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Swenson Wall of Fame dedicated

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swensonAugsburg will honor the legacy of its 10-time national championship wrestling program with the dedication of the Jeff Swenson Wrestling Wall of Fame prior to the No. 1-ranked Auggies’ dual meet with No. 2-ranked Wartburg (Iowa) on Friday, Jan. 30 at the Si Melby Hall/Kennedy Center complex. The dedication will take place at 6 p.m., with the wrestling dual against Wartburg to follow at 7:30 p.m. There is also a high school dual meet between Albert Lea and Coon Rapids at 6 p.m. at Si Melby Hall.

The Jeff Swenson Wrestling Wall of Fame will contain more than 30 trophies earned by Augsburg wrestling squads from various national tournaments, along with other artifacts celebrating the rich history of Augsburg’s wrestling program, considered one of the elite small-college wrestling programs in the nation. Continue reading “Swenson Wall of Fame dedicated” →

Grundahl's "America the Beautiful" shines at inauguration

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grundahlAs he listened to the San Francisco Girls and Boys Choruses sing before the inauguration of President Obama, Augsburg music instructor Nancy Grundahl’s husband thought he was hearing his wife’s work.

“My husband heard ‘America the Beautiful’ and recognized it,” Grundahl said, “and then my publisher confirmed that it was my arrangement a few hours later.”

Grundahl, director of the Augsburg Riverside Singers, originally wrote the arrangement of “America the Beautiful” on the day after 9/11. “I needed something uplifting for my children’s choir to sing in rehearsal,” she said. The choir sang the arrangement for the rest of that season, and it was published by Alliance in 2003. Continue reading “Grundahl's "America the Beautiful" shines at inauguration” →

Beckett's "Eleuthéria" examines human existence

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eleutheriaAugsburg’s Eleuthéria by Samuel Beckett with translation by Michael Brodsky opens Jan. 30 and features the directing talents of Barbra Berlovitz, formerly with the Theatre de la Jeune Lune.

Looking for freedom, Victor Krap turns his back on his family, fiancée, and friends and moves into a room furnished with nothing but a bed. His parents and fiancée, Miss Skunk, try desperately to bring him back into the family fold and society. Written in French, Eleuthéria (which means “freedom” in Greek) is Beckett’s first completed work and was written just prior to his best-known piece Waiting for Godot. Eleuthéria is filled with irony and humor, allowing us to laugh at ourselves while examining the inescapable problems of our human existence. Continue reading “Beckett's "Eleuthéria" examines human existence” →

Getting around at the Capitol

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capitolIf you want to get in front of the state’s lawmakers, especially during the legislative session, you’ve got to know your way around the system—and around the state Capitol building. Jay Benanav has no problem with either.

Last fall Benanav was hired as Augsburg’s Director of Government Relations, a role his illustrious career helped him fill easily. “One thing that helps me is that I have some credibility. I’ve known these people for more than 20 years.”

Since he completed law school in the late 70s, Benanav has been counsel to the Minnesota Senate, was a practicing attorney, was the deputy commissioner in the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, served as president of a private insurance agency, sat on the St. Paul city council, and manages a consulting agency that helps students and families get into college and avoid unmanageable debt. Continue reading “Getting around at the Capitol” →

Watkins to speak at MLK convocation

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mlk_convoThe 21st annual Martin Luther King, Jr. convocation at Augsburg College will feature Hollis Watkins, civil rights activist and president and founder of Southern Echo, Inc. The convocation will be held in the Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center, on Monday, January 19 at 1 p.m. This event is free and open to the public.

A native Mississippian from rural Lincoln County, Watkins was born the twelfth child to sharecroppers from the country. After completing high school at the Lincoln County Training School, he attended Tougaloo College in Tougaloo, Miss. with a double major in political science and history. Continue reading “Watkins to speak at MLK convocation” →

Keeping up with the Auggies

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winter_athleticsIf you want to catch some of your favorite Auggie athletes during the winter break, check out their upcoming schedules below (home games bold). For complete schedules, results, live audio, and more, see the Athletics website.

Men’s Basketball

St. Olaf College — Jan. 3, 3 p.m.

at Concordia College-Moorhead — Jan. 5, 7:45 p.m.

St. John’s University — Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.

Macalester College — Jan. 10, 3 p.m.

Women’s Basketball

St. Olaf College — Jan. 3, 1 p.m.

at Concordia College-Moorhead — Jan. 5, 5:45 p.m.

at College of St. Benedict — Jan. 7, 7:30 p.m.

Macalester College — Jan. 10, 1 p.m. Continue reading “Keeping up with the Auggies” →

Heading south for the winter

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winterimWhile most of us will be returning unwanted Christmas gifts and taking advantage of post-holiday sales in early January, several Auggies will be heading south, not for the entire winter but to participate in study abroad programs and non-credit seminars. There are two “Winterim” study abroad courses–REL 480: Vocation & Christian Faith in El Salvador and AIS 305/490 Indigenous Issues in Guatemala.

This year there is also non-credit seminar on Leadership and Vocation in Mexico, designed for the students and mentors who are part of the Augsburg Scholastic Connections program. All these short-term programs are designed to give students a rich and meaningful learning experience abroad in a week to 10 days. Continue reading “Heading south for the winter” →

If you don't want to study during the break

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break_books When I was a student at Augsburg I was much too serious about studying and doing my homework, even in my last year when I had a bad case of senior-itis. So I always used the semester break to read as many frivolous books as I could, usually including one of David Sedaris’ self-deprecating autobiographical sketches. This year I’m using the break to complete my graduate school application, and if I get into the program, this will probably be the last chance I get to read a fun book for a long, long time.

I have asked a few of my colleagues and favorite professors to complete the following sentences:

During the break, you just have to/should read ___ because ___.

During the break, you just have to/should see or rent ___ because ___. Continue reading “If you don't want to study during the break” →

Recollections of Obama

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jack_obamaIt was late January or early February when psychology assistant professor Lisa Jack had some friends over at her home. In the middle of the primary election season, the conversation turned to then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Jack told her guests that she knew Obama back when they were both students at Occidental College in Los Angeles and that as an aspiring photographer she took pictures of him. Jack’s friends didn’t believe the story. So Jack went into her basement and, in about five minutes, found 36 negatives of Obama as a 19- or 20-year-old college student.

That the negatives survived is in some ways amazing. The negatives and one print were in a cellophane wrapper. They were never housed in a special container to protect the negatives. They sat in a box in the basement for years. They were moved seven times. Continue reading “Recollections of Obama” →