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Sabo and Schwarzkopf reflect on the elections

election_reflectionSen. Barack Obama became the first African-American to ever be elected president of the United States. The U.S. Senate race between Sen. Norm Coleman and Al Franken is so close that the votes will be counted again. Despite a firestorm of criticism, Rep. Michelle Bachmann will return to Washington, D.C., as the U.S. Representative from Minnesota’s Sixth District.

What does all of this mean?

That is what former U.S. Representative Martin Olav Sabo ’59 and Lyall Schwarzkopf, a former state legislator and former chief of staff for Gov. Arne Carlson, will attempt to explain on Monday evening. “Reflections on the Elections,” an event sponsored by the Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning, the College Republicans, and College Democrats will be held at Augsburg College on Nov. 10 at 7 p.m. Continue reading “Sabo and Schwarzkopf reflect on the elections”

New press box dedication Nov. 1

press_boxAugsburg will formally dedicate the new press box at Edor Nelson Field during Saturday’s 1 p.m. football game against St. Thomas. A recognition ceremony for the donors will be held during halftime of the game.

The old press box had windows that didn’t open which prevented announcers from hearing the action on their field and made for an uncomfortably warm spot to watch the game. The new press box has windows which will allow announcers to hear the game better and also provide them with a breath of the fresh autumn air that often accompanies our football games. Continue reading “New press box dedication Nov. 1”

Why study in Mexico? Ask Antonio

ortegaWho wouldn’t want to spend a semester in the “city of eternal spring”? Ask Antonio Ortega, a staff member at the Center for Global Education’s study site in Cuernavaca, Mexico. “I think students have been to Cancun or Acapulco and think ‘I’ve been there, done that.’ They think Mexico, as a place to study, is not as interesting as Europe or South Africa,” he said.

However, in addition to offering beautiful weather and mosquito-free nights, Antonio says Cuernavaca is an excellent location for students to learn about LGBT rights, the feminist movement in Mexico, environmental issues, or business and trade. Cuernavaca is also noted for its innovative grassroots organizations, alternative approaches to health care and education, and for its role in the history of social struggle. “And we have really great food,” he added. Continue reading “Why study in Mexico? Ask Antonio”

Auggies on the ballot

ericfranzen Eric Franzen makes his to-do list at about 5:30 a.m. each day and hopes to get through half of it. Josh Linde calls the past two months, “the most stressful and packed of my life.”

The reason is simple: The two Augsburg College graduate students are trying to juggle class and campaigning.

Franzen is the Republican candidate for the Minnesota House of Representatives in District 60A, an area of Minneapolis that includes Loring Park and Uptown. Linde is running for a seat on the Apple Valley City Council.

With less than a week remaining, the two Augsburg students — who both acknowledge they are underdogs in their races — are looking forward to having schedules that aren’t quite so packed.

“I didn’t realize how much of a toll it would take,” Linde said of the campaign and class combination. “I definitely learned that you have to have balance and that sleeping is important.” Continue reading “Auggies on the ballot”

Four Auggies recognized for peace and justice work

hawkinsonThree current Augsburg students and a recent graduate have received 2008 Vincent L. Hawkinson Foundation scholarships in recognition of their involvement in peace and justice activities.

Selected annually by the Minneapolis-based Foundation, the scholarships are aimed at furthering the commitment to peace and justice of the late Rev. Vincent L. Hawkinson, who served as pastor of Grace University Lutheran Church in Minneapolis for 30 years. The scholarship program has awarded more than $100,000 to 87 students since 1988, and 20 students are receiving the 2008 scholarship awards.

The Augsburg scholarship recipients are (l to r) Ulises Ayala-Beltran, Maria Alvillar Hinojosa, Ryan Treptow, and Juventino Meza-Rodriguez. Continue reading “Four Auggies recognized for peace and justice work”

Beyond party lines on Wednesday

partylinesAugsburg College will host a bipartisan discussion, “Beyond Party Lines,” featuring Minnesota State Reps. Steve Simon (DFL) and Pat Garofalo (R) from 7:30-9 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 29 in the Sateren Auditorium on campus. The discussion will revolve around current local political issues such as transportation and the gas tax. The event is free of charge and open to the public.

Involvement from the audience will be encouraged.

Beyond Party Lines is sponsored by The Sabo Center for Citizenship and Learning and the following student organizations: College Republicans, College Democrats, Obama Student Organization, Coalition for Student Activism (CSA), and Minnesota Public Interest Research Group (MPIRG).

Contact Gary Hesser, Sabo Professor of Citizenship and Learning, at hesser@augsburg.edu for more information.

Convocation series continues with "Just Food"

convo_terryThe Augsburg College Convocation Series continues Friday, Oct. 31 with nationally recognized eco chef, author, and food justice activist, Bryant Terry. Terry’s lecture, “Just Food: Cooking as an Organizing Tool in the Food Justice Movement” will be held at 10 a.m. in the Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center.

For the past eight years Terry has worked to build a more just and sustainable food system and has used cooking as a tool to illuminate the intersections between poverty, structural racism, and food insecurity. He is currently a Food and Society Policy Fellow with the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.

Terry holds a BA with honors in English from Xavier University of Louisiana and an MA in History from New York University. He also graduated from the Chef’s Training Program at the Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts in New York City. Continue reading “Convocation series continues with "Just Food"”

"Eurydice" explores bond between father and daughter

eurydiceEurydice is interesting,” says Martha Johnson, director of Augsburg’s first mainstage play of the year, but she doesn’t mean that in the way most Minnesotans use the word. “It’s quirky and funny…interesting in a good way.”

Written by Sarah Ruhl, Eurydice is a retelling of the Greek myth of Orpheus told from the point of view of Eurydice, his wife. “It’s almost like a dream,” Johnson said. “The play uses images you would only see in a dream but is also very human. There’s a little bit of ‘Alice in Wonderland’ in it.” Johnson believes patrons will appreciate the contemporary humor, Ruhl’s ability to play with language, and the unusual set designed by Joe Stanley. Continue reading “"Eurydice" explores bond between father and daughter”

Homemade — it's Augsburg uncensored

homemadeIf you want to know what it’s really like to be an Auggie, we think you should learn it from one of us. That’s the promise, or the directive, of “Homemade,” the website made by Augsburg students for Augsburg students.

Homemade began as a way for current Auggies to share their experiences with prospective students. Each class has two bloggers who keep delightfully detailed accounts of their life at Augsburg and in the city like cleaning tables and chairs on City Service Day, reading A LOT of books for just ONE class, and discovering the excellent restaurants in Dinkytown and downtown. Continue reading “Homemade — it's Augsburg uncensored”

Augsburg celebrates 10 years in Rochester

rochester10Augsburg College will celebrate the tenth anniversary of the founding of its Rochester program with an open-house reception on Tuesday, Oct. 28 from 6:30-8:00 p.m. at the Rochester location in Bethel Lutheran Church, 810 3rd Ave. SE. A short program will begin at 7 p.m. with comments from Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow, Barbara Farley, dean and vice president of academic affairs, and Rick Thoni, the founder of Augsburg’s Weekend College and Rochester programs.

At the suggestion of Augsburg regent, Ruth Johnson, Thoni started a satellite location in 1998 in Rochester to offer a degree completion program to nurses at Mayo Hospital. Thoni said Rochester, the second largest urban area outside the Twin Cities and also one of the ELCA synod seats, had unmet educational needs that Augsburg was prepared to meet, particularly in the area of adult education. “Augsburg is an urban college with a model that was created for working adults,” Thoni said. Continue reading “Augsburg celebrates 10 years in Rochester”