From the editor

As the saying goes, when one door closes, another door opens. On May 4, Augsburg concluded its 134th academic year, sending 534 graduates of the Class of 2003 into the world, making room for the incoming Class of 2007.

The Commencement feature provides highlights from the weekend's festivities, including excerpts from the ceremony's keynote speakers, ABC News correspondent John McWethy and elder care advocate Laurie Duncan-McWethy.

This year, the College also bid farewell to four retiring members of the faculty and staff: economics professor Satya Gupta, biology professor Esther McLaughlin, associate professor and librarian Grace Sulerud ’58, and facilities assistant Mary Duffee. With a combined 93 years of service, all four leave distinct legacies to Augsburg; read their stories and plans for the future in the "Farewell to retiring faculty and staff" feature.

The Augsburg Associates, who number around 100, is a service auxiliary dedicated to fundraising for special projects and scholarships in support of the College. Comprised of Augsburg alumni, alumni wives, faculty wives, and other friends of the College, the organization was founded in the fall of 1984. Since then, its members have raised over a half million dollars for Augsburg. Their story, "The Augsburg Associates—providing service behind the front lines," written by Augsburg Now editor Betsey Norgard, pays tribute to this forward-thinking and enterprising group of women.

Be sure to check out some of the winning entries of Augsburg's third annual international photo contest. The contest provides an opportunity for students to share their best images from international and off-campus studies, and offers a glimpse into the different cultures explored by our students.

Finally, Auggie Thoughts features the Commencement speech presented by Christin R. Crabtree ’03, Weekend College class representative. Crabtree reminds us that "behind every new person you meet, there is a sea of faces." We may never know all the faces existing behind the lives we touch, but as Crabtree reflects, "we all have the opportunity to have a ripple upon the world we occupy ... we can positively affect our communities through the simple acts of smiling at our neighbors, voting at every election, and advocating for our future generations, our children."