique. “We are trying to look beyond good gradesand test scores,” Groven comments. “We want intrinsi-cally motivated learners—students who see ideas as liv-ing vehicles for human expression and change.”

Computer science professor Larry Crockett, who wasonce the Honors program director, has taught in the pro-gram for many years. While he says Honors students arepushed to rise above expectations and challenge eachother, he is especially enthusiastic about the extraordi-nary energy coming from this year’s incoming class.

“These students are willing to dig into issues and are

22 Augsburg Now

very receptive and energized,” Crockett says, “ … not just in the classroombut on campus.” Crockett has engaged 14 current students as research as-sistants who will read and critique work that he is presenting at an interna-tional conference. “I hope they really come at me,” he says. “I’m countingon them to find fresh answers.”

EXPERIENCE LIKE NO OTHERThere’s more to Honors at Augsburg than fun classes and energetic students.Honors also provides leadership and scholarship opportunities and fosters anenvironment where students often start their own activities or groups.

“Part of our philosophy is that as much learning should happen outside theclassroom as inside,” Groven says.

Students are organized into houses, each of which focuses on a differentarea: scholarship, social justice and service, stewardship, and citizenship.Each house plans and promotes activities and also elects two house presi-dents who serve on the Honors Council. With faculty advisers, the council setsthe policy for the program and helps solve problems.

One officially organized non-classroom learning opportunity is the HonorsReview, a student-run, student-edited interdisciplinary journal of undergradu-ate scholarship. Taylor Norman, a senior English major and Honors student, isthe current editor-in-chief.

This year the Review extended its reach and received 43 submissions fromundergraduates all across the country. After articles are selected for publica-tion, Norman and her editorial staff check citations, verify research, and thenengage the author to revise and edit. “We wanted to create a scholarly envi-ronment with lots of dialogue,” Norman says.

All Honors activities and programs serve to support students so they canpursue their academic goals. “Honors tries to show students what amazingtalents and abilities they have,” Groven says, and they find countless ways toapply their academic learning. For example, senior Jessica Spanswick, whomajored in international relations and minored in peace and global studies,studied in Namibia for a semester and served as a Peace Scholar in connec-tion with the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Her opportunities to volunteer forWorld AIDS Day in Namibia and to travel as a scholar to Chiapas, Mexico,gave her valuable hands-on global experience.

Honors program students have received many of the highest national andinternational academic awards available; they have been Fulbright scholars,Goldwater scholars, the College’s first Rhodes scholar, and students who havewon National Science Foundation grants—and that’s still just the tip of theiceberg. Part of the program’s mission is to encourage students, many whonever thought of themselves as award-winning scholars, to apply for scholar-ships and publication so that their work can be recognized.

These courses, the faculty who teach them, the students who take them,and the learning opportunities that happen outside the classroom all cometogether to try to create an ideal education for Augsburg Honors programstudents.

“I never think of the Honors program as being done,” Groven says. “Thebest program will always be different because we are constantly adaptingto new technologies, new students, and new problems.”

Honors senior Nicholas Blixt experiments with ingredients in The Art,Science, and History of Brewing class.


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IN THE NEIGHBORHOODWe believe we are called to serve our neigh-bor. That is Augsburg’s statement of institu-tional vocation.

Live the experience. Love the city. Learnby living. Those words hang on banners alongRiverside Avenue.

While the first is formal and the secondmuch more conversational, both, however,sum up what Auggies do.

On a near daily basis, Augsburg students

spend part of their afternoon at TrinityLutheran Congregation helping young Somalichildren with topics ranging from spelling andsentence construction to subtraction and so-cial studies. Several times a week, Auggiesserve food in the gym at the Brian Coyle Com-munity Center as part of the Campus Kitchenprogram. First-year Auggies in the BonnerLeaders program work with nonprofit organi-zations, most within a mile of campus.

Across the Twin Cities, Minnesota, andthe nation, stories of neighbors and collegesclashing bubble to the surface featuringreal town vs. gown tension. Augsburg’s phi-losophy, however, is very different.

Augsburg isn’t building walls or installinglarge steel gates on campus to keep theoutside world out. Instead, Augsburg isreaching further out into the Cedar-River-side and Seward neighborhoods and, in theprocess, the College founded by NorwegianLutherans is working closely with thelargest concentration of Somali immigrantsin the United States.

WORKING IN THE COMMUNITYLet’s say one person wanted to match theamount of community service that wascompleted by Augsburg students during the2008-09 school year. What would it take?

Since Auggies performed 67,000 hoursof community service last year, someonewould have to work for 2,791 24-hourdays—more than 7.5 years—or 8,375eight-hour work days. That’s a staggeringtotal for a college with 2,000 traditionalundergraduates and 4,000 total students.

That work has led to Augsburg’s inclu-sion as one of the top 25 schools in thecountry for service-learning by U.S.News &World Report and the Carnegie [Founda-tion] Classification for Community Engage-ment. Earlier this spring, Augsburg becamethe only Minnesota college or university andone of only four ELCA schools to be namedto the 2009 President’s Higher EducationCommunity Service Honor Roll with Distinc-tion. The President’s Honor Roll is the high-est federal recognition an institution canreceive for its commitment to volunteering,

BY JEFF SHELMAN

Sophomore Madeline Roe helps a Somali student with herwork as part of Trinity Lutheran Congregation’s Safe PlaceHomework Help program.


24 Augsburg Now

service-learning, and civic engagement.“We are very proud and honored to be in-

cluded in the President’s Honor Roll,”Augsburg president Paul C. Pribbenow said.“Civic work and serving our neighbor are atthe core of Augsburg’s efforts to educatestudents for democracy.”

Last school year, 900 Augsburg studentsparticipated in service-learning and 1,200students participated in more than 20hours of community service per semester.Much of the community service takes placein course-embedded service-learning, some-thing that has been part of education atAugsburg for years.

MORE THAN JUST SERVICEAugsburg’s work in Cedar-Riverside and Seward, however, is about more than simplydonating time; it is also about trying tomake the neighborhood safer, more vibrant,and create opportunities for the state’snewest immigrant population.

Pribbenow currently chairs the Cedar-Riverside Partnership, a group that includeslarger institutions in the neighborhood in-cluding Augsburg, Fairview hospitals, and

the University of Minnesota. “There’s a level of trust

being built,” said Steve Peacock, Augsburg’s directorof community relations.“There are conversationstaking place that weren’t be-fore. There’s the coordina-tion of infrastructure andplanning among the insti-tutions.”

Much of the work hasbeen around safety in theneighborhood. Last summer, forexample, the members of the partner-ship provided funding to ensure secu-rity at the Brian Coyle CommunityCenter. There has been much morecommunication among security atFairview and Augsburg, the University of Minnesota, and Minneapolis Police Departments.

Augsburg has also worked in theneighborhood in other ways, ranging fromproviding meeting space to sometimes eventrying to build bridges. Last year, more thana dozen reporters and editors from the Min-neapolis Star Tribune sat in a room in OrenGateway Center with a dozen or so Somalicommunity leaders and elders.

The Somali leaders talked of good thingsgoing on in their community that don’t getcovered. Star Tribune editors said theywould like to tell more stories, but findingSomalis willing to talk is challenging. TheSomali leaders—who arrived in the UnitedStates having never experienced freedom ofthe press—gained a better understanding ofhow the media work. Reporters and editorsleft with new contacts and resources.

CHANGE TO THE CAMPUSAugsburg’s involvement in Cedar-Riversidehas led to a change on campus as well.With each passing fall, the number of Auggies of Somali descent grows. This fall,

there are about 50 Somali students oncampus. For some of them, Augsburg wasthe first college they ever knew. For others,there is a comfort in attending Augsburg.

Halimo Adan is a first-year student whogrew up in Seward and can see the Augsburg sign atop Mortensen Hall fromher home. She’s among the growing numberof students on campus wearing both an Augsburg sweatshirt and a hijab, the headcovering worn by Muslim women.

“People don’t ask stupid questions,they’re very open minded,” said Adan, whocame to the U.S. when she was 9 years old.“Even though I’ve been here most of mylife, when you get asked questions all thetime, you feel like you don’t belong.”

But at Augsburg, neighbors are alwayswelcome.

The Somali yarn weaving hanging in President Pribbenow’soffice symbolizes the partnership between Augsburg andthe East African Women’s Center.

First-year students file into the Northern Clay Center to help with clean-up on City Service Day.


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LEARNING TO LEARNWITHOUT ANY A, B, CS

BY JEFF SHELMAN

For Daley Konchar Farr, the lack of grades wasmotivation for signing up, but the discussionsand professors’ involvement were more rewarding aspects of I-Term.


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It isn’t quite a chicken or egg kind of ques-tion, but it is an academic conundrum alongthe same line.

Just how important are grades on a col-lege campus when it comes to actual learn-ing? Do grades really reflect how much astudent has learned? Or do students do justenough to get the grade they want? Andwhat happens if you take letter grades andnumerical marks completely out of theequation?

That’s what 50 Augsburg first-year stu-dents, five professors, and several staffmembers tried to find out this past fall. TheIntegrated Term, Fate of the Earth 101:Consumption of Food, Fuel, and Media inContemporary Culture, was more than just adifferent way to package and deliver severalgeneral education courses; it was a semes-ter that challenged many of the standardconventions about what a college educationis or should be.

There were no traditional letter grades forthis learning community nor was there astatic syllabus passed out on the first day.This was a term that focused on doing, onstudents having a say in what they would beevaluated on, and on professors writing de-tailed evaluations about both what studentshad accomplished and where they neededto continue to work. Sitting lifeless in theback row and regurgitating enough facts topass wasn’t an option this term.

“This was much more work than grad-ing,” English professor Robert Cowgill said.“But I thought it was a major success.”

Most of the students—many of whomwere drawn to the I-Term because of the en-vironmental focus or the alternative evalua-tion method—agreed. Daley Konchar Farrcalled the semester-long experiment em-powering. Veronica Berg said she waspushed to do things she wasn’t sure werepossible just one semester into her collegecareer. Katelin Grote called the whole thinglife changing.

Some of that was because the I-Term,

which showed just how parts of a liberal artseducation are interconnected, was their en-tire load for the semester. I-Term studentswho successfully completed the course re-ceived credit for English 101 or 111 (writ-ing), Religion 100 (Christian Vocation andthe Search for Meaning I), History 101(Western Civilization), Sociology 101 (Intro-duction to Human Society) and AugSem(first-year seminar). They also completedtheir Engaging Minneapolis requirement.

REASONS FOR NOT GRADINGWhen a group of professors returned from aconference at The Evergreen State Collegein Washington in 2007, the goal was to finda way for Augsburg to experiment with alearning community model of teaching aswell as non-traditional evaluation methods.

Over the next two years, the professorsworked with the dean’s office to make this areality. How was this term going to be struc-tured? Were groups such as Faculty Senatesupportive? How would students receivecredit? How would the narrative evaluationsfit into the very traditional transcript?

Once hurdles were cleared, plans wereset for a three-year pilot program of the non-graded Integrated Term. The faculty design-ers of the I-Term hope that the students whospend a semester focused on learning in-stead of simply making a grade will havehigher retention and graduation rates. Thelonger-term outcomes of the experimentwon’t be clear for several years, but thisgroup and subsequent groups of I-Term stu-dents will be tracked by the College.

While the word “experiment” is oftentossed around rather loosely on college cam-puses, the I-Term is certainly unique. Soci-ology professor Lars Christiansen, an I-Termfaculty member who has studied alternativeevaluation methods, said that about 15 col-leges and universities across the countryhave experimented with non-gradedcourses. Some are completely non-graded while others are partially graded

or have reverted back to traditional grad-ing. Alverno College in Milwaukee is one ofthe only schools in the Midwest that isgrade free.

No grades, however, doesn’t equal noevaluation. In almost every case, I-Term stu-dents had a greater grasp of where theystood. They worked very closely with thetwo English professors on their writing,and received regular written feedbackfrom the other faculty members.

“It was kind of like tough love,”Maryam Ayir said. “You knew exactlywhat you had to work on.”

Konchar Farr signed up for the I-Term both because of the subjectmatter, and also because of lack of tradi-tional grades.

“Grades are false motivation,” she said.“In high school, I didn’t get anything out ofgetting As if I didn’t learn. [Here], I reallyappreciated that things were so discussion-based and how involved the professors were.They were so dedicated to our work.”

For Christiansen, the best thing fromthe semester is that Augsburg now has theframework in place to continue experi-menting with alternative evaluation meth-ods. There is now the ability for thenarrative evaluations to accompany astudent’s transcript. And there isalso at least some appetite fromstudents to not have a semes-ter of work boiled down tosimply a number.

“The majority of stu-dents said it was a good

The role of media in contemporary culture was a focus for I-Term students.

Augsburg Now


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I-TERM CREATORS/DESIGNERSPhil Adamo, History, Medieval StudiesLars Christiansen, Sociology, Metro-Urban StudiesRobert Cowgill, English, Film StudiesStacy Cutinella, Lindell Library Lori Brandt Hale, ReligionColin Irvine, English, Environmental StudiesNathan Lind, Information TechnologyAlyson Olson, TRIO Student ServicesBeverly Stratton, Religion

PROJECTS THE STUDENTS WORKED ON• Addressing women’s body representations in ad-

vertising by creating a legislative bill requiringadvertisers to indicate the presence of air-brushing and similar touch-ups

• Website that centralizes resources for homelessyouth in the Twin Cities

• Energy-producing exercise bicycles at Augsburg’s Kennedy Center

• Reducing water waste at Augsburg

• Increasing local food sourcing at Augsburg, par-ticularly meat and cheese

• Assisting in developing curbside composting inMinneapolis

• Reducing paper waste at Augsburg bookstore

• Improving environmental practices at Best Buy

• Composting at Maple Grove High School

experience to not have grades and they likedthe ongoing evaluation,” he said. “It showsme that if you provide it, people will try it,and many will like it. Why don’t we make itan option generally? It’s not dissimilar to ourtransportation system. Until the last fewyears, many didn’t believe they had optionsother than driving. The I-Term is akin to theHiawatha (light rail) Line: Once a viable al-ternative is provided, people may see it asuseful and desirable.”

LEARNING BY DOINGUnchained from the burden of grades, stu-dents could concentrate on really learningand figuring out what truly motivates them.And without traditional exercises like exams,students in Fate of the Earth 101 demon-strated their advancement through semes-ter-long projects that incorporatedsomething under the broad umbrella offood, fuel, or media.

One group of students met with staffmembers from Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s officeabout how the bodies of women are por-trayed in advertisements. Pushing Best Buyto be more environmentally friendly in itsstores was what another group sought. Oth-ers looked into the feasibility of Augsburgcapturing solar energy and purchasing morelocally grown food.

“Those are the kinds of things we werehoping would happen,” Christiansen said.“We were hoping through the experiences ofthe I-Term that [students] were here to learnand that they were here to understand them-selves as possible change agents—and thatcollaboration is an essential component.”

And while most courses end as soon asthat final exam is completed, a number ofthe I-Term students are continuing with theongoing work of their projects. For example,Berg was part of a group that created thewebsite www.mnhomelessyouth.org. Thosestudents met both with representatives fromMinneapolis Public Schools and a groupworking on homeless issues, before and dur-ing the spring semester.

“It didn’t just end at the end of the

course,” history professor Phil Adamo said.“They continue to be engaged.”

Because of what they were asked to do,many of the I-Term students accomplishedmore than they thought possible just monthsremoved from high school graduation.

“We were learning at a different level, wewere getting to project ourselves at a biggerlevel,” Berg said. “To sit at the table as acontributor with some of these agencies wassomething I didn’t think I’d be able to do formany years.”

That theme was a common one.“One thing we repeatedly heard was the

notion that they were empowered with whatthey were able to accomplish by the end oftheir first semester in college,” religion pro-fessor Lori Brandt Hale said. “They were sur-prised and excited about how they will beable to leverage that moving forward.”

CHANGING TEACHING METHODSLike the other I-Term professors, Colin Irvineis back teaching more traditional coursesthis semester. An English faculty member,Irvine has a collection of writing and litera-ture classes this spring.

But Irvine acknowledges that he is teach-ing differently this semester. And the I-Termhad much to do with that.

“It made me complicate my classes,” hesaid. “I’m not content with the way I wasteaching before. I’m not content with the as-signments I was giving. I’m making themmore fun, more relevant, and harder to as-sess. I can’t allow myself to teach the way

I’ve always taught.”Irvine talked about a conversation with a

biology major who is taking his environmen-tal literature course this season. The studentsaid he’s been doing the reading, workinghard, and attending writing lab sessions.

“But he said, ‘I don’t know how I’mdoing,’” Irvine said. “I told him, ‘Are youkidding me? That’s exactly what I want youto do, you’re figuring it out, you’re doinggreat.’”

Because just like the I-Term students whohave adjusted to courses with traditionalgrading, almost everyone involved in the ex-periment has a better idea of what motivatesthem and just how important learning is.

Kwame Collins and other students from the I-Term at-tended the 350.org event at the State Capitol that waspart of an international focus on the climate crisis.

Cour

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28 Augsburg Now

“I read this article in Time magazine, in-terviewing all of these 80- and 90-year-oldpeople,” said Jacquie Berglund ’87. “Theoverwhelming feedback from their ques-tion, ‘If you could change one thing, whatwould it be?’ was that they all wish theyhad taken more risks.”

That was 1983, when Berglund was inher first year at Augsburg College. Sincethen, she has faced many risks on her wayto building one of Minnesota’s most suc-cessful social enterprises—an enterprisethat uses beer sales to fund its communityfoundation.

One of her first risks? Backpackingthrough Europe during her sophomore yearin the face of parental disapproval.

“My parents didn’t want me to do it,”Berglund said. “[My English professor]said, ‘Jacquie, you should absolutely do it.Let’s come up with a way for you to getcredit for it here.’”

With that, Berglund ventured across theAtlantic for six weeks under the banner ofan Augsburg creative-writing course. Herexperience fostered a travel bug thatwould lead her back for a seven-year longstay in France after Augsburg. “[Back-packing] helped me to think globally andreally changed my perspective,” Berglundsaid. “That was a powerful turning pointfor me.”

Graduating from Augsburg in 1987with a degree in communication studies

CONNECTING THE DOTSFOR GOODBY BRYAN BARNES

Jacquie Berglund ’87 knew that with passionand patience she could fulfill her dream ofmaking a difference in her community.


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Sand a minor in political science, Berglundcombined an interest in nonprofits withher travel experience to pursue work in in-ternational development. By 1990, shehad taken an internship in Paris at the Organisation for Economic Co-operationand Development (OECD), the same groupthat helped administer the Marshall Planafter World War II. With the collapse of theSoviet Union, Berglund found herselfworking with the best entrepreneurialminds at OECD to develop regionaleconomies in former Soviet bloc countries.

“We were training government officials,and these guys were all communists—theydidn’t want to learn [about how to buildfree markets],” Berglund said. “I felt likewe went in and did all of this work andspent all of this money, and I don’t knowwhat impact we really had. Then I thought,‘you know, I think the real work is done atthe grassroots level.’ I would see the peo-ple at the grassroots level in these coun-tries and they were really making adifference, and I thought, ‘that’s where Ihave to be. I’ve got to get there.’ I just did-n’t know how I was going to get there, butthat’s where I wanted to go.”

While at OECD, Berglund earned hermaster’s degree in international relationsfrom the American Graduate School inParis. However, by 1997 Berglund foundherself needing expensive back surgery, soshe returned to the Twin Cities to work asmarketing director for her old friend,Kieran Folliard, restauranteurand owner of Cara Irish Pubs LP.

One of Berglund’s dutiesas marketing director wasto help Folliard distributecharitable gifts in theTwin Cities. Theyfound themselves

giving grants to any organization thatasked. Eventually, their CFO put thebrakes on their charity bonanza and toldthem they needed a better strategy.Berglund agreed: she recognized from herOECD days that the Cara Pubs money wasn’t making the desired impact.Berglund had also just attended a confer-ence in Washington, D.C., on self-sustain-ing nonprofits.

“That’s when I thought: we sell beer allday,” Berglund said. “What if we create ourown beer, and we choose to give all of theprofits from this one beer to our own foun-dation, and then we pick one cause, and wereally make a difference? It took me a littlewhile to sell Kieran on the idea.”

With that, Berglund and Folliard set about creat-

ing Finnegan’s Irish Amber, named in refer-ence to James Joyce’s final work. They con-tacted James Page Brewing Company inMinneapolis to help them create the beer,eventually selecting one recipe from over 40options provided by the brewmaster.

At this point, Berglund and Folliard re-alized that running Finnegan’s and itscommunity foundation would consume allof Berglund’s time. That left one choice:quit Cara Pubs and focus on Finnegan’s,or let the idea die.

Berglund bought the Finnegan’s recipefor $1 from Folliard.

“That was kind of scary, leaving thatjob, from having a good salary to nosalary,” Berglund said. “It was very scary.It was rather terrifying. I’ve had a lot ofterrifying moments—I must handle stresswell. I’m still waking and talking and notin a straitjacket.”

Starting in 2000, Berglund created for-profit Finnegan’s Inc., which donates all ofits profits from beer sales to her nonprofit

Finnegan’s Inc. created the Finnegan’s Community Fund to distribute 100% of profits to local community projects.


30 Augsburg Now

creation, which is now called Finnegan’sCommunity Fund. She taught herself thebeer trade. James Page producedFinnegan’s on contract, but she was re-sponsible for selling it to distributors.

“I didn’t even know what a keg feewas,” Berglund recalls.

Finnegan’s community focus sold thebeer. Distributors, liquor stores, bars, andrestaurants in the Twin Cities were sympa-thetic to Berglund’s cause—and it helpedthat the beer was popular during the bur-geoning craft brew craze. Though she wasn’t turning a profit yet, Berglund wasable to make a $2,000 donation in herfirst year of operation.

Then, James Page Brewing Companyshut down in 2002.

“I was a mess—I was totally a mess,”Berglund said. “I started to panic: ‘If theygo out of business, I’m going to go out ofbusiness.’”

Thinking quickly, Berglund contactedMark Stutrud, founder of Summit BrewingCompany in St. Paul.

“They really didn’t do contract brewing,but I think that [Stutrud] appreciated thecommunity-mindedness of what I wasdoing,” Berglund said. “Plus, I already hada list of accounts, so I already had aproven track record that I could make thisthing work.”

To this day, Finnegan’s is produced atSummit. In 2003, Finnegan’s made itsfirst profit. By 2009, Finnegan’s was sell-ing 4,300 barrels per year to 475 restau-rants and 600 liquor stores in Minnesotaand beyond—which translated into$30,000 for the Finnegan’s CommunityFund. That money, in addition to direct do-nations, is being used to fund local grass-roots community organizations that arehelping the working poor.

“When I came back from France, I

volunteered in St. Steven’s shelter in Minneapolis,” Berglund said. “I got to seefor myself … a lot of these guys get up towork factory jobs at 3 or 4 o’clock in themorning. I saw how many of these guyswere working and still homeless.”

The needs of the working poor strike apersonal chord for Berglund. Growing up,her father started working as a janitor be-fore moving up the ranks, while her motherwas a waitress.

“I remember as a kid not being able toparticipate in church activities because wedidn’t have the money,” Berglund said. “Ifeel so fortunate to be able to have doneall of the things that I do. I think that,‘Boy, it’s nice to give back a little bit.’ Weowe a bit of gratitude.”

That background helps explain

Berglund’s drive to build a self-sustainingnonprofit that can help the working poorregardless of government grants or philan-thropic whims. But it also comes down tofaith in your vocation.

“Whenever I do speaking engagements,that’s my whole thing: It’s about followingyour passions, and then at some point, thedots will connect. Even though it seems soremote that they could possibly connect,”Berglund said. “When I came back andwas working in the pub, I thought, ‘Whatam I doing here? How does this connect tothis whole dream job I had of internationaldevelopment projects?’ I just had faiththat it’s going to come—I’m going to findit. It’s kind of that whole ‘calling’ thing atAugsburg—I knew I was going to find it, itwas just going to take a minute.”

Berglund often considers her own experience growing up as motivation for her drive to do good for others.


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IGNITE-ING AUGGIE SPIRIT

One student heard about a fire that brokeout in one of the houses on campus in the1970s. Another enjoyed hearing perspec-tives from a studio art major about his workat a financial organization. A third met withan alum who fondly remembers the tastycinnamon rolls that students often got inMorton Hall in the mid-1950s.

Twenty students working in the Alumniand Constituent Relations Office recentlycompleted the first year of Project IGNITE.They’ve been meeting with alumni to learnmore about the role that the College playedin the lives of the alumni and to share sto-ries and experiences about Augsburg thenand now.

Senior Brittany Goff is the intern who di-rects the students’ work for Project IGNITE.Once she hand-matches students andalums who share similar majors and/or in-terests, a letter from President Pribbenow issent explaining the program and alertingthe alum to a future call from a student.The student will invite the alum to a meet-ing preferably on campus or at a convenientcoffee shop.

That first contact can be a little dauntingfor students, but knowing they share inter-ests makes it easier. Melissa Herrick, a

BY BETSEY NORGARD

Senior Brittany Goff is the intern who matches students and alumni for visits and leads the student team.


communication studies and art sophomore, says ittells the alum that “this is not a random call; there’sa reason I’m calling you,” which, in her case, is toshare with them what art at Augsburg is like now andto hear about their experience studying art at Augsburg.

STUDENTS CONNECT WITH ALUMNI On a cold day last fall, Herrick met with Patti Lloyd’83, who owns a web development and interactivemarketing company. While Lloyd was an internationalbusiness major and not an art major, the two immedi-ately discovered common interests in web design.Herrick was trying to plan a webpage for an arts proj-ect and was delighted to get some ideas from Lloyd.

“We had a great meeting,” says Lloyd, “and whenshe left, I think she felt comfortable that all the re-sources were there for her project.”

One of the meetings that Goff enjoyed was with aphysician. In the conversation, Goff, a psychologymajor, learned about the physician’s medical prac-tice that has included a psychologist and a nurse,enabling him to offer both physical and mental test-ing and care. “This was really a great experience forme,” Goff says, “to help me consider my future ca-reer and the option to be in a practice like that.”

Adam Spanier, sophomore class president and anHonors student, says he has met many interestingpeople through Project IGNITE. His favorite aspectof the program, he says, is “hearing the many dif-ferent bits of advice and wisdom that alumni haveto offer.”

ALUMNI ENJOY RECONNECTINGMost alumni contacted in Project IGNITE are grad-uates who have not been active in alumni activitiesor participated recently in events. Re-engaging withtheir alma mater through Project IGNITE has alsobeen enjoyable for them, especially seeing the College through the eyes of current students.

Christopher Haug ’79 was one of the alumniSpanier met last fall. “What benefited me themost,” Haug says, “is that I felt I was connectedagain with my school. There’s nothing like a face-

to-face relationship with a person who is going throughthe experience.”

Haug and his partner returned to campus in Decemberfor the Advent Vespers dinner and enjoyed talking withpeople they knew and meeting others.

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES CONTINUE Pat Grans, the Project IGNITE volunteer coordinator,follows up with the interests and/or requests that stu-dents bring back from the alumni visits. She crafts indi-vidual plans recommending events and volunteeropportunities that could include speaking in a class,inviting a student to job shadow, or helping with regis-tration at an event. Or, Grans can seek to create a tai-lored opportunity based on the alum’s interests.

Grans has now developed volunteer job descriptionsand oversees all aspects of recruiting, training, schedul-ing, supervising, and recognizing volunteers.

32 Augsburg Now

Sophomore Adam Spanier enjoys hearing the advicealumni can give to current students.


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HAS PROJECT IGNITE MADE A DIFFERENCE?Project IGNITE means Involving Graduates Now InThoughtful Engagement. A three-year project fundedby Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Project IGNITE isdesigned to serve as a model to help other collegesand universities engage their alumni.

What makes Project IGNITE an out-of-the-box pro-gram and readily transferable are several componentsthat together offer lifelong alumni connections:

• One-to-one interaction between students andalumni—who better to talk about the college experi-ence and re-engage alumni than current students?

• Mutually beneficial matching of student and alumnimajors and interests

“WELCOME TO AUGSBURG”Larry Menzel ’67 retired three years ago from a long ca-reer as a Kmart executive in 17 locations across theUpper Midwest. Working with people was what his job wasall about, and in retirement he wanted to be able to con-tinue that.

When volunteer coordinator Pat Grans sent a mailingabout Augsburg’s new volunteer program, it sparked hisinterest. Despite the fact that he hadn’t been on campussince graduation, he still felt a connection.

“Since my wife was gone from the house regularly onFriday mornings, I thought it would be a good time for meto do something, too,” Menzel says. He called Grans totalk about volunteering.

Grans suggested that he staff the welcome desk inOren Gateway Center on Friday mornings, and he thoughtthat sounded good.

In addition to helping people find their way around thebuilding and answering questions, he also provides help tothe Institutional Advancement staff. Soon he found himselfat Homecoming and other events, which pleases his wife,too, as she sees him doing things he enjoys.

His advice to current students he meets? “Study hard,find a rewarding life, and follow the principles of God,family, and work—in that order.”

• Individualized and ongoing follow-up from a volunteer coordinator to keepengagement and energy alive

In the project’s first six months at Augsburg, both attendance at events andvolunteering have increased. Of the alumni the IGNITE students have visitedduring this time, 14% have now attended College events. Nearly 76% haveexpressed interest in volunteering; and of those, 20% have begun. Morethan 1,800 hours of volunteer time have been logged.

Kim Stone, director of alumni and constituent relations, is excited by theresults. She attributes success to the total package Project IGNITE makespossible—engaging students in the alumni program before they graduate,encouraging ongoing attendance at alumni events, and keeping alumni con-nected to campus through meaningful volunteering.

For more information or to arrange to meet with an IGNITE student, con-tact the Office of Alumni and Constituent Relations at [email protected] 612-330-1085.

Melissa Herrick, an art and communication studies major who isworking on a web project, found a natural connection with PattiLloyd ’83, the owner of a web development company.


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34 Augsburg Now


THE BOD POD lives upstairs in the Kennedy Center kinesiology lab. It’sa high-tech apparatus that provides fast, safe, and accurate meas-urements of body composition, detailing fat and lean body mass. Itprovides useful information for measuring the effectiveness of exer-cise and nutrition, fine-tuning top athletic performance, and trackingthe progress of obesity and disease.

Since Bod Pods are found mostly in fitness facilities and elitetraining centers, Augsburg’s health, physical education, and healthfitness majors are fortunate to have this in their learning portfolio.Used primarily in kinesiology and exercise physiology classes, stu-dents learn how to run the Bod Pod, interpret the results, and incor-porate recommendations into specialized training plans.

If you are interested in being measured in the Bod Pod, contactProfessor Tony Clapp at [email protected] or 612-330-1618.

THE BOD POD1. The Bod Pod

2. Data acquisition box—interprets test data coming from the BodPod measurements

3. Computer hardware that processes all measurements, managesdata, and provides customized printouts of the test data

4. Calibration standards—Weights used to calibrate the Bod Pod be-fore each person is measured, to assure accuracy when the per-son’s weight is entered

5. “Fast Eddie”—The Auggies’ own skeleton used in health and phys-ical education classes. He arrived when the Kennedy Centeropened in 2007.

6. Anatomical charts most likely dating from the opening of ScienceHall in 1949, recently found rolled up in a storage closet. They’renow taking on new life in the Health, Physical Education, andHealth Fitness Department.

7. Professor Tony Clapp, demonstrating the Bod Pod procedure:

• Wear spandex-type swimsuit or bike shorts and a swim cap

• Sit in the Bod Pod while measurements take about 30 seconds

• Get printouts of test results in about five minutes

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36 Augsburg Now

The annual Nobel Peace Prize Forum (seestory on page 10) is the result of just one ofthe many unique partnerships at AugsburgCollege. It is the only program or academicaffiliation of the Norwegian Nobel Instituteoutside of Norway.

Here are a few more examples of Augsburg’s out-of-the-box partnerships.

NEIGHBORHOOD COLLABORATIONSThe Cedar-Riverside Partnership wasfounded in 2008 to foster collaborationamong existing community organiza-tions—the African Development Center,Pillsbury United Communities, West BankCommunity Coalition, the Cedar RiversideNeighborhood Revitalization Program, andthe West Bank Business Association—andlocal government bodies and institutions,including the city and county, the Univer-sity of Minnesota, Fairview Health Serv-ices, and Augsburg College.

“The goal of the partnership,” saysSteve Peacock, Augsburg director of com-munity relations, “is to leverage these or-ganizations’ collective resources tostrengthen Cedar-Riverside as a vibrantplace in which to live, learn, and work.”

The partnership is chaired by AugsburgPresident Paul Pribbenow.

BUSINESS FEASIBILITYAugsburg plays an active role in the MayoInnovation Scholars Program (MISP), aunique partnership with the Mayo Clinicthat offers an experiential learning opportu-nity for both graduate and undergraduatestudents. Through the program, undergradu-ate science and business students from se-lect Minnesota private colleges are teamedwith MBA project leaders from either Augs-burg College or the University of St. Thomasto evaluate the commercial potential forpatent ideas submitted through the MayoClinic Office of Intellectual Property.

This year, Augsburg had five teams work-ing on projects—two in Rochester and three

in Minneapolis—which presented their find-ings and recommendations to professionalsat the Mayo Clinic in March.

SUSTAINABLE URBAN DEVELOPMENTThe Associated Colleges of the Twin Cities(ACTC) was founded in 1975 by five liberalarts institutions—Augsburg, Hamline,Macalester, St. Catherine, and St.Thomas—to provide cooperative programsand services for students, faculty, and ad-ministrators.

In 2009, the consortium’s Chief Aca-demic Officers Council, chaired by BarbaraFarley, Augsburg’s vice president for aca-demic affairs and dean of the college, re-newed its efforts to explore common areasof academic opportunity using a focus on“sustainable urban development.”

“This theme truly ties us together as col-leges in the Twin Cities,” Farley says.“Broadly defined, it includes education,health care, transportation, housing, andenvironmental concerns, offering a rich plat-form for exploring strategies for enhancingshared academic programs.”

PARTNERS ON CAMPUSIn recent years, two of Augsburg’s commu-nity partnerships have become integratedinto the College: Campus Kitchen and theMinnesota Urban Debate League—both ofwhich operate under the Sabo Center forCitizenship and Learning.

In 2003, Augsburg became the fourthcollege campus in the U.S. to join the Cam-pus Kitchens Project. The program providesmeal preparation and delivery to neigh-borhood organizations, nutrition andfood preparation classes for area youth, andoutreach to the surrounding neighborhoodthrough the continuously expanding com-munity garden. Augsburg is the first collegeto wholly integrate its Campus Kitchen aspart of the College.

The Minnesota Urban Debate Leaguehas had a relationship with Augsburg

since 2004 and became part of the Col-lege in summer 2009. This move allowedthe league to focus less on administrativeoperations and more on reaching urbanmiddle and high school students. In thepast year, the program doubled to 350students and teaches important skills likeresearch, writing, thesis development, andpublic speaking.

CONNECTING YOUTH TO CHURCHESNow in its 19th year, the Augsburg CollegeCongregational Youth Basketball Leaguepartners with dozens of metro-areachurches to involve junior high and highschool boys and girls in an annual basket-ball league that emphasizes fun, service,sponsorship, participation, relationships,and growth in one’s faith.

The program was founded by Augsburgpastor Dave Wold to help keep youth con-nected to churches. The league starts inJanuary each year and culminates in aMarch tournament on Augsburg’s campusthat involves more than 1,000 players,coaches, officials, and volunteers fromAugsburg and area churches.

“The program is very successful at en-abling our churches to connect with agreater number of young people,” Woldsaid, “providing the opportunity for themto have some fun; get some exercise;build relationships with teammates,coaches, youth workers, and pastors; andhave an encounter with God.”

OUT-OF-THE-BOX PARTNERSHIPSBY REBECCA JOHN

To learn about other out-of-the-box partnerships, go to www.augsburg.edu/now


as I write this article we’ve headedinto the spring season, and a cou-ple of words appear in my mind:

renewal and growth. We can see ourworld transform around us with a re-newed sense of purpose—growth. Treesare beginning to bud, early flowers arebeginning to show their bright colors,

and I think this lifts our spirits and warms our hearts to the possi-bility and purpose of our world.

It is this renewal and growth I want to discuss with you in thismy last article as president of the Alumni Association, as itchooses new leadership in June.

One of my main goals this year was that of growth for the AlumniAssociation—not only in size, but also in commitment and involve-ment in activities and events that enrich and add value to your life.

Every year, the Augsburg Alumni Association’s Board of Direc-tors spends a great deal of time in the creation, planning, and exe-cution of events designed to raise awareness, renew involvement,and create a sense of community among alumni.

Looking back on the year, alumni have had opportunities tocome together in ways we have not been seen in many years. Ex-

amples of this are the more than 700 alumni who attended theCanterbury Park event last August, the capacity turnout for eventssuch as the Winter Wine Tasting, the Eye-Opener Breakfast Series,and the Young Alumni Council events, as well as alumni atten-dance at the Guthrie performance of Macbeth. These events andactivities are just a few that have been exceedingly well received;and the leadership of the Alumni Association as well as the Col-lege’s dedicated staff from the Alumni and Constituent RelationsOffice plan to enhance what has been a very successful year.

I am very grateful for having the opportunity to represent thealumni this year as well as for all of the hard work and dedicationof those who helped make this year so successful. I look forward toseeing many of you in the coming years and plan to continue con-tributing to this wonderful organization dedicated to the alumni ofAugsburg College.

I wish you a wonderful spring—please continue to check backwith the College, as something new will always be springing to life.

auggieFrom the Alumni Board president …

alumni news

DANIEL HICKLE ’95ALUMNI BOARD PRESIDENT

37Spring 2010

HOMECOMING October 14-16, 2010

2010 Reunion Classes

60th Reunion—1950 25th Reunion—1985

50th Reunion—1960 10th Reunion—2000

40th Reunion—1970 Recent Grad/Young Alumni Reunion—2001–2010

If you would like to help make your reunion a success, contact the Office ofAlumni and Constituent Relations at 612-330-1085 or [email protected] to www.augsburg.edu/homecoming for updates and reunion information.

Dear Alumni and friends,


Augsburg Now

auggiealumni news

When I returned to Augsburg in fall 2004 after dropping out a yearearlier, I was eager to reform the lackluster study habits that hadplagued my academic career. At every fork in the road, I purpose-fully chose the path I previously would never have considered. Andthat’s how I, a young man who spent his entire adolescence hatingto travel, jumped at the chance to study in El Salvador.

There, we witnessed previously unimagined poverty and becameinspired by countless acts of resilience. The little free time avail-able was spent in discussions, journals, and books. There were nomoments wasted and no words ignored.

That summer, I studied literature in France, and over the nexttwo years, I went on to study in Nicaragua, Uganda, Rwanda, andTanzania and volunteered on a mission trip to Mexico.

Upon graduating in May 2007, I feared my opportunities to con-tinue traveling oversees had vanished. The expansive summer andholiday breaks were gone; theimmediate walls of my work cu-bicle provided no horizon tolook beyond. Fortunately, Ispotted a chance to break themonotony—Professor KristinAnderson was leading a travelseminar to study Italian art andarchitecture.

In November, I boarded aplane alongside 25 other semi-nar participants. During ourjourney through Padua, Venice,Ravenna, Florence, Orvieto, theancient ruins in Pompeii,Naples, Rome, and VaticanCity, we viewed wondrous land-scapes, observed countlessworks of art, and walkedthrough dozens of secularlydecorated churches. Day byday, my learning regarding an-cient, medieval, Renaissance,and baroque art and architec-ture grew, thanks to the knowl-edge shared by ProfessorAnderson. I came to better ap-

preciate works I already knew—Michelangelo’s David, the ceilingof the Sistine Chapel—and discovered wonderful artists—Bernini,Carravaggio—I previously knew nothing about.

Between visits to churches and museums, we made time forwine tasting on a Tuscan vineyard and a tour on an olive farm.Food and drink took on greater significance while in Italy. An ex-pansive dinner coupled with lively conversation regularly served asan evening’s event. My roommate, a chatty substitute scienceteacher from Lester Prairie named Gordon, celebrated his 70thbirthday in Orvieto during one of our four-course dinners.

The trip to Italy allowed me to escape the stresses of home for acouple weeks and infused me with a new appreciation of visual art.It was a fitting continuation of the travel experiences I began whilestudying at Augsburg.

JEREMY ANDERSON ’07

Travelers to Italy posed for a photo in front of St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. (Back row, L to R): Mary Johnson, Judy Reeve ’95, HeidiHunter, Luke Anderson ’60, Gracia Luoma ’66, Jim Hoseth ’68, Gordon Houk, Larry Turner ’69, Grace Bergstrom, Sue Turner, John Luoma ’65,Max Carlson ’09, Kim Stone, Jeremy Anderson ’07, Jason Stone. (Front row, L to R): Art professor Kristin Anderson, Kathy Wilson, JoanneCress, Susan Hoseth, Mary Rogers, Jill Reister, Deanna Carlson, Amy Kessler, Rose Becker ’04, Sharon Carlson ’72, Susan Carlson.

Journeying to Italy

Phot

o by

Lar

ry Tu

rner

’69

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39Spring 2010

Young Alumni Summer SeriesThe Young Alumni Summer Series is back in 2010 with excitingnew events and favorites from last year.

• Seven Corners kick-off party—May 21, 5–8 p.m., at Preston’s

• Networking at Fuji-ya in Uptown—June 17, 5–7 p.m.• Minnesota Twins game at Target Field—July 15, 7 p.m.• Auggie Night at the Races, Canterbury Park—Aug. 5• Summit Brewery tour—Aug. 21, 1 p.m.• End of Summer Bash—Sept. 16, 5–7 p.m., at Seven Ul-

traLoungeFor more information and to register, go towww.augsburg.edu/alumnievents and join the Young Alumnigroup on facebook. To get involved in the Young Alumni Council,call 612-330-1178 or e-mail [email protected].

Journey to the Emerald Isle (Note change of date to May 2011)Join friends from the Augsburg College community in early May 2011 for an in-depth journey throughIreland with Phillip Adamo, associate professor and chair of the History Department, director ofAugsburg’s medieval studies program, and experienced study tour leader. He looks forward to return-ing to Ireland with alumni and friends to explore centuries of heroic history including sites dating to9,000 BC. Experience the intense rugged beauty of land carved from the sea contrasting with themeticulous gardens of stately castles. Discover the spirit and historic significance of Celtic Christi-anity, visiting ancient monastic communities where Christianity flourished during the Dark Ages. Cel-ebrate contemporary Irish culture with passion-filled music and food at local pubs.

To receive additional updates on the tour and be among the first to receive a tour brochure bylate June, contact Alumni Relations, 612-330-1178 or [email protected]. Don’t hesitate to be in-cluded on the interested list as the alumni tour to Italy last year filled quickly and had a waiting list. Join us at the information session on Tuesday, June 15, 6:30 p.m., Oren Gateway Center.

Celtic crosses like this one in County Offaly are vividreminders of Ireland’s rich history.

The Augsburg Choir Legacy Recordings will be available soon!Three boxed sets, each containing five CDs, present remasteredrecordings of the Augsburg Choir over 30 years, from 1949–79. In-cluded with each order is a monograph by Bill Halverson ’51 about Leland B. Sateren’s life and career. Cost: $49 per boxed set; $135 forall three boxed sets, plus shipping and handling.

For information about availability and ordering, go to www.augsburg.edu/music.

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The Augsburg Alumni Association is going greenThe Augsburg College Alumni Association is reducing printmailings and relying more on technology to get the wordout about events. To stay in the loop, update your contactinformation at www.augsburg.edu/alumni or e-mail the Of-fice of Alumni Relations at [email protected] to re-ceive NOW@Augsburg, the monthly news and informatione-newsletter. You can also stay up to date by becoming afriend of Auggie Eagle on Facebook.

auggiesGO GREEN

The Young Alumni enjoyed some late summer rooftop lawn bowling at Brit’s Pub in September. (L to R): Jay Cavanagh, Rob Wagner ’02, Mike Fasching ’02, Britt Fasching’02, Ben Carlson ’02, ’09 MBA, and Leah Omar.


40 Augsburg Now

53Dr. Leland Fairbanks, Tempe,Ariz., was recognized by Amer-

icans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR)with the 2009 ANR Smokefree Heroof the Year Award during the Na-tional Conference on Tobacco orHealth in Phoenix, Ariz. on June 9.He is the longtime president of Ari-zonans Concerned About Smoking(ACAS).

56Len Brown and Mavis (Daniel-son) ’60, Baxter, Minn., were

featured on brainderddispatch.comfor their tradition of traveling the re-gion to find and enjoy lutefisk din-ners. In 2007, they went to 13dinners; in 2008, they visited 12;and last year there were 8.

58Mabeth (Saure) Gyllstrom wasrecently featured in the Fergus

Falls Daily Journal in a story abouther background and work in retire-ment as director of the ZionLutheran Church choir in Amor,Minn. She currently lives on OtterTail Lake, Minn.

60Ruth (Carlson) Olson was in-ducted into the Faribault High

School Hall of Fame on October 1.For 20 years she coached gymnas-tics, kept score for volleyball, re-ported for track meets, etc. as thesports liaison between the junior andsenior high schools. It was her Augs-burg career as an Auggiette on thewomen’s basketball team, however,that earned her the Hall of Famespot, because of the Auggiettes’ pio-neering efforts in promotingwomen’s sports.

62Rev. Jim Quitno and his wife,Mary, Spirit Lake, Iowa, cele-

brated their 50th wedding anniver-sary in June 2009. Jim retired fromthe pastorate in 2002 after being atGrace Lutheran Church in SpiritLake for 27 years, but both he andMary remain active volunteers in re-tirement. Last year Jim was honoredwith the June Character CountsSpotlight Award.

Dennis Kalpin, Alexandria, Minn.,was honored with the George HaunAward last October, given by theMinnesota State High School

Coaches Association (MSHSCA) forleadership in promoting the missionof MSHSCA. He retired in 2007 aftera 40-year career teaching mathe-matics and coaching football, mostlyin Alexandria.

69Mary (Strom) Dyrud was hon-ored as the recipient of the

2010 Peter Hess Memorial FacultyRecognition Award on February 22at the Spring Awards Ceremony atNorthland Community and TechnicalCollege in Thief River Falls, Minn.She has taught there since 1993and currently teaches Spanish; sheand her husband, Loiell ’62, live inThief River Falls.

71Christy (Larsen) Branes, MapleGrove, Minn., was selected as

the 2010 Delano (Minn.) Teacher ofthe Year. She has taught in the dis-trict for over 20 years, plus a four-year stint in Portugal teachingEnglish. She currently teaches sec-ond grade.

74Steven Reznicek, Bemidji,Minn., was named director of

the Varsity Singers of Bemidji StateUniversity. Otherwise, he is “mostlyretired.”

76Gwedolyn (Peyton) Jackson,Lakeville, Minn., was reap-

pointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty toa four-year position on the Board ofthe Minnesota State Academies. Sheis the director of human resourcesand administrative services with theEdina (Minn.) Public School District.The board governs the MinnesotaState Academy for the Blind and theMinnesota State Academy for theDeaf, both in Faribault.

77Lise Lunge-Larsen, Duluth,Minn., a storyteller and chil-

dren’s author, visited Concordia Col-lege (Moorhead) and Cable, Wis., inFebruary. At Concordia, she visitedthe Carl B. Ylvisaker Library to teachclasses in children’s literature andtold stories from Norwegian folklore.She was in Cable the day before theBirkebeiner ski race and told thestory of the race that is recounted inher book, The Race of the Birke-beiners.

alumni class notes

00Daria (Reboin) Gordhamer,and her husband, David, wel-

comed their fourth child, Andrew,on Oct. 6. Big brothers Elijah (6)and Abram (2) and big sister, Eva(4), love him very much. They livein Apple Valley, Minn.

67Jerry Peterson, hockey andsoccer coach at Bloomington

(Minn.) Kennedy High School from1967–1992 was inducted into theMinnesota State High SchoolCoaches Association Hall of Famein October. Following retirement in1992, he served as student activi-ties coordinator until 2001.

00Kathleen Lindquist-Blilie, andher husband, Eric, Blaine,

Minn., announce the birth of theirdaughter, Anne Elizabeth, born May6, 2009. She joins her siblings, An-drew (7-1/2), Alexander (5), andErin (2-1/2).

74Lambda House reunion Ten Auggie women, all 1974 grads, hadtheir own 35th reunion on Gull Lake, on the same weekend as

Homecoming last fall. The women began as freshmen on the first floorin Urness, then moved to the ninth floor as sophomores, and then livedat Lambda House (no longer standing) as juniors and seniors.

They’ve continued to see each other several times a year and now havebegun taking longer trips together. All live in Minnesota, except for Barb(Ruud) Revueltas who lives in Los Angeles. Three women are marriedto Auggies, who lived together in a house around the corner fromLambda House.

The 10 women are Linda (Lundeen) Dunn, Linda (Bailey) Holmen(married to Ken Holmen ’74), Laurie (Johnson) Thorp (married to TimThorp ’74), Barb (Ruud) Revueltas, Marlene (Chan) Hui, Debbie (Rowley) Hasti, Mary Ratzlaff, Diane (Johnson) Moen , Carla (Johnson)Velenchenko, Chris (Henry) Thompson (married to Gary Thompson ’74)

93Tammera (Ericson) Diehm, Co-lumbia Heights, Minn., was

named to the 2010 “Rising Stars” listby Minnesota Law & Politics, whichhighlights outstanding attorneys whoare under the age of 40 or havefewer than 10 years of practice. Sheworks with the Winthrop & Weinstinelaw firm in the real estate and cam-paign finance practice groups.


Jeffrey Nodland was recently ap-pointed to the Board of Directors forTexas Petrochemicals Inc. He is cur-rently the president, CEO, and a di-rector of KIK Custom Products.

80Marianne (Lundberg) Kulka be-came director of business de-

velopment in Minnesota in July2009 with TMP Worldwide Advertis-ing and Communications, a full-ser-vice recruitment marketing adagency headquartered in New York.

81Mary (Primm) Lingen’s water-color paintings of Minnesota

landscapes were on display at theJames Wegner Art Gallery on theWest Campus of Riverland Commu-nity College in Austin, Minn., in Oc-tober. Since graduating fromAugsburg, she has had more than30 solo exhibits and numerousgroup and juried exhibitions.

Kurts Strelnieks accepted a positionas vice president-account executive,managing existing client relation-ships, at First Business Capital Corp.in Madison, Wis., in February.

82Mike Kilgore was the recipientin October of the Conservation

Minnesota Leadership Award for hiswork as chair of the Lessard-SamsOutdoor Heritage Council, a Min-nesota Legislature advisory body incharge of “restoring, protecting, andenhancing of Minnesota’s wetlands,prairies, forests, and habitat for fish,game, and wildlife.”

83Jane Helmke, managing editorat KARE-11 TV, was inducted

into the National Academy of Televi-sion Arts and Sciences Silver Circlein September by the Upper MidwestChapter. Silver Circle members havedisplayed superior contributions tothe television history and/or NATASfor at least 25 years.

88Anne Panning was recentlynamed the New York 2009

Professor of the Year by theCarnegie Foundation for the Ad-vancement of Teaching and theCouncil for Advancement and Sup-port of Education (CASE). She wasalso awarded the Lillian H. FairchildAward by the University of Rochesterfor her book, Super America. Her lat-est work has appeared in WestBranch, Ascent (www.readthebest-writing.com), River Teeth, andWomen and Gender, a PearsonLongman textbook. She has recentlystarted a blog about reading, writing,teaching, travel, and family calledwww.thepapersandwich.blogspot.com.

91Jeff Ronneberg became the newsuperintendent of the Spring

Lake Park (Minn.) School District atthe beginning of the year. For thepast seven years, he has served thedistrict as assistant superintendent.

95Matthew Gooding, Sun Lakes,Ariz., stopped working in the

restaurant business to return toschool to become a medical assis-tant. He expects to graduate inMarch.

96Richard Gage was elected inJanuary to the Carlson Board

of Directors. He is vice president ofthe Curtis L. Carlson Family Foundation and works at Nebulous/YourMLSsearch.com.

Martha (Kenney) Spriggs, whoteaches at Andersen United Com-munity School, was surprised andhonored with a Milken EducatorAward, one of two given in Min-nesota that recognizes outstandingteachers.

99Teresa Walters recently begana new position as city finance

director in Farmington, Minn. Previ-ously she had been in the same po-sition in Waseca, Minn.

01Rev. Rozenia Fuller wasawarded a 2009 TRiO Achiev-

ers Award from the Mid-America As-sociation of Educational OpportunityProgram Personnel (MAEOPP). Theaward recognizes outstanding for-mer participants in the federal TRiOprograms who have made significantcivic, community, or professionalcontributions. She was also recentlyinducted into the 2009 MinneapolisCommunity and Technical CollegeHall of Fame.

03Betty J. Vangorder, director offinance and human resources

at Apex Print Technologies, hasbeen recognized by CambridgeWho’s Who for demonstrating dedi-cation, leadership, and excellence infinancial operations. In her job, sheis responsible for managing financialreporting for the company, budget-ing, forecasting, overseeing 18 em-ployees and performing humanresources duties.

Spring 2010 41

02Jackie (Heyda) marriedJoshua Eyberg on Nov. 27.

She is in her seventh year of teach-ing in the New Prague (Minn.) AreaSchool District and is a first-gradeteacher at Eagle View ElementarySchool in Elko New Market. Theylive in Burnsville, Minn.

03Peter Samargia married An-gela Gustafson on August 15

in Biwabik, Minn. They traveledaround Lake Vermillion on a house-boat for their honeymoon. Peterruns his own business, AttitudeGoaltending, LLC, and is a goaliecoach for the Augsburg men’shockey team. Angela is a propertymanager for Colliers Turley MartinTucker.

00Leslie (Lucas) Wiede ’07 MSWand her husband, Matthew,

welcomed twin boys, Lucas andHunter, on April 3, 2009.

01Sarah (Wilhelm) married ChrisUwimana in Burnsville, Minn.,

on October 24, surrounded by fam-ily and friends. Sarah is a buyer atSupervalu and Chris is a businessanalyst at DRC. They live in Bloom-ington, Minn.

03Emily Gerard and her hus-band, Craig Maus, welcomed

the birth of their second daughter,Lilia, on November 17. Pictured are Craig and Emily, with Lilia andCaroline.


42 Augsburg Now

alumni class notes06Lance Campbell, Stewartville,

Minn., was awarded his certi-fied public accountant license lastfall and was promoted to senior ac-countant at Wolter & Raak, Ltd. inRochester, Minn.

Michelle (Connolly) married MatthewAriola on July 11 at Majestic OaksGolf Club in Ham Lake, Minn. Theyhoneymooned in Alaska and nowlive in Blaine, Minn. Michelle is akindergarten teacher in Sorteberg El-ementary School in Coon Rapidsand Matthew is starting his ownplumbing business.

Kyle Loven performed his visionarysolo puppet show, my dear Lewis,both in Seattle where he now livesand in Minneapolis in March at theOpen Eye Figure Theatre as part ofan emerging artists program. A Seat-tle arts and culture paper called hima “visionary new puppeteer” and a“burgeoning genius.” See story athttp://augnet.augsburg.edu/newsarchives/2010/03_08_10/kyle_loven.html

James Palan recently began as ac-count executive in the advertisingdepartment at the Rochester Post-Bulletin. He was formerly a personalbanker with Associated Bank.

Becky (Wolf) and Joe Kaarbo ’06were married on October 3 in St.Louis Park, Minn. Becky works atthe University of Wisconsin-Stout inthe Involvement and Leadership Of-fice. Joe is the imaging coordinatorat Berkley Risk Administrators inMinneapolis. Auggies in the weddingincluded Joel Wolf ’02, Josh Wolf’05, Chris Docken ’06, Erik Reynolds’06, Carrie (Ohnerheim) Wolf ’02,and Evan Boyce ’07.

07Nechia Agate received herMinnesota Certified Public Ac-

countant license and currently worksas a senior consultant for the Busi-ness Advisory Services practice atGrant Thornton in Minneapolis.

Carolyn Mollner also earned her Cer-tified Public Accountant certificatelast fall. She works at Best Buy as asenior tax analyst.

09Jenna Gerard, Fridley, Minn.,and her sister own Bravo! Pro-

ductions and created a two-womanmusical revue, “Christmas Again?”that spoofed Christmas customs. Itran at the Sunshine Factory in NewHope, Minn., during Christmas lastfall. Jenna is currently a student atthe University of Wisconsin-RiverFalls.

Kathryn MacAulay is currently one ofthe 14 Fulbright English TeachingAssistants in Malaysia, and is livingin Kemaman, Terenganu.

Graduate ProgramsErik Bredeson ’06 MBA marriedTasha Clifford on May 30, 2009, inKihel, Maui, Hawaii. Erik works inmedical sales; they live in St. LouisPark, Minn.

Ryan May ’07 MBA was recentlyhired at Risdall McKinney Public Re-lations (RMPR) as a vice president.

Sarah Marie (Larson) ’07 MSW mar-ried Leon Peter Kyalo on October 3.

08Bryan Ludwig and Sarah(Peloquin) married on June

20, 2009. Sarah is a youth ministerin Cottage Grove, Minn., and Bryanis a second-year law student at St.Thomas. They currently live inWoodbury, Minn.

09Stacey (Kinder) married Ryan Plasch in August 2009 in Farmington, Minn. Auggies in the wedding party in-cluded Christine Esser ’09, Shawn Boonstra ’09, and Jason Jefferson ’09. Stacey is a substitute teacher in

Lakeville, Farmington, and Burnsville; Ryan is a mental health counselor for South Metro Human Services.

06Sam Kanenwisher and hiswife, Sophia, welcomed the

arrival of a son, Parker Andrew, onAugust 27. Sam is a fourth-year di-vinity student and the student asso-ciation vice president at PacificLutheran Theological Seminary inBerkeley, Calif.

06Erin Schmoeckel ’08MBA,Woodbury, Minn., re-

cently left her corporate job indowntown Minneapolis to pursueher passion with a career in real es-tate. She joined The Snyder Team atRe/Max Results in Woodbury as aresidential realtor.


43Spring 2010

Send us your news and photosPlease tell us about the news in your life, your new job, move, marriage, andbirths. Don’t forget to send photos!

For news of a death, printed notice is required, e.g. an obituary, funeral notice,or program from a memorial service.

Send your news items, photos, or change of address by mail to: Augsburg NowClass Notes, Augsburg College, CB 146, 2211 Riverside Ave., Minneapolis, MN55454, or e-mail [email protected]. You can also submit news at www.augsburg.edu/alumni.

____________________________________________________________Full name

____________________________________________________________Maiden name

____________________________________________________________Class year or last year attended

____________________________________________________________Street address

____________________________________________________________City, State, Zip

Is this a new address? q Yes q No

____________________________________________________________Home telephone

____________________________________________________________E-mail

Okay to publish your e-mail address? q Yes q No

____________________________________________________________Employer

____________________________________________________________Position

____________________________________________________________Work telephone

Is spouse also a graduate of Augsburg College? q Yes q No

If yes, class year ________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________Spouse’s name

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Your news:____________________________________________________________

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q I know a student who is interested in attending Augsburg.

Johnson, Vernel ’42, Tucson, Ariz.,age 90, on Oct. 20, after a longillness.

Myrvik, Quentin ’45, CaswellBeach, N.C., age 88, on Dec. 13.He is a 1960 Distinguished Alum-nus.

Midtling, Rev. John ’49, Minneapo-lis, age 86, on Oct. 20.

Elmberg, Rev. Donald ’50, Mound,Minn., age 85, on Dec. 29.

Rust, Alice (Gjesdahl) ’53,Burnsville, Minn., on Dec. 30.

Foss Jr, Alfred “Bud” ’54, HotSprings, Ark., age 77, on Oct. 28.

Seaver, Dean ’60, Le Sueur, Minn.,age 73, on Jan. 12.

Thorpe, Neal O. ’60, Vancouver,Wash., age 71, on March 3. Hetaught biology, served as depart-ment chair at Augsburg College,and is a 2001 DistinguishedAlumnus.

Hovland, Rev. Peter ’62, Mora,Minn., on Dec. 21.

Hunt, Duane ’62, Lakewood, Colo.,on Nov. 13.

English, Dr. Nancy ’73, Duluth,Minn., age 57, on Aug. 8, of car-diac arrest.

Hain, Ramon “Ray” ’81, Roseville,Minn., age 50, on Nov. 21.

Agrimson, Robb Joel ’83, St. Paul,age 49, on Jan. 6.

Woodcock, Delores ’89, Blooming-ton, Minn., age 83, on Dec. 12.

Connors, Patrick ’07, Vail, Colo.,age 28, on Dec. 30.

VanDeVoorde, Elaine, Rochester,Minn., on Oct. 26. She was aMaster of Arts in Education stu-dent in Rochester.

Mark, Cindy, Cedar Lake Township,Minn., age 61, on Dec. 13, ofcancer. She taught in Augsburg’sprogram at the MinnesotaWomen’s Correctional Facility-Shakopee.

Wrightsman, Rev. Bruce, Decorah,Iowa, age 75, on Oct. 4, of heartfailure and amyloidosis. He taughtmath, physics, and philosophy atAugsburg College, 1960–63.

In Memoriam


When she was growing up, Aquila Tapio said she never really knewwhat she wanted to do. “I just wanted to help people,” she said.

Until recently, Tapio and her husband helped Native Americanchildren as foster parents through the Indian Child Welfare Actprogram. And then after the birth of her second child, she decidedit was time for her to return to the workforce.

“I wanted to help Native American kids and keep doing thework we were doing at home,” she says. So when Tapio discoveredAugsburg’s tribal special education program, she knew she hadfound the right fit.

Naadamaadiwin, Ojibwe for “helping one another,” is a partner-ship between the University of Minnesota-Duluth Center for Indige-nous Knowledge and Language Revitalization and the AugsburgCollege Master of Arts in Education program. Naadamaadiwin is aspecial education licensure program in emotional behavioral disor-ders and learning disabilities with a focus on the unique needs ofNative American children.

For Tapio, a member of the Oglala Lakota in South Dakota,working with Native children and families through the educationsystem is important because education is a “touchy issue” for Na-tive Americans. “We need teachers who know where people comefrom and who understand the history and trauma families have ex-perienced,” she says. “Having a Native teacher provides comfort tostudents and their parents.”

Tapio is completing her student teaching this term at LongfellowHumanities Magnet School in St. Paul. She says the Naadamaadi-win program has given her a new way to give Native children theconsistency and support they need. “No matter how many timesyou have to tell them something, they will pick it up,” she says.“They are capable. They can do anything.”

Naadamaadiwin is a two-year cohort-based program with classesmeeting primarily online. For more information, go to www.augsburg.edu/admissions/mae/ and click “Licensure Options.”

WENDI WHEELER ’06

Auggiemy experience

Aquila Tapio ’10 MAENaadamaadiwin—Helping one another

44 Augsburg Now


1-800-273-0617 www.augsburg.edu/giv ing

augsburg

Lisa Zeller ’81,’89 MALand Glenn Fuller

“In addition to an education, Augsburg provided me with theconfidence and skills to think critically, to see what’s possible,and to create opportunities. I want to make sure that future generations have this same opportunity.

So, when Glenn and I sat down to do our estate planning andconsider our legacy, it was important for us to commit a percentage of our estate to Augsburg College.”

Lisa Zeller and Glenn Fuller are foundingpartners of the The Phaedrus Group (1994), a national training and consulting firm.

legacyan


2211 Riverside AvenueMinneapolis, MN 55454

Non-Profit Org.U.S. PostagePAIDMinneapolis, MNPermit No. 2031

Second Augsburg PowwowThe Augsburg Indigenous Student Association hosted a

traditional powwow on Saturday, March 20, in Si Melby

Hall. To view more photos from the powwow, go to

www.flickr.com/photos/augsburgcollege.


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