Alumni Relations

Augsburg Now Archives

Contact us - Feedback form - Email us

A to Z Directory Academic Offerings Admissions - Undergraduate Day - Weekend College - Rochester Program - M.B.A. - M.A. Education - M.A. Leadership - M.A. Nursing - M. of Social Work - M.S. Physician Assistant Campus Life - Athletics - Fine Arts - International Programs - Service, Work, Learning - Residence Life - Student Services - Student Organizations - Spiritual Expression Quick Links - Administration - Alumni and Friends - Apply Now - AugNet Services - Campus Map - Employment - Enrollment/Financial Aid - Library - News/Calendar - Registrar's Office - Search - Student Computing Augsburg College

Spring/Summer 1998, Vol. 60, No. 3

Titles, honors, awards mark a 'banner year'

By Betsey Norgard

What a year this has been for Augsburg College. Perhaps never in its 129-year history have circumstances and events come together as during 1997-98. A new president, a magnificent library, sports championships, student scholarships, faculty awards -- the events of the year kept amazing everyone.

As a result, Augsburg College reached wider audiences than usual this year as the College was involved in events across the country and in Europe. The Waterloo (Iowa) Courier perhaps said it best in its bold sports page headline naming the 1998 Division III Wrestling Champions -- "Awesome Auggies."

The year's box score for athletic teams included four conference championships and national Division III playoffs for the football, men's basketball, men's hockey and wrestling teams. Three of the four teams made it to the final eight; one secured a national championship.

For the second time in three years an Augsburg junior won a prestigious Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes exceptional students pursuing careers in mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering.

Augsburg received national recognition for its community service-learning program when Sociology Professor Garry Hesser received the 1998 Thomas Ehrlich Faculty Award for Service Learning.

College staff and students traveled to Scandinavia twice this spring. In May, the Youth and Family Institute responded to an invitation from the Church of Norway to collaborate with church leaders there about family ministry programs.

Two weeks later, after a hiatus of 23 years, the Augsburg Choir left to go on tour in both Sweden and Norway. Choir Director Peter Hendrickson reported that the comment heard most often in both countries was that the Choir sounded like "singers from heaven."

The next issue of the Now will report on their tour. In the spring, when the Office of Institutional Advancement announced a new fundraising program, the theme "Augsburg 2000: Pride in Place and Purpose" succeeded in capturing the sentiment of this remarkable year. The two-year project carries the College forward into the new century.

President William Frame perhaps best summed up Augsburg's banner year in his Baccalaureate homily to the graduating Class of 1998 and their families: "Your achievements in academics, athletics and service have given the new president a finer start than he could have hoped, and have brought new confidence and sureness of purpose to this College -- to its faculty, staff and alumni."

Back to Banner Year Main Page