On and around the land that today houses 海角社区鈥檚 Minneapolis campus, they celebrated births and mourned deaths. They spoke languages of love and laughter, stress and sorrow. They built families, businesses, and dreams.

They were here and many are gone, at once everywhere and nowhere because in the blistering pace and abundant distractions of the human ecosystem we all inhabit, it鈥檚 natural that we forget who came before us.

But what if鈥攅ven for a moment鈥攚e turned our attention to who we were and who we are right now? To who worships next to us, or walks by us in the grocery, or shares an apartment wall?

鈥淥n This Spot鈥� and 鈥淓ach, Together,鈥� bring into focus the history of the campus and the surrounding neighborhood, and the people who are the Augsburg of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

What would we discover if we intentionally took notice of who we are and where we鈥檝e come from?

This idea is at the core of new art and historical exhibits that cover collectively four city blocks on 12 of Augsburg鈥檚 building facades and 37 window panes around campus. As part of Augsburg鈥檚 sesquicentennial celebration, artists and designers at the university wanted to give the community a chance to reflect on their history and their people. So the works, dubbed respectively 鈥淥n This Spot鈥� and 鈥淓ach, Together,鈥� bring into focus the history of the campus and the surrounding neighborhood, and the people who are the Augsburg of yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

鈥楬umans at the center鈥�

鈥淓ach, Together,鈥� the larger of the two projects, is a Group Action of the international 鈥淚nside Out: The People鈥檚 Art Project鈥� initiative that launched in 2011 after a French street artist, known only as JR, won that year鈥檚 TED Prize. First awarded in 2005, the TED (Technology, Entertainment, and Design) Prize has become synonymous with visionary thinking meant to spark change throughout the world. Winners of the award鈥攊ncluding educators, artists, chefs, journalists, and even former President Bill Clinton鈥攈ave used the $1 million prize to fuel specific community projects, like healthy food initiatives and educational innovations. The winning projects all have one thing in common: They are designed to make people engage in their communities.

In the case of artist JR鈥檚 project, his vision was to create works that 鈥渟hine a light on the unsung and give everyone the dignity they deserve.鈥� And he hoped that beyond his capacity as one artist, people around the world would join in the celebration of others. To date, more than 260,000 people in 129 countries have participated in different versions of the project featuring faces displayed on billboards, buildings, sidewalks, and in digital collections. Augsburg is one of the latest communities to answer the call.

鈥淲e saw that invitation, that there was a related, common ethos to what we have here at Augsburg, and that the project was similar to public works we鈥檝e done here,鈥� said Christopher Houltberg, Augsburg associate professor of art and design. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really about putting humans at the center.鈥�

So a team that included a curator, nine photographers, and three designers鈥擧oultberg, Maggie Royce 鈥�15, and Indra Ramassamy 鈥�18鈥攚orked for several months between Fall 2018 and Summer 2019. The photographers attended between 15 and 20 campus events, all working to capture as many faces as possible to best tell the Augsburg story.

鈥淭he way we went about it was really organic,鈥� Houltberg said. 鈥淲e started going to events around campus in Fall 2018 and then in the springtime, trying to get to as many different ones as possible. There鈥檚 a really big holiday event called Advent Vespers, and a lot of alumni come to that.鈥� All told, the group took more than 900 photos and gathered about 300 additional images of historic Auggies.

鈥淚t鈥檚 very democratic; everyone is given the same amount of space,鈥� Houltberg said. 鈥淔rom our president, Paul Pribbenow, to people who work on our janitorial staff, to our students, to our former mayor, R.T. Rybak.

鈥淎s we were defining the parameters [of the 鈥楨ach, Together鈥� project] it was a fun surprise for us to see who self-identified as part of Augsburg.鈥�

Bigger dose of Augsburg

R.T. Rybak, current president of the Minneapolis Foundation, was the mayor of Minneapolis from 2002 to 2014. He said it would be impossible to think of the growth and development of the city without considering the role Augsburg has played in that history.

鈥淚鈥檝e conservatively said 1,000 times in public speeches that the neighborhood where Augsburg is, is our Ellis Island. One wave after the other washes in and the next wave builds on top, and it鈥檚 something that no one wave could have created in isolation,鈥� Rybak said.

That鈥檚 most certainly the story of the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood that surrounds Augsburg and the story of Minneapolis as a whole.

鈥�… I often think we just need a bigger dose of Augsburg. We need to realize that offering that ladder of opportunity to someone else makes all of us able to climb higher. We are better together.

鈥擱.T. Rybak, former Minneapolis mayor

鈥淎ugsburg is a shining example of the very best parts of Minneapolis鈥� history. The university represents opening doors to people with strange names like Johnson or Anderson or Rybak, and keeping those doors open for people with names that come from Africa, Asia, and places across the globe.

鈥淲hen I get down about what鈥檚 fracturing our deeply divided country and world today, I often think we just need a bigger dose of Augsburg. We need to realize that offering that ladder of opportunity to someone else makes all of us able to climb higher. We are better together.鈥�

Houltberg said the 鈥渢ogether鈥� ideal is at the heart of the exhibit. 鈥淎s individuals we are showing up, and collectively we can do something greater than what we can do on our own,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 loved seeing the portraits blocked together, seeing people stop and take selfies. There are people who say, 鈥業 recognize who that is!鈥欌��

Forward facing, historic reflections

Kristin Anderson, a co-creator of these projects as well as a professor of art history and Augsburg archivist, said she鈥檚 only heard good things about the exhibit.

鈥淚 have seen emails and tweets鈥攕ometimes emotional鈥攚ith people responding to the wall as a whole, as well as to their individual images,鈥� Anderson said.

The community is responding to the historical revisit that 鈥淥n This Spot鈥� installations provide, too, she said.

That exhibit features enormous panels that share Augsburg moments that photographers captured decades ago. The campus life of yesteryear includes images of young bobby soxer women from the 1940s in saddle shoes and flowing skirts in contrast with men wearing formal suits while tramping across a snow-covered campus.

鈥淚t has been a fun way to bring some old photographs to life and to show how the campus is layered on the site. Those 鈥榣ost鈥� buildings displayed on the walls of the current buildings help to connect us to our past, reminding us of the imagination and commitment of our predecessors,鈥� Anderson said.

The two exhibits are being admired by community members who see the campus regularly and by those who keep up with Augsburg from a distance.

Killa (Martinez Aleman) Marti 鈥�08 came to Augsburg from her home in Honduras. Marti said she brought her own values with her when she enrolled, 鈥渂ut Augsburg put them to work. The Auggie community showed me that I wasn鈥檛 crazy to want a career with meaning.鈥�

鈥淭hose 鈥榣ost鈥� buildings displayed on the walls of the current buildings help to connect us to our past, reminding us of the imagination and commitment of our predecessors.鈥�

鈥擪ristin Anderson, university archivist

For Marti, 鈥淓ach, Together鈥� perfectly sums up her experience at Augsburg.

鈥淢y career is an intersection of what I love to do with the opportunity to serve,鈥� said Marti, an attorney in Atlanta. 鈥淭o think critically, to be socially and community-minded鈥攁ll of the things I exercise in my life were supported and further developed at Augsburg.鈥�

Houltberg said it鈥檚 difficult not to consider the greater impact that art, especially a work like 鈥淓ach, Together,鈥� has.

鈥淗aving a group of artists, designers, and photographers come together to make something this beautiful and to see it up and fully functioning is pretty great,鈥� he said.

鈥淚t has created a tangible thread between all of us, which transcends 150 years and all our history,鈥� said Ramassamy, who worked with the team to design 鈥淓ach, Together.鈥�

鈥淲e live in a visual world yet we can be unaware of each other,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his project is making us aware of one another, making us pay attention, making us curious about the person in the portrait above or to the left or right of us.鈥�

鈥淚 love watching people who are walking down the streets looking at the portraits,鈥� Houltberg said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 an element of surprise to it that鈥檚 really fantastic. Sometimes the tendency is to put people in big groups. But if you look at these portraits, look at the eyes, and look at the humans who are represented here, you see just how wide a spectrum of humans we are. Anytime we can show the humans and not the institution, we win.鈥�

Social Media Spotlight

The post Face value appeared first on Augsburg Now.

Training for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games, could think of little else than the triple jump cadence.

Hop, step, and jump. Hop, step, and jump.

Then at practice, hop, step, and crack鈥攆ollowed by intense pain, doctors, and confirmation that his Olympic dreams shattered along with his ankle.

Dixon spent the next few years figuring out who he was off the field鈥攖he place where athletic ability and subsequent praise had become closely linked to his sense of identity. It was a journey as difficult鈥攊f not more so鈥攖han his climb to peak performance. During that dark, confusing time, he promised himself: If I鈥檓 ever in a position to help others transition to life after sports, I will.

Since July, Dixon has served as 海角社区鈥檚 director of athletic diversity and inclusion and assistant coach for the men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 track and field teams. He is eager to return to the field as a coach, and he has a game plan to use the new role to promote a culture of inclusion. This job is personal, Dixon said.

鈥淚 was one of only a few African American kids in elementary school. People would ask to touch my hair, and I felt different until fifth grade, when I performed in front of my peers and teachers at a district track meet,鈥� he said. 鈥淔or the first time, I felt accepted and embraced, and from then on, my identity was as an athlete. I loved it, don鈥檛 get me wrong, but it was difficult to adjust once I left the arena.鈥�

Dixon never had an African American teacher or coach other than a friend鈥檚 dad who, after selling insurance all day, volunteered for Dixon鈥檚 high school track and field team. 鈥淚 had amazing coaches and teachers, but I never saw myself in those roles,鈥� he said. These and other life experiences inform his outlook on this new role and emphasize the importance of his presence at Augsburg, where he also teaches Introduction to Kinesiology.

鈥淚 am meeting student-athletes and talking with them about the challenges they face. I am working to be a presence on campus鈥攖o break down stereotypes for some and to be a role model for others,鈥� he said. 鈥淎longside student-athletes and our athletics administration, I want to create or enhance academic resources, life-skills development, and networking opportunities.鈥�

Personal connections and consistent, centralized support are critical to the success of underrepresented student-athletes, Dixon said. 鈥淎ugsburg is already ahead of the game. The student body is diverse, and there are many resources across campus that support inclusion. I plan to work with and build on what鈥檚 already there.鈥�

A plan鈥攕tarting with breakfast

As the sun rose on the second Thursday in October, Dixon greeted several tables of student-athletes seated in The Commons in Christensen Center. The young men of color connected with each other over breakfast before hearing advice from Jareck Horton, district sales manager
at PDC IDenticard, and Augsburg Football Assistant Coach . Dixon plans to invite successful men of color from a range of professions to these monthly networking socials, and he will hold similar events with other groups. 鈥�20 MAE, graduate assistant coach for track and field, said she and other students are thrilled with Dixon鈥檚 enthusiasm and vision for the role.

鈥淚n a world where, many times, the odds are stacked against us, leaders of color provide hope and strength,鈥� said Schuelke, a student in the Master of Arts in Education program. 鈥淚 came to Augsburg for the MAE program, but I was pleasantly surprised to find how diverse the campus is, and it is my absolute favorite part of my learning experience.

鈥淚f we can move the needle toward a more diverse group of leaders that better represent our country鈥檚 demographics, then students of color will begin to understand that the sky鈥檚 the limit in terms of their own hopes, dreams, and aspirations.鈥�

鈥淎longside student-athletes and our athletics administration, I want to create or enhance academic resources, life-skills development, and networking opportunities.鈥�

鈥擟hris Dixon, director of athletic diversity and inclusion

Position the result of NCAA diversity grant

Dixon鈥檚 position is largely made possible through a two-year NCAA Ethnic Minorities and Women鈥檚 Internship Grant, which provides financial assistance to member institutions who create full-time, entry-level administrative positions for people who identify as an ethnic minority and/or a woman, according to federal guidelines. The grant also supports professional development and formalized mentoring.

Augsburg was one of only 20 institutions and conference offices selected to receive the grant this cycle, and it is the third award for Augsburg in the past decade. The university first secured the Ethnic Minorities and Women鈥檚 Internship Grant during the 2012 to 2014 cycle to fund Jennifer Jacobs鈥� role as assistant director of NCAA compliance and assistant volleyball coach. In 2014, Augsburg received the NCAA鈥檚 Strategic Alliance Matching Grant, which funds full-time, mid- to senior-level athletics administration positions during a five-year commitment. Jacobs鈥� role then evolved into assistant athletic director of external relations and diversity and inclusion, in addition to her role as assistant volleyball coach. She is now head volleyball coach at Augustana University.

Augsburg鈥檚 Associate Athletic Director Kelly Anderson Diercks said the department is driven to advance diversity and inclusion. 鈥淓mbracing and connecting students of all backgrounds and experiences is the right thing to do, but it is also smart,鈥� she said. 鈥淢ore diverse teams are often stronger teams. They produce student-athletes who are better prepared to excel in play and in life.鈥�

Anderson Diercks is a product of the NCAA鈥檚 diversity grants, first as an intern for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and then as an assistant director. The experience, Anderson Diercks said, transformed how she operates as a leader in a male-dominated profession. More than a decade has passed, but she remains in contact with the mentor assigned to her during the internship.

鈥淭hese are critical opportunities for women and minorities to enter into leadership positions with tremendous personal and professional resources designed to equip them with the tools and outlook to navigate difficult roles,鈥� said Anderson Diercks, who formerly served as chair of the NCAA Ethnic Minority and Women鈥檚 Internship selection committee. 鈥淲e are particularly excited about Coach Dixon鈥檚 position because, to our knowledge, it is the only role of its kind.鈥�

Augsburg is 鈥榓head of the game鈥�

Ali Spungen, associate director of Division III for the NCAA, said that about 130 positions have been awarded through diversity grants during the past five years鈥攖hat鈥檚 more than $36 million in funds for positions and professional development. Augsburg, Spungen said, stands out as a leader in the division, which is well positioned to meet the needs of diverse populations.

鈥淒ivision III allows student-athletes to play the sports they love within departments also focused on their academics and social engagement,鈥� said Spungen, also a past grant recipient. 鈥淭hese positions empower leaders like Coach Dixon to thrive, which inspires and encourages students. Augsburg clearly cares for its student-athletes and is willing to dedicate time and resources to ensure they are successful and well-rounded.鈥�

Dixon is ready and grateful to come full-circle鈥攖o be the coach and teacher he never had and to prepare others for the transitions he never saw coming.

The post Building on an early lead appeared first on Augsburg Now.

鈥淚 escaped into books. Or maybe,鈥� she said, 鈥淚 disappeared in them.鈥� Books gave her the life she longed for, but those beloved tales were someone else鈥檚 story. She was 20 before she read a book with black characters.

Now 55, the retired teacher is driven to change that narrative. Last August, at the historic James J. Hill Center in St. Paul, Minnesota, Taris stood in front of family and friends to voice her dream, Strive Publishing, into existence. The startup鈥攂ased out of her Twin Cities home鈥攕upports emerging authors of picture books and young adult novels that are culturally relevant, contemporary, and relatable to kids of all shades, abilities, and experiences.

鈥淓veryone has a story, and those stories build bridges to connect us all,鈥� said Taris, a graduate of 海角社区鈥檚 Adult Undergraduate program, a flexible degree program that pairs on-campus classes with online coursework in a dozen undergraduate majors. 鈥淭oo often, authors conform to narrow industry standards driven by profit, but I refuse.鈥� At Strive, Taris and her team work to create pathways for writers and artists from all backgrounds to write about their own experiences and a wider array of identities.

Publishing stories that represent and connect

Strive Publishing has released three titles by local African American authors, and several more books are in the works with upcoming launch dates. Taris鈥� efforts have been featured nationally and celebrated locally, with invitations to inaugural African American Voices in Children鈥檚 Literature Contest in partnership with Free Spirit Publishing.

鈥淪trive is more than a company; it鈥檚 a mindset,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 was a runaway teen mom who finished high school while striving to raise a son and work for a better life.鈥� That determination led her to enroll in Augsburg鈥檚 elementary education program. Juggling work and family, it took Taris eight years to graduate, but she walked across the commencement stage and into the classroom where she taught a range of grades and subjects (mostly English) for 15 years. 鈥淚 became the first person in my family to earn a college degree,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t had been my dream since childhood.鈥�

Augsburg left a mark on Taris, as classes exposed her to inequities in education and literature. Taris reframed those inequities as opportunities. Now, years later, Barbara West, director of student teacher placement at Augsburg, recalled Taris鈥� embrace of story-filled, relevant learning. While student-teaching, Taris invited a Japanese friend to talk with students who were reading a novel about a Japanese girl during World War II. On her lunch hour, Taris met with eighth-graders to advise on a student-produced newsletter. She sought to incorporate diverse voices and stories into the curriculum.

鈥淎ugsburg taught me to consider the whole child and to understand the classroom as a life-giving space where you can listen and let people tell their stories,鈥� she said. 鈥淎s a teacher, I struggled to find diverse texts.鈥�

Taris also struggled when administrators brought speakers and books that reinforced cultural stereotypes and limited experiences rather than providing real cultural and ethnic diversity. 鈥淚 wish they would have, instead, given kids diverse books or brought in local authors who looked like the students.鈥�

Celebrating voices that defy stereotypes

Taris launched Strive in 2016 while teaching full time, but three years later, she took early retirement to dedicate herself fully to the publishing company. Taris remains an educator, though, as a mentor to young authors and as an advocate for change. She challenges communities, schools, and publishing houses to invite new titles that can find their way onto more readers鈥� nightstands.

Ricardo Peters is among Strive鈥檚 鈥渇ounding authors,鈥� as Taris calls them, and he says he is indebted to 鈥淢iss Mary鈥� for her guidance and encouragement. Peters鈥� book鈥� the first in a fantasy series鈥� sold out within months. The 35-year-old stands out, Taris said, because he is a black man who loves and lives the arts like few others.

鈥淧lenty of black men are deeply connected to their artistic side, but society doesn鈥檛 celebrate that expression,鈥� Taris added. 鈥淥ur sons are not all basketball and hip hop. Ricardo defies that stereotype, and his work will lead others to do the same.鈥�

Peters had been dreaming up stories since he filled stapled together notebook paper with 鈥淭ransformers鈥� stickers. Publishing a book remained his dream, but it wouldn鈥檛 have happened without Taris.

鈥淚 had been working on this series for nine years and likely would have sat on it forever,鈥� said Peters, who works as a reading instructor at Kumon Math and Reading Center of Maple Grove. 鈥淏ut Mary presented me with this opportunity, she believed in me, and I am eternally grateful.鈥�

Making stories more accessible runs in the family

This sentiment is shared among the authors who work with Taris. Her children are equally inspired by her, so much so that they joined the Strive team. Her oldest son, Jermaine Taris, is a book illustrator. Her 16-year-old daughter, Grace Taris-Allen, serves as 鈥渜uality control,鈥� happily reading manuscripts; and her eldest daughter, LaToya Taris-James, assists with marketing and social media.

鈥淢y mom makes things happen,鈥� said Taris-James, a student leadership program coordinator for Augsburg鈥檚 Sabo Center for Democracy and Citizenship. 鈥淪he is resourceful and passionate, with a unique way of connecting with and inspiring others.

鈥淲hen I was 12, she introduced me to 鈥楾hings Fall Apart鈥� by Chinua Achebe. It was the first piece of African literature I had read on my own, and it shaped my view of black people across the African diaspora and helped connect me with my heritage.鈥�

Through Strive, her mother is making those connections on a broader scale, said Taris-James, who hasn鈥檛 fallen far from the tree. Along with a friend, Taris-James created a social impact initiative known as Rooftop (or RFTP) that uses storytelling to engage communities in dialogue around difficult, often polarizing, issues. Mother and daughter are both driven to make stories of all kinds more accessible and communal.

鈥淚 felt called to create Strive, and to be honest, it鈥檚 been difficult to wear so many hats and break through,鈥� Taris said. 鈥淲here I have come to see the greatest need is for a safe space for all people to tell their stories, whether they get published or not. I鈥檓 working with PopUp Think Tank to gather ideas for how Strive can make the greatest impact, and it鈥檚 feeling more like a social enterprise than trying to operate as a traditional publishing house. Whatever Strive looks like in a year鈥� or five years鈥擨 know it will be moving the dial.鈥�

Strive Publishing鈥檚 Book List

• 鈥淯nder a Cloven Sky鈥� and 鈥淎 Wild Nature Embraced鈥� by Ricardo Peters
  • Books one and two in the young adult fantasy series, 鈥淭he Scorched Heavens,鈥� in which the fate of two nations rests on the city鈥檚 young princess and her protector.
• 鈥淚saiah鈥檚 Sunglasses鈥� by Linda Miller
  • A short, rhythmic story for children about family, hope, acceptance, and learning about different types of people.
• 鈥淩ed鈥檚 Adventures: The Egg Pie鈥� by Donna Gingery
  • The hilarious first book in a picture book series for children, this story follows the precocious Red, who grows up in Alabama under the watchful eye of her grandmother.
• 鈥淪tory to Story: A Strive Short Story Series,鈥� Volume 1
  • This collaborative book project aims to celebrate and empower emerging authors and illustrators.
• 鈥淲ho Can I Be?鈥� by Arielle Grant
  • Created by Strive鈥檚 founding illustrator, this is a story of a girl who sees her potential through the example of women in her community.

Representation in literature on the rise but has 鈥榓 long way to go鈥�

The Cooperative Children鈥檚 Book Center researched and compiled statistics about the number of children鈥檚 books and young adult literature published by and about people of color, American Indians, and those of First Nations. 鈥淓very year, we see amazing books by and about people of color and first/native nations. There just aren鈥檛 enough of them,鈥� CCBC Director Kathleen Horning reflected in the ongoing study鈥檚 abstract. 鈥淭he more books there are, especially books created by authors and illustrators of color, the more opportunities librarians, teachers, parents, and other adults have of finding outstanding books for young readers and listeners that reflect dimensions of their lives and give a broader understanding of who we are as a nation.鈥�

The post Balancing the books appeared first on Augsburg Now.

It wouldn鈥檛 be right to mark 150 years of Augsburg with a small affair鈥攕o we threw a huge, once-in-a-lifetime party. On Friday, September 27, Auggies of all kinds dressed up and headed to Renaissance Minneapolis Hotel鈥擳he Depot in downtown Minneapolis for the Sesquicentennial Gala, a night of dinner, dancing, revisiting the university鈥檚 history, and rallying support to propel Augsburg into the next 150 years.

Gala at a glance

• 1,000 Auggies attended the gala.
• Thanks to our generous guests, we raised a total of $1.4 million in support of Augsburg鈥檚 mission.
• Paul Mueller 鈥�84 and Nancy (Mackey) Mueller 鈥�85 issued a challenge and pledged to match every gift at the $1,000 level dollar for dollar up to $100,000.

鈥淎ugsburg is astonishing. Which is really to say that the people of Augsburg are astonishing鈥擝rilliant. Committed. Resilient. You might try to hide it or downplay it, but it is undeniably, unequivocally, tangibly bursting forth from everything you do. It has been nearly 15 years since I first stepped on campus. And, today, the world is noticing Augsburg, what it is, and does, and stands for. Not just in the Twin Cities, but nationally and internationally.鈥�

鈥攆rom President Paul Pribbenow鈥檚 gala remarks

鈥淎uggie, you are called into the world. Into your wonder. Your why. To wrestle with reason. To spot the problem. And propose new parts. To walk toward your fears. To find the heart. We are Called. We are Auggies.鈥�

鈥攆rom 鈥淲e Are Auggies,鈥� a spoken-word piece written and performed by Donte Collins 鈥�18

Homecoming

Auggies continued the celebration Saturday, September 28, with a full day of Homecoming festivities, including Taste of Augsburg, a chapel service, the football game, and the Augsburg Music Department Collage Concert. The classes of 1969, 1979, and 2009 celebrated milestone reunions.

The post A September to remember appeared first on Augsburg Now.

Augsburg鈥檚 student government approved increasing the green fee by $5 to $20 per semester to pay for the Auggie Pass in order to reduce students鈥� out-of-pocket costs while improving their chances of accepting jobs and internships that involve a commute. Day Student Government is officially responsible for overseeing the green fee that supports sustainability efforts.

The Auggie Pass is valid throughout the school year and is paid for from both the student green fee and university operating funds. All traditional undergraduate students who pay the semester green fee are eligible for the pass at no additional cost.

鈥淎s someone who uses the bus every day, it鈥檚 great not to have that financial burden,鈥� said Skye Ryge 鈥�20, who advocated for the pass. 鈥淚t鈥檚 really economically advantageous to students who pay for school, like me, to not have to choose between textbooks and bus fare.鈥�

The post Augsburg launches transit pass for undergraduates appeared first on Augsburg Now.

This summer, Assistant Professor Joaquin Mu帽oz from our education department greeted our incoming students with a powerful message. He said that every one of them deserved an adult who loved them unconditionally. He then looked out at our remarkable students and told them that he loved them. He said, 鈥淚 see you,鈥� and 鈥淚 will do all I can to ensure that you are successful at Augsburg and beyond.鈥�

Joaquin was speaking to students of color and indigenous students in particular, but this is our promise to all our students: 鈥淲e see you鈥� is at the center of Augsburg鈥檚 commitment to meet students where they are and walk alongside them as they pursue their educational goals. What does it mean to say that 鈥渨e see you鈥�? It means that your life experience, your vocational journey, your path to Augsburg is important to us and will be taken seriously as we work together to ensure your success.

It seems especially fitting as we launch our 150th anniversary鈥攐ur sesquicentennial鈥攖hat we renew our promise to meet our students where they are, to see them in all of their astonishing and diverse life experiences, and to accompany them as they pursue an Augsburg education.

Our promise to see our students is evident in all of our celebrations of our 150th anniversary. For example, the remarkable 鈥淓ach, Together鈥� art project鈥攑art of an international initiative known as 鈥淚nside Out鈥濃�攊s featured in this issue of Augsburg Now (see “Face value”). More than 1,200 photographs are displayed on buildings across campus: images of current students, faculty, staff, and alumni alongside those of historic figures like Bernhard Christensen 鈥�22, Augsburg鈥檚 fifth president, who looks at me each day as I pull into my campus parking spot! Every time I look at those photographs, I think about how they reflect our commitment to seeing each other, to recognizing that our various journeys to Augsburg and beyond are part of a remarkable narrative that has unfolded over the past 150 years.

Since our founding in 1869 and through the decades that followed, our institution has grown and changed, yet our commitment to our foundational promise has remained the same. We see you, we love you, and together we will fulfill our abiding promise that Augsburg is 鈥渟mall to our students and big for the world.鈥�

Faithfully yours,

Paul C. Pribbenow, President

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Throwback TV shows, retro fashion, and reboots of toys, trinkets, and stories from decades ago have people wondering if American culture is at its peak in terms of nostalgia鈥攁nd how long it can last. Bridget Robinson-Riegler is a professor of psychology at 海角社区. Taking a moment between writing a cognitive psychology textbook, research, and teaching and learning with her students, she explores what psychology can tell us about nostalgia鈥檚 appeal.

Q: What is nostalgia? How does it relate to memory?

A: Nostalgia is a sentimental longing for one鈥檚 past. The emotion is deeply social and bittersweet but predominantly positive. Nostalgic memories are recollections of atypical life events (e.g.,vacations) that involve close relationships (e.g., family, friends) or events from childhood. We view these experiences with rose-colored glasses so negative aspects are often not remembered. We miss those experiences and yearn to relive them.

Q: Where did the idea of nostalgia originate?

A: The word 鈥渘ostalgia鈥� is a compound of two Greek words that essentially mean a sad mood originating from a desire to return to one鈥檚 native land. The word was coined in the 17th century by a medical student who was helping Swiss mercenaries working in France. He observed symptoms of sadness, loss of appetite, insomnia, cardiac palpitation鈥攖hings we would diagnose as post-traumatic stress disorder today. Much of the early interest in nostalgia focused on how to stop these thoughts because it was considered a disease and the resulting symptoms prevented individuals from performing at their military best.

Q: How does nostalgia affect people psychologically?

A: Nostalgic remembering is most likely to occur in times of loneliness, negative moods, or feelings of meaninglessness. It is basically a coping mechanism to deal with distress. Rather than being the problem (the disease, as it was conceptualized when the term was first coined), it is the way we cope (more like the remedy or cure). Even if we may feel bad and disconnected in our current life, we can 鈥渞elive鈥� a time when we felt good and were not lonely. Reconstructing memories and projecting ourselves into the future are interdependent cognitive processes that share a system in the brain. So, when we think about a time when we were socially connected and at our 鈥減ersonal best,鈥� these feelings stretch out into our future, and we become hopeful and consequently feel better.

Q: How is nostalgia active in society today?

A: Given the state of the world鈥攃limate change, ups and downs in the economy, racist acts, problematic government leadership鈥攊t is not surprising that nostalgic thinking is common. This type of societal distress can lead to personal nostalgia and to collective nostalgia in which people long for a time when they viewed the world as a better place, even if it wasn鈥檛. So there is a resurgence of old TV shows, vinyl records, throwback uniforms for athletic teams, retro clothes, and other products. We seek comfort with familiar products from childhood or from a time when the world was viewed as 鈥渂etter鈥� or 鈥渆asier.鈥�

Q: How do you experience nostalgia?

A: I become nostalgic about the state fair. It is one big Minnesotan family reunion. I just love it! Everyone is happy and enjoying themselves. I begin to feel nostalgic about the summer and the fun I鈥檝e had at the fair. This also likely stems from the fact that the fair signals the beginning of the school year.

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The building鈥檚 location, at 701 25th Avenue South in Minneapolis, puts it among the medical facilities of the University of Minnesota Medical Center and the Masonic Children鈥檚 Hospital and just a short walk from the 海角社区 campus. The program鈥檚 move in August came after four years at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota.

The new space, which features an increased footprint for classroom and clinical lab instruction, supports potential future departmental growth and allows the program faculty, students, and staff to engage with Minneapolis campus activities. 鈥淭he curriculum was redesigned to be more case-based and hands-on, and this new space will allow for a more creative and innovative learning environment,鈥� said Alicia Quella, the physician assistant studies program director and department chair.

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Elected to their first term on the Augsburg Board of Regents:

• Sylvia Bartley, senior global director, Medtronic Foundation

• Ellen Ewald, co-owner and executive advisor at Tysvar LLC and mobileAxept in Minneapolis

• John O鈥橞rien, president and chief executive officer of Educause; former president of North Hennepin Community College in Minneapolis

• John Schwartz 鈥�67, retired hospital administrator at Advocate Trinity Hospital in Chicago and former general manager of SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories, Schaumburg, Illinois聽

Elected to a third term:

• Karen Durant 鈥�81, retired vice president and controller of Tennant Company, Golden Valley, Minnesota
• Matt Entenza, attorney in private practice in St. Paul, Minnesota, and former Minnesota state representative
• Jeff Nodland 鈥�77, retired president and chief executive officer of KIK Custom Products

See the full list of Board of Regents members.

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