Bing tracking

King Harald V of Norway Receives Honorary Degree from Augsburg

King Harald V of Norway and President Paul Pribbenow smile side-by-side following the conferral of an honorary Augsburg degree on King Harald.
Photo courtesy of Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway

In a December ceremony in Oslo, President Paul Pribbenow conferred upon King Harald V of Norway the degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa. 

“We are deeply grateful for Your Majesty’s abiding support of Augsburg University and our sister Norwegian-American colleges and universities throughout the more than three decades of your reign,” said Pribbenow in his ceremonial remarks. “We share both a common heritage and profound commitments to peacemaking and global citizenship.”

His Majesty King Harald V of Norway acceded to the throne January 17, 1991. The future king attended the Norwegian Cavalry Officers’ Training School and went on to finish his military education at the Military Academy in 1959. Upon completion of his military service, he attended Balliol College at Oxford University from 1960 to 1962, studying social science, history, and economics. He holds the rank of general in Norway’s army and air force, and of admiral in the navy. 

King Harald and his wife, Queen Sonja, visited Augsburg in 2011. The recognition—originally scheduled for 2020 but delayed by the pandemic—is part of Augsburg’s sesquicentennial anniversary celebration. 

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder recaps Augsburg College’s MLK Convocation

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder - logoThe Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder recently published an article and photo gallery covering Augsburg College’s 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, which was held January 18 and featured a speech by legendary rapper and author Chuck D.

The event began with performances by a number of local artists, much to the delight of the keynote speaker. The article states that, “His excitement was noticeable as he jumped to his feet and snapped photos of the acts smiling from ear to ear.”

The article also included interviews with Augsburg students Erickson Saye ’16, Robert Harper ’16, and Reis Francisco Romero ’16. Romero was instrumental in organizing the event; he is the president of Augsburg College’s chapter of Save the Kids, a student group that co-sponsored this year’s convocation.

“It’s going to take me a while to conceptualize everything. I’m glad we did it, I’m glad it’s over, but now the real work starts,” Romero said of the event. “We have to work together to end this miserable condition on this earth.”

Read and view: PHOTOS | Rapper Chuck D refocused MLK Day from past to present on the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder site.

The Line highlights Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer

Augsburg College faculty members Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer, known for their avid bicycling, recently were featured in The Line, a Twin Cities-based online journal.

In the article, Christiansen describes how he and Fischer have never been happier living “car-ownership-free” after selling their car two years ago and relying on their bicycles and, if necessary, the metro transit system.

Christiansen also revealed his tips for healthy living as well as his reasoning for choosing a car-free lifestyle, noting that the sense of community gained in such a lifestyle could easily be reason enough.

“…when you ride a bus, train or bike, you’re in public,” he said. “You encounter a greater diversity of people with whom you develop camaraderie.”

To learn more about living car-free, read “How being ‘car ownership free’ led to healthy living, community organizing and embracing transit.”