Members of the Augsburg College community were featured in a range of print and broadcast media stories that had broad local, state, national and international impact. Faculty, students, and staff shared their expertise on scholarship and pedagogy, experience as Auggies, and insight on current and special events. Here are the top 15 stories from 2013.
The stories listed below 鈥 in chronological order 鈥 are only a small fraction of the many times Auggies made the news and celebrated accomplishments.
- The Augsburg-hosted听Minnesota Urban Debate League听was featured throughout the year in a number of stories. Read a March听article听in听MinnPost听about how the program drives student success in inner-city schools.听听The听Star Tribune鈥檚听Gail Rosenblum also wrote about MNUDL听in a March听story听that explored how debate fosters critical thinking skills.
- Hans Wiersma, associate professor of religion, in March spoke with WCCO-TV reporter Jason DeRusha who answers viewers鈥 inquiries in a Good Question segment. DeRusha asked Wiersma, 鈥淲hy should non-Catholics care about the new听Pope?鈥澨齏atch the television segment.
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Auggies on stage at Bon Jovi. Six Augsburg College students in March and April spoke with television reporters from KARE-11, KSTP, and WCCO-TV about their participation in the Bon Jovi 鈥淏ecause We Can鈥 College Community Service Challenge. The students were selected for this opportunity based upon their campus leadership and community engagement, and spoke with media before and during their time at the concert.
- When it seemed winter never would end, John Zobitz, associate professor of math, spoke in April with WCCO about math and how it relates to climate. Watch the segment.
- Michael Grewe, coordinator of LGBTQIA services, spoke with KSTP television about Gov. Mark Dayton signing into law a bill that made legal same-sex marriage.
- Augsburg College commencement in May was a time of celebration. Mary Godi 鈥13, the class speaker and a native of Sudan, spoke with the听Rochester Post-Bulletin about her pursuit of an education and being the first in her family to earn a college degree. Read the story.
- Auggie Kuoth Wiel 鈥13, spoke with the Pioneer Press for a story about balancing her studies with landing a role in a Hollywood film featuring Reese Witherspoon. Read the article.
- A unique summer camp at Augsburg College operated by Phil Adamo, associate professor of history, in July was profiled in the Star Tribune. The article explored how Medieval Minnesota offers high schoolers a glimpse into the real Middle Ages.听Read the story.
- Augsburg College in July worked with Judge LaJune Thomas Lange ’75, the honorary consul for South Africa for Minnesota, to celebrate the work and life of Nobel Peace Prize Winner Nelson Mandela for his 95th birthday. See the听 Star Tribune article.
Mike Wentzel, assistant professor of chemistry, shared in July with the Journal of Visualized Experiments (JoVE) how he is mixing teamwork into the courseload for his advanced organic chemistry class to create an innovative classroom experience. Read more on JoVE’s website.
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- The听Huffington Post听in September published an opinion piece by Augsburg College President Paul Pribbenow in which he discussed the necessity of educating students with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and faiths. Read Pribbenow鈥檚 comments.
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Nicolas Adducci ’15 For Nicolas Adducci 鈥15, studying at Augsburg College has meant finding resources to meet the challenges he faces as a student diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). In the听Everyday Health听article, 鈥淎DHD and College Success: Nicolas鈥 Story,鈥 Adducci in September talked about how the support he receives from Augsburg鈥檚听Center for Learning and Adaptive Student Services听(CLASS) allows him to double major in business management and psychology, make the dean鈥檚 list, and shed much of the stigma associated with having a learning disability. Read the story.
Andy Aoki, chair of political science, in November spoke with听Star Tribune columnist Gail Rosenblum last week on why voters do and do not turn out at the polls during elections. Read 鈥淒id you vote? Thanks. Here鈥檚 why you did it鈥 in the听Star Tribune. Aoki also was interviewed on turnout numbers in varying Minneapolis wards for the story 鈥淓lection seems to signal the ascension of a new Minneapolis DFL鈥 on the听MinnPost听website.
- Professor of Economics Jeanne Boeh, who regularly speaks with media, in December was featured on WCCO-TV to talk about the holiday shopping season, which was shortened due to Thanksgiving鈥檚 late date. Visit the WCCO website.
- Associate Professor of Religion Hans Wiersma spoke with the Christian Science Monitor in December about why Nidal Malik Hasan, the convicted shooter in the 2009 Fort Hood tragedy, requested a Bible although Hasan is a Muslim.听Read the article.