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Star Tribune highlights Augsburg College students’ participation in solidarity event

Minneapolis Star Tribune - logoThe Minneapolis Star Tribune recently published an article covering World Hijab Day events at Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota.

The article featured photos of Augsburg College students who hosted the Hijab Fashion Show at Augsburg. Students at Normandale and Augsburg hosted events in support of Muslim students and were joined by non-Muslim students in a show of solidarity.

Photos of Augsburg College students featured in the paper included Aisha Barre, Anisa Ahmed, Nahili Abdulahi and Juweria Hassan, who participated in the fashion show. Similar events have been taking place across the country in reaction to divisive rhetoric and anti-Muslim sentiment, the article notes.

Read Non-Muslim Minnesotans are donning the hijab to show support on the Star Tribune site.

Star Tribune celebrates Koryne Horbal, mentions lecture series

Minneapolis Star Tribune - logoThe Minneapolis Star Tribune recently published an article covering the life of Koryne Horbal, political activist and former United Nations ambassador for women. Horbal co-founded the Minnesota DFL’s feminist caucus and was an early champion of still-debated issues such as the Equal Rights Amendment, sexual slavery, reproductive choice, and workplace equity.

The article notes Augsburg’s Koryne Horbal Lecture Series in which the College welcomes prominent feminist speakers including Gloria Steinem, Jane Fonda, Winona LaDuke, and The Guerilla Girls. Horbal has been a consultant for the Women’s Resource Center at Augsburg and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the College in 2008.

This year, the lecture will take place on March 9 and feature Nekima Levy-Pounds, president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP. More information on the event is available on the Convocation Series website.

Read “Minnesota political pioneer Koryne Horbal looks back” on the Star Tribune site.

Media reacts to “Un-Minnesotan” newspaper ad

UnMinnesotan AdAugsburg College President Paul Pribbenow was one of the high-profile Minnesotans recently included on a full-page ad in the Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper that denounced anti-Muslim bigotry as “un-Minnesotan.”

Others who added their support to the campaign include Gov. Mark Dayton, U.S. Sens. Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, and the CEOs of prominent Minnesota businesses such as Best Buy, General Mills, and Cargill.

The ad was a joint effort between Democratic U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison and John Taft, CEO of RBC Wealth Management. It states that although Minnesotans, “may be a soft-spoken bunch, we know better than to be silent or still in the face of bigotry shown to Muslims. Our fellow Minnesotans.”

Several media outlets have reported on the ad, including:

Doug Green lends expertise to Star Tribune article on “Pericles”

Minneapolis Star Tribune - logoThe Star Tribune recently sought input from Doug Green, professor of English at Augsburg College, on the disputed authorship of the stage drama “Pericles, Prince of Tyre,” which is being performed at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis.

Many believe that the first two acts of the play were written by an unknown playwright, but that the final three acts were written by William Shakespeare. Others believe that Shakespeare started the work early in his career and finished it after he had gained more experience. One piece of evidence in support of dual authorship is the play’s absence from the “first folio,” the first collection of plays Shakespeare published.

“If it’s not in the First Folio, people are skeptical,” said Green. “Almost from the get-go, the first two acts don’t look like Shakespeare. We know it was played by the King’s Men and it sounds like Shakespeare but it is pretty clear that Shakespeare had a major hand in the last three acts.”

Read: Act One for Joe Haj: ‘Pericles’ gives Guthrie audiences a look at his work on the Star Tribune site.

Local news outlets include Augsburg College’s MLK Convocation in holiday event coverage

Pioneer Press - logoSeveral media outlets have recently published curated lists of local events scheduled in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which takes place on Monday, January 18. The lists published by the Saint Paul Pioneer Press, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and Minnesota Public Radio News each included Augsburg College’s MLK Convocation, an annual event that honors the legacy of King with notable speakers addressing topics of race and social justice.

This year’s convocation will feature Chuck D, leader and co-founder of legendary rap group Public Enemy, author of two critically acclaimed books, and a political activist, publisher, radio host, and producer. He will give a presentation called “Race, Rap, and Reality: Supporting Our Youth in the Spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as They Face the Unique Challenges of Today.”

 

Star Tribune features Frank Hornstein in commentary on
political rhetoric

Minneapolis Star Tribune - logoThe Star Tribune recently published an editorial column that featured an interview with Minneapolis DFL Rep. Frank Hornstein, a senior fellow in Augsburg College’s Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship. The column discusses the widespread use of Hitler and Nazi references in U.S. political rhetoric. The topic has both personal and professional significance for Hornstein; his grandparents were killed by the Nazis and he intends to author a book about the Holocaust’s impact on modern political discourse.

In regard to frequent comparisons between political opponents and Hitler, the article quotes Hornstein as saying, ““If everyone is Hitler, who is Hitler really? When you go right to a Hitler analogy, you’ve already lost the argument. You’ve cheapened the debate.”

Read: Forget Nazi comparisons — find other ways to reject hateful speech on the Star Tribune site.

Star Tribune explores forgiveness with Dean Seal

Minneapolis Star Tribune - logoThe Minneapolis Star Tribune recently published an article covering “Exploring Forgiveness,” a 26-minute program produced for Twin Cities Public Television (TPT) by Dean Seal, instructor of religion at Augsburg College and pastor at Shepherd of the Hill Presbyterian Church in Chaska, Minn. The article reflects on the many sources of conflict and injustice that sprang up in the past year and states that Seal’s focus on the power of forgiveness is a “welcome reminder that we can look forward to 2016, where, perhaps, we’ll find our better selves.”

The program aired twice on TPT and features an interview with Augsburg College alumna Amineh Safi ’14 who provides insights into the Islamic view of forgiveness.

Read: A Minnesotan’s ode to forgiveness at the end of a difficult year on the Star Tribune site. Watch: “Exploring Forgiveness” on the TPT site.

Star Tribune publishes photos of 15th annual Sports Extravaganza

The Minneapolis Star Tribune metro section recently published a number of photos from the 15th annual Sports Extravaganza at Augsburg College. The event, which had record attendance this year, connects children from area schools with Auggie physical education and exercise science majors for a day of learning and fun.

Read: Kids fly high without leaving the ground at Augsburg’s Sports Extravaganza.

Melissa Hensley notes in Star Tribune how Habitat for Humanity homes shape lives

Minneapolis Star TribuneMelissa Hensley, assistant professor of social work at Augsburg College, was quoted in a Star Tribune article about the substantial benefits that Habitat for Humanity homes provide to families who move into them. The article reports on the exceptionally positive findings in a newly released study by Wilder Research of more than 400 families. The improvements in the families’ lives include higher income, less reliance on government social programs, an increased sense of security, and better childhood performance in school.

In the article, Hensley states that the Habitat model, in which participants help construct their new homes, provides a sense of pride and cooperation that has ripple effects throughout the families’ lives. “Most individuals want to be engaged in a constructive activity,” she said. “This is something people feel they’re a part of and can be proud of.” She goes on to note that by “Enabling them to move into a place where they have stability and safety, they can blossom.”

Read: Habitat for Humanity dramatically improves families’ lives, study finds on the Star Tribune site.

Star Tribune touts Augsburg’s Give to the Max Day success, quotes Heather Riddle

Minneapolis Star TribuneThe Star Tribune included Augsburg College in its recent coverage of top Give to the Max Day recipients. For the third year in a row, the College was the highest donation recipient among colleges and universities and it also placed third overall. The article offers a look at the festivities and work that surround what has become an important annual fundraising event for Minnesota organizations and businesses.

Quoted in the article, Heather Riddle, vice president of Institutional Advancement at Augsburg, has come notice the ebb and flow of Minnesotans’ giving habits throughout the 24-hour event. “People give before they go to work, then lunch hour, then after work, then there’s a burst right before it ends [at midnight],” she said.

Read: Give to the Max Day wraps up, tops $18 million on the Star Tribune site.