In summer 2008, Professors Lars Christiansen and Nancy Fischer led students to Portland, Oregon and Vancouver, British Columbia to explore sustainability in an urban context. The professors and students from the “Sustainable Cities in North America” course, will share insights gained in these cities and our own Twin Cities on Thursday, Oct. 16 from 3:30-4:30 p.m. in Lindell 301. The event will be of particular interest to those concerned about environmental issues, cities, business practices, comparative government, and the culture of the Pacific Northwest. Continue reading “Auggies traverse the concrete jungle”
Augsburg Admissions World Tour — Asia
Marissa Machado ’99, ’04 MAE is the assistant director of international admissions at Augsburg. At the end of September, Machado left her family to travel 19 hours to Hanoi, Vietnam, the first stop on her 19-day recruiting tour. She has been updating colleagues and friends with pictures and stories on the International Admissions blog.
From Asia: Here I come
September 20
I’ve got a big trip coming up. I’ll be leaving for Asia in a little over a week to represent Augsburg at IIE fairs in HCMC [Ho Chi Minh City], Vietnam, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. I’ll also be doing some individual visits with families and visiting several high schools. In total, I’ll be traveling for 19 days. There’s an excitement about planning for a trip like this…I wonder who will I meet? What connections will I create? Will I sleep? What new foods will I try? And then there’s the sadness in leaving my 2 1/2 year old daughter for such a long time. Finding a balance in all of this is something that I am still learning.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Machado spent time with Ana and Mr. Piet, the parents of Tina Nguyen ’08. She also experienced the energy of a city of 8 million people and 5 million motorbikes.
From I’ll Take a Bird’s Nest To Go, Please.
October 5
There are over 5 million motorbikes in HCM alone. Until you have the opportunity to see what 5 million motor bikes in one city looks like you almost can’t even imagine it, but let me help you try by sharing the advice that I received from a colleague before traveling to this country for the first time. When I told him that I would be going to HCM city he looked me straight in the eye and said, “Do you know how to cross the street in Ho Chi Minh City?” And I replied, “No.” (Obviously…but a rhetorical response seemed necessary.) And with a no-nonsense look on his face he told me, “You just close your eyes and walk.” I grinned. A big grin. I found this commentary humorous. He just looked at me and said, “I mean this seriously.” He was right.
This year Augsburg welcomed 18 new international students from countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Vietnam, Pakistan, Argentina, Ecuador, Sweden, Slovenia, Indonesia, Nigeria, Norway, and Canada. Some international students hear about the College through friends and relatives who have studied in Minnesota or are Augsburg alumni. Machado is able to meet potential students and their families on her recruiting trips and to help them begin or complete the college admissions process, which can be very daunting for an international student.
From Sharing Augsburg with Vietnam
October 8
One student knew about Augsburg because a friend of hers studied abroad in Minnesota and told her, “Augsburg is the best “University” in the area.” This particular student gave me her completed application to Augsburg and told me that she is taking one year off after high school to do community service before beginning her pursuit of higher education. She understands Augsburg. Many students talked about their deep interest in becoming an “Auggie” because of their conversations with a recent graduate of Augsburg who is from Hanoi. They have learned about student life and Minneapolis through emails with her and are “very impressed.” Augsburg’s alumni understand Augsburg. Our international presence is growing and I am proud.
Another Auggie in Asia
Yet another Auggie has joined the ranks of those working and studying across the Pacific. Joyce Pfaff, associate professor of physical education at Augsburg, and her husband, Doug, make up the Augsburg Asia delegation with Ashley Stoffers and Nou Chang in South Korea, and Marissa Machado, international admissions counselor who is currently recruiting in Vietnam and China. On September 2, the Pfaffs traveled to teach at United International College in Zhuhai, China for four months. Pfaff is maintaining a blog about their experiences. Continue reading “Another Auggie in Asia”
On the air at KDWB
John Cerrito (the Augsburg student, not the Augsburg professor) has an internship many might find enviable. John works for the Dave Ryan in the Morning Show at KDWB-FM. True, he drags himself out of bed at 4 a.m. but he says the perks of the job, including free concert tickets and the opportunity to meet stars like Jessica Simpson and the Backstreet Boys, definitely make it worthwhile.
John was accepted for a summer internship with KDWB following his high school graduation. He began by performing typical intern duties, making coffee and doing lots of photocopying. Later, he was assigned more interesting tasks like pulling audio clips of television shows off the Internet to play on the show. John now selects the ones he thinks will be most useful for supporting the theme of the day’s show. Continue reading “On the air at KDWB”
Rochester hosts business ethics summit
The Augsburg College MBA program in Rochester will hold a business ethics summit panel presentation on Thursday, Oct. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Rochester site. Featured panelists are Mayo Clinic CEO Dr. Glenn Forbes, Crenlo LLC CEO and president Lance Fleming, Rochester Post Bulletin managing editor Jay Furst, and Apollo Liquor and Hospitality president Ari Kolas.
The Business Ethics summit will provide the four panel members an opportunity to discuss ethics and moral decision making in their organization. Panel members will briefly discuss how ethics is a part of their culture and business conduct, and also plays a part in their relationships and dealing with external stakeholders. The open audience Q & A will be a significant part of the event, where panel members will respond to specific audience questions following their individual presentations. Continue reading “Rochester hosts business ethics summit”
Augsburg joins the CROP Walk — Oct. 12
The annual Minneapolis Communities Responding to Overcome Poverty (CROP) Walk commences this Sunday, October 12 at 2 p.m., with registration beginning at 1:30 p.m. The walk begins and ends at the Oren Gateway Center on Riverside and 21st Avenues on the Augsburg College campus.
The CROP Walk is a Church World Service event that raises funds for international development and sustainable agriculture projects as well as for local organizations. CROP Hunger Walks help children and families worldwide — and right here in the U.S. — to have food for today while building for a better tomorrow. Each year some two million CROP Walkers, volunteers, and sponsors put their hearts and “soles” in motion, raising more than $16 million to help end hunger and poverty around the world — and in their own communities. Continue reading “Augsburg joins the CROP Walk — Oct. 12”
Author Nuruddin Farah at Augsburg
Nuruddin Farah, award-winning Somalian author and peace advocate, will visit Augsburg College on Wednesday, Oct. 15. He will read from his latest novel, “Knots” at 6 p.m. in Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center. The reading will be followed by a discussion, reception, and book signing.
The event, titled “The Power of Words,” will focus on how Farah advocates for social justice through his writings. According to Lynn Ellingson, Augsburg graduate recruiter who has helped bring Farah to campus, “He is able to document the horrific violence of his homeland, but yet his books are very hopeful.”
Farah’s book “Maps” won the Neustatdt International Prize for Literature in 1998, a biennial award that is considered by some to be second only to the Nobel Prize. All of Farah’s novels are set in Somalia and include the micro-politics of the family, focusing on those whose ideas and lives are often marginalized. Continue reading “Author Nuruddin Farah at Augsburg”
Thursday panel to explore financial crisis
Though the $700 billion bailout package became law last week in the U.S., financial markets across the world are in turmoil. Augsburg College as an institution has been fortunate so far and avoided most of the damage. However, faculty, staff, and students are in the same economic peril as our fellow citizens.
Many of us are asking tough questions about the current global financial crisis. How will this affect the future of our economy? What about our current investments, including our retirement funds? Will we still be able to get student loans?
To answer these questions and others related to the financial crisis, faculty members from the business administration and economics departments will host an open panel discussion on Thursday, Oct. 9 from 4 – 5:30 p.m. The panel will be held in the Marshall Room of the Christensen Center, and it will feature the following panelists:
– Business Administration: Ashok Kapoor, Rosanne Malevich, and Marc McIntosh
– Economics: Jeanne Boeh, Kevin Bowman, Keith Gilsdorf
Faculty, staff, and students are welcome to participate in this panel discussion.
Lost boy of Sudan speaks at Augsburg
John Dau, one of the “lost boys of Sudan” and founder of the John Dau Sudan Foundation, will speak at Augsburg College on Tuesday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m. in the Hoversten Chapel, Foss Center. This event is free and open to the public. Sponsored by the ASAC Diversity Committee.
John Dau is a survivor of a 14-year journey from his home village in Duk County, Sudan in 1987 to his arrival in Syracuse, New York in 2001. As a young boy he fled Sudanese government troops and eventually arrived at the Kukuma refugee camp in Kenya in 1992. During this journey of more than 1,000 miles, he led thousands of younger children through violence and starvation. Selected to come to Syracuse, New York along with 140 other “Lost Boys of Sudan” in 2001, John pursued the American dream. He brought his sister and mother to Syracuse and is now married with a daughter and son. Continue reading “Lost boy of Sudan speaks at Augsburg”
An Asian American perspective of South Korea
Growing up, Nou Chang never imagined she would spend three months studying in another country. As a Hmong woman, studying abroad was not culturally accepted, nor was it financially feasible for her family. Despite these obstacles, Nou is “in a dream” in Seoul, South Korea where she is studying for a semester at Yonsei University on a Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE) program. She applied for and was awarded the Gilman International Scholarship Program, which offers grants for undergraduate students of limited financial means to pursue academic studies abroad. Continue reading “An Asian American perspective of South Korea”