Howling Bird, a student-run press at Augsburg College, is Minnesota’s newest small publisher. Howling Bird will take flight December 1 with the announcement of the winner of the press’ first National Poetry Prize, according to the Pioneer Press.
The honored poet will receive $1,000 and publication by Howling Bird in a trade paperback. That book will be guided through the publication process, from editing and design to marketing and distribution, by three students in the newly established publishing concentration in Augsburg’s low-residency Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program. To learn more about the MFA program and its students, read “” on the Pioneer Press website.
will host a free concert by Taleex Band on October 31 as part of the Midnimo series, a two-year partnership with Augsburg College to build cross-cultural awareness, knowledge, and understanding of Somali culture through music. The Star Tribune recently promoted the show and Midnimo programming in the article, “Twin Cities band Taleex raises voices for Somali pride.” As noted in the article, the Taleex performance also will include sets by non-Somali groups. Bob’s Band, a brass jazz group led by long-time Augsburg College Music Department faculty member Bob Stacke ’71 and comprised of several Augsburg alumni and current students, will augment Taleex Band’s sets.
Augsburg College alumna Kuoth Wiel ’13, a star in the feature film “The Good Lie,” has garnered a plethora of media coverage. The film, which was released in Minnesota Oct. 17, has been well received and is generating Oscar buzz. Augsburg has received several media mentions thanks to Wiel since she was a student at the College when she auditioned for the role.
The film brings to life a fictional yet strikingly accurate story of the ‘Lost Boys’ of Sudan. Born in a refugee camp in Ethiopia to Sudanese parents herself, it’s no surprise Wiel found it important to help tell this story. Being a part of the film “…validated all the struggles we had went through,” Wiel said in an MPR news interview.
Wiel has been traveling around the U.S. promoting the film since its September debut at the Toronto Film Festival. The film, along with Wiel and her cast mates, have been featured and covered by media outlets ranging from Minneapolis’ Star Tribune to Rolling Stone magazine.
Below is a list of some of the local and national media coverage on Wiel:
Bring Me the News – “Augsburg grad’s tragic past informs role in Hollywood movie”
Entertainment Weekly – “Behind the Scenes with the Sudanese stars of ‘The Good Lie'”
Huffington Post – “It’s been a long road to the big screen for the Sudanese stars of “‘The Good Lie'”
Kare 11 – “Augsburg grad lands role with Reese Witherspoon”
MPR – “‘The Good Lie’ treads close to Sudanese refugee life, Minnesota actress says”
People – “Meet the real-life ‘Lost Boys’ of Sudan in ‘The Good Lie'”
Pioneer Press – “’The Good Lie’ wisely leaves story to the refugees”
Rolling Stone – “This Reese Witherspoon drama about the lost boys (and girls) of Sudan is earnest to a fault, but you won’t leave unmoved”
Star Tribune – “Sudanese refugees weather culture shock in ‘Good Lie'”
Augsburg College was one of several Twin Cities anchor institutions named in a recent MinnPost article on the roles these institutions play in strengthening Minnesota neighborhoods.
President Paul C. Pribbenow, who is chair of the Central Corridor Anchor Partnership, was quoted in the article. He described how anchor institutions view the benefits in their partnership work. “This is not just what we give to the community, it’s about our shared interests and mutual benefits,” Pribbenow said.
Fellow member of the Augsburg community Josh Ahrens, food service director for A’viands, also was quoted in the article. Read, “” to learn how health care, higher education, and other nonprofits are working together to improve the economic vitality of their communities.
Military Advanced Education has selected Augsburg as a top school in its 2015 Guide to Colleges & Universities research study. A record number of schools responded to an extensive survey, and MAE staff evaluated each submission using strict criteria. Schools were evaluated by their achievement in military culture, financial aid, flexibility, on-campus support, and online support services.
The full Guide to Colleges & Universities will be published in a forthcoming issue of Military Advanced Education.
The college planning website BestColleges.com has named Augsburg to its list of the top colleges for older students. Augsburg is ranked No. 9, making it the highest listed Minnesota institution.
In order to create the rankings, BestColleges.com examined all schools with a nontraditional student body of 25 percent or more and then narrowed its list to only those schools that provide a high quality education. The site examined each school’s academics, student engagement, percentage of students above age 25, and programs geared toward nontraditional students. The site trimmed its list to 50 schools by examining institutions’ range of degree programs at the baccalaureate level or higher.
Augsburg College alumnus Brian Ackland ’95 ·É˛ą˛őĚýnamed Minnesota Physical Education Teacher of the Year by the Minnesota Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. In a Sun This Week article, Ackland describes how his time at Augsburg College influenced his vocational discernment, allowing him to identify his passion for serving children. Read, “” on the Sun This Week website.
Augsburg College alumnus Herb Chilstrom ’54, author and co-author numerous books, was featured by the St. Peter Herald shortly after the release of his newest publication, “My Friend Jonah and Other Dogs I’ve Loved.” All income from the book will be directed to Augsburg College and will honor of one of Chilstrom’s professors — Joel Torstenson. to learn more about the book and Chilstrom’s career with the Lutheran church.
Former Augsburg College football player Scott Cooper ’13 wrote a follow-up article for Outsports.com one year after he spoke in Daily Chapel for National Coming Out Day. Cooper previously penned an article for the site that and described his acceptance on and off the field as a gay student athlete. to read the article.
Augsburg College alumna Kuoth Wiel ’13, an actress in the feature film “The Good Lie,” was featured by the Star Tribune just before the movie’s Oct. 17Â release in Minnesota. Wiel has been touring to promote the film since its premiere at the Toronto Film Festival in early September.