bing pixel
  1. Home
  2. Category: Students

MPR News interviews political volunteer Natalie Shaw ’16

Posted on

mprNEWS - logoMinnesota Public Radio News recently published an article and audio interview with Natalie Shaw ’16, a student at Augsburg College who has been volunteering for Hilary Clinton’s presidential campaign. Shaw recently went door-to-door in Des Moines, Iowa, encouraging voters to turn out in support of Clinton at the state’s Democratic caucus slated for February 1.

Despite the cold weather, Shaw says she receives a warm welcome from nearly everyone who opens their door. “Iowans are just such amazing people,” she said. “You call them up… and they’re like, ‘Oh yeah, come over, have dinner.'”

Shaw credits her father’s volunteer work during John Kerry’s 2004 campaign as the impetus for her love of politics and political organizing.

Read and listen: Iowa in January? You bet, says 21-year-old political volunteer on the MPR News site.

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder recaps Augsburg College’s MLK Convocation

Posted on

Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder - logoThe Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder recently published an article and photo gallery covering Augsburg College’s 2016 Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, which was held January 18 and featured a speech by legendary rapper and author Chuck D.

The event began with performances by a number of local artists, much to the delight of the keynote speaker. The article states that, “His excitement was noticeable as he jumped to his feet and snapped photos of the acts smiling from ear to ear.”

The article also included interviews with Augsburg students Erickson Saye ’16, Robert Harper ’16, and Reis Francisco Romero ’16. Romero was instrumental in organizing the event; he is the president of Augsburg College’s chapter of Save the Kids, a student group that co-sponsored this year’s convocation.

“It’s going to take me a while to conceptualize everything. I’m glad we did it, I’m glad it’s over, but now the real work starts,” Romero said of the event. “We have to work together to end this miserable condition on this earth.”

Read and view: PHOTOS | Rapper Chuck D refocused MLK Day from past to present on the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder site.

People magazine covers Olivia Maccoux’s triumphs over adversity

Posted on

people - logoPeople magazine recently published an article about Olivia Maccoux ’19, an Augsburg College student who has endured 120 brain surgeries due to a condition called hydrocephalus, which causes excess fluid to accumulate in the brain. Despite this, Maccoux has found success and solace by participating in a number of sports.

“I don’t know if it’s sports that distract me or if it’s just because I love playing them, but for whatever reason, when I’m on the field, in the pool or on the rink, I let my pain wash over me,” she said. “It’s like it doesn’t exist.”

Maccoux’s mother, Cathy, said that her daughter is known for her courage and strength.

The article concludes by stating that Maccoux has made the Dean’s List every semester that she has attended Augsburg. She is majoring in communication studies, with plans for a career in nonprofit fundraising in the health care industry.

Read: College Athlete Won’t Let 120 Brain Surgeries Stand in Her Way: I Don’t Want to Be the ‘Sick Girl’ on the People site.

KSTP airs story on Bill McKee and Augsburg Women’s Basketball team

Posted on

ABC 5 Eyewitness News - logoMinneapolis-St. Paul ABC affiliate KSTP recently aired a story on its Eyewitness News program about the ways in which Augsburg College’s Women’s Basketball team is mourning and honoring beloved coach Bill McKee, who passed away in August. The segment shares that the team has been remembering Coach McKee with patches on their jerseys, bracelets, and moments of silence before each game.

The segment features statements from Ted Riverso, the team’s new head coach and friend of McKee, and Allison McKee ’16, who is one of the team’s captains and the late coach’s daughter.

“It’s important to me because I want to keep him as much a part of this season as I can,” she said. “He was the most important person in my life.”

Audrey Lensmire and Salah Ali contribute to MinnPost article on Somali-Americans choosing careers in education

Posted on

MinnPostAudrey Lensmire, director of Augsburg College’s East African Student to Teacher (EAST) program, and program participant Salah Ali ’17 were interviewed by MinnPost for a report on Minnesota’s growing number of Somali-Americans working toward careers in education. The article notes that the number of Somalis resettling in the state has more than tripled in recent years, which has caused an influx of Somali students and created a need for teachers, counselors, and socials workers with a deep understanding of Somali culture.

The EAST program is funded by the state’s Collaborative Urban Educator program and seeks to graduate and license K-12 teachers of East African origin. In the article, Lensmire is quoted as saying, “Typically, becoming a professional teacher has been available only to people who have money and the means to get the license.” The EAST program offers financial assistance by providing students with full tuition scholarships as they seek licensure.

Augsburg’s program is one of several made possible by the CUE program. In the article, Ali notes that he knows many Somali students in similar programs at Hamline University and the University of Minnesota. “A lot of us are in the education field right now. Many are doing social studies and ESL programs and counseling licenses,” he said.

Read: More young Somali-Americans are choosing careers in education on the MinnPost site.

Augsburg College project named recipient of Alice Smith Prize

Posted on

(SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA) — Augsburg College History Department faculty members Kirsten Delegard and Michael Lansing were presented the Alice Smith Prize for best public history project completed in the previous calendar year by the Midwestern History Association.

The Historyapolis Project (historyapolis.com and facebook.com/TheHistoryapolisProject) was created when Delegard, a current scholar-in-residence at Augsburg College, realized that her hometown of Minneapolis was blind to its own tumultuous history, more comfortable planning for the future than confronting the past. Augsburg students are deeply involved with the project, which aims to make the city’s history accessible and helps catalyze community dialogue around challenging aspects of local history.

Delegard holds a doctorate in history from Duke University and is the author of “Battling Miss Bolsheviki: The Origins of Female Conservatism in the United States” (Penn, 2012).  Delegard was also the co-editor, with Nancy A. Hewitt, for the two-volume textbook “Women, Families and Communities: Readings in American History“ (Longman Publishing, 2008). As part of the Historyapolis Project, Delegard is at work on a new history of Minneapolis, which is tentatively titled “City of Light and Darkness: The Making of a Progressive Metropolis in Minneapolis.”

Continue reading “Augsburg College project named recipient of Alice Smith Prize” →

River Semester media attention grows as class travels down-river

Posted on

Screen Shot 2015-09-02 at 2.35.52 PM[Updated November 13] — The Augsburg College River Semester, created and led by Joe Underhill, associate professor of political science, departed from St. Paul’s Harriet Island on September 1. As part of the kickoff, the River Semester class was joined by a group of nearly 100 students, parents, high school students and members of the Augsburg College community who paddled in a flotilla of 24-foot voyageur canoes from St. Paul to South St. Paul. Students participating in the semester-long program will earn as many as 16 credits in the arts, humanities, and sciences as they travel nearly 2,000 miles of the 2,350-mile Mississippi River.

The River Semester kickoff garnered a range of attention. Gov. Mark Dayton proclaimed September 1 “Augsburg College River Semester Day” and many media outlets covered the launch of the class.

Since the students and faculty departed on their voyage, print and broadcast media have been sharing the story of this hands-on, interdisciplinary program. In fact, multiple stories have been picked up by the Associated Press and shared through the AP’s member media throughout the nation.

A snapshot of the ongoing media coverage is below. As additional coverage occurs, it will be added to this post.

November 9

  • Shorewood native spending college semester paddling Mississippi River, Shorewood (Wisconsin) Now

October 16

  • The Mississippi River is their classroom, The Hawk Eye, Burlington (Iowa)

October 15

  • College student trekking down the Mississippi, White Bear (Minnesota) Press

October 8

September 29

Continue reading “River Semester media attention grows as class travels down-river” →

ELCA scholarship recipient Sarah Abendanon is interviewed by
The Lutheran

Posted on

The LutheranAugsburg College student and Suriname citizen Sarah Abendanon was interviewed for an article in The Lutheran, the magazine of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. The story detailed a scholarship program for women leaders from the “global south,” which is comprised of Africa, Central and Latin America, and most of Asia.

Noticing a lack educational access for women in these areas, the ELCA Churchwide Assembly voted in 2013 to raise $4 million over a five-year period in order to provide scholarships for 200 women.

“My religion professor asks what we think about our readings and encourages different points of view. In Suriname schools, what the teacher says goes,” Abendanon explained.

As far as the outdoor climate, Abendanon has prepared for winter by purchasing a large winter coat. “Bring it on!” she said in the article.

Read: Women of purpose – ELCA scholarships prepare emerging leaders from the ‘global south’ on The Lutheran site.

Star Tribune reports on Augsburg College’s participation in
Ripken Foundation field day

Posted on

Minneapolis Star TribuneThe Star Tribune recently published an article covering a field day held in north Minneapolis by the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation in partnership with Minneapolis Jeep Dealers. The event paired roughly 50 young athletes with coaches and players from Augsburg College’s baseball team as well as athletes from the University of Minnesota. Minnesota Twins mascot TC Bear also participated, at one point serving as a soccer goalie.

According to the article, the Maryland-based Ripken Foundation develops youth programs and partners with cities to create parks in distressed communities. Augsburg baseball head coach Keith Bateman is quoted as saying of the young participants in the multi-sport event, “They might not remember some of the stuff we say, but hopefully they remember when they think back [and say] man, I really had a good time. I want to do that when I get older.”

Read: Ripken Foundation brings together college athletes, local kids for field day on the Star Tribune site.

Augsburg College global education program touted for excellence in serving students of diverse backgrounds

Posted on

An article published by the Association of American Colleges & Universities commented on the successes Augsburg College’s Center for Global Education and Experience has had in serving students of diverse backgrounds as they travel to locations around the globe. The article, titled “Global Learning: Key to Making Excellence Inclusive,” described why global experiences are recognized as an essential dimension of a liberal education and how a variety of institutions support increased student participation.

In particular, the article noted that Augsburg maintains permanent centers for global learning in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Namibia. The centers have deep-rooted connections to local communities, and staff members understand the diverse needs of the Augsburg students.

“For example, Augsburg has arranged culturally appropriate homestay placements for single parents who needed assistance with childcare, safe home environments for LGBTQ students, sober homestays for students in recovery (in addition to connecting students in Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous programs with sponsors), and access to mosques for Muslim students. This commitment to creating environments for student success is a hallmark of Augsburg’s study abroad programs,” the article said.

Visit the AAC&U website to read the story in its entirety.