bing pixel

“A Breath for George” – Augsburg University and Augsburg Women Engaged (AWE) Host Virtual Screening

Posted on

Thursday, February 25, 2021
7:00 to 9:00 p.m.
Free of charge 

To register: Event has passed

Photo by Regina Marie Williams

Join AWE, a council of alumnae, and other valued Augsburg and community partners for a virtual viewing of “A Breath for George”, a Twin Cities film honoring the life and death of George Floyd. A panel discussion will immediately follow the film screening. 

This online event will bring together Augsburg alumni, students, faculty, staff and the larger Twin Cities community to reflect on and remember the life and death of George Floyd, as well as explore the larger issues of police brutality, systemic racism, and anti-Black racism which continue to impact the Augsburg community, Minnesota, the nation, and the world. The film uplifts the voices of Minnesotan artists, scholars, and community members who have been historically and negatively impacted by these injustices, through a collection of interviews, music, and poetry. The film also acts as a form of resistance against the systematic oppression of Black, Indigenous, and other people of color. 

This past summer, “A Breath for George” premiered outdoors throughout the Twin Cities at venues such as the History Theater, the Guthrie, and Penumbra Theatre. This revised version runs approximately 75 minutes and is composed of three short features. The film is available only for viewing during this event. It will not be recorded. 

Post viewing, there will be a 30-minute discussion with the following esteemed guests:

Austene Van, the filmmaker and Artistic Director of New Dawn Theatre

Joanne K. Reeck, M.A., Augsburg Vice President for Equity and Inclusion

Dr.  Terrance Kwame-Ross, Augsburg Associate Professor & Chair of Education  

Dr.  Michael Lansing, Augsburg Associate Professor & Chair of History

Please take care when watching this film as there are explicit narratives and imagery put forward by the artists and scholars in their truths. This could be triggering or traumatic for some viewers. Also, this film has not yet been rated, and does have some explicit language. The language and scenes may be too intense for children or minors. Parental Discretion is Advised.

Event co-hosted by: 

Augsburg Pan-Afrikan Center

Augsburg Theater Arts Department

Augsburg Master of Arts in Leadership

Augsburg Alumni Board

Equity Innovation Center of Excellence/YMCA of the North

Growth & Justice  

OneMN.org 

Watch the 41st Augsburg University Advent Vespers

Posted on

For more than four decades, Augsburg University has ushered in the Advent and Christmas seasons with Advent Vespers, a magnificent experience of music and liturgy, focusing on the theme of preparation and culminating in the joyful celebration of the Incarnation.

This year has changed how we celebrate Advent Vespers, but in November the Augsburg community found a way to safely create a a video that premiered on December 4 as the first Virtual Augsburg University Advent Vespers. The service was watched by more than 8,600 people.

These services (virtual or in-person) continue to be completely funded by generous individual contributions and your donation today will directly support this majestic tradition!

Support Advent Vespers

Q&A with Chris Stedman ’08 about life online and his new book

Posted on

Chris Stedman headshotChris Stedman, an activist, community organizer, and writer, is the author of “IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives” and “Faitheist: How an Atheist Found Common Ground with the Religious.” He has written for The Guardian, The Atlantic, Pitchfork, BuzzFeed, and VICE, and has appeared on CNN, MSNBC, and PBS. Formerly the founding executive director of the Yale Humanist Community, he also served as a humanist chaplain at Harvard University and is currently Adjunct Professor in the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Q: What is IRL about?

Stedman: For years we’ve heard again and again that life online is “fake,” or at least “less real” than the other parts of our lives. But how do we square that with that fact that so much of what we do is now online? And what does “real” even mean, anyway? IRL examines how moving really big parts of who we are and how we live to the internet is transforming our understanding of what it means to be human — to belong, to express ourselves, to find meaning in our lives. I was surprised by what I discovered over my several-year investigation into what it means to be human in a virtual age, and I hope readers will be surprised by what they find in the book, too.

Q: This book seems to speak to the moment society is in now, with work from home and friends and family seeing each other virtually. Was this intentional? How did you decide to write about life online?

Stedman: I think we’ve been moving in this direction for some time, but of course in this year of necessary social distancing we hit fast forward in a really big way. I never imagined that the questions I spent the last few years wrestling with would become some of the defining questions of this year, but I hope IRL can be a useful tool for anyone struggling with how to make life online feel meaningful and “real.” I write to figure out what I think about things, but I only publish if I hope that what I’ve written can be useful for others who are wrestling with similar questions. So if IRL can help make this difficult year a little easier to navigate for someone, I will feel very fulfilled.

Q: You were an Augsburg First Decade Award recipient in 2018. What was the work you did after graduation?

Stedman: After graduating from Augsburg, I went on to get a master’s in religion, then spent the better part of a decade working with people who fall outside of religious categories — a group demographers typically refer to as the “religiously unaffiliated,” or people who, when asked what their religion is, say “none” — as they explored questions of meaning and purpose as a community builder and humanist chaplain at Harvard and Yale universities. But a few years ago I moved back to my home state of Minnesota to do a few things, including work on this book. During my years of supporting the religiously unaffiliated at Harvard and Yale, I noticed a lot of people were moving out of the institutions in which we’ve historically wrestled with questions about who we are, like churches, and shifting that work to digital space. Ultimately that’s a big part of why I became interested in this topic. I wanted to understand how this immense cultural shift out of traditional institutions and into this new, untested institution—the internet—is changing us.

Q: You are now back at Augsburg teaching in the Department of Religion and Philosophy. What is it like being back on campus in a new capacity and during a pandemic?

Stedman: I honestly never imagined I’d end up back at Augsburg! I’m just one semester into teaching, and of course it’s been a challenging semester in all kinds of ways, but being on the other end of things in the department that played such a big role in shaping the way I think about questions of meaning has felt so special. I teach Religion 200, a class I of course took as a student, which is on vocation and the search for meaning. Again, I never imagined while working on this book about what the search for meaning looks like in a digital age that it would end up being so helpful to me not just in navigating this pandemic year but also in teaching a class on the search for meaning. I feel really fortunate in that respect. And I feel even more fortunate to be teaching the students I am; I’ve learned so much from them, both as we’ve explored the themes of RLN 200 together, and also as we’ve navigated these really complex, virtual circumstances. I give them so much credit for all the work they’ve been putting in as we collectively try to figure out this new way of being and learning together. But, as I write about in IRL, I think having to live into these new, virtual ways of being human gives us all kinds of meaningful chances to stretch ourselves. I’ve definitely felt that this semester, and I’m really looking forward to teaching a couple sections of RLN 200 again next semester.

Q:What’s next for you? Do you have plans for another book?

Stedman: It took me eight years between my first book and this one, and while hopefully the next gap won’t be as long, I’m not actively working on a new book just yet. But I do have another big project I’ve been working on this year. I can’t say what it is just yet, but it’s something really different for me, and I think, or at least hope, people will really connect with it. If you want to find out more once I’m able to talk about it, my infrequent newsletter is probably the best place to get updates.

Q: Where can people buy your book?

Stedman: I always encourage people to shop local if they can—independent bookstores need our support now more than ever. Minnesota has so many amazing ones: Subtext, Moon Palace, and Magers & Quinn are just a few of my favorites. You can also go straight to the publisher. I really appreciate everyone who checks out the book and I’d love to hear what you think if you do!

The Nontraditional Route to Higher Ed – Anthony Howard ’18

Posted on

Anthony Howard 2018Anthony Howard ’18 didn’t take the traditional route through higher education. He graduated from high school early and immediately went into the business world as a full time employee at Ponsse in Wisconsin, a forest machinery company headquartered in Vierema, Finland. While on a business trip in Finland, Anthony asked if there were any openings to work in Finland. He was looking for an opportunity to learn more, as well as get outside of his comfort zone.

One month later, he moved to Finland.

Anthony was there for two years, working predominately with international business relations.

“I was alone, young, and didn’t have much support in Finland. So I was forced to grow up, be a self-starter,” says Anthony.

At the end of 2009, he was ready for a new challenge, so he moved back to the United States and after a winter off, he took a job in Michigan with Roland Machinery Company. It was a good job, but he realized that while he’d been successful so far, he needed a higher education.

“I knew I wouldn’t have the ability to keep moving and doing things as I had been up to this point.”

He moved to Minnesota and signed up for an information session at Normandale Community College to learn more about their AA Business program.

“I ended up enrolling for school that night. I wasn’t a big school person so I picked classes that I knew I’d like to keep me interested. And after two years, I got a bug to go after my Bachelor’s degree.”

That’s when he found Augsburg. Anthony discovered his credits from Normandale would transfer well to Augsburg. He also fell in love with the campus and Adult Undergraduate program availability. He needed weekend and evening classes, but still wanted the in-person teaching. Augsburg’s Adult Undergraduate program fit all his needs.

Anthony enjoyed his accounting classes, and took any class he could with Professor Marc McIntosh. However, his favorite classes were the electives, such as book making and theater.

“The liberal arts education at Augsburg helps craft character.”

Anthony’s ethics class used references that he uses today in his workplace. He took two years of Spanish; he doesn’t remember the Spanish now, but he does remember being outside his comfort zone trying to learn another language. And he believes theater helped him learn about preparation, a lesson that circled back a few years later while he was studying leadership as part of the master’s program at the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Business.

“My professor reiterated the importance of a theater exercise: take a note. In theater, students take a note from the director about evaluating their performance. In the business world, you can take a note from leadership that helps elevate your work performance.”

After graduating from Augsburg in 2018, Anthony and his wife had a small group of friends get together for the 4th of July. One of his friends is a career coach and asked what he was going to do next.

“She got my wheels turning, so I looked into specialty Masters programs. I didn’t want a general MBA, I wanted something very specific. I found a supply chain program which brought all my career pieces together. I deferred one year for our second baby. Then I completed my Masters in the summer of 2020.”

Now Anthony is 90 days into his job as COO at Escali, a Minnesota company which manufactures measuring equipment for home and professional settings.

“Joining a new company in midst of COVID is interesting. There are limited people, limited interactions, and it makes for a weird transfer into a new role.”

When asked what advice he has for students, he says when searching for a job, do the resume steps and have an elevator pitch. He also recommends reading The 20-Minute Networking Meeting because it teaches you how to come across as professional in any situation.

He also believes in networking.

“You’ll meet some awesome people, and they may or may not directly help you with a future job. If you do a good job staying in touch, they might be a good resource to have down the road. Get outside your comfort zone, talk to people. I networked my butt off to gain experiences. I had a lot of coffee with a lot of people just to ask questions and really learn about their work. After those meetings, I really reviewed and appreciated what I learned; that’s the goal. Today, I’m comfortable applying COVID rules to a new company with new people because of all the work I’ve done before that took me outside of my comfort zone. It’s not scary now.”

Reflecting on 50 Years – Wayne ’69 and Pam (Bjorklund) ’69 Carlson

Posted on

Pam and Wayne CarlsonAugsburg University holds a special place in the Carlson’s hearts. Wayne ’69 and Pam (Bjorklund) ’69 Carlson met on campus over 50 years ago, and two of their children attended Augsburg. So when they were approached about helping organize their 50th reunion, Wayne and Pam welcomed the opportunity.

“The most interesting thing about being on the committee was reconnecting with some people we haven’t seen since graduation,” says Wayne. “But also meeting new people who were at Augsburg at the same time as us but we didn’t know.”

Both enjoyed reconnecting with classmates and learning about what was new – and what was still the same – on campus.

“One thing I liked when I was at Augsburg and has expanded now is how Augsburg reaches out to the community, and how over the years they’ve been able to include students of color, students of all economic ranges, and the fact that they accommodate students with special needs. It’s only expanded more and more over the years,” says Pam.

The Carlson’s also had the opportunity to attend Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Gala the night before their 50th reunion and homecoming celebration. They enjoyed seeing people from other graduating classes, and enjoyed finding new Auggie connections.

“It was telling that you get to an event like that and there’s a small number of people you connect with, that you know really well. Ninety-five percent were strangers, but you all have a common goal or common interest in Augsburg,” says Wayne.

Both Pam and Wayne have fond memories of their time on campus. And while much of Augsburg is the same, they also witnessed big changes over the years.

“It was the same Augsburg in a lot of ways, but with improvements to the buildings. Some of the housing has changed dramatically! I lived in one of the old houses my senior year, but that one is gone now,” says Pam.

“Something that’s different, listening to our daughters talk about their experience as students, is the close relationships with the teachers. Our daughters both received presidential scholarships and they had these special discussion groups. It was neat to hear but I never got into that kind of thing as a student. It’s so different to hear our daughters were friends with their professors. Back then you looked up to the professors but you didn’t get to be friends with them,” says Wayne.

When Wayne applied to Augsburg, he knew he wanted to go to medical school and play sports. In the 60’s, it was a bit of a challenge because he felt like he was the only football player taking chemistry and physics classes.

“I felt like I was an outsider, but I wanted to be part of both programs and it worked out. Back in my day no one helped work out schedules with practice and labs. There was no pre-med club but I felt well prepared for medical school with the quality of the science courses and the broad range of courses I had in the humanities.  I was thrilled to be accepted to medical school and had a 43 year very satisfying career in family medicine.”

Wayne was happy to hear that today, Augsburg does a lot to help balance academics, lab time, and practice time with the student athletes.

As an Elementary Education major, Pam had more communication with her professors. She felt they were always creative and helpful. When she returned to Augsburg in the 80’s to expand her education degree to include Early Childhood Education, she was pregnant. At the end of the semester, the class threw a baby shower for her.

“That doesn’t usually happen in your college classes! It’s that personal touch that was nice,” Pam says.

That personal connection, along with Augsburg’s mission of service to the community, is what keeps Pam and Wayne connected to their alma mater. Both of their daughters who attended Augsburg ended up in service-type careers.

“Those seeds of service to the community are planted with your family and highlighted when you’re at a school that emphasizes that,” says Pam. “50 years ago they had us going out to the neighborhood schools for observation and to help out a bit, so Augsburg’s service started a long long time ago.”

In recognition of Augsburg’s service to the community, and gratitude for the education they and their daughters received at Augsburg, Pam and Wayne Carlson feel fortunate to be able to give to Augsburg now and they have included Augsburg in their will for future giving.

Class of 1969 50th Reunion
Class of 1969 at their 50th Reunion during Augsburg’s Sesquicentennial Homecoming in 2019.

Augsburg Athletics Facebook Live Discussion with Athletic Director Jeff Swenson ’79 and Head Football Coach Derrin Lamker ’97

Posted on

Imagine getting your dream job as head football coach at your alma mater just months before the start of a global pandemic. What are your new priorities? How do you serve your students and the University?

On Thursday, November 5 at 11:00 a.m. Central Standard Time all Augsburg alumni, faculty, staff, donors, friends, and students are invited to join a Facebook Live discussion with Athletic Director Jeff Swenson ’79 and Head Football Coach Derrin Lamker ’97 as they share updates on Augsburg athletics in 2020 and what they envision for the future. Click here to join the Auggie Connections Facebook Group where this discussion will be shared.

Jeff Swenson has been a member of the Augsburg community for more than 30 years — as a student, athlete, coach and administrator. A national champion wrestler at Augsburg in his senior year of 1979 with a career record of 102-17. Thanks to Swenson’s leadership, Augsburg produced 98 NWCA Scholar All-Americans, the most of any college in any division in the nation. Augsburg has had at least two Scholar All-Americans every year since 1993. Augsburg has also had eight ESPN The Magazine Academic All-Americans in wrestling, as awarded by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA). Swenson, whose teams also won 20 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference team titles, was named MIAC Coach of the Year 13 times and NWCA National Coach of the Year six times (1983, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2000, 2007). Swenson was inducted into the NCAA Division III Wrestling Coaches Hall of Fame in 2005, the Minnesota Wrestling Coaches Association/David Bartelma Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2004 and the Augsburg Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999. In 2000-01, Swenson was named Lutheran College National Coach of the Year (all sports) from Lutheran Brotherhood, and in 2002, he earned National College Coach of the Year honors (all divisions) from Wrestling USA Magazine.

Derrin Lamker, an Augsburg University Athletic Hall of Fame member who has become one of the top high school football coaches in Minnesota, is the 15th head coach in Augsburg football history. Lamker began his coaching career at his alma mater, where he spent four seasons (1999-2002) as an assistant coach, his final two seasons as offensive coordinator. He then moved to Robbinsdale Armstrong, his high school alma mater, where he was an assistant coach in football, boys’ basketball and baseball, and served as head coach for the girls’ basketball team in 2003-04.In 2005, Lamker was named head coach for the Osseo High School football team. In 11 seasons there, he led the Orioles to three conference championships, two section titles and the Minnesota Class 6A state title in 2015. He had a 74-39 record at Osseo, part of his 94-50 high school career coaching record. He earned Northwest Suburban Conference Coach of the Year honors three times, was named section coach of the year twice and was named Minnesota Class 6A State Coach of the Year in 2015. He also served on the coaching staff for the Minnesota High School All-Star Game twice, including as head coach in 2015. For the past three seasons, Lamker served as head coach at Edina High School, where he led the Hornets to the Minnesota Class 6A state tournament quarterfinals in 2017 — only the team’s third state tournament appearance in school history — and a 20-11 record. He served as offensive coordinator at Edina in the 2016 season before being named head coach in 2017. He earned section coach of the year honors in 2017.

 

Post-Election Facebook Live Discussion with Political Science Professor Andy Aoki

Posted on

All members of the Augsburg community are invited to join a post-election Facebook Live discussion on Wednesday, November 4 at 4:30 p.m. Central Standard Time. Click here to join the Auggie Connections Facebook Group to hear Professor Aoki’s reflections on election 2020 and to participate by asking questions during the Q & A.

Professor Aoki joined the Augsburg faculty in 1988 where he now specializes in racial and ethnic politics and American political thought, and teaches courses in political theory and American politics. He started out in high school wanting to be a physicist, lawyer or musician, but his interest in public affairs led him to political science. He holds a B.A. University of Oregon, a M.A. University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison. His publications include Asian American Politics (Polity Press, with Okiyoshi Takeda) and Newcomers, Outsiders, and Insiders: Immigrants and American Racial Politics in the Early Twenty-First Century (University of Michigan Press, with Ronald Schmidt, Sr., Yvette Alex-Assensoh, and Rodney E. Hero), as well as a number of other works on the politics of race and ethnicity, Asian American politics, and the politics of immigration.

Video Playback: Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way with Rachel Engebretson ’98 and Alex Gonzalez ’90

Posted on

Simple advice from Auggies. Make a will and make a difference.

If you missed our “Where There’s a Will, There’s a Way” series this summer, you now have the opportunity to watch a replay the virtual conversation with host alumna Rachel Engebretson ‘98 and alumnus Alex Gonzalez ’90. As a financial consultant at Stonebridge Group of Thrivent, Alex shared his expertise in financial and estate planning and answered questions about wills, why everyone needs one, where to start, and how you can create your own will for free.

We get it…times are uncertain right now. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting all of us, and raising questions about what if? These discussions can be overwhelming, but making end-of-life plans now will give you more control and ease the burden on family if the worst should happen.

Your Gift will be Matched for the Student-Driven Scholarship Campaign

Posted on

student led scholarship video, linked

Exciting news, Auggies! A dollar for dollar matching donation has been made by an anonymous donor for the student-led fundraiser for the Pan-Afrikan Center and future scholarships for the newly announced Critical Race and Ethnic Studies department. Make a difference for Auggies right now with double your donation.

About the Student Driven Scholarship Campaign

“What side of history do you want to be on?” 

Dear friends:

Our names are Zakariya Abdullahi and Mallory Ferguson – seniors at Minnesota’s first university where the majority of students are people of color. Augsburg University serves our community and we are proud to be a part of this student-led fundraising effort.

Why are we excited to do this?

Like many of you, we’ve experienced firsthand the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Our administration, faculty, and staff are working to offer some semblance of normalcy, but campus life is peculiar right now.

Like many of you, we’ve experienced the social unrest following the death of George Floyd. Our campus is minutes away from the destruction the world witnessed during the unrest in Minneapolis. Many of our fellow students, their families, and their friends call the Twin Cities home and are facing difficulties due to violence, lost jobs, and disrupted communities.

Like many of you, we believe that it’s vital right now to do our part in creating immediate and systemic change.

Building upon the critical work of Augsburg alumni involved with “One Day in May” following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we invite you to join our efforts to raise funding for scholarships for students involved with the Pan-Afrikan Center and future scholarships for the newly announced Critical Race and Ethnic Studies department.

Your support will have an impact on students to help shape a diverse university that honors, respects, and advocates for the lives, histories, and traditions of all.

In solidarity,

Zakariya Abdullahi ’21 & Mallory Ferguson ’21

Help Welcome the Class of 2024 by Sharing Your Community Service

Posted on

Augsburg’s commitment to community service and engagement is long-standing and deeply held. Since 1992, day undergraduate students have participated in service projects on City Engagement Day, even before they’ve had their first class.

The COVID-19 pandemic requires us to press pause on City Engagement Day this year, but our commitment to community building is unwavering. Instead of sending hundreds of incoming students out to serve Minneapolis neighborhoods and organizations, we are encouraging students, faculty, and staff to engage with their local communities in ways that are meaningful to them personally.

You can help by sharing with Augsburg your community service work. Where to do you volunteer? What do you want today’s students to know about the place where you do your service?  Fill out this short online form where you can upload a photo to encourage others to build community through service. This form requires that you are logged into a google account so you can easily upload a photo.

For those looking for volunteer opportunities, the Sabo Center has compiled this list of local opportunities for community service. This list will be updated as we learn of new opportunities. The University has not vetted every one, so take care in considering COVID-19 safety practices, the organization’s capacity to host groups, and other key questions.