Though school has been rather quiet since shut down in march, the Environmental Stewardship Coordinators has been busy this summer taking action that will direct sustainability related goals in the fall… and beyond.
For readers who are not familiar, the Environmental Stewardship Coordinators is a small group of interns whose goal is to promote a campus culture of sustainability, in partnership with the Environmental Action Committee and Environmental Stewardship Committee. The sustainability model at Augsburg encompasses personal wellness, social systems, natural environment, and economics so there is a wide possibility of action steps and angles to approach work from. This summer the group has been focusing on institutional commitments, community outreach, and student organizing. Here is a short summary of current projects and future planning.
Institutional Commitments
Augsburg became a charter signatory to the Second Nature Presidents’ Climate Commitment in 2007. This means that we are committed to taking climate action as a university. For us, this action looks like a climate action plan (CAP). The goal of a CAP is to lay out specific goals to help mitigate climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This is a daunting task that requires time and input from our community. The previous CAP was called “Green By 2019” which has groundbreaking initiatives but fell short in completion which is why it is so important to rewrite and shift our energy towards new goals.
Community Outreach
Connecting to our community is extremely valuable to our students… and our university. The Sabo Center, Campus Kitchen, and the Environmental Stewardship Coordinators are working on crafting a campaign that will help students see the importance of supporting local businesses and shifting personal purchasing habits as well as looking at how the university supports the community. This summer there has also been food/supply drives which provided a list of donation items that had sustainability sourced options to help shift personal purchasing towards more ethical options.
Student Organizing
Having a platform for our students to be engaged within sustainability is important to us! We are working on completing more social media posts for how you can be involved around campus, modeling specific handouts for first year students, co-creating a food justice class for 2 credits, and planning ahead for how we can stay connected even if we can’t be in person. We even reached out to alumni of the university to ask them to share their insights on sustainability to make an interview series. This plethora of knowledge would help us create a roadmap for sustainability at Augsburg.
Now what?
As one of the ESC members, I would say this summer work has been uplifting. In such troubling times it is good to be reminded of what Augsburg is about and why I want to continue to go to education here. Sometimes some of these projects seem bigger than me or very out of reach… but that is the exciting part! In our current times we are called to make systemic changes, we need to go farther than we have ever gone before to ensure sustainability- because that means social justice, environmental care, community wellness and economic prosperity. The time is NOW to make change and being a part of this group I feel like we are making meaningful change and paving a way to get there.
The Medtronic Foundation Community Garden at Augsburg University is in full swing, despite a slow start as we navigated how to safely grow food together through COVID-19. Our student workers have been invaluable in helping prepare gardens for planting – both their own communal student plot and plots for some neighbors who needed support – and in making sure health and safety measures like washing shared tools are happening regularly. The garden gathers an inter-generational, intercultural group of neighbors each year, and our student workers have been an invaluable part of making this space available this summer!
Tulela Nashandi
(She/her/hers)
Senior Biology major
Where are you from?
I was born and raised in Namibia.
What have you learned in the garden so far?
I have learned that having a green thumb is more than just natural talent, a lot of research goes into the success of gardening.
What has been challenging or surprising?
The most challenging part has been figuring out what plants that grew from previous years were food or weeds.
What do you wish more people at Augsburg knew about the garden?
I wish more people knew how relaxing and rewarding it is. You really feel like you are part of a community that is doing something really cool. Yep that’s it I wish people knew plants are cool 🙂 It is amazing to see how beautiful some of the gardens look so organized and full of produce.
Soyome Moya
(She/her/hers)
Biology, Class of 2020
Where are you from?
Oromia/Ethiopia
What have you learned in the garden so far?
I have learned about the importance of gardening for your mental health. It is a great way to meditate and appreciate nature.
What has been challenging or surprising?
The most challenging part of gardening is the work that has to be done during the planting season.
What do you wish more people at Augsburg knew about the garden?
The garden is a great place to come together as a community and build relationships.
Francesca Savio
(She/her/hers)
First-year Biology major and Chemistry minor
Where are you from?
I’m from Italy
What have you learned in the garden so far?
I have learned that spending time growing new plants helps me relax and connect with nature.
What has been challenging or surprising?
The most challenging part is to learn how to distinguish the different types of plants from the weeds.
What do you wish more people at Augsburg knew about the garden?
I wish more people knew how rewarding it is to see grow plants and have the opportunity to eat something that you harvested. I also wish people knew how good of an opportunity is to spend time in a garden together connecting not only with nature but also with the community.
Reyna Lopez
(She/her/hers)
Sophomore, Double major: Psychology, and Marketing; minor: Creative Writing
Where are you from?
Saint Paul MN
What have you learned in the garden so far?
Patience is key. Things take time, work, and effort.
What has been challenging or surprising?
Nothing
What do you wish more people at Augsburg knew about the garden?
That anyone can do it, it a resource for many here at Augsburg, and for the community surrounding Augsburg.
Ever since the shiny new Hagfors Center opened in 2018, the Old Science building at Augsburg University has been quiet and empty. This turned out to be good news for Campus Kitchen’s Campus Cupboard, which was previously tucked away in a tiny closet in Foss.
A few students from Campus Kitchen and the Environmental Stewardship Committee sought out approval to turn one of the classrooms in the Old Science building into the new Campus Cupboard food shelf and Share Shop. The space has been transformed. Now, the Cupboard is much closer and more accessible to the students living in the residence halls. But, it is still in a remote location to accommodate for those who want privacy and do not feel comfortable utilizing the Cupboard. It also offers a more spacious environment for the Cupboard to grow and change.
In just one year, The Campus Cupboard and ShareShop have become spaces on campus we are proud of. With couches, string lights, and welcoming smiles at the front desk – it was definitely the upgrade the Cupboard needed. The Shareshop is a place where students can rent or buy items that they may not have space for or will only use once during the semester. Students can even do a test trial on certain items–appliances, utensils, skis, sleeping bags–to see if they will utilize them every day. Having resources like this can lighten the financial burden students may face while also enabling sustainability through sharing.
Overall, the Campus Cupboard has been able to provide nearly 7,000 pounds of food to students since moving to the old science building from October 2019-April 2020. During that time, Campus Cupboard served 438 unique individuals. Before the Cupboard moved there, Science Hall 8 had not seen activity in over a year. Now, students have a new reason to visit the space.
Hunger does not discriminate, and utilizing a food shelf shouldn’t either. The Campus Cupboard is accessible to a wide range of people regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, income, etc. Whether you’re a religion major or chemistry major or athlete or artist, we are all hungry students. Before we can be hungry for knowledge, we must take care of the hunger in our stomachs. Since moving to Science Hall 8, the Campus Cupboard has done just that.
This week, Augsburg was celebrated as one of the inaugural recipients of the Richard Guarasci Award for Institutional Transformation from Campus Compact. The award recognizes outstanding work in pursuit of the public purposes of higher education. Learn more at compact.org/impact-award-2020-recipients/
The Augsburg community is grateful for our custodial workers and the critical role they play in keeping our campus safe. Especially in this difficult time, we thank you for the care you put into your work.
To Our Custodial Staff: The Augsburg community is SO grateful for every one of you!
Augsburg’s students see you and appreciate you:
Toby Reinsma, Student:
I would like to take this time to shout out Walid for his work in the cafeteria. He always greets me every morning with a smile, and I appreciate our conversations in the morning.
Reiss Williams, Student: As a student that was helping run the Share Shop/Campus Cupboard, I am SO grateful to the custodial team for helping keep our space clean. Thank you for everything you do and all your hard work!
Stephanie, Student: There was a custodian in the music building that always cleaned up the hallways in the morning. In the fall semester I would get up to practice and he would be there cleaning up. I remember asking for his name, but I don’t remember what it is now, maybe Jeff, but anyways I always appreciated having a cleaning music building!
Jasmine, Student: I appreciate each and everyone of you for always being kind and positive when we interact. I know cleaning after so many students can be hard but y’all’s dedication truly deserves all the recognition in the world!
Yamile Hernandez, Student: Thank you to our custodial team, for looking out for us. Not only now but all year! Thanks to the custodial team I have been able to move into a clean apartment.
Ed Loubaki, Student: We are very fortunate to have a team who works with care and patience to represent the Augsburg image. The Campus Kitchen team is humbled and grateful for your stewardship in keeping Augsburg spotless. We appreciate you and your work very much, Thank you.
Emma Scherrer, Student: I really appreciate how the sidewalks were always cleared so nicely after it snowed. I never had to worry about having to walk through snow on the sidewalks. It always amazed me how diligently the sidewalks were cleared and the quality of the extent of how much they were cleared. Thank you so much!
Kelton Holsen, Student: Hey! Y’all are great, especially John. The work that you do is incredibly important and often unappreciated. During this time, you, and the many essential student workers, are what’s keeping the school afloat. As such, I strongly urge you to consider unionization and other methods to get the school to increase your pay and address the potential safety concerns associated with having you keep working. I believe that the student body would support you in such an effort. Keep up the good work.
Zinnia, Student: Thank you for working extra hard during this pandemic (even though obviously I wish you didn’t have to)! every morning I wake up to someone playing music while disinfecting the bathroom and it’s sweet especially during this time where nothing else feels real. I’d be doing the same thing at work 🙂
Anonymous Student: The custodial staff at Augsburg has been one of the nicest groups of people that I’ve come to meet. They’re always willing to listen about what you have to say and share what they have to say back. They’re also very caring members of the campus community and want what’s best for the students and staff. An example of this, was the week before Spring Break I was running the Campus Cupboard when one of the custodial members came in and told me to stay safe and take care of my health during this pandemic. Having never actually had a whole conversation with a custodial staff, that first conversation that I had was really heartwarming and showed me that they care for our well-being and want the best for us.
Alex Pruitt, Student:
I want to say thank you to all the custodial staff members for dedicating their time in helping keep the school clean & safe from germs & bacteria everyday. I know in times like this especially it may be harder to have the want to be at work but you chose to stay & help & that means more than words could ever describe thank you!
Ani, Student: Thank you very much for keeping the campus clean during this pandemic!
Anonymous: Thank you Aunties and Uncles. We Love you!
Brittani, Graduate Student: Thank you for keeping our campus clean and inviting!
Augsburg’s faculty and staff see you and appreciate you:
Sarah Degner Riveros, Professor: We are so grateful for the work that you do to make Augsburg a wonderful place. Thank you for care-giving for all of us, for making the space that we work and live safe, healthy, clean, and pleasant. You and your families are in our prayers. We miss you and look forward to being back on campus again soon. With love and gratitude, Sarah
Christina Erickson, Professor: Thank you for all of your hard work! You are also THE MOST FRIENDLY department on campus! All the custodians greet me with kindness and help at a moment’s notice. When my office flooded last summer I quickly had a custodian right by my side to help me empty my water-filled trash can, take items out of the office and suggest ideas for what to do next. I can’t remember the names of everyone I have met, but over the years your care and commitment to our organization have been very real. Thank you. I appreciate your hard work and the many ways we feel good about our work because of YOU!
John, Staff Member: Thanks so much for all you do!
Anonymous Staff Member:
THANK YOU to all the custodial staff who work so diligently to keep our campus well-kept and safe. Your efforts are always appreciated, and even more so during these uncertain times – you have stepped up to faithfully serve the Augsburg community.
Shonna Fulford, Associate Director of Admissions:
I can not say thank you enough to our custodial staff for all they do; during this pandemic but also before. They all go above and beyond to make sure we are taken care of, our spaces are clean, and they always have a friendly smile to share. Those of us in admissions are fortunate enough to be able to work from the safety of our homes, while custodians are serving at the front lines, keeping our campus and community safe and healthy. They are the heroes battling at the front lines and we are grateful for their service, and honored they are Auggies! Thank you for all you do!
Emma Bloom, Staff Member: Thank you for keeping our campus clean and safe! Aster, the Anderson Hall custodian brightens my morning every day as I walk through and we exchange cheerful hellos. Sharmaine and Ozkar are amazing too! Thank you to the whole team for working so hard to keep us safe and for being bright cheery faces at the same time.
Natalie Jacobson, Campus Kitchen Coordinator: Thank you so much to every member of the Augsburg Custodial team for the hard work you do, always, and especially now. Special shout out to Eleni, one of the most kind, warm, bright people I know. It makes my day whenever I see you around campus! Thank you to Eleni and every member of the Custodial team.
Karen Kaivola, Provost: I am so pleased to add an expression of my gratitude to this project. A highlight in recent years has been the annual custodian appreciation event that students organize in the Spring. We can’t gather in the same way this year, so I’m delighted to participate in this project. Thank you for all you do – both in ordinary times and in the extraordinary moment that is now!
Michelle McAteer Head Women’s Hockey Coach: THANK YOU for all your hard work, sacrifice and commitment to Augsburg!
Patrick Connelly, MSW Intern in the Sabo Center: You all are amazing! You are on the front lines of keeping everyone safe and healthy from a deadly pandemic and I so appreciate your work. Eleni, your cheer and smile in the Sabo Center is so valued and needed! Miss seeing you!
Russell Kleckley, Religion Professor: We miss being on campus with you, but even from a distance, appreciate more than we can all that you do to contribute to our work and wellbeing. Please be safe and well until we all can be back together again.
Judi Green, Exec. Asst. to the Provost: Thank you Sharmaine and custodial staff for the hard work you are doing to make sure our campus is safe for students during this time!! I look forward to seeing you on campus when we get to that point! Stay safe!!
Stephen Jendraszak, Staff Member: Thanks so much for everything you’re doing to keep our community and students healthy and safe. Your work is amazing and so appreciated always, but in a special way right now!
Keith Bateman, Staff Member: Thank you for your dedication to the institution, its students, faculty, and staff. I am constantly motivated by your work ethic and the pride you take in your job. The impact you make is not only felt by those on campus, it makes a huge impression on those visiting campus. Your good work impacts the institution in more ways than you may know. Thank you all!
Sarah Griesse, Staff: I have deep gratitude for the work you are doing. Every day I hope and pray that you are healthy and safe along with your families. Thank you for all you are doing!!!
Allyson Green, Chief Sustainability Officer: You all help Augsburg live out it’s sustainability values in so many ways: from dealing with the compost bags that we don’t always fill correctly, to finding things left by students at the end of the year and wondering if students can use them before throwing them away, to growing amazing things in the garden. I also appreciate your willingness to take time out of your extremely busy days to stop and talk and build community. Thanks for everything you do and for working extra hard right now!
Helen Gutierrez, Staff Member: Honestly shout out to Sharmaine Murphy and her team! She is an amazing human being who is always trying to make sure to meet the needs of our community. It’s hard because sometimes we have very last minute cleaning requests or quick room turnarounds that need to happen but Sharmaine and her team always figure it out! Thank you all so much for all of your hard work and presence in our campus. You are truly our front lines and we wouldn’t be able to be on campus without you!
Anonymous Staff Member: I want to say THANK YOU to all of our custodial staff for all of your hard work. You are the members of our community who are on the front line of this pandemic and I know that is coming at a great risk of your health and the health of your family members. I know our thanks is nowhere near enough of what you deserve, but I hope you know your work and sacrifice is not going unnoticed. I see you and your hard work. Thank you for keeping our community safe, and may God keep you and your families safe. Amesegnalew!
Because of the stay at home order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, student employees of the Sabo Center are writing about the work they do. This entry is from Ed Loubaki. If you would like to support Campus Kitchen’s work, feel free to donate through Augsburg’s donation page. You can designate your donation to Other>Campus Kitchen.
Hello, my name is Ed Loubaki, my pronouns are she/her/ hers. I am a first-year student and I work with the Campus Kitchen in the Sabo Center. Through Campus Kitchen, we work to provide food that is healthy and accessible. The Campus Cupboard food shelf is open every weekday, and it’s relieving for many Augsburg students that there’s a place on campus to access free food. Augsburg is quite fortunate to have Campus Kitchen because its students and surrounding comm
unity get to enjoy meals and fresh produce together. As a Campus Kitchen student employee, I love that we work to reduce food waste on campus and address food insecurity in our community. Campus Kitchen at Augsburg works hard to not only care for Augsburg, but also for the surrounding community at Ebenezer Tower Apartments, Trinity Lutheran Congregation, and the Brian Coyle Community Center.
My experience at Ebenezer Tower and the Brian Coyle Center has been beyond amazing. It did not take long to bond with community members. Every meal shift brings me joy. Each meal spices up the conversations, and sometimes it’s hard to leave. Hearing laughter here and there makes the job extra fun. At Ebenezer, I get to hear stories that soothe me and help me make better decisions in the future. These seniors are like the grandparents I never had; they make me feel like their own. Brian Coyle, on the other hand, has this energy that is incredible. You just can’t turn from it. At times, my urge to do work with Campus Kitchen increases because it doesn’t even feel like work – it feels like a great meal with friends and family. I’m looking forward to the time when we can gather again in-person to enjoy food and conversation together.
The Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship was recently awarded $75,000 by the Hearst Foundation to support the LEAD Fellows program. LEAD (Leaders for Equity, Action, and Democracy) is a Bonner-affiliated program that engages undergraduate students in public work projects and paid internships at community-based organizations. For two to four school years, LEAD Fellows work directly in the community to address social issues such as education, homelessness, racial justice, and poverty while participating in a peer leadership and learning cohort.
It is common for students in higher education to participate in community-based work through service learning or volunteering. However, for students who need to support themselves by working, a course that includes service learning or doing volunteer work is not an option. Because LEAD Fellows’ work in the community is paid, it allows for students to engage in long-term, in-depth community-based work who may not otherwise be able to do so due to financial constraints. LEAD Follows makes it possible for students with the need to work to make money while making a difference and growing as a leader in a supportive learning community. In addition, the cohort-based community at the heart of the LEAD program helps students to make connections with peers and mentors, builds students’ sense of belonging, and provides a setting to practice leadership.
Funding from the Hearst Foundation will support the pay students receive for their community-based internships, and will enhance the activities of the cohort, which includes twice-yearly retreats and bi-monthly gatherings. Thank you to the Hearst Foundation for their support!
Harry Boyte, co-director of the Public Work Academy and Senior Scholar in Public Work Philosophy at the Sabo Center, will deliver a sermon this Sunday titled “Nonviolence – A wellspring of hope in a world in flames.” January worship at Prospect Park United Methodist Church explores the disciplines and possibilities of nonviolence, both from an historic perspective and as they intersect with us individually and collectively. This series is inspired by the insights of Mahatma Gandhi and the nonviolence of the Indian independence movement.
Nonviolence – A wellspring of hope in a world in flames
Prospect Park United Methodist Church
January 12, 2020, 10:00 a.m.
Prospect Park UMC is located at 22 Orlin Ave. SE in Minneapolis, one block south of University Ave. on Malcolm Ave., near the Prospect Park Green Line light rail station. Sunday worship begins each week at 10:00 a.m., with coffee and conversation before and after the service. Parking is available both on-street and at Pratt Community School, immediately adjacent to the church. For more information, call 612-378-2380, visit www.prospectparkchurch.org.
The Sabo Center is proud to co-sponsor this benefit, please join us.
The Cedar Cultural Center, Augsburg University, and KFAI present:
630 CEDAR AVE FIRE BENEFIT with Thunder Band, Brass Messengers, Becky Kapell and The Fat 6, Jack Klatt, Amjet Kemet, Tatum and Tessa, Ray Barnard & Clark Adams, and more
Saturday, January 11th, 2020 / Doors 7:00pm / Show 7:30pm
Standing Show
$10, $20, $30, $40, or $50
This is a standing show with an open floor. The Cedar always reserves a section of seats for patrons who require special seating accommodations. To request seating or other access accommodations, please go to their Access page.
Proceeds donated to 630 Cedar Fire Relief Committee. No one will be turned away due to lack of funds.
Can’t make it to the concert? You can still make a donation to support the families affected by the fire, here.
Gardeners gather for a meal and storytelling event in the garden.
Gazing out the west-facing upper windows of the Hagfors Center on Augsburg’s campus, you can’t miss benches, paths, and raised beds of Augsburg’s community garden. While the garden on the edge of campus has been cultivated since 2008, when the plans for the Hagfors Center for Science, Business, and Religion got underway, there was a distinct opportunity to preserve and re-imagine this unique community garden space. With support from the Medtronic Community Foundation, design guidance from O2 Design, and community-based input, the garden was rebuilt to make the space more accessible, inclusive, and visible.
Throughout the design process for the new garden space, gardeners and Augsburg staff centered the enduring principles and goals for this vital community connection space: grow food, build relationships, and learn together. The garden now has wider and defined pathways, clear plot boundaries, and a variety of raised and in-ground beds.
The re-designed garden just finished its second season of production. With over sixty individual plots and communal growing space cultivated by residents of Cedar-Riverside and Augsburg staff, faculty, and students, the newly rebuilt garden is continuing to offer a place for learning and building community.
About half of the members of Augsburg’s community garden are neighbors in Cedar-Riverside and Seward (six have a view of the garden from their homes across the street!), and about half are Augsburg staff, faculty, and students. Student groups, such as Hmong Women Together and the Augsburg Indigenous Student Association, tend portions of the communal gardening areas, and about ten students from TRIO Summer Bridge spent time learning in the garden over the 2019 growing season.
Individual gardeners are not the only people to utilize the garden; this fall, several professors teaching classes focused on food and sustainability are also capitalizing on the presence of the garden. From a history of food class, to a course on environmental connections to food, a chemistry AugSem, and a science of food and cooking class: the garden has increasingly become a laboratory for classroom learning on wide-ranging subjects related to growing and consuming food. Other classes utilize the garden in less formal ways, perhaps holding a class outside by The Loveliest of Trees, or sending students out for discussion as they walk the garden paths.
Campus Kitchen Coordinator Natalie Jacobson (left) and Chief Sustainability Officer Allyson Green (right) enjoy conversation at a garden event.
During the summer and fall of 2019, the garden began to utilize the Food Lab space in the Hagfors Center for potlucks and food preparation. Chief Sustainability Officer Allyson Green, who oversees the garden, remarked that the first session of gardeners gathering in the food lab over the summer was the highlight of the season; people got to know one another and shared cooking techniques and conversation as they made sambusas. This season also saw a student-led storytelling event in partnership with Mixed Blood Theater and food activist, LaDonna Redmond. As gardeners and others are living into the new space, opportunities for connecting and learning with and from each other are growing alongside the vegetables.
One challenge with the garden rebuild was impacted soil in the in-ground beds due to construction equipment. After the garden was initially built, gardeners were having a difficult time cultivating healthy root systems for their plants, requiring that all of the in-ground beds be dug up and the soil turned. Thankfully, dozens of students, several classes, and a few athletic teams answered the call, picking up shovels and making quick work of the beds that required turning.
When asked about how the garden fits into the overall sustainability commitments of Augsburg, Allyson noted that the garden is a visible demonstration of Augsburg’s commitment to caring for the place where Augsburg is located. By tending to our natural environment and building a place for community building, food access, and learning, the garden is an important aspect of Augsburg’s place-based and anchor institution work.
Allyson also noted her hopes for the garden. With twenty-five people on the waiting list, she hopes that the garden can continue to be a vital place on-campus for learning and relationship building that contributes to the well-being of the whole community. She dreams that the garden might be a model for cooperation and learning that can spread to other areas of campus, and even to other communities!
As a space that requires the cooperation of dozens of people who all have different ideas about ways of growing food, habits of organization and storage, and different cultures, personalities, and life stories, the garden is a unique place for experimentation, building community amongst difference, and finding a middle ground. Here’s to a successful growing season and many more to come!
(She/her/hers)
