From the Alumni Board president's desk...

Do you remember what the Augsburg campus was like when you were a student? I was a student from 1966 to 1970, and I recall being quite proud of our new facilities: the College Center [now Christensen Center] and Urness Tower. Before that, students used to hang out in the basement of Memorial Hall, where the cafeteria was located. The bookstore was in the basement of Sverdrup Hall, and there was a Fort Knox-type area for paying tuition and seeing the registrar. Chapel was held in Melby Hall. Football games were played in downtown Minneapolis at Parade Stadium. Hockey was played at various arenas around the Twin Cities. Many students, like myself, lived in the older houses around campus. On the average, we were all pretty similar looking: white, Anglo-Saxon (if not Norwegian), Lutheran kids, fresh from Luther Leagues all over Minnesota. Augsburg was an enclave in the midst of the big city of Minneapolis.

Well, it isn't that way any more.

The Augsburg campus has been improved many times over and continues to get better each year. A wide variety of students now attend our College: young people, adults, working people, non-Lutherans (even non-Norwegians!), and a great cross-section of nationalities, ethnicities, and cultural backgrounds. The physical facilities continue to improve, with the latest addition being a skyway link between the new Lindell Library and Sverdrup Hall. At one end of the link is the newly remodeled Enrollment Center, a one-stop visit for students with financial needs and registrar questions.

I realize that many of our alumni live in other parts of the country and can't get back to Augsburg to see these changes. Not to worry. Soon you will be able to log onto the Internet and get an online campus tour (on the welcome page). While you are on our Web site, go to the alumni page, click on "keeping in touch," and give us your latest news. The best way to keep track of what's going on is right before your eyes—the Augsburg Now. Your news will be listed in this magazine and read by thousands of interested alumni.

One of the roles of the Alumni Board is to find ways to keep Auggies connected to each other and to the school. We are trying many different ways of doing this, from Internet news to alumni chapter meetings. Keeping you in touch, in the know, and in the spirit of Augsburg College—you'll be surprised at what we can do together!

Paul Mikelson ’70
President, Alumni Board

Alumni Profiles:

Jim Bernstein ’78
Matt Milless ’98

Two Auggies at the longest-running wedding in town
by Betsey Norgard

Janet Paone ’83 was the mother of the bride for five and a half years, and heard her daughter say "I do" 1,785 times. She was one of the original cast members of Tony n' Tina's Wedding, a comedy at the Hey City Theater in Minneapolis that set records as the city's longest-running theatrical production before finally closing in January.

Augsburg senior Kathryn Koch also had a hand in the nuptials. She joined the crew in 1998, and then became stage manager last October—all while still a full-time student. During that time, she was a swing caterer and trained new actors into the show.

Paone, a theater major and music minor at Augsburg, came to the production from a stage career in opera and musicals, including the New York City Opera, the Minnesota Opera, and two years in Nunsense. To clinch the role as Tina's mother, Paone had to return for callbacks that included improvisational skills and interacting with "audiences."

It was just these qualities that Paone believes made Tony n' Tina so appealing—it was interactive and participatory, depending on the comfort level of the audience.

The play's run came to an end amid sold-out performances. Koch describes how difficult the farewells were amongst crew members, and says it felt like graduation with everyone then going off on their own.

Koch, a theater major and music minor who will graduate from Augsburg next year, will stay on as stage manager for the next production.

"I'm committed to Hey City Theater," Koch says. "It's an amazing company to work with, and they have taught me a lot."

Paone had no time off as she immediately began rehearsals for Street Scene at The Minnesota Opera. Since 1984, she has also been the theater director at Irondale High School and does voice-over work.

And, she has not been to a real wedding since before Tony n' Tina.

Janet Paone ’83 (right) is shown here as mother-of-the-bride Josephine Vitale in the long-running musical Tony n' Tina's Wedding at the Hey City Theater. Senior Kathryn Koch (left) was stage manager.

Alumni chapter program established

It used to be that the only way non-local alumni could remain active with the College and fellow Auggies was to plan a special visit to attend Homecoming or other events. But now, thanks to a program established by the Alumni Association, it's possible to keep ties from anywhere in the world.

The Alumni Chapter Program was developed to encourage alumni to organize themselves, either around a geographic basis or an employment basis, to reestablish ties, promote the interests of the College, and to be of service to its alumni.

"Historically, the Augsburg Alumni Association has counted on local involvement," says Paul Mikelson ’70, president of the Alumni Board. "If you lived in other places, it was difficult to remain actively involved." But Mikelson sees the chapter program as a new, important extension of the Alumni Association, enabling alumni to stay connected.

Alumni chapters are beneficial to the College in many ways, such as career networking, event planning and/or publicity, resource development, keeping track of Auggies, and student recruitment. Chapters can be established with any number of interested people. It is expected that the chapters be self-governing and operate without ongoing assistance from the College. The Alumni Board suggests that chapters have volunteer leadership identified and that an annual plan of chapter activity is developed and communicated to the board.

For more information about alumni chapters, please contact the Alumni/Parent Relations Office at 1-800-260-6590, or e-mail <alumni@augsburg.edu>.