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Loveland Rotary Club honors Earl Sethre ’68

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In February, the Loveland Rotary Club honored Earl Sethre ’68 with the Citizen of the Year Award. Marvin Morganti explained that the award “is to honor someone in the community, a non-Rotarian, who demonstrates the four-way test and … who’s got the community in mind.” Mary McCambridge, who presented the award, said this about Earl, “the person we are honoring today is a very humble person, tall in stature and does much for the community but in a very quiet way.” Upon receiving the award Earl said, “I think it’s important to give back… a person who gives something feels good about it.”

Earl Sethre '68

Bush Foundation Selects Six Augsburg Alumni

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Congratulations to the six Augsburg College alumni who were recognized by the Bush Foundation as leaders in their communities. Four of the six were chosen as Bush Fellows, a program that “provides individuals with opportunities to demonstrate and improve their capacity for leadership as they learn by doing.” Two other Augsburg alumni were recognized by the Bush Foundation as leaders and asked to participate in cohort 5 of the Native Nation Rebuilders program.

Bush Fellows
Syl Jones ’73
Jennifer Waltman ’07
Sue Hakes ’89
Jacquie Berglund ’87

Native Nation Rebuilders
Pamela Johns ’12
Joseph Regguinti ’07

Remembering Ed Saugestad ’59

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A Message from President Pribbenow:

Yesterday morning we learned that legendary coach and faculty emeritus Edwin Saugestad passed away Thursday after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Ed, 77, served as a coach, teacher, and mentor for hundreds of Auggies during his long and illustrious career.

5811613907_3cd57366a4_oEd graduated from Augsburg College in 1959 with a double major in physical education and biology, and continued his connection with Augsburg through a 37-year coaching career—beginning in his senior year when he was both a hockey player and coach for the team. By the time he retired as hockey coach in 1996, Ed ranked second in career wins in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III history, compiling a 503-354-21 record, and that’s just the beginning of his accolades.

Ed’s teams won Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) titles six straight years (1977-82), qualified for national tournament play 10 times, and won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) national championship in 1978, 1981, and 1982. Ed, himself, was inducted into Augsburg’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1978, and was named NAIA National Coach of the Year three times and MIAC Coach of the Year six times. The MIAC even christened its playoff championship trophy as the Ed Saugestad Trophy after he retired.

In 2002, Ed was awarded the American Hockey Coaches Association’s John MacInnes Award to honor his contributions in the growth of amateur hockey in the United States, and in 2007, he was named the Hobey Baker Legends of Hockey honoree. In 2010, Augsburg dedicated its main competition ice rink in honor of Ed. The Ed Saugestad Rink is used extensively by Augsburg’s men’s and women’s ice hockey teams, and by a wide range of Twin Cities sports teams, clubs, and organizations.

In addition to his hockey coaching duties, Ed taught in the Health and Physical Education Department throughout his career. He also served as the College’s men’s athletic director and on the Augsburg football coaching staff for many years. Ed earned his master’s degree from the University of Minnesota and was awarded faculty emeritus recognition by the Augsburg Board of Regents in 1998. The Augsburg Athletic Department also named its academic award for male student-athletes the Ed Saugestad Academic Award.

There will be a memorial service for Ed on Thursday, April 3, at 2 p.m. in the Hoversten Chapel.

In the meantime, our thoughts and prayers go out to Ed’s family and all of us whose lives Ed touched. As it says on the mural displayed in the Augsburg Ice Arena in his honor, Ed made us “champions for life.”

Obituary (Star Tribune)
Pioneer Press

Sincerely,
Paul C. Pribbenow
President

Highlights featuring His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama

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His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and keynote speaker, Sister Helen Prejean, a strong advocate of eliminating capital punishment, were the featured presenters the first day of the 26thNobel Peace Prize Forum, “Crossing Boundaries to Create Common Ground”, hosted by Augsburg College, the University of Minnesota Humphrey School of Public Policy, and the University of Minnesota School of Public Health.

His Holiness the 14th Dalai LamaA week prior to March 1st the event had already sold out, at 3400 tickets. Upon arrival at 7:00am, the atrium of the Minneapolis Convention center was packed with streams of people waiting in line to hear the Dalai Lama. Participants arrived from all over the world, experienced the only event that celebrates Nobel Peace Prize Laureates and inspires peacemaking. In addition to many sponsorships that made this event possible, Google + is also sponsoring the event and live streaming all the workshops and speakers online. To connect digitally the Forum can be found on Google +, Facebook, and Twitter. Audience engagement whether near or far is what makes the Forum successful and meaningful for all involved. Thank you for your support!

There are still tickets available for Law & Business Day, Health & Science Day, and Global Day. Please consider joining us for the following Forum days, March 7, 8, & 9th peace.augsburg.edu.

Book Describes Augsburg Professor’s Heritage as Norwegian Immigrant

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Author Phillip Formo’s new book Papa: A Life Remembered describes the experiences of his grandfather, Andreas Helland, a Norwegian immigrant and a long-time Augsburg College professor. In the book, Formo shares memories and insights about Helland’s teaching and commitment to the Church. The book was described in a recent News-Record article, which notes that proceeds from the sale of the book will go to an Augsburg student scholarship in Helland’s memory.

Auggies Ride, Tour de Cure

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A message from Alumni Board Member Jill Watson ’10:

At the spring Alumni Board meeting in 2013, Janeece Oatman ’05, Tour de Cure Twin Cities Ride Director, was our guest speaker.  At this meeting, I learned about the Tour de Cure, a fundraising event held in 44 states nationwide to benefit the American Diabetes Association.  Immediately, I knew I wanted to ride.  My mom has type II diabetes, a childhood friend has type I diabetes, and oddly enough, my small department of seven people has three type I diabetics, and this is probably just a small group of people in my life living with diabetes that I know about.

A group of cyclists with their bikesIn 2013, I rode the 27-mile route, though I was hesitant at first because it was by far the farthest I’ve ever gone on a bike, but it was wonderful!  I met some amazing people along the way, and two of the ladies I met while chatting before the ride remembered me (and my name!) when I saw them at another bike ride in the fall!  The scenery was gorgeous throughout Minneapolis and I found trails I never knew existed.  The riders with diabetes stand out, on purpose, in their red jerseys, and everyone there is cheering for them, and they know it as you ride by and yell “go red rider!”  The atmosphere was electric as everyone there was there for a cause.

Jill Watson with bike
Jill Watson ’10

I ride in honor of my family, friends, and coworkers; I ride to help put an end to diabetes; and I ride to support fellow Auggie Janeece and her amazing work with the American Diabetes Association. Out of all the events I participated in throughout 2013, Tour de Cure was by far my favorite and I can’t wait for the 2014 ride when I plan to tackle the 43-mile route!  I hope you’ll consider joining Team Auggie Accelerators where you’ll see the sights of Minneapolis and St. Paul, while supporting all those with diabetes.

Auggie students, alumni, staff, faculty, friends, and family are all welcome on team Auggie Accelerators!

To join our team, donate to the cause, or find more information, please see our team page at http://goo.gl/e1Ik7L.

Jill Watson ’10 MBA

Nursing and P.A. Alumni Invited to Science & Health Day

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The Augsburg Alumni Association, in partnership with the Nursing and Physician Assistant programs, invites all nursing and P.A. alumni to Nobel Peace Prize Forum’s Health & Science Day on Saturday, March 8, 2014.

Health and Science Day will feature Honored Laureate Doctors Without Borders and Dr. William Foege, in addition to breakout sessions on topics such as Native American health disparities, infectious disease and its impact on peace, Doctors Without Borders fieldwork, and the role of nursing in international relief.

Nobel Peace Prize Forum website
Health & Science Day flyer

Event Recap: Dave St. Peter, Strommen Executive Series Speaker

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Dave St. Peter, Prof. Kristen Anderson, and Bob Strommen
Left to Right: Dave St. Peter, Prof. Kristen Anderson, and Bob Strommen ’74

Last month we welcomed Dave St. Peter to speak at Augsburg College about the “Business of Baseball”.  90 Augsburg students and alumni attended this engaging presentation.  If you were unable to join us for this event, please check out the video here. St. Peter delved into the history of Twins Baseball, the process of developing Target Field, and his core strategies for managing and leading a major Baseball League.  He had the audience laughing and engaged.  Many audience members had questions about Twins team specifics, such as how to support certain players, and the necessity for improving pitching for overall winning records.

Thank you to the Strommen family for sponsoring the Strommen Executive Speaker Series.  We look forward to seeing you at our next event, April 3rd at 5:00pm featuring Jon Campbell Executive Vice President, Director of Government and Community Relations Wells Fargo.  All are welcome, but please register at http://www.augsburg.edu/alumni/events/.

Ron Nelson ’62: Sharing the Faith – and the Facility

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Perhaps he sensed it as a child, spending the first nine years of his life in a Congregational church (in Genesee Depot, WI), then moving easily to a Lutheran church in a different community (Erskine, MN). But it became increasingly evident to Ronald C. Nelson ’62 that keeping one’s mind and faith open to the bigger ecumenical picture was an important choice, even an asset. Anyone reflecting on his service in Lutheran ministry would have to agree.

In January, Luther Seminary honored Pastor Nelson with a 2014 Faithfulness in Ministry Cross Award, which recognizes alumni who have demonstrated exemplary ministries as a symbol of the multitudes of Luther graduates who serve faithfully through the years wherever they are called.

Pastor Ronald NelsonHaving served in Canadian parishes for his entire career, Nelson was called out of retirement in 1999 to serve part-time at Trinity Lutheran, a Winnipeg congregation established in the 1800s by and for German immigrants, facing challenges in dwindling membership. On his arrival, he found a congregation of about 30 members, already engaged in the community (hosting a monthly food bank and community lunch, and lending space to a refugee organization), but struggling financially and anticipating closure. Under Nelson’s leadership, the congregation began to ask themselves, “How might God be at work in our midst?” In the years that followed, they found ways to share their facility with various other faith groups in the community, requiring more than a little negotiation to arrange facility usage for all. They eventually decided to rename the church “Good Shepherd Place.” And inevitably, in 2013, Trinity handed over the church’s deed to one of its tenants, a Mennonite church, just months after Trinity had celebrated its 125th anniversary. The synod office stated, “We’re losing a congregation, but we’re proud of the legacy they leave.”

Reflecting on his student days at Augsburg, Nelson credits friend Orval Moren ‘57 for good advice on choosing a small faith-based college in the inner city, even though several other options would have been more convenient. On his first day at Augsburg, he met Lewis Sundquist ‘62 and many others like Orval and Lew who were older than him, and many of whom had served in the military/war efforts, often emerging with a renewed appreciation for God and Church “in this crazy world.” Nelson says he is glad that Augsburg has stayed in the inner city, continuing to teach people to serve wherever and however they are called to serve people. He is grateful for the professors who gave him a sense that they cared about him, and for the service requirements in the community that continue to this day. He says, “God works in many and varied ways through ordinary people, even the likes of me. Yes, it takes a village.”

Celebration of Philanthropy

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Did you know that 93% of Augsburg students receive financial aid? Or that student support services like tutoring, the Writing Lab, and the CLASS office are available at no extra cost? Financial aid, student support programs, faculty-student research and more are all made possible, thanks to generous donors to Augsburg. Each year, more than 2,400 alumni, parents, and friends give more than $1,000,000 to The Augsburg Fund. Philanthropy Week is an opportunity to teach current students about how their education is supported by donors, and thank current donors for their generosity.

Here are a few ways to get involved:

  • Share what you love about Augsburg and why you support the College on Facebook and Twitter with the hashtag #auggiesgive.
  • Join us for a special Philanthropy Week lunch on Wednesday, April 2, from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., to help thank donors for their support and encourage them to make a gift this year (RSVP to Ben Krouse-Gagne at 612-330-1179 or krousega@augsburg.edu).
  • Become a donor to Augsburg! Make your gift online at www.augsburg.edu/giving.