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Join Us for the First Reading of Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Musical

historical photo from Augsburg's archives of founders and family in front of a carYou are cordially invited to the first reading of the new Sesquicentennial Musical:

“All That We Carry” written by Aaron Gabriel

Thursday, Nov. 7, 7:30 p.m.

Sateren Auditorium

Admission is free

Stage Director:  Malick Ceesay

Music Director:  Sonja Thompson

“All That We Carry,” tells the rich story of Augsburg University – past, present, and future – through the perspective of unheard voices, forgotten narratives, and points of view both unfamiliar and silenced.  Based on actual archives and true stories from real Auggies, the story weaves back and forth through time, connecting us to events that happened or will happen, decisions that were made or will be made, and outcomes both intended and unintended.

Performances will be held on April 1 from 3 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. and April 4, 9, 10, and 11 from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on Augsburg’s theatre page.

If you have questions, please contact Project Coordinator Sonja Thompson at thompso2@augsburg.edu.

Watch Videos from the Augsburg Sesquicentennial Gala

Thank you to everyone who helped us kick-off Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial at the Gala on Friday, September 27! The evening was filled with uniquely-Augsburg moments and our guests made a lasting impact as we raised $1.4 million in support of our mission.

Along with the guest speakers and beautiful performances by the Bob Stacke All-Star Band, The Augsburg Choir and The Sesquicentennial Singers, three videos were shown during the evening that tell the Augsburg story from our origins, to who we are today, to the impact we make for students. Please feel free to watch and share them with friends and family!

Origins

What are Augsburg’s origins? Our history has so many layers to it. As we continue to grow in our 150th year, we want to look back and honor everything that has brought us to this point.

We Are Auggies

“We Are Auggies,” written and performed by Donte Collins ’18, is a true embodiment of what it means to be an Auggie.

Inspiring Future Leaders

Meet Chung Lip ’18, Lyle Nyberg ’18, and Blair Stewig ’18, future leaders in public health and the sciences. Their stories were shared at our Sesquicentennial Gala right before we went on to raise $1.4 million during our giving opportunity portion of the evening. Thank you to everyone who helped to invest in our students and in Augsburg last night!

On This Spot: A Historical View of Augsburg Through the Years

Banner hanging on side of buildingLooking through windows—and sometimes full-scale building scrims—throughout campus, we see how our landscape, architecture and people have changed in the last 150 years.

Here’s a guide to what you’ll see around campus:

Locations and content for the window clings:
UrnMort Lobby: All-school photo, 1931
Caribou/Einstein’s: Murphy Square, around 1905 (Minnesota Historical Society)
Sverdrup Atrium, left side: Quad and Christensen Center, 1970s
Sverdrup Atrium, right side: Quad and Christensen Center, 1970s
Sverdrup/Library Skyway, closer to Sverdrup: Original Main Building, 1875
Sverdrup/Library Skyway, closer to Library: Foss Center, 1993
OGC Skyway, left side when leaving library: Campus Aerial, 1992
OGC Skyway, right side when leaving library: Campus Aerial, 1975
Music/Memorial Hall Skyway: Morton Hall, around 1920
Anderson Music Atrium, to the right when facing the doors: Choir tour, 1980
Anderson Music Atrium, to the left when facing the doors: Murphy Square, 1970s
Urness Skyway, closest to Christensen Center: Murphy Square and campus, 1920s
Urness Skyway, middle: Murphy Square, 1950s
Urness Skyway, closest to Urness: Murphy Square, about 1970

Locations and content for the building scrims:
Christensen Center facing Murphy Square
Morton Hall: Built in 1888, this duplex was a faculty residence until the early 1920s, when it became a women’s dorm. It was named Morton Hall in 1932, in honor of Augsburg’s Dean of Women, Gerda Mortensen. Demolished in 1959, the façade’s terracotta face was saved and is now in the Christensen Center entrance.

Sverdrup Hall, facing library and Hagfors
Original Main: Augsburg’s original main building in Minneapolis opened September 15, 1872. Within three years, it was expanded to include a large central section and a smaller wing (identical to this one) at the east end. At first, everything happened in this building: classes, chapel, library, dining, and residence space for students, faculty, and their families. After Old Main opened in 1902, this building became a student residence and dining hall. This oldest section was demolished in 1948 to make room for the Science Hall, and the rest of the building came down in 1949 to create space for Sverdrup Library.

Nordic Music performed by Riverside Winds on Sept. 28

Five people with wind instrumentsSeptember 28 at 7 p.m.
Augsburg University
FREE

 

North America’s largest collection of Nordic music is coming online at Augsburg University. This performance of woodwind quintets is a kick-off with music from Iceland, Finland, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Hear contemporary works & arrangements by Ola Gjello and Randall Davidson.

The Augsburg Nordic Collection contains over 1,000 works that include scores and parts with support from the American Scandinavian Foundation in NYC. This project was led by Merilee Klemp as a part of a group of funded sesquicentennial projects.

Order Augsburg Scarves, Ties and Bow Ties Online During the Sesquicentennial

tie, bow tie, scarf designs
Above are the three designs as a tie, bow tie and scarf.

Celebrate the Sesquicentennial in uniquely Augsburg apparel!

You voted for your favorites and now you can wear them. In honor of Augsburg’s sesquicentennial, Senior Creative Associate Denielle Stepka ’11 designed neckties, scarves, and bow ties inspired by Augsburg’s “A” mark, our school colors, and campus art.

We have added an online option for pre-ordering these items. All orders placed before the Sesquicentennial Gala on September 27, will be delivered before Thanksgiving. Please go to go.augsburg.edu/augpay and select “Sesquicentennial Items” under Available Departments to place your order. Delivery at this time cannot be guaranteed by December 25.

If you have any questions, please contact Kaia Chambers at chambek2@augsburg.edu.

Enjoy Fall with a Campus Walking Tour

campus walkingAugsburg’s campus has transformed for the Sesquicentennial year, and we are excited to invite alumni and friends back to check it out! Over the 2019-20 academic year, two different types of walking tours will be led by Kristin Anderson: “Augsburg Nooks and Crannies” and “Augsburg Campus: Past and Present.” Each tour lasts about 60 minutes and is limited to 15-20 people.

The campus tour will start at the site of Augsburg’s original Minneapolis building and move through our indoor and outdoor spaces to learn about the evolution of the campus from 1872 to the present.

The Nooks and Crannies tour will include a visit to the old chapel and gymnasium in Old Main, the Old Main attic, our Art Deco filling station, and other little-known spots of interest around the campus. We’ll end at the Lindell Library to see the Archives Special Collections and storage rooms.

Schedule of Campus Tours

All tours will be held from noon to 1 p.m.

Tuesday, September 17: Augsburg Nooks and Crannies
Tuesday, October 1: Augsburg Campus: Past and Present
Wednesday, October 2: Augsburg Nooks and Crannies
Tuesday, October 8: Augsburg Nooks and Crannies
Wednesday, October 9: Augsburg Campus: Past and Present
Tuesday, October 29: Augsburg Campus: Past and Present
Wednesday, October 30: Augsburg Nooks and Crannies
Wednesday, April 8: Augsburg Campus: Past and Present
Wednesday, April 22: Augsburg Campus: Past and Present
Wednesday, April 29: Augsburg Nooks and Crannies
Tuesday, May 5: Augsburg Campus: Past and Present
Wednesday, May 6: Augsburg Nooks and Crannies

RSVP required, please register at eventrsvp@augsburg.edu or by calling 612-330-1104.

Get Your Ticket Now! A Few Spots have Opened Up at the Sesquicentennial Gala

150 sealWe have a small number of tickets now available for the upcoming Sesquicentennial Gala on September 27, 2019. Augsburg employees can purchase up to two tickets at $75 each. Additional tickets or tickets purchased by non-employees are $150. We have put a lot of work into creating this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime event for all of our alumni and friends to celebrate Augsburg that can now include you! 

If you are interested in purchasing a ticket, please contact Ilse Rolf ASAP to secure your spot at rolfi@augsburg.edu or by calling 612-330-1512.

Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Gala will be held on Friday, September 27 at the Minneapolis Depot. This event includes 1,000 alumni, past and present faculty, and community members who care a lot about the mission of Augsburg. There will be a reception, dinner, and a dance! Hotel information and more is posted on the Gala webpage.

Get a Free Ticket to the Sesquicentennial Gala Kick-Off Dance

Fox Trot Dance Steps

Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Gala is sold out but there are free tickets available to attend the gala dance that will kick off the celebration of Augsburg’s 150th year. How can you get a free ticket to attend the Sesquicentennial Kick-Off Dance at the Minneapolis Depot on Friday, September 27 at 9 p.m.?

Augsburg is offering free group dance lessons in Hoverston Chapel from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the days listed below. Attend one or more dance lessons and you’ll receive a free ticket to attend the Sesquicentennial Kick-Off Dance! These dance lessons are open to alumni, parents, employees, and students who are interested in attending the Sesquicentennial Kick-Off Dance. Space is limited so please RSVP today.

A professional dance teacher will lead each session focusing on a different song and dance that will be played during the Gala. These lessons do not require you to come with a partner.

Register online for one or more of the following dates or call 612-330-1512 (registration is limited!):

August 20: Foxtrot — “Fly me to the Moon” by Frank Sinatra

August 27: Waltz — “Moon River” by Andy Williams

September 5: Swing — “In The Mood” by Glen Miller

September 10: Rumba — “Fields of Gold” by Sting

September 17: Cha Cha — “Smooth” by Santana

All lessons will be taught in Hoverston Chapel from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Interview with the late Congressman Martin Sabo ’59 to be shared this fall

Martin Sabo

An interview with Martin Olav Sabo ‘59, whose rise to politics was supported by Augsburg University students, is expected be available this fall at the Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship website.

One year after graduating from Augsburg, Sabo—then 22— was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives. During his tenure, he became the first member of the Democrat-Farmer-Labor party to serve as Speaker of the House and went on to the U.S. House of Representatives, retiring in 2007. Sabo died in 2016.

A link to a shortened version of the interview, with closed captioning and video description, should be available this fall. Chair of Political Science and Sabo Fellow Andy Aoki successfully applied for an Augsburg Sesquicentennial Faculty Project award to pay for the closed captioning and video description that was required to be able to post it online.

PUBLIC ART INSTALLATION TO CELEBRATE THE FACES OF AUGSBURG

Inside Out Rendering
A rendering of what part of the installation may look like.

Let’s celebrate the faces of current and historic members of the community with this ambitious “Inside Out” public art installation that Augsburg has commissioned as part of the sesquicentennial.  Your face could be part of the finished product that starts going up on campus this summer.

Led by Kristin Anderson and Christopher Houltberg, this is a participatory art project that will cover four city blocks and showcase hundreds of faces of people who are part of the Augsburg community. An “Inside Out” photographer has been at many events so far, including Commencement, to capture the faces of Augsburg community members willing to pose.

Woven together, each black and white portrait will create a mesh of faces celebrating, recognizing and honoring the core of the institution: its people. This textile of woven portraits will be a unique opportunity to take part in an international art project empowering community actions.