News archive

06/18/13 Video: Coaches reflect on summer camps

June is the time for summer athletic camps at Augustana. Several of the coaches holding camps the week of June 9 — football coach Rob Cushman, men's basketball coach Grey Giovanine and women's soccer coach Scott Mejia — discussed how the camps benefited campers and the Augustana athletic programs.

06/14/13 RiverWayStories now airing on Saturdays on WVIK

River Action and WVIK 90.3 FM Augustana Public Radio and River Action are partnering to offer a new program – "RiverWayStories" – which airs Saturday at 8:34 a.m. during the station's "Weekend Edition."

06/14/13 'Magic Flute' returns to Lincoln Park

The family-friendly, classic Mozart opera "The Magic Flute" is back for free performances at Lincoln Park, 1120 40th St., Rock Island. This is a joint production of the Genesius Guild and Opera@Augustana, which was done in the park in 1991 for the 200th anniversary of the work, and more recently was staged in a minimalist way (mainly piano accompaniment) at Augustana's Wallenberg Hall in 2011.

06/12/13 Rogals revel in the magic of the farmers' market

If it's Saturday morning, you'll likely find Owen and Margi Rogal at the Freight House Farmers' Market in Davenport If it's the height of summer, they'll have sweet corn. In October, they'll have pumpkins. Come December, you'll find them indoors standing over salad greens, butternut squash and fresh eggs. Margi is a reference librarian and instructor at Augustana and Owen is a professor of English at St. Ambrose.

06/05/13 Alumni recognition awards for 2013

At an alumni appreciation event in May, Augustana College recognized six individuals for their accomplishments. Those honored were Dr. W. Zack Bartels ’98, Philip McKinley ’73, Gen. John Borling ’62, John Califf ’62, Dr. Frederick Hemke and Dr. James Kopel.

06/05/13 College sells bricks for Knowlton Athletic Complex

Augustana is selling bricks for the college’s new football stadium complex, the Austin E. Knowlton Outdoor Athletic Complex. Brick options range in price from $250–$750, and orders received by June 30, will be in place for the first game of the season on Saturday, Sept. 7, at 6 p.m.

06/03/13 BioBlitz volunteers catalog 733 species in 24 hours

Augustana students and faculty participated in a 24-hour "BioBlitz" over the weekend, an attempt to catalog as many species of plants and animals as possible in a 92-acre tract owned by the River Bend Wildland Trust. The land is part of the 3,500-acre Milan Bottoms, an ecologically rich area of floodplain forest and wetlands in southwest Rock Island. Organizers exceeded their goal of cataloging 500 species. At the end of the blitz, 733 species had been identified, with many more to be identified later in a lab.

06/03/13 Student helps teens 'grow' the community

Local teenagers will get the chance to join a new organization, Teen Hunger Ambassadors. Augustana College senior Kelly Farina, 21, is the "Feeding and Growing Our Communities" intern with the program. She said she hopes to recruit 10-15 teenagers between the ages of 13 and 18 to become hunger-fighting ambassadors. "We're looking for a strong group of teens who are dedicated and motivated to reduce food insecurity in the Rock Island metro area," she said.

06/03/13 Music faculty to perform live on Chicago's WFMT

Kara Bancks, Dr. Deborah Dakin and Dr. Charles Schmidt will perform live on Chicago's WFMT on Monday, June 17 at 8 p.m. Their performance will feature trios for clarinet, viola and piano by Bruch, Debussy, Mozart and Verdi. Tune in on 98.7 FM in the Chicago area or online at wfmt.com.

05/30/13 Augustana's new stadium to offer local beer, pizza

Augustana’s location in the Quad Cities is a distinction, and soon the college will celebrate its local connections through food and beverage. The college recently announced it will partner with two locally owned businesses – Harris Pizza and Bent River Brewing Company – to offer concessions at the new Austin E. Knowlton Outdoor Athletic Complex.

05/30/13 Old Main finished; CSL, athletic complex progressing

New construction projects — the Center for Student Life and the Austin E. Knowlton Athletic Complex — continue this summer at Augustana, while a third project, the interior renovation of Old Main, is complete.

05/29/13 Fresh, fast and made to order dining at new CSL

Beginning in August, students will enjoy a variety of dining options at marché stations located throughout the fifth floor of the new Center for Student Life (CSL).

05/29/13 WVIK to broadcast 2013 IMEA Honors concerts

WVIK, Augustana Public Radio, will broadcast the 2013 Illinois Music Educators Association Honors concert featuring area high school students in band, orchestra and choir.

05/24/13 Nelson '05 honored for contribution to orchestra

Amanda Nelson '05, general manager of the Kishwaukee Symphony Orchestra in DeKalb, has been named the Illinois Council of Orchestra's sole recipient of a 2013 Honorable Mention Award, as a person who has made outstanding contributions to an orchestra in Illinois. Nelson has played cello with the Kishwaukee orchestra since 2005 and has served as the orchestra’s general manager since 2006. She graduated from Augustana with a degree in music education. She is a full-time orchestra teacher at Dundee Middle School.

05/20/13 Why does jobless rate vary so much across the river?

Christopher Marmé, an economics professor at Augustana, is among those trying to figure out why there is a large difference in unemployment rates in counties across the Misissippi River from each other. In March, Whiteside County’s (Illinois) rate was 9.7 percent, while the rate in neighboring Clinton County in Iowa was 5.8 percent. Marmé, who lives in Clinton, thinks his county's lower rate may have to do with the number of people who commute to work in the Quad Cities.

05/20/13 Swedish connection helps bring wheel back home

Maude Engstrom '09 helped her father's company, Mutual Wheel Co. of Moline, buy back a wooden-spoke wheel made at the business more than 95 years ago. Engstrom is a graduate student in the field of Nordic studies at Linköping Universitet, Linköping, Sweden. The wheel belonged to the president of Sweden's Model T Club. Mutual Wheel celebrates its 120th anniversary this year.

05/20/13 153rd Augustana College Commencement

It's the one-stop shop for all things related to the 2013 Augustana Commencement. Check out three videos and three photo albums, as well as a list of all candidates for graduation. The event program and text of President Steve Bahls' remarks are also included.

05/20/13 Video: Graduates reflect on Augustana experience

Four members of the Class of 2013 look back on commencement day and their time at Augie. They also look ahead to future pursuits and offer advice for the incoming Class of 2017.

05/20/13 2013 Commencement Convocation program

The Augustana College 153rd Commencement Convocation was held May 19. Here are links to the program, speeches and a list of candidates for graduation.

05/20/13 Video: Kilbride delivers commencement address

The Hon. Thomas Kilbride, Chief Justice of the Illinois Supreme Court, delivered the address at the 2013 commencement ceremony at the i wireless Center on Sunday.

05/19/13 Video: Augustana's 2013 commencement in 40 seconds

Experience Augustana's 2013 commencement ceremony in 40 seconds through time-lapse photography.

05/17/13 Video: Seniors tour revamped Old Main

For the first time since the building closed for renovations a year ago, members of the Class of 2013 toured Old Main on Thursday, May 16, and shared their thoughts.

05/16/13 Schertz '77 named CEO for OSF HealthCare Northern Region

David Schertz '77, president and CEO of Rockford’s OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, has been named CEO of the OSF HealthCare Northern Region. Peoria-based OSF HealthCare is the parent company of Saint Anthony. Schertz has led OSF Saint Anthony since 1995.While Schertz’s new responsibilities include oversight of OSF operations in Escanaba, Mich., he will remain based in the Rockford, Ill., area. Schertz left Augustana with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, then went on to complete a master’s in administration from Central Michigan University.

05/16/13 Geifman Fellowships for projects on Chagall, folk song

Augustana students Abigail Schultz of Palatine, Ill., and Shana Silverman of Fairfield, Iowa, have been awarded Geifman Fellowships in Jewish Culture for 2013-14. The Gerry and Morris M. Geifman Endowment in Judaica awards the fellowships to enhance multicultural learning experiences for students at Augustana and the community.

05/16/13 Video: Corbin McGhee '13 combines music and neuroscience

WQAD-TV profiled Corbin McGhee '13, who is majoring in music and neuroscience. He'll go on to join the Mississippi Delta Corps of Teach for America after graduation, and he's looking forward to using both of his majors to improve the way music is taught in schools, especially those with dwindling budgets for the arts.

05/15/13 ‘Outstanding’ award for Augustana geography student

A senior at Augustana College, Scott Fick, is one of 10 college seniors statewide to be selected as 2013 Illinois Geographical Society Outstanding Senior Geographers.

05/15/13 Video: Vike Bikes provide alternative transportation

Environmental student group Global Affect recently launched Vike Bikes, a bicycle share program that allows students to check bikes out for free for 24 hours. See the Help Desk in Olin to check out bikes.

05/14/13 Bowman '75 leaves presidency with distinction

Al Bowman '75 is featured in "State," Illinois State University's alumni magazine, as he steps down as ISU president. Bowman became president in 2004 after serving one year in the office as interim. He remains at the helm while a national search for his replacement continues. He will teach each semester and hold an office in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.It was there he started his ISU career in 1978 as a faculty member, having completed a bachelor’s in speech pathology at Augustana, a master’s from Eastern Illinois University, and while completing a doctorate at the University of Illinois in speech and hearing science.

05/13/13 Study suggests overgrazing hurting ecosystems

A new study suggests that overgrazing and other factors increase the severity of cheatgrass invasion in sagebrush steppe, one of North America’s most endangered ecosystems. Michael Reisner, now director of the Upper Mississippi Studies Center and an assistant professor at Augustana College, led this study as a doctoral student at Oregon State University.

05/13/13 Five Questions for: Connie Ghinazzi

Five Questions is a series of profiles of people at Augustana College. Librarian Connie Ghinazzi explains how she switched careers, and talks about horses, being named Constance and the new Center for Student Life.

05/13/13 International siblings are a first for Augustana

More and more international students are choosing Augustana as their college home in the United States. The number of full-time, degree-seeking international students in this fall’s incoming class is twice that of last fall’s class. Having a sibling on campus can be a deciding factor when the rest of your family is seemingly a world away. Three pairs of siblings from different countries — the United Kingdom, Myanmar and Germany — attended Augustana this past year. That’s a first.

05/10/13 Music alumna named Educator of the Year

Jennifer O'Donnell '06 has won the Distinguished Educator of the Year award from Community Unit School District 300, Carpentersville, Ill. She teaches 240 fifth- and sixth-grade orchestra students. O'Donnell was nominated for her innovative methods and enthusiasm. After graduating from Augustana with a degree in instrumental music education, she received a master's in music education from Northwestern University.

05/09/13 Olsen delivers stirring Hall of Fame induction speech

On May 8, longtime men's track and cross country coach Paul Olsen accepted his induction into the Quad-City Sports Hall of Fame. Watch a video excerpt and read the full text.

05/09/13 Faculty bring talents to 'Pirates of Penzance'

Augustana College's new production of the Gilbert & Sullivan operetta "The Pirates of Penzance" this weekend features two special cast members -- Ann Boaden and Dan Lee of the college faculty.

05/08/13 Video: "Pirates" requires mammoth staging effort

Opera @ Augustana will present Gilbert and Sullivan's "The Pirates of Penzance" on May 10-11 at 8 p.m. in Wallenberg Hall. The elaborate set includes a wooden pirate ship, which was disassembled in Bergendoff Hall and reassembled in Wallenberg.

05/08/13 Video: Clogustana wakes up campus

The Clogustana student group performed its annual spring-term Wake Up with Clogustana event shortly after 8 a.m. on May 8.

05/07/13 Swedish governors, folk fiddlers to visit May 30-31

Three Swedish provincial governors, two university presidents and cultural representatives including Riksspelmän (folk fiddlers) from their region will make a Quad Cities area visit "in the trek of their immigrants" May 30-31. Two events associated with the tour, a program on energy and sustainability in Sweden and a musical performance, will be open to the public.

05/07/13 Augustana debater wins second national award

The debate team at Augustana College, known as the Augustana Debate Union, has a long history of distinguished debaters, and the tradition continues with student debater JohnDaniel Engelhardt selected this year to the All-American Debate Team for the second consecutive year.

05/07/13 China is familiar territory for Augustana professor

Dr. Marsha Smith will travel to China this summer at the invitation of a Chinese university to collaborate on a manuscript and talk about the integration of Chinese minority groups in the United States.

05/07/13 Research (and a reunion) 10 years in the making

As a graduate student, Dr. Paul Croll saw the potential of the American Mosaic Project and the information such a study could provide. The idea of continuing a project of that scale never left his mind. So after years of hard work and effort, he is thrilled to be able once again to work with mentors and a former classmate from graduate school to conduct a second round of this national survey.

05/07/13 Video: Darwin Club hosts Feast for Locavores

The Darwin Club's second-annual Feast for Locavores included hors d'oeuvres, music and good company. Augustana locavores enjoy food that is grown and gathered within a few miles of campus. Darwin Club meets every Thursday at 7:15 p.m. in Hanson 203.

05/06/13 WVIK News honored with multiple awards

The news department of WVIK Augustana Public Radio was recognized this year with eight awards for journalistic excellence; three from the Illinois Associated Press Broadcasters Association and five more from the Iowa Broadcast News Association.

05/06/13 Student uncovers $8,000 for study abroad

Augustana College sophomore Courtney Jankowski is getting ready for an unforgettable summer, a 10-week trip to Ecuador to live with a host family in the Andes Mountains. While study abroad programs can be expensive and often require financial help, she is convinced the experience should be open to any college student, and can be with the right approach.

05/06/13 Augustana joins Libraries’ Assessment in Action

Augustana College’s Thomas Tredway Library has been accepted as one of the initial participants in the Association of College and Research Libraries’ Assessment in Action program. The program’s goals include creating approaches, strategies and practices that document the contribution of academic libraries to the overall goals and missions of their institutions. To that end, participants will be part of a one-year professional development program and carry out assessment activities on their campuses.

05/06/13 Studio art alumna, taking wing

For the past four years, Megan Crandall '05 Cooper has helped the Quad-City Botanical Center in Rock Island with its pixie teas, events with a folklore theme of sprites, woodland creatures, pixies and fairies. With her artistic bent — she is a studio art graduate of Augustana — Cooper began making costumes, primarily wings. Now she has made a cottage industry of her creations, hoping to sell them online. For more information, go to spritefyrestudios.com.

05/02/13 Opera @ Augustana to present "Pirates of Penzance"

One of Gilbert & Sullivan's most famous operas, "The Pirates of Penzance," will return to Wallenberg Hall May 10-11. Tickets are available through the Augustana Ticket Office.

05/01/13 Video: Charter students connect with Augie pen pals

High school students from EPIC Academy on Chicago's South side visited Augustana in late April. The students from the urban school got a look at a liberal arts college and also interacted with pen pals in Dr. Mike Egan's Urban (Schools) Legends class.

05/01/13 Stroble '73 assessing her university

Dr. Elizabeth Stroble, Augustana Class of 1973, talks about her assessment of Webster University in St. Louis, Mo., where she has been president since 2009. With the university turning 100 in 2015, she has been evaluating where the university can grow and improve itself for the sake of its students, communities and business partners.

04/30/13 Video: Augie Minute with Dr. Dan Lee

Dr. Dan Lee, professor of religion and ethics, has recently been awarded the Marian Taft Cannon Endowed Chair in the Humanities. Lee is a strong believer in incorporating ethics into other areas of study so that students are able to experience a true liberal arts education.

04/30/13 Royal Ball run to benefit Augustana's speech center

The Royal Ball 5K Run for Autism, which will wind through Milan on June 22 to support autistic children in the Quad Cities area, will dedicate all the money it raises this year to the Augustana College Center for Speech, Language & Hearing.

04/29/13 Video: What every teacher should know about academic disciplines

Augustana student group Club Ed sponsored a panel discussion focusing on the misconceptions many elementary and middle school students hold, and how educators can help. Drs. Brian Katz (math) and Lendol Calder (history) lent their expertise on the matter.

04/29/13 Dr. Kivisto to get honorary degree, link to family

Augustana's Dr.Peter Kivisto has a couple of firsts awaiting him in the next few weeks: He will receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Turku in Finland, and he will step into the childhood home of his Finnish grandfather.

04/29/13 Old Main makeover mixes new look with original features

The remodeling of Augustana College's Old Main initially stripped the building to its bones, but its new incarnation is nearly complete and retains several of its original defining features.

04/29/13 Illinois college finds a way to help low-income students go abroad

This year more than half of Augustana's graduating seniors studied overseas, up from 37 percent before Augie Choice began. And of those, half qualified for federal financial aid. Previously just a third of the participants were from the lowest income groups. "Augie Choice changes the conversation," says Allen Bertsche, director of international and off-campus study, "from 'Can I study abroad?' to 'What program should I go on?'"

04/26/13 Augustana Observer wins 15 awards, breaks record

Student journalists at Augustana College are piling up the accolades, taking a school-record 15 awards this year from the Illinois College Press Association, a feat that will be celebrated during the Fourth Estate Awards Banquet from noon-2 p.m. on Sunday, April 28, at the College Center (3750 7th Ave.).

04/26/13 Caswell '90 surprised at award for mothers

Elizabeth Caswell '90 of Portland, Ore., was named Mother of the Year by the Oregon Chapter of American Mothers Inc. She's in New York this week, seeking the National Young Mother of the Year title. When she last was in New York, she played piano at Carnegie Hall as a faculty member at New York University. Her major at Augustana was piano and she graduated summa cum laude. She and husband Paul Schipper have two children, Ian Schipper, 14, and Abigail Schipper, 11.

04/26/13 Sole survivor considers himself lucky

Jim Faramelli '67 went into the Navy after graduating with a degree in business administration. But he had worked by his father’s side since he was 12 — and never really considered leaving him behind. Today he runs the family's third-generation business, Leo's Shoe Repair in Rock Island. “It’s all about community, appreciating your customers, hard work, doing a good job, trying to be conscientious, doing the best you can,” he said. “I guess that’s true of any job.”

04/26/13 Video: River Readings series welcomes Donald Pollock

Fiction writer Donald Ray Pollock, author of Knockemstiff and The Devil All the Time, visited Augustana on April 25 as part of the River Readings series. Pollock found writing late in life. He spent 32 years employed in a paper mill before enrolling in Ohio State University's MFA program at age 50. After graduating in 2009, Anchor Books published Pollock's first book, Knockemstiff, which won the 2009 PEN/Robert Bingham Fellowship.

04/26/13 Video: Student rediscovers Augustana

Sophomore Hilary Kargl tells her story about leaving Augustana after her first year to transfer to a school with more than 20,000 undergraduate students. Kargl returned to Augustana after a semester away with a deeper appreciation for the small, liberal arts model.

04/26/13 New community handbell ensemble will debut here

The new Quad City Community RiverBend Bronze Community Handbell ensemble will perform its first concert at 3 p.m. May 12 in Ascension Chapel. The 16 members range in age from 25 to 60, and were selected from 25 people who attended an open rehearsal. Larry Peterson directs the group. He also directs music for the college Campus ministries.

04/26/13 Photo gallery: men ironing

The He-Man Ironing Contest at the Tredway Library was inspired by an art exhibit of wooden ironing boards burned with images of female Catholic saints. Faculty and students were invited to compete and prove that men can iron. Judges Dr. Sharon Varallo and Pastor Kristen Glass-Perez chose junior Kenny Clay as the best ironer and Dr. Chuck Hyser as the fastest ironer. First-year Daniel Andon won the people's choice award.

04/26/13 Video: Groups combine for night of poetry, music

In honor of National Poetry Month, Augustana's Interfaith Understanding group joined Saga Art and Literary Magazine to present a night full of poetry and music.

04/24/13 Ethics Essay Contest winners announced

Dr. Dan Lee of the Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics has announced the winners of the 2013 Ethics Essay Contest. This year was the eighth annual contest and 39 essays were submitted — a record number.

04/24/13 New press box name to honor Dave Wrath

As the structure of the Austin E. Knowlton Outdoor Athletic Complex starts to take shape along Fifth Avenue in Rock Island, Augustana College announces that one component—a new press box—will be named for Dave Wrath ’80. Wrath has served as sports information director since 1981, and currently he is the Vikings’ associate director of athletics for media and alumni relations.

04/24/13 Schaffer '06 looks at risks in banking

Marc Schaffer '06 majored in business and economics at Augustana, and entered the financial services industry after graduation. But he felt the calling to become a professor, so he earned a master’s and Ph.D in applied economics and now teaches at St. Norbert College in De Pere, Wis. He is specifically interested in researching the risk behavior of the different types of financial institutions. He says presidential candidates should have to pass principles of macroeconomics.

04/24/13 Senior art majors to display their work

The annual Senior Studio Art Student Exhibition serves as the culmination of studio art majors' Senior Inquiry process at Augustana. This year nine seniors will have their work on display in the Augustana College Art Museum from April 27-May 18.

04/23/13 Phi Beta Kappa elects 37 seniors

The Augustana Chapter of Phi Beta Kappa has elected 37 senior students to membership. This national academic honor society recognizes scholarly achievement, character, integrity, and independence of mind. Augustana’s chapter, Zeta of Illinois, was established in 1950. Members are elected by faculty.

04/23/13 Aglaia Chapter of the Mortar Board initiates 43

Forty-three juniors were initiated into Augustana's Aglaia Chapter of the Mortar Board National Senior Honor Society on April 14. Mortar Board members are selected annually by their peers in recognition of their devotion to scholarship, leadership and service. Students are eligible for membership in their junior year. Each member must have at least a 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) GPA or be in the top 35 percent of his orher class, whichever is higher. Approximately 9% of the Class of 2014 was selected to join this prestigious society.

04/23/13 Augustana College adds colour to Madushi’s life

Madushika Lanksakara '05 writing for the Sri Lanka Daily FT: "Sometimes, I’m still amazed at the courage with which my parents sent a fresh-faced, doe-eyed 17-year-old girl to big, bad America, a country they had yet to visit themselves! However, I now realise that it was a calculated risk based on research and sound advice... my parents knew that a small private liberal-arts college provided the security blanket needed during our early days to navigate our way in a new world. Lanksakara is deputy director, humanitarian assistance, Swiss Labor Assistance in Sri Lanka.

04/23/13 The Gospels as historical biographies

Dr. Craig Blomberg '77, distinguished professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary, is interviewed by Logostalk, the blog of Logos Bible Software. Bloomberg is the author, coauthor, or coeditor of 14 books and more than 80 articles. He majored in mathematics and Spanish at Augustana, then attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Ill., and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland.

04/23/13 Lecture will examine NASA's Van Allen Probes

On Thursday, May 2, at 7:30 p.m., Dr. Craig Kletzing of the University of Iowa will present this year’s Harry Nelson Lecture in Astronomy at Augustana College. Entitled “Stormy (Space) Weather: An EMFISIS on the Van Allen Probes,” the talk will be held in Room 102 of the Hanson Hall of Science. Admission is free, and the talk is open to the public.

04/22/13 Theater director Schlegel '93 wins honor

Tim Schlegel '93, who has been the theater director at Sterling (Ill.) High School for almost 15 years, recently was honored by the Illinois Alliance for Arts Education for his commitment to drama education. At Augustana, he majored in music with a minor in theatre arts. Schlege believes theater opens doors for people of all ages, but especially for students. “Theater is a way for people to express themselves and express thoughts and opinions,” he said. “It causes the audience, then, to think.”

04/22/13 Augustana is a "Ready to Respond" leader

Along with eight other colleges and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Augustana is leading a statewide effort to enhance safety on campuses.

04/19/13 Event to celebrate the hard work of Augie volunteers

Augustana’s Community Engagement Center will celebrate the accomplishments of students and the organizations with which they volunteer on Thursday, April 25.

04/19/13 Video: Passananti '03 delivers Business Day keynote

Drawing on the wisdom of Jim Carrey among others, Chicago attorney Michael Passananti '03 delivered the keynote address for the 37th annual Business Day on Friday, April 19 in Carver PE Center. Afterward, the students in attendance went to job shadow local businesses.

04/19/13 Augustana to host Christian artist Mark Schultz

One of Christian music’s most acclaimed singer-songwriters, Mark Schultz will perform at Augustana College with Christian artists Aaron Shust and Jonny Diaz as a part of his “All Things Possible” tour on Sunday, April 28 at 7 p.m. in Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave.). The event is open to the public.

04/19/13 Video: Dr. Popple explores feminist theatre directing

Dr. Jennifer Popple, director of the upcoming play "subUrbia," discusses different styles of acting and their effect on the actors. In particular, she addresses the downside of actors mentally reliving a traumatic event to "connect" with their characters.

04/19/13 Alumnus shares affinity for history through immersion

Creston Fenn '02 turned an interest in history into a passion for teaching through his experience at Augustana. He shared this experiential learning during a class lesson on D-Day, during which he simulates some of the rigors experienced by soldiers at the time.

04/18/13 Video: Dr. Timothy Johnson, Dr. William Hammer awarded Order of Lincoln

Dr. Timothy Johnson '58 and Dr. William Hammer discuss the Order of Lincoln honor each received at the annual Lincoln Academy convocation ceremony, held this year at Augustana College. The two recipients also discuss their life's work that led to the recognition.

04/16/13 Alumnus to share story at Celebration of Learning

Augustana’s 17th annual Celebration of Learning, a student research symposium, will be Saturday, May 4, beginning at 9:30 a.m. in Hanson Hall of Science (726 35th St.). This year’s keynote speaker will be Dr. Justin List, who graduated from Augustana in 2002 with majors in biology and religion. The event is free and open to the public.

04/16/13 Video: Fraternity raises money for wounded soldiers

Beta Omega Sigma fraternity held its second-annual charity wheelchair race fundraiser benefiting injured soldiers.

04/16/13 Video: Students kick off Earth Week with environmental meeting

To kick off Earth Week, students and faculty gathered in Hanson 102 to discuss environmental issues around campus. More environmental events continue throughout the week.

04/16/13 Dr. Whitt earns national recognition

The National Conference of Black Political Scientists has named an Augustana College professor, Dr. Christopher Whitt, as its 2013 Anna Julia Cooper Teacher of the Year.

04/15/13 And the Argpatch Awards go to ...

Loosely based on the Academy Awards and christened with a mashup of the names of two local newspapers, the Argpatch awards honor the people and things readers love about the Quad-Cities. Sherry Maurer, director of the Augustana College Art Museum, won the award for "Best Female in a Leading Role," nominated by Diane von Dresky, president of the Rock Island Art Guild. And Oden, Bo, Zorn, and Cami (Augustana's Viking Pups) won for "Best Animal."

04/15/13 Video: 100-plus shave heads at St. Baldrick's event

On April 11, Rho Nu Delta hosted the annual St. Baldrick's event to raise money for childhood cancer research. Participants opted to publicly shave their heads in return for donations. Head shaving for St. Baldrick's is a symbol of solidarity and support for the thousands of kids who lose their hair during chemotherapy treatments every year.

04/12/13 Video: Ryan named national Rookie of the Year

After averaging 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds for the Vikings this winter, freshman Ben Ryan earned national Rookie of the Year accolades from D3hoops.com. Ryan became the first freshman to lead Augustana since 2001.

04/12/13 'Back to School in Special Collections'

About 35 people attended the Augustana Historical Society spring program “Back to School in Special Collections” on Wednesday, April 10.

04/12/13 Lee named first Cannon Professor of the Humanities

Augustana College announced Dr. Dan Lee, professor of ethics and director of the Augustana Center for the Study of Ethics, is the inaugural holder of the Marian Taft Cannon Endowed Chair in the Humanities. As the college’s first Cannon Professor of the Humanities, Dr. Lee has the unique opportunity to shape the way this endowment will impact Augustana College faculty, and influence the transformative educational experience they provide students.

04/12/13 Play "subUrbia" to chronicle the unexamined life

The Department of Theatre Arts will close its 2012-13 season, "Balancing Acts," with Eric Bogosian's "subUrbia." The show will run for two weekends beginning April 26 and closing May 5 in Potter Theatre on the upper level of the Bergendoff Hall of Fine Arts. Tickets are available through the Augustana Ticket Office

04/12/13 Koek delivers Geifman Lecture in Holocaust Studies

Joseph Koek tells the story of his time spent in the Dutch Underground, hiding from the Nazis during World War II. He remembers being moved from apartment to apartment, hiding from any windows for fear of being seen, not being able to wear shoes or use the bathroom for fear of making too much noise, and many other restrictions not suited for an 11-year-old. Koak now lives in Chicago with his wife.

04/11/13 Earth Week: town hall, music, work and worship

This year Earth Week kicks off with an Environmental Town Hall Meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday in Hanson 102.

04/10/13 Student earns $5,000 Hasselmo Prize

An Augustana College junior with a lifelong love of nature and a double major in biology and environmental sciences, Carlisle Evans Peck, of Geneseo, is this year’s winner of Augustana’s Hasselmo Prize for Academic Pursuit.

04/10/13 Business Day offers practical benefits

Augustana College has been hosting Business Day, where students connect with potential employers, for 37 years. And every year, organizers say, the benefits become more apparent to both businesses and students. This year's event is April 19, starting at 8 a.m., in the Carver P.E. Center.

04/10/13 Jones-DeWeever delivers keynote on social justice

Augustana College's spring term Symposium Day centered on the topic of social justice. The featured speaker, Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, executive director of the National Council of Negro Women, delivered the keynote address. Dr. Jones-DeWeever's lecture, "Life at the Intersection: Black Women and the Politics of Power, Privilege and Persisting Inequality in the Age of Obama," was the centerpiece of the last of three symposia days for the 2012-2013 academic year.

04/09/13 Video: Augustana hosts undergrad research conference

Augustana hosted a conference, "Promoting Undergraduate Research at Liberal Arts Colleges" on April 6, 2013 for college faculty from around the country. Through Senior Inquiry among other projects, Augustana promotes student research as an effective hands-on learning method.

04/09/13 Who let the dogs in?

Vikings Pups student group founder Mary Kiolbasa gained approval from the Augustana administration to open a Vikings Pups TLA, which gives the therapy dogs a home on campus. Kiolbasa, a sophomore, is enrolled in a special 3-2 program and will attend another college after her junior year. Under previous guidelines prohibiting dogs from campus housing, she would not have a chance to foster a dog for the club she began.

04/08/13 Cursive writing may be a thing of the past

Cursive writing is still taught in many schools around the country as well as the Quad-Cities. But some day cursive may be erased completely as standards change and more courses are added. “There’s now at least twice as much stuff in the curriculum per grade level, so there’s less time to focus on cursive writing,” said Dr. Charles Hyser, professor of education at Augustana. “It’s causing us to do it more superficially than to teach it in depth.”

04/08/13 2013 Augie Abroad Photo Contest winners

The 2013 Augie Abroad Photo Contest was open to all students who traveled internationally with Augustana or Augie Choice funds between May of 2012 and March of 2013. There were 149 entries in five categories.

04/08/13 Jacob Bancks: approaching the quartet

The Spektral Quartet — violinists Austin Wulliman and Aurelien Pederzoli, violist Doyle Armbrust and cellist Russell Rolen — will conduct masterclasses and perform here April 12. Wulliman said the group is looking forward to premiering a new work by Jacob Bancks, assistant professor of music, entitled "Canticle." Wulliman did a Q&A on the Spektral blog with Bancks about his personal approach to composition and the string quartet genre.

04/08/13 Educators discuss President Lincoln's many talents

To gear up for the 49th Convocation and Investiture of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois at Augustana on April 13, local scholars presented Lincoln Symposium last Saturday. Augustana's Dr. Stephen Warren said President Lincoln was "a product of frontier Illinois," good and bad. He had to sell the idea of anti-slavery, and while many historians may maintain he was a "flip-flopper," he was consistent on his stance of natural rights, he said.

04/08/13 Holocaust survivor regrets not saying goodbye to his parents

When he was 12, Joseph Koek was separated from his parents in the Netherlands, never to see them again. "I do not turn around to wave goodbye to my parents," said Koek, a Holocaust survivor. "I never looked back. I wished I would have turned around and waved goodbye. Maybe that would have been too dangerous." Koek will deliver the annual Geifman Lecture at Augustana at 7 p.m. in Wallenberg Hall, Denkmann Memorial Hall.

04/08/13 Gifts, event honor legacy of Lincoln

On Saturday, April 13, six individuals with Quad-Cities connections will be honored at Augustana College with the State of Illinois’ highest award, the Order of Lincoln. As the Quad Cities prepares to roll out the red carpet, the honorees are receiving an assortment of locally themed gifts.

04/05/13 Senior's water study could have international impact

Lauren Novak '13 made two trips to Nicaragua to collect samples of water sources frequented by livestock. She later tested those samples for contamination levels and compared to water comsumed by livestock in Iowa for her Senior Inquiry.

04/03/13 Swanson leads Cartridge World to growth despite upheaval

Bill Swanson '82, North American CEO of Cartridge World Inc., explains how he led the company after moving its North American headquarters from California to Illinois in 2011. “It’s constantly learning and taking a look at what you did yesterday,” he says. “What went well and what didn’t go well? What did we learn from it? How do we take yesterday’s or today’s experiences and use that to shape what we’re going to do tomorrow?” Swanson majored in accounting and business administration here.

04/01/13 Video: Sawyer sets new standard for Augie tennis

On March 24, Augustana junior Kim Sawyer became the winningest singles player in Vikings history. With 77 singles victories, Sawyer holds the all-time record against 17 losses. She is 30 total wins away from Augustana's all-time total wins (singles and doubles) record of 158.

04/01/13 Morrison remembered for dedication, spirituality

Professor Emeritus and former conductor of the Augustana Choir and Handel Oratorio Society, Donald E. Morrison died at his home in Rock Island on Friday, March 29 at the age of 81. Morrison was the second conductor of the Augustana Choir and held that position from 1966-1993. During his tenure as its director, the choir toured throughout the United States and Europe.

03/28/13 Symposium Day April 9: Social Justice

A schedule for students and list of concurrent sessions planned for Symposium Day April 9: Social Justice

03/28/13 Augie students four times more likely to double major

As experts and families alike try to understand how to get the greatest value possible from a college education, The Curb Center for Art, Enterprise & Public Policy released a report that examines the rise of double majors. The report explores why students choose two majors, what pairings of majors are most prevalent and how studying two majors impacts students’ academic and extracurricular lives. Nearly 38 percent of Augustana students earn two or more majors.

03/28/13 Video: Group aims to spread engagement with veterans

The Augustana Veterans Organization meets to discuss ideas of spreading awareness to veterans on campus and in the community. The group is open to veterans and non-veterans. For more information, email Josh Brown at joshuabrown10@augustana.edu.

03/28/13 Handel Oratorio Society to perform Brahms' Requiem

The Handel Oratorio Society and Augustana Symphony Orchestra will perform Johannes Brahms' "Ein Deutsches Requiem" on April 20 at 8 p.m. in Centennial Hall. Tickets are available from the Augustana Ticket Office. Soloists for the performance will be soprano Claire Kuttler and baritone Saul Nache, both Quad-City area natives.

03/28/13 Dr. Murphy to explore "The Spirit of the Lord"

Consider different Biblical interpretations of God with Dr. Kelly Murphy, an expert on the Hebrew Bible, with her lecture “The Spirit or the Lord” on Thursday, April 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Hanson Hall of Science, Room 102. The presentation is free and open to the public.

03/27/13 Augustana students win grant to promote fair trade

A student group at Augustana College recently won an $800 award to help draw attention to farming practices in the developing world that impoverish people and their land.

03/27/13 Student group video profile: The Salon

The Salon features intellectual discussion between students and faculty outside the classroom. The April 2 meeting will focus on the ways in which languages change and whether it's good or bad.

03/27/13 Symposium April 9 will explore social justice

Augustana College’s spring term Symposium Day April 9 will be centered on the topic of social justice. The featured speaker, Dr. Avis Jones-DeWeever, executive director of the National Council of Negro Women, will present at 10 a.m. in Centennial Hall, 3703 7th Ave., Rock Island. The lecture is free and open to the public.

03/25/13 Renowned flutist, composer to visit the Quad Cities

Flutist and composer Phyllis Louke will visit the Quad Cities April 19-20 for two workshops and a concert. Her visit is sponsored by Augustana College, St. Ambrose University, Bettendorf Rotary, Altus Flutes and Quad City Flutes Unlimited.

03/22/13 Tea Hour Series: Sexual Identities and the Media

As part of the Women and Gender Studies Tea Hour Series, Dr. Wendy Hilton-Morrow gave a talk Wednesday, March 20, on how sexual identities are portrayed in various media. The lecture was a summary of her sabbatical report from last school year.

03/22/13 WVIK to add second broadcast of “The Cities”

WVIK Augustana Public Radio will be adding a second broadcast of “The Cities” to air each Saturday at noon, beginning April 6. This will be in addition to the show’s weekly Friday evening slot.

03/22/13 Bahls and other college presidents to fund water well

President of Augustana College Steven Bahls and his wife, Jane, have joined with other presidents of the Lutheran colleges and universities in the United States and Canada to fund the construction of a water well in Ethiopia. The effort was led through the presidents’ association, Lutheran Educational Conference of North America (LECNA).

03/21/13 The vernal equinox and timing of biological events

Biology Professor Bohdan Dziadyk throws some light on the vernal equinox: On two days each year the length of daylight and darkness are very nearly the same. The first day of spring, the vernal equinox, occurs about March 21. Equinox means “equal night.” Depending on day length and associated temperature and precipitation, plants may bloom and birds may migrate on different dates, varying from days to weeks, across time.

03/21/13 Colleges named to Community Service honor roll

Augustana was named to the 2013 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. This designation is the highest honor a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement.

03/21/13 Submissions for QC Playwrights' Festival due April 15

The Augustana Department of Theatre Arts and Alpha Psi Omega will accept submissions for the 14th Annual Quad City Playwrights' Festival through April 15. A staged reading will take place in the Black Box Theatre on May 11 at 7:30 p.m.

03/21/13 High school students invited to Preview Days

Augustana College will host Spring Preview Days for high school students and their parents who wish to visit campus from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. on the Tuesday, March 26; Thursday, March 28; and Tuesday, April 16.

03/20/13 Student suggestion results in new ethics minor

Following a three-year collaboration between the religion and philosophy departments, a curriculum was drafted and approval was gained for a 21-credit minor in ethics at Augustana. The ethics minor is a perfect fit for a small liberal arts college, according to Dr. Tim Bloser, associate professor of philosophy at Augustana. “Ethics asks us to examine carefully the values that we hold, and to ask whether we value the right things. Ultimately, this has great importance for helping us to decide how we ought to live our lives.”

03/19/13 Augie Minute with Kelly Daniels

Assistant professor of English Kelly Daniels shares the motivation behind writing his memoir and what lessons he hopes resonate with readers.

03/19/13 WVIK anchor earns three awards

Michelle O’Neill, news editor and morning news anchor at WVIK, recently won three awards from the Illinois Associated Press Broadcasters Association.

03/17/13 Augie students, professor hoping tiny turtles lead to a big discovery

An Augustana research team headed by assistant professor Tim Muir is trying to figure out what makes the turtles tick. More precisely, Muir and his student assistants want to know how the most widespread native turtle of North America manages to survive being frozen solid. The answer might be in the turtles’ tiny organs. But there could be significant human consequences for Muir’s studies, too.

03/14/13 Video: Decorated men's track team reflects on personal growth

Augustana seniors Alex Rindone and Greg Patton join coach Paul Olsen to reflect on their Augustana careers on and off the track. Rindone and Patton added to their successful track careers with individual All-American honors at the NCAA National Indoor Championship. They also lead the 1,600-meter relay, along with sophomores David Voland and Keith Cline, to an All-American finish.

03/13/13 Planetarium open house on April 20

Augustana College’s John Deere Planetarium (820 38th Street, Rock Island) will be open to the public on Saturday, April 20, for a free evening of stargazing and planet viewing. The planetarium will be open from 8:30 to 10 p.m., with indoor and outdoor programs.

03/13/13 Professor to teach other profs about Midwestern tribes

As a specialist in American Indian history, Dr. Stephen Warren, an associate professor of history at Augustana, is committed to increasing knowledge of American Indian communities. Dr. Warren recently was appointed to help with an effort by the Ohio Historical Society (OHS) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to increase and share knowledge about Midwestern Native American tribes with community college educators.

03/13/13 Video: Former Gov. Jim Edgar addresses leadership in crisis

Former Illinois Gov. Jim Edgar addressed a crowd in Wallenberg Hall on Monday, March 11. The topic of Edgar's lecture was “Leadership in Times of Crisis.”

03/11/13 Business Day connects students to area employers

Businesses looking for connections with some of the area’s best and brightest college students are invited to register now for Business Day 2013 at Augustana College. The annual event, which falls on Friday, April 19, this year, has grown into one of the area’s premier networking and job-shadowing opportunities. Last year, 140 Augustana students spent the day with 53 employers, from major international corporations to smaller Quad Cities-based companies.

03/11/13 Video: Students dig in at Suture Seminar

Tri-Beta hosted a seminar where a variety of doctors from the surrounding area came to campus to teach students how to stitch wounded skin together. Students practiced the technique on pigs' feet.

03/11/13 Professor uncovers best practices in teaching history

What are the best practices for teaching history to undergraduates? Dr. Lendol Calder, professor of history at Augustana College, is part of a national advisory panel exploring this and other big questions on behalf of the American Historical Association (AHA), with help from a Teagle Foundation grant. An early milestone for the AHA advisory team is scheduled for Tuesday, March 12, at the University of California, Berkeley, when Dr. Calder and others will give a public presentation titled “Inside the 18-Year-Old Mind: Strategies for Teaching History in the 21st Century.”

03/08/13 Chief Justice Kilbride to deliver graduation address

Illinois Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas L. Kilbride will deliver the commencement speech at Augustana College’s 153rd Commencement Convocation on Sunday, May 19, at 3 p.m. at the i wireless Center (1201 River Dr., Moline, Ill.). The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

03/07/13 Alumnus to share his view on tax reform

Dr. Ike Brannon, an Augustana alumnus, will present a lecture, "How tax reform would benefit the Quad Cities," at 4:30 p.m. March 12 in the board room at the Augustana College Center (3750 7th Ave.). This free public lecture is sponsored by Augustana's Department of Political Science.

03/07/13 Catholic scholar to discuss a biblical illumination

While Jews and Christians share sacred texts, the two communities read, interpret and embody their traditions in distinctly different ways. On Wednesday, April 17, at 7 p.m. in the Wilson Center, in the Augustana College Center (3703 7th Ave.), Dr. Heather Miller Rubens will examine various Jewish and Christian interpretations of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant, including a biblical illumination from 'The Saint John’s Bible.'

03/07/13 Wikipedia fans to unite for Edit-a-thon

Wikipedia fans are invited to learn how to edit the world’s largest encyclopedia during a first-ever “edit-a-thon” from 4-6 p.m. March 20 in the Thomas Tredway Library (3435 9½ Avenue). The event will be held in the Special Collections Classroom on the library’s first floor, and is free and open to the public.

03/07/13 Augie Choice motivates alumna's work in the QCA

Alumna Sophie Ali was changed by her Augie Choice experience – an opportunity to study abroad. Today her work and continued connections with Augustana make a practical impact in the Quad Cities community as she leads efforts to organize the “Lids for Kids” 5K walk/run, which will start at 8 a.m. from Sunset Park on Saturday, April 6, to raise money for the Spring Forward Learning Center.

03/06/13 Holocaust survivor, hidden by Dutch underground, to lecture

Joseph Koek was separated from his parents as a boy and avoided Nazi troops by hiding in an apartment above a school. Koek will share his tale of survival at Augustana College at 7 pm on Monday, April 8, in Wallenberg Hall inside the Denkmann Memorial Hall.

03/06/13 Baseball historians are fans’ link to past

Paula Homan ’75 was ahead of the curve in her job as curator of the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame Museum. Since she began her job in 1993, more and more major league teams have seen the value of building museums. Homan studied art history at Augustana and interned at the Fryxell Geology Museum, where she made plaster casts of rare fossils. The 16,000-piece collection Homan oversees includes about 1,000 photographs, bats, trophies and uniforms donated by Stan Musial, the team’s iconic slugger, before his death Jan. 19.

03/05/13 Library exhibits historic Hauberg book collection

Thomas Tredway Library Special Collections will offer the exhibit "Highbrow to Lowbrow: the Upper Mississippi River Valley through John Henry Hauberg's Book Collection," through spring term. Hauberg was an amateur historian, photographer, progressive-era activist, member of civic and cultural societies, and a book collector. When Hauberg died in 1955, many of his papers and books were given to Augustana College.

03/05/13 Daniels' memoir takes readers to a 'mythical spot'

At Augustana College, Dr. Kelly Daniels teaches creative writing and has written a book about his life containing more twists and turns than most fiction. In Cloudbreak, California: A Memoir, available from Owl Canyon Press, Dr. Daniels of Rock Island offers a catalog of real-life experiences.

03/05/13 Lecture to explore the Bible as ‘A Matter of Politics’

Dr. Jacob Wright has taken a fresh look at the reason the Bible was written, and will discuss his findings at Augustana College during a free presentation, open to the public, on Monday, March 18, at 7 p.m. in Wallenberg Hall, inside Denkmann Memorial Hall.

03/05/13 Library exhibits ironing boards as canvas for saints

A one-of-a-kind art exhibit of female Catholic saints – burned into wooden ironing boards – is on display through Friday, May 17, on the second floor of Augustana College’s Thomas Tredway Library.

03/04/13 Gun-shy to debate?

Reporters shouldn't be surprised when elected officials find ways to avoid concerning guns and gun legislation, says Stephen Klien, associate professor of communication studies at Augustana. “Politically speaking, there is no upside for the legislators to making any kind of specific statement (on gun control),” said Klien, who specializes in political rhetoric and communications.

03/04/13 James '09 part of Peace Corps' return to Nepal

Shawn James '09 is among a group of Peace Corps volunteers who are re-starting the program in Nepal after an eight-year absence. James, an agriculture volunteer, earned a bachelor’s degree in geography from Augustana College and a master’s in landscape architecture from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2011. His experiences at both schools have left him well-prepared for international service. “My education prepared me to think about problems in new ways and to effectively share and demonstrate alternative solutions,” he said.

03/04/13 Teaching financial literacy is a challenge, on campus and beyond

Augustana President Steve Bahls participates in a panel discussion to address students’ relationships with money and what role colleges should play in shaping them. Worries about debt are widespread among college students, but that doesn’t stop some of them from engaging in risky financial behaviors, according to a survey of 40,000 students released last week.

03/04/13 Augustana has three of 38 local museums

Here's a test. Without looking at the accompanying list, how many museums can you count in the Quad-Cities region? Five? 10? Is 15 a stretch? Actually, the number is 38! Augustana's Fryxell Geology Museum and John Deere Planetarium are on the list but we had to add the Augustana Art Museum.

02/27/13 Students to shave heads and raise money

A group of Augustana College students is inviting as many people as possible to shave their heads to raise money for childhood cancer research on Thursday, April 11, beginning at 7 p.m. in the PepsiCo Recreation Center.

02/25/13 Petersen '75: John Deere Classic Community Hero

Mark Petersen '75 was named a John Deere Classic Community Hero last week. Petersen, a CPA, graduated in accounting. In addition to decades of service to the golf tournament, he has served president, treasurer, and board member for Moline Kiwanis as well as lieutenant governor for his Illinois district. He's also spent 10 years as scorekeeper for high school basketball games, coached Little League, and volunteered bookkeeping for other non-profits. The Classic generated $6.79 million for 500 non-profit organizations last year.

02/21/13 Are giant pandas worth saving? Yes, says Bexell '91

Experts believe more money is probably being spent to save the giant panda than any other species and some question if it's worth it, but not Sarah Bexell '91. In an interview with NBC, she says: “I think pandas are symbolic. We all love them. We all want to share the earth with them. And if we truly cannot save space for giant pandas, what does that say about us as a species?” Bexell graduated with a degree in biology and environmental studies. She is director of conservation education and communications at China's Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding.

02/21/13 Berg ’32, known for aid to community, dies at 102

The Rev. William E. Berg of the Class of 1932, died Feb. 11, 2013, in Minneapolis, Minn., at the age of 102 surrounded by three generations of his family. The author of eight spiritual books, Pastor Berg continued his writing, preaching and extensive personal correspondence up to his last week of life.

02/21/13 Livingston '86 named president at Lourdes University in Ohio

David J. Livingston '86, vice president for advancement at Mercyhurst University in Erie, Pa., has been appointed the ninth president of Lourdes University in Ohio. After conducting a search which garnered candidates from 24 states and Canada, Livingston was selected unanimously by Lourdes. He will begin his role July 1. Livingston received a degree in chemistry at Augustana.

02/20/13 Augustana's Spring Break Harlem Shake

Twenty Augustana students joined Dr. Steve Klien for a Spring Break Harlem Shake.

02/20/13 WVIK seeks memorabilia for event to honor Wooten

Don Wooten, the founder of WVIK Public Radio at Augustana College and considered by many an institution in the Quad Cities community, will receive an honorary doctorate from the college during its graduation ceremonies May 19. Friends of Wooten will be celebrating a little early, on May 16, with a dinner and reception to honor him. They're now hoping for memorabilia from the community that can be used to present a light-hearted retrospective about Wooten.

02/20/13 Dr. Jason Box on climate, research and connecting through film

Dr. Jason Box began his research on glaciers with a grade-school report. These days, the Nobel laureate takes a more hands-on approach, having logged 19 trips to Greenland since 1994. He gave a Polar Lecture at Augustana last month ahead of the screening of the film "Chasing Ice" that will be shown at the college March 23 during the annual Environmental Film Festival. Box was a key contributor to the film. "I've seen audiences react to the film, and I know it's connecting with people in ways that pure science doesn't connect, because it has art and it has communication," he says.

02/20/13 2013 Summer Academy for high school students

Registration has begun for Augustana College’s Summer Academy, where high school students can experience college life, stay overnight, and take classes with some of the most popular professors on campus. Classes vary in length up to five days and take place June 23-28. There’s engineering and art, science and writing, even a literary class about morality in the Harry Potter books.

02/20/13 Former Governor Edgar to speak on campus

Former Illinois Governor Jim Edgar will deliver an address, “Leadership in Times of Crisis,” at Augustana College on Monday, March 11, at 7 p.m. in Wallenberg Hall, inside the Denkmann Building.

02/19/13 Augie students earn unusual scholarship

Augustana's Good Fit contest catches the attention of CBS affiliate WHBF. Meghan Cooley, director of recruitment communications, explains why the scholarship photo contest is more popular every year. Winners are at http://www.augustana.edu/goodfit

02/19/13 Home repairs made after ceiling comes tumbling down

Joshua Schipp '10 is the AFL-CIO community services liaison for United Way of the Quad-Cities Area. It's his job to find "projects to help the local labor organizations make good on their commitment to doing good things in their community." Thus it was that he was one of many who helped an East Moline woman whose roof fell in.

02/18/13 Generosity from Augustana athletics spreads warmth this winter

On her way to work one blustery morning in late January, Rock Island High School teacher Nicole Regan noticed a number of students without winter outerwear. She emailed her friend Kathi Fox, administrative assistant for the Augustana College athletic department. Regan ended up with 12 huge garbage bags of hoodies, winter coats, pants, gloves and hats.

02/15/13 Dr. Carkner talks asteroids and meteors

After a powerful meteor strike in Sibera and with a close pass by an asteroid looming, reporters had some questions for Augustana's Dr. Lee Carkner, director of the John Deere Planetarium.

02/15/13 Augustana announces Good Fit scholarship winners

More than 25,000 votes were tallied for the 2013 Good Fit T-shirt contest. Five $1,000 scholarships were slated to be awarded, but Augustana representatives were so impressed with this year's submissions that a sixth scholarship was added.

02/15/13 Barnds enters national discussion of college costs

After President Obama addressed the cost of college in his State of the Union address Tuesday, the ongoing national discussion of the topic of affordability became even livelier. W. Kent Barnds, Augustana's vice president of enrollment, communication and planning, has been talking, writing and blogging about the value of a college education for a long time. By value, he means more than dollars.

02/15/13 Dr. Mayer's the 'go to' man on subject of Galileo

Although Galileo Galilei was born 449 years ago today, the debate about his life goes on. Dr. Thomas Mayer of Augustana College is a noted scholar of Galileo and church history of the time. He's written two recent books on the subject and a third is in progress. This makes him a valuable resource to other scholars and writers. The latest of these is columnist Adam Gopnik of The New Yorker in an essay this week, "Moon Man, What Galileo Saw."

02/15/13 Augustana to host undergrad research conference

Augustana College is hosting a one-day conference, “Promoting Undergraduate Research at Liberal Arts Colleges,” on Saturday, April 6, in Carlsson Evald Hall, 3601 7th Ave., Rock Island, Ill.

02/15/13 Reisner heads new Upper Mississippi Studies Center

Augustana College is developing a new Upper Mississippi Studies Center that will be far more than its name implies under the direction of Dr. Michael Reisner, a new member of the faculty who was recruited for the director’s position after a national search.

02/14/13 Film festival on March 23 to show 'Chasing Ice'

The eighth annual Environmental Film Fest will be held from 11:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 23 ,in the Olin Center for Educational Technology (735 35th St.). Doors open at 11 a.m. and admission is free.

02/14/13 Forum to address pay equity, negotiating salary

Augustana College will present a free public forum April 18 on gender equality in salaries to help empower women with the skills to effectively negotiate compensation. Ruth Sweetser, former president of the American Association of University Women and current director of corporate relations at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, will present an overview of gender equity and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009.

02/12/13 Six Illinoisans to earn state's highest award

Six people with ties to the Quad Cities will receive the Order of Lincoln April 13 when the Lincoln Academy of Illinois conducts its 49th annual convocation at Augustana College.

02/12/13 In a North Vietnamese prison, sharing poems With 'Taps On The Walls'

John Borling was shot down over Vietnam June 1, 1966. He spent the next six years and eight months in a notorious North Vietnamese prison called the "Hanoi Hilton." Borling spent much of his time there just trying to survive. He also composed poetry — in his head, without benefit of pencil or paper. Borling, who attended Augustana and is retired from the Air Force, spoke on NPR's "Morning Edition" about his book of those poems: "Taps on the Walls: Poems from the Hanoi Hilton."

02/11/13 Scholarship honors Paul and Jeanne Olsen

Pam and Bob Wilson ’72 decided to thank and honor an Augustana couple who have, through many years of teaching, coaching, mentoring and true friendship, changed the Wilsons’ lives for the better.

02/08/13 Video: Vocal Valentines lift Week 10 spirits

On Thursday, Feb. 7, the men of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia began a three-day campaign to serenade students, staff and faculty on and off campus as part of their Vocal Valentines fundraiser.

02/08/13 Army War College speakers to visit campus

Students of the U.S. Army War College and members of the Eisenhower National Security Series will speak on current social issues and the impact on America’s Armed Forces on Wednesday, March 20, at 7 p.m. in Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave.). The event is free and open to the public.

02/08/13 Students plan suture seminar

For students starting out on the road to a medical career, having the chance to work with sutures offers a high-impact preview of the profession. A seminar to teach Augustana students how to use needle and thread in surgical procedures will be held Saturday, March 9, from noon to 2 p.m. at Augustana’s Hanson Hall of Science (726 35th Street).

02/08/13 Sculptures were colorful as well as classical

Most people don’t realize that many stone statues from antiquity were originally festooned with color to bring the forms to life, a subject that will be explored in a lecture on Tuesday, Feb. 12, at 7:30 p.m., in Augustana College's Hanson Hall of Science (726 35th Street), Room 102.

02/07/13 Five Questions with Denise Yoder

Five Questions is a series of profiles of people at Augustana. Denise Yoder, head athletic trainer, talks about theatre, comedy, and dealing with sports injuries on the playing field and on the ski slope.

02/06/13 ESA sorority puts different spin on fundraiser

Epsilon Sigma Alpha hosted a basketball knockout tournament in Pepsico Recreation Center on Feb. 1. The even raised money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, which treats children afflicted with cancer.

02/06/13 Students urged to file FAFSA soon

The Office of Financial Assistance urges all Illinois residents who may be eligible for need-based financial assistance to submit the 2013-14 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible. Students must file the FAFSA to be eligible for a State of Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant. However, continuing state budget difficulties mean that funding for MAP grants is likely to be depleted earlier than the FAFSA filing deadline.

02/06/13 Video: Glacier scientist delivers Polar Studies lecture

On Jan. 31, Dr. Jason Box with the Byrd Polar Research Center spoke on campus about his investigation of the Greenland ice sheet since 1994.

02/06/13 Symphonic Band to tour Midwest Feb. 15-20

The Augustana College Symphonic Band will begin its 2013 tour of the Midwest on Feb. 15, stopping at three locations in Illinois before continuing to Wisconsin, Minnesota and Nebraska. The band will return to perform its home concert at 8 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, in Augustana's Centennial Hall.

02/06/13 Choir to tour the eastern coast of the U.S.

The Augustana Choir will tour the east coast. Feb. 15-22, traveling from Naples, Fla., to Baltimore, Md., before enjoying some free time in Washington, D.C. The choir also will perform a home concert at 8 p.m. on March 8 at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa

02/05/13 Students raise awareness for violence against women

V-Day, the non-profit organization that puts on performances of The Vagina Monologues around world, is celebrating its 15th anniversary on Feb. 14. The group is commemorating the milestone with its One Billion Rising campaign. Augustana students are among the thousands taking part globally.

02/05/13 Video: Dr. Steve Klien discusses impact of Super Bowl ads

Local CBS affiliate WHBF Ch.4 checks in with Dr. Steve Klien, associate professor of communication studies to see which Super Bowl ads left the biggest impressions and what makes an ad work.

02/05/13 Augustana senior earns Davies-Jackson Scholarship

Kai Yin (Queenie) Ho, an Augustana College senior, is the recipient of the Davies-Jackson Scholarship. An anthropology and biology double major, Ho will use the scholarship to pursue graduate studies at St John’s College at the University of Cambridge in England. The award covers fees and expenses, including room and board, and is valued at $50,000.

02/04/13 Video: Community swarms International Food Festival

For the 11th straight year, Augustana hosted its International Food Festival, to the delight of community members, students, faculty and staff. Food from all over the world was served Saturday night in the College Center.

02/04/13 Augustana announces comprehensive fee 2013-2104

Augustana College has announced its comprehensive fee for the 2013-14 academic year. For the coming year, the comprehensive cost will be $44,937—an increase of $513 in each of the three terms—from $43,398 in the 2012-2013 academic year. This is an increase of 3.5 percent.

02/01/13 Hearing tests offered at a reduced fee

In honor of Better Speech and Hearing Month in May, the Augustana College Center for Speech, Language, and Hearing will be offering hearing testing at reduced fees for individuals with limited financial resources beginning in February.

02/01/13 Farming and eating locally: a Farm2Fork interview

Augustana's Dr. Jason Mahn is an associate professor of religion. He's also the editor of intersections magazine, a publication by and for the academic communities of the 26 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Here, Dr. Mahn interviews Garry Griffith, director of Augustana Dining Services, for a special edition of the magazine focusing on sustainability.

01/31/13 Video: Students show love for donors

The Alumni and Advancement offices spent the week meeting with students around campus. Students had the opportunity to write a thank-you note to a donor in exchange for a cupcake. After writing cards, several students shared their thoughts on camera.

01/29/13 Paul Bailie '04: a pastor on the border

Paul Bailie '04 is pastor of Iglesia Luterana San Lucas in Eagle Pass, Texas, and Mision Luterana Cristo Rey in Piedras Negras, Mexico. So on Sunday he may preach in the U.S. in the morning, and then cross the border to preach in Cristo Rey in the afternoon. A native of Davenport, Iowa, Bailie first learned the Spanish he now uses daily at Davenport West High. His greatest joy is "Being together in a Christian community, realizing God’s grace even in the midst of poverty, violence and fear.”

01/29/13 Video: Students share insights at open house

More than 500 high school seniors visited Augustana on Saturday, Jan. 26, for a campus open house and departmental scholarship competition. Get a look at what they experienced and hear from two high school seniors about what excites them about Augustana.

01/29/13 Diony-mite!: "The Bock Eye" at Augustana

Reviewer Thom White: "Friday’s world-premiere performance of playwright Tommy Smith’s The Bock Eye... is so packed with entertainment and clever and hilarious lines that it seems too much to be contained in just one hour. I enjoyed Augustana College’s presentation of this new work so greatly that I was a bit exhausted at its end, and gasped when I looked at my phone and saw that it was only 8:30."

01/29/13 Women's Connection honors emerging leaders

Augustana seniors Clare Kilbride and Alexandra Piper have been named Emerging Women Leaders by the Women's Connection. The recognition is "for their exceptional leadership initiative and high academic achievement, and for making a difference in their school and community." Kilbride is from Rock Island, majoring in communication sciences and disorders. Piper is from Coal City, Ill., majoring in biology and German. Women's Connection is one of the largest women's organizations in eastern Iowa and western Illinois.

01/29/13 Video: Dance Marathon

Dance Marathon was held in the Pepsico Recreation Center on Saturday, Jan. 26. The five-hour event helped raise money for the University of Iowa Children's Hospital.

01/28/13 Students invited teens to explore leadership roles

Augustana students Amber Dalgaard of Antioch, Ill., and Allison Hupfer of Cedarburg, Wis., are working with the University of Illinois Extension 4-H and the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, which is hosting the QC Teen Leadership Academy on Feb. 9 in Moline. Dalgaard and Hupfer attended similar events in their youth, and now they're encouraging teens to do the same.

01/28/13 Student's interest in Asia started at age 5

When Garisha Goodman was 5 she became a fan of the Japanese cartoon “Dragon Ball Z” on Saturday morning television. At 8, she found out that all the cartoons she enjoyed were anime (animation originating in Japan). She started teaching herself Japanese when she was 13. At Danville High, she took two years of Chinese, and that piqued her interest in Asian studies. Now, as an Augustana student, she hopes to spend 10 weeks studying and traveling in Japan and China.

01/25/13 Kirk Bednar '87 named city manager in Brentwood, Tenn.

After more than a decade as an assistant, Kirk Bednar began his new job as the city manager of Brentwood, Tenn., on Saturday, Jan. 26. Although he wanted to become a history teacher when he came to Augustana, Bednar took a political science course taught by a former Rock Island city manager and was intrigued.

01/24/13 Environmental scholar delivers symposium keynote

Molly Steinwald, director of science education and research at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, shared first-hand experience of sustainability with Augustana students during Winter Symposium Day. Much of her address walked the audience through the construction of Phipps' Center for Sustainable Landscapes, a building that earned LEED Platinum certification.

01/24/13 'It's so fun to make something no one else has seen'

Augustana College will present the world premiere of "The Bock Eye," an adaptation of the Greek tragedy "The Bacchae" by Euripides, this weekend and next. Guest director Saffron Henke talks about how the play came about and the fun of making something not seen by anyone before.

01/23/13 Augie Minute: Laura Hartman and Tim Bloser

Dr. Tim Bloser of the philosophy department and Dr. Laura Hartman of the religion department discuss the newest minor to be offered at Augustana — ethics.

01/23/13 Video: Dr. Brian Leech and mining masculinity

Brian Leech shares his research on the shift from underground copper mining to surface mining in the 1950s and '60s and the consequences for male workers. Open-pit work was safer but workers feared this change would lessen their sense of macho daring, independence and camaraderie as women began to join the workforce.

01/22/13 Augustana students, teachers watch inauguration with interest

Like much of the rest of the country, Quad-Citians took in President Barack Obama’s inauguration from afar, gathering to watch on television, the Internet or listen on the radio. The Augustana College Democrats hosted an event at Carlsson Evald Great Hall, where about two dozen people watched on a big-screen television.

01/22/13 Retiring alumna made big impact in Quad Cities

Laurel (Moyer) Walker '76, CEO at Skip-a-Long Child Development Services , is retiring after 36 years dedicated to building the nonprofit organization. Under her leadership, Skip-a-Long has enjoyed amazing growth and community outreach in 36 years. Skip-a-Long was founded in East Moline in 1970 by local citizens concerned about the lack of quality child care available to the children from families of low economic means.

01/21/13 Video: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration

Augustana College hosted its annual community-wide celebration of the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Saturday. The event included performances by the Community Gospel Chorus, the Westbrook Singers, Augustana’s Gospel Choir, and the Truth Temple and Pentecostal Church of God Praise Dancers.

01/18/13 Why do people lie?

Dr. Timothy Bloser, Augustana associate professor of philosophy, talks with Quad City Times columnist Barb Ickes about what motivates people like cyclist Lance Armstrong to deceive millions of people. In an interview with Oprah Winfrey aired Thursday, Armstrong admitted to using performance enhancing drugs throughout much of his career, including all seven Tour de France wins.

01/18/13 Video: Greek Life Rush kickoff event

Augustana Greek Life kicked off its rush season with an event in Centennial Hall.

01/18/13 Video: Sibling cellists learn from Augustana's Ehrlich

Janina Ehrlich, Augustana professor of music, teaches brother and sister cellists Kelsey and Harrison Qu. Kelsey is 17 and Harrison is 13. The two often play duets. One of the challenges as a musician, Ehrlich believes, is to understand the music and make it come to life for the audience. She says the two teenage musicians certainly do that.

01/18/13 Facts, thoughts about the Center for Student Life

Students, staff and friends of the college gathered for the grand re-opening of the Brew by the Slough coffeehouse Thursday, enjoying free samples and tours of the renovated fourth floor of the Tredway Library/Center for Student Life. Here are some facts and thoughts from a Lunch and Learn there just before the event.

01/17/13 Symposium Day Jan. 23: Nature and Human Nature

A schedule for students and list of concurrent sessions planned for Symposium Day Jan. 23: "Nature and Human Nature."

01/16/13 Climate-change scholar to present a lecture

Dr. Jason Box of The Ohio State University will present a lecture on his research of the Greenland ice sheet on Thursday, January 31, at 7 p.m. in the Hanson Hall of Science (726 35th St.), Room 102. The lecture is free and open to the public.

01/16/13 Darwin Week events include music, film, readings

The Augustana Darwin Club will sponsor Darwin Week Jan. 21-26 commemorating the 204th birthday of English naturalist Charles Darwin, born Feb. 12, 1809, in Shrewsbury, England.

01/16/13 Dr. Hager's bird-window research published

Dr. Stephen B. Hager, professor of biology at Augustana, has published research about the factors that cause birds to be killed by flying into windows. “Window Area and Development Drive Spatial Variation in Bird-Window Collisions in an Urban Landscape” was published by PLOS ONE, an international scientific journal.

01/16/13 Theatre Department to premiere 'The Bock-Eye'

Augustana's Theatre Department will premiere Tommy Smith's postmodern adaptation of Euripides' 'The Bacchae,' January 25-February 3 at 7:30 p.m. on Friday/Saturday and 1:30 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available for purchase through the Augustana Ticket Office

01/14/13 Dr. Boaden keeps story of Netta Anderson alive

Dr. Ann Boaden, adjunct associate professor of English, researched Augustana's early women graduates and published their stories in “Light and Leaven: Women Who Shaped Augustana’s First Century." Boaden also portrays one of the college's earliest female graduates, Netta Anderson, in full costume for performances, one of which is Jan. 15.

01/13/13 Augustana seniors will be first to have same-sex ceremony in chapel

The Chicago Tribune writes about Augustana seniors Eric Palmer and Ethan Tarvin, who plan to hold their wedding ceremony this fall in Ascension Chapel. Citing acceptance within the Evangelical Lurtheran Church in America and Augustana's anti-discrimination policy, President Steve Bahls authorized the use of the chapel for same-sex ceremonies in November.

01/11/13 New dining center to offer more choices, go trayless

When the new Center for Student Life dining center opens next fall, students will find big changes: more food options, flexibility of seating and an improved atmosphere. They won't be paying with points and they won't be carrying trays.

01/11/13 Frank Telleen '39 was 'epitome of professionalism'

Frank Telleen '39, described as the "epitome of professionalism each and every day," was Augustana's director of information services from 1958 to 1986. Telleen died Wednesday, Jan. 9, at Trinity Rock Island at the age of 94.

01/10/13 Klien says president's inaugural speech will set tone

With the nation's 55th inaugural address less than two weeks away, Stephen Klien, associate professor of communication studies, offered his vision of how the inaugural address has shaped the American identity since the time of George Washington's 1789 speech.

01/10/13 Celebration to honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The annual community-wide celebration and musical tribute to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., will be held Saturday, January 19, at 6 p.m. in Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave.). The free public event will celebrate the legacy of this great leader through powerful speakers, music and dance.

01/09/13 Q-C area couple studies Arctic birds

Dr. Jennifer Burnham, associate professor of geography, and her husband, Kurt, spend their summers in the Arctic studying the effects of pollutants on birds. Most recently, they shared their story with the Quad-City Times.

01/08/13 Sights and Sounds exhibition opens Jan. 25

Celebrate the artistic and musical talents of Augustana students at the opening of the sixth annual Augustana Sights and Sounds exhibition at Bucktown Center for the Arts (225 E. 2nd St., Davenport) on Friday, Jan. 25, from 6-9 p.m. The free event will feature distinctive photography from both Augustana students and Quad-Cities high school students, in addition to video narratives by the Augustana Video Bureau. The exhibition will run through Friday, Feb. 22.

01/08/13 International Food Festival set for Feb. 2

The Augustana College Office of International Programs will celebrate cultural diversity through cuisine at the International Food Festival on Saturday, Feb. 2, from 5 to 7 p.m. at the College Center (3703 7th Ave.) dining room. Now in its 11th year, the festival attracts more than 500 guests who enjoy an all-you-can-eat buffet of dishes from around the world. Tickets sell out quickly.

01/08/13 The Upright Citizens Brigade to on Jan. 26

The Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company will bring the best comedians from its theatres in New York City and Los Angeles to Augustana for an improv show on Saturday, Jan. 26, at 8 p.m. in Centennial Hall.

01/07/13 Calder addresses self-perception of history professors during conference

The the annual meeting of the American Historical Association, Augustana history professor Lendol Calder helped address the need for history professors to look at themselves more as teachers than simply historians.

01/04/13 Augustana renovation projects should be completed this year

Several multi-million dollar capital projects at Augustana College, including a large student center, should be completed later this year, but students can take advantage of some of the work when they return next week.

01/03/13 City limits late night hours for ages 17-20 downtown

A new anti-loitering ordinance in Rock Island limits the hours that people ages 17-20 may be on Great River Plaza in downtown Rock Island

01/02/13 Our connection with nature is key, says educator

Molly Steinwald, director of science education and research at Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens in Pittsburgh, will speak at Augustana's winter symposium Jan. 23. The symposium is focused on sustainability. Steinwald will talk about Phipps' new Center for Sustainable Landscapes, a 24,350-square-foot "living building" but she stresses that sustainability is not just about materials. "Sustainability is about working to change people's mindsets, values and behaviors," she says.

01/02/13 Latino USA to begin airing on WVIK

WVIK Augustana Public Radio will debut a new program, Latino USA, airing Wednesdays at 7 p.m. beginning January 2. A radio journal of news and culture, it is the only nationally distributed English-language radio program produced from a Latino perspective.

01/02/13 Symposium to explore ‘Nature and Human Nature’

Augustana College’s winter term symposium day, “Nature and Human Nature,” will be Wednesday, Jan. 23. Environmental scholar Molly Steinwald will give the keynote address twice, at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. in Centennial Hall (3703 7th Ave.). The lecture is free and open to the public.