{"id":56251,"date":"2026-08-03T20:41:20","date_gmt":"2026-08-03T20:41:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/college-recovery-program\/?page_id=56251"},"modified":"2026-08-03T21:01:26","modified_gmt":"2026-08-03T21:01:26","slug":"march-keeping-a-sense-of-community-through-unsure-times","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/college-recovery-program\/stepup-program-student-stories-and-voices\/student-blog\/march-keeping-a-sense-of-community-through-unsure-times\/","title":{"rendered":"Keeping a sense of community through unsure times…"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"StepUP<\/div><\/div><\/div>
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Our monthly blog is a student-run platform that allows different scholars within the StepUP program to share their personal experiences with the greater community. Everything written, designed and curated was by StepUP students! Delivered straight to your inbox and archived on the StepUP website the first week of the month.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Six<\/div><\/div>

Common Blog Topics<\/h3>\t\t\t
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  • College<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Recovery<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Navigating life<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Commentary on current events<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n
  • Things that our scholars are interested in!<\/span><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div>
    \"Three<\/div><\/div><\/div>

    I’m Elizabeth!<\/h3>\t\t\t

    Community Relations Manager<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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    Hey everyone! My name is Elizabeth, and I am the new community relations manager, as well as a member of StepUP. I joined StepUP in the fall of 2024, and I am currently a third-year biology major at Augsburg. Part of my role includes running monthly blogs and quarterly newsletters! I\u2019m super excited for this role and to be a bigger part of the StepUP community that I love!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

    I’m Ben (G.)!<\/h3>\t\t\t

    Community Design Manager<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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    Hey y\u2019all, my name is Ben and I am the new community design manager! I\u2019ve been a member of StepUP for two years and am a junior biology major here at Augsburg #auggie4lyfe. My role includes posting on social media, designing flyers for events, and taking pictures during events as well. I\u2019m very excited to contribute to the community and get to know all of you better through student spotlights!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

    \"\"<\/div>

    Keeping a sense of community through unsure times…<\/h3>\t\t\t

    By Elizabeth<\/p>\n

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    Written February 27th<\/sup>, 2026<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    I think I can speak for everybody when I say the first couple months of 2026 has been super wild, especially here in the Cedar Riverside Community in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where Augsburg University and the StepUP program are located. With the occupation of ICE in Minnesota, political unrest, and Augsburg being right smack in the middle of it, our scholars have dealt with a lot to say the least. At StepUP\u2019s Leadership Team meetings, we\u2019ve had many open discussions about the impact all of these external forces have had on the community, and I\u2019ve heard a lot of words like \u201cTired. Scared. Overwhelmed. Unsure. Hopeless.\u201d But one of the biggest sentiments that almost everyone on the team has shared is how important community is during this time.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    A lot of the role of Leadership Team is dedicated to fostering a safe and supportive community and I can say personally that doing things with and for StepUP have been really good for me. We have Circle every Monday, where all the StepUP scholars gather and spend time together, game nights every week, service opportunities (we just went and spoke at a local high school about recovery and StepUP), go to meetings together, have community dinners, do homework together and even get to do fun events together! We just had a Superbowl party, and coming up on the 5th<\/sup> of March, we will be attending the Recovery Night at the Timberwolves game. It\u2019s events and moments like these where we can just be together and support each other but also have fun during hard times, that makes StepUP such a special community.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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    It\u2019s not always easy, and there were a few times when it felt very hard to be optimistic and want to continue with the things we were doing. But it\u2019s within chaos and instability that community and being together matters the most. Just last night we had a super fun game night in one of the residential flats of our sober dormitory and I\u2019m proud to say that I, Elizabeth, won Flip 7. \ud83d\ude0e I\u2019m so thankful for our sober community and happy I got to share a little bit with you all!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>

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    Q & A with Ben and Elizabeth<\/h3>\t\t\t
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    \"Photo<\/div><\/div>

    What’s your favorite pasta?<\/h3>\t\t\t

    Ben<\/span><\/strong>– My favorite pasta is something with farfalle. Actually no, mostaccioli. <\/span><\/p>\n

    Elizabeth<\/span><\/strong>– I like egg noodles!<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

    What do you want to be when you grow up?<\/h3>\t\t\t

    Ben<\/span><\/strong>– I want to work in conservation.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Elizabeth<\/span><\/strong>– David Attenborough. Or an ornithologist.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>

    \"Graphic<\/div><\/div><\/div>
    \"\"<\/div><\/div>

    What\u2019s your top artist on Spotify 2025?<\/h3>\t\t\t
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    Ben<\/strong>– Evan Honer<\/p>\n

    Elizabeth<\/strong>– M83<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div><\/div><\/div>

    <\/div>
    See you next month!<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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