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Asian American students share their stories through theater

inside_outBy Wendi Wheeler ’06

Walk past the student lounge in Christensen Center on any given afternoon, and it becomes clear that Asian American students make up a sizeable portion of the Augsburg student body. The lounge is a popular hangout for students—a place for them to study, relax, and connect with each other.

To hear some stories of Asian American students at Augsburg, attend the Augsburg Theater Department production of Inside Out. In collaboration with Mu Performing Arts and Pan Asian Student Services, Augsburg will present Inside Out Nov. 18-20.

Inside Out was created and is directed by Rick Shiomi, artistic director of Mu Performing Arts of St. Paul, Minn. The project began when Shiomi interviewed several Asian American students at Augsburg. Based on the interviews, Shiomi developed a series of short scenes that reflect their experiences. The performance also includes additional scenes created by students. Continue reading “Asian American students share their stories through theater”

Scholar and mentor learn from each other in Scholastic Connections

scholastic_connectionsWhen Mai Choua Thao ’11, a senior studying business administration and accounting, was accepted into Augsburg’s Scholastic Connections program, she was hoping to connect on many levels with her mentor. But she said that Cindy Peterson, director of the program, had a tough time finding someone for Thao to work with. Then Peterson approached Jenny Yang, a counselor in the financial aid office at Augsburg. Though Yang is not an alum of Augsburg as most of the Scholastic Connections mentors are, she was a perfect fit for Thao.

“The thing I appreciate about Jenny is that we can relate to each other. Our families are similar and she understands me. I don’t think another mentor would fully comprehend my life like Jenny does,” Thao said. Both are Hmong women who come from large families, and both have experienced the challenges of living in a bi-cultural world. Continue reading “Scholar and mentor learn from each other in Scholastic Connections”