In the WCCO-TV story “Augsburg College Celebrates Its Most Diverse Graduating Class In History,” Commencement participant Promise Okeke ’15 described his drive for an undergraduate degree and experiences at Augsburg.
The story also showed images of Augsburg’s traditional undergraduate Commencement event on May 2, noting that approximately 30 percent of the undergraduate Class of 2015 is comprised of students of color.
The Star Tribune’s Neal St. Anthony wrote about the College hitting it’s campaign goal for the new Center for Science, Business, and Religion. The story discusses key next steps in the process for the building, including that the Board of Regents resolved to proceed with architectural and construction design plans for the signature, interdisciplinary academic building. St. Anthony also took time to acknowledge the College as one of the most racially diverse in Minnesota. Read “Augsburg College hits $50M campaign goal a year early.”
Elise Marubbio, associate professor of American Indian Studies, shed light on the history of American Indians in film in the wake of a social media frenzy regarding a group of American Indian actors who walked off the set of an Adam Sandler movie due to its portrayal of faulty stereotypes. Marubbio’s doctoral work in Cultural Studies focused on the issues of race in film and media, with particular attention to the representation of Native Americans in American popular culture and Hollywood cinema.
In the article, “Adam Sandler movie flap sparks debate over American Indian roles in media,” Marubbio explained that tribes of the Great Plains often are portrayed living in Monument Valley – the legendary site of many John Wayne-John Ford movies, which is located on the Arizona-Colorado border, largely on the Navajo reservation.
Visit the Capital Journal website to learn more.
The Cedar Cultural Center and several other Minneapolis organizations hosted popular London-based Somali singer Aar Maanta in early April as part of the Midnimo series, a two-year partnership with Augsburg College to build cross-cultural awareness, knowledge, and understanding of Somali culture through music.
The Minnesota Public Radio story “Aar Maanta is the voice of a new Somali generation” discussed the ways in which Aar Maanta’s music resonates with Minnesotans and rejuvenates the Somali music scene.
Augsburg College, on April 7, will recommit and expand its commitment to educating students of ability regardless of citizenship and immigration status in support of United We Dream’s National Institution Coming Out Day.
“We recognize that intellectually talented students of ability come from all walks of life,” said Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow.
“Increasingly, undocumented students are raised right here, in the United States. Augsburg – and every higher education institution – must heed the call to educate students of ability. It is through this call that our colleges and universities can secure economic prosperity not only for students, but for our state and nation.”
Since 2007, Augsburg has set the bar among colleges and universities in Minnesota in its work with undocumented students. For example, Augsburg, for years, has fully reviewed applications of undocumented and/or DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) students who graduate from high schools in the United States. These student applications are considered for admission and for all types of private financial aid offered by Augsburg. Undocumented and DACA students admitted to Augsburg College are not classified as international students and are not distinguished from domestic students. Continue reading “Augsburg expands commitment to undocumented, DACA students”
Augsburg College was mentioned by the Twin Cities Daily Planet as a result of the traditional powwow held annually by the college.
The event, which was sponsored by the Augsburg American Indian Student Association and American Indian Student Services, featured traditional Native American dancers, drummers, singers, and food.
To learn more about Augsburg’s annual powwow, visit the Twin Cities Daily Planet news site.
Matthew Beckman, assistant professor of biology at Augsburg College, was mentioned in an Indian Country Today article about a student whom he advises, Grant Two Bulls.
Two Bulls is a high school senior at Breck School and has been conducting scientific research in the Lake Calhoun area – the previous location of the Mdewakanton Dakota village – to learn more about his Native American heritage. The endeavor, Beckman says, has been nothing short of remarkable.
“Here’s a high school senior doing pretty high-level research and then taking that data and speaking to national audiences about it in a really impressive way,” Beckman said in an interview.
Augsburg College was mentioned in the Minneapolis Star Tribune as part of an article about Muslim student associations that boast women in leadership roles.
Augsburg’s Muslim Student Association, led by Muna Mohamed ’16, aims to promote unity among Muslim students and to raise awareness within the Augsburg community about the culture, history, and language of the Muslim community.
To learn more about Augsburg’s Muslim Student Association and similar organizations at other campuses, visit the Star Tribune news site.
Kuoth Wiel ’14 appeared in an article by aNewsCafe – a California-based online news magazine – about a screening of the film “The Good Lie” sponsored by Genocide No More-Save Darfur, an organization aimed at bringing awareness of genocide in Sudan and aiding Sudanese refugees.
Wiel, who was a star in the film and continues her own humanitarian efforts, will make an appearance at the screening and partake in a question and answer session after the viewing.
To read about Wiel and learn more about Genocide No More-Save Darfur, visit the aNewsCafe news site.
Minnesota Public Radio’s Tim Post profiled Augsburg College’s East African Student to Teacher (EAST) program, which works to recruit and train teachers of East African descent in an effort to help close the K-12 achievement gap.
The program, directed by Audrey Lensmire, assistant professor of education, told Post that by “having more teachers of color in our K-12 system, their professional voice will be shared by their colleagues.”
Post spoke with two current EAST scholars, Abdiasis Hirsi and Asma Ibrahim. Hirsi, who teaches at Wellstone International High School, was born in Somalia and raised in Kenya. He shared with Post that when he was only 19, Hirsi helped start a school in Nairobi to teach English to Somali refugees. Ibrahim, who shared with Post that she was born in Pakistan to Somali refugees, said she had a difficult time as a student in connecting with her teachers in Owatonna. She hopes to become a teacher to help students who are like her become comfortable enough to learn.
EAST is funded by the Collaborative Urban Educator Program and received $390,000 for two school years including 2013-14 to 2014-15. Additional funding is now being sought from the Minnesota State Legislature. State Sen. Kari Dziedzic has introduced a bill to nearly double funding over the next two years.
Listen or read “East African teachers connect with younger versions of themselves” on the website of MPR News. Learn more about the EAST program.
