Augsburg’s strong Norwegian heritage shows, especially during the holiday season. Once again, it is almost time for the traditional Scandinavian Velkommen Jul celebration hosted by the Augsburg Associates on Nov. 30, starting with Chapel service at 10:20 a.m. and moving to the Christensen Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Velkommen Jul is translated as “Escorting in the Season,” and it is an annual Christmas celebration you don’t want to miss. The event will feature Scandinavian Yuletide music, many tasty treats, handcrafted items, Norwegian bunads, and a visit from St. Nicholas during chapel.
The Augsburg College Associates, who number around 100, are a service auxiliary of volunteers whose mission includes fundraising for special projects and scholarships in support of Augsburg college. In the nearly 20 years since their founding, the Associates have given to Augsburg more than a half million dollars from their fundraising. They host Velkommen Jul as a service to the Augsburg community and as a way to celebrate its Norwegian heritage.
Silje Bjelland, a current Augsburg student from Norway, remembers all the different preparations they make back home that lead up to Christmas Eve. “We have an Advent calendar to mark the days,” she recalls. “For each day, you open another door in the calendar and some like to have little present or a chocolate there.”
“We also start baking cakes and cookies, which should be seven different types,” Silje explains. “They are cookies such as ‘kvite kakemenn,’ ‘pepperkaker,’ and ‘lussekatter’ to share with friends and neighbors. ‘Julekake,’ a popular Christmas bread filled with raisins and candied fruit, is also baked at Christmas.”
Despite starting their Christmas preparations with Advent, Silje says that some of the fun is saved for the very end. “Many families, as a tradition, decorate their Christmas tree on Dec. 23, which is the ‘little Christmas Eve,'” she says. “Christmas Eve is the big day, where the families gather for Christmas dinner in the evening, and after the dinner, we open presents.”
The Augsburg fall sports season has come to an end, with several teams showing strong improvement in both overall records and individual accomplishments.
The Theatre Arts Department presents two shows back-to-back over the weekend of Nov. 16.
The campus community mourns the death of one of Augsburg’s music giants, composer and conductor Leland Sateren ‘35, who died on Saturday, Nov. 10, at the age of 94.
For over a quarter century, Augsburg College has observed the beginning of the Christmas season with Advent Vespers, a joyous celebration of the holidays. On Friday, Nov. 30 and Saturday, Dec. 1 the College will mark this 28th annual event with services highlighting the theme “That All May Have Light.”
Since 1999, Augsburg Students from the Health and Physical Education Department (HPE) hold an annual one-day event for children with disabilities called “Sports Extravaganza.” Children with both mental and physical disabilities get the unique chance to use Augsburg’s dome to participate in activities and games, including: parachute, cage ball, soccer, beach ball volleyball, relay races jump rope, and dance.
The two most recent exhibitions in the Augsburg Art Galleries opened in the beginning of November and will be here until Dec. 16. The Gage Family Art Gallery in the Oren Gateway Center is showing “Journey Toward Healing,” collages by Janette Haley and photographs by Arthur Hand. The Christensen Center Art Gallery is showing “Threads of Community/Dunta Bulshada iskuxirta.”
Sheila Anderson is one member of our community who joined Weight Watchers at Work, and has truly been an inspiration for other members with her determination and amazing progress. Here she discusses how being a part of a supportive network of people to encourage her has been integral to the process.
Dianne Detloff, Center for Counseling and Health Promotion, has lost 37.8 pounds on Weight Watchers at Work and was willing to share her weight-loss journey with our community in her own words.