Stress has been called the “health epidemic of the 21st century” by the World Health Organization, and Dave Conrad聽offers suggestions for dealing with stress in his latest column for the Rochester Post-Bulletin. Conrad, Augsburg College鈥檚 assistant director of the Rochester MBA program, notes that finding ways to alleviate stress can be as聽beneficial for employers as it is for employees. Read, “Learn what stress is trying to tell you” on the Post-Bulletin website.
Augsburg draws media coverage as host of debate
Augsburg College聽and the League of Women Voters Minnesota hosted a Secretary of State debate on Oct. 28.
Candidates Bob Hellend, Bob Odden, Dan Severson, and Steve Simon faced off on such issues as voter identification and improved Secretary of State business services. Augsburg received聽several media mentions聽as the venue for the occasion.
To learn more on the debate, visit the聽following links:
- MinnPost – The Secretary of State debate showed precisely why the race may be very close
- MPR – Hear the Secretary of State debate
- The Uptake – Video Replay: Final MN Secretary of State debate before election
Phil Adamo shares origins of Halloween on KARE 11
Phil Adamo, associate professor of history and director of Medieval Studies at Augsburg College, was a guest on KARE 11 on Halloween to talk about the origins of the holiday. Adamo shared with Diana Pierce and viewers how Halloween started as a Celtic festival that celebrated the final harvest and eventually was incorporated into Christian traditions to lure non-Christians into the Church. He also discussed the origins of the bonfire, jack-o-lanterns, and Halloween candy.
Augsburg named one of five finalists for national interfaith award
Augsburg College was one of five finalists named to the prestigious President鈥檚 Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction in the interfaith and community service category.
This is the fifth time that the College has been named to the top tier of recognition鈥攖he honor roll with distinction鈥攆or this prominent national award. More than 500 schools vied for the 2014 award that celebrates outstanding achievements in and commitment to interfaith and community service work.
In 2010, Augsburg took top honors from among a field of 850 applicants. Read about this campus accomplishment in the story “.”
Dave Conrad says to take criticism with a grain of salt
Dave Conrad, Augsburg College’s assistant director of the Rochester MBA program, wrote in his most recent Rochester Post-Bulletin column聽about the tendency to be over-defensive and why it’s sometimes hard to accept criticism, positive or negative, from others. “鈥e must be sensitive to our emotions and realize how our emotions affect our thinking,” Conrad said.
Read “Before you get defensive, take breath” for more tips on how to be more open to feedback.
Board of Regents unanimously renews President Pribbenow’s contract through 2021
The Augsburg College Board of Regents, in its October meeting, unanimously voted to renew the contract of President Paul C. Pribbenow for another six-year term.
“In these volatile times in higher education, we are blessed to have Paul Pribbenow as our president,” said Paul S. Mueller, M.D., ’84 and chair of the Board of Regents. “We agree with the comprehensive review that shows that Paul brings exceptional intelligence, commitment, energy, and integrity to his work, and he continues to grow in effectiveness.”
In a letter to the Augsburg College community, Mueller also said that Pribbenow’s聽renewal was based upon multiple factors, including a comprehensive review that聽included input from more than 120 faculty, staff, administrators, alumni, partners, and community leaders, as well as Pribbenow’s response to the review and his accomplishments over the past several years.
Since joining Augsburg in 2006, Pribbenow has enhanced the College鈥檚 role as an active community partner in its urban setting. In that time, the College has achieved national recognition for its excellence in service learning, experiential education, and interfaith service. Pribbenow also has become a leader among the 26 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), helping to articulate the gifts shaping and supporting Lutheran higher education in the 21st聽century. Pribbenow has led Augsburg College in the development of new mission and strategic vision statements that anchor the institution鈥檚 priorities and initiatives, shaping the College鈥檚 strategic plan, Augsburg 2019. He has advanced the College鈥檚 top priority鈥攁 state-of-the-art education center housing academic programs in science, business, and religion, among others鈥攁nd has played key roles in cultivating donor relationships and in attaining the largest philanthropic gift in Augsburg College history.
The contract between the Augsburg College and Pribbenow runs through 2021. Pribbenow is the 10th president of Augsburg College, a private liberal arts college associated with the ELCA and located in Minneapolis, and is recognized as one of the country鈥檚 most engaging commentators and teachers on ethics, philanthropy, and American public life. .
Augsburg College Media Experts: Halloween, Elections
Origins of Halloween: Phil Adamo, associate professor of Medieval History
Phil Adamo, an associate professor of Medieval History at Augsburg College, is available to address by phone and/or on camera the:
- Origins of Halloween as a pagan harvest festival
- Historic reasons people wore Halloween costumes and had bonfires
- Myth-busting whether Halloween was/is Satanic, a belief held by some Christian groups at various times throughout history
Elections: Andy Aoki, professor of political science
Andy Aoki regularly provides commentary to members of print and broadcast media on issues related to elections. Aoki is available this election week to offer comment on stories that include perspective on minority politics including:
- Asian-American politics
- Inter-racial coalitions
- Multiculturalism
Learn more about Aoki at http://www.augsburg.edu/faculty/aoki/
Interviews
To arrange interviews with Adamo or Aoki, please contact Stephanie Weiss, director of news and media services, at 612.330.1476 or by email at weisss@augsburg.edu.
About Augsburg College
Augsburg College is set in a vibrant neighborhood at the heart of the Twin Cities, and offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate degrees to nearly 4,000 students of diverse backgrounds. Augsburg College educates students to be informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.聽The Augsburg experience is supported by an聽engaged community committed to intentional diversity聽in its life and work. An Augsburg education is defined by excellence聽in the liberal arts and professional studies, guided by the faith and values聽of the Lutheran church, and shaped by its urban and global settings.
Augsburg’s StepUP program receives media mention
Scott Washburn, assistant director for Augsburg College’s StepUP program was mentioned on Minnpost.com.
The StepUP program, which aims to help students with histories of addiction thrive on campus, was mentioned as part of an article about P.E.A.S.E. Academy, which is a similar local program at the high school level.
Washburn, who is a licensed alcohol and drug counselor, said that the biggest threat for students dealing with addiction is being around their nearest and dearest on campus. “We know from research as well as experience that the No. 1 relapse trigger is the influence of peers,” Washburn said.聽
to read the article. on its program site.
Star Tribune features Midnimo partnership
will host a free concert by Taleex Band on October 31 as part of the Midnimo series, a two-year partnership with Augsburg College to build cross-cultural awareness, knowledge, and understanding of Somali culture through music. The Star Tribune recently promoted the show and Midnimo programming in the article, “Twin Cities band Taleex raises voices for Somali pride.” As noted in the article, the Taleex performance聽also will include sets by non-Somali groups. Bob鈥檚 Band,聽a brass jazz group led by long-time Augsburg College Music Department faculty member Bob Stacke 鈥�71 and comprised of several Augsburg聽alumni and current students, will augment Taleex Band’s sets.
Kuoth Wiel ’13 gains wealth of media coverage
Augsburg College alumna Kuoth Wiel ’13, a star in the feature film 鈥淭he Good Lie,鈥� has garnered聽a plethora of media coverage. The film, which was released聽in Minnesota Oct. 17,聽has been well received and is generating聽Oscar buzz.聽 Augsburg has received several media mentions thanks to Wiel since she was a student at the College聽when she auditioned聽for the role.
The film brings to life a fictional yet strikingly accurate story of the ‘Lost Boys’ of Sudan. Born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia to Sudanese parents herself, it’s no surprise Wiel found it important to help tell this story. Being a part of the film聽“…validated all the struggles we had went through,” Wiel said in an MPR news interview.
Wiel has been traveling around the U.S. promoting the film since its September debut at the Toronto Film Festival. The film, along with Wiel聽and her cast mates, have聽been featured and covered by media outlets ranging聽from Minneapolis’ Star Tribune to Rolling Stone magazine.
Below is a list of聽some of the聽local and national media coverage on Wiel:
- Bring Me the News聽–聽“Augsburg grad’s tragic past informs role in Hollywood movie”
- Entertainment Weekly聽鈥撀�“Behind聽the Scenes with the Sudanese stars of ‘The Good Lie'”
- Huffington Post聽鈥撀�“It’s been a long road to the big screen for the Sudanese stars of “‘The Good Lie'”
- Kare 11聽鈥撀犫�淎ugsburg grad lands role with Reese Witherspoon鈥�
- MPR聽鈥撀�“‘The Good Lie鈥� treads close to Sudanese refugee life, Minnesota actress says鈥�
- People聽鈥撀�“Meet the real-life ‘Lost Boys’ of Sudan in ‘The Good Lie'”
- Pioneer Press聽鈥撀犫��’The Good Lie鈥� wisely leaves story to the refugees鈥�
- Rolling Stone聽鈥撀�“This Reese Witherspoon drama about the lost boys (and girls) of Sudan is earnest to a fault, but you won’t leave unmoved”
- Star Tribune聽–聽“Sudanese refugees weather culture shock in ‘Good Lie'”
- Variety聽–聽“Toronto film review: ‘The Good Lie'”